DISCLAIMER
The universe in which this story is set in is entirely an original creation. As such, canon characters featured here will have various alterations to their appearance, age, and/or personality that are specific to this particular setting, though references to canonical works will be interwoven as seen fit.
One lazy Friday afternoon in ACME Corp's break room, Calamity and Fifi are conversing over freshly brewed coffee. Much of the chatter is the usual: work in their respective departments, news of the city's criminal and communal activities, and whatever caught their attention recently.
Then Fifi says, "Cal, do you not have pants at home?"
Calamity does a spit take. His tablet's thought-to-speech converter kicks in. "Of course I do! They're just…" His face turns tomato red with embarrassment. "In the launderer's, yeah! Working in tech can be dirty business."
She doesn't seem convinced, but runs with it anyway. "I see. Well, I was thinking we could maybe go to the mall together sometime. A new boutique just opened, and Shirley told me it's all the rage!"
His grey ears perk up. Is she asking me out? Even if she's just being polite, it wouldn't hurt to play along. "I suppose I can check it out. Are you free this weekend?"
Saturday, in Apartment 203 in North Quarter Residential, Ralph inspects himself through his reflection. "Be honest with me, Wiles: Does this make me look fat?"
Wile E. looks him up and down, sparing an extra glance at the red wolf's rear end. "No."
He side-eyes him. "You were staring at my ass, weren't you?"
"Yes."
"Glad you appreciate the view." Looking into the mirror again, he turns his gaze to the tight waistband of his old jeans, slightly distressed by the muffin top forming over it. "I'm gonna need new pants. I hear the new boutique has clothes for all kinds of critters, and they're blowing up on social media. We should check it out!"
Hearing out Ralph's suggestion, he looks down at his own clothing. While his wardrobe has grown in quantity, the quality is a different story. Much of it consists of hand-me-downs from his friends and partner, not to mention the garments he literally dragged out of a dumpster back in October, such as his favorite duster coat. At least most of it fits better now that he's no longer the emaciated mess he was when they first met. "Why the hell not? We got the day off. Get ready and start up the car."
The Acme City Mall is the biggest shopping center, second only to the Northwest Shopping Plaza, and a favorite hangout for teens and young adults in the area. Along with holding many popular stores and a giant food court, the mall also is a prime location for community events set in North Quarter. The big event this weekend: the grand opening for the Sapient-owned fashion store Clothes Gone Wild.
Catering to Sapients of all species and sizes, Clothes Gone Wild carries clothing brands from around the world, from affordable local finds such as ACME Fashion to luxury names like Threads of Neith. As a result, the prices tend to vary, with the store dividing its wares erratically amongst its two floors. Despite or even because of this, it has gained international popularity for its diverse and fashionable array.
Browsing through the section for canines and other long-legged creatures, Calamity sifts through the racks for something within his size. Too stout, too long, tail hole's too small. God, why is clothes shopping such a hassle? He looks over to the neighboring section, dedicated to smaller mammals such as racoons and skunks. Fifi scrutinizes each item as he is, but appears to be having less trouble finding interesting garments. He cannot help but feel a bit envious.
"Having trouble, li'l fella?" a Southern male's voice pops in. Cal jumps back and turns to him. "Oh, hey, you're Wiley's friend, aintcha? I saw you and him talking during the Halloween party. What was your name again? Catastrophe?"
"It's Calamity," he corrects him through his device. "You're Ralph, right? Wile's told me about you; he really appreciates what you're doing."
Flustered, Ralph chuckles. "Well, if he didn't we wouldn't be together, would we? So, you here for the grand opening sale like us?"
"Sort of. My friend from work invited me over." More bashfully, he adds, "I'm kind of in need of new pants. Better fitting ones."
"Heh. You and me both. I gained weight since moving here three years ago, so my old pairs are a bit tight on me now. Wile says I look fine, but bastard's a twig so what does he know?" Cal lets out a snicker, and he smiles in return. "Anyway, since we're both here, maybe I can help you out. Me and my friend's bro would shop together back when we were living together, so I know a thing or two about styling for big dogs."
Ralph skims through the racks until he comes across a simple but stylish pair of brown jeans. "This looks close to your size, and it works well with that 'dark academia' vibe you're going for." The coyote gives a puzzled expression. "Don't tell me you've never heard of it! Whatever. Let's check that next rack. Also, what are your thoughts on shorts? Knowing what you usually like to wear can give us a better visual."
Cal answers the wolf's questions as they resume their search. Time flies by, and before realizing it, both of them are holding an armful of garments each. Though they went in with the same goal in mind, the fun they had with each other's company let them drop their guard and grab more than they intended: T-shirts, button-ups, dress pants, shorts, even the occasional scarf or pair of socks. It's a good-sized haul, if a bit of a strain to carry.
They head to the dressing rooms, where they bump into Wile walking out of one with a smaller collection of items. "Looks like we all found something," he comments with subdued excitement. "By the way, I came across this and thought you might like it." He shows off a long-sleeved red tunic with threads of gold delicately embroidered into elegant geometric patterns. "It's tulle bi telli. Wyatt told me his hometown is one of the only places in the world that does it, and he set up Threads of Neith to make it more accessible worldwide. What do you think?"
Ralph is captivated by the beautiful garment, but then catches sight of the price tag. "Wiles, this is amazing, but isn't it a bit expensive?"
"Yeah, it's a lot, but I don't mind paying since it's for you. Also, it's twenty-five percent off cus of the sale."
"I can pay for it if you'd like," Cal interjects. "Fifi and I have an employee discount on ACME-affiliated products, including Lycopolis. But I want you two to do something for me in return."
Date night at Fête Céleste des Bêtes. Cal straightens up his black tie nervously. The silver-embellished tuxedo Ralph picked out for him is the fanciest ensemble in his entire closet. He isn't sure if that is what's making him nervous or the fact that he's wearing pants for the first time in years. He takes out the small box from his pocket and opens it. A golden ring topped with a beautifully cut amethyst rests inside. Staring at the ring, he barely registers the elegant, floral scent lingering nearby.
"Are you ready?"
He fumbles and hides the box. Fifi is stunning, dressed in black as he is and her trademark bow replaced with a gem-studded rose clip. The fragrance wafting from her instills a sense of romantic nostalgia. "La Sérendipité", as Pepé Le Pew dubs it. A perfume that perfectly matches the love he feels for his long-time friend. Cal nods and escorts her inside the restaurant, arms linked.
Thanks to Wolf & Coyote, this has been the best night of their lives.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Hey there, and thanks for reading my first W&C short story! This idea was one I had lying around for a while, but never got around to making it until about a couple of weeks ago. As with chapter 29 of the main story, I was having some serious writer's block and burnout and stuff, so this didn't get finished until earlier today. I can't think of much else to say, other than I wish I could have made this a tiny bit longer to make it worth the wait. Maybe now that I got the ball rolling, I can get more made to compensate for the wait. 'Til then, I'll see you later!