POP 13: The Hanged Man

"'It seemed like we were all just having a good time, until suddenly we weren't.' -TO-DO"

The Hanged Man is the thirteenth episode of Eidolon POP and the twenty-seventh episode of Eidolon Playtest Season 1. It covers Quentin's Class as they recover from the fight against Jegudiel-Vincent and Raphael-Hubert.

Summary
Quentin's Class are leaving the Wine Cellar and heading back to Lady Luck's Gambling Parlor. Quentin Brooks hangs back and calls out to Sloane Parker to join him. He has a private conversation with her about how people are beginning to listen to her, and she needs to take that responsibility seriously. Quentin laments the decisions he made that left some folk behind, like Cactus Jack whose blobby form gurgles in the background. Sloane promises that with every fiber of her being, she will not be like Quentin, because he sucks.

Alexis Lorentzen, Ursa, and James Studebaker are continuing onwards to the Gambling Parlor. Out of the corner of his eye, James sees a skeleton. The skeleton quickly and incompletely grows a small smattering of musculature, organs, and a tuxedo. James is the only one who can see it, so he asks Alexis and Ursa to continue on without him. Ursa walks right through it, it fading around her like a ghost.

James attempts to converse with the skeleton, but it only ever offers a wheezing gasp in response. It makes eye contact with him, but has no eyelids. It always seems to keep the same distance if he moves away, but stays in place if he moves closer. When James tries to touch it, his hand passes through completely but feels ever so slightly colder.

Ursa and Alexis reach the Gambling Parlor. Before they enter, Ursa takes a moment to talk with Alexis privately. Ursa doesn't understand Alexis, her behavior seems to have no clear motivation to it. She wants to trust Alexis and be her friend. Alexis doesn't understand Ursa either and is critical of how Ursa is desperate for friendship and latches onto those who don't really care for her. She doesn't think she would or could be a good friend to Ursa. Ursa still wants to be Alexis' friend regardless, and Alexis apologizes for not helping more in the fight against Raphael-Hubert. The Gambler opens the door from the Gambling Parlor and welcomes them in.

Quentin and Sloane catch up with James. Neither of them can see the skeleton ghost either, they just think he's drunk. Ursa is updating Lady Luck on what happens when the three of them walk through the door. The skeleton is still following James, and Lady Luck freezes at the site of it. She calls out to the skeleton, who fades away in response. Lady Luck says this skeleton was Teoth and her appearance means the plan is working. She isn't sure why only James could see her, even after he goes over everything he did that day.

Lady Luck is encouraged by this development and wants everyone to keep going, but recognizes they are battered and drunk and need rest. Alexis offers to host James in her van, and all of Quentin's Class exit through the door into the human world. They arrive at the picnic table they left from in POP #10. Everyone grabs some food from Lou's Diner then checks to see if Alexis' van was restored when her existence was. It is, complete with parking tickets.

Alexis' van is messy, containing a mattress, waffle iron, mini-stove, eggs, and mini-fridge among other things. Sloane is confused that James would rather sleep here than in her dorm room, but acquiesces and leaves with Ursa. James confides in Alexis that he wants to be near her because they were best friends, even if she may not remember it. Alexis says that even though she can sometimes forget about James when he's not around, she's still his best friend. Quentin takes this queue to silently and awkwardly leave from the other side of the van. James heads to the passenger seat to get some sleep. Alexis sleeps naked in the back of her van.

As Ursa and Sloane almost reach Sloane's dorm room, they run into one of The Meghans who asks where Sloane was at brunch. According to Meghan, there was a gas leak or something that morning as everyone forgot part of it. She doesn't recognize Ursa, asking who she is, and Sloane gracelessly exits the conversation and drags Ursa into her room. When they enter the room, Ursa confesses to Sloane that she read her mind earlier that day. Ursa apologizes deeply and has no excuses. Sloane calls this a huge invasion of privacy, which Ursa acknowledges. Sloane will not kick Ursa out, but needs some time and space to process this.

Quentin reaches his house, Speakerboxxx carrying him like a baby, and rings the doorbell. Caroline Rose opens the door to an injured Quentin, ushering him inside. Quentin babbles about his day, feigning annoyance but speaking proud of his students. Caroline goes to grab some gauze and painkillers, and Quentin collapses onto the couch.

James gets a call in the middle of the night from Angela connecting a call from Ronnui. Ronnui invites James to a conversation and is sending Stapleton to pick him up. James sneaks out of the van, and as he gets further away he enters into The Undertow. Stapleton arrives in his limousine and drives him to The Estate. James walks inside and an alarm goes off. Joanna rushes over and does not believe him when he says he's here at Ronnui's invitation. She takes him to him to disprove this. They ride up to Ronnui's penthouse, who thanks her for bringing his guest and excuses her.

Ronnui offers James a seat, and asks how James is feeling. James is feeling lost, that he doesn't know what he's supposed to be doing. Ronnui interrogates him over what it means to be "supposed" to do something, and tells him he once felt something faintly similar. A time he felt hurt and betrayed, feelings that ceased when he sat in this room. Ronnui no longer feels loss, pain, joy, or grief, and tells James it would not bother him if James sat in this room also. James isn't ready to give up everything, but says he will stay here for a bit.

Appearances
● Alexis Lorentzen // Vivid Memories Turn to Fantasies

● Angela

● Cactus Jack

● Caroline Rose // Roses

● James Studebaker // Time After Time

● Joanna

● Lady Luck

● Quentin Brooks // Speakerboxxx

● Ronnui

● Sloane Parker // Start A Riot

● Stapleton // Life Is A Highway

● Teoth (First Appearance)

● The Gambler

● One of The Meghans

● "Ursula" Ursa "Bear" // Revolution Lover

Trivia
● When talking with Quentin Brooks, Sloane Parker says she likes to put Combos on her fingers. Zoe Tunnell had apparently confused them with Bugles, as Combos are too small to fit on a person's fingers.
 * ○ Zoe Tunnell recovered by establishing that Combos are larger in the world of Eidolon POP.

● The mid-show ad read is done by Zoe Tunnell in-character as Sloane Parker, annoyed that she's not getting paid for this.