36,754 words total for today, and I've gotten to the point where the reader discovers that my story isn't going to be ENTIRELY internal struggle and nice moments between two main characters. They learn this because China moves a giant fleet into waters claimed by Japan, this setting off an international crisis which will eventually lead to the short-lived Third World War. Except this time it's short lived because peace prevails, not because the world as we know it comes to an end in nuclear hellfire. It'll be fun to figure out how the alien reacts to learning that the country that's taking care of her is right next to an extremely powerful country that they're at war with.