While Keitaro was busy with the various tasks that needed tending to back at the Hinata House, several of the other residents were out and about going on with their everyday lives.  Several of them were away at school at that moment.  While Motoko was attending her senior year in high school, the younger residents were finishing up their freshman year.  At the moment, there was Kaolla Su, Shinobu Maehara, Sarah McDougal, Mei Narusegawa, and Nyamo Namo all sitting together at a table during their lunch period.

Kaolla and Shinobu had been classmates for over a year at this point, while Sarah and Mei were recent additions to their clique.  While Mei was younger, she proved to be a rather quick study and was moved up ahead in her grade so that she would end up being a freshman in secondary school rather than a senior in middle school.  Nyamo was also a recent addition to the group, and while she was the newest and shyest of the bunch, she was familiar enough with Japanese that she picked up on basics of the language, having been exposed to Japanese explorers back on her homeland of the Pararakelse Islands.  She was closest to Shinobu and Kaolla, having formed a fast friendship with the two of them during their visit to her homeland several months ago.

Like Nyamo, Sarah was also a foreigner.  While the sight of an American in Japan wasn't too surprising given relations between both countries, Sarah did come off as a standout from her appearance alone.  Some figured her blonde hair was merely dyed that way, and would be shocked to find out it was her natural hair color.  Sarah was also a quick study on picking up on the Japanese language as well, having visited Japan on and off regularly since the age of 9.  Now at 15 years old, she could manage a conversation well enough with virtually anyone her age and even adults for the most part.

As the close-knit clique of friends sat around eating their lunches, small talk ended up occurring, as was the case with people in general and especially school-age girls.

"So, Shinobu, what did you think of that video in health class?" inquired Kaolla.

"Umm...it was informative.  I certainly learned some things.  But it's really not the sort of thing we should be discussing out in the open, Kaolla." replied the meek, blue-haired girl.

"Oh come on," interjected Sarah, "learning about puberty is pretty much a given in public schools.  Some places probably show videos when kids are in middle school or even earlier, but I guess this school wanted to play it safe and have us learn about it when we're older so as not to have a bad PTA meeting or something."  The girl had a habit of speaking her mind bluntly.

"Well, I get that kids should learn about growing up physically and all," responded Shinobu, "but talking about getting older and certain...things getting bigger and also...you know...bleeding.  That sort of stuff should be kept private or between doctors and patients, you know?"

"What's wrong, Shinobu?" asked Sarah in a leering tone of voice, "Don't want to talk about getting periods?  Or maybe you're a little self-conscious about your boobs?"  The American girl cracked a toothy grin as she teased Shinobu.

"Come on now, Sarah," interceded Mei, "don't go making Shinobu feel uncomfortable about that sort of thing.  Everybody matures at different rates.  Some of us are just faster bloomers than others.  No need to go prodding and teasing like that."  Sarah turned to Mei, still wanting to mess with her friends a little bit.

"Well now, that's amusing coming from you, Mei.  I mean if anybody is in need of some serious development and maturing, it would certainly be you out of everyone here." said the blonde girl with that mischievous, toothy grin once more.

At this statement, Mei grumbled and instinctively covered her arms over her chest, blushing in her embarrassment.  While she was the youngest in age out of everybody in their group, she did feel a little self-conscious about her figure.  Out of the five girls there, Mei's figure was skinny and stick-like; to say that she lacked curves would be like saying that water is usually wet or that fire was kind of hot.

"Come on now, Sarah," said Kaolla, "don't be mean.  Like Mei said, everybody matures differently.  She may be skinny now, but who knows?  In a few years she could have bigger breasts and nicer curves than you for all we know.  Best not to be so mean now, for as the saying goes, ‘Karma is a female dog.'"  The Molmolian girl decided to help give some perspective and gently put Sarah in her place.

Looking around the table at Su's declaration, Sarah could tell that she was the odd woman out.  Everyone else seemed in agreement with Kaolla, including Nyamo (who nodded her head in approval at Kaolla's words), so Sarah decided to knock off with the teasing.

