| Angst |
Emotional pain. Also fanfic in which a character’s emotional pain is a central plot element. |
| au or a/u |
Alternate universe. Fanfic in which the story universe is radically altered from the canon show universe. |
| b&d, b/d, bd |
Bondage and domination. |
| bdsm |
The story contains both b&d and s&m. |
| Crossover or x-over |
Fanfic using characters/scenarios from two or more different shows. |
| dal |
Deep abiding love. |
| f |
Any show, non-major-character female. |
| h |
Humor. |
| h/c |
Hurt/Comfort. |
| m |
Any show, non-major-character male. |
| m/m |
male/male sex (or romance) |
| Mary Sue |
A character who is a transparent double for the author of the story. A story featuring such a character. A male Mary Sue is a Marty Stu. (Wesley Crusher in Star Trek TNG is a typical example). |
| msr |
Mulder – Scully romance. |
| m/m/f, f/f/f, m/m/m/m |
Multiple or multi. Multiple partners. |
| nc |
Non-consensual sex. |
| pwp |
Plot, what plot? A sex story, pure and simple. |
| r |
Romance. |
| r |
Rape story. Fanfic in which a character is raped. Usually implies an h/c plot. |
| Ratings: |
|
| G |
Means “general”, as in appropriate for any age group. |
| PG |
“Parental guidence suggested”, often indicating bad language, more adult themes, or other topics not necessarily appropriate for a general audience. |
| PG-13 |
Implies sex or violence. |
| PG-15 |
Some sex and violence and/or bad language. |
| R |
“Restricted”. Generally indicates bad language, nudity, violence, or other topics that may not be appropriate for those under 18. |
| NC-17 |
“No children under 18″. Graphic depictions of sex or violence, for adults only. |
| rst |
Resolved sexual tension. |
| s&m, s/m, sm |
Sadism and masochism. Always consensual. |
| s |
Slash. A story containing same sex pairings. Usually very explicit. |
| ust |
Unresolved sexual tension. |
| v |
Vignette. |
