She stood before the both of them, resting on their knees, like students awaiting their teacher's punishment. They were in the lobby of the mansion and the windows showed a bright day with thick snow.
Tina braced herself for the consequences and flinched when Elizabeth brought her hand closer.
She rested it on her shoulder and patted it.
Scratch Scratch
“I'm not fond of the fact you lied to me, but good job keeping him in your sight. Without you, who knows what sort of trouble he may have gotten himself into.”
Scraaaatcch
She breathed a sigh of relief and fell backwards to the floor.
“We don't have the time to be wasting effort on something like this.”
“R-really?” Agnes asked. “Um, isn't getting rid of shady people like that important?”
She reached for Agnes’s hand and pulled her up.
Scra-scra-scra-scratch
“It would be, but something that trivial isn't worth our time currently nor our attention. Especially if it involves a foe that is as adept as him. If he has an infatuation with rabbits and rabbits alone, let him. Unless, you believe he was,” She silently mouthed the next part. “One of you.”
She shook her head and formed an x with her hands.
Scratch
“S-sorry but I don't know of anyone like that. An elf would be talked about a lot if he was in the parish and I didn't hear about anyone like that.” She whispered to Elizabeth.
Tina looked at Agnes with a glare, their secrecy annoying her somewhat.
“If you want to be in the conversation, don't lie to me next time.” She responded. “But I do commend you, Tina. Please ensure that Tibaut stays here while I'm gone. I won't have him risking his health over nonsense like this.” She said with a hand resting on her forehead. How did this boy manage to find trouble in the most innocuous places? She was convinced that if she left him in a basic box, he'd find himself with three new enemies wanting to claim the box for themselves.
“Now, I don't mean to demean you when I say this, but is the presence of those rabbits outside your work? I've heard you're quite fond of those animals.”
“W-wha? I didn't bring any back.” Agnes answered.
“Huh? Are you allergic to them, Liz?” Tina asked.
“Did you two not hear the scratching at the door?”
Scratch
Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch
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Both slowly walked up to the door and heard the sound of scratching grow louder with each step.
“There were so many gathered at the doors, I had to enter my own residence through a window not to stamp any. It's bloody ridiculous.”
Given what Agnes said, she had no problem kicking them away like the vermin they were but the amount at the door far exceeded her expectations when she opened it.
“Dear Gabriel, where have they come from?”
It wasn't the snow that was making the ground white, it was all rabbits. They rushed past Elizabeth who felt overwhelmed at the sight.
(“This is… I only wanted to kick a few out, but with this many, I'm not sure I can restrain my strength. The blood alone would be an awful mess to clean.”)
She grabbed a few and did her best to gently close the door. The other two were just as, if not, more stunned than she was. It was like a warm river of white liquid flowed into the mansion.
“What are you two doing? Help me get rid of them!” She said in a panicked tone. She slowly waded through them to a nearby window and began scooping them up in her arms to throw them out.
Agnes tried to use her magic to stop them but was only somewhat successful. Some had their feet trapped by ice while parts of the floor ended up slippery.
Tina forcefully picked up one, ripping its feet off.
Agnes could only cover her mouth in horror.
“TINA BE MORE CAREFUL WITH THEM!” Elizabeth shouted.
Getting home to clean vast amounts of rabbit blood wasn't on her to-do list.
“My, bad, geez,” Tina answered as she looked around. She tried to throw them outside but ended up smacking them against the wall, with some not taking the impact well.
“Tina, please…” Elizabeth pleaded.
“I'm sorry Elizabeth! But you can't expect to dump them out like you!”
She saw some making their way up the stairs and rushed over, sliding over a patch of ground slick with ice.
And falling ass-first into several rabbits.
A sickening crack and squish was heard and Agnes fell to her knees with tears in her eyes after getting front row viewing of what happened.
“Oh screw this!” Tina shouted.
She unleashed her magic and…
Tina was now in a change of pants and the lobby was filled with dead rabbits. It seemed their close proximity sent the current throughout most of them.
Elizabeth’s eyes were cold but at least there wasn't blood everywhere.
The rabbit urine and faecal matter they evacuated when Tina shocked them was a different story.
“...”
“...”
“...”
The three women could only stand in silence at the scene before them. Agnes and Elizabeth wore the faces of damned men while Tina could only try her best to ignore her handiwork.
“Agnes, do you want to take a bath?” she coldly asked as she looked at the carnage.
Agnes could only nod her head.
She placed her hands on Agnes’s shoulder and walked with her over the many rabbits in the lobby.
“Please clean up, Tina.” There was no emotion. She wasn't mad, nor was she sad. She didn't blame her for her actions nor did she try to lighten the mood.
She simply didn't want to be here anymore.
“You got it Elizabeth…” Tina answered. “Keep… the water… warm for me.” Even Tina seemed like she had lost a part of herself from this.