"Alright, I'm sorry," muttered Sarah, "I was just teasing a little is all.  I'm sorry I joked about your figure, Mei.  We still friends?"  While Sarah had a hard time showing it, she appreciated the few people she had grown close with over the past year or so.  Before getting familiar with the Hinata House and its residents, the only person Sarah truly cared for was her adoptive father, the archaeologist Noriyasu Seta.  Over time, with Seta's encouragement, Sarah began to open up with other girls her age.  While it was still hard for her to be genuinely friendly with people who were significantly older than her, especially those like Keitaro, she was making an attempt to not be so withdrawn and confrontational.

"It's okay," responded Mei, "all water under the bridge as they say.  Come here."  At this point, Mei had outstretched her arms, signalling Sarah to come in for a hug.  A moment later, the two embraced, holding each other for a few seconds as Mei gently patted Sarah on the back (and feeling envious of the breasts that were poking against her chest).

During the remainder of the girls' lunch period, they discussed a myriad of topics.  Some were about school and which classes were more stressful or more boring than others.  Some were about fashion trends like trying on new beauty products or new bras.  Others were about what to do when summer came around, like any sites to visit on vacation or plans to make for a faraway trip somewhere.  Locations like the west coast of the United States, the Pararakelse Islands, the island of Okinawa, and the Kingdom of Molmol were brought up as potential tourist destinations for the girls to consider.  While it might have seemed impractical for them to seriously ponder taking a far off trip to one of those places, it was handy to remember that they had Kaolla Su in their clique.  The girl could create a sturdy enough mid-sized aircraft that could get them to any of those places, as she had demonstrated the first time they ventured off to the Pararakelse Islands from the Hinata House and ended up meeting Nyamo in the process.

As the lunch period ended, the everyday humdrum of school continued.  Lectures, tests, walking through hallways between classes, and all the other typical everyday activities that were part of public school life.  As the day was nearing its end and the final bell sounded off for the students to go home, the girls walked together towards the Hinata House.

While Kaolla and Shinobu were regular residents at the Hinata House, Sarah, Mei, and Nyamo had become recent new arrivals at the Hinata residency as well.  In Sarah's case, her father was off on another one of his long adventures to some faraway place, so Sarah was handed over to Keitaro and Haruka to be watched after while he was away.  Given that Mei was Naru's sister (step-sister technically), she was more than welcome to stay for at least a few weeks if not months and room with Naru.  As for Nyamo, she had grown close to the members of the Hinata House ever since their visit to the Pararakelse Islands and would visit them on-and-off, staying for weeks at a time.  She tended to bunk with either Kaolla or Shinobu, given how close and trusting she had become to the both of them.

As the girls walked along the sidewalk towards Hinata House, they were greeted by another tenant and schoolgirl as well.

"Hey, Motoko!" hollered Kaolla, waving her arm to get the kendo girl's attention.

The tall, dark-haired senior soon enough spotted the clique of girls and joined up with them soon after.  They all walked together towards Hinata as the sun was starting to dim over the horizon.  The younger girls recalled their daily events with Motoko while she in turn shared her daily experiences as a highschool senior with them.

"Honestly, with the year wrapping up, I'm still trying to make up my mind on where to go after highschool." said Motoko to her junior classmates, "Part of me is considering taking up the mantle of being head of the family dojo, and yet another part of me is wondering if I should pursue higher education.  I know there's still time, but it creeps up on you before you know it."

"So, you're thinking about being a sword master like your sister then?" asked Shinobu.

"I'm considering it," responded Motoko, "It's a lot of responsibility.  I would have to regularly hone my skills in the shinmei-ryu sword style.  Even experts can get sloppy if they don't commit themselves to training and refining their techniques regularly.  Then there is the process of taking on new students and teaching them how to take up the mantle for the future.  I don't want to bore you with too many details, but trust me when I say it's a lot of work and commitment if one wants to pursue that kind of thing."

"So you would be slaying demons and stuff like that?" asked Sarah.

"Exorcism is one part of it, yes," responded Motoko, "sometimes through swordplay, but other times it is done through purification rituals, usually to ward off bad spirits or help them cross over to the other side and find inner peace.  While there may not be much of a demand for samurais and swordsmen in this modern era, the Aoyama family has prided itself on maintaining tradition and honoring the old ways, at least in Japan if nowhere else in the world."

"And what about the other option you mentioned," asked Mei, "something about pursuing higher education?"

At this question, a minor blush came to Motoko's cheeks.

"Umm...yes.  I've been considering that for some time now.  I would like a fallback option in case the first path doesn't work out for me."  Motoko's voice was more reserved, with minor hints of embarrassment in her tone.

