evergreen | malcolm

[prudence oria weiss]

━ the mirror's telling me to go home ━

june 3rd 2028

FOR A MOMENT, RUE WEISS almost forgot where Malcolm lived. It was odd, remembering such a thing from their moments when the two would fool around, but given everything that had happened - and the memory of it all coming back like a harsh wave, the Weiss believed she owed him an apology. The only thing was, seeing Malcolm in the daytime was like seeing a vampire walk out in sunlight. Virtually and physically impossible. Given Malcolm's job and the countless times her requests to see him while incredibly high of course had been rejected, Rue had no choice but to..wait for an opportunity.

Lucky for the potioneer, that day was today. Though the streets of Hogsmeade were slightly busy, Rue recalled the turnings of the streets and was sure she was standing at the door of the Clark's apartment. She hoped to Merlin he was home, or at least had two minutes just for her to ramble an apology. She didn't know where to start from really. Sorry for being a high embarrassment every time we've seen each other? Or, I'm so sorry for what I did the last time I saw you, that you had to lie just to get me to Mina's and that it took a month or so and a near-death experience from an overdose to come and actually speak to you. Either way, Rue was incredibly nervous.

Knocking as best as she could, Rue rocked on her heels, pushing her hair behind her ears. After coming to terms with her ability, finding strength past the withdrawals and overall looking more healthy..Rue wanted to repair the one...relationship..? that she enjoyed. Whatever the situation-ship was, she enjoyed Mal's company. In and out of the bedroom.

| malcolm calan clark |

hopefully this works!

[malcolm calan clark]

June
Tired was an understatement. Malcolm found himself struggling to find sleep every night. He'd stare at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to take him, and it'd never come. Nothing worked. The usual whiskey, working out, keeping himself busy by cleaning the flat until he couldn't move any longer. Today Mal took an extra day off of work. It was a personal battle in itself because he never called off of work and always made him feel worse missing out on money. 

Mal suspected the time he touched a door in a tomb in Egypt back in May. Where he was exploring old tombs to bring back treasures for the ministry. He couldn't help but feel like a peasant some days in his line of work, seemingly always making Gringotts richer while he barely lived off of scraps. There wasn't a lack of adventure, that was for sure, but Mal had a feeling he should get scanned to see if he was cursed.

A knock at the door sent Mal from the sofa to his feet. He wasn't expecting anyone so he considered not answering the door since he was finally slipping away off to slumber. Rubbing his eyes he opened the door, the daylight blinding him immediately. His head cocked to the side at the sight of Rue, "Rue-" he stated more out of disbelief, pulling the door all the way open. "Hey." he greeted with a half smile, looking her up and down carefully. The last time he saw her she was a mess, she actually looked awake, and well. She looked different without splotches of glitter across her face. Mal's eyebrows raised, slightly confused. "Whats up?" he asked, half expecting her to tell him off since their last encounter they had at Club Indigo Mal tricked Rue to walk herself to Mina's flat while she was on a sick one. Fuck, he just remembered that now.

prudence oria weiss

[prudence oria weiss]

━ the mirror's telling me to go home ━

CLEARING HER THROAT JUST AS the door open, Rue stood with flushed cheeks as a tired Malcolm opened the door. The Weiss had seen Mal in all sorts of clothing, but looking as comfortable as he did, as tired as she did, they were caught just a little off-guarded. "Hey." She greeted back, forcing her best smile while her eyes curiously wandered past him, looking at his apartment. The potioneer had been there countless times before, similarly to how he had visited her own apartment. Watching as Mal's eyebrows furrowed, Rue couldn't help but look down at her feet and up again while her mind chased for the words she wanted to say.

"Do you have..some time to talk?" She asked, one hand raising to rub the other rather nervously. Merlin, she had spoken to Mal plenty of times. What made it different this time? "I mean..I need to apologise..and I wanted to actually be honest with you this time..But um.." Looking away rather distracted, Rue couldn't help the smile that worked her way on her lips while she cocked her head to the side as they looked back at Mal. "You also kinda owe me an apology too."

| malcolm calan clark |

[malcolm calan clark]

June
Malcolm opened the door all the way, leaning against it slightly as he rubbed sleep out of his eyes. Rue looked a bit awkward. He suspected it was because he was encountering her while the sun was still up. She looked great and sober besides the generally being awkward part.

