[Red Dwarf/Rimmer/Bullets and Truth]
Title: Bullets and Truth
Fandom: Red Dwarf
Characters: Arnold Rimmer
Prompt: 061. Chance
Word Count: 982 words.
Rating: PG
Summary: Rimmer's thoughts during Gunmen of the Apocalypse.
Author's Notes: Spoilers for Gunmen of the Apocalypse and vague ones for Terrorform. Originally written for daily15, but I had to expand it.
My Tables.
------
The bullets flew at them, and Rimmer barely had time to get into a proper panic before Cat blew them out of the air. The next thing he knew, Kryten was running out of the bar, and many large, smelly men were attacking him.
Thankfully, the AR game granted him awesome fighting skills, and he figured out how to fight like a pro. (He didn't like the stats of the character, but at least they were better than the Cat's character. 250 charm? What a gip.)
"Marvelous." Rimmer nodded at them all and departed, feeling rather proud of himself. Cat may have shot down bullets, and Lister may have pinned down the leader of the bar, but he, he! had taken out everyone in the room. What could Lister say to that, eh?
It turned out to be nothing. Trouble was, Lister hadn't seen him fight. He was too busy watching Kryten, and then the Cat's trick shot (of course) got the praise. Smeg all.
Rimmer simply went along with the game, and rode the dejection he felt. He could take dejection. He took it all the time, really. He should be used to it by now.
When the chance came along for him to prove himself, while fighting War, the smegging AR machine removed his strength.
Now Lister would never see how good he was. Not that Lister ever did see that, but in here Rimmer could do something. Something worthwhile. He had prepared himself, and properly taunted the enemy. He was ready to prove himself, finally.
But the chance was gone.
---
Lister had noticed Rimmer’s prowess at bare-fist fighting. He had noticed the sudden bravery the skill had given the hologram. In fact, he was almost proud of Rimmer’s willingness to fight first.
Then the AR program blew, and everything fell apart. It usually did, on the Starbug, but Lister had hoped it would last longer. He sighed and took in the silly sight of Rimmer dancing and clapping. Then he let himself worry.
The Cat’s fingers up his nose hurt a bit, and the struggling he could feel inches away from him kept distracting him from the helmet.
When he finally got it off, he took the Cat’s helmet off first simply because he was the closest. Rimmer must have seen it as I-care-more-about-the-Cat-then-you, but Lister would never leave a crewmate behind, even if it was Rimmer. By the time the crisis was over, Rimmer had already retreated to his room, and Lister knew that it was too late to apologize. The notion had probably affixed itself in Rimmer’s mind, and now there was no chance to fix it, even if Lister did try to apologize.
Smegging neurotic holograms.
He’d apologize in the morning, he decided. Rimmer was probably sulking right now.
Sulking...Smeg that.
Lister climbed out of his bunk and went looking for Rimmer’s quarters.
---
Rimmer wished that Lister would just say something. He bet that Listy had already decided that it was too late to say anything, and had given up already.
He sat in his room, and wished that someone, anyone, would just try to say something. Trouble was, no one cared enough to even try. Not even Lister would try to tell him that he did a good job, or thank him for something.
Rimmer sulked.
---
Lister paused outside of Rimmer’s door. Should he knock, or just go in?
How do you convince a neurotic man to let you into his quarters?
Lister sighed again and knocked. This would be fun to sort out.
“What do you want?” The nasally voice came through the door.
“I’m here to apologize, Rimmer.”
The door slid open. “Don’t lie to me, Listy. You haven’t quite got the hang of it.”
“I’m not lying.”
“You aren’t? Marvelous. Do come in and tell me all about how you’re sorry that you ruined my promotion chances, and how you held me back. Maybe you’ll even try to tell me that you care for me! I’m sure that when you crush any hope out of me it’ll be a laugh.”
Oh smeg. Rimmer still hadn’t forgotten that psi-moon, had he? “Rimmer. I’m not lying.”
“Of course you aren’t! I-“
“Rimmer. I’m sorry.” Lister interrupted quickly.
“...What?”
“I am. I should have gotten to your helmet more quickly. And I should have helped a bit more with that drunk guy with the hat.”
“You’re lying.”
“I am not!” Lister stepped inside Rimmer’s quarters. He’d make Rimmer see that he wasn’t lying. He wasn’t sure how to, yet, but he’d find a way.
“You have to be.”
“No, I don’t. Rimmer. Look into my eyes and tell me I’m lying.”
Rimmer’s gaze was uncertain, but he looked. Lister hoped that this would work. He hoped that for a second, the psi-moon incident would disappear, and Rimmer could - no, would trust him.
“I. Apologize. Got that, Rimmer?”
Rimmer gulped, and nodded. He didn’t know what to say or believe. Lister could be lying. Those eyes could easily hide everything, or reveal everything. Rimmer simply couldn’t tell the difference.
Lister grinned, then. This was better. Much better. Rimmer may not have gotten the point, but this was the best he’d done in years. He considered going through everything then and there. Rimmer seemed to be more open, tonight, but didn’t they say that small steps were the best way to fix things? Ah, what did the experts know?
Rimmer seemed to gain some of his focus back, and he stood up. “Listy, I need to sleep.”
Ah. Rimmer was running away again. Or he needed time to think. Lister could get that. “Right, mate. See you at breakfast.”
As he crossed the threshold of Rimmer’s quarter’s, Lister remembered something. He stuck his head back into the room and grinned like a loon.
