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bloodsoaked-rainbows · 2 years ago

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Remember Me, I Ask

@cake-shop-rarepair-bingo

(This was going to be for LoveLetters Week, but then I got sick sooo here it is a little late)

Prompt: Market Day Fandom: Critical Role Relationships: Fresh Cut Grass/F.R.I.D.A. Rating: G Content Warnings: Memory loss Summary:

When FCG is attacked by a strange monster, he begins to act in an unusual manner — almost as though he does not recognize those he loves. It is up to FRIDA to try to break the curse and bring back the memories of their beloved partner.

Read on AO3, or Beneath the Cut! :D

It was in the first few hours of morning when FRIDA heard the scream.

They immediately spun around to look at their companions, who, up until the interruption, had been sleeping soundly behind them. Their friends were now looking around, groggy and confused — but FRIDA wasn’t confused. They knew exactly what they were looking for, and when he wasn’t there, they began to sprint down the pathway out of the cavern.

Bell’s Hells (or this half, at least) had been camping at the back of a small cave. They were on their way back to Uthodurn after a short galavant through the wilderness, and had stopped in this nearby shelter for the night.

But FRIDA wasn’t thinking about all that. They were thinking about FCG and the scream. The automaton had said they were going out for a short walk and needed to be away from other people to commune with the Changebringer, and FRIDA had let him, but evidently, something had gone terribly wrong.

FRIDA scanned the surrounding tundra, their ocular sensors as sharp as an eagle’s eyes, trying to locate their beloved companion.

There. A little way down the hill, there was a commotion. FRIDA swiftly shifted their hand into the Blunderbuss and fired at some kind of giant beast on the ground beneath them.

There was a piercing screech, and suddenly a large, winged thing lifted off of the ground and flapped away, leaving a small figure motionless on the snow below.

FRIDA recognized it as the mutated bat-like creature they had seen from the Savalirwood, and suddenly their power core felt like ice. They bolted down the hill as fast as their metallic legs could take them and soon slid down beside the unconscious body of Fresh Cut Grass, face down in the snow.

FRIDA immediately turned his body over and began to mutter a magical incantation under their breath. Warm healing magic flowed through their hand and into their fellow robot as they caressed his cheek with the back of their hand.

After a moment, FCG’s ocular receptors fluttered to life, their lights coming back on, and FRIDA breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness you’re alive,” they said, hugging FCG gently.

Fresh Cut Grass, however, held incredibly still, and FRIDA would have worried they were still unconscious, if they couldn’t feel the faint whirring of fans from inside of them.

“Are you alright, babe?” they asked, looking at their companion with concern.

FCG didn’t reply, but slowly got to his proverbial feet and wheeled out of the hug.

This made FRIDA especially worried. “What’s wrong?”

They blinked at FRIDA a few times, before turning around and beginning to roll off into the tundra.

FRIDA was bewildered, and very concerned. This didn’t seem like FCG, and unless he had had some disturbing revelation or learned something from the Changebringer while he’d been out, they couldn’t think why he’d be acting like this.

FRIDA hurried after them, before catching up and putting a hand on their shoulder.

“Hey,” they said gently. “Are you okay? What’d that monster do to you?”

FCG looked down at FRIDA’s hand in confusion, and jerked away. “Get your hands off of me!”

FRIDA froze in shock. They had never seen FCG in a mood like this — stressed, sure, afraid, definitely, but never angry .

The only times they’d seen him be defensive were at enemies, people who were harming his friends — but even then, the Aeormaton had wanted to make friends with Umadara, even after it had nearly killed the king and queen.

FRIDA immediately felt worried. Maybe FCG had been too stressed lately, and FRIDA should have noticed and helped him. Maybe they didn’t get enough sleep because of the pair’s late-night conversations and were feeling grumpy. They felt guilty for this, whatever it was.

Maybe... maybe they’re mad at me, FRIDA found themself thinking.

But about what? They couldn’t think of anything they’d done recently that might have distressed or annoyed him, and he’d seemed completely fine yesterday and last night. But it didn’t matter why they were mad at FRIDA. All that mattered was resolving it, and apologizing.

“If I made you upset for any reason,” FRIDA said earnestly, “I’m very sorry, and would love to know what it was and how I could do better.”

FCG didn’t turn back and kept making his way away from FRIDA as he exclaimed, “Nobody wants to be randomly touched by a stranger!”

FRIDA felt like their systems were malfunctioning. “Wh-what?”

“I don’t even know you!” they said, turning around to glare at FRIDA. “Of course I’m unnerved!”

“You don’t- what ?!” FRIDA repeated, feeling like a broken record.

FCG rolled his ocular receptors and turned around. FRIDA could just manage to hear them mutter, “Ugh. Weirdo.”

