❖ basket case

MAX KINGSTON twenty-fight

[handfulxfhearts]

Send me 🎵 and I will put my music on shuffle and post you a starter based off the lyrics of the first song I get.

[eleanorkingston]

Guess who’s back, back again

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marleycallahan‌:

Truthfully, it was most like herself Marley had felt since being back in Crownsville. There was a certain lightness to her that had all but shriveled away at the revelation that her ex, whom she never thought she would see again, was a resident in town. The only person Marley had ever been in love with–the only one she’d allowed herself to, only for it to fall apart into a thousand pieces, and because of her. Because of that lightness she’d so longed for. It was ironic, then, that their reappearance into her life brought along a heaviness to her shoulders. It’d tightened her chest, made it hard to breathe. No wonder she’d left Crownsville. Just as she’d thought of Arizona all those years ago, the home she’d grown fond of had suddenly become suffocating, and out of desperation, she’d made a choice, just as she had almost six years ago. She’d left. No goodbyes, no excuses. Simply had gone. Perhaps it was because Max was a newly acquired acquaintance. They hadn’t known each other well enough for him to be aware of her disappearance and subsequent reappearance. It was refreshing–a breath of fresh air for the woman who was still finding it just the tiniest bit difficult to breathe. She didn’t know how to put that into words. Frankly, she didn’t know if she would if she could. So, instead, she smiled. She flirted. Laughed and teased him, because for the first time in a long time, it felt easy. “Oh, darlin’. How you hurt me so.” She pouted, free hand covering her heart, as if wounded, before bursting back into a grin and shaking her head. Of course he didn’t have to answer. “So?” She cocked an eyebrow. “Do I win?” She had to hear it first.

People always said that it was fun hanging around Max, he knew how to have fun and bring that spontaneous side out of people. It was easy for him, he had been naturally gifted with the trait of being social. And while he had plenty of friendly acquaintances, only a few handfuls of people really knew who he was. However, since his return to Crownsville, he had struggled to fit in and right now he didn't feel like he belonged anywhere really. He had a good relationship with his siblings, especially with his sister with whom he was living right now but even that interaction wasn't perfect. They often got in arguments about his father, his sister talking shit about him and Max standing up for him as usual, even if deep down he knew Eleanor was right. His best friend had fled town again amidst the problems in his personal life and once again, he found himself drinking all those emotions away. It was nice to come to the diner and see the bright smile that Marley wore to welcome him every morning. The fact that she hadn't been in town long enough to know the reputation he had left behind before leaving to California or the one that kicked him out of New York. They were strangers to each other and maybe that's why this dynamic between them worked so well. "We said no bullshit and I'm doing that but something tells me you are not really looking for my trust," he replied, his lips curling up into a smirk. "Shockingly, you win." He rolled his eyes after conceding the defeat, it had been a dirty fight but he had also encouraged that sort of behavior and Max had never been a bad loser. "So, I guess you get a really good tip today." He feigned disappointed but he really didn't mind, what he wanted to know now was how to get her to go out with him that weekend.

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herblindingfaith‌:

Alannah smiled as she tucks some hair behind her ear when you want  some help just let me know what you like so I can start getting ideas.” She replied as she handed her phone over “ Do you miss working in a team like that?” She asked smiling.

"I'll think about a few things and send you a text," he said, smiling at her. "Sometimes. It was very stressful. I think movies make Wall Street look very cool but it's not always like that." Sometimes it was but most of the time there was a lot of work and little time for fun.

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xandermoore‌:

“I’ll take the compliment.” Xander laughed, leaning back in his chair slightly. “A risk analyst?” he asked. “That sounds interesting. What do you do in that job then?”

It was hard to explain and not interesting at all, so he'd give him the short answer. "Well, a company comes to the firm with the idea of investing in a company or project, we analyze them and tell them whether it's a good or bad idea." It was more complicated than that but no one wanted to hear that. "It's a lot of paperwork," he joked.

