Prompt 1: Destiny City has its fair share of infestations--rats, youma, seasonal monsters...There's no shortage of unpleasantries. But, for the first time in a while, there's a pleasant sort of infestation: along with the winter chill and a steady stream of snow, it seems like a herd of small, fluffy white rabbits have overrun the city. They aren't menacing or evil, they're just everywhere. They seem strangely domesticated; they are sweet, curious, and friendly creatures that will eat anything you give them. They always seem cold to the touch, and when they shake, little snowflakes sprinkle off of them. They can show up just about anywhere, either alone or--often--in pairs. They tend to wander off on their own but they seem to appreciate anything warm and will cuddle up to steal body heat.
Despite his namesake, January was very firmly a summer boy. He liked the warmth and the sunshine. He liked excuses to drink sweet, chilly drinks or fruity, colorful teas. He liked walking to the office while people strolling by chattered animatedly about their lives. He liked sitting by the window and looking out to see green trees and lush grass and blue skies and people just enjoying a pleasant day.
Winter was none of those things. Winter was cloudy days and stinging wind. It was treacherous ice puddles lying in wait for someone to slip and crack their tailbone. It was being trapped inside because it was far too inhospitable to be anywhere else. It was walking with your face tucked down into a scarf to avoid the frosty n** in the air.
Winter was grey and sad and cold and lonely.
January did not like winter.
If he could, he'd hibernate through it like a bear. He'd gorge himself on sweet snacks, sleep for three months, and wake up skinny and hungry and ready to see the spring. But he wasn't a bear. Rather than hiding away, grown human men had to go to work.
January considered himself lucky in this respect, though. He had more freedom than many. He enjoyed his job, and he technically only needed to go into his office building for company meetings or to drop off packages of his work to be delivered back to California. He could do his job in the office, if he wanted to... But he could also do it at home in the comfort of his own studio. No one complained so long as he met his deadlines, and January was very careful to keep his dates.
Today was, unfortunately, not a day to be spent at home. His sweet secretary, Clara, had texted him no less than a dozen times reminding him that he needed to go pick up fabric samples from the office and please, please, please let her know when he'd gotten them.
The poor thing.
She was so worried.
He'd never disappointed her once. And only occasionally ignored her pleas that he please keep her up to date so she could be better able to schedule his appointments and upcoming deadlines. She beseeched him that she needed to know what he was working on when and for how long so she could be able to manage his time more efficiently-!
The move had been hard on her. Even after so long, she still wasn't really used to not having him available and in person throughout her work day.
January had already decided to be just a little bit catty and not tell her he was picking up the samples. She would figure it out when he sent her his selections later that week. But for now, he closed the door the his cute Nissan Leaf, bundled down into his coat and set off at a brisk pace down the sidewalk and toward his building.
He kept his head low and his eyes downcast. It wasn't until he nearly tripped on a white bunny as it hopped across the sidewalk that he noticed- there were so many of them! They were hard to make out against the snowy backdrop, bu he thought he saw at least three pairs scattered along the patches of manicured lawn that dotted the walkway. And as his curious pink gaze traveled to the door of his office building, he was surprised to see a slightly larger furry bundle waiting there.
There were bunnies, yes, four of them, piled on top of each other as they pressed their tiny bodies to another, shaking lump that was using the buildings awning to take cover from the delicate snow drift that fluttered down today.
"Oh!" January blinked in shock as he recognized the trembling outline of a puppy nestled under all the bunnies. It was small, barely any bigger than the rabbits themselves, and wet, covered in that grey sort of sludge that formed on snowy roads. He stepped up warily. Animals hadn't ever been his strongest suit, and when they were dirty, he was usually less inclined to approach them.
But this one obviously needed some TLC, and it was certainly much too young to be out on its own.
This pile of rabbits was keeping it warm for now, but being on this cold concrete certainly wasn't doing it any favors. It looked too dirty to belong to someone, but it was sitting just outside his building... Maybe someone else who'd come in had seen it before or knew something about it.
He knelt down to dust the bunnies away, and they went without a fuss, hopping casually away to sit in the snow and watch him. "Okay, then, don't bite me," he warned the puppy as it watched him with wide, wary eyes. It didn't struggle as he picked it up, though it did seem to not be thrilled by his gloves, and January fit it close to his chest as he moved for the door.
Someone would know something about it, he was sure. No one would just leave a puppy sitting out on a snowy street, so it must be an accident. He was sure.
He just didn't really know what he'd do if it wasn't an accident or no one knew anything about where it may have came from...
