SimulCafé - Interest Check

[EucalyptNyx]

The times have considerably changed since modern technology entered the world and progressed at an alarmingly fast rate. Physical books have started to disappear from public shelves, making escapism a little harder for those wanting to leave the walls of their own home. Housing has grown smaller due to the large population in the city and many find themselves feeling suffocated under the pressure of the world mixed with the smaller living spaces.

That's where SimulCafé came in. At first, it was considered nothing more than a small café on the corner of Main Street with various baked goods, homebrew coffee, and tea made with fresh tea leaves. That is until the original owner fell ill and his daughter took over the business after graduating college. Not wanting to lose a family business with the change of times, sheworked around the clock, did fundraisers, and odd jobs for two years until she was able to personally invest in what she rebranded as SimulCafé. (At least, that is the official story.)

Here, patrons are able to sit and relax with themed goods, including the homebrew coffee and fresh tea. The atmosphere is very earthy with plants, warm lighting, and soft, pleather seating. But the biggest installment is the virtual reality gear. Each seat is connected and equipped with the proper technology to allow one to escape into their own worlds, whether it be a VR game online or a cozy server space created by the café to allow patron to interact outside of the real world. The new owner has also made the café open twenty-four hours a day, to allow people from all walks of life the chance to escape. Needless to say, once the internet got ahold of this place, it became decently popular. This prompted her to grow the establishment, hire more staff (including security), and two engineers to keep the technology running the best that she could.

There is something very weird going on, however. Something that the media doesn't seem to be sharing effectively. A few people have gone missing after being seen visiting the café numerous times; their presence being confirmed on the security footage recovered. Many believe they were paid off to leave after finding something they weren't supposed to find. Others believe the café is hiding them or their bodies somewhere in the café. And others just think the people ran away after realizing they were escaping regular life a little too often. Either way, it has created some stir among the patrons now. The owner hasn't been seen much since her father has taken a turn for the worst, but regulars note when she drops by to get paperwork or to deal with further investigation inquiries.

Will you come to escape your regular life or will you come to find out what the café might be hiding?

This RP is very open ended and welcomes a bunch of different characters, whether it be employees or patrons of the establishment. You're welcome to be a carefree worker, just trying to make ends meet and enjoy life while meeting a ton of different people. You're also welcome to be a curious vlogger/detective/lawyer/etc. who's taken interest in the disappearances. Or perhaps, you'd just like to be a regular patron who meets friends in virtual reality.

If enough people take interest in this concept, I'll start work on the world creation/lore for it, including NPCs, rules, etc. There may be dangers to picking either type of role, but those will be communicated if enough are interested. (I'm also open to a onexone where I play as the new owner, but I personally prefer group settings, so onexone will be highly dependent on what type of character you're willing to play.)
Romance is not necessary but is encouraged to spice up the emotional development of the roleplay. Any other questions, please let me know.