"...Priest asks, Do you pray? and the Vampire goes, yeah, I just spell it different."

Allen was in fact sitting at the bar with a priest. It was going surprisingly well if he did say so himself. He'd told the priest, Fr. Michael Rodriquez, that he was looking to start a podcast about the murders, but wanted to do some research first. The priest, Mike, he insisted Allen call him or Fr. Mike if he had to, had promptly led them down the street at a brisk clip. They soon found an open air bar barely bigger than the sidewalk it was in front of. The weird thing about all of it was, how agreeable Fr, Mike had become once Allen used his skill on him. It made Allen feel little sleazy if he was being honest, a bit like a bad salesman.

After using the Skill a number of times, Allen got the feeling, a dullness right behind the eyes. It felt like an absence of something, mixed with a half-remembered memory but painfully absent. It hurt, but not in a way Allen was completely used to. So he asked Guide. It was nice how he could literally ask guide in the middle of having a conversation with someone and they would simply pause while talking to the entity. Weird, but nice.

"Guide, why am I feeling like I forgot to turn the oven off but it hurts?"

"Uhh, Allen, Myles, the feeling you are currently expressing is known as energy depletion. You have depleted one of your morality energy banks. specifically, the Inquisitive Morality."

"Right, does that fill back up on its own?"

"Rates of repowering the energy within banks is dependent on a vast number of qualifiers. Please see journal for specifics."

"Nevermind. Guide didn't you say I could use this skill as many times as i'd like while in the tutorial?"

"Correct, while your Inquisitive Morality Energy Bank is currently depleted, you can still use the skill as often as you'd like, please not however that the physiological effects of using this bank will remain."

"Right, so this is what it feels like when I'm outta talky talk mana. got it."

Allen checked his journal. He really liked having the moleskin back and it was nice to be able to take notes. He looked at the character page again and was interested to see a number of different colored bars just below his stats. Health, Stamina, and Morality. Under the Morality he had a bar for his Inquisitive Morality, a bar for his Protective Morality and a bar that was hilariously blurred out that said Seditious Morality next to it. Prudes. Next to the Inquisitive Morality was a red orange sliver the color of a sunset. As he watched, the sliver slowly pumped up slowly in a heartbeat rhythm.

As long as he focused on the journal, fr. Mike just sat there quietly, as soon as he focused on the priest, he'd start talking again, picking up right where he'd left off. It was so strange having reality literally directed by his focus, but there it was. He focused back on the journal and looked at the slowly refilling bar and thought about his Skill. As soon as he'd felt the drain, he'd seen what looked like tiny strands of light connect between him and the priest. They were no thicker than a few stray hairs, and bobbed and bent between them like a tiny solar flare that hadn't dispersed.

As he settled in and got to know the priest, Allen noted the light connecting them only getting thicker. The small thin whisps of reddish orange slowly built up to be a bit distracting if Allen was being honest. They seemed to connect not just between Allen and Fr. Mike. But anyone Allen had used his skill on. He still felt a tiny tendril connecting him to the first man he'd asked. It didn't tell him anything about that man besides a vague feeling of paranoia and a general direction of where he was.

"I take it these strands of around me and Fr. Mike are important?"

"Uhh, Allen, Myles, the energy you are seeing is known as Rapport. It is an information based energy source that allows the User to ask more invasive and inquisitive questions as well as convince others of a myriad of options. You currently do not possess any Skills that utilize Rapport."

"Got it, so what, the more whisps or thicker whisps, the more likely I can power my ultimate Con technique?"

"The energies you see are a physical manifestation of the societal connection linking you to any other sentience. The Charisma stat is the main multiplier of this energy. Note that unlike other types of energy, Rapport can be used by either party to influence the other. Again, the ability to resist or impose this influence and utilize the Rapport energy is strictly tied to your Charisma stat. Rapport energy can be utilized by a number of active and passive skills however, unlike Morality Energy banks that are with you and replenished over time, Rapport energy can usually only be used by the two entities that are tied together. Further information pertaining to Rapport Energy is restricted due to your lack of Charisma Attribute points."

Allen inwardly sighed as he looked back at the priest, as he again started talking about one of his parishioners Beth or Barry or something. He'd quickly discovered that he could in fact get drunk in this coma fever dream. Or at least tipsy, it honestly helped more than Allen liked to admit. Most priests were a bit awkward in Allen's opinion. Fr. Mike wasn't a bad guy necessarily. He just had no compunctions about guilt tripping someone into doing what he believed was the right thing. As he had already tried this twice with Allen, he had no compunctions about liberally using his skill on the man. Basically doing the same thing back.

"Well Father, that interesting, really and I can tell you really care very deeply for these people. But it also sounds like you feel like there's a burden there you have to carry. Did you ever feel like Mary Times was a burden? you said she was one of your parishioners too right?"

Allen had already asked one Skill question to Fr. Mike, asking if he had any info about the murders. That had gotten Allen here to the bar. Now he was simply utilizing the Tutorial cheat mode, as he used the skill again. This time to ask about Mary Times specifically. Again the hollow feeling behind his eyes hit, this time worse than before, it was intense and Allen had to focus on the priest to hear his answer.

