Warnings: Mentions of child death, mentions of drug use, alcohol, swearing, blood, parental death
Description: Tatiana gets some answers but also many more questions
Author’s Note: Curt doesn’t half to actually be here for me to make him suffer
Tatiana knocks on the apartment door. The door opens to a slightly manic Owen Cavour. His button up full of wrinkles, his complexion pale, and his eyes red from the irritation of him rubbing them.
“Hello I’m Detective Slozhno.” She greets.
“Hi Doctor Carvour.” He replies his voice stiff as he lets her in.
Tatiana’s boots clacked on the polished dark wood. The room was spilt leveled with the living room on a lower level. The matching couch, loveseat, and armchair were all dark leather. A scratching post was sitting in the corner of the living room by the large windows that had a beautiful view of the city.
Three fluffy cats sat in different parts of the room. One was curled by a running laptop on the couch. One was sprawled on the armchair seemingly asleep. And the last one way on top of the loveseat.
Owen gestures for her it sit on the couch with him as he moves his laptop to his lap awkwardly.
She sits “Ok I’m just going to ask a few questions.”
“I need to say something’s first.” Owen’s voice was taunt “I know I’m not an investigator but this goes deeper then you think.”
She sent him a look “What?”
“Empaths going missing this is deeper then Curt. At least twelve Empaths have gone missing in two weeks.” Owen breathes “I know that sounds like a low number for a city like this but their are only about sixty Empaths living here”.
“How do you know that?” She questions, what was Carvour on?
“I study Empaths. It’s my job. Ever heard of the Diane Mega foundation?” Owen asks.
“It was created to help Empaths understand their powers and what effect they have on them.” Owen replies.
“Who’s Diane Mega?” Tatiana says as she scratches the cat under her chin.
“Curt’s mother.” Owen sighs.
“What?” Tatiana meets Owen’s eyes.
“It was founded by Curt’s aunt. I don’t know why it was named after her.” Owen shifts “But it was.”
“Why?” Tatiana questions.
“I can only imagine because she watched Curt suffer threw his childhood with no way to help him.” Owen replies softly.
“What could Curt do?” She would really like to understand who the fuck she’s looking for.
“Curt just had your basic Empath power, feeling the emotions of others.” Owen continues “But usually Empaths have mental walls that stop them from receiving the emotions of absolutely around them, Curt didn’t have those.”
“Why not?” Tatiana inquires.
“From what I can tell, childhood trauma.” Owen takes a large sip of his ice water.
“What happened?” Tatiana was getting real sick of this game of twenty questions.
“He felt his mother die.” Owen answers softy.
“Oh shit.” Tatiana mutters.
“He was lucky to be alive.” Owen sighs “Most Empaths whose mental barriers break don’t live to see twenty-five.”
“Why?” Tatiana felt sick.
“Some become addicts to try and numb their senses, some commit suicide, but most die of medical issues related to the constant stress their under.” Owen was staring at his computer.
“That’s horrible.” Tatiana murmurs.
“Did he ever tell you what it felt like?” Tatiana asks.
“What?” Owen looks up to face her.
“What her death felt like?” She returns.
“I don’t think I can really convey it like he could.” Owen sighs and Tatiana feels bad for asking “But he can tell you.”
Tatiana gave Owen a look of please explain.
“I record all my interviews that involve how trauma effects Empaths, it’s all research for a paper I’m writing.” Owen explains “I can show it to you if you want.”
Tatiana nods. As another cat lands on the couch. Unlike the others it’s sleek and curls against Owen. Owen scratches the back of the cat’s neck without looking up from the laptop.
After a few clicks Owen turns the laptop to face her. The video shows Curt in a simple blue t-shirt and a navy flannel and he had large bags under his eyes. He was in the same living room as she currently sat. Owen presses play.
“You don’t half to do this.” Video Owen reminds from off camera.
“I know.” Video Curt sighs and pauses for a moment before speaking “I was five. I don’t remember what I had been doing all I remember is someone knocked on the front door. My mom didn’t even check who it was she just led me into her bedroom and told me that no matter what I had to quiet. She gave me one last hug and told me she loved me before she locked me in the closet. I could feel her fear. And she was so scared.”
Tatiana watched as Video Curt took a long drink from a glass of whisky. “The front door burst open. And a man walked in. He started screaming at my mom about money and my dad and my dad owing money. But my mom didn’t have any money and my dad wasn’t going to pay so he slammed her against the closet door and screamed louder. I had to put my hand on my mouth to make sure I didn’t make a noise. My mom was terrified.”
“Curt?” Video Owen murmured “You ok.”
Video Curt gives his partner a shaky nod “And The man he... he stabbed her. And I felt it. And it just it felt like nothingness. Her fear was gone, but so was she. There was just nothing. No feeling. No fear. No anger. No pain. Just emptiness. Just blankness. Void. And it’s not even a color. It’s just nothing. No senses. No light. Nothing.”
Video Curt was crying. His breath was unsteady. “We can stop.” Video Owen tells him.
“If I don’t finish this now I never will.” Video Curt wiped his tears on his flannel.
Video Owen sighed but doesn’t say anything. Video Curt took another long drink from his glass.
“After that there was a dull thud, as her body hit the floor.” Video Curt murmured “I don’t remember how long it was before the blood started to seep under the door.”
She glances at Owen. Owen’s jaw is clenched. She can’t tell if it was the pain of hearing Curt in so much pain or if it was just because it was Curt, his partner, who could be gone, dead, out of his life forever.
“But the blood seeped under the door. And I sat there. Hand on my mouth. In the dark. Alone. Hearing my mother’s murderer trashing the house. It felt like hours.” Video Curt wiped his eyes again “Then the police showed up. They arrested the guy but I couldn’t move the door. They walked into the bedroom but I couldn’t bring myself to make noise. The neighbors came in. The police were ushering them out when one said ‘where’s the boy?’ The officer demanded to know what she had been talking about. She told them that I existed, that I was somewhere. I finally could bring myself to slam my hand on the closet door.”
Tatiana could feel her stomach turn. She pet the fluffy white cat laying between her and Owen behind the ears. In an attempt to ground herself.
“They eventually got me out.” Video Curt’s voice was hallow “I saw her body. It was so bloody. You couldn’t look around the room without being met without seeing the blood. It was on everything.”
Video Curt broke at that. His body was wracked with sobs. The tears fell more freely from his eyes. Video Owen rushed to Curt’s side. And the video cut out.
The two of them sat in silence until finally Owen clears his throat “It’s getting late Detective, we can talk tomorrow.”
Tatiana nods as she stands “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Taglist: @robertstanion @gone-to-oregone @haniawritesthings @cracks-open-cold-one @agent-megagirl @purplegori @showstoppingnumbrr @imtooaromanticforthis @declansdumb
