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[drewyth]

Drawing Dead - Chapter Twenty-Eight: And Onward

Check out the final chapter of my RusAme Mafia fic, here!

Summary

Alfred needs money. He works in an obscure Russian restaurant, lives in a shitty apartment with his ex, and rent is on the rise. He thinks he’s found the perfect gig—Until his side job draws the attention of some of Manhattan’s less savory characters. He grows close to one, a mob boss referred to as the “Old Bear.” Ivan Braginsky may offer protection, and even a way to make quick cash. Then again, he could also prove the least savory of them all.

"Drawing Dead is when a player has absolutely no chance to win a hand, no matter what card is dealt next."

Human Mafia AU; Rusame focus, with references to past USUK.

Preview

Sometime later…

Alfred wore a dark suit.

[drewyth]

Drawing Dead - Chapter Twenty-Seven: Mazes

Read my RusAme Mafia fic, here!

Summary

Alfred needs money. He works in an obscure Russian restaurant, lives in a shitty apartment with his ex, and rent is on the rise. He thinks he’s found the perfect gig—Until his side job draws the attention of some of Manhattan’s less savory characters. He grows close to one, a mob boss referred to as the “Old Bear.” Ivan Braginsky may offer protection, and even a way to make quick cash. Then again, he could also prove the least savory of them all.

"Drawing Dead is when a player has absolutely no chance to win a hand, no matter what card is dealt next."

Human Mafia AU; Rusame focus, with references to past USUK.

Preview

“Come.” Ivan beckoned to him again with two fingers. “Someone is waiting for you.”

“Who is it?” Even as Alfred asked the question, he knew he would receive no answer. Wary, he allowed his gaze to move between Ivan’s face and the ottoman. His next few steps stuttered with reluctance. A nod from Ivan encouraged Alfred to pick up the cellphone from where it lay at the Bear’s heel. He tapped the screen to wake it, painting his face with blue light. The number he revealed was unfamiliar to him.

“Hello?” Alfred pressed the phone to his ear, all the while searching Ivan’s face for some explanation. “Who’s this?”

A pause sounded on the other end of the line. It was the kind of tremulous quiet that might follow an explosion. Then, once the debris cleared, a familiar voice said, tentatively, “Alfred?”

Alfred froze. His chest constricted, until he felt he couldn’t breathe. His next few exhales were little more than spasms in his lungs. Because it was impossible. Wasn’t it? He must have been delusional, grasping at straws in his grief. After all, that agitated note of concern, that lilting accent, it sounded a whole awful lot like…

[drewyth]

A Lesson in Reciprocity - A Raven Cycle Fanfic

Hey everyone! I just finished book one of The Raven Cycle, so I wrote a fun little character study - Check it out, here!

Summary

One unassuming night at Monmouth Manufacturing, Gansey discovers Ronan and Adam smoking weed together. Surprising everyone, Gansey agrees to join them. Surprising no one, he then proceeds to overdo it, has a panic attack, and is forced to grapple with the mortifying reality that his friends care about him.

Preview

“Oh,” he said, and now he was speaking to Ronan. “Isn’t this interesting.”

Here, interesting was a synonym for insubordinate. They’d had this talk before. Cannabis was hardly legal for people over the age of twenty-one in Virginia, let alone for Aglionby students who neglected to come to class even while sober. Still, Ronan appeared unaffected. He took another drag from the smoldering paper he held, and Gansey watched as smoke spiraled from his lips, up, up into the exposed rafters above. He might as well have spat it in Gansey’s face.

“I thought we agreed,” Gansey said, “no drugs at Monmouth.”

Ronan shrugged. “Alcohol is a drug.”

“I’m not too thrilled about you having that here, either.”

Gansey didn’t need to hear Ronan’s scoff to know he wasn’t getting through to him, but the sound did encourage him to turn his attention elsewhere. To Gansey’s satisfaction, Adam didn’t meet the gaze that befell him. He had a pained look on his face, or perhaps he was embarrassed, though Gansey couldn’t determine if that humiliation stemmed from Adam’s own transgressions or Gansey’s hypervigilance. He said, gaze averted, “You want to join us?”

[drewyth]

Drawing Dead - Chapter Twenty-Six: Detonate

Read my Rusame Mafia fic, here!