Rue asked if she could come inside to talk and he nodded, "Yeah, come in." he agreed without hesitation, offering her a hug as she passed the door. She stated that she owed him an apology, but he too, owed her an apology. His expression flickered with confusion, head cocking to the side as he tried to remember the last time he saw her. He didn't feel like he needed an apology for anything. "Uh-Why do you owe me an apology?" he asked with a laugh, eyes watching her carefully. But he knew exactly why she expected an apology from him. The last time he saw her at Club Indigo, he tricked a zombie version of Rue to walk over to Mina's house while high as a kite, making her think they'd spend the evening rolling around in the sheets. It was a nice reminder that he had that effect on someone..he wasn't flattered but it sure stroked his ego.

For now he avoided his own apology, hoping she'd forget, but he knew it was unlikely since she wasn't wasted today. 

prudence oria weiss

[prudence oria weiss]

━ the mirror's telling me to go home ━

STEPPING IN AND INTO HIS hug, Rue felt nothing but relief within that moment. The feeling that what had happened wasn't enough to ruin whatever friendship or..situationship they had. Briefly looking around at how clean everything was, the Weiss' lips turned upwards at his question, turning to face him with her arms behind her back. "Because you had to see me like that..and deal with me..like that." She began, eyes looking away to around his furniture a little more.

She cleared her throat then, knowing she needed to provide more information or at least some context. "I..was in a bad space then. I didn't wanna listen to anything or anyone but.." She paused briefly, feeling her mouth go a little dry. "I'm clean now..almost four weeks..for the first time ever in almost eight years." Her lips awkwardly turned upwards then as she tried to remain positive.

Speaking about such things or topics that closely related to her was always challenging for the Weiss. And details regarding her overdose was probably not needed here, so the potioneer skipped over them. "So..I wanted to apologise for..seemingly pushing you and your moral compass to..kind of lure me out with what we..usually do-or did..But also..you did lie to me.."

| malcolm calan clark |

[malcolm calan clark]

Rue accepted the hug and he gave her a squeeze before releasing. She started with an awkward apology. It caught him a bit off guard. "No, it's fine. You don't owe me anything." he insisted. Rue explained explained that she was sober now and his head cocked to the side, a hint of confusion glazing his hazel eyes. "Oh. Wow." he stated more out of disbelief. Mal couldn't remember a time he hadn't see Rue high. He took a moment to watch her face, noticing she stood a little straighter and actually looked awake. She was very pretty in the daylight without the mounds of glitter on her skin.

Mal's hands fell to her shoulders, folding over to look her eye to eye. "I'm sorry for tricking you, Rue. That night you were out of it, you needed help. I never intended to cause you any trouble with Mina.." he told her, surprised how easily that came out. Malcolm had never been good at apologies, especially if he didn't deem them necessary. There was something about that night that never sat well with him. His eyes looked her up and down, a slight awkwardness between them. "Four weeks, huh? Congratulations...on a month of sobriety. That's great, for you." Malcolm admitted to her, his expression softening on her. "You look great, Rue. You look alive."

"So-you're like..sober-sober?" he asked her with a furrowed brow and a whisper, unsure if she had a blurred line for sobriety like most of his mates. Hell, he knew he couldn't do it.

prudence oria weiss

[prudence oria weiss]

━ the mirror's telling me to go home ━

SMILING AS THE TWO HUGGED, Rue's smile remained wide as she felt the little squeeze Mal gave her. This was comforting..even if it felt a little awkward at first. Mal was of course touchy during their late-night moments, but seeing him in the daytime felt different altogether. As he insisted, the Weiss shook their head anyway. "No..I still need to apologise anyway..It's embarrassing that I got that low over something that's..kind of stupid..You didn't need to deal with it at all, so..I'm still sorry."

Expecting his surprise, Rue felt somewhat proud of herself as she mentioned that they were clean. Though, they didn't expect Mal's hands to move and the action only resulted in the Weiss' eyes meeting his. As he apologised, Rue's smile softened. He was actually being genuine, which was something the potioneer always admired from Mal. He never bullshitted or beat anything around the bush.

"I get it..and I thank you for it.." She paused for a moment, recalling parts of the night with Mina that had stuck with her..From what Rue could remember..Mina wasn't too mad..she was. "You're telling me I didn't look alive before?" She joked, her smile turning into a small grin. The potioneer was always aware of how they looked whilst they were high. They looked tired, done with the world. It wasn't normal for them to look so..different since the potions stopped working.

