"Miss, have you ever been scared of death?" Lee coughed as he lay in his bed, blood left behind on the handkerchief he'd cleaned his mouth with. He knew what day it was.

Lila had come to visit a day ago, and hadn't questioned a thing.

Today, Viridis had come to sit with him.

"I've never really thought about it, Lee. We Oni live for a long time, if we take care of ourselves." Viridis sat down next to his bed, watching him. She'd checked in on them from the shadows from time to time over the last ten years.

The big payout from finishing the city had certainly helped Lee and his daughter, and he'd taken steady jobs to help keep their income up. A model employee, some of his bosses had proclaimed.

"A long time, huh?" He reached over and patted her arm, giving her a tired smile. "Ya make sure you take care of yourself then. I hope you live to see the next generations and then some."

"You've truly accepted you new fate, have you?" Viridis shook her head. "You are a strong willed human, Lee. Hardworking and trustworthy." Her eyes drifted to the clock on the wall.

Handmade, excellent craftsmanship. Intricately carved.

It was beautiful, but her eyes were drawn to the time.

Lee didn't have much longer.

"Has she been written into the will of your estate?" Viridis had promised to make sure that Lila was well taken care of, after all. "You haven't forgotten, have you?"

Lee wheezed out a brief chuckle. "I did it right after we were paid for the city, Miss Viridis." Turning his head to look out the window, he shook his head. "Been rainin' for over an hour now, dunno when it'll stop. Still, it's nice to see the rain today. Good for the crops."

Viridis sighed and turned her gaze back to Lee. "Lee...are you sure this is okay?" Something stung in her chest. Perhaps she'd developed a soft spot for this particular human. She admired his will to do whatever it took to survive. To provide for his family, even if it meant his untimely death.

Was it safe to trust people?

Maybe just Lee.

He chuckled a little, taking her hand. "You worry too much, Miss. We made the deal ten years ago, and I accepted your terms. Though...you never did tell me what ya wanted in return."

Viridis shook her head. "It's not important anymore. I was different back then." She'd wanted to consume his body, a failsafe incase she couldn't curb her bloodlust if it ever took hold again.

Oni succumbed to a primal need to destroy and consume all in their path occasionally.

The passing years after the spell had been cast had made her change her mind. She watched Lila grow up, and Lee work his hardest. She no longer desired a failsafe. Despite what the consequences may be, Viridis had changed her mind about what she wanted. "My only wish now is for you to pass peacefully."

Lila deserved to bury her father and not an empty coffin, after all.

"Is it now? What about you? Are ya happy?" Lee looked back to her.

"I don't know. I suppose I am, it's possible." Viridis gently squeezed his hand. "Are you comfortable, Lee?"

"Ya, all comfy coz-" Lee was interrupted by a loud coughing fit that erupted from his throat, staining the handkerchief with a mass of red when he finally settled down. "-cozy. I promise." He cleared his throat. "How long do I have?"

A simple question, yet it stung.

"You have until the rain stops, Lee." She gave him a soft smile. "It won't be long, now."

Lee's gaze drifted down her face and settled on her eyes. "That's long enough, so long as you stay until it does. Y'know, I'm glad you came ta visit on the last day." He gave her hand a little squeeze. "Thank you, Viridis."

Soon, the rain pattered to a stop.

Viridis came to the funeral, though she sat in the back, listening to Lila speak about her father.

Throughout the whole speech, Lila kept glancing to the back of the room. She tried to make eye contact with the blue haired woman as she read, but the woman kept avoiding her gaze. Was that the woman her father had written about in his journal? Lila had gained possession of it when he passed a week ago. Lee had called her 'Viridis' in his entries, claiming she was a kind-hearted Oni.

Weren't Oni dangerous?

Lila's hands gripped the rough wood of the podium, clearing her throat and thanking the guests for coming as she ended her speech. "I'll see you all in the reception hall." Walking away and heading to the front door while everyone else went to the reception, she began trying to mentally prepare herself to speak to this woman. What if she was attacked? Eaten? Shaking her head and gently tapping the woman on the shoulder, Lila took a deep breath. "Miss, please. You knew my father, right? Is your name Viridis?"