Summary

Alfred needs money. He works in an obscure Russian restaurant, lives in a shitty apartment with his ex, and rent is on the rise. He thinks he’s found the perfect gig—Until his side job draws the attention of some of Manhattan’s less savory characters. He grows close to one, a mob boss referred to as the “Old Bear.” Ivan Braginsky may offer protection, and even a way to make quick cash. Then again, he could also prove the least savory of them all.

"Drawing Dead is when a player has absolutely no chance to win a hand, no matter what card is dealt next."

Human Mafia AU; Rusame focus, with references to past USUK.

Preview

In the corners of the alley, where the light didn’t touch, something rummaged through discarded napkins and scraps of food. Rats, Alfred thought, although he couldn’t see them. They kept to their shadows, just as he retreated to the cool black interior of his vehicle. A voice caught him before he shut the door.

“He’ll kill me.” Beneath his veil of dappled light, Antonio offered a wan smile. “If he finds out I sent you to him, this half a mil will only pay for my grave.”

Alfred squinted an eye shut against the setting sun. Paired with his automatic grin, it could have been mistaken for a wink. “I’m sure you’ll figure something out. Good luck!”

With that, Alfred laid his foot on the gas and took off in the direction of Lovino Vargas. He entertained himself by guessing what he might have found, had he routed to the abandoned warehouse after all. An ambush? Another shoot-out, perhaps? He certainly wouldn’t find Lovino, as one glance at Alfred’s dashtop GPS confirmed what he already knew: Antonio was a liar.

[drewyth]

Drawing Dead - Chapter Twenty-Five: Boss

Read my Rusame Mafia fic, here!

Summary

Alfred needs money. He works in an obscure Russian restaurant, lives in a shitty apartment with his ex, and rent is on the rise. He thinks he’s found the perfect gig—Until his side job draws the attention of some of Manhattan’s less savory characters. He grows close to one, a mob boss referred to as the “Old Bear.” Ivan Braginsky may offer protection, and even a way to make quick cash. Then again, he could also prove the least savory of them all.

"Drawing Dead is when a player has absolutely no chance to win a hand, no matter what card is dealt next."

Human Mafia AU; Rusame focus, with references to past USUK.

Preview

“Ivan, if you don’t tell me what the fuck happened to my—” He drew up short. “Is he okay? What’s going on? Why did you say I can’t retaliate? What—?”

“You made some kind of deal.” Ivan’s lips thinned. “They held up their end of it. I am taking care of it.”

“They…” Alfred’s mouth went dry, all of a sudden. He staggered to his feet, shaking his head, and Ivan rose to follow. “I don’t understand. Are you talking about Feliciano and Lovino? I held up my end of that deal too, okay? I-I didn’t hurt anyone, just shook him up a little, so I don’t… What?”

“Alfred.” A firm grip on either of his shoulders dragged his attention back to Ivan. Even so, his vision blurred around the edges. “You are going to be alright. Look at me. Breathe.”

[drewyth]

Drawing Dead - Chapter Twenty-Four: Sunshine

Read my Rusame Mafia fic, here!

Summary

Alfred needs money. He works in an obscure Russian restaurant, lives in a shitty apartment with his ex, and rent is on the rise. He thinks he’s found the perfect gig—Until his side job draws the attention of some of Manhattan’s less savory characters. He grows close to one, a mob boss referred to as the “Old Bear.” Ivan Braginsky may offer protection, and even a way to make quick cash. Then again, he could also prove the least savory of them all.

"Drawing Dead is when a player has absolutely no chance to win a hand, no matter what card is dealt next."

Human Mafia AU; Rusame focus, with references to past USUK.

Preview

“I just don’t understand why you keep making me prove myself then!” Alfred’s fists clenched at his sides. He watched as Ivan stopped, halfway through turning his back on him. “You did it with the delivery to Ludwig, you did it with the Antonio thing, and the ice cream truck, and the arms deal. I stitched up your leg and played getaway driver for a shoot-out you didn’t even know was coming! Paintball and Poker were probably tests, too. You even wanted me to shoot…our friend. Toris. Our friend. When he was already dead. That was fucked up! That was so fucked up. But I stood my ground, and I took the fall for the Italian restaurant burning, and I met up with Feliciano, and I got shot—” Alfred’s voice cracked, then lowered to a whisper. “I got shot. I could have died if it hadn’t been for that vest. I’ve lost…a lot of things.” He flexed his right hand without thinking. “And…even after all of this, after all the tasks I’ve taken on, and all the shit I let you put me through, and all the times I almost died in your name, I still haven’t proven myself to you?”

