The Next Step

The Next Step is the second episode of Ghostverse Adventures, premiering on October 30th, 2018. It focuses on Solotus as he searches for an apartment in Xastil City on Ascerth, with the help of Kaiden and Elina, with the latter two running into some old friends in the process.
==Plot==
Kaiden is sleeping soundly, with light reaching into his room from the window. Opening his eyes, he looks to Elina, who's fast asleep as well, smiling in the process.
Kaiden: Hey, you awake?
Elina wakes up groggily as she looks to Kaiden, smiling.
Elina: Yeah. You sleep well?
Kaiden: I did, yeah. Hopefully you did too considering the baby and all.
Elina: Only threw up in the middle of the night once.
Kaiden chuckles slightly as he cuddles with Elina in the bed. Yet, a loud noise can be heard from the other room, annoying him. He groans as he gets out of bed.
Kaiden: And I thought I could sleep in today. What happened this time?
Kaiden walks into the living room to find that Solotus's beasts have caused a ruckus of sorts, with the kitten Solotus bought knocking over objects while Solotus himself sleeps on the couch. Kaiden, clenching his fist, marches into Solotus's room as the animals look on in curiosity, knocking on the door angrily. A few seconds later, Solotus opens the door half-asleep.
Solotus: Mornin'. Sleep well?
Kaiden simply steps aside as he put his hand out towards the living room, showing Solotus the mess. He has an angry expression on his face too.
Solotus: Fuck. I knew I shouldn't have let them out of their spheres again.
Kaiden: This is the THIRD time this week that this has happened. Either you agree to keep them under control, or you're gonna have to find somewhere else to stay.
Solotus: I mean, I've been earning bank from working at the pet store. The manager says I'm really good with animals.
Kaiden: You are, yeah. But do you think you have enough to get a place?
Solotus: Let's see...
Solotus pulls out what can be seen to be a very expensive smartphone as he pulls up his bank account app.
Solotos: Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you guys that I found an unclaimed lottery ticket on the street. Turns out it was a winning ticket and I'm around three-hundred grand richer.
Kaiden slaps his face with the palm of his hand.
Kaiden: At least that opens up our options.
----
Kaiden, Elina, and Solotus are walking down the street, through a neighborhood with homes for sale.
Elina: How about this one?
Elina points at a house along the side of the road that looks relatively simple. However, Solotus looks closer at the "For Sale" sign, before shaking his head.
Solotus: They don't allow pets here either.
Kaiden and Elina groan collectively.
Kaiden: We've been out here for two hours, and you still haven't made up your mind?
Solotus: You should've seen what it was like for me to secure a place back on Venaral. Most of the realtors refused to sell me a place due to my animals.
Elina: Great...
As the trio continue to walk, they turn around the corner before bumping into Tamasha and her golem-like brother Seishan. The latter seems to be carrying boxes full of stuff.
Tamasha: Kaiden? Elina? It's been so long!
Tamasha and Seishan hug the duo before turning to face Solotus.
Kaiden: Oh, we might as well introduce our friend here. His name is-
Solotus interrupts Kaiden, putting his hand out towards Tamasha and Seishan.
Solotus: Call me Solotus. Beastmaster. Archer. Animal-lover.
Solotus shakes hands with Tamasha and Seishan before the group turns to face each other.
Elina: So what are you guys doing back in Xastil?
Seishan: We're actually moving into a house along here. Tamasha wanted to buy a place here to study this continent's culture as well as Buzokai.
Tamasha: Home gets boring after a while plus you taught me teleportation magic as well. So it's not a big deal.
Kaiden: That's great! We're just helping Solotus here find a place to stay too.
Seishan: We can help on that front. There were a bunch of places here we passed over due to Tamasha demanding something close to home.
Tamasha glares at Seishan angrily.
Tamasha: I mean, we can't just adapt to the lifestyle here in a snap. It has to be gradual.
Seishan: Yes, but we shouldn't make that a deciding factor in what place we choose!
