Chapter Text
Kay didn’t consider herself to be particularly materialistic. Having lived the childhood she had, she didn’t have any possessions by the time Dante had found her. All she’d owned was the Devil Arm in her hands, and the stolen clothes she was wearing. So when she was given her own room in Devil May Cry’s office, she didn’t have anything to put in it. Even though she would obtain the basics for a bedroom, such as a bed and dresser, her room remained sparsely decorated. Though that could simply be a factor caused by living with Dante. Money was always tight for one reason or another, so it usually had to be saved for the important things. Food, clothing, etcetera etcetera. Every once in a while, she’d buy something that could be considered frivolous. A book she really liked, or a movie she wanted to watch at any time, or even a video game if she was lucky, it all depended on the circumstances. She did try to save her money so she could buy those things, but it just wasn’t easy.
The only other way she was able to get non-essentials was if Patty was around, as the young girl would insist on buying her nice things whenever she came around. She would practically drag her by the arm to go out shopping with her. Kay didn’t really understand why she did this, but she didn’t turn down her offer either. Patty was insistent after all, and she had plenty of money to spend. Granted, she didn’t usually buy a whole lot during these trips, she was usually content to just browse the stores and maybe pick up something she liked that caught her eye. Even if Patty was willing to buy her nice things, part of her felt guilty letting her do so. But the girl would refuse to end their little trips until Kay walked out with something, so she’d grab one item and be on her way.
In fact, it was one of those shopping trips where she found one of the most important things she’d have in her possession.
Patty had dropped by once again, insisting that they have “girl time” at the mall together. Kay still didn’t really understand what “girl time” even was, but she went anyway, seeing as Patty would have dragged her there by force if she hadn’t. Patty had brought her into a jewelry store, looking for something that’d make her look more mature, whatever that meant. Sometimes that girl would say the strangest things. Kay didn’t tend to buy anything from these stores, jewelry wasn’t exactly her thing, but she did like browsing as she usually did. It was nice to look around at all the rings and necklaces and such. They were definitely beautiful, she could say that. Perhaps if she wasn’t a Devil Hunter, she’d go for something nice, but stuff like that would only get in the way. Maybe a ring could work, but she just couldn’t bring herself to ask for one.
Welp, she’d looked through just about everything. She was about ready to go check in on Patty so they could move on when a particular item caught her attention.
It was just a pendant, nothing particularly fancy compared to what the store usually had. But even still, the silver cross called out to her, the intricate patterns signifying it as a Celtic cross. Looking at it made her recall something, a small detail from her old life that had been buried away for years.
Her mom…she’d worn a pendant just like this one. No, maybe it was gold? She wasn’t sure, it had been so many years ago. But it was similar, she knew that. She definitely remembered her wearing a Celtic cross. Even if her face had long been forgotten, that beautiful necklace she wore every day wasn’t.
She’d wanted one too, hadn’t she? Yes, she remembered telling her that she thought hers was so pretty and that she wanted one just like it. And her mom, she’d just happily laughed and said she’d get one for her when she was older. Kay had been excited back then, eagerly awaiting the day she’d be old enough for the two of them to go out and get her one.
But that never got to happen, her mother was long gone. Torn away from her by that bastard who got away. She would never have that experience with her. Kay could feel the tears threatening to pool at the edge of her eye, but she suppressed the need. She didn’t want to break down crying inside this jewelry store, not where everyone could see her. She could cry later, if she had to.
That memory though…it awakened that old desire. While she’d once wanted one because she thought it was pretty, now she wanted one to honor her mother. To honor the woman who fought for her until her last breath. Not only that, but she wanted to honor her culture. Being taken at such a young age, she hadn’t managed to stay in touch with her Irish heritage. She’d missed out on so much, barely knew anything about it. Survival had trumped her need to stay in touch with her roots. She’d have to fix that, one way or another.
“Sorry about the wait, Kay!” Patty called out, walking towards the young woman with a small shopping bag in tow. “This woman was being so unreasonable to the cashier, you wouldn’t believe how-” She stopped talking, noticing how Kay hadn’t even turned her attention towards her. Not only that, but she had this strange look on her face. It was…sad, almost. “Kay, is everything alright?”
Kay’s eye blinked a few times, finally registering the young girl next to her. “Oh, um, sorry. I was lost in thought, I guess,” she said, her voice sounding a bit dazed. She’d been so lost in her memories that the rest of the world had been drowned out.
Patty looked down at the necklace in Kay’s hands, surprised to see her so interested in it. She didn’t usually care that much about this kind of stuff. “That’s a nice looking cross there,” she said. “Do you want it?” Something about it felt fitting for her, she thought. She’d love to see her wear it.
Kay smiled softly. While she would normally hesitate to have Patty purchase something like this, she knew she didn’t have the money for it herself. But she had to have it, for her mom’s sake. “Yeah, I mean, if you don’t mind.”
Patty took the pendant in her hands, a huge grin on her face. “Alright, I’m gonna go pay for this then! It’s probably not super expensive, so I don’t mind! Just wait here!” And with that, she was back in line for the cashier.
Kay felt her heart grow lighter as she waited. She was relieved that Patty didn’t question why she wanted it. She wasn’t ready to talk about that yet, not to anyone.
Once they walked out of the store, Kay couldn’t help but admire her new purchase. She had no idea if she was going to wear it much, but it felt like a weight she didn’t know was there had been lifted off of her shoulders. And she hoped that if her mom was watching over her from the afterlife, that she was happy with her.