Sometimes all you really need is a place to call home. *** Claire is lost and scared and utterly alone. Her family is in shambles after the death of her older sister Ina, and she's left to pick up the broken pieces of herself as her life heads into a downwards spiral of loneliness. Her heart leads her to 5:48, a little cafe by 33rd street, where she finds her new home. With a broken heart and a speech disability, Jasper has his heart and mouth sewn shut by the winding threads of hurt and fear. Painting and serving coffee in cafe 5:48 are one of his last few saving graces, but the smile he's been painting on himself will soon fade away as everything he's ever held dear slips away from his grasp. Ezra is out-of-sync and oddly cold by the way life has treated his young self. Abandoned by his single mother at an early age, he has grown up thinking that he is a mistake. His constant shaking hands are a reflection of what he often thinks of himself, but the delightful pastries he bakes for 5:48's customers are a reflection of what others see of him. Drew is a quirky rarity. He is a dash of loud, a pinch of exuberant, and a cup of eccentric - just like the meals he serves in the cafe as the only chef there. Behind his playful grins and outlandish clothes, however, are his jutting ribs, hollowed cheeks, and too-thin arms. Sometimes he cannot stomach being in his own skin as much as he cannot stomach food. This family has gone a long way from finding each other, and they'll be going a long way together too as reality comes catching up to them, threatening the newfound happiness they've found with each other. Secrets are revealed, pasts become presents, and lives are changed. Slowly but surely, they find their way back home. *** NOTE AS OF 08/2026: This is the old version of the story from 2012, posted in FULL. Another story that will be considered a reprise of this old version is in the works, and will be posted under the name "Hiraya House."

the human body is a blank canvas. it's up to the artists to decide what to paint on them. copyright © 2015 by eloquencx {#136 in poetry • 26 april 2015}

"Lead us to victory, Marked One." The Queen of the Grey Kingdom bore a Violet, one so unblemished the Witch of Eeras' own power flared to life uncontrollably. Upon further inspection, it was found that the boy, Rhedall, was the prophecized Marked Violet, whose arrival warns of a forthcoming war. Separated from his family and believing himself an orphan, Rhedall dwells with the Witch, training his powers for the day he will fulfill the ancient prophecy and lead the Four Kingdoms to war -to their victory or to their fall. Rhea was born into a life of perpetual solitude. Her parents were marred by the events that took place the night of her birth. They could not look at her without seeing the ghost of their son, her twin, that had been wrenched away from their grasp. Rhea was left to fend for herself in this unforgiving world, growing bitter by day. No one cared enough to be there to stop her from tumbling into the dark chasm of hatred. With the threats of an imminent war, the Four Kingdoms will converge, and the twins will inevitably meet their other half. Will they be on opposing sides?

small but big things. copyright © 2015 by eloquencx #187 in short stories - 05.04.15