ext_14533 ([identity profile] kahvi.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] reddwarfslash2006-08-03 09:57 am

Fic: Who? - R/L (imp) - PG

Title: Who?
Pairing: Rimmer/Lister (implied)
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Still don't own Red Dwarf. Still don't make money from it.
Spoilers: Stoke Me A Clipper
Notes: [livejournal.com profile] roadstergal wanted to know what Lister was thinking when he fought against Rimmer in SMAC. I wrote it to fit in with her If, which I hope she doesn't mind. Written as part of the [livejournal.com profile] fanfic100 challenge - my table is here.



When me gran said that one day I was gonna be someone's knight in shining armor, I doubt this was what she had in mind. Still, I'd like to think she'd've been proud all the same. She was a tough one, my gran was. You wouldn't have liked her. Much as you don't like me, so why the smeg am I doing this? Ah, but I do know. It's a chore I've taken upon myself. Because the thing is, someone has to like you, Rimmer.

Someone has to look out fer you; wonder what kind of a mess ye'll get yerself into next time. Someone has to ask 'what about Rimmer' when the others vote to get the hell out of the Simulant-packed derelict before it blows; and to hell with any coward who let himself get captured by them because he tried to sell us out.

Someone has to listen to yer goiting awful boring stories, and watch ya playing RISK with the scutters, and yerself now that there's no scutters fer you to boss around. I'm not gonna play with ya; I'm bored out of my skin here, but I'm not that far gone yet! No, but I'll watch, and leer, and distract ya so you'll forget what a lousy, crummy thing it is to have to play a board game with yerself.

Someone has to be the one to tell you the truth (except... but we won't dwell on that) when you get drunk, or sad, or lonely, and start wondering what people really think about you. Someone has to be honest; say what they really mean. Even if by doing that, they are mean! I bet you didn't get that. I bet you thought I was just being a bastard. Fine. I don't mind. I'm just doing what needs to be done.

Like now. Here's the opportunity of a lifetime staring ya in the face, and what do you do? Give up, that's what. Yeah, if I'd let ya, you'd do what you always do; let opportunity slip away, then complain about it for the rest of yer miserable life. I know you. I know ya too damn well. Guess what, though; I'm not gonna let ya slink away this time.

Do ya even know how ridiculous you look? Ace, now, Ace can pull that look off. Ace could come in here naked, armed with just a toothpick and a smile, and have me disarmed and helpless on the floor within seconds. And that there is inside of you too, 'old iron balls', if ye can just find it – see who you really are. And I have to help ya find it, because nobody else will. I'm all you have, Rimmer. Who would be there for you, if it wasn't fer me? Ever think of that? I do. All the time, man. I'm yer best friend, and I don't even like ya. How sad is that? That's no life fer a man, is it?

Now, I just bet ya, if ye'd told Cat and Kryten; 'oh, Dave is gonna throw a heapin' big sword around with Rimmer,' they'd've started planning yer funeral. And I wouldn't blame 'em. You did me some wrong turns up through the years, and as I lift this thing (heavy bastard, really) part of me tries to nudge my arm just that little bit more to the left, just so I'd nick yer arm; swing just a little more to the right as you turn, so I could hit you with the flat of the blade and leave a few bruises. If you can get those. Make you hurt, anyway. I don't like ya, but I have to; it's the only decent thing to do. Yer a smeghead, but yer a human being, and that's why I don't stab this thing into yer side, pinning yer clothes to the floor, the edge of the blade just about ripping the outer layer of whatever passes for skin on yer body, leaving you helpless and trapped, so I can... I don't do that, yeah? Wouldn't be right.

Still, I can't say it doesn't feel good to do this. To smack you around a bit, even if it is just pretend. Get some of that tension out. It's been a few years, and for most of those, I couldn't even touch ya. Now though... Feels stupid to use this sword, even. I could just toss it aside, wrestle yours from ya, and we could settle this like men, you know. Bare fists. I'd take my gauntlets off. Or maybe you'd like that? I've seen the way you look at me. It makes me nervous. It shouldn't be like that between us. That's not us. This is us; fighting. Just with metal this time instead of words.

Oh, and now you run. I shouldn't be surprised, I suppose. In fact, I'm not; I know ya too well, like I said. I knew you'd run, that you'd pick up that bazookoid, that you'd shoot me with it. I didn't know how hard even those blanks would hit though. Hurts like hell, like my chest and stomach is on fire. I'm taking a bullet for ya, man, and ya don't even know it. One? Smeg, that was hardly just one. Just as well ya left running right away, else you'd've heard me wheezing and spluttering on the floor, because I couldn't hold it in fer all that long. Yer still taking no chances. Good. Even heroes have to make sure they don't die. Be a shame for ya to die now, after all this. I'd feel. You know, like a failure.

There's a thing now. Fancy that. I might not even find out, ever.

You might die alone.