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marleycallahan‌:

Not at all. Oh, the grin that pulled at Marley’s lips could’ve rivaled the sun. A laugh escaped them, sounded in a simple breathe, and with a nod of her head, she informed him, “good.” Disappearing into the back, Marley placed her order for Max, and made a show of avoiding his table until it was ready. Walking by to refill other’s mugs of coffee, showcasing different orders as if they could possibly be his before placing them down in front of the patron the meal belonged to. Marley was having fun with it, as she’d fully intended to…and when Max’s food was ready itself, she casually sauntered up and placed it down in front of him. His usual. Eggs, hash browns, and bacon. Everything except the toast. Placing a hand on the back of the booth, Marley waved a hand. “Well?” Her eyebrow raised, glancing curiously at Max, trying her best not to smirk. “I got a hunch you’ll quite enjoy this, but by all means, please take a bite. Tell me what you think.” Had she played dirty by giving him the thing he typically ordered? Perhaps…but as he’d said. The dirtier, the better. Besides, she had another trick up her sleeve. She was just trying to have a little fun with it, first.

On a regular day, he didn't mind how long his order would take. He'd passed the time either checking his phone or solving that day's sudoku in the newspaper. Today was not like those days, he tried his best to act like he wasn't eagerly waiting for her to come back. He'd stared down his phone but occasionally would peek over when she approached only to see her placing down the plate on another table. Every time she did it, a small smile framed his features. Finally, his order arrived and he didn't look at her until she placed the plate on the table, his eyebrows forced together into a pronounced frown. He wouldn't have expected anything less from her. "Good to know you are not one to trust," he said, looking up at her, surprise still lingered in the arch of his eyebrow. He grabbed the cutlery and cut a piece before taking a bite of it. Unsurprisingly, it was great. At first, he thought of pretending he didn't like it but that would have been such a blatant lie. "Do I even have to answer?" She did play dirty and she deserved all the credit for such masterful move.

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xandermoore‌:

“True. Older siblings don’t really have a choice but to look out for the younger ones.” Xander laughed lightly. Scrunching his nose up slightly at the nickname, he then nodded. “I feel so old when I get called doc,” he admitted, chuckling a bit before he cleared his throat. “Alright, well, what is it you do for a living?” he asked, keen to change the subject.

Max nodded, he would never know what is like to be the older brother and he preferred that way. "I was gonna say that you look very young to be a doctor," he joked, letting out a chuckle. "Uh, I'm a risk analyst."

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herblindingfaith‌:

Taking his phone she quickly types in her name and number before handing it back over to him. “All done! Of course, I will be happy to give you one, I would have to charge you though of course if you wanted to keep anything.” She replied as she looked at him smiling. “ Oh wow, I am sure a lot of work goes into something like that”

He takes the phone and puts it back in his pocket, smiling back at her. "I understand, of course, you would charge. That's your job." Money wasn't really a problem and he wouldn't expect anything for free. "Yeah, but where I used to work they had a great team and that helped release the work load."

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marleycallahan‌:

It wasn’t how she’d expected her day to go. It wasn’t even how she’d expected this interaction with Max to go, either. As he’d said, they had a routine down…but if there was anything Marley wasn’t good at, it was following one. She much preferred unpredictability; being kept on her toes, not knowing what was going to come next. It kept things interesting, and kept her interested…and as she sat there across from the man, hand clasped in his, interested just about summed up how she was feeling. She allowed her hand to remain in Max’s for longer than necessary, simply enjoying the feeling of having his and only his attention on her. She didn’t need it, of course, but Marley didn’t find anything wrong with wanting it, if it was what he was willing to give. “Yes, sir.” Her head nodded in agreement, shoulders shrugging to show she was unashamed in the innuendo. Marley was anything but subtle, when she didn’t want to be. Sometimes, she just didn’t see the point. Others, she just liked to see the reactions–especially of those who didn’t expect it from her. Hardly anyone did. “Far as I’m concerned, handsome, it’s the only way to play.” Another shrug, brushing his comment right off, but with a smirk of her own. “Mhm, I just bet it does.” Unable to keep her hands to herself, her fingers reached to pinch his cheek gently, before once again dropping to the table. Narrowing her eyes, her head was quick to shake, as if she too were considering it. “Mhm, no. I seem to recall me sayin’ I’d think about it.” She pointed out, already moving to slide out of the booth. She did have a job to do, and a bet to win. “Seems we got ourselves a deal, gorgeous. D’ya trust me?” Wiggling her eyebrows briefly, Marley took a step back from the booth. “I’ll have your breakfast out to ya shortly.” And with a wink, she turned around, making her way back to the kitchen.

