Vignette: Magnet. R.

[roadstergal.livejournal.com]

This has been nagging at me ever since I saw Back In The Red. 500-word vignette. Spoilers up through BITR. Crit is always welcome.


The sexual magnetism virus had a smegging potent smell. It was kinda cherry-like - but not real cherries. It was like cherry-flavored cough syrup, that artificial, full-of-alcohol, too-sweet, Red Coloring #14 cherry-crap smell. Went straight to your groin, though, it did. Like there was a string between your nose and your cock, and as soon as you got yerself a whiff, it jerked up and gave you a stiffy you could pound nails with. Not just that, though; there was a kind of desire there, too, a wantin' to get your hands on that other person and kiss him senseless, feel his tongue in your mouth, satisfy him with your hands or your arse or whatever else would get him off, like his pleasure was the whole point of the universe, and your own excitement just a tangent. Hard to resist. I could feel that Kochanski wasn't resistin' at all; she was hot and sweaty as she tugged at my arms. She was just achin' for that smeghead, and I knew that she was wantin' to do to him just what I was burnin' to do to him, too. I knew that if I had let both of us go, we woulda done it in concert, however it would have worked, not carin' at all that the other was there as long as he was happy.

Yeah, him. Smeghead. Just like that bastard used to be, before death and psi-moons and worlds of clones and all of the other things that made him realize he was a bastard, and made him be less of one. Smeg, it made him almost a decent human being. He wouldn't've used that virus like that, nossir. Not the Arnold Rimmer I helped on his way to bein' a Space Hero.

Not that he would have had to.

Kochanski asked me later, after I had played that prank with the rest of the virus - and maybe it was wrong, but damn, I needed to take him down a peg. She asked why I was immune to it. I just told her the truth - I'm not - and let her wonder. Yeh see, I've had practice. Lots of it. Sittin' around with a hard-on, wantin' to do things to him I never thought I would want to do to anyone, let alone him. Practice makes perfect, I guess; practice at desirin' and not takin', practice at giggling and grinnin' and making mean jokes when yer on fire. Sure, it's not the same man, but he looks so much like him - from his stupid polished boots to his ridiculous curly hair - that it was easy to pretend he was, and resist.

Kochanski just shrugged and said yeh can build up an immunity to any virus, if you're exposed long enough. She doesn't know how right she is.

Comments

[beetle-breath.livejournal.com]

Oooh ooh, I love the way you wrote this! From the perspective of a slasher, the introduction of the original Rimmer would do a helluva number on Lister.

And yet they're always together. Even nekkid in front of Hollister.

[roadstergal.livejournal.com]

*blush* Thanks! Yes, that's the horrid thing about VIII. The wrong Rimmer. I mean, it's not the right Rimmer, but it's still a Rimmer, and that's got to be a hell of a place to be.

[day221b.livejournal.com]

D*mn that was good.

[roadstergal.livejournal.com]

Meep, thanks!

[laurenthemself]

*wibbles*

Nice one.

[roadstergal.livejournal.com]

*blush* Thanks!

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

Nice VIII-Lister, all dark and almost on the verge of cynical. He's in such a bad place, the poor dear...

before death and psi-moons and worlds of clones and all of the other things that made him realize he was a bastard
Lovely.

Not the Arnold Rimmer I helped on his way to bein' a Space Hero.
*headdesk*

Not that he would have had to.
Gah.

practice at giggling and grinnin' and making mean jokes when yer on fire.
Yep. You nailed it.

The last two paragraphs are some damn fine writing indeed, ma'am. Great concept, and I think you are absolutely right.

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

Just a minor thought though; while I love the idea of the virus making you want to pleasure the infected person, I'm not entirely sure how that fits into canon, given the behavior of the female officers towards Rimmer in BITR... er... I forget which part. They did seem, at least to my eyes, to be more focused on their own pleasure. I hate to say this, because it's such a good idea, but I just wanted to put it out there. Posting it here, hope you don't mind. :)

[roadstergal.livejournal.com]

Oh, ja, it's all good. Honestly, the reason I put that in is because it makes me feel better about the prison scene at the end of BITR...

However, I did think about that. I kinda thought that they were focused on his pleasure, but giving him too much of a good thing. After all, when he said he had had enough coffee, that one woman (and she was so lovely!) didn't jump him - she just looked very mopy and disappointed.

