` ` New Ithaca ` `

"This is insane."

Gabriel glances up from the sand, eyes locking onto the- frankly rather shocked look Achilles is wearing. Despite what he is sure the answer is, he feels the need to ask, "The good kind, or-"

"Yes." Achilles answers so quickly he interrupts. He's practically buzzing now, Gabriel can see. "Fuck- yes, yes it's the good insane, Gabe."

Gabriel can see why.

Beneath his black shoes, grains of sand begin to ease into something harder, something more solid to stand on: rows of stone, streets like the ones in July, spread along the town, holding up the community. Though... it feels wrong to call it a simple town: this place feels more like a city, despite being decently smaller than that of this planet's Capital.

Buildings unlike ones Gabriel has grown accustomed to line the streets, rectangular and blocky with splashes of blue against the stone. How beautiful... Instinct has him already scribbling as he walks, not needing to look down at the worn notebook in his hands as he begins jotting down observations.

Briefly, his shoulder brushes past a column. Where on this planet did they achieve the resources for this...? It's intricate, as is the rest of the setting, but where did they gather this material? Did they dig? Did a Plant produce this?

His hand splays against the worn surface for a moment, his glove grazing the rough texture.

And another settles beside it.

"Look at this." Comes Achilles' breathless voice. There is a level of unrestrained awe to his voice that is a rarity to Gabriel: he has not seen this side of his beloved very often at all.

Achilles fingers curl, as if trying to grab a chunk of the stone. His calluses scrape against its surface.

He mutters something else then, something that is foreign to Gabriel's ears, as most of Achilles' language is- but it shares that same tone, telling Gabriel that it's some form of compliment. He smiles lightly at the sound of it.

"What is it?"

"It's," Achilles pauses, brow slightly twitching as he tries to think of an equivalent in English. Whatever the thought was though, it's thrown away as Achilles suddenly jerks towards Gabriel, a smile tugging his lips. "They- Gods, they'd know what I'm saying here."

"Mm?" Gabriel blinks.

Achilles' smile just widens. "They'll know what I'm saying."

That seems to be all Gabriel is going to be able to get out of the man: Achilles is already darting off, a giddiness to his movements that keeps Gabriel from even being aggravated by it. The man's energy is near infectious, dragging Gabriel along into the childlike wonder he exudes over every little thing. Really, it is far too endearing of a look to bring anything but the same from the blond; it is rare he sees this much blatant enthusiasm from Achilles, especially recently. It's... nice. Very nice.

He hasn't been able to see this much light from Achilles in a while.

The third time Achilles tugs him along to stare at a new outfit or a new building, Gabriel feels a weight settle on his shoulder from another, thinner hand. His eyes follow the aged lines of it up an arm, to-

"Is he always like this?"

Dawn blinks at him in a slow, slightly unnerving way- but dripping with all the sweetness she has. Gabriel feels himself shake his head in fondness.

"Ah... Sometimes. He gets excited easily." Gabriel stares after the way Achilles runs to another person. His eyes are alight, hands wringing together into excited fists- Gabriel can hear his voice from here. He feels himself tense a little in awkwardness, an embarrassed smile tugging at his lips. "He is not usually quite this enthusiastic."

Dawn simply giggles. "Well, then I'm glad he's having fun."

Bless Dawn, she is always happy for him. A flash of fear from someone up ahead is probably their sign to go get Achilles though- Gabriel shoves his notebook back into the inside pocket of his coat, scurrying up ahead; Dawn likes to walk around on her own anyways.

"Gabe!" Achilles voice greets him- intense and loud in a way it isn't often. It makes Gabriel shrink back a smidge- but just a smidge.

"Achilles." He simply replies. The man Achilles had been talking to glance between the two of them with a raised brow- before apparently he finds the answer he is looking for, shoulders settling. "What are you, ah... What are the two of you speaking about-"

"Where he got this fabric." Achilles cannot help but interrupt again, voice just as loud as before. He towers over the poor man he speaks with, fists clenched and brows furrowed in the way they always do when he is excited-

Making him look rather fierce.

Gabriel watches the way the stranger's throat bobs.

"I got it from around here...?" He says carefully, like he was afraid Achilles would threaten him more depending on the answer. "I mean- We have stores and stuff around here, like any other town."

A step closer from Achilles has the man stumbling a bit.

"What kind though? I assume linen- and gods, this looks like a chlamys. It's a chlamys, right? It looks just like I remember-"

Gabriel catches sight of Achilles' hand reaching forward- and he gently takes it in his own, assuming this stranger would probably not like Achilles touching his cloak. He can feel the man's nails digging into the flesh of his palm, a buzz to his skin that keeps Gabriel from being anything other than endeared.