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"Yes.. It was a relief to have them both back. They both seem to have been through a lot. Alex told me all about the things that happened to him. Lafe is a little more private. Two peas in a pod, those two." Algie smiled. Alex and Lafe were at least home often enough that they had redecorated their room. They'd replaced the beds with masses of large cushions. The only thing the same was the old ratty purple stuffed animal that Alex refused to get rid of.

The old wizard listened carefully to Hawk, still watching him intently. His emerald eyes were quite remarkable and despite his intentions, always seemed to pin you.

"He was adept in fighting. The boys all learned from him. I suppose that is something that was natural to him. So deeply ingrained with discipline that his soul retained it." Algie tilted his head a bit.

"Could you tell me the history here?" His glasses had slipped down his nose and his kitten was now asleep, somehow now in the crook of his elbow. "I know about the souls in the stones, trapped by that man." He'd been briefed. "But what about these people, these souls. Who were they? I don't mean their names but.." Were their sides in this confrontation? Was there anything more important about them besides their gifts or occupations?

The stone continued to pulse gently, more positively now that Hawk seemed to be willing assistance to it. Bloodstone was doing increasingly better as the days went on. It was surprising to Algie who'd expected it perhaps to remain in a damaged and wanting state for quite some time. But everyday the stone seemed to feel stronger and it seemed to multiply as time went on. Perhaps this time around Bloodstone would be less of a pushover?

"I'd never thought.." It hadn't occured to Algie that whatever Bloo's past life had been, he may have been a bad guy. "It's clearly a possibility. But with his gentle attitude, I'd just always assumed he was good. But it is not our past that defines us." Algie knew that better than anyone. His demons were something he'd fought his whole life and his reputation had been something he'd only tried to escape. "Only what we make of this current life of ours."

"Which type are you?" Algie tilted his head. Seeing as how his fiend was a stone and Hawk was a true, living, communicative shadow, he would learn all he could. "Do you seek, reject, atone or are you simply ambivalent?"

He allowed Hawk to remain holding the stone but motioned for him to follow further into the house. Algie wanted to find somewhere more comfortable and led them both into the study. He spent most of his time here and it was generally the most often used room of the house, even for the boys. Algie enjoyed going over the books, Wren's and Halo's alike. He'd found a shelf with curiously arranged volumes on religion. After trying to rearrange them, Bloodstone had reacted negatively and taking it as a sign, he'd let them be.

The stone, resting amidst Hawk's energies, seemed very comfortable in this room. Only feet away, there on a shelf acting as a book end, was the jade nightmare beast's statue. It looked like an asian style lion except for the curiously western appearance of the armor it wore.

"Sorry.. I'm getting older so I like to sit." Of course physically he was fine and as a wizard his lifeline was already extended. His 'age' seemed to be more of a state of mind.

"Probably." Algie smiled and chuckled a bit. "Maybe he'll give me a little boost of energy. Wait.." he paused, puzzling, "There's no chance he'll come out female this time around is there?"

He'd hate to just assume Bloo would be male based on previous incarnations, but once more he was rather uninformed about the nature of these incarnations of theirs.

Fizzy, his curious kitten, seemed to have gotten over her initial distrust of Hawk and now traveled from Algie's shoulder, over the arm of his chair, circled Hawk on the floor, before leaping up next to the nightmare figure and staring at the fiend. She was rather intuitive, living with a wizard, and gave the jade figure a brash hissing face before sitting. She wasn't scared. She was showing whatever it was who was boss around here!

"That.." Algie flicked a finger towards the figure. "I believe plagued Bloo's nightmares until he triumphed with our help and we sealed it away. Still not quite sure what it is. Curious looking though, with the mixed eastern and western motif." He'd started to sound scholarly once more but it was something he couldn't help.

"Thank goodness.." Algie looked genuinely relieved. "I've got two grown daughters, a grand daughter, my cat is female and I also live with a hormonal princess of the social circle." He let out a bit of a laugh. "I'll be nice to have some male presence in the house."

The stone actually seemed to respond though it wasn't clear if it's gentle tremble were in reaction to Hawk's insight or Algie's rambles. Despite talking about how old and tired he was, the man seemed rather invigorated by the conversation and hadn't sought his armchair yet. He drifted to the shelves, only a few feet to Hawk's left.

"I'd be interested to know about that particular culture clash." He mused aloud but his location was not an accident. "I know very little of him but I know he is spiritual and he's very attached to these.." These were the religious texts to which Algie could not touch. The stone seemed to react agitated whenever his fingers neared them, especially a small box on the shelf nestled between two battered folios. What Algie didn't know (because he wouldn't touch it, worried for Bloo) was that the box contained some mementos of Halo and Wren, as well as the excerpts with which their children Mael and Otium had entered the world clutching.

"You see.." Just standing there, Hawk would feel the stone react. It wasn't anger but protective defense. Those were things this stone remembered and wanted safe. "Funny how much these material things could mean. But I am glad to know he is strong enough to let me know."

"Oh.." Algie looked genuinely surprised. He hadn't, despite being aware of their previous connection, realized that Bloodstone had cared so much for the children. "I didn't realize."

He shifted away from the shelves just a bit but the stone had calmed as soon as Algie had been informed of what the stone was defending. It was like Bloo wished very badly to be able to communicate, despite it's debilitated state. He behaved very differently from a stone at this stage but his situation was slightly unique.

"I'll just leave things here for him. I won't touch a thing. Promise." He gave the fiend a relieved and friendly smile and held his hand to his chest, one of those 'I swear' motions.

The stone itself still was not very strong but seemed pleased that Hawk was able to relay the little things to Algie. Such as the importance of the children to him. Bloo was accepting of Algie and already on a soul level it felt that they were kindred spirits, no matter how different the method.

Bloo also, without words or movement, was grateful to Hawk.. in his own way, for being there even if it was just for a moment.

"I did know of the teaching. Otium told me that when Wren left Bloodstone continued to teach him.. or try to. Until the stress was too much to bear. He fought it, spiritually, as much as he could." Algie frowned. he hoped only good things for this stone in the future because the past was definitely too much of a heartache to bear sometimes.

The stone simply rested now, in Hawk's palm, giving off nothing except that hum and flutter that made it clear it was alive. Perhaps it had nothing more to impart but it was more likely that in it's recovering state, it was now worn out for the increase of activity no matter how minimal.

"I appreciate your kind words." Algie smiled at the other fiend. "How are you though?" He was confident in the state of Bloodstone for now. Algie couldn't help feel some sort of familial attachment to Hawk and honestly was concerned for the other since Wren had gone. "I hope you don't mind me asking? I feel as if we are family, in some small way."