Welcome To The Criminal Cafe Universe Where Your Story Matters

A Writing Challenge

Are you ready to become a part of the Criminal Cafe Universe? This world is all about crime, criminals, superheroes, powerful magic, betrayals, redemption, et al —and we need your stories to bring it to life!

The Criminal Cafe

At the heart of the universe is the Criminal Cafe, a hidden place under the dunes of Leh Ladakh. Criminals from across the galaxies find their way here when they are running from the law. But here’s the catch: they can’t commit any crimes inside the cafe.

In this unique universe, you can write about criminals and superheroes or other characters operating from inside the cafe, or even secret-agencies working to take down the mysterious Criminal Cafe. You can create your own worlds, governments, currencies, social structures – sky’s the limit. Here’s a breakdown of the different roles you can take on and how you can contribute to this exciting world:

Cafe laws:

1. The cafe doesn’t allow anyone to commit crime within its premises. On entering, the cafe seizes all the powers of the criminals and even their negative thoughts are recorded by the cafe.
2. Criminals have to follow the cafe’s strict rules or they’ll be evicted, putting them in high risk of being caught.
3. The cafe gives criminals a chance to reflect on their past and maybe even change for the better.
4. Every criminal gets credits—points that are upgraded for good deeds and downgraded for bad ones. If a criminal loses all their credits, they are expelled!
5. If the cafe senses any external threat, the cafe can move to a new location. However, the power of the cafe is at its lowest for 7 days from relocation.

CHARACTERS:

Below mentioned is the list of characters that you can choose from. Pick one, two or as many on the basis of your choice and the story you want to tell. You can explore single characters, or go beyond and connect their worlds.

The Bartender

The calm yet powerful and mysterious figure behind Shoolik Café. While she quietly serves drinks, she secretly controls everything in the café. The criminals must tell their story to the bartender to introduce themselves in the cafe or face repercussions. She knows everyone’s secrets and uses them to her advantage. But how did she come to hold this power?

The Superhero

Inside the cafe lives a Superhero, who is the younger brother of the bartender. His job is to stop major crimes across the universe. He uses a magical anywhere doorto instantly teleport to where criminal activities are detected.

• He derives strength from the power of the residing criminals that the cafe absorbs. The more criminals there are in the cafe, the stronger he becomes.
• His power fluctuates based on the cafe’s energy levels, limiting his strength during times of low energy or relocation of the cafe.
• However, if he is hurt or in danger, his sister (the bartender) pulls him back to the cafe, sometimes leaving the crime unresolved.

You can write stories about the superhero’s missions, the battles he faces, and how he tries to stop crimes. You can also explore the moral dilemmas he faces when he can’t finish what he started.

Old Man

The Old Man is the oldest member of the cafe. He has a mysteriously wicked presence, yet has never been expelled. He is an avid storyteller, narrating stories about how he managed to stay for as long, but nobody knows the true story. Word on the street is that the cafe used magic to erase one of his memories, and if that memory is ever restored it can threaten the cafe’s survival. Five criminals must always be present at the cafe to keep his memory suppressed, if not, his memory starts to return, threatening the cafe’s existence.

Local Heroes with Wands

The Local Heroes are ordinary people recognised for their exceptional kindness and bravery in their communities. The cafe provides them with wands made from energy sourced from the criminals which temporarily boosts and enhances their natural abilities and powers. These wands are powered by the energy of criminals inside the cafe, giving the heroes special abilities to protect their communities from crime.

• Each hero’s wand is unique and linked to a specific criminal’s power.
• Local heroes can lose their wands if they do something wrong or fail in their duties.
• When there’s a bigger threat, the wands can be used alongside each other, strengthening their power even more.
• Local Heroes are responsible for protecting their regions from local threats. Their wands signal when the cafe’s Superhero is nearby to help with larger challenges.

You can create stories about these local heroes—why they got chosen, how they use their wands, save lives, or even lose their powers due to mistakes. There’s plenty of room to explore their adventures and personal struggles!

Secret Agencies

There’s also a corresponding side to this universe, Secret Agenciesthat know about the cafe and want to take over its power. These agencies are constantly trying to break into the cafe, steal its secrets, or control the criminals inside.

• Writers who want to explore this parallel side of the universe can create stories about missions to infiltrate the cafe, capture criminals, or sabotage the cafe’s magical system.
• You can collaborate with crime writers or other secret-agency writersto plan out bigger conspiracies or attacks.

The secret agencies add another layer of intrigue to the world. If you love writing spy stories, conspiracies, or shadowy operations, this is the perfect role for you!

Instructions for Shoolik Cafe Stories:

1. Create Diverse Criminals: Develop outlaws from various regions, galaxies, or dimensions with unique backgrounds.
2. Assign Powers: Give each character special abilities like invisibility, teleportation, or hypnosis.
3. Character Arcs: Decide if they seek redemption or continue in crime. Maybe they’ll change for the better, or maybe they’ll try to break the rules—it’s all up to you!
4. Plot Schemes: Include schemes, power struggles, and betrayals towards one another while navigating through strict cafe rules.
5. Cafe Rules: Ensure characters navigate strict rules, creating tension.
6. Leverage the Setting: Make Shoolik Cafe a mystical, dangerous refuge.
7. Interpersonal Conflicts: Highlight rivalries, alliances, and complex relationships between characters.
8. Reveal Mysteries: Unfold secrets about the characters and the cafe over time.

How to Get Involved?

1. Pick Your Character(s): You can pick one, two or as many on the basis of your choice and the story you want to tell. You can explore single characters, or go beyond and connect their worlds.
2. Tell Your Story: You can write alone or collaborate with others to create interconnected stories. (For example, a crime writer might team up with a hero writer to create a story where their characters clash.)
3. Explore Different Paths: Whether your criminal stays in the cafe or gets kicked out, whether your hero succeeds or loses their wand, or whether your secret agency cracks the cafe’s code or fails—it’s all part of the fun!

Why Join the Criminal Cafe Universe?

This world is designed to be a collaborative storytelling universe. You’re not just writing in your own bubble—your stories can connect with other writers’ characters, creating a rich, evolving world full of drama, action, and magic. Plus, the world has built-in systems like the cafe’s rules, credits, and powers that give you lots of creative freedom to explore different outcomes.

Whether you’re writing about criminals trying to survive the cafe’s rules, heroes using their wands to save the day, or secret agents plotting to take down the cafe—you get to shape the world with your imagination!

So, are you ready to become part of the Criminal Cafe Universe? Pick your role, create your characters, and start writing today!

Click here to Read about the Shoolik Cafe Guidelines!