The Pause [Adopted Book]

Stabilize

Cycle 8459 Notes:

Our recent search parties around the other civilizations have been unsuccessful, but Turquoise insists that there's still someone out there.  There were rumors of an unusual steve from the Green Village long before he arrived.  I don't know how to tell him the odds of a steve surviving for that long on his own.  Maybe he already knows.

Lately, we've been exploring the birch forest where Turquoise used to live.  He has a small house there, but it's become a little overgrown since he left.  He hasn't been too happy about that, but tries not to show it.  I guess he still misses his old home.

Amber's been asking about getting Lime to help, since he's so fast.  He could cover a lot of ground.  I don't know how to get a hold of him, though.  He hardly ever visits, and when he does, he spends most of his time in the savanna.  Personally, I don't think it would help.

I don't think this steve's out there at all.  But it's not only Turquoise who wants to find him.  Tonic's been interested in expanding the village since he moved in, and Amber loves meeting new people.  Only Hypno shares my feelings of skepticism.

For now, all I can do is keep searching.

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For what seems like the hundredth time, I'm packing apples, sandwiches, and extra snacks into my bag.  Since it has infinite space, I might as well.  We go on search parties almost every day now, and part of me is worried that someone will forget to eat in all the excitement.

Hypno's rifling through his own bag, which has limited space, and is therefore bulging with stuff.  He probably carries more medicine than Tonic nowadays, just in case someone scrapes their knee, or gets a headache.  I'd like to think that's more for the steves' sake than my own, but I can't be sure.

"I can't... fit..."  he muttered, voice glitching in irritation.  I glanced over to see him trying to cram a box of band-aids into the already full bag.

"Toss it over."  I commanded, holding my hands up to catch it.  He did as I asked, still grumbling.

"It fit yesterday."  he complained, forcing the zipper of his bag shut.

"Was that before or after you added the insect repellent?"  I asked.

"I didn't trust the look of those bees!"

I stifled a laugh.  I remembered the bees he was talking about.  They had looked very calm, hovering over the rosebushes contentedly.  Actually, they almost looked cute.

"Reeeeaaady!"  Amber called, zipping into the room.  Hypno ruffled his hair affectionately, and he paused to fix it.

"Where are we searching today?"  I asked, shrugging on my usual dark gray cloak.  Just because some steves knew my name now didn't mean I was done with the disguises.

"Tonic thought we should check farther out from the village, near that flower field."  Amber recounted, bouncing energetically.  I figured we weren't getting close to the Green Village.  Amber was still his natural golden-orange color, instead of bright green.

"Even if we don't find the new steve, Turquoise could pick up some of those flowers."  I noted.  "I know he doesn't have all of those varieties."

"Who cares?"  Amber insisted, tugging on Hypno's arm.  "Let's go!"  The former Red Steve snorted, rolling his eye.  I stepped forward so I was in teleporting range, too.  Despite my insistence that I could teleport perfectly fine on my own, Hypno wouldn't let me take us.