Realistic or Modern Kleur Cavern (Main)

[Nefelibata726]

June 17th, 2018
Dear Reader,

My name is Mr. Rowe, and I have contacted you in hopes of you being one of the few people I seek. I need someone will determination, skill, and intelligence. You are the exact type of person I need. I invite you to a private event. If you have ever heard of a location by the name of Kleur Cavern, you would know this is one of the world’s most unexplored cave systems. I would like you, and a few other selected individuals, to accept this once in a lifetime offer of exploring these caves. There will be a $50.00 fee if you are going to participate, and cash must be paid up front.

The meeting location will be in Juniper, Iowa. In this town, there is a small diner on the outskirts of town. You, a few other people, and I will meet here to discuss the plan. We will meet on June 25th at 9:00. Do not be late. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns...Well, you will have to ask in person.

Hope to see you there,
Rowe

Norman had received the eight days ago, and he didn't hesitate in packing his bags. He's heard of Kleur Cavern, hell who hasn't? it was one of the most mysterious places on Earth, right!? Norman was shocked he had received the email in the first place, and he had so many questions. Why him? How long will the exploration be? How many other people will be there? What should he bring? Was it safe? Norman just hoped for the best as he stuffed his clothes into his backpack along with his phone charger, pencil and notebook, and other things to keep him entertained at the hotel. The young man left his house, locked the doors, and jumped the next flight to Iowa.

Norman was now sitting at the large table in the diner, his eyes shifting from Mr. Rowe to the floor. He was the first one here, apart from the man in charge. Was that bad? Should he have waited a little longer before showing? Being first showed that he was desperate...right? It was so quiet. They were the only ones here. Why, though? It was morning, shouldn't the diner be insanely busy? He didn't think too much about it though, he didn't know this town. The young man fumbled with his hands in his lap, his eyes glancing up as the waiter walked over.

"Are we ready?" the young woman asked, her bright blue eyes looking from Norman to Mr. Rowe. The older man looked over, "no, miss. We are waiting for at least five other people. I'll let you know when we are ready. Until then, I'll take a black coffee," Mr. Rowe said, offering a smile to the blonde woman before turning his gaze back to the window. Mr. Rowe walked over to the glass pane, his arms behind his back as he stared into the parking lot. The man looked over at the clock on the wall, annoyance flashing in his grey eyes. 8:30. The others had thirty minutes. If they're late, Mr. Rowe will not allow them to be a part of the exploration team.

 

[monochromegalaxy]

June panicking was an understatement; she was beyond insane. Seeing how far she was from the meeting place, June did not hesitate to pack whatever she could, especially her last Christmas present: A video camera with night vision. Together with her water proof and shock proof camera, she carefully placed them inside her rucksack. Everything else like spare clothes, a roll of toilet paper, her everyday stationary, a head light with a red light option, her water bottle, and a first aid kit was chucked inside without care. June re-read the email numerous times in worry she might've missed something. Normally, the girl would plans trips months ahead and pack heavily. Travelling light was an unusual sensation compared to the heavy but reassuring weight on her back. June knew it was something Bear Grylls would recommend however, to survive without dragging one's self down with unecessary weight. If only she could carry around a knife...

June knew little about caving, unless you count the late-night marathons of Man vs Wild and no actual experience being in extreme environments knowledge and skill. The allure of capturing a place untouched by humanity with her very own eyes and camera was too strong for June. The saturation of artificial lights, buildings, and people that plague the fashion industry drove June insane, the need for adventure and something real tugging at her. The shame that imprinted itself onto her brain still made the young photographer squirm, adding more reasons to why she needed to retreat life for a while.

She left her small flat immediately, taking the next flight to Iowa.

The photographer almost threw herself through the diner's door, fearing her tardiness would cost her a possible adventure. In her state of frenzy, however, she forgot timezones exist, her watch displaying a whole different time altogether. June managed to arrive half an hour early.

