Into the new year

It was a quiet Year's End. The only surprise, and a pleasant one at that, was a bit of time with Duncan. It'd been a while since we'd seen much of him. Seems some of the personal relationship rumors we'd heard were true, and he'd taken to living aboard Raivenn more or less full time. Not that I blamed him. That boat was a large part of his life, and I'd spent quite a lot of time living on my boat as well over the years.

Ultimately though, it was quiet. There were parties locally here on Hale's Moon, and Buddha only knew how many on other nearby worlds. The 'moment' of Year End was officially based on the Earth that Was calendar and time sync for a place known as Greenwich where there was a weather observatory. Keeping that time was, of course, ridiculous. But it was tradition.

It was actually kind of funny, holding to that tradition based on the calendar of a world we'd abandoned hundreds of years ago. Sure, most worlds in the 'Verse had their own local traditions and local "New Year" celebrations, based on their actual orbits. It was just the 'standard' year that everyone held to. Adapted, obviously, to celebrate at local Midnight.

This year, midnight found me right where I needed to be: at home with my wife.

Though it also had me thinking about other things. Aurora wasn't acting herself. She had the whole surly teen thing going, but it didn't make sense. Even with her radically altered biological growth rates, her mind reaching that aggressive, defiant, disrespectful, stage didn't make sense. Something was wrong that I couldn't even identify, let alone fix.

And what was up with Lily's hunt? One of Aurora's comments had me worried. Lily on the hunt wasn't something I needed to understand, but I'd never worried about her before. I'd have expected her back already. In fact, another day or so without word, and I'd be out there looking for her myself.

Buddha help anyone who's harmed her. For he knows I won't.

Sister on the hunt
Who is in the most danger?
I will come for you

She'll be home. I have faith in her ability to take care of herself when she's in a bad situation. I just don't have much faith in her ability to avoid getting into the bad situation in the first place. Just means I'll have to wish her a happy Year's End a little late is all.