[drewyth]

Drawing Dead - Chapter Twenty-Three: Bulletproof

Read my Rusame Mafia fic, here!

Summary

Alfred needs money. He works in an obscure Russian restaurant, lives in a shitty apartment with his ex, and rent is on the rise. He thinks he’s found the perfect gig—Until his side job draws the attention of some of Manhattan’s less savory characters. He grows close to one, a mob boss referred to as the “Old Bear.” Ivan Braginsky may offer protection, and even a way to make quick cash. Then again, he could also prove the least savory of them all.

"Drawing Dead is when a player has absolutely no chance to win a hand, no matter what card is dealt next."

Human Mafia AU; Rusame focus, with references to past USUK.

Preview

“You think you’re a threat now?” Humor rippled through Feliciano’s eyes before reaching his lips. He nearly contained himself; then, his arms folded around his abdomen, and he hugged himself as he shook with laughter. Alfred’s face burned. “Ah, oh, is that why you think you’re here? Mm? You’re a threat!”

“I’m here,” Alfred said, ignoring the ache grinding into his teeth. “If I’m not a threat, what does that make you? The fact that he sent me, of all people, to deal with your ass… What’s that say about how seriously he takes you?”

At first, Feliciano shook his head. He was still giggling behind closed lips, trying, failing, to collect himself. When Alfred showed no interest in shifting topics, Feliciano hummed, a goading little tune. “My brother would say you’re a liability. A burden on your team.” His eyes grew alongside his smile. “Me? I don’t think so harshly. No, no. I have more faith in the Old Bear than that. I just thought you would have realized by now…”

Feliciano’s expression turned pensive, and Alfred bit his tongue. From the corner of his eye, he noticed one of Ivan’s men glance in his direction. Alfred gave a miniscule shake of his head, and the man settled back on his heels. Feliciano took that as a cue to continue.

“I hate to be the one to tell you this, my friend, but the Old Bear finds you disposable.” Feliciano laughed, then gasped, remembering to feign a look of sympathy. “Oh… He doesn’t send you off on these big, exciting missions because he trusts you! Silly. No! You’re loyal, that’s good. But you’re reckless. Bound to self-destruct. That’s bad! Unless? The Old Bear can set you up with the sticky tasks no one else is foolish enough to take charge of. You see now? You’re going to blow up, amico. Your boss is just hoping you’ll take some of his opponents out with you, when you do.”

[drewyth]

"Life is a tragedy, one way or another. What is certain is that you die."

The Vampire Armand

[drewyth]

"Don't be a fool for the Devil, darling!"

The Vampire Lestat

[drewyth]

Drawing Dead - Chapter Twenty-Two: Rigor Mortis

Read my Rusame Mafia fic, here!

Summary

Alfred needs money. He works in an obscure Russian restaurant, lives in a shitty apartment with his ex, and rent is on the rise. He thinks he’s found the perfect gig—Until his side job draws the attention of some of Manhattan’s less savory characters. He grows close to one, a mob boss referred to as the “Old Bear.” Ivan Braginsky may offer protection, and even a way to make quick cash. Then again, he could also prove the least savory of them all.

"Drawing Dead is when a player has absolutely no chance to win a hand, no matter what card is dealt next."

Human Mafia AU; Rusame focus, with references to past USUK.

Preview

“Fuck off—” As soon as Alfred’s mouth opened on that word, Ivan’s revolver jammed up between his teeth. Alfred’s breath caught. Metal scraped the roof of his mouth until he tasted blood. His throat convulsed, a fruitless attempt to swallow that scarlet ache. Behind his ribs, his heartbeat thundered.

Finally, Alfred’s eyes caught on Ivan’s. That cold, violet gaze struck fear into him. He’d overstepped his bounds, he knew it, and the revolver prying apart his jaws was evidence of that. Ivan never broke eye contact, but Alfred knew he was talking to everyone else when he said, quietly, “Leave.”