'Oh my god... So tired,' she inwardly groaned and scanned the diner, blushing in embarrassment as some turned to stare thanks to her strange entrance. 'Ugh, should I just ask around? That Mr. Rowe didn't even include a picture, geez.' June wandered about, the camera hanging from her neck and mannerisms obvious signs that she was a foriegner with no idea of what's she's doing.

 

[Lux___Wolf]

Mason Sangster parks outside the neon-lit diner. His brown eyes check the mirror.
He dials Ken. The phone rings twenty times before it's finally picked up.

"Uh, hello?"
"It's me," Mason says. "Add my number already. It's getting embarrassing."
"I'm in the middle of a study group session."
"Oh. Kay. Lemme talk to Jewels for a second."
"Here she is."
"Kisses, Jewels!"
The cat hisses from the other end!
"Hahaha.. That's my pussycat."

Click. Dialtone.

"Love you too, babe cocksucker." Mason throws the phone into the passenger seat.
"Dumping you when I get back, Ken. Totally fucking prick."

He gets out and slams his door. Beep, the car locks from his remote. He walks through the breezy parking lot.
Mason enters the diner where music echoes from a jukebox and bumps into a foreigner girl. "Sorry, my bad."

He whistles and asks the waitress, "Where's Rowe's table?"

monochromegalaxy
Nefelibata726

 

[Sea Jay]

Michael was sitting in his room in the big fancy hotel room he had been staying in for the past couple months, looking over all the emails he'd gotten asking him to go here and there for one reason or another, leaning on his elbow with a haze of boredom over his eyes. He stopped, eyes sparking with curiosity at the header, something about a cave... He didn't bother reading a large portion of it, forwarding details to his agent under the guise of a business opportunity. He didn't wait for a response, he knew he could do as he pleased so long as it could possibly improve his image. Adventurous? Ha! Double check on that.
He grabbed a hold of the camping backpack he'd been given by a sponsor a few weeks back. "Thank you, uppity dickbags..." He muttered under his breath with a humorous huff, unzipping it and tossing things inside, noting to have his driver stop for supplies when they headed out, zipping the bag up and tossing it onto the bed. A few minutes later he'd grab the same bag and head out the back door to meet his driver, narrowly avoiding the blinding light of cameras that had been hunting him for weeks to make his way to Iowa.


Upon arrival at the diner he hung up the phone with his agent, silencing it and tossing it into his bag, motioning for the driver to stick around. He pulled a hat on and slid a pair of sunglasses on his face, and rested a hand on the door, feeling nostalgic for just a moment before pushing the door open and stepping inside, his entrance today only accompanied by a brass bell hung on iron.
He patted his hands on his legs idly as he peered around the room, eventually venturing further in to find a few people who seemed to be doing the same as he was, lingering away from Rowe's table to blend with the crowd.

 

[Twin Fantasy]

On one hand, Iowa had to be one of the most fucking dead, boring places on the planet. A state consisting of nothing but mom-n-pop stores and slightly racist bumper stickers. Matsu felt that, on any other day, they'd have no good reason to go. But this?

This was different.

Kleur Caverns. A place shrouded in mystery. Matsu loved mystery. They loved watching for cryptids, hunting for UFOs, and looking for the hidden secrets of old. So this was right up their alley immediately. They packed their stuff within two days without telling anybody, and their pushover parents agreed to let them leave out of the blue. Their band knew, and apparently, Mai would be taken care of. Which meant it was off to Juniper, Iowa, in search of a diner in the outskirts of town. Matsu sure wished it had been a little more specific, but then again, this town was probably the size of their thumb. After a long plane ride and then a moderately shorter bus trip, they finally arrived in Juniper. The fog was both a source of excitement, and annoyance.

They booked a hotel to drop their stuff off. Then it was but one more day until the meeting. Matsu strolled in, with their platform boots, and their ratty old vest, covered in patches and pins.

"Hey!" They knocked on a table, trying to get some level of attention. The room went moderately quiet. "Is there a Mr. Rowe in here?! I have no idea what you look like!" They had no shame in doing this. After all, they were an artist. Everything they did was art.

