Handy Writer's Tools

I wrote this as a response in shadesong's journal, but I'm reprinting it here because I think I'm onto something. 'Song was lamenting that because the word "slash" and, by extension, the character "/" have become associated with fiction pieces involving sexual pairings, she didn't feel comfortable using it (e.g. "Character1/Character2") to refer to scenes and stories in which sex does not take place in any way. I decided that we really need a graded symbolic system, wherein the separating symbol between the character names indicates what goes on (or doesn't go on) between them. To wit:

colon = random interaction between characters otherwise unattached
Example: Henry Kissinger:Lindsay Lohan =
Lindsay: Excuse me, mister? You dropped your keys.
Henry: Oh! Thank you, young lady! [exit]

inverted parentheses = friendship, or possibly unstated romance
Example: Matt Damon)(Ben Affleck =
Matt: Dude! You rock!
Ben: No, you rock! [brushes hair from Matt's eyes]
[long pause]
Matt: Score some wings?
Ben: Sure! [exit]

slash = what slash usually means
Example: Leia/Ewok =
Leia: Ohhhhh... Mmmmm...
Ewok: Gleeplebleeeeeee...
[exchange of bodily fluids]

greater-than sign = Dom-sub thing
Example: Condaleeza>George W. =
Condaleeza: Beg for it, worm! Lick!
[rest of this bit abandoned, because just writing it is making my spleen cramp]

minus sign = no interaction at all
Example: Paula Cole-Archduke Ferdinand =
Paula Cole: [looking up from latest Newsweek] I wonder if there's any pudding left.... [heads for fridge]