By this point, FRIDA was certain that something was off. FCG would never act like this — pretending they didn’t know FRIDA? That sounded like something Chetney would do, but not Fresh Cut Grass.

FRIDA must have been extremely concerned, because they didn’t even notice Deanna coming up beside them until she spoke.

“Hey,” she said. “Is FCG okay?” Then she looked up at FRIDA’s face, and worry filled her voice. “What happened?”

FRIDA watched as their dear friend wheeled away into the abandoned snowy landscape.

“Something’s wrong with Faithful Care-Giver,” they said.

---

Back in Uthodurn, FRIDA examined the ginger.

After meeting up with the group, they all discovered that FCG had some kind of amnesia, as he acted like he didn’t remember or recognize any of the party. They figured that it had been caused by the monster that had attacked the small automaton, and decided to head back to the underground city for safety.

Everybody wanted to find a way to get FCG back to normal, and it seemed like the Vellum Steeple was a good place to look for info on curses and magic. The party had all agreed that while they were off researching, FCG should go out with FRIDA in hopes of jogging their memory.

So there they were, out in the market, joyous laughter and the busy bustle of shoppers surrounding them as they tried to restore their boyfriend’s memory.

“You love baking,” FRIDA explained, picking out a few pieces of ginger that looked healthy and paying the shopkeep. They had only just managed to convince FCG that he had amnesia, and were now searching around the market for things he loved.

“Hmm,” FCG said, taking the ginger and looking at it rather confusedly. “But I can’t eat.”

“You love making it for your friends,” FRIDA said.

“Oh.” They pointed to the makeshift drawer in their torso. “Is that what this is for?”

FRIDA nodded.

FCG didn’t look convinced, but put the ginger in the pocket of his hoodie, and the two of them carried on.

“You also love a deity,” FRIDA said as they walked. “The Changebringer.” They pointed to the insignia recently implanted in FCG’s chest. “That’s her coin.”

“Huh,” FCG said, brushing the coin with their metallic fingers. “Are they a nice god?”

“You always said she was,” FRIDA said, burying the impulse inside them to say that no god could be nice. Now was not the time for ethics. All that mattered was getting FCG’s memory back.

“That’s good, I suppose,” FCG said.

They continued to walk for a bit.

FRIDA tried to think of more things that could spark their companion’s memory.

“This is your laugh,” they said finally, before playing back one of their many recordings of FCG’s laughter. It was clear, happy, and beautiful. Every time FRIDA heard it, it warmed their core, and they knew what it felt like to be in love.

FCG listened, head tilted a little in the most adorable way possible. “Do you record people’s laughs, then?”

“Yes, many of them,” FRIDA said. “Yours is very beautiful.”

“Thank you,” FCG said, a hint of awkwardness in his voice.

FRIDA headed over to a stall that sold pickles and began to look at them, trying to figure out which ones looked the best. Even in a minor crisis, the humanoids needed food, and Deanna had given them a shopping list before they left.

After finding what appeared to be the best jar, they headed over to the shopkeeper, but stopped when there was a little tug at their coat.

“Uh, FRIDA, was it?” FCG said, looking up at them.

“Yes?” FRIDA asked.

“How long have we known each other?”

“A couple of weeks,” FRIDA said, hope budding within them.

But all that FCG said was “Oh.”

FRIDA could almost hear disappointment in his voice, but the Aeormaton didn’t say anything else.

FRIDA purchased the pickles, and they continued on their way through the market.

They made their way in silence for a while, buying a few things from Deanna’s shopping list occasionally.

A flash of color caught FRIDA’s attention just as they were going to leave the market. It was a jeweler's stall.

They jogged over to it and asked the nice lady running it for a handful of rubies. After paying for them, they jogged back to where they left FCG and presented them to him.

“What am I supposed to do with these?” they asked, as FRIDA deposited a few of them in their hand.

“They’re treats,” FRIDA explained. “For my favorite Aeormaton.”

FCG hesitated for a moment before biting into one. He chewed slowly, a thoughtful expression on his face.

FRIDA watched nervously, wondering how they would react.

After a moment FCG turned to them.

“FRIDA?” he asked nervously. “Are we in love?”

“Yes!” FRIDA exclaimed, before embracing them.

As they hugged him tightly, they noticed FCG’s eyes widen and glow brighter.

“FRIDA!” they exclaimed, before kissing them.

Metal brushed against metal as they held the kiss, and they intertwined their fingers with his, reveling in the touch of their beloved. Some of the market-going crowd nearby stopped to gawk at the odd couple, but FRIDA didn’t care.

“You’re back,” FRIDA sighed gratefully, leaning their forehead against FCG’s.

“You know I’ll never leave you,” FCG said, looking up at FRIDA with their beautiful eyes.

“And I’ll never leave you,” FRIDA said, before kissing him again.

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