The ride back to the mansion was quiet, save for the hum of the engine and the occasional rustle as Kat tried to process the whirlwind of the past hours. She clutched V's arm lightly, her fingers seeking some tether to reality. Finally, she spoke, voice trembling slightly but resolute.
"So... I'm immortal," she said, the words tasting strange on her tongue. "Completely... untouchable by age, disease, death. Forever?"
V's eyes flicked to hers, serious and dark. "Yes," he replied, voice low, steady. "But nothing comes free. There was a price—one you may never fully accept."
"And... what price?" she asked, curiosity tempered by a sense of awe.
He exhaled, his expression hardening slightly. "You will never bear a child. Nothing is free. She saved you, gave you life, gave you eternity—but that... that was the cost."
Kat blinked at him for a long moment, letting the enormity of it settle. Then, almost imperceptibly, a small smile tugged at her lips. "That's... fine. I'm okay with that. Really. I survived worse than this, and honestly, living forever sounds... interesting I'd like to thank her."
V's eyes softened, and he allowed himself a rare, brief smile. "And how exactly do you plan to thank her?" he asked, his tone teasing but careful.
Kat's grin widened, mischievous and earnest all at once. "I don't know but I have to. There's no way I'm letting a goddess do something like that for me without showing some gratitude."
V shook his head slowly, a low chuckle escaping him. "You don't need to. Trust me."
But she wasn't having it. "No. I insist. She saved my life—she gave me everything. I have to do something. Even if it's... symbolic. A gift. A thank you."
He studied her for a long moment, then finally said, "Fine. Come with me."
Kat furrowed her brow, glancing around the pet store in disbelief. "Wait... why are we here?" she asked, taking in the smell of seed and the soft fluttering of feathers. "Did... did you bring me here to play with the animals?"
V's lips quirked, just slightly, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. "Not to play. The Scribe Virgin... she likes birds," he said, voice flat but with an undercurrent of teasing.
Kat blinked at him. "...She likes birds?"
"Yes," he replied simply, already moving toward the cages. "She does. So, if you want to thank her... this is a good start."
Her eyes lit up like a fire being fed. "A start?" she echoed, scanning row after row of parakeets. "Oh no. This is going to be more than a start."
Without another word, she dove into the aisles, checking cages, counting birds, and mentally tallying her haul. By the time she turned back to V, she was grinning like a madwoman. "Fifty-three," she said, pointing to the carefully selected cages. "I want all of them. Every single parakeet you'll let me take."
V's eyebrow lifted. "Fifty-three?" he repeated, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"Exactly," Kat said, arms practically trembling with excitement. "She saved me. She deserves fifty-three parakeets. Maybe more if they'll let me."
V pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling slowly. "...You really are something else," he muttered, half exasperated, half amused. But he said nothing more, letting her buzz with energy as she negotiated with the staff.
By the time they left, Kat was grinning ear to ear, balancing her new flock like a triumphant general. V walked silently beside her, shaking his head slightly, but inwardly... he felt a little of the weight lift. She was alive, truly alive, and nothing—neither gods, nor battles, nor eternal consequences—could dim that spark.
"And just so you know," Kat said, turning to him with a sly smile, "these birds are exactly the kind of thank-you I think a goddess deserves."
V only smirked faintly, knowing that in her chaotic, uncontainable way, Kat had already made a statement that would not soon be forgotten.
