Alpine Lake Tokyo night train.

The downpour slackened a little, though water still drove heavily from the sky. Towhee saw the flash of Rodyn’s grin before he turned away, sculling back toward shore. She followed in his wake, like a duckling trailing its mother. Neither exited the water, instead pausing to bob in the choppy shallows.

How’re your vibes? she quipped. Half-drowned? Towhee guessed, water spraying from her lips as she laughed.