Marley wasn't subtle at all and he loved that, she wasn't scared or ashamed of saying what she wanted. He could appreciate a woman like that, it even made the whole situation more alluring to him. Back in New York, he used to meet a lot of women that either played dumb or innocent to get his attention. He'd give it to them, but it wasn't engaging but rather boring and that's why he didn't even bother to learn their names. However, with Marley, he wasn't sure if she wanted his attention or this was the way she simply behaved. That seemed to defy all purposes when up against a line of others. Aside from her name and her occupation, Max really didn't know much about her. He didn’t know her story, and he couldn’t just pluck the pieces up from the few conversations they'd had before.  If he wanted to know more about her, he'd have to earn it and that deemed as an incredibly skillful challenge that he couldn’t help but want to take a bit of. "The dirtier the better," he replied with a playful wink. Trailing his tongue over his lips, Max exhaled a deep breath and looked back at her, amusement now overtaking his features. "I don't even know why you have to think about," he said smugly, a smile toying with his lips. He liked the air of confidence she portrayed which made the push and pull between them that much more interesting, and satisfying. Did he trust her? The question caused him to let out a chuckle. "Not at all," he said, teasing her as his gaze followed her as she walked away, already curious of what she would have picked for him and her next move.

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n-stone‌:

“Shit… shit, no. Come on…” He said, shaking his head as his car began to stall out on the side of the highway. His car was old, and he had just driven from New York to Georgia with all of his remains in his trunk a few days earlier. So the fact that it was having problems after such a long drive and so many miles wasn’t exactly a shock to him, but it definitely wasn’t ideal either. Pulling over on the side of the road, he quickly turned the engine off and turned his hazards on. Not knowing many people in the city, he decided to turn to strangers kindness and hitchhike for a ride back into town- he’d call a tow truck once he was home. Standing out on the shoulder of the road, he stuck his hand out and patiently waited.

Now that his neck was better after the accident, Max was eager to leave Crownsville even if it was for a few hours. He hadn't been able to drive since the accident and there was nothing he wanted more than to drive his car again. After a successful day at the casino, he was on his way to the small town. He was about to speed up when he noticed a poor soul hitchhiking on the side of the road, and by the look of the car behind him, he really needed help. The shiny red Jaguar halted next to him as he rolled down the window. "Car problems?" he asked, even if it was obvious. "Where are you going? Maybe I can give you a ride."

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austinmarringer‌:

o p e n

Austin wasn’t singing well but he was still sitting outside of The Juice Box, with the crank windows of his old pick up truck rolled down on both sides, singing along loudly to the song playing through the cars speakers off his phone. Honestly, the stereo he put it had to be the nicest thing about his truck… but that wasn’t the point. No– because instead of having a happy little moment to himself in an otherwise busy day, Austin suddenly found himself plunged into silence as his truck just shut off. There was no warning signs; no weird noises; no idling engine; no anything. His truck– and by proxy his music– just went dead.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Come on,” He whined, mostly too himself as his loud voice fell into more of a pleading hush. Turning the key over and over again with no avail, his engine not even trying to start back up again, he ultimately gave up. There really wasn’t anything else he could do. So, like any rational person, he leaned forward and smothered his face against his steering wheel as he let out a loud– slightly muffled– yell of frustration. He stayed there for a moment too, just to collect himself, before finally decided to climb out of his now dead truck. “I– uh…” as soon as his feet hit pavement, he looked up with water in his eyes, to realize someone was watching him; or, at least, someone was now looking at him. “How long have you been standing there? I’m… I’m not crazy, I promise. It’s just been a long day? Yeah,” he added on as he reached up to rub at his eyes with the back of his right hand while he forced himself to swallow down the rest of his emotions until he was standing there, blank-faced. “That’s all. It’s just been a really long day.”