Anxiously, Eduard and Raivis shuffled away from the clearing. Alfred didn’t watch them go, didn’t dare look away from Ivan’s withering glare. They stared at each other, Alfred’s eyes wide with terror, and Ivan’s dimmed by apathy. Slowly, Ivan twisted the gun in his mouth. Alfred tasted metal, an old, acidic tang that flooded his mouth with saliva. Again, he tried, and failed, to swallow. When at last Eduard’s and Raivis’ footsteps dissipated somewhere beyond the trees, Ivan spoke.

“You would embarrass me in front of my subordinates?” Ivan shoved the gun down, deeper, until Alfred gagged on it. His eyes stung with reflexive tears. “You, a filthy Rat, would make me look weak and foolish in front of men who surpassed your level of success by the time they were half your age?” Ivan’s lips peeled back in a cruel, inauthentic sneer. He looked Alfred over, satisfied when he choked on the revolver once more, and came to a decision. “Get on your knees.”

[drewyth]

Drawing Dead - Chapter Twenty-One: Sky

Read my Rusame Mafia fic, here!

Summary

Alfred needs money. He works in an obscure Russian restaurant, lives in a shitty apartment with his ex, and rent is on the rise. He thinks he’s found the perfect gig—Until his side job draws the attention of some of Manhattan’s less savory characters. He grows close to one, a mob boss referred to as the “Old Bear.” Ivan Braginsky may offer protection, and even a way to make quick cash. Then again, he could also prove the least savory of them all.

"Drawing Dead is when a player has absolutely no chance to win a hand, no matter what card is dealt next."

Human Mafia AU; Rusame focus, with references to past USUK.

Preview

“Now, I don’t mean to sound accusatory. I’m simply identifying the situation as I—”

“Are you trying to say I cheated on you? Because we broke up way before I started seeing anybody else.” A pause, and Alfred flushed. “Not that I’m even seeing anyone now, technically. But even if you’re counting, like, casual hookups or whatever… Arthur, I didn’t cheat on you. I never did that.”

“Well. We certainly had our disagreements, but to say we ‘broke up’ suggests a finality that I did not see reflected in the way we interacted with one another. Nothing changed between us, in other words. How was I to know what you decided about the fate of our relationship when I wasn’t explicitly involved in that decision?”

“Arthur, I said we were done.” Alfred laughed, then stopped, too abruptly. “We moved our beds apart from each other. We separated our room with a bedsheet, for Christ’s sake. I mean, we, we… This wasn’t exactly a subtle split. Come on. Even Matthew could see it.”

“Well, I’m delighted Matthew knew the status of my relationship better than I did.” Arthur sniffed before bracing his arms across his chest. “That’s all fine, then.”

“No. No, not fine, Art. I need you to tell me you saw things break down between us too or, fuck, I’m gonna think I’m going crazy.” Alfred shook his head, scrambling for evidence in a pool of memories that evaded him. “You know we broke up. You were pissed off and you blamed me every day for it, but you know we haven’t dated for almost a year now. You know that. I know you know that.”

[drewyth]

Drawing Dead - Chapter Twenty: Crazy

Read my Rusame Mafia fic, here!

Summary

Alfred needs money. He works in an obscure Russian restaurant, lives in a shitty apartment with his ex, and rent is on the rise. He thinks he’s found the perfect gig—Until his side job draws the attention of some of Manhattan’s less savory characters. He grows close to one, a mob boss referred to as the “Old Bear.” Ivan Braginsky may offer protection, and even a way to make quick cash. Then again, he could also prove the least savory of them all.

"Drawing Dead is when a player has absolutely no chance to win a hand, no matter what card is dealt next."

Human Mafia AU; Rusame focus, with references to past USUK.

Preview

Alfred woke to the sound of screaming. Better than a gun in my face, was his first thought. His second was, Ivan.

He jerked upright when a loose fist knocked into his chest. Without his glasses, Ivan appeared to Alfred as a great pale blur shaking in a tangle of sweat-damp sheets. Every so often, his fist would twitch, or his leg would thrash wildly to the side, and his breaths came in hungry gasps. His eyes stayed shut all the while.

“Ivan.” Alfred leaned to shake him and recoiled when an arm lashed out at his head. “Shit. Ivan. Hey.”

