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[h3][color=#6DB224]Gabriel Aeckard[/color][/h3]
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/uJc1t1Ym.jpg[/IMG]
[b][u]Location:[/u][/b] In the Forest
[b][u]Interacting With:[/u][/b] Anomala, the Dwarf Ash Dryad
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Exiting the barrier was something Mala felt more than Gabriel. It barely garnered a reaction out of the demigod, but to the wood nymph it was something similar to walking through a cold breeze (on an already cool day, no less). She couldn't help but shudder as the two crossed the magical threshold. 

“Ugh, I'll probably never get used to that…” She muttered with another shiver. Immediately upon exiting, Gabe could look on as her features began reverting to their natural states. The brown of her skin flushed to a shade of green that would be considered sickly to the uninformed. Her hair changed from the its sun-touched auburn to a slick, darkened verdant. Her round, human-like ears stretched out, pointing into a more mythical, elvish display. 

“Ahh, much better.” She sighed and stretched. Gabe couldn't help but smirk at her comment. [color=#6DB224]“Hm. I agree.”[/color] He nodded, the two traversing further the thicker treelines. [color=#6DB224]“I think my element’s more out here than at the nursery.”[/color] He slowly admitted. Mala shrugged a bit. “Oh yeah, you [i]are[/i] the awkward, loner type aren't ya? I almost forgot.” She joked, the sarcasm dripping from her words. “Still, I'd imagine you'd like it more in [i]these[/i] forests than the ones in New York, yeah?” As she talked, Gabriel approached the thick trunk of an impressive Fir. [color=#6DB224]“Well yeah. Haven't been attacked since I've been here.”[/color] He hadn't seen hair nor feather of any of the sort of monsters he'd encounter daily in New York. It was a little out of the ordinary for him, but he wasn't complaining. 

[color=#6DB224]“Hey there, Elder.”[/color] Gabe muttered a greeting, placing a careful hand to its bark. With a simple gesture against the wood, there were some branches up in the canopy that seemed to melt and morph at his command. A strong vine formed from the branches, and quickly began slithering down to the surface.[color=#6DB224] “I wonder where your nymph is…”[/color] He pondered, as the vine slinked down, the excess coiling at his feet. “You say that to every tree.” Mala piped up. He thought his suspicions were within reason, though. 

[color=#6DB224]“Can you blame me?”[/color] He quietly compared the situation to the one in Central Park. There was a whole colony he lived amongst there. It was argued to be one living dryad for every available tree in that tiny park. Granted, some started dying as he grew with age, and the attacks against him intensified. In comparison to that, he's only really met Mala in this state. As Gabe thought, he and the wood nymph took hold of the vine. 

[color=#6DB224]“Hang on.”[/color] Gabe warned calmly. “I know, I know.” Mala quickly shot back, getting a grip around his waist for extra security. [color=#6DB224]“Going up-”[/color] With two quick tugs, the vine quickly retracted into the treetops, sturdy enough to bring the two with it. When it slowed, Gabe and Mala were able to sit upon one of the tree’s thicker branches. The dryad had to rest against the thick foundation of the Fir, taking a chance to catch her breath. “Geez. It beats climbing, that's for sure. But [i]still[/i]...” Mala groaned, seating herself on the supportive branch. [color=#6DB224]“Heh. Yeah, it took me a few tries to adjust to it. Now it's like second nature to me.”[/color] Gabe replied, feet dangling as he sat beside her. 

Once he achieved his ideal amount of comfort, he procured the burrito stashed away in one of his inner jacket pockets, still warm. Wrapped in glinting silver foil, and prepared just the way he liked, Gabe gave a silent thanks before beginning to dig in. “Hey,” Mala nudged him, interrupting the late breakfast. “Lemme see ‘er.” She asked. Gabe had to put his food aside for the moment, to reach into his backpack. Carefully, he reached for his potted sapling, and handed the young plant to the wood nymph. To which Mala began to coddle like an aunt seeing her newborn niece for the first time. 

“She's gonna get too big for your bag, soon.” Mala mentioned, playing with the plants leaves. Gabe shrugged, going back to his breakfast. “Must've been a lot of trust on Willow’s behalf, for her to give you this sapling.” She began to smirk. “Are you ready to take the full responsibility of raising a child?” She talked of the wood nymph that would surely be born from the sapling’s roots. [color=#6DB224]“Probably wouldn't of took the sapling if I wasn't.”[/color] Gabe simply replied, mouth full of food. [color=#6DB224]“That wouldn't be anytime soon, either way.”[/color] Even then, he never stopped to think of the future dryad as a daughter. But rather, as a younger sister who would no doubt outlive him for years to come.