“Hey. Nice fist-work back there.”
Then he was gone.
---
Fandom: Red Dwarf
Characters: Arnold Rimmer
Prompt: 061. Chance
Word Count: 982 words.
Rating: PG
Summary: Rimmer's thoughts during Gunmen of the Apocalypse.
Author's Notes: Spoilers for Gunmen of the Apocalypse and vague ones for Terrorform. Originally written for daily15, but I had to expand it.
My Tables.
------
The bullets flew at them, and Rimmer barely had time to get into a proper panic before Cat blew them out of the air. The next thing he knew, Kryten was running out of the bar, and many large, smelly men were attacking him.
Thankfully, the AR game granted him awesome fighting skills, and he figured out how to fight like a pro. (He didn't like the stats of the character, but at least they were better than the Cat's character. 250 charm? What a gip.)
"Marvelous." Rimmer nodded at them all and departed, feeling rather proud of himself. Cat may have shot down bullets, and Lister may have pinned down the leader of the bar, but he, he! had taken out everyone in the room. What could Lister say to that, eh?
It turned out to be nothing. Trouble was, Lister hadn't seen him fight. He was too busy watching Kryten, and then the Cat's trick shot (of course) got the praise. Smeg all.
Rimmer simply went along with the game, and rode the dejection he felt. He could take dejection. He took it all the time, really. He should be used to it by now.
When the chance came along for him to prove himself, while fighting War, the smegging AR machine removed his strength.
Now Lister would never see how good he was. Not that Lister ever did see that, but in here Rimmer could do something. Something worthwhile. He had prepared himself, and properly taunted the enemy. He was ready to prove himself, finally.
But the chance was gone.
---
Lister had noticed Rimmer’s prowess at bare-fist fighting. He had noticed the sudden bravery the skill had given the hologram. In fact, he was almost proud of Rimmer’s willingness to fight first.
Then the AR program blew, and everything fell apart. It usually did, on the Starbug, but Lister had hoped it would last longer. He sighed and took in the silly sight of Rimmer dancing and clapping. Then he let himself worry.
The Cat’s fingers up his nose hurt a bit, and the struggling he could feel inches away from him kept distracting him from the helmet.
When he finally got it off, he took the Cat’s helmet off first simply because he was the closest. Rimmer must have seen it as I-care-more-about-the-Cat-then-you, but Lister would never leave a crewmate behind, even if it was Rimmer. By the time the crisis was over, Rimmer had already retreated to his room, and Lister knew that it was too late to apologize. The notion had probably affixed itself in Rimmer’s mind, and now there was no chance to fix it, even if Lister did try to apologize.
Smegging neurotic holograms.
He’d apologize in the morning, he decided. Rimmer was probably sulking right now.
Sulking...Smeg that.
Lister climbed out of his bunk and went looking for Rimmer’s quarters.
---
Rimmer wished that Lister would just say something. He bet that Listy had already decided that it was too late to say anything, and had given up already.
He sat in his room, and wished that someone, anyone, would just try to say something. Trouble was, no one cared enough to even try. Not even Lister would try to tell him that he did a good job, or thank him for something.
Rimmer sulked.
---
Lister paused outside of Rimmer’s door. Should he knock, or just go in?
How do you convince a neurotic man to let you into his quarters?
Lister sighed again and knocked. This would be fun to sort out.
“What do you want?” The nasally voice came through the door.
“I’m here to apologize, Rimmer.”
The door slid open. “Don’t lie to me, Listy. You haven’t quite got the hang of it.”
“I’m not lying.”
“You aren’t? Marvelous. Do come in and tell me all about how you’re sorry that you ruined my promotion chances, and how you held me back. Maybe you’ll even try to tell me that you care for me! I’m sure that when you crush any hope out of me it’ll be a laugh.”
Oh smeg. Rimmer still hadn’t forgotten that psi-moon, had he? “Rimmer. I’m not lying.”
“Of course you aren’t! I-“
“Rimmer. I’m sorry.” Lister interrupted quickly.
“...What?”
“I am. I should have gotten to your helmet more quickly. And I should have helped a bit more with that drunk guy with the hat.”
“You’re lying.”
“I am not!” Lister stepped inside Rimmer’s quarters. He’d make Rimmer see that he wasn’t lying. He wasn’t sure how to, yet, but he’d find a way.
“You have to be.”
“No, I don’t. Rimmer. Look into my eyes and tell me I’m lying.”
Rimmer’s gaze was uncertain, but he looked. Lister hoped that this would work. He hoped that for a second, the psi-moon incident would disappear, and Rimmer could - no, would trust him.
“I. Apologize. Got that, Rimmer?”
Rimmer gulped, and nodded. He didn’t know what to say or believe. Lister could be lying. Those eyes could easily hide everything, or reveal everything. Rimmer simply couldn’t tell the difference.
Lister grinned, then. This was better. Much better. Rimmer may not have gotten the point, but this was the best he’d done in years. He considered going through everything then and there. Rimmer seemed to be more open, tonight, but didn’t they say that small steps were the best way to fix things? Ah, what did the experts know?
Rimmer seemed to gain some of his focus back, and he stood up. “Listy, I need to sleep.”
Ah. Rimmer was running away again. Or he needed time to think. Lister could get that. “Right, mate. See you at breakfast.”
As he crossed the threshold of Rimmer’s quarter’s, Lister remembered something. He stuck his head back into the room and grinned like a loon.
“Hey. Nice fist-work back there.”
Then he was gone.
---