Another hoarse yell sounded in response. Ivan wrenched onto his side, and his knee drove up hard into the soft part of Alfred’s gut. He grunted, scrambling to catch Ivan’s wrist before he did any more damage. Another fist flew at his face. Alfred deflected it at the last second. Then, Alfred was wrestling with him, clambering over Ivan’s chest to restrain him, while the sleeping Bear shouted and twisted and fought to throw him off.

“Ivan. Ivan! Ivan.” Alfred pinned Ivan’s hands on either side of his head, which twisted back and forth in a blind fit. He nearly bucked Alfred off the bed with a single, sharp thrust of the hips, but Alfred regained his balance seconds before his face went crashing into the headboard. “Ivan, wake up. You’re dreaming. Hey. Dude. Ivan. Wake the fuck up.”

[drewyth]

Keep reading

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Boo! Happy Halloween!

[drewyth]

“You talk too much, ratboy.”

-

fanart of Drewyth’s rusame mafia au fic 🥺 im in love with it

[drewyth]

Drawing Dead - Chapter Nineteen: Cinders

Read my Rusame Mafia fic, here!

Summary

Alfred needs money. He works in an obscure Russian restaurant, lives in a shitty apartment with his ex, and rent is on the rise. He thinks he’s found the perfect gig—Until his side job draws the attention of some of Manhattan’s less savory characters. He grows close to one, a mob boss referred to as the “Old Bear.” Ivan Braginsky may offer protection, and even a way to make quick cash. Then again, he could also prove the least savory of them all.

"Drawing Dead is when a player has absolutely no chance to win a hand, no matter what card is dealt next."

Human Mafia AU; Rusame focus, with references to past USUK.

Preview

“Alright, let’s do this,” Alfred said, and struck the first match.

What happened then was nothing like Alfred had seen in the movies. A flickering orange flame caught on the web of ivy decorating the back wall. It licked its way upwards, weaving through the foliage like thread through blank canvas. Burnt leaves curled and fluttered gently to the floor. Alfred almost couldn’t believe this to be a destructive force; the fire crept so gracefully, seemingly with its own intent. He couldn’t look away, and intricate swirls of yellow and red reflected off his new pair of glasses.

“It might catch slowly at first, but that accelerant will speed up the process before you realize.” Another rush of flame stole Alfred’s attention. Ivan had set the curtains ablaze. Amber light writhed within violet eyes. “Work quickly.”

[drewyth]

Drawing Dead - Chapter Eighteen: Perestroika

This update took a while, but it's TWICE the length of a normal chapter, so I hope you can enjoy it here!

Summary

Alfred needs money. He works in an obscure Russian restaurant, lives in a shitty apartment with his ex, and rent is on the rise. He thinks he’s found the perfect gig—Until his side job draws the attention of some of Manhattan’s less savory characters. He grows close to one, a mob boss referred to as the “Old Bear.” Ivan Braginsky may offer protection, and even a way to make quick cash. Then again, he could also prove the least savory of them all.

"Drawing Dead is when a player has absolutely no chance to win a hand, no matter what card is dealt next."

Human Mafia AU; Rusame focus, with references to past USUK.

Preview

Slowly, Alfred turned to face Ludwig. He squinted to study the other man’s profile: The tight muscles in his jaw, the way he stared too hard at the road ahead of them. He was nervous. About what? Retaliation?

“Pretty sure, as far as the boss is concerned, the Italians are one and the same—”

“They’re not. Feliciano is a good boy.” Little muscles twitched in Ludwig’s temple. Otherwise, his face didn’t change. “He was dragged into this business by forces outside of his control. He never would have done it alone. You know that as well as I do.”

“Do I? Because my dude seemed really excited about the prospect of branding me not too long ago.”

“He was coerced.” Ludwig’s voice went hard around the edges. “I’m telling you, Feliciano is not the one to target. If…you’re planning any sort of revenge, I mean.”

“So, you’re trying to protect him.” Alfred grinned, slowly, when he noticed the slight bob of Ludwig’s throat. “What are you telling me to do then? You want me to go after Lovino? Take out Lovino—Only Lovino?”

“I’m not…suggesting—”

“No, why don’t we speak frankly here? You don’t want anyone to hurt Feliciano, but you know someone’s gotta pay for what they did to the Old Bear’s star employee.” Alfred laughed, a genuine, humored laugh. “You’re just as crooked as the rest of us, so lose the humility, m’kay? Finish throwing his brother under the bus. Go on.”