bonus content:

- click here for the song playing from his trucks stereo before it shut off completely - a reference for his truck

He couldn't remember the last time he had been at The Juice Box, he usually didn't like drinking juice or smoothies but today he had woken up craving something sweet and this was the 'healthy' option. One beverage that for once his liver could approve. He was checking some texts on his phone when the song started playing, it had been years since he had listened to it and so he decided to stay until it finished. However, the song was abruptly interrupted —in the best part— when the truck seemed to die. His gaze followed the owner, who then caught him staring. "Uh, since the song started," he replied before taking a sip of the juice. "Hey, hey! Listen, you don't have to explain yourself. We all have bad days." Max approached the man, not sure how much he could help as his car rarely broke down and when it did he just called someone to fix it. "There's no smoke, so that's gotta be a good sign, right? Maybe it's the battery," he suggested, glancing at him.

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jedsilvas‌:

for someone who typically presented himself as though his entire appearance was magically effortless, jed was having quite the crisis before a mirror in the middle of the store. he twisted here and there, unfazed by anyone who might be witnessing the whole debacle until he sighed, remarking in defeat, “i look like an asshole, don’t i? i feel like an asshole.” and what exactly he meant by that, even he didn’t know, but he spun around once more. at this point, his tone over this disastrous jean shopping was a mix of seriousness and jest. this was exactly why he stuck to the trusted wardrobe of the same two pairs of old pants. “how can these things make me look even shorter?”

Max usually didn't visit clothing stores in Crownsville, after he discovered the wonders of ordering clothes online he never looked back, but with nothing better to do with his time, he decided to look around one of the newest stores. He was checking out a jacket when near the dressing rooms when he heard someone talking. Turning to see who was the source of such comment, he smiled. "Most assholes I know have a good sense of style," he said, putting the jacket back to its place. "Buying jeans is stressful." Being so tall, he always struggled with the length of them. "You can send them to a tailor, so he can make it fit you and not make you look shorter."

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lexi--davis‌:

“Nope. My gain.” she laughed. “Mice are just like crawly and…ugh.” Lexi shuddered. “What’s so amazing about having a pet mouse anyway? I don’t get it. It’s a mouse…”

"Rats are crawly, mice are cute," he pointed out. "They don't bark, they are actually pretty friendly." That's what he thought because it wasn't really his but he was having fun making her believe that it was.

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lexi--davis‌:

“No thank you.” Lexi said, shaking her head as she stepped back from him. “I do not want to pet it, touch it, or whatever…”

Max resisted the urge of laughing, instead, he shrugged. "Fine, your loss," he said as he put him back inside the cage. "I will take him out of your sight until my friend comes to pick him up." He put the cage on the ground, next to the bench.

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marleycallahan‌:

Eyes remaining narrowed for a moment, after a beat, Marley merely nodded. “Okay.” It wasn’t her responsibility or prerogative to call other’s out, especially considering she didn’t know him. Thought she knew his type, but Marley had been wrong before, and would be again. Genuinely curious, though, she couldn’t say she wasn’t looking forward to the opportunity to see just how wrong she was. “No bullshit.” It sounded like a promise, coming from her–a way of saying she’d follow the same guidelines if he did, not a fan of bullshit herself. Raising an eyebrow, she stuck a hand in the space between them, waiting for his to grasp. A silent deal, and one she intended to follow. She was unable to keep the smile that formed on her lips at the complete removal of his sunglasses. Not missing the way he had to adjust to the light, hangover clear in his features, her smile could have rivaled the sun, face soft as her eyes roamed his newly revealed eyes. They were beautiful. “Much better.” She murmured. As she thought she would, the offer placed between them was one she quite liked, especially when she saw the way his eyes dipped to her lips, only brightening her smile. “You’re talkin’ like we can’t do both. Somethin’ tells me this routine of ours is…flexible.” The suggestiveness was clear in her tone–and if it wasn’t, it was in the raising in her eyebrows. But, she had a sense he was being genuine, and she appreciated it. Wincing at his answer, Marley shook her head. “Trick question. The answer should’ve been both, but…” She sighed. “I suppose I’ll let it slide, since you’re cute and all.” Looking down at the menu, as if searching for her answer, when she found it, she gave a firm nod, and folded the menu back up. “How’re you with a lil’ mystery?” She raised an eyebrow. “…care to make ourselves a lil’ deal?” She asked. “I’m thinkin’…I’m gonna go and put in your order. You don’t like what I pick for you, then…I’ll let you take me out. But if you do like it…then you tip me the same amount as the bill.” She, of course, knew it wasn’t exactly a fair deal–by the grin on her lips, it was more than clear how aware she was. But she didn’t think he’d have a problem with it, either.

