slashgen or preslash

[jmtorres]

I wish people didn't feel like everything needed a pairing label. Also, just because you're slashing them in your own head, it doesn't necessarily come out that way in fic: Cas being a stalker is kind of canon, it's not necessarily a pairing thing. I say this because I am getting sort of frustrated at reading things that are supposedly a particular pairing and then nothing pairing-like happens. I've started getting excited at seeing NC-17 in the labels not because I'm particularly interested in reading about them having sex but because it means I can fairly reliably expect them to be having an actual relationship and not just burgers. Not that I'm not up for cute burger-eating fluff, but it's gen and it's misleading to claim it's not.

*sigh*

Comments

[ratcreature]

I dislike "pre-slash" as label too, but much of it is indeed focussed on the pairing and not gen. Much like I don't see in X-Files Mulder/Scully UST as "gen" just because there is no sex, it's MSR het.

I'd prefer if those stories labelled themselves as slash with UST if there is significant UST and pairing focus but no sex, and plain gen if it is all in the author's head, but I don't see it as a reader as more than friendship. That way it's clear what is/isn't happening, for slash just as for het.