They had been meandering along a path with carefully tended bonsai and shrubs to either side but within some time the terrain flanking them had begun to fluidly meld. It changed from simple tended pockets of greenery lit by the lanterns and the fading sun into pockets of water. Little ponds began sprinkling themselves into the terrain almost clandestinely, tucked into the scenery thoughtfully. Then when Hoshi spoke next, she was walking on stepping stones over a little lake.
"Mind your step," the captain said, pointing out the path of square blocks that allowed them to walk on water. Overhead there were soft-sweeping willow trees whose boughs bent down as if hoping to brush against the Yamataian heroes as they journeyed into the park. "Asuka was here. Maybe she's avoiding you, chef Mikodimus."
"Maybe I was," came the chipper voice of the redhead from behind most of the group. "Oh, they've brought us cider."
At the end of the path through the water were some teahouse attendants who had brought trays of steaming mugs that they were handing out to Hoshi's party. Even the mugs had the Fuji-class ship emblazoned on them in a stylistic portrait with the words "Happy birthday YSS Kaiyō II" incorporated. Asuka had already taken a mug and hummed happily.
"Is it
lovefruit?" Hoshi asked after a sip, to which the attendant nodded and passed out two mugs to Kiyo and Luna. Captain Taiyou hadn't been able to choose between warm mulled lovefruit cider or a cold, sparkling sugar plum one and had asked to be surprised.
The Princess Aiko took a drink when it was presented to her and quickly sipped it down, and then just as speedily pulled the mug away from her lips as its warm contents nipped at the tip of her tongue. It wasn't that the drink was served too hot for a dainty Nekovalkyrja mouth to handle or anything of the sort; it was actually quite perfect. But she'd witnessed enough commoners react to overly-hot cafe drinks and assumed it was all part of some deeper cultural tradition or some such useful thing. Plus, a quick first sip concentrated the flavor in a spectacular way, and now it was how Aiko preferred to drink tea in an informal setting.
"This flavor in itself must be a memorial to the Kaiyō, Hoshi-san," she said, drinking a bigger gulp before examining the birthday message that was printed on her mug. That she shared the occasion with the warship that was her home, as well as the seaon and the birth of her relationship with Rei and William and, soon after, all of the initial crew, warmed her in ways that a simple cup of lovefruit tea could not.
"At every step this park impresses," Aiko added to William in a lower and more private voice. "Did you know about this surprise? Surely the builders consulted
someone who had been aboard!"
