I'm happy with my conversion though I still consider it a work in progress.

Since you like quirky, you could use two stems on top of each other. The top one would be for the drops. The bottom would be for a length of MTB handlebar tubing on which you could mount the shifters. The idea would be to get a combination of stems that would position your shifters where you could reach them from the drop bars. It might even be possible to do it so they could be reached both from the drops or from the tops.

In order to get two stems on top of each other you need a steerer extender like this: