A Snow-table Punishment

“So…”

“So…”

Two members of the Church of Sulfur stand on the steps just outside the main temple area. The ground inside the burrowgatory is now coated with a thick layer of snow, as often happens in the winter seasons when the above ground weather manages to make its way down through the tunnels to greet the bunny civilization. While most of the main hop-ways have been paved, the sacred ground of the church has been left untouched. As such, there is a nice blanket several inches deep for wandering, snow-day desiring bunizens to enjoy. Right at the bottom of the steps, face down in the snow, unmoving save for the occasional tail twitch and rise and fall of his chest… is the flopped form of a pure white, red-rope decorated bun. 

“Well,” Mercy folds their hands behind their back, delicate fingers lapping over each other as they take slow steps down the stairs to stand at the bottom-most landing before the snow. They lean over, skirts puffing out backward as they do to inspect the unconscious bun. “I have recently established a new doctrine that those caught doing illicit acts on church property should be reasonably fined as punishment for interrupting church services. Though we live to serve and abet the sins within our community, performing such sins so they hinder our ability to serve does make a problem for us. Hmm…”

Mercy unfolds one deft hand to slip it under Shibani’s ropes, lifting and poking the bunny fur under them, as if they are looking for a wallet. Kuro crosses his arms over his chest, watching their petticoats and petty thefts with an exasperated expression. “Perhaps this is hypocritical of me to mention… but I find that to be an odd rule you have created when you yourself-”

Mercy stands up, looking over their shoulder at Kuro with a smile sweet enough to destroy his teeth, and cold enough to make the snow jealous. “You’ll note my use of the word caught, Father Kuro.” 

Kuro’s back stiffens. He closes his eyes and nods apologetically. Of course, of course. Ah…

“Regardless…” they continue, unphased, as they stand up from the incredibly sleepy bun. “It does me no good to attempt to press his fines here when he is both asleep and not in his doll form. While I doubt that Shibani’s bodysuit has openings for pockets to begin with… he certainly has none on him now. It would be a fruitless endeavor to bother. As our master of punishment affairs, Father Kuro, I leave it in your capable hands to decide on a suitable punishment for Shibani at present.”

Kuro follows Mercy’s steps down to the snow bank. Instead of bending over, he simply extends his arm downward and lets the edge of his crop tuck under Shibani’s stomach and flip him so he is no longer suffocating in his snowy bed. His bunny limbs sprawl outward, making what would be a snow devil, if the sloth-effected creature had any energy with which to create such a thing. Instead he simply… lays there, his colored cheeks and Dan’s ropework the only things that keep him from completely becoming one with the snow. 

“While I continue to find the sin of slothliness to be an odd one to punish, outside of sleeping through Oleander’s sermons or napping in my confessional… I believe I have a suitable idea.” 

Moments later, Mercy has their hands wrapped in leather gloves, protecting them from the cold snow. Kuro feels as though, as he often mentions to Taro, regardless of the form they take, that the buns are well insulated enough to not mind the coldness from their environment. Their fur is simply… on the inside now! As horrific as that thought is… He has agreed to put his overcoat on, however, a priest’s robe that drapes down like a shawl over his chest and down his arms, if only knowing that if he does return to his burrow sneezing he will not have to face his partner scolding him with his least favorite lines of I told you so.

“If you pile the snow and mold it with your hands, the heat from your palms should be enough to temporarily melt the outside layer of water. Then, when it comes back into contact with the snow it freezes, creating a more solidified structure, as such…” Kuro demonstrates to Mercy, pulling a small pile of snow up taller and taller until he has created a rod which sticks up from the ground to about the height of Mercy’s knee. 

“I am curious how you know such information about the art of snowcraft, Father…” Mercy comments lightly as they bend down, following the same motions to create a second rod of their own. 

Kuro frowns at her, tension pulling at his temple. “What? Is it not normal to be infatuated with the snow in your youth? Because I refrain now doesn’t mean I have always.”

Mercy chuckles lightly in a way that could be condescending if Kuro thinks too much about it. He chooses to do exactly not that. 

When they stand up some moments later, where the front lawn of the church had been plush with snow, unmarred save for the frolicking hoof prints of Shibani’s cloven paws, there is now erected an ice prison. It is small, bun sized, with bars just close enough together to keep the bun in question from turning and slipping through them. Mercy is glowing - not only from the redness in their skin from the cold, and Kuro can’t help but feel proud himself of the accomplishment. He feels doubly proud when Shibani inside lifts his head up from his snowy bed, blinking his bunny eyes with confusion at the bars surrounding him.

Shibani turns in a slow circle, reaching a hand-paw out to run it along the bars, twisting himself up in his ears the more rotations he makes around himself. Finally, he looks up from the ground at the two dolls standing above him, one with arms crossed and one with hands folded. Shibani smiles at the duo. “You made me an igloo… Thank you…” With a small yawn, Shibani flops back over into the snow, ear pillowed under his head, and snores.

Kuro clenches his fist. “He thinks… He thinks we were playing with him!”

Mercy giggles again, a soft airiness to their voice. “I am afraid to inform you, once again, Father since you seem so keen to do your best to ignore the words that leave my mouth, that you were playing.”

“I… This isn’t play! This is punishment! You instructed me to pick a punishment for him and I did as I was told. Sister Mercy stop walking away from me!”