In most other fandoms, even if there is a main pairing there are still people who "shipped" other characters.
For example, in "Roswell" the main pairings were Max/Liz and Michael/Marie. However, there were people who thought Max/Tess, Michael/Liz or Alex/Marie were better couples and you had lots of fanfics or fanart devoted to those "unconventional" pairings.
I think there are two main reasons that other pairings are so rare in this fandom. Firstly, the Lois and Clark pairing/romance is an integral part of the Superman mythos. This doesn't really apply to other shows in the main. Secondly, most of the other shows have ensemble casts, with a pool of available characters to 'mix and match' with.
With LNC, it's mostly down to the two leads with not much scope in the other cast members. Perry's too old, Jimmy's too young...Cat isn't really a long term prospect...and so on.
I do find that this makes things a lot more restrictive - both for the reader and the writer - in FoLCdom. I personally find it a lot harder to write LNC fic than any other show I've ever written for, just because I've been so used in the past to working with ensemble casts and a lot more than two basic characters.
So by this point - several years into my participation in this fandom - I'll welcome something that steps outside the box a little and as others have said 'shakes things up' a tad. Standard WAFFs are good, but a change is always nice now and then.
I'd like Clark and Lois to end up together eventually in a story, but I don't mind at all how we get there and if they take a few detours along the way. I'm not terribly fussed that Lois has to be Clark's first sexual experience either.
If they don't end up together it's a less satisfying story for me and makes me feel a little sad, but there are still stories in that category that I loved and will read again. Like Tank's Future series (which I know has been added to recently, but haven't read it yet, so no idea if things change there or not
. It's like Deathfic really. <g> If it's well written, emotive and the characters are real and three-dimensional then an author can sell me on pretty much anything.
LabRat
