Well, as you know, Bob...

I remember that this conversation came up (on lj, I think), and someone (I don't remember who) said, "Look, we need a word for when there's romantic relationships between characters, but it's not the point of the thing (unlike with slash/het in general). I don't care what we call it. We can call it Bob." And that's where it came from, you know, only with citations and crap.

Either Suela or Nutty's, I think. Recalling the conversation.

Gen, Slash, and Het all serve as genre categories. Yes, if you go granular, the pairing could tell you what you're getting (most of the time but not always), but you also need categories for archives, newsletters, recs lists, etc. And like all genres, you've got people who only read in their genre. You've got genre expectations, genre-specific tropes, cross-genre warfare...

The lines, as ever, are fuzzy around the edges, but the buckets serve a purpose, even if things slop over them.

I don't get why it has to be so labeled.

As a recovering member of Stargate fandom, to "slash" male or female characters was an abomination, and slashers were outcasts amongst the "mainstream" SG fandom and het/gen fic sites in the early days of SG fandom.

Until slashers jumped ship to form their own lists and write stories and discuss slash in peace, slash fic had to be clearly labeled as M/M or F/F slash with proper warnings and enough vertical spacing in the summary post to protect the more sensitive members from exposure to Teh Gay.

That fandom never distinguished canon vs. non-canon slash. They've also used terms like "noromo" (no romance) in addition to gen, but my favorite is "curtain fic".

curtain fic is het or slash but very normative,right? You could also write Winchester curtainfic that's totally gen, they just share curtains because that's where I am, aboutwise for the end of all things.

Is there a code for "wincest if you squint" It needs something catchy, for "I wrote winsquinty fic today, honey," doesn''t trip off the tongue.

Is there a code for "wincest if you squint"

According to lj? Gen.

You could also write Winchester curtainfic that's totally gen, they just share curtains because that's where I am, aboutwise for the end of all things.

That'd be classic smarm, a genre I forgot above.

I've read a lot of Sam/Jess, oddly, where it's alluded to very obliquely that Sam might have a slightly closer relationship to his brother than most.

Oh, and that one I mentioned the other day, where they can only meet once a year? That was definitely a squinter.

I love curtain fic.

I like wincest if you squint. What shows they're entirely entangled. But only if you squint.

Blatant he's with you but he loves me better fic better be handled really well. The last one I read, Dean lost his BF when he saw him come to fight (primarily at Sammy's defense) and eve though his ass got saved too, it wasn't the same knowing the hands could kill.

Which pleased Sam, who'd mostly wanted him gone.

But, really display of hands of steel, I'd not leave if I couldn't fight for shit. Maybe. Because---hawt.

edited to remove gronk

I know people were looking for Criminal Minds crossovers. I found 3 that are crossed with the voodoo portion of the "Five Districts, Five Drugs" series Amy and I were discussing recently. The thing is I don't watch Criminal Minds so I can't vouch for how well she captures those voices, but I can tell you that she is a good storyteller. These three ficlets are short, more vignettes than stories.

However, "Five Districts, Five Drugs" is wincest. There is nothing too blatant in any of these, but I've tried to give appropriate content warning:

The Ignorance of Knowledge - spoilers up through 2.18 for Criminal Minds - takes place at a jazz bar in the French Quarter that Sam owns. There's a brief period where Sam and Dean are both in the scene with Reid; when Dean arrives "Sam’s smile turns silly, helplessly in love. Reid aches, seeing it, feels slightly better when he sees that Dean’s returning it, leaning down to press his lips against Sam’s forehead in some kind of benediction." In addition to Reid noting the attraction between the two of them, "he sees Sam slide a palm up high on Dean’s thigh." Before Dean leaves, from across the bar, Reid sees them kiss goodbye. (It just says they kiss, it's not described in detail or anything.) I know the kissing might be enough to discourage some of you, but the portrayal of Dean in this fascinates me, dangerous and feral.

Recognition of Knowledge - Coda for 4.01 of Criminal Minds - Sam and Dean meet Reid at the airport and stand next to each other as they wait outside, "sides pressed together." That's the extent of it in this one.

Comfort of Knowledge - Coda for 4.07 of Criminal Minds - takes place in New Orleans again. Sam and Dean don't even appear in the same scene in this one.

But, really display of hands of steel, I 'd leave if I couldn't fight for shit. Maybe. Because---hawt.

Say that again but ... different? It's either the gronk or the congestion but I'm having trouble parsing it.