Cora is dumb and Monroe is shady what's new

“Alright, you're absolutely fucking useless with any kind of lockpick. Got it.” Jackal crossed her arms and sighed at the blue haired bun in front of her. “Can't manage with a good one, a bobby pin, credit card… Fuck it, I guess I'm stuck doing it.” She nabbed the pick away from Cora and paced, rethinking her previously formulated plans of having Cora pick the lock while she distracted anyone that came through by feigning sudden interest in the church of sulfur. She paused suddenly and turned back to look at him. “How often do you visit the church?”

Cora hummed, rocking a bit on his hooves, stopping to answer in his usual chipper voice. “Oh I go in every once and a while I suppose… Mostly just for confessions.” He smiled “innocently”. “Have to get the weight of laughing at all of those poor buns that struggle in the escape rooms after all. Nothing more.” He giggled softly as Jackal grimaced at the thought of what she knew he likely really got up to during those visits, shaking her head. 

“Yeah, yeah, ok… So you don't attend mass, yea? You can strike up a conversation about the church and demons and shit like that if someone from the church catches us, and I'll pick the lock to Mercy's office. Got it?”

Cora nodded eagerly, honestly just curious to see what they'd find while hunting for the feather she'd been neglecting to return to him. “Maybe we should have brought it to Oleander instead..”

Jackal, without skipping a beat, replied in a completely deadpan tone, “Why? So you could suck and fuck the information out of him?” 

Cora returned his own immediate chirpy reply, a wide smile on his face, “Of course!”

“Ugh…” Jackal rolled her eyes and shook her head, dragging Cora out of her apartment and towards the church. 

Upon arrival she slipped in with Cora close behind, sending him to inform Oleander that they thought Mercy could use a “confession” to wind down from some stress. Once he'd agreed and called for them, they walked through the church halls, locating Mercy's office. “Ok, you stand at the start of the ball while I pick the lock. If anyone comes this way you do everything in your power to keep them distracted, ok?” When she received a nod she waved him off down the hallway and pulled her lockpick from her pocket, setting to work quickly. 

Cora marched his way down the hallway, standing at attention just around the corner. He'd hoped it would be simple and smooth, after all Jackal was borderline an expert at lockpicking, no way it would take long enough for someone to come around– was that the sound of footsteps?? Cora squeaked as Father Monroe stepped around the corner, seemingly hiding something behind his back. “Hello, father!!” Cora mentally bonked himself for exclaiming so loud, obviously getting his attention very quickly. 

Monroe jumped a little, seeming anxious. “Oh… ah… Hello.” He sighed, feeling obligated to speak to someone who wasn't commonly in the church. “Is there something I could do for you? If you're looking for a confession, that's absolutely not my role.”

Cora thought quickly, bouncing back and forth from one hoove to the other. “No, no, nothing like that, I wanted to learn more about the church.”

“Oh..” Monroe hummed softly to himself. “I suppose I could take a moment…” Monroe rattled off a spiel he'd clearly memorized for if he was stuck in a situation such as this, a slightly bored tone to his voice, once he was done he took a deep breath and exhaled. “Any questions?”

Cora peeked around the corner, and upon seeing Jackal leaning against the wall waiting for him, looked back at Monroe. “Nope!”

Monroe squinted and hummed in mild suspicion, looking around the corner. “What are you doing here??” He stepped around and walked over to Jackal, arms crossed over his chest. 

Jackal shrugged. “Mercy owes me money?”

Monroe squinted again. “You're up to something. But…” He glanced up and down the hallway. “So am I. You stay silent, I stay silent, understood?”

“I'm nothing if not a snitch.” Jackal gave him a little loose salute and waved him off, watching him slip into a door further down the hallway that was clearly labeled as Oleander's office. “Oh yea, that's the one obsessed with the demon propaganda hurling perv…” She shook her head. “Ugh.. Anyway, it's open. Cmon.”

Cora nodded, puffing up his chest, time to see what Mercy was hiding…