After we spent some time lazing about on the boat and being affectionate, Anima and I moved on to swimming and playing with a ball in the water. Once we were sufficiently worn out, we decided it was time for lunch. We dried ourselves off with towels and relocated to the leisure sheet we had spread across the sand.
"I'm starting to get pretty hungry," I said. "It’ll take too long to cook anything from scratch right now, so I’ll just pull something out of the Magic Box."
"Understood. In that case, I shall prepare the drinks."
"Thanks, I appreciate it."
My Magic Box was packed with all sorts of food, but I had to prioritize items that were easy to eat on a beach. I pulled out a few simple options, focusing on the instant foods I’d received from Kuro. I started looking for a drink for Anima... wait.
"...Anima, where did you get that tea?"
"Oh, Alice-dono gave this to me when I went back to the room to get ready earlier. She said it was perfect for the beach and told me to ask you how to drink it."
"...I see. Well, she’s right, it certainly is convenient for a trip to the beach."
It wasn't surprising that Alice knew what a PET bottle was, and with her abilities, manufacturing them would be a trivial task. I decided not to overthink it and showed Anima how to crack the seal before we enjoyed the tea together.
Once we finished eating, we sat side-by-side, watching the sea while we let our lunch digest.
"By the way," Anima asked, "have you decided what to do with the ship you received from Kuromueina-dono?"
"Hmm. It’s just so massive. It doesn’t feel right for just a few people to hang out on. I think it would be put to much better use if I hosted something like a shipboard party."
"A party with Master as the host... I think that is an excellent idea. You could frame it as an expression of your daily gratitude. Kuromueina-dono would surely be pleased to see you using her gift, as well. We could even hire temporary staff to help with the logistics."
"Hmm, you’re right..."
The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. I had been invited to countless events, but I had rarely acted as the host myself—the only real exception being the housewarming party for my new place, though that felt more like everyone else celebrating for me.
"I really do want to use that ship since Kuro went to the trouble of giving it to me, so let's start thinking about this seriously. I'd love to hear your input, Anima."
"Leave it to me! Shall we start brainstorming some ideas? Just for the sake of the hypothetical?"
"Yeah, that sounds like a fun way to pass the time. Let’s see..."
We hadn't officially committed to holding a shipboard party yet, but talking through the possibilities—where we would hold it and who we would need to ask for permission—was a very pleasant way to spend the afternoon.
Machina: "Hey, Serious-senpai! You’ll get bored of just fondue, so I made some solid chocolate, too. It has popping candy in it! Here, try some, Serious-senpai~"
Serious-senpai: "...What exactly is this? Am I a cannibal now? Is this self-consumption?"
Machina: "Isn’t it just like biting your own nails?"
Serious-senpai: "Stop using metaphors that kill my appetite! ...Oh, wait, this is actually good. The texture is incredibly smooth. This took some real skill to make."
Machina: "Heh-heh... I am omniscient and omnipotent, after all!"
Serious-senpai: "Ugh, that Doyaaa Face is so annoying..."