 

[HunterCameron]

Desmond paced back and forth nervously near the front doors. His mom had dropped him off around 8, and he had yet to enter the diner. He felt faint, excited, scared, and completely out of his element. The man held his hands out in front of him, they were balled into fists.

"You can do this. You can do this." How hard could it be? All he needed to do was open the door, walk in, find where Mr. Rowe was sitting and join him. He turned back to the door, reached for the handle, then took his hand back. What if it had been a huge joke? He turned away and paced once again, thinking himself into a nervous wreck. The brunette watched as people came and entered the diner. He assumed that they were there for the same reason, but he wouldn't know for sure unless he went inside.
"OK Desmond!" He whisper-shouted to himself. "You can do this. What would Naruto do? He wouldn't stay out here like a scared child! What would Captain Spock do? He would march in there and demand respect!" He shook his head, that definitely wasn't going to help in this situation. "Just pretend... like this is a quest. In order to reach the next level, I just have to go in and find the quest bearer." He nodded to himself, then once again reached for the door. This time he actually got a grip on it, and pulled it open to reveal a nice smelling, cozy diner. He froze in the doorway, but quickly moved towards the table that sat two others. It had to be that one, everyone else in the diner was just standing around like idiots. As if he was one to talk.

"Uh hey." He gave a small awkward wave and a tentative smile. "I'm Desmond." He didn't go for a handshake, instead opted to sit in the chair next to the other younger male. He wiped the chair off quickly even though it looked clean before sitting down. Desmond placed his childish looking backpack on the ground near his feet. He started tapping his foot and playing with a frayed end of his sleeve. He couldn't remember being so anxious in his entire life, and that was saying something because he played Dark Souls a lot.

Nefelibata726

 

[Maine Coon]

This is it. Past this door is the point of no return. Do I really want to do this?

What am I thinking?! Of course I do! Damnit, I can't back out now! This could be it! The lucky break I've been waiting for! Kleur Cavern is famous for its mysteries, the complete lack of knowledge we possess about it! Being part of those who will be the first in history to explore it would be an honor I'll likely not get again! I can't throw this opportunity away!

Bracing himself for what was to come, Kevin steeled his courage, took a deep calming breath, and raised one hand to rest upon the diner's door, his other resting on the large purple duffel bag by his side. Taking comfort with the familiar feel of the duffel bag he's owned since going to college. His thoughts wandered over to its contents, making sure he has everything he'll need. Change of clothes? Check. Medicine and first-aid? Check. Books? Check. Some food for when I get hungry? Check. Flashlight? Check. My Swiss army knife? Check. Time? 8:35. Good, he's still early.

Having made sure he has all the essentials tucked away safely, and the backpack with his equipment still intact, he took one final breath to steady his nerves, and pushed the diner's door open.

 

[Nefelibata726]

Mr. Rowe watched quietly as the diner slowly filled with more and more people, obviously here for the email. There was the occasional customers that walked in, the ones who had no business in this meeting. The man looked around the diner before turning his attention onto Matsu as he heard them call out in the diner. He scoffed before turning to face everyone. "If you are here for the meeting about the caverns, come join us at this table," Mr. Rowe called out, offering a smile to the newcomers. He looked at the other young man who approached the table, "Desmond Sanford. Welcome," the man said with a small nod, offering a smile before he looked at everyone else.

"Alright, it looks like most of us are here. If you would take a seat and order something, it's on me. Feel free to get whatever you'd like," Mr. Rowe said, taking a seat at the end of the table. He crossed his arms over his chest, watching everyone. "I am Mr. Rowe, in case any of you are wondering. If you have any questions regarding the email or the caverns, now is your chance to ask," the man said, glancing at the waiter as she brought the coffee and began asking for drink orders.

Norman shifted slightly as the diner filled with more and more noise, his gaze glancing up at all the arriving people. The young man glanced at Desmond as he sat beside him