The look of skepticism on her face brought a smile to his face. She had no reason to believe he was serious, and in a way, he preferred it that way. It was understandable, most people tended to hide or lie about stuff in their lives and maybe if he were less cynical he would too. It didn't take much to realize that Marley wasn't like any other girl he had met before, she seemed to enjoy the honesty as much as he did. Other girls, he had 'dated' often said they wanted him to be upfront but the minute he was they would make a scene. It was exhausting and just reinforced how much he enjoyed the single life. Without hesitation, he reached out to grasp her hand and seal the deal. He held her hand a bit longer than normal before letting it go, a smile still playing on his lips. Usually, talking to other people wasn't a big deal to Max, he enjoyed any type of conversations but it was different with Marley, she understood things that no many did. "Flexible, uh?" He fought off the smirk that itched across his lips before nodding. "We can do both, even better." The smile on her face was the reason why his remained. He barely knew her, but the way she smiled and talked sparked his curiosity, he wanted to know more about what was behind that beaming smile. Max chuckled, his eyes rolling as he shook his head. "That's playing dirty," he pointed out, this time allowing the smirk to appear on his lips. "Thanks, this cuteness has always help me get out of problems," he replied, his tone loaded with confidence. His eyes narrowed at her question, she really had to keep everything interesting even his breakfast. He listened to the deal and when she finished he took a few seconds to 'consider' the offer. "I thought we had agreed that I could take you out, but okay, I'll play along." It was a bit unfair considering she already knew some of the stuff he wanted in a breakfast, but it didn't matter.

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ofthefashionista‌:

“Oh I know” she said and winked before she chuckled softly. “Oh that is true. But hey, if you don’t wanna wear it who am I to make you?” Cassia settled on, not having the energy to argue with him over what was best for his arm. “I’m Cassia, nice to meet you”

"No, I appreciate the concern," he said with a nod. "Max, the pleasure is all mine." His lips curled up into a smile. "I don't think I've ever seen you before, how long have you been in town?"

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beckettwolff‌:

“we should probably smoke in a slightly less conspicuous spot though, just to be safe.” beckett points out, chuckling softly. “that cool with you?” 

"Good idea," he said, smiling at him. "Do you have a place in mind? If not, we can go to my place." Technically, his sister's place and she would hate him if he smoked weed in her apartment but she had a late shift so maybe she wouldn't find out.

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scarcallo‌:

              “expecting someone else?” perking one of her maintained and strong brows, the red head asks as she had a hand resting on her pelvis. she couldn’t help but to chuckle as the smile was offered to her, and that’s something she always does to literally anyone. “surprises are cool– i like ‘em.” she states upon noticing the lit cigarette resting in between his digits. “just… some meal with my girls back there after a quite hectic day. what about you, though? besides smoking alone in this stinky part of the diner.”

"Not anymore," he said, a half smile curved on her lips as he tucked the phone back into his pocket. His gaze lands on the booth full of cheerleaders back in the diner before returning his attention to Scarlett. "Just thinking what I'm going to do the rest of the day, I couldn't stay home any longer," he said with a roll of her eyes before offering her a cigarette, he didn't know if she smoked but it was the polite thing to do. "Do you have any other plans for today after the cheerleading convention?" he asked, gesturing the table where her friends were.