[Introduction] A rise from the ashes, indeed...

[awomanthorned]

The usual darkness was slowly filled with light, gradually increasing in intensity until it almost hurt. Dahlia Hawthorne groaned in irritation.

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[cute_shinigami]

At some point, if she ventures into the kitchen, she may find a handsome young man rummaging in the fridge and taking out an uncut red velvet cake. When he spots her, he has to quickly set it down on a nearby table before he drops it. "Oh, hello there, Miss, I almost didn't see you there," he says.

With that rumpled, boyish appearance -- his green shirt untucked from his blue jeans and his brown hair on end -- and those wide violet eyes, he looks innocent and harmless and trustworthy, like a puppy.

[awomanthorned]

That's her favorite sort of image.

He looks like Feenie... she thinks, all intentions evil.

"Hello, sir," she says sweetly. "My name is Dahlia - Dahlia Hawthorne. What's yours?" She even curtsies slightly.

[cute_shinigami]

"I'm Asato Tsuzuki, but please, just call me Tsuzuki," he replies with a bow, friendly and open. "So you must have just gotten here? I'd certainly remember a pretty face like yours."

He doesn't suspect anything: susceptible young man plus cunning but very lovely lady can often equal one thing...

[awomanthorned]

Dahlia blushes. She tucks her chin and averts her eyes coyly.

"I have. Do you always flatter the new girls?" She raises her eyes shyly.

[cute_shinigami]

"Well, I always try to be a gentleman to every pretty girl I meet here and every other place where my steps take me," he says, blushing and looking away himself, to try hiding the blush. "My sister always told me to treat girls like the ladies they are, and I've lived up to it ever since then"

[awomanthorned]

"Your sister sounds like a very wise woman," Dahlia says with a smile.

[cute_shinigami]

"That she was: always looking out for me and teaching me how to be a proper gentleman," he says, growing a bit wistful with memory. Then coming back to himself, he adds, "I was about to have a slice of this red velvet cake: would you like some? Maybe something to drink? I was going to put on some tea, if you'd care for that."

[awomanthorned]

"I would love some, thank you." She smiles brightly.

She moves over to the table. "This cake looks delicious - you're a very talented baker, Mr. Tsuzuki."

[cute_shinigami]

He laughs gently and fetches another plate and another fork. "Oh no, I didn't bake it, I can cook, but nothing as complex or delicate as a cake, at least not yet," he replies. "Funny thing about this place: no matter what it is, you'll often find just the food you were looking for, or if it's not there, you can always leave a note in a cupboard here that seems to have magic properties of some kind or other."

[awomanthorned]

"Really?" Dahlia gasps. "That's incredible! I've never seen any kind of real magic before."

She's lying, if you count spirit channeling.

[cute_shinigami]

"Yeah, it took me by surprise, even though magic is kind of my business," he says, looking for a clean knife. "I'm sort of a paranormal detective: hauntings, possessions, the occasional vampire hunt. If it goes bump in the night, I help find out what's causing the bumps and help it to quiet down."

[awomanthorned]

Uh oh. That was not in the plan.

"Reeaally...?" Dahlia draws out the word, trying to sound interested while planning her next move. "Have you seen many hauntings? Isn't it scary?"

[cute_shinigami]

"Well... quite a few, to be honest," he says, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "And yeah, they can be scary: most of the time, most ghosts are just frightened spirits of people who don't realize they're dead or who got so attached to the human world that they don't want to let go just yet. They're usually harmless, but you get a few really messed-up ones sometimes. Those can be really scary and a bit nasty at times, too, but I know quite a few protective spells to calm down the worst ones."

[awomanthorned]

"You're so brave, Tsuzuki," Dahlia gushed. "I'd never be able to deal with ghosts. I'm so glad you're here to protect the Mansion with your spells." She twirls a bit of her hair around her finger and smiles at him.

[cute_shinigami]

"Well, I haven't seen any ghosts here, but there is an odd magic about this place," he says, pulling up a chair for her. "We had this weird snowstorm once, when a faery spirit named Ariel arrived, and all sorts of odd things happened: I got turned into a puppy for a while, which was kinda fun. Then there was a time when we had a spring dance and everyone here that wasn't already a teenager got turned into younger versions of themselves: I loved that since, well, I kind of had it rough as a kid. I got teased a lot on account of my eye color."

[awomanthorned]

Dahlia giggles. "How eventful. That must have been a lot of fun. I hope I get to see some fun magic."

She meets his eye and smiles. "I think you have beautiful eyes, Mr. Tsuzuki."