"Really?  What would you want to major in?  Any school in particular you would like to enroll in?" asked Shinobu.

"To be honest, I'm not yet sure what major I would pick just yet," responded the tall swordswoman, "and as for which school to pick, I was considering...maybe...Tokyo U."  At this point, Motoko was speaking at just over a whisper.  The blush on her cheeks was spreading to the rest of her face, turning redder by the second.

"Huh?" inquired Kaolla, "Tokyo U?  Isn't that the school that Keitaro and Naru are trying to get into?"  The Molmolian girl had that habit of speaking her mind and stating the obvious without warning or much forethought.

By now, Motoko was pretty red in the face from embarrassment.  To those who knew her well, this wasn't too much of a surprise.  In the time she had gotten to know Keitaro, she had done a practical 180 degrees on the love-hate spectrum with her dorm manager.  Whereas initially she despised his very presence and would let it be known - usually using her sword in the process - she had softened up to him in the last year or so and was now crushing pretty hard for him.  While she did her best to hide her affections for the man, those who spent enough time with her could discern that she had at least some level of affection for the man.  After getting to know her and helping her when she was at her lowest emotionally (from an episode that occurred between her and her older sister), Keitaro had ended up stealing her heart in the process.  The somewhat clumsy dorm manager had proven an unknowing casanova who had won over the formerly stern swordswoman.

While Motoko might have initially pursued romance with Keitaro outright, she wanted to be considerate of others who had similar feelings for him.  She knew there was chemistry between him and Naru for over the last year at this point.  Both were pursuing to get into Tokyo University after all, in the hopes of enacting the old urban legend of getting married if they did so.  It was the same reason she wanted to get into Tokyo U after all, in the hopes of maybe getting her chance with Keitaro.

There were other girls to factor in as well.  Motoko was aware of Shinobu's crush on the guy, and was torn as to whether or not she should try to tell her that she was pursuing the same man, or step aside to see if the younger girl had a chance for romantic happiness with him.  There was also the case of Mutsumi Otohime, the kind-hearted, ditzy-minded girl from Okinawa who had strong feelings for Keitaro for a while now, possibly even longer than Naru.  While Mutsumi could be overly friendly with practically everyone she came across (to the point of kissing them without warning), Motoko was aware enough that she could tell that the Okinawan girl had genuine romantic feelings for the man as well.  The last thing Motoko wanted to do was turn a potential love triangle into a square and throw herself into the mix as well.  If Shinobu was a factor, that would turn it into a pentagon, with all the potential heartbreak that could come with it.

"Uhh...yeah, I suppose that is the place that Naru and Keitaro are trying to get into.  I just figured I would ‘go big or go home' as they say."  Motoko was trying to find a legitimate excuse for wanting to get into that particular university.

Given the girl's physical reaction, the other members of the group could tell that something was not what it seemed.  A girl blushing that hard at the thought of going to college?  Was studying really something that gets that sort of a response?  Already, the other girls were coming to their own conclusions.

‘Oh my goodness, she's in love with Keitaro too!' thought Shinobu.

‘Wow, is she crushing on the dork?' thought Sarah.

‘Does she have feelings for Keitaro?' thought Mei.

‘She...likes...no...loves Keitaro.' thought Nyamo.

"Motoko, are you in love with Keitaro?"  asked Kaolla, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

‘Way to go, Su!  Put her on the spot right there and then why don't you?' This was the general thought shared among Shinobu, Sarah, and Mei, while Nyamo simply stared with a blank look on her face, not too thrown off by what the Molmolian princess just uttered.

Stuttering in response, her face now red as a tomato, Motoko was caught between stuttering and choking at the bluntness of Kaolla's question.

"I...uh...I mean...that is...uh...I...he's...um..." the normally stoic swordswomen was at a loss for words.  How could Kaolla ask something like that so bluntly to her, and in front of the other girls too boot!?

"It's okay if you do," responded Kaolla, "I love Keitaro too."

"S-sure Su, I know you like the guy, in a sort of big brother kind of way, but what you're talking about is..." before she could get another word in, Su cut her off.

