(Untitled)

[watch_wait]

[ooc: Charlie's dead]

The bar door opens, and Bartleby standing in it, holding a limp, blonde body in his arms. There's a heavily pregnant woman leaning against him, and when the door opens she gives a small cry and begins to slump to the floor. Bartleby can't catch her - he's cradling Charlie's corpse.

He looks around hopelessly.

Comments

[youalleverybody]

Liam hears Claire cry out from wherever he is in the bar, and looks round automatically.

And then he's staring, face abruptly white.

And then he's running.

Oh no, oh Charlie, oh God please no...

[watch_wait]

Bartleby takes a few unsteady steps into the room, half-dragging Claire with him, and the door closes behind him.

[youalleverybody]

Liam skids to a halt when he reaches them, and drops to his knees. His eyes are full of disbelief and dawning grief, and he reaches out to touch Charlie's hand.

It's cold.

[watch_wait]

Bartleby looks from him to David to Loki to Richard to Armand to Echo. And closes his eyes with a small sound.

[notsoyoung]

And David, still resplendent in his noisemaker and party hat, looks around at the cry from the door, and the noisemaker falls to the ground, David's face ashen.

He's on his feet in record time, cradling Claire though he doesn't know her; he knows her face from Charlie's thoughts, from Charlie's head and oh God, it can't be...

Charlie's...

"What happened?" he asks Bartleby with more venom than he intends.

[simple_creature]

*Loki is seconds behind David, but he goes to Bartleby instead*

What the fuck happened, B?!

[watch_wait]

"He was...." Bartleby breathes in. "Hanged. He was hanged."

[simple_creature]

*Loki's face pales, but he doesn't let it take him over*

What can I do?

[alas_alas]

Echo looks up and begins to smile when she sees Charlie, but it quickly fades. She walks over slowly.

"Charlie?"

[watch_wait]

"He's dead." Bartleby looks at her. He's never met her before.

[alas_alas]

She stares at him, then back at Charlie.

"No. You're lying. He can't be dead."

[watch_wait]

"Angels don't lie." He cradles Charlie gently. "T-touch him. He's..." He makes a lost sound.

[lorelaivictoria]

"Charlie!" Lorelai calls out his name as she rushes over. "What's happened to him?"

[watch_wait]

Bartleby doesn't think he can say the words again. "He... someone h-h-hanged him."

[lorelaivictoria]

She swallows back tears, her hands shaking. No. Not Charlie. He was her friend.

She looks at the young pregnant girl lying there, and her heart bursts open, the tears flowing freely. "T-that girl. Her head is bleeding."

She stoops down, stroking the girl's hair, having no other skills to take care of her.

[watch_wait]

"Y- yeah. It is." Bartleby turns to... he doesn't know who to turn to. "Loki?" But Loki's gone. "David? Can you... Claire?"

[_courage_]

Link saw Bartleby, heard the cry, saw the woman. Saw others springing to action. Then he saw the corpse. He sprinted over and practically skidded to a halt. "Shit. No. Charlie? What happened?" As he spoke, his voice edged closer to becoming hoarse.

[watch_wait]

"He." Bartleby's trembling, and he buries his face in Charlie's hair for a second. "Hanged."

[_courage_]

Link's eyes glistened with unshed tears. Tears are weak. Big boys don't cry. His hands clenched, as if around the throat of the purpetrator. "He must be avenged." His voice was chocked and the silence was almost unbearable.

[watch_wait]

"Mine. To avenge."