"Ooh, this outfit should look nice, and all the items are on sale!" Judy picked up a burgundy small top, a black undershirt, and khaki pants. "What do you think, Nick? Good colors for fall?"
"I think you're crazy if you think I have a meaningful response to that," Nick grumbled, already carrying around two shopping bags. "So to be clear, am I lugging around gifts for you and several of your sisters, or just you?"
"Ha ha," Judy tilted her head with her eyes rolled up. "I'm gonna go try this on."
"You know, the song's called 'Try Everything', not 'Try Everything in the Store On'," Nick quipped, waiting for the bunny to change. Judy started to hum the song in question. "Great, me and my big muzzle." Judy came out in the outfit, looking exuberant.
"Well? How do I look?" She held her arms out wide and gave a little twirl.
"Hm, you look very... ah, what's the word," Nick said in a low tone, looking around. Judy's arms fell a few degrees as he hesitated. "Ah, there we are." He nodded towards a sign that said "CUTE outfits! Up to 30% off!"
"Nick," Judy's eyelids fell and she started to look annoyed.
"Hey, the sign said it, not me," Nick smirked.
Judy pointed at him, her other arm on her hip. "You know you're not supposed to call a bunny 'cute'."
"Oh, but did I say that? Nope," Nick smiled. "And I was never taught not to call a bunny cyu- er, that word, you only told me not to call you that." Judy twisted her mouth this way and that.
"Well how about you just say what you think, then?" Judy folded her arms.
"As I'm not supposed to use the first word that comes to my mind when I look at you," Nick searched the ceiling, setting the bags down. "Ah, here we go." Nick changed his voice into a sort of snooty, refined-sounding voice. "Darling, you look very aesthetically pleasing. I must say, quite winsome. Perhaps even fetching!" He gave a little bow after rotating his wrist in a mocking fashion.
"Nick!" Judy's teeth showed a bit. "'Cute' is the first thing you think of when you see me? After all we've been through?"
"Sorry, Fluff, but in the world I was raised in, 'cute' is not some detestable slur," Nick gave a half-hearted shrug. "Me thinking you're cute doesn't preclude me from thinking you're also completely awesome and dangerous. Not to mention you can deliver the meanest drop kick I've ever seen."
Judy narrowed one eye, but her expression softened a little. "I don't think you get it, Nick. Bunnies have been called 'cute' forever. We're treated like we're still kits, even as adults. Give us a job 'meant' for a bigger animal, and it's not 'oh, she's a hard worker, huh?" it's 'isn't that cute'?"
"I know better than to think that, and you know I know better," Nick folded his arms. "But if you really want me to not call you or anything you're wearing 'cute' ever again, then just say the word and I'll never call you cute again." Nick sliced his hand in the air in front of him horizontally.
Judy hesitated, putting a curved finger near her lip. "If... if I let you call me cute, it has to be when its just us, okay? I can't have you saying that at the station."
"Aw, who do you take me for, Carrots?" Nick grinned, holding his arms out in nearly a shrug. "Do you think I'd purposefully try to embarrass you in front of all of our co-workers?"
Judy scoffed and looked at him incredulously. "You know the answer to that question is not 'no'."
"Okay, maybe you have me there," Nick chuckled, picking the bags back up. "All right though, you have my word that if I use 'cute', it's to be with the utmost respect and only between us. Never in a diminishing way."
"This is a little bit ridiculous," Judy sighed. "Can't you just say I look 'great' or something so we wouldn't have to have a conversation like this?"
"Well I thought that went without saying," Nick nudged his eyebrows up once. Judy walked over to him, squinting her eyes with a wry smile, and softly stepped on his foot with one of hers and wiggled her foot on Nick's while pressing down on it. Nick just looked bemused. "Heh heh..."
"Okay, charmer, so should I get this outfit or not?"
"Sure, if your wallet can take all of this," Nick held the bags higher. Judy nodded, then saw a female ocelot approaching.
"Are you finding everything okay?" The ocelot asked politely.
"Oh yeah, just fine," Judy nodded.
"That's great," the ocelot clasped her paws together. "If you need to check out, I'll be at the perfume counter. We have a special sample of a new fragrance that's perfect for bunnies. It's getting really popular!" The ocelot smiled pleasantly and headed off. Judy made her way back into the dressing room.
"Speaking of popular, you don't see too many celebrity bunnies, come to think of it. I wonder why that is?" Nick mused.
"Maybe that's just another reason we bunnies are so uptight, huh?" Judy said with a snarky edge as she was changing. "It's tough to get noticed when there's literally millions of us, and other animals can outdo us at nearly everything."
"I'm guessing that's why standout bunnies like you seem so psychotic, huh?" Nick chuckled.
"Not brave enough to say that to my face?" Judy challenged.
"Want me to come in there?" Nick said airily.
"Don't push your luck, mister," Judy continued, "unless you want to lose your newfound 'cute' privileges." Judy reemerged in her regular outfit. She saw Nick staring blankly at her as she did. "What?"
"I'm thinking you bunnies are from the moon or something," Nick shook his head slowly. "You're not the first weird bunny I've met, but you certainly are the most... interesting.
"Hey, I just live in this world, Nick," Judy gave a soft smile. "Now what do you say we go find that nice ocelot so I can try that perfume before we buy this stuff?"
"Okay, first, you are buying this stuff," Nick corrected, "and a lot of perfume actually kind of bothers my nose a bit. I prefer your natural scent. ...Tsk, and that is a thing I just said out loud, isn't it?" Nick's eyes squinted shut.
"Well, well!" Judy grinned widely. "Okay then, there's another counter over there closer to the exit. So, you want to buy at least ONE of these 'cute' outfits for me?" Judy flashed him her cutest smile and had her eyes wide open.
"That's a pretty weak attempt at a hustle, cutie," Nick gave her a dry smirk and winked. "Saw it coming a mile away."
"Hey! Do we have to talk about 'cutie' as well? That's a little bit different!" Judy's countenance instantly soured.
"Oh, for crying out loud," Nick groaned, slumping forwards as if the bags he was carrying suddenly weighed much more.