Conjugal Visitation

the problem of memory

cw: themes of abusive relationships, symptoms of PTSD

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"Sam, walk with me to Las Nevadas."

Sam blinked. Quackity was just about to leave the blackstone lobby of the prison. "OK, sure, Q. Why?"

"It's complicated," Quackity said. "Just...send me through and I'll see you outside, Sam."

Sam nodded. Quackity vanished through the portal. To tell the truth, Sam had had a long day and wasn't looking forward to whatever Quackity wanted him to do. Whatever it was, it was probably something "complicated" like yet another building project or request for the inner workings of the casino. While Quackity was visiting the prisoner today, Sam had gone back to his base and spent the hours renovating. It was tiring work. He didn't want more work.

He no longer feared that the prisoner would harm Quackity or escape while he was gone. The prisoner had become far more compliant after the improvements to the cell. Quackity seemed to be playing the long game -- getting on the prisoner's side, bribing him alongside his interrogations. Even if something did happen, all Quackity had to do was trigger Sam's stasis pearl or call him.

Sam didn't want to know more about the visits than he had to. He was afraid to even wait in a different room now -- afraid of his own reaction should he accidentally overhear something.

He found Quackity leaning against a tree outside. "What is it?"

"Let's walk."

Sam matched his pace along the path. Quackity was frowning. He looked around and glanced behind them. "Did you see that?"

Sam turned. The landscape was peaceful, the evening sun lining trees and buildings in gold. A bird stirred its wings in a nearby tree, but that was the only movement he saw. "I don't see anything."

"Never mind. I'm just being..." Quackity shook his head and resumed walking, quicker than before. "It's nothing. I just thought -- maybe Schlatt..."

"Oh." Sam's grip tightened on his trident. He scanned the landscape with newly wary eyes. "Was that why you wanted me to walk you to Las Nevadas?"

"Yeah," Quackity sighed. "It's probably nothing -- "

"I'm happy to," Sam said seriously.

"Thanks. Really. And I wanted to give you this back."

Quackity passed him the notebook of redstone plans for the casino. Sam's eyebrows shot up. "I was starting to think you'd never actually read this."

"Oh, it was boring as hell," Quackity said, "but I got through it. I made some notes on a couple of the systems."

Sam skimmed through the pages to see where Quackity had scrawled his improvements. At a glance, they made sense. He'd have to think further about how to execute them effectively, but it would be a fun challenge.

The prison, the casino, the bank...Together, they would control most major institutions on the server. Sam's star was rising alongside Quackity's.

They reached the community hub. Instead of heading to the portal, Quackity surprised Sam by saying, "Let's go the long way around," and continuing down the cobble pathway towards Las Nevadas.

"OK..."

"You see, Sam," Quackity said after a minute, "There was something else I wanted to talk about. I'd rather do that out here where we can focus, rather than in the Nether."

"Yeah?" Sam cocked his head, gazing down at his companion. Quackity was strolling along with his hands in his pockets, seemingly relaxed -- but his voice held an undercurrent of something Sam couldn't identify. It made his skin prickle with unease. "What is it?"