[identity profile] eviltigerlily.livejournal.com 2006-08-03 09:47 am (UTC)(link)
Guh....SMAC is like a black hole of angst.
I really like the idea of Lister looking out for Rimmer becuase someone has to, it feels so just right.

I know you. I know ya too damn well

Ah, but not that well. Way I see it is Lister may be able to anticipate Rimmers actions very well but he can't (or won't) always see the reason behind them. Shame.

Ace could come in here naked, armed with just a toothpick and a smile, and have me disarmed and helpless on the floor within seconds

Could you elaborate a bit on that image?

It's the last line that kills me in the fic (and [livejournal.com profile] roadstergal's fic too), because of the idea that he might die alone. After everything they've been through. That's just too horrible. In fact given the fact they went into stasis in the end of VII to find the nanobots makes him still being alive very unlikely (yeah, I know, in the show you can DJ pretty independantly of time, but as the actual theory states that's imossible and there isn't a satisfactory explanation in the show....sorry science ramble...). That always made me sad.

[identity profile] roadstergal.livejournal.com 2006-08-03 04:32 pm (UTC)(link)
as the actual theory states that's imossible and there isn't a satisfactory explanation in the show

Well, scientifically, dimension-crossing would violate conservation of matter/energy. ;) I posted a link to All The Myriad Ways a few weeks back, for a real mindfeck view of alternate dimensions. But Backwards (book) does go more into the theory of Red Dwarf dimension-jumping, and it allows for time travel relative to a destination dimension when jumping.

Even if there's a huge time gap that Rimmer has to live through - well, Rimmerworld suggests he's immortal until killed, so Lister might, someday, meet an older and - maybe, possibly, potentially - wiser Rimmer. ;)

[identity profile] eviltigerlily.livejournal.com 2006-08-03 05:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, Rimmer is imortal until killed, but the Ace from SMAC was a hard ligt hologram too, and he got killed. I don't think Aces live very long. Sorry, just me spreading my innate pessimism around. It really got me down before. I do feel better about it since your "Breaking the Chain" fic.

You can't travel from one dimension to another, or even be aware of their existance (you can speculate about it obviously, work out mathematical models that deal with the problem and the like) as because of the reason you mentioned information cannot croos dimensions. But the theories that deal with it do demand that time remains the same for all dimensions. Of course, if you have a machine that can cross dimensions I can think of no reason why it can't travel in time as well. I thought there might be an explanation in Bacwards, but I haven't read it yet so...
I think if you were somehow (ignoring the practicality hurdle for a moment) transported to another dimension you would be unlikely to observe a difference. A dimension could have diverged from ours billions of years ago and the change might not be measurable even with the most sensitive instruments. Obviously, at least some are likely to be quite different, but it all depends on luck I guess. That's one of my pet theories on the subject, anyway.

[identity profile] day221b.livejournal.com 2006-08-03 11:30 am (UTC)(link)
Brutally honest, but your fic hit home on so many levels. I love the fact that Lister admits to looking out for Rimmer because somebody has to. You see this in the series alot.

Oh and that last line is killer. An echo of [livejournal.com profile] roadstergal's fic that connects the two pieces beautifully. Wonderful!

[identity profile] roadstergal.livejournal.com 2006-08-03 04:15 pm (UTC)(link)
You did - the thing! With the guys! On the spaceship! In the future! With... ahem.

Marvelous. That first line is just perfect. And yes, it so well captures that feeling that permeates the series, that Lister feels like it's his duty, somehow, to care about Rimmer. He always seemed so... frustrated when Rimmer did something Rimmerish. And then, at the point when Rimmer has developed to a point where it's not really a duty anymore - gah. SMACgah.

Yeah, if I'd let ya, you'd do what you always do; let opportunity slip away, then complain about it for the rest of yer miserable life.

Meta-gah.

Ace can pull that look off. Ace could come in here naked, armed with just a toothpick and a smile, and have me disarmed and helpless on the floor within seconds.

Oh, can I use this image?

'oh, Dave is gonna throw a heapin' big sword around with Rimmer,'

Mmmph.

that's why I don't stab this thing into yer side, pinning yer clothes to the floor, the edge of the blade just about ripping the outer layer of whatever passes for skin on yer body, leaving you helpless and trapped, so I can...

Mmmph.

we could settle this like men, you know

Mmmph.

Be a shame for ya to die now, after all this. I'd feel. You know, like a failure.

*sigh*
ext_3665: (Love is...)

[identity profile] zekkass.livejournal.com 2006-08-03 05:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Awww. Damn, but SMAC is an angst-fest. Great companion piece. *sniff*

[identity profile] willdew.livejournal.com 2008-03-08 06:58 am (UTC)(link)
I'm yer best friend, and I don't even like ya. How sad is that? That's no life fer a man, is it?

I liked how we get to see Lister's POV during this episode, and how his morals shine through. He is so concerned about doing what is right, what has to be done, according to his own personal sense of... liberal humanism? I get the sense he's convincing himself that it's his duty to make Rimmer's mind up for him, too.