"No, I'm in love with him too, just like you are.  I want to marry him.  I want him to be my husband, not my big brother.  I want to make babies with him and rule Molmol together with him.  I want to make a big, happy family with him.  And just know that I don't mind in the slightest if you're in love with him too.  That's all."  The Molmolian girl finished with a big smile on her face.

By now, Motoko was a deer in the headlights.  Kaolla just confessed her love for Keitaro in front of her and the other girls.  She probably would have no problem confessing to everyone at Hinata House, scratch that, to everyone on the planet.  She was simply too honest and open when it came to the topic of romance.  When it came to matters of love, if Kaolla wanted something, she simply went after it.

Just like Motoko, everyone else in the group was staring wide-eyed at the semi-aloof foreigner.  If Kaolla could be relied on for one thing, it was her bluntness.  Shinobu stared at her with her eyes as wide as they could go.  Sarah's mouth was ajar in her shock at hearing that confession.  Mei's eyebrows looked as if they were about to disappear into her hairline, such was her surprise.  Even Nyamo had a slightly bewildered look on her face, surprised at how open Kaolla could be with her feelings.

"K-Kaolla," said Shinobu, "maybe we can talk about this particular subject some other time.  Stuff like that is rather intimate and should best be said behind closed doors between close friends after all and..." Once again, Kaolla couldn't help but cut off her best friend.

"It's okay, Shinobu, I know you are in love with Keitaro too.  In fact, I'm pretty sure that everyone here has feelings for him.  Some might be a little stronger than others, but everyone here really, really likes Keitaro and likes being with him.  Even you, Sarah."  Once more, the girl finished her statement with a calm grin on her face.

The other five girls were now all carrying heavy blushes on their faces.  The two heaviest blushes were awarded to Shinobu and Motoko, now being made aware that they were both in fact in love with the same man.  Mei, Sarah, and Nyamo had somewhat lesser blushes on their faces.  

In Sarah's case, given her demeanor, her face was contorted into a sort of grumbling mix of embarrassment and anger.  Sure she liked the guy, even if he was a dork.  He did listen to her and was patient with her.  In some ways, his character was similar to that of her adoptive father.  Like Seta, Keitaro was kind, open, and had more patience with her than most people would be willing to give her, given the angst of her early childhood years.  She supposed that the dork wasn't the worst pick as far as hanging out with someone, but dating?  Romance?  Getting...intimate?  That was quite a leap from being friendly with someone.  Even so, the young girl was caught in an internal whirlwind of emotions, trying to figure out if she felt something deeper with Keitaro Urashima or not.

In Mei's case, she was at a crossroads for reasons regarding family.  Whereas she initially tried to separate Keitaro from Naru upon first meeting him, she soon after softened up to the guy.  Upon learning that Mei feared that Naru despised her and wanted nothing to do with her, Keitaro helped to reconcile whatever misunderstanding had occurred between the siblings.  His kindness and willingness to see the sisters form a closer bond brought Mei to tears, with her actually hugging the guy on instinct in her moment of emotional weakness.  Soon after, they became good friends, with Mei doing what she could to help move things along romantically between Keitaro and Naru.  However, a part of her wondered that if things didn't work out between them, then could she fill the hole in Keitaro's heart.  If for whatever reason that the relationship between her sister and her potential crush ended badly, could she see herself with the guy who was patient and considerate with her?  Would he even be interested in her, especially if she had a stick-like figure and no real feminine charm?  No curves or breasts whatsoever?

As for Nyamo, she was calmer in her reaction compared to the others.  What Kaolla said was true:  She was in love with Keitaro.  In the brief time he had spent with her on the Pararakelse Islands, she had grown attached to him at a surprisingly quick rate.  Was it love at first sight?  Who can say?  Keitaro's helpful disposition and supportive nature was enough to get the girl to develop feelings for him.  While she didn't talk as much as the other girls in getting her feelings across, it was in her body language that everything that needed saying was said.  Her propensity to embrace Keitaro the way lovers would, whether up front or from behind, was all that needed to be conveyed.  Whether Keitaro had romantic feelings for Nyamo was unknown, but in Nyamo's case, she loved him, and was content with having an unrequited love, at least up to that point anyway.

"Kaolla, could we please end this topic of discussion?" pleaded Motoko, the blush on her face now starting to fade as she collected herself.  She couldn't help but notice that none of the other girls denied having strong feelings of attachment - if not outright romantic love - for Keitaro.  Forget a love pentagon, this was fast turning into a love octagon!  Or a love dodecahedron!  Or some shape with a LOT of sides and corners with the way things were turning out.

