I love the similarities in their initial outfits, so I can't help but ship it for the garment aesthetic alone. Also, they're both swordsmen with similar speech patterns. I love it.

Freed eyed the contents of his bureau with unabashed dismay. Moth eaten and coated in dust, there didn't appear to be even a single salvageable garment after seven years. His bedding was also in dismal shape, he observed. With a sigh, Freed began to pull out all of the soiled clothing. May as well get it out of the way for now, he decided. There was little else he could do for the moment. Later that afternoon, he would go shopping for new necessities. A good coat, clean clothes, cleaning supplies, and new shampoo and conditioner (he did not quite trust the remnants in the bottles in his bathroom).

At least he had a home to come back to, Freed rationalized. It was a minor miracle that the property hadn't been repossessed by the government for seven years' worth of unpaid property taxes. The taxes now paid in full (Freed hated to be in debt), his savings were almost drained. It seemed that seven years worth of bank interest hadn't quite matched up with seven years of accumulated tax interest. Not to mention the penalties.

In short, Freed was more or less broke and needed to take a job.

But first. Clean clothes. Especially underwear - there was no way Freed was going to keep wearing what he had indefinitely.

Hopefully prices hadn't changed too much at his favorite store... though Freed was feeling a great deal of trepidation about the impact of seven years of inflation.

Kagura had watched the green haired mage wander the racks despondently for quite some time now. She couldn't help but be curious by the outsider; Kagura was a frequent customer of the establishment, but she had never before encountered this particular patron. And she knew the store's contents inside and out - and they did not carry such a beautiful, scarlet jacket such as the one he wore. It was a similar cut to her own, ivory one.

And he seemed to be... well... lost. Very, very lost.

So she approached the stranger.

"Excuse me..." Kagura began, clearing her throat. "But may I help you?"

He turned to look at her, relief and embarrassment keenly plain on his face. "...Is it that obvious that I don't know what I'm doing?"

"You are in the women's department," she replied.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "You probably think me some sort of pervert."

The thought had crossed her mind, yes. If that had turned out to be the case, she would've kicked him halfway into next week.

He continued, unaware of her train of thought. "But I'm just... a bit turned around. The store's changed its layout since the last time I was here. Do you mind pointing me towards the men's department?"

Kagura nodded in sympathy. It had been two years since the store had last overhauled its layout, but she keenly recalled being lost herself for quite some time before getting used to the new floor plan. "Four rows down," she pointed out to him, "take a left - then keep going until you see the escalator sign. The men's department is on the other side of the esclators."

A slow smile spread across his face. "Thank you. And if one wished to purchase bedding...?"

"Up the escalator." She tilted her head, regarding him intently. "Did you just move back to the area?" Kagura questioned, trying to figure out his motivations. "You said you hadn't been here since the new floor plan was implemented, and that was two years ago."

An odd look - somewhere between chagrin and sorrow - crossed his face. "Something like that, yes," he agreed. "It's been seven years."

Surprise rushed through Kagura. "That is quite some time."

He nodded. "It is. Thank you for all your help, Miss...?"

"Mikazuchi," she offered. "Kagura Mikazuchi. And you?"

"Freed Justine." The man bowed slightly. "Thank you once more for your assistance. Do let me know if there's anything I might ever do in return."

Kagura let out a short laugh. "It was just directions; you sound like you owe me a life debt."

Freed's face fell into the same expression as before, though he quickly schooled it. "You have no idea."