"As I said, she was a parishioner of mine from way back, the whole Times family was, er, is. I've known her since she was a child, baptized her for Christ sake. She was a good one, volunteered at the food kitchen, showed up to pantry drives, walked some of the other parishioners home if they needed help. She wasn't loud or boisterous, just, quiet. Consistent, you know? Really doesn't make any sense. She never had enemies that I ever heard of. Best guess? Wrong place, wrong time. The night she died she'd been in church. She helped Barbara Northton home that night. Barbara lives on her way home so she helps her out pretty regularly. You might check with her, hold on lemme get her address." Allen flipped to the Assignment section of his Journal as the priest pulled out his phone. The information quickly added itself under the Assignment Wrought of Iron and Bone. He noted that there was now additional objectives along with the first

Wrought of Iron and Bone Discover who's been murdering the residents of the French Quarter. Time limit: Hidden. Rewards: Hidden.

Objective 1.) investigate the sight of the first murder.

~

Objective 5.) investigate the victims known contacts.

~

Victim 4 - Mary Times Contacts...

The contacts went on as anyone who the priest mentioned was added. It was little more than a list of names that displayed vague descriptions when Allen focused on them. The same was true as he focused on the victim. He got a vague sense of who Mary Times was, according to the priest. He'd used his skill on him so he knew he was telling the truth. Yet it was effected by the Priests own rose colored glasses. There was more description in what the priest didn't talk about, occupation, boyfriend, vices, that sort of stuff. There was no reason he couldn't ask the priest about these and he did, or at least tried to. Allen became distinctly aware that when he tried to ask questions to the priest without his skill, Fr. Mike would instantly become evasive and noncommittal "Nope, don't know about any boyfriends or anything like that. Never brought 'em to church so..." The priest had trailed off.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Allen tried to redirect the priest asking about her family "Well now, if it'd been her brother, or her dad, huh, yeah that woulda made some sense. Lots of folk in the quarter want a crack at 'em. Anger issues, ya know? Anyway, yeah damndest thing really, and those bite marks. Like I said, I don't believe in vampires, obviously, but maybe, I dunno, maybe somebody had a kink or something you know? Always been popular round here, vampires I mean, although kinks too now that I think about it. hmmm, Ann, Ann something or another, what's her name?"

"Huh, yeah. Rice. So you think somebody got to her, to get to her brother or father?" He tried using his skill again, again feeling the drain and the painful Deja vu. This time he noticed something else, diminishing returns. The skill had worked he'd seen the tendrils of energy swell once again between the two of them and felt the intense drain, but the priest was more able to shrug off the question and intentionally diverting the conversation.

"Na, between the two of 'em they piss off half the people they come in contact with. But nothing like that. Like I said, wrong place, wrong time. Anyway. Listen, I've gotta get goin, 5 o'clock mass ya know? But do me a favor, come by tonight for the candle light vigil, Mr. Times and his son'll be there, and there's a few other people I think'd talk to ya."

"I'll be there if I can." Allen said. Fr. Mike smiled a bit, in a sad and slightly tipsy way, as he squinted at the sun.

"Ya know, Christianity's the only religion god dies at the end." he said quietly.

"huh?"

"Christianity, ya know" and he thumbed under his white Dog Collar, "at the end, Jesus dies. no other religion in the world has a god who dies at the end of their stories."

"Well, but Jesus is resurrected, right?"

"Ahh, and that's the point we always talk about too. Jesus is resurrected and defeat's Satan and becomes master of death and all that. But that all hinges on the idea that Jesus did in fact come back from the dead, and that, that requires faith. Faith is what makes the whole story uplifting that's for sure, but it doesn't change the fact that Jesus dies. And the rest?" The priest paused dramatically and drained his the last of his beer before saying, "faith."

And without another he walked away. Allen had to admit, for a priest it was a pretty cool last word, or maybe soliloquy. Either way it didn't really help Allen much, but still, pretty cool exit. Allen sat back sipping his own beer as he reread his Journal. The idea of Morality energy was curious to him and he wondered how many different kinds of Morality there were. How were they categorized? He assumed there had to be a set limit of sorts I mean there really were only so many types of motivation. He knew if he asked Guide he'd likely get some pedantic over explanation that didn't actually explain anything.

Looking at his own Moralities he was still confused about Protective Morality. In some ways it was perfectly logical, the morality of protecting and protecting others, but it felt somehow flimsy. Like a concept that was based on a deeper concept Allen couldn't really wrap his head around. Inquisitive Morality made sense. It was an ingrained concept for Allen, who'd always been very curious about the world. Even as a child he'd asked too many questions and twisted logic into too many loops.

But protection? Who would he protect? Mia and Sylvia of course. Even if she was his ex-wife he still loved her very much. but again, How would he protect them? And from what? Protecting someone from the flu and a punch are vastly different, and they both rely on something deeper, more innate. Suddenly, something happened, like a haptic running through Allen's entire body, he was instantly directed to a new page

Congratulations!

Protective Morality can now be Clarified to Definitive Morality. Would you like to proceed with this Clarification? please note all bonus' pertaining to Protective Morality will be lost. All Skills pertaining to Protective Morality will be lost. All Energy banked will be lost. This action cannot be undone.

Yes / No

Allen reread the message before focusing on Definitive Morality. He didn't get a specific description but more a feeling. It felt sturdy, as if the concept itself was somehow more stable. Allen took a breath and selected Yes. Instantly the page disappeared and another page popped up This one quite a bit longer.

Congratulations!

You have Successfully Clarified Protective Morality to Definitive Morality. Protective Morality Energy Bank lost. Additional Constitution bonus lost.

Definitive Morality - Gain an energy bank that grows as you define the reality around you. Gain additional perception and intelligence with each level.

You have successfully gained two synergistic Moralities. Definitive Morality and Inquisitive morality can now be combined. Would you like to merge these moralities? Please note Combining synergistic Moralities will not result in a loss of bonus' or skills. However the implementation, utilization and repowering may be effected.

Yes / No

Allen wasn't sure what to think, so he asked Guide,

"Guide, wha-"

"Uhh, Allen, Myles, the Merging of moralities is a vast field of study that rarely has the same results. Even when two people merge the same Moralities, different outcomes almost always occur. As a result I cannot predict what the outcome of your merger will be. I can however tell you that Merging Moralities usually results in a morality that is much better tailored to that individual. Also, due to your previous insights into the your Protective Morality, we can likely assume this will be the case with you as well."

"Does that mean it'll be an upgrade?"

"Only in the sense that your Morality will be more in line with you."

"okay, whatever that means. alright well, lets do it I guess." Allen focused on the Yes and instantly he felt something shift inside of him. The hollow place behind his eyes snaked its way through his head, twisting around his spine as it moved down his body. At the same time a tiny ball of force somewhere in his stomach slowly snaked its way up. The feeling in his stomach was very different, opposite in fact. Where the feeling behind his eyes was a hollowness mixed with a feeling of forgetting something, the feeling in his stomach felt like weight incarnate. It was mixed with a the uncomfortable feeling of being unable to move or moving too slow. Like being in quicksand in a dream. It felt like a small iron ball, exerting its force in equal measure all around it. a thick tendril of dull weight extended up his stomach and back towards the feeling coming down. The two tendrils met somewhere near his heart and began wrapping around one another and tangling. That was about all Allen could feel. He knew something was happening but his understanding was utterly lacking. It was a level of pain somehow insubstantial and yet utterly real. And it only got worse and worse. Before long he started to shake, and sweat. The Energies within him were twisting and knotting themselves up and as they did it felt like his internal organs merrily twisted along. At some point he'd had to close his eyes as he felt like he was going to be sick with the sensations coursing through his body.

"How long is this going to take?" Allen asked between gritted teeth.

"As long as it takes." Guide replied curtly. Then the pain really started. There was a hard yank somewhere right behind his solar plexus and Allen couldn't help but cough up his beer and blood.

Allen didn't know how much time had past. Not until he opened his Journal that is. It had been almost 8 hours. Allen's body had finally stopped twisting in agony. It had all stopped in a crescendo of pain. In a moment of utter agony that was both physical and mental, the energies within Allen finally merged. Like a chemical reaction reaching a tipping point, the tendrils of energy twisting and wrapping around each other suddenly merged. the two feelings flowing into a sphere of sorts within Allen's chest. He felt the two Moralities feeding into the sphere at opposite ends. Again there was much more going on yet Allen lacked the ability to discern it. Finally Allen opened his eyes again. The bar patrons had completely ignored him for the past 8 hours, conspicuously so. At some point he'd spilled his beer and no one had even cleaned it up. Allen looked at his Journal and checked the notification.

Congratulations, you've successfully merged the two synergistic Moralities, Definitive Morality and Inquisitive Morality. These two Moralities will remain separate yet ever influenced by the other. Questions cannot be asked if all is defined. Definition cannot be understood if all is questioned. Yet both are required to have the other. Due to this duality, whenever one of the morality banks is repowered, the other is repowered by half that amount. Whenever a skill utilizes one bank, the other bank with be repowered by half that amount.

Congratulations, You've successfully created a new Morality, Coda Morality.

Coda Morality - Gain an energy bank based on the effort between a question asked and an answer received. Gain additional Perception, Charisma, Intelligence and Constitution at each threshold.

Allen checked his the Moralities section of his Journal once more,

The bars mostly looked the same the Definitive Morality was bluish green and the Inquisitive Morality an red orange color. Next to their bars was a slowly spinning circle of both of their colors merging and spinning around each other. below that was the Coda Morality bar, which looked like a weird swirl of both colors. Without much more info, Allen had to sigh and close the Journal. He figured it'd make sense to him as he went.

Damp and smelling of beer, Allen got up and looked around. Guide was still standing slightly behind him. He'd probably not moved a millimeter in the past 8 hours.

"Come on Guide, We're gonna be late for the candlelight vigil."