"Alright then, I'll let it go...for now.," said Kaolla with absolute calmness in her voice, "On a different note, how are things with your sister, Motoko?"  With romance and intimacy no longer being the subject, things were now less awkward.

"Tsuruko?  She's fine.  Well...actually, she's going through a rough patch right now?" said Motoko.

"Why?  What's wrong?"  asked Shinobu, her voice laden with concern.

"Well, to try and make things short and not too complicated, she has recently undergone a divorce," responded Motoko.  The other girls enquired further for more details, curious as to what made things come apart.

"There's not too much to say," elaborated Motoko, "from what little Tsuruko was willing to share with me over the phone and in letters, things between her and her husband...sorry, ex-husband  were on the decline over the last few months.  It was mainly about chemistry between them.  He simply found her too odd for him, and didn't care for her taking up being a sword practitioner.  He also didn't find her...fun...in the bedroom, from what I understand."  At this last part, the blush returns to Motoko's cheeks.  She always had a habit of being a purehearted maiden when it came to talking about matters of intimacy.

"Well, that guy's a jerk if you ask me," responded Sarah, "I've seen photos of your sister and she's a knockout beauty.  She could be model material as far as I'm concerned.  Maybe it's for the best that she dumps that loser."

"Sarah, please," interceded Mei, "even if you think the guy didn't deserve being with Tsuruko, you don't have to push and prod too much on that topic.  Going through divorce is not something fun or entertaining.  Believe me, Naru and I can tell you that much."  Feeling embarrassed by Mei's words of wisdom, Sarah found herself apologizing once more.

"I'm...sorry.  I didn't mean to come off as insensitive or snarky in the way I said things.  And I've been through that sort of stuff too when I was little.  You all know that Seta isn't my real...my biological father.  He's more of a father to me than old ‘whatshisname' ever was, and he's all I need as far as parenting goes.  I just think guys who are jerks and don't appreciate a good woman don't deserve a good woman, that's all."

At that moment, both Mei and Shinobu hugged Sarah, trying to console the girl.  As kindred spirits who had gone through the process of divorce in their younger years, they shared a sort of bond that others couldn't quite understand.  Seconds later Nyamo had joined in on the action, piling onto the hug.  She always believed that comfort through physical touch was most important when it came to human understanding and bonding.

"Come on, Motoko, group hug!" declared Kaolla as she snatched the older girl's wrist and dragged her over to the growing hugfest that was occurring.  While Motoko was hesitant at Kaolla's directness and ready to say something in response, she ended up relenting and joining in the piling on.  Content that everyone was together for a moment of emotional healing and being there for each other, Kaolla was happy that she did what she did.

‘Now if we could just recreate this with everyone from Hinata House, including Keitaro of course.'  That was her thought as she enjoyed the moment for its own sake.  If there was one thing Kaolla Su was known for, it was her desire to create one big, happy family.

"Well, I hope things work out for your sister, Motoko," said Shinobu, once the hug had come to its end, "If there's anything we can do to help her, feel free to let me know."

"Funny you should mention that," responded Motoko, "Tsuruko is actually coming down to Hinata House tonight.  I was conversing with her this morning and decided it would be good for her to come down and relax here.  Get her mind off of dramatic things like what happened over the last few months.  Hopefully, some time in the hot springs will do her mind and body some good for her."

"Wow!  That's amazing, Motoko!," said Shinobu, "I'll be so glad to see her again.  I should really make something special to commemorate her arrival.  Do you know how long she'll be staying?"

"At least a week, maybe a few more if she needs it," responded the swordswoman, "She'll be bunking with me for the duration of her stay."

"Oh yeah!" declared Kaolla, "I forgot to mention that my sister will be coming here tonight as well.  Didn't know if I should keep it a surprise or not.  Figured that since Motoko's sister is coming to Hinata, then I might as well let you know the same is happening with me."

"Really?" responded Sarah with skepticism, "and why's your sister coming down here too?  She's not also having relationship problems is she?"

"Oh no!  None at all!  She's very happy with her husband!  They have been hitting it off ever since the wedding and honeymoon.  If anything, I'm more worried about big brother Lamba than Amalla."

