AU drabble for drivingblind -- an error in the paperwork

Title: AU: an error in the paperwork
Requester: drivingblind
Series: Amber
Requested Topic: What if Zelazny's Amber was based more on Chinese (and other Asian) mythologies instead of Celtic, Norse, and Arthurian myths?
Due to http://incandescens.livejournal.com/857773.html

"You must understand," the young woman said, "that I am the fruit of Prince Benedict's unfortunate dalliance with a Minister of Hell. Naturally this has caused my family some concern, but my mother had been reincarnated by the point that this was discovered, and so no blame could be placed upon her."

I eyed her thoughtfully. My brother Benedict had never been one for unfortunate dalliances, or any dalliances at all. "And so you're hoping to meet your father?" I asked.

She bowed. "It is my fondest wish. Do you know the gentleman?"

"I'm his brother," I said. I might have smirked. I'm not sure.

She gasped. "Which one?"

"Corwin," I said, and took a swig of my tea.

She frowned. "I thought that your name had been written in the Register of Deaths some years ago."

"No, no," I said. "Error in the bookkeeping. Locked away for life, not killed. You must get a lot of that."

She shrugged. "Certainly if anyone could evade the Register, it would be a child of Amber."

AU drabble for starsandtildes -- the power of narrativium

Title: AU: the power of narrativium
Requester: starsandtildes
Series: Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney
Requested Topic: What if Edgeworth's daddy didn't get shot in an elevator in 2001?
Due to http://incandescens.livejournal.com/857773.html


Edgeworth took a moment from delivering a glance of lethal courtesy to von Karma (since his father was already doing it much better), and instead looked at the woman behind the prosecutor. She was young and elegant, in a sharp suit with well-cut hair, and for some reason she had a riding whip hooked to her belt. She must be the famous prosecutor's daughter, Franziska von Karma.

She looked back at him in much the same way.

His father said something irreproachable yet vicious about von Karma's habit of adjusting evidence.

Von Karma said something unprosecutable yet precise about Edgeworth's father no doubt cooking the books in order to save his thoroughly guilty clients.

Edgeworth's and the girl's eyes met, and somewhere lovebells sounded, cannons went off, doves fluttered, trains went through underground tunnels, tidal waves crashed, and Romeo and Juliet gave up and went for a break.

Edgeworth's father commented on the number of innocent people von Karma had no doubt condemned to the death penalty.

Von Karma mentioned the number of thorough-going criminals that Edgeworth's father had released on society.

Little tweety bluebirds sang Franziska, Franziska at the back of Edgeworth's mind, and from the blitzed look on Franziska's face, she too was imagining facing him in court and all the delightful logic they could chop, the proof they could uncover, the truths they could dissect. And possibly other things afterwards.

AU drabble for ravens_rising - don't ask about the hangover

Title: AU: don't ask about the hangover
Requester: ravens_rising
Series: Bleach
Requested Topic:
What if Shunsui was a very lazy knight in shining armor, and Ukitake was the castle's best magician? Aka magical medieval AU.
Due to http://incandescens.livejournal.com/857773.html


For lo, at that hour came even unto the castle a whacking great dragon, and it did fret and fume with much spite and fury, so that the castle cherry orchards were laid bare and the petals did flutter down.

And Sir Shunsui did rise from his sleep and say, Hey, I was going to be viewing those by moonlight this evening.

To which the mighty dragon replied, Since I am not in the mood to wait till this evening for supper, I shall devour you now, petty mortal.

Surely we can talk about this, said Sir Shunsui.

And the dragon did look down upon him and sniff in a way most mocking and derisory, and say, Very well, little man, say your piece.

Why don't you have something to drink while we're chatting, Sir Shunsui said, indicating the lake beside the cherry orchard. You appear to have a sore throat, old chap.

Now the dragon was much taken by this kindness and courtesy from Sir Shunsui, and said, Verily, thou art a paragon among knights and possessed of a noble and kind heart. I shall eat you quickly and you will not suffer much. After the drink, of course.

Too kind, said Sir Shunsui, and he began to speak concerning the nature of generosity of spirit, gentleness of soul, and why can't we all just get along.

Now as he spoke the dragon did drink, and he did drink in this wise: he stuck his jaws into the lake and did slurp up the water with a long tongue, and the steam rose up around him. And as he drained the lake his slurping grew more enthusiastic, and the steam had a smell most alcoholic.

Hic, said the dragon, and fell over gently.

At this point the Wizard Ukitake did stride from behind a tree, and say, Shunsui, thou moron, hast thou no better idea for killing dragons than setting up a ruse like this with me? Knowest thou not that the dragon has devoured my pet koi?

Fear not, said Sir Shunsui, for behold, the wine would have poisoned them anyhow.

That is not the point, said the Wizard Ukitake. Now art thou going to kill this dragon or not?

Certainly not, said Sir Shunsui. It would be bad form to go round killing fellow drinkers.

And the Wizard Ukitake did use many different languages to describe his thoughts on this subject and divers others.

AU drabble for vincentursus -- all eaten up

Title: AU: all eaten up
Requester: vincentursus
Series: In Nomine
Requested Topic: What if Haagenti had been defeated by Oblivion?
Due to http://incandescens.livejournal.com/857773.html


Sometimes Kobal thought that he'd had a really lovely, complex plan. It had involved picking a vigorous brash young demon, someone up and coming, hungry for success, and using him as a tool. He'd have played the fellow against other Princes. He'd have watched all their beautiful scheming and planning come to nothing against someone stupid, brainless, obvious, yet possessed of such raw hunger and ferocity that all their best efforts would simply be . . . devoured.

It was such a beautiful idea. But it had never happened.

After all, he'd remember it if had happened, wouldn't he?

(no subject)

Caught up on some sleep today (after trotting around so much yesterday), did some housework, did some patchwork, did some writing.

What a nice thought it is that I have tomorrow off as well.

Incidentally, does anyone know any weird (but genuine) facts offhand about Germany? For various reasons we have an upcoming Awayday at work, and in honour of the World Cup, all the teams have been assigned a country and told to present an interesting fact from said country. I offered to research a bit on behalf of our team. So far I've got that:

a) The first known [beer] consumer protection act arose with the German Beer Purity Law of 1516, known as Rheinheitsgebot.

b) Germany has Europe's oldest universal health care system, with origins dating back to Otto von Bismarck's social legislation, which included the Health Insurance Bill of 1883, Accident Insurance Bill of 1884, and Old Age and Disability Insurance Bill of 1889. (Okay, this is not a particularly weird fact, but given we are all working for the NHS, it is a relevant interesting fact.)

c) Kolberg is a 1945 German propaganda film directed by Veit Harlan and Wolfgang Liebeneiner. The film was intended to boost the morale of the Germans in the last phase of World War II. At a cost of more than eight million marks, it was the most expensive film of the Nazi era. At a time when the war was turning against German fortunes, thousands of soldiers were used in the film, some diverted from their fighting positions at substantial cost. To film scenes with snow during summer, 100 railway wagons brought salt to the set in Pomerania.

I'm thinking that I should probably take in multiple choices for my team to pick a favourite from, given that not everyone shares my sense of humour or my opinion of what is weirdly interesting.

---

The Garden of the Golden Valley

Stories of passion make sweet dust,
Calm water, grasses unconcerned.
At sunset, when birds cry in the wind,
Like a girl's robe fall the petals.

-- Tu Mu, translated by Witter Bynner