Under other conditions ...

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

(I'm whiling away a couple of minutes waiting for a press conference to begin, so I thought I'd ask a question that's been hitting my brain for a while. I don't know if it's been asked before - but I will now.)

How do you guys see a relationship between Lister and Rimmer surviving under "normal" conditions attained after everything they've been through - that is, what if they DID get back to Earth like Lister says he wants, and there were people and jobs and homes and everyday concerns and just things we think of as "normal life?"

I guess what I'm wondering is if they were able to hammer out a romantic relationship as they are, would it hold up under other social conditions, all else being equal? I guess you should also consider the whole angle of homophobia as playing a part, if you think it still would be a problem in 3 million years. I'm not sure it would - I guess what I'm thinking of is more "oh, we're not the last two people left after all, anymore - hmm, do I still want you?"

Geez, I hope this makes some sense on the screen like it does in my head ....

Comments

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

Ah, but what if Rimmer was doing something that made him happy - like art or design school (which I suspect he'd do smashingly well at) - and in turn, was able to offer an improved self to Lister as a partner?

/devil's advocate

[thickets.livejournal.com]

I love this

I desperately want fic with Rimmer in school doing something that he loves. Whether it's AU or futurefic as described by the OP ...

...ah I am a sucker for fluff.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

*nods* So am I. Angst has its place, but ... the idea of an AU with student!Rimmer and student!Lister and student!cast somehow at the university level, with Lister secretly wanting to be an engineer but knowing he doesn't have quite enough drive for the right classes ....

[kathie-d.livejournal.com]

Ah, there was some fic wasn't there, which suggested that Rimmer would have been great at design school. All those years of carefully colouring in the maps...

That would be equally interesting to see. Maybe Rimmer would have learnt enough from his experience on RD to not screw up this time?

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

Hmm ... you make me want to write ... or want to see YOU write ... LOL.

[artfullola.livejournal.com]

I've always admired the idea of Rimmer as the (secretly) creative type. Thanks to gemjam's lovely fic 'Here Be Dragons', I can't look at a colouring book without thinking of him! Perhaps one of the reasons he failed his Astronavigation exams so many times is because becoming an officer is just not meant to be.

I can definitely see him becoming a designer/cartographer/artist/etc. Whether he can let go his neuroses and hang ups long enough to realise his potential and commit himself to actually do it and fit it in to Lister's chosen lifestyle is another kettle of fish!

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

I love that fic too! The bit with him "delicately shading the tiger's fur" is just too cute.

Thanks to Nat, I see the artist thing, too. At any rate, he just needs to do something that's not paramilitary. Even Ace wasn't military - he was an independent contractor having adventures, and that's why he was GOOD at it.