"Well.." Rue began, eyes wandering off again. She came here to be truthful, so why not go all the way? Mal could call her crazy but it was the truth no less. "I tried..some things after that night..because I couldn't deal with the withdrawals." Rue paused then, looking back up at Mal. "But..nothing works. Literally nothing. My body just..purifies it, soaks it up like a sponge and leaves me healthy. So..Yeah. Sober-sober."

| malcolm calan clark |

[malcolm calan clark]

The pair released from a warm embrace and Mal felt relief that his friend was doing okay. Honestly he couldn’t care less if she was pissed at him because he wasn’t sorry. Malcolm did what he had to do. Thank Merlin for Mina otherwise he would’ve had to take Rue on his own. It seemed Rue too was carrying a bit of shame, so Malcolm offered her a rare, kind smile. The young man placed a firm hand on her shoulder. ”Hey, everybody fucks up sometimes Rue. It just means you’re livin. And it sounds like you’re learnin’ a wee bit too.” he nodded with a laugh. Mal figured she’d get over the humiliation at some point. He had numerous horribly embarrassing shenanigans from being too drunk or high with a fair share of peer pressure from Jack and Pax.

Mal knew he didn’t have to sugar coat things for Rue, she could take it, even if she was a bit sensitive sometimes. They both were fully aware that they teased the ones they liked the most. She grinned when she questioned him about not lookin alive before. His expression flickered as he looked into her eyes, ”Well, I can see your eyes now because you can actually open them all the way.” he teased with a growing smile,  offering her a more challenging but flirty stare. ”Never seen them in the sunlight. They’re quite lovely with those gold flakes.”

Mals head cocked to the side when she stated that her body purified substances. That was something he never heard before. ”What..” he stated, a rare moment of speechlessness as he pulled a face of slight confusion. Knowing Rue, she was probably struggling with not being able to get high as she pleased. Mal watched her carefully and swallowing, feeling bad because he knew it was her only escape from reality. ”No shit? That sounds fucking horrible-but also…I’m happy that you’re doing better, Rue. Sober-sober or not.” he stated, giving her shoulders a gentle squeeze before retracting his hand and running them through his bed head. ”So, how was facing the wrath of Mina?” he finally asked with a cheeky smile.

prudence oria weiss

[prudence oria weiss]

━ the mirror's telling me to go home ━

PULLING AWAY FROM THE EMBRACE, Rue couldn't help but smile shyly as he placed a hand on her shoulder. The guilt had followed her for a few weeks of her behaviour, not only with Mal but with most of her friends, and even her family that sought out for comfort. "I guess.." She trailed off, laughing softly along with him.

Rue appreciated how direct Mal was with her. It reminded them of Mina and even Benny, they never beat around the bush with anything. Fighting off a blush, Rue rolled their eyes then, smiling as she looked away from him. "I'm sure they were open all the times we hung out..At least..I think." The Weiss laughed then, looking back at Mal with a wider grin on their lips. "Thanks."

At their confession about the new ability their body had developed, Rue nodded slowly, lifting a hand to rub at their arm. "It sounds..stupid right?.." They laughed, looking down at their feet to hide her disappointment. It wasn't everyday that an addict was suddenly clean. As Mal mentioned he was happy that she was doing better, Rue nodded before answering his question about Mina.

"It was an absolute shit-show." Rue began, her smile matching Malcolm's. "When you dropped me off it was just..questions and attempts to sober me up despite me trying to avoid and dodge it all..." She paused, looking back up at Mal. "Truthfully..it was rough, and even as the days passed it didn't get better but now I'd say..we're much better."

| malcolm calan clark |

[malcolm calan clark]

"No, it's not stupid." Mal corrected his friend, gently. "Sound fascinating to me. Never heard of anything like that before." he admitted, his gears still turning. Hell, he would hate to be in her shoes because he loved getting drunk and high. It was one of the only ways to forget about his problems and let loose. It was why he could sympathize for his friend. There was a look in her eye that he could tell it wasn't an easy process for her. Especially when it came to dealing with her best friend Mina. He could imagine the tough love she gave Rue that night but it was certainly needed. 

Mal watched Rue carefully as she explained the struggle, the corners of his lips curling upwards because he was happy to see she made it to the other side. "You look healthy." he told her proudly, offering her a gentle side hug.

