jinian | variously found writing

First, we have a long gender-swapping Aubrey/Maturin fanfic, by shalott, by way of

untrue_accounts. It is, as she says, perfectly accessible to someone who hasn't read any of the books, though I think I got a little more out of the stylistic imitation having read one book of the original.

Next, a beautiful piece about someone else's first date, by

magdalene1, by way of

elisem. [Edit to link to

pameladean's thoughtful response at

pegkerr's post on the topic, which includes a link to a parody.]

Finally:

The great chef Brillat-Savarin told of a giant asparagus stalk growing in an Episcopal bishop's garden, so immense that it became the talk of the town as it rose from the ground. Only when the bishop went out to cut the stalk did he learn that it wasn't real but a perfect imitation made by a local canon, "who had carved a wooden asparagus... had stuck it by stealth into the bed, and lifted it a little every day to imitate the natural growth."

(from "Asparagus" in Ladybugs, Tiger Lilies, and Wallflowers by Robert Hendrickson, from the Seattle Public Library, because of my wish for Plant Names, Popular)