Short Story: The Choker Story

Author's Note: This was made in a single night by the seat of my pants with the only real plan being the worldbuilding notes and characters I made already. I doubt it's great but I am hoping to make stories about my fantasy world in some form. I figured a short story would be easier than making a whole Webcomic out of the idea. I hope to get some feedback from Reddit or somewhere to improve my writing. I hope you enjoy it.

The city of Elysium is a wonderful place, home to supernatural beings and happenings but that much was known to the people who live here. But we're not talking about the city here, we're talking about a popular coffee cafe by the name of Time Brews Cafe. It's run by two mysterious figures, one being an old man who wears a suit and a colorful little girl named Rachael Kimball who wears a red and black dress, wore a black cap with four colored pins on it, each one a different color. The largest is red, and the smaller ones are blue, yellow, and Purple. Her socks are also split into these four colors. Her long hair was brown, a blue left eye and a yellow right eye. She was busy making sweet and creamy coffee for the customers.

The cafe had a sort of retro-future vibe going for it. it had white chairs and tables with red, blue, yellow, and purple accents on them, just like her own clothes. There was a starry sky on the ceiling and some old clocks shattered around the cafe all set to different time zones. A TV set up to play episodes of the popular live-action show known as Chrono Rider Zero, The show this cafe takes heavy inspiration from. But Rachael didn't care much for that show, she was already living a much more interesting life as a timekeeper. A time traveler sent to the current time to protect the timeline from being altered by troublemakers, she like many of Elysium City possesses an Essence, a magical ability gained by some in Terra. Her Essence was the ability to slow down time via a pocket watch shaped like a star. however she alone can't travel time, no her master and caretaker known as Thomas Smith was the true master of time travel with his Essence being the ability to summon the train the Time Liner, which gave him a time-traveling train run by himself. Using it he can take himself and anyone to other periods. Rachael met Thomas after a tragedy took her parents and she was raised by Thomas ever since. She was grateful but had a temper when annoyed, which happened a lot since she was working hard at the cafe.

The door opens and a bell rings, this grabs Rachael's attention as she turns to see two adults, regulars to the cafe. one was wearing a fancy black vest and pants, had a fedora which he took off and hung on the nearby hat rack, and sported brown parted hair. His friend was a blonde with a dark blue jacket and normal blue pants, there were reversed blue colored stripes on the upper arms and thighs, and the jacket had white sleeves.

The blonde was the first to speak as he entered, "Yo, Rachael, how's the coffee today?" Rachael sighed and told him. "The same is always, Ryan. I take it Michael will have the usual?" "You know it." The brown-haired gentleman replies. Rachael finished her current customer's order and then got started on the two men. They were regulars to this cafe, mostly due to Ryan as he was a big fan of the Chrono Rider Zero show. but they were more than just coffee enjoyers, they were both detectives. Usually, when the two meet at this cafe it's for work. Rachael while usually uncaring about what those two fools get up to, is rather curious about today's mystery. As she made the brew she asked them both a simple question. "So what case are you both solving today?"

Michael always one to brag when it comes to work smiles and closes his eyes as he speaks. "Well, today we got quite a case, seems a rival to the Nakano family of Werewolves lost a valuable heirloom and is paying good money for its safe return."

"I've heard Kotone was feeling rather down since yesterday, plus I didn't see her usual ruby choker on her neck, am guessing that's what went missing."

"Yeah, but the thing is her parents were out of town for business meetings so she wants us to find it before her folks notice."

"So once again you're using my cafe as a meeting area for your clients? Not that am against it, more business is always welcome."

Ryan speaks up. "Yeah, me and Michael think someone stole the choker because when Kotone woke up to put it on it was missing from her jewelry box...if that's not a theft I don't know what is."

"So you've already talked with Kotone? Then why are you both still slacking off?"

"Hey!" says Michael "We're not slacking we're been investigating the case earlier today, we're just taking a small break to discuss this matter with our client."

Rachael finishes the brew and prepares Ryan's with cream and sugar as usual while being sure to only give Michael a black cup, not the cafe's usual brew of coffee as the place was better known for their sweeter cups but Michael being the try-hard he was wanted to keep up appearances as a detective and would only have black coffee.

Rachael gives both customers their respective cups and asks one question. "Did you find anything out about that choker? Surely by now, you both found something out."

"Well, Kotone says her window was opened up the morning of the incident, I've also found evidence of claw-like marking on the wall just outside where the window was... whoever was the thief they may not be human. Am thinking of maybe another werewolf but Ryan seems to think it's vampires. So anyway me and Ryan traced the footprints to an abandoned warehouse and sure enough we found both! Seems there were some rivals to the Nakano family and they wanted to prove their strength or something. So me and Ryan here beat the ever-loving crap out of them and took the choker back...it's even right here." Michael pulls out a black leather band that has a ruby gem in the circular socket in the middle of the choker.

Ryan speaks up next. "We still don't know who these thieves were but at least me and Michael fought them hard and got the choker back." Ryan turns to Michael with a proud look on his face. Seems both of them managed to solve the case with no problems.

The door opens and the bell rings once again as a woman with wolf ears and blue hair wearing a green and black dress rushes into the cafe. "Where is it?" she says in an excited tone. Michael tosses the choker towards the woman and she catches it. "Oh my god, it's safe!" She then turns to Michael and thanks him for retrieving the choker.

Rachael then speaks up. "So it seems your choker is back where it belongs, huh Kotone?"

"Yes, thank you two for finding it! I'll have my parents write a check for you both as a reward!" says Kotone.

"Awesome, let's watch some Chrono Rider and chill with some coffee to celebrate." says Ryan

"I'll pass on the show but I'll gladly drink the coffee." Says Michael "How about you Kotone? don't suppose you want to stay and hear the story about how we fought off those thieves?"

"Em...sure I do owe you both at least my company, do you mind if I call my knight? she is much better with social situations than I am." says Kotone "Rachael's coffee is always good, I come here pretty often, though am not really into the whole TV show they play on the TV."

Rachael smiles at the scene, while it seems like there is nothing related to her timekeeper role going on in Elysium City, the place has good people and that's enough for her.