His head tilted to the side slightly to glance at her face as Rue looked down at the ground awkwardly, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She was extra cute when she was flustered. "I'm sorry for tricking you and for turning you in to Mina, but it's only because I care about you, Rue.." he told her. "This will probably be a weird process to endeavor but I'm here if you need anything." Mal explained earnestly, knowing their friendship would be changing since he never hung out with Rue sober before, let alone when the sun was still up.

prudence oria weiss

[prudence oria weiss]

━ the mirror's telling me to go home ━

FINDING HERSELF SMILING AGAIN, RUE realised there and then that this was probably the longest amount of time the two of them had a real conversation. Most nights either one of them usually Rue was too fucked up to even talk, let alone remember the conversation or the actions they might have done. Yet, Rue kind of..enjoyed the moment they were having with Mal. "Neither have I." She admitted with a soft laugh. At least so she believed.

The potioneer had read as much as she could on the 'condition' or more so the ability she had, but it felt like the Weiss was plucking at straws. It felt almost mythical, but considering she was in fact a witch and able to handle all sorts of magic, it didn't feel too far off. Perhaps she was simply looking in the wrong places. "I'm not saying..I miss being an addict but..I miss the effect of potions or alcohol..you know?"

Rue knew that the spiral they had gotten themselves into wasn't healthy, and even consuming their own product that they distributed was even worse. But they couldn't help but feel a little jealous how others were able to have a good time and she would struggle. "Thank you.." She mumbled, smiling as they slightly hugged again.

Not anticipating Mal to touch her like that only resulted with the Weiss looking up at him, tinted red cheeks and all. "I guess..I'll forgive you." She smiled, laughing a little quietly. "It was..needed I guess." It was most definitely needed, but Rue kept out the detail that she hadn't been in touch with Mina since that night, nor did the Weiss feel it was particularly important to bring up.

"Thank you..and if you..I guess need potions or a sober shoulder to 'cry' on I'll be around." She grinned slightly then, knowing Mal was far from a 'show-your-emotions' kind of person, but she couldn't help but feel a little more..excited at being able to spend time with him, aside from the late nights they used to share.

| malcolm calan clark |

[malcolm calan clark]

Mal nodded his head sympathetically, watching Rues face as she explained she wouldn’t miss being an addict but would surely miss getting high. That made perfect sense to him. Quitting cold Turkey would be a struggle he never wanted to face; but he knew if Rue could do it, she could do anything. He’d be sure to offer her support and accountability if she needed it. Deep down he had a soft spot for Rue, he wanted to see her happy and successful, which wasn’t something he wished for many people.

She’d always be a skilled potioneer which he found intriguing about her. That was probably a blessing and a curse since she had the materials at her disposal. ”I understand. Getting high is an escape from reality…that’s why it’s fun.” he agreed with an understanding smile as his hazel eyes flickered with interest.

Mal was quiet for a moment before the corners of his lips curled upwards into a boyish smile, ruffling his hands through his bed head. “Well, if ‘a shoulder to cry on’ is code for snog then I may have to take you up on that offer..” he chuckled with a cheeky smile, waggling is eyebrows playfully. Mal couldn’t help being a shameless flirt, naturally. It was more of a knee jerk reaction, he couldn’t help it.

“But in all seriousness, I think I may need a sleeping potion of sorts…I’ve been having a wee bit o’ trouble sleeping ever since my last expedition to Egypt. I suspect I touched something I shouldn’t have in a tomb which is…curious. He revealed, feigning nonchalance, but it was truly effecting his every day life. The bags under his eyes were a tell tale sign. Focusing on his job was nearly impossible when he was so utterly exhausted. Mal also experienced vivid nightmares while awake; flickers of gruesome images of those he loved the most, which was peculiar. He didn’t want to share that part with anyone because he didn’t want to seem like a looney.


prudence oria weiss

[prudence oria weiss]

━ the mirror's telling me to go home ━

BEING FORCED TO BECOME IMMEDIATELY sober was a hard transition for the Weiss. Sure, there were times in her life she knew she should've tried becoming sober on her own - or with help - but then came along the rough patches. The same rough patches that alcohol or potions would mask and hide for a little longer. Whatever this ability was took that chance, that opportunity to stop on her own; away from them.

"Right.." Rue agreed, smiling small at the memories of how they would turn to such things, just for the moments to quiet her mind a little longer. "I feel..that if I had this conversation with someone else they wouldn't be able to understand that.." Soft eyes watched as Mal's lips curved into a smile, while he ruffled at his hair. Rue truly caught him at an odd time - but then again Mal slept at any hour during the day.

"It could be." She began, her smile matching his. "That is if you don't mind a more..sober me kissing you. Then again I've been told I'm..a sloppy kisser when I was high." Aside from the various people Rue loved kissing, she would always find a way to kiss Mina - despite the two of them simply being friends. "Just a bit of trouble or..a lot?" Rue questioned, her brow raising in concern.

