Shipping, derived from the word relationship, friendship or worship, is the belief of (or desire for) two people, often fictional, to be in a romantic relationship. It is considered a general term for fans' emotional involvement with the ongoing development of romance in a work of fiction. Though technically applicable to any such involvement, it refers chiefly to various related social dynamics observable on the Internet, and is seldom used outside of that context. The methods of shipping can include creating images of two characters a fan wishes to be shown in a loving relationship with one another or writing fan fiction stories on web-based boards in this same context.