The King of Banana Town by Francesca Astraea

Had a slightly... bananas... prompt. Wrote about racketeering. Enjoy!   It wasn’t known as Banana Town when Gus moved there. The town, that is. It wasn’t known as much – just a crossroads with some houses, a petrol station and one of those everything-and-anything grocery shops. If it had a name, Gus scrubbed it out …

Connection Error by Francesca Astraea

Ines' magic specialises in helping people communicate. Getting them to listen, on the other hand... A few of weeks ago you guys voted for 'poison' to be my next topic, so here it is! (An aside which none of you give a shit about: I nicked [character spoiler] from the Philosophy Tube YouTube channel, and …

The Ambrosia Spa and Hotel (Death, the Major Arcana Series) by Francesca Astraea

I've been rereading the Percy Jackson series and this was partially inspired by the spa in The Sea of Monsters. The other part of my inspiration was my almost overwhelming desire to go on holiday. ‘Tony,’ Beverley began. ‘I’ve been thinking, about the holiday…’ ‘Mm?’ Tony glanced over his newspaper (or, as the daughter would …

Modern Loneliness by Francesca Astraea

This was inspired by Lauv's song, Modern Loneliness, and by a lot of things I've been thinking about lately. The Post Office Neville ‘Are you waiting to post an item or buy stamps?’ The girl at the post office was young, although everyone looked young to Neville these days. He housed a sneaking suspicion that …

The Thief in the Night by Francesca Astraea

This is a commission for my friend Robyn. Her prompt: What is the least convenient personal habit for a detective? Write about that detective. Quigley Thompson had only been Junior Security Guard at Meadowlark Conservation Park and Society for three weeks, so he really wasn’t sure what to do with the woman in the staffroom. …

Just Desserts (Justice, Major Arcana Series) by Francesca Astraea

If asked, tourists leaving the Sweet Memories Family Run Pâtisserie and Ice Cream Parlour in Carnaby Street would usually describe their experience as magical. Sometimes they would use compound phrases like absolutely fabulous. Occasionally they would enumerate on past experiences or make comparisons: it reminded me of my grandmother’s kitchen. Or I rather feel this place …

Inheritance Tax (The Hanged Man, Major Arcana Series) by Francesca Astraea

  Stephen Defoe was not usually one for introspection, but it struck him that he was acutely aware of every ache in his body. Squashed between his backpack and a fellow tourist, Stephen sat on a bus currently between Siam Reap and Phnom Penh. Until he came to Cambodia, he thought Phnom Penh was a …

The Sea Witch’s Revenge Part I

Once upon a time, there was a boy who wanted to be a merman. He knew it was supposed to be the other way around — a mermaid wanting to become human — but the heart what it wants, and he wanted to own a tail, breathe underwater, and talk to fish. After years of …