As Tamasha and Seishan bicker, the others look at each other nervously.
Solotus: I'm confused as to the relationship here.
Elina: They're siblings. The story is complicated to say the least.
----
Within Tamasha and Seishan's home, Kaiden, Elina, and Solotus are sitting down, looking around at the place. Tamasha and Solotus are sitting down as well, with the latter placing down a bowl of fruit onto the coffee table in the living room.
Kaiden: You really spruced up this place, didn't you guys?
Tamasha: I mean, you do whatever you want with your home, right?
Kaiden: Fair enough.
Solotus: So you said you could help me find a place?
Seishan: Yeah, we can. What exactly are you looking for?
Solotus: Anywhere that allows pets really. And I'm talking some more...exotic ones.
Tamasha thinks for a moment, before grabbing a book on the coffee table that's labeled "Xastil Real Estate". Seishan goes next to her as they flip through it.
Tamasha: Should we show him this one?
Seishan: Nah, that one's in a seedy area.
The duo continue to flip through the book.
Elina: Hurry it up. I feel like if you have a situation where two people are flipping through a book constantly it'll end up boring.
Tamasha: Give us a bit longer.
Tamasha spies something in the book.
Seishan: I think we found something.
----
The group now stands before a wooden house of sorts, which has two moose statues outside of it. It looks like it used to be a lodge of some sort.
Tamasha: According to the real estate book, this place was built by a prominent hunter who had money to toss around.
Solotus: I do like the outside of it. And plus the price looks to be affordable.
Kaiden: You have all that lottery money though. That shouldn't be an issue.
Solotus: I mean, I don't want to blow it ALL on one place.
Solotus walks around the grounds of the lodge, before looking at the backyard. For some reason, a single, orange cat is sitting down in it, hissing at Solotus.
Solotus: Shit.
Seishan: It's just a cat. You scared or something?
Solotus: No, it's just that this particular cat I've met before.
The cat leaps at Solotus, but as Seishan steps forward, the cat whimpers and runs off. Solotus stares towards the big golem with a smirk.
Solotus: I think the cat was scared of ya.
Seishan: You think?
Solotus sighs as he looks at the backyard. It has a fountain and looks relatively nice.
Solotus: I think this is the place.
Elina: You sure?
Solotus grins.
Solotus: I mean, a house like this at that price? It's almost like...
The camera zooms in on Solotus's face as he produces the biggest shit-eating grin ever.
Solotus: It's free real estate.
----
Solotus opens the door of his house, welcoming Kaiden and Elina in. The former is holding a box.
Kaiden: We got you a little housewarming gift.
Solotus: Thank you!
As the group sits down within the living room (which has a GhostDrive console set up as well as a mantle with furs of animals above a fireplace.
Elina: You really spruced the place up, didn't you?
Solotus: I did, yeah. I like it here. Now let's open up that housewarming present.
Solotus opens up the box to find three collars, each with the names of his beasts on them. He turns towards Kaiden and Elina, smiling intently.
Solotus: This is...this is thoughtful...
Kaiden: We figured they'd be useful. The clerk was even asking what the hell these names were.
Solotus laughed.
Solotus: Well, I like these a lot. Thank you guys.
Elina: Well, I won't lie when I say that I can't tell which beast of yours is which.
Solotus: My superiors had that problem too.
Kaiden stares towards the GhostDrive console with intrigue.
Kaiden: Anyways, you guys up to play some Roulette Rush? I've heard good things about that game.
Solotus: You bet. I call dibs on Ridley.
Elina: I'll take Robin!
Kaiden: And I'll play as Link.
Solotus: I could never manage Link's Dice Block.
Kaiden: We'll see about that.
The credits roll.
==Trivia==
*Solotus's smartphone resembles an iPhone XS Max, implying he bought it with his lottery money.
*Elina's line about flipping through a book endlessly is a reference to the mixed reception received by the pilot episode of Ghostverse Adventures.
Category:Episodes
Category:Ghostverse Adventures