I thought someone was going to bring up that Hollister wasn't affected. ;) It all happened in his simulated world, so it was under his control.

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

I thought someone was going to bring up that Hollister wasn't affected. ;)
Oh dear, now I have *that* mental image in my head...

You know, this seems like one of those things were there is no norm. Though maybe that's it; maybe people react individually. And you know, there's always Spanners and his Ace-resistance... Ties into this, methinks! ;)

[roadstergal.livejournal.com]

You know, I swear to gawd there's something odd going on with Hollister where Rimmer is concerned. Not that I am going to touch it with a 10' pole. For now. But combine that with how irritated he was about the loss of the Magnetism virus. He does end up with the Luck. *whistle*

You know, maybe it's like bookverse Better Than Life - it makes people do sexually what you, deep down, want them to. Rimmer's so inexperienced that he thinks ravening excess is good...

[roadstergal.livejournal.com]

Aww, thank ye!

Ja, VII-Lister is so close - and then VIII, and the guy just acts like he's lost something, and it's all petty after that.

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

I know I've said it before, but this is so my Lister/VIII Rimmer song: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/keane/wemightaswellbestrangers.html

[roadstergal.livejournal.com]

As much for the tone as the lyrics...

I'm still here because I've got nothing else to do
You're an asshole but I'm getting used to you
I like the fact that you talk incessantly
I got a thing for assholes who tell good stories

I think that drinking is the only thing that you do right
You're gonna self-destruct, and I think that's what I like
You like me so you try and make me feel like shit
I think it's kind of funny, yeah, I kind of enjoy it

If you're gonna do it, overdo it, that's how you know you're alive
Go ahead, take yourself a coma nap, babe,
Take a puddle dive...

You said, this is my bedroom window
You said, this is my view
You said, lie down here with me and see the things that I do
Like you were trying to tell me something about the way you live
Like you would give me something if you had something to give

For all your talk you don't say much that's real
I think I know more than you about the way you feel
I understand your anger and your apathy
I think if I were you, you are just who I'd be

I'm still here because I got nothing else to do
You're an asshole but I'm getting used to you
I could love you, yeah, entertain the thought
But I could never like you, so I guess I'd better not...

-Ani DiFranco

[eviltigerlily.livejournal.com]

That was.... *is speechless*

Um, yes. Good, yes.

[roadstergal.livejournal.com]

Aw, thanks!

[tawg.livejournal.com]

The idea of building an immunity - to Rimmer - was just great.

But I also really liked the way you worked with Kochanski. I really hated the way that - in the show - Lister was all over her, because - like new!Rimmer - it's not the same Kochanski, not the real one. I think, if there had been more moments like this, of them sharing an experience and not exactly understanding one another, that attraction would have made more sense.

Plus the whole almost!Rimmer aspect is one I love seeing played with.

[roadstergal.livejournal.com]

Thank ye!

Heh, you know, I always wondered what happened to Kochanski I. Shouldn't she have been resurrected along with the rest of the crew?

What's funny is that Lister is all over her, but in some kind of odd halfhearted way. I mean, he takes that bit of magnetism virus, and she snogs him for a minute - then regains her head and stops, and he doesn't try to pursue it at all. And he's strangely passive while she's actually doing it. It's like he thinks he should be all over her, and makes the motions, but his heart isn't in it.

And yes, almost!Rimmer is just killer. Because it's not his Rimmer, but it's so similar...

[squiggle-bat.livejournal.com]

Okay, I *need* to watch series 8 soon. The altruistic effect of the magnetism virus is a fasincating idea, and the reason for Lister's tolerance feels painfully in character.

[roadstergal.livejournal.com]

VIII is... disappointing, in many ways. But the bonus bits are worth the price of the DVD. The dynamic between Chris and Craig is just lovely, and it kills me that they didn't write holo!Rimmer and Lister, letting them continue their interaction with this lovely dynamic.

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

Because then all the fangirls would explode, and DVD-sales would plummet.

(Personally, I wouldn't have minded a little exploding to get that.)

[zekkass.livejournal.com]

Y'know, I always wondered about that scene, and you've gone and found the perfect explaination. Thank you!

[roadstergal.livejournal.com]

It might not be canon, but it's fun to speculate. Thanks!