#orlaithrose

[walledupward]

when: 7 july 2024 where: obsidian city who: @orlaithrose

Tristan had always been good at compartmentalizing different aspects of his life and keeping them all separate. His family had one box, his friends another, romantic relationships had one and then there was even work. For the most part, Tristan kept these boxes from mingling. He had no idea if it was purposeful. It had just always worked out that way. Now, though, it seemed his family and romantic relationships were about to coincide. That made him more nervous than any of the steps forward he and Orlaith had taken. 

“Last chance to turn around,” said Tristan. He stood at his father’s front door staring at the peeling paint on it.

[walledupward]

when: 21 july 2024 where: city hall, obsidian city who: @orlaithrose

Tristan had just finished tying the bowtie. He was looking in the mirror, trying to figure out if he ought to try again or if it was sufficient. Yes, he had just pulled up a tutorial on YouTube to do it. He had made no attempt to practice prior to today and he was realizing it might have been a bit harder than he thought it might be. He had assumed it would be like tying his shoes, but it turned out it was trickier. Honestly, the hardest part about the whole bowtie endeavor were the last few steps. 

He turned to face Orlaith. “What do you think?” he asked. Tristan had on the full ensemble. He had the shirt, the slacks, the blazer, the shoes, the bowtie and even had figured out what cufflinks were and had a pocket square. He had gone for a traditional black tuxedo with a white shirt dress underneath. Even if their wedding wasn’t going to be traditional, he had decided he could look the part, right down to his hair and beard being trimmed neatly by a barber to boot. “Is it straight or do I need to redo it?” he asked.

[walledupward]

when: 30 june 2024 where: outside orlaith and tristan's apartment who: @orlaithrose

Tristan was finding that the problem with having money was that now he realized he was privy to being able to impulse buy anything he might have come across that he wanted. When he didn’t have money, it wasn’t a problem. Tristan was already impulsive, allowing his whims to drive him when they happened to strike. Thankfully, he desired little and saved a lot, the only instance of operating on his whims was the camera he now carried with him everywhere. However, now he found instance number two. 

Now that Tristan had a license (illegal as it may be, but because he had now been drafted to transport ethereum from the mines to warehouses that would refine it, they had secured him a license), he couldn’t help it. Tristan did a lot of stupid things, but this might be one of the top five.

He had texted Orlaith to come outside as he placed his helmet on the handlebars of his new motorcycle. Yes, a motorcycle. Alright, so this might actually be in the top two stupid things. Exorbitant, unnecessary, needless, and dangerous. Okay, it might just be the stupidest thing he’d ever done.

[walledupward]

when: 30 march 2023 where: treaty towers who: @orlaithrose​

Thirty-three. Tristan was rather amazed most days he’d managed to live so long. He could have sworn that he wouldn’t have made it so long. He’d have bet good money he’d have been killed by now for pissing off the wrong person. Yet, in a cruel twist of fate, it turned out to be his younger brother who would never make it out of his twenties. If karma did exist, surely it would have been him that had ended up dead and not his brother. Karma, though, was a lie. 

Tristan decided there was no point in wasting a day on dwelling on any of that. When the anniversary of his brother’s came along in another three months, then he could plunge back down that alley in his mind. Instead, he made a decision and he climbed through his window and used the fire escape to get to Orlaith’s apartment. He peered through the window, knocking on it as he spotted her inside, gesturing for her to open up. 

Once she had done so, he didn’t wait for her to say anything, instead getting straight to the point. “You know that place in Bloodhearth you mentioned? That you said was really good? I wanna go. So, come on.” 

[walledupward]

when: 23 september 2023 where: their apartment, obsidian city who: @orlaithrose

It was one of those days, now that they had settled in, that their schedules seemed to overlap so they were both around.

Orlaith had been going on about, well, something. Tristan was big enough to admit he had kind of tuned out when he realized it wasn't really important and he had lost interest. He could pay attention to the major things, but sometimes when she went off on some sort of tangent or another, it was easier to just half tune in.

As he played with the settings on his camera, he took several pictures of her while she spoke. They both stood in the kitchen. "I just want you to know this is what you look like from my perspective," he said as he turned the camera towards her so that she'd be able to see the image he had taken of her in that moment.

[walledupward]

where: helloween masquerade when: 31 october 2022 who: @orlaithrose​

Tristan wasn’t one for anything formal. Aside from the fact that he hardly owned the wardrobe, he never felt like he could fit in at anything that was clearly all about showing off money. However, it turned out that Tristan had been persuaded, in part, by his roommate who had essentially picked out his outfit, renting it and the idea that, at least, given the rich loved to pay for the best, the drinks and food were bound to be top notch. 

Whatever Tristan might have expected, it still was not at all what the party was turning out to be. After taking his ethereum drink, he was granted entrance and it was far bigger and more extravagant than he could have possibly dreamed up. It was an entirely different world. Tristan had argued with Jescaiah that this dumb outfit was too much. It was over-the-top and they’d both look out of place. He was proven wrong almost instantly. Everyone had gone above and beyond. In fact, it was those had gone in a more understated route that stood out amongst the big dresses, and over accessorized looks. 

It was only after he spent some time figuring out the lay of the land and grabbing every drink that crossed his path, he found himself next to someone who had gone particularly over-the-top with her winged mask and wings that seeming sprouted from her back. “You supposed to be a bird or butterfly or something?” 

[walledupward]

when: 16 october 2022 where: treaty towers who: @orlaithrose​

The problem with working at a mine where your employers were definitely part of the criminal element was that when injuries occurred on site it was simply shrugged off. And then of course the hospital was never an option because of all the questions that were asked and that Tristan didn’t want to answer. Of course, that was the whole point of the relationship he and Orlaith had long ago established, but it still wasn’t fun as he stood on her doorstep, his smashed hand wrapped in a blood cloth while his good hand knocked on her door. 

In fact, as he waited, he ran a hand through his hair and realized that when he had fallen (after his hand had been struck by another worker’s stray sledge hammer), he had also hit his head hard enough that he was bleeding. His hand came away stained red. 

“Oh, hey,” he said as her door swung open.

[walledupward]

when: 7.30.22 where: treaty towers rooftop who: @orlaithrose​ availability: closed

There was no other way to describe the past month other than hellish. It was quite literal, the heat probably closer to any concept of hell that might exist than Tristan would have liked. This past week had been particularly hard, because before there had been places of relief on the island. Now, it seemed everyone was at the mercy of the heat. No power even for those with all the money in the world. 

The only sense of relief was being outside at night. Thanks to the island nature of their home, there was a slight breeze that was brought in by the ocean. Tristan found his way to the rooftop. No better time than a blackout to try and hone any semblance of photography skill he was trying to acquire. 

Tristan pushed open the door, making sure to prop it open, camera to his face already as he focused in on the skyline that was up ahead. The fact that the lights were all out, meant the sky was suddenly clearer than ever. Instead, there were flickers in the windows of nearby buildings, clear signs of those who were using candles to light their way through their homes. It might make for a cool effect on camera.