A/N: Just so you guys know, the story title is in no way related to the 1975 movie of the same name starring Al Pacino and John Cazale. Good movie, btw. Now that that's out of the way, I have to say that I'm still kinda amazed that I actually followed through on this story. Some months ago, Dog Day Afternoon was a side project that never got beyond that phase until three days ago when I had some free time on my hands. I decided to flesh out the first chapter to see if it had potential, and, well, I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 1- Out in the Cold
"Kami hates Sereitei" was a phrase heard often these days amongst the enlisted men and women of the Gotei 13. It pertained to the weather lately tormenting the area that came down upon the populace in the form of rain and cold gusts and quite often, a combination of both. Due to the Tenth Division's location within the "dip" of the surrounding terrain, it had flooded quickly, leading Captain Hitsugaya to order the barracks be evacuated before he formed an ice perimeter to keep any more water from entering. Unfortunately, Lieutenant Matsumoto forgot to relay the order.
For the next day, members of the Tenth Division were seen crawling up and then down the twenty-story wall of ice.
In the Thirteenth Division, the lights were burned out due to Lieutenant Kotsubaki and Kotetsu hooking up every plug to a humidifier to keep the Captain's health safe should he desire to venture around the division grounds. The humidity remained and people were soon finding themselves outside in the rain to keep cool.
Sereitei had not seen rain of this nature in decades. The bullets of water falling from the gray sky pelted off the surfaces of a wide variety of objects before breaking apart into several smaller drops of equal dimensions.
One of these objects came in the form of Byakuya Kuchiki.
The man had long given up keeping his head at the usual straight level that it was always in. His head may have currently been acting as a funnel for the rain on it's way to the ground, but he'd be damned if he shivered at the cold penetrating his skin and drilling his bones.
Why was he cold and wet in the first place?
Byakuya had the sudden urge to shake off the water soaking his clothes and weighing him down. In the distance, he spotted a smallish figure with what looked to be an umbrella. He straightened his posture and slowed downed his quickened pace, even if it meant receiving several slaps of water from the curtains of rain falling around him. He'd be damned if an officer of a lower rank lived to see the day Byakuya Kuchiki gave off the impression of appearing cold.
Rukia had a tendency of shooting off a colorful variety of swear words when she was outside in the cold. Ichigo had commented on this once during a particularly cold Karakura winter and he had received a left hook that would've made a heavy-weight boxer cringe.
Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!
The chattering of her teeth was the only thing preventing Rukia from voicing her thoughts on the weather or Captain Ukitake's decision to send her on an errand that took her clear across Sereitei to see it through. Shunpo-ing would lessen the pain, but it would end up destroying her umbrella. Speed walking there would keep her relatively dry... but it would force her to endure the cold for a longer period.
Fuckshit.
Rukia tightened her grip on the wooden handle on the umbrella to squeeze out the raw numbness from her fingers.
"Shitfuck," Rukia gave an exasperated sigh when she accidentally stepped on a puddle, leaving both her feet wet. With the sudden gusts of wind that had begun to occur with higher rates of frequency, the possibility of frostbite didn't seem remote. Rukia would wear rain boots, but as she had been told not too long ago, they were simply "not part of a Shinigami's uniform".
Rukia stopped and balanced the umbrella against her shoulder to breathe a few long puffs of hot air on her cupped hands. Finished, she returned to her speed walking.
She sniffed.
By this time, Rukia's socks were caked with mud and there was no feeling in her toes. The sight of the ant-like personages descending the mountain of ice in the distance suddenly lost its' humor.
"Dammit dammit dammit dammit!" She cursed as her teeth chattered, "Making me do this in this ridiculous weather... friggin' Ukitake. That white-haired, bonsai loving, coughing sunnuva-"
She stopped.
In front of her was a small, pathetic looking wet dog assuming a sitting position.
The pup looked as if it had rolled around in a pool of mud and then been blasted by a sudden continuous stream of water that had left behind visible clumps of dirt in its' presumably white fur.
Rukia stared at the dog.
The dog stared at Rukia.
If a mutt could look austere, this was it.
Rukia dropped her umbrella.
"PUPPY!!!" She squealed as she shunpoed towards the dog's position in the middle of the road.
Rukia was charging at him with no regards to her surroundings, or to the weather.
Has she gone mad? Byakuya briefly wondered as his adopted sister grew closer.
And closer.
And bigger.
Much bigger.
Giant. Byakuya managed to think in shock before Rukia reached down and scooped him up.
"Awww! What is a cute thing like you doing out here in the cold? Hmmm?"
Byakuya by this point was in complete, utter shock at the sight of Rukia's suddenly large head--
Her eyes. He blinked. They are not violet.
"You poor thing!"
He had assumed that everything was appearing in shades of gray because of the stormy weather, but there had to be a better explanation.
Byakuya looked down.
Paws.
Rukia was petting his head.
"You smell like wet dog right now, you cutie, you." She addressed Byakuya like a doting mother, "But I think a quick bath will take of that, don't you?"
By God.
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I am a dog. A/N: I don't own a dog, so this fic will be a heck of a challenge to write for me. I've come into contact with my aunt's dog and with my cousin's chihuahua, but not often enough to form a comfertable knowldege abut man's best friend. We'll see how this goes. R&R ladies and gents.