Viridis tensed up, hand on the door handle. She let out a sigh and turned around, giving Lila a smile. "Yes, I did and yes my name is Viridis. Is there something you need?"

"Yes, just a moment-" Lila dug in her pockets, feeling around for the letter she'd found in her father's top dresser drawer after he passed. Pulling it out and carefully handing it to Viridis, she smiled. "I didn't read it. After all, it is addressed to you."

Carefully taking the letter, Viridis paused. What could it possibly be about? Lee hadn't known she'd been keeping an eye on them all these years, did he?

Lila gave her a small smile. "It's alright. He wanted you to have it. I'm guessing he never had the time to mail it to you."

Opening the envelope, she removed the letter and unfolded it.

Lila shook her head. "I'll leave you to it. I'll be in the reception hall if you need me."

Viridis watched Lila leave and looked back to the letter.

'Viridis, I don't know if I have much time. It's about three days from being exactly ten years since I met you and asked for your help on that road in the middle of the night. Y'now, at first I thought I might be a bit crazy. A year or so after we made that deal, I kept seein' shadows move out of the corner of my eye. Thought it might be some Oni after me, but you slipped up a bit one day. Saw ya in the reflection of my coffee mug one mornin' after I sent Lila off to school. Dunno why you'd wanna check in on us. Spell worked alright, ain't had to eat or sleep as much for a long time. Didn't just help my job, helped me make sure we had 'nough wood for the coming winters. I don't think I'll ever be able to thank you enough for agreein' to help me. You helped make sure my kid and I didn't starve to death while I worked on the city, and you helped us create a better future. You sure as hell ain't like none of the stories people tell their youngins in the village. I hope there are more kind Oni out there like you though, Viridis. I dunno if the hate for y'all will ever die down. It don't seem real likely in my lifetime, or Lila's. Makes me real sad, seein' people haul in slaughtered corpses of massive Oni to burn the meat off of and use the bones for cutlery and the like. I understand why ya hide behind the human disguises. Gettin' a little off track here, ain't I? Anyway, back to what I was talkin' about. Dunno if I'll see you again before the spell wears off and I pass. Would be nice, though. I consider you a friend of the family. If I don't see you again before I go, do me a favor. Take care of yourself, alright? Goodbye, Viridis.'

Closing the letter and wiping at her eyes, Viridis closed the letter. She did her best to stifle the small sob that left her, clearing her throat and placing the paper back into the envelope as she headed into the reception hall.

Lee had truly been a kind soul.

Grabbing a cup and pouring herself a small cup of tea, Viridis stared into the murky brew. Things would be fine, right? Perhaps she would purchase a house in the city, and plan out her life from there. Or she could live out in the country in a small village. Maybe she would make some friends here, surely it wouldn't be so bad.

A gentle nudge snapped her from her thoughts.

"A pity he passed, is it not?" The man clinked his cup to hers, as though encouraging her to join the festivities and the toast in celebration of Lee's life. "He was a great builder. Lee even built my monastery out in the country three years ago. Sturdy walls for sturdy students, eh?" He grinned and lifted his glass in silent toast to the departed and took a sip. "There are many drinks here, yet you choose to drink tea. May I ask why?"

Viridis shrugged, looking around the room. There were quite a few people here, some she'd never seen before. A red eyed man in the corner spotted Viridis from across the room and lifted his cup in greeting, giving her a smile.

"I suppose I needed a cup of tea to calm my nerves, is all." Viridis said this as she nodded her head at the red eyed man, acknowledging his greeting. She turned to the redheaded man, raising an eyebrow. "Might I ask who you are, sir? I like to know the name of who I'm speaking with so I can address them properly."

The man chuckled. "It seems my student has noticed you. He's a friendly sort, though he struggles with himself occasionally." He gestured to the red eyed man who slowly waved at his Sensei. Taking Viridis's free hand, he pulled her a little closer and gently raised her hand to his mouth, giving it a small appreciative peck. "My name is Sensei Chen."