"Why is that?"  asked Mei.

"Well, Big Sister Amalla tends to get very...hungry...in the bedroom," said Kaolla.

"What?  You mean she needs to like...eat a lot, when she's doing the nasty." asked Sarah, confusion in her voice.

"Oh no, Amalla doesn't starve or anything like that.  Poor choice of words.  Let me put it in numbers instead.  Some nights, Big Brother Lamba can go four or five rounds in bed before he gets too tired, but the problem is that Amalla can go a good eight or nine rounds before she gets tuckered out.  Lamba is more than willing to satisfy her, but his body can only take so much compared to hers.  He's lucky if they end up breaking even."  At this elaboration on Molmolian bedroom arts, the other five girls were rather red in the face with embarrassment, even Nyamo.  How could Kaolla be so open when it came to matters involving intercourse?  The girl apparently wasn't big into the concept of subtlety when it came to describing things.

"Well...um...that must be problematic for your sister, I suppose," said Motoko, trying to steer the conversation along, hopefully towards a conclusion.

"No need to worry, Motoko.  Amalla is very understanding, and she can make due with other members of the royal harem.  She has to be patient, after all.  While she may be first in the pecking order, she has to allow her sister-wives to have their share of the fun too."  Once more, Kaolla described everything succinctly without missing a beat, with no embarrassment in her voice whatsoever.

"S-s-sister wives?" said Motoko, Shinobu, Sarah, and Mei at the same time.

"Oh yes," continued Kaolla, "in Molmolian culture, it's perfectly natural for royalty and the upper class to take on multiple partners in a marriage.  And given that Lamba is going to be the next king and Amalla his queen, they get a fairly big harem at that.  I'm not sure what the exact number is right now.  Last I checked it was at least ten other women, I think.  It's part of the reason that Big Brother Lamba is so tired.  He has to have enough stamina to make everyone happy."

Yet again, the other girls simply stood like deer in the headlights at Kaolla's explanation on Molmolian marital customs.  Maybe that was why she had such a nonchalant view on matters involving sex and intimacy.  The world she grew up in certainly seemed to be one of "free love" in its own ways.

"That's...certainly a lot of partners involved," said Mei, "and they're able to keep things friendly among each other?  No jealousy or tension between any of the um...sisters?"

"No, not really," responded Kaolla, "I mean there might be the occasional tiff now and then, like in a lot of relationships, but they usually make up in a day or two.  Everyone who enters into it is expected to be open-minded.  Nobody is forced into it against their will.  If they don't want to be part of it, the other members are expected to honor that person's wishes.  Big Sister Amalla loves Lamba; she also loves her sister wives too.  She just has such a big appetite for pleasure that she'll alternate between Lamba and the others until she has had her fill, that's all."

"Okay, well I think I've heard enough bedroom stuff for one night," said Sarah, trying to bring the topic of discussion to a close, "We should really be heading back now, don't you think?"  The other girls minus Kaolla nodded in agreement.  A second later, they all proceeded back towards Hinata House, which was just a few minutes away by foot at this point.

"So, Kaolla," started Shinobu, "why was your sister coming to visit again?  I think the answer to that got lost in the conversation."

"She just wanted to visit and see how I'm doing, along with everyone else.  That's all.  Amalla likes to stay in touch with me for a few different reasons.  Partly it has to do with me being part of the royal family, I suppose, but really it's mainly because we're sisters and we care about each other."

"Yeah, sisters but not sister-wives." muttered Sarah, her words barely perceptible to everyone else.

"I heard that, Sarah," responded Kaolla, "We could very well be sister-wives if I so decided, but like I told you all earlier, I love Amalla and Lamba, but more so as siblings than as lovers.  I wouldn't be against being with them completely, but I already have feelings for Keitaro.  I want to marry him, not my big brother.  Maybe I'd share him with Amalla if she really wants him like I want him.  He does have that resemblance to Lamba after all."  Su finished her statement with a giggle.

‘Why do I get the feeling this girl is not joking about that?' This thought was collectively shared by Motoko, Shinobu, Sarah, and Mei once more.

‘Su can be really...kinky...at times,' thought Nyamo.

As the group of girls headed towards the Hinata House, there was bound to be more intermingling among the residents at the girls dormitory, with some very interesting developments about to occur, and sooner than anyone was expecting.