Mal wasn't the type to come true about issues he was facing, and Rue knew it all too well. Especially since they were the type to do the same thing to their friends. "I can bring you something later today?" The potioneer had nothing else on their schedule aside from visiting Mal and grabbing the odd supply here and there but coming back was far from an issue. "Though..costs gonna be quite hefty." The Weiss tried to keep their facial expression serious but she couldn't help but let her lips curve into a smile. "Just a few kisses here and there."

| malcolm calan clark |

[malcolm calan clark]

”That’s why we’re mates, right?” he jabbed his elbow into her side playfully with a cheeky smile. Mal could tell that Rue’s road to sobriety had taken a major toll on her. She seemed proud of the battle she endeavored.. he was proud of her. There was an evident twinkle in her eyes, a confidence that made her skin glow in a way he had never seen her before.

Mal nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders with a smile at Rue’s statement about being a sloppy kisser, stating that he'd have to settle for sober kisses. He didn’t disagree with the sloppy comment but that was a part of the fun snogging and messing around with her. They could laugh about those silly moments that many people would’ve found awkward. In reality, Mal was a simple man to please, he was simply a sucker for affection. Continuing to match her smile, he bit down on his lip. ”I’ve never had any complaints about your kissing...” he stated easily with a slow spreading smile with a chuckle. Maybe that meant he was a sloppy kisser too..

At first Mal wasn’t sure if he wanted to be honest about the amount of struggle he was truly facing with finding sleep but wanted to be honest since Rue had been vulnerable with him. His eyes met hers for a moment before trailing to the floor, leaning on the sofa lazily to convey some sort of nonchalance. ”A lot of trouble, actually..” he answered honestly with a sigh, scratching the back of his neck nervously. ”Took a couple of days off of work because I couldn’t get me wits together. I've been feeling kinda weird.” he revealed, wondering if that made him seem weak. He immediately wanted to eat those words back up after saying them. Mal was at the point where he was desperate for sleep without horrible nightmares and other scary images when he blinked his eyes. 

Rue revealed that the potions would come with a hefty price of a few kisses here and there. He was fully expecting to pay her in some form of currency, affections and other odd favors seemed like a good deal to him. The corners of his lips curled into a smile, offering her a smoldering gaze as he noticed specks of gold in her eyes, ”I reckon I could afford that.” Mal bobbed his head up and down easily. After a brief moment, he raised a hand to tenderly cup the side of her face, ”How about I pay a little in advance?” he offered, folding over halfway before pressing his lips to hers with a smile.

prudence oria weiss

[prudence oria weiss]

━ the mirror's telling me to go home ━

LAUGHING QUIETLY AS MAL PLAYFULLY jabbed at her side, Rue Weiss grinned up at him. There were of course many other reasons for their friendships but she couldn't help but agree. As Mal shrugged in response to her slight joke about her sloppy kisses, Rue thought then and there she stepped a boundary. It wasn't normal to think in that manner, given the basis and how carefree both of them spoke to one another, but things had been different in the Weiss' life lately.

But as Mal began to speak once more, dark eyes watched as his lips spread into a smile. Matching his smile with a grin of her own, the Weiss let out a quiet laugh. "Oh really?" She began, brows raising in amusement. "Maybe we're both sloppy kissers then?.." This felt right to the Weiss, to flirt without reason or awkwardness between the two of them. But it was rare considering Rue was never sober whenever she had spent time with Mal.

Following her question about how much trouble he was in, the potioneer realised that his eyes trailed away. It was easy to read his expression - that he was hesitant to reveal the truth but the Weiss understood. Sighing quietly while he scratched at his neck, Rue let him go on, nodding in understanding. "Whatever happened..you don't have to explain..but I'll bring something by later, pinky swear." Pinky swears; while childish, meant a lot to the Weiss. But regardless of their flirtatious nature, the two of them were still friends. And Rue always helped a friend.

Not expecting the hand on her face, the Weiss immediately found herself leaning into his touch, nodding eagerly at his offer. As they kissed, the Weiss' hands moved up his chest, before she wrapped her arms around his neck comfortably. The kiss was definitely less sloppy and filled with genuine affection from the potiooner and while she didn't want to pull away first - she did anyway. A few moments later of course. "Not to talk business but do you want something that'll..help you knock out for a few hours or days?..Or something to help with your actual sleeping pattern?.."

| malcolm calan clark |