There's a word for the type of AU where the characters from one show are swapped into the setting from another show.

Fusion.

Thank-you! (was driving me batty)

When I was composing this post in my head, I was thinking that I liked AUs from canons with strong characters. But, then I realised I'd have no interest whatsoever in a Buffy AU. I like that universe as is, and I like those characters in that universe.

On the other hand, I can read Supernatural AUs until the cows come home, as long as people respect the same things about the characters and relationships that I do. I think it is the relationships, actually. The interactions between the characters. I like seeing that translated into different worlds. My enjoyment of a show like Buffy is a lot less about the relationships and more about the mythology and the characters' places in it.

I tend to dislike AUs where they diverge from canon over specific peeves of the authors, like a character they dislike having died (or the reverse), but are otherwise in the same basic setting.

Yeah, I'm not too fond of 'fixit' AUs, but there are times when a 'what if?' scenario can yield some interesting results.

I don't like "fixit" AUs but I do like AUs in general. As long it feels the writer is staying true to the character I can read just about anything.

Yeah, I'm not too fond of 'fixit' AUs, but there are times when a 'what if?' scenario can yield some interesting results.

True, you just reminded me that I loved "Snuffleupagus." But that what if? is a pretty big game changer.

It's weird how sometimes I get a "what if?" vibe off a fic, and sometimes it's a fixit. I don't know if it's a tone thing, or what. But if I put it into fixit beyond something truly simple and sappy (SAMULET!!!) I generally get pretty testy.

I don't know where I draw the line between fix it and what if, but I do love a good what if. Much prefer it to AU -- I think part of the draw for me, especially with SPN, is the universe they're in. Translating the angels into a suburban family, for example, just doesn't work the same way for me somehow.

I like fic that explores what might have happened if Sam or Dean or John or even Mary had made a different choice, and forked the road somewhere, and I love secondary character stories and outside POV of the boys, but corporate!Dean or mechanic!Sam (or whatever) just don't interest me.

God, "Snuffleupagus" was a gut punch.

I, on the other hand, love a well done suburban family of angels.

There aren't that many.

But I will try almost every D/C HS AU out there, just in case. And sometimes, merely sometimes, I think I hit gold.

A big difference for me is that I can accept happier endings in AUs than in canon-compliant SPN fic. I like them miserable in canon. But it's kinda nice to see a different world in which they could have been happy.

Self-pimpage:

Who Do You Think You're Fooling? - Anna/Ruby femmeslash (R-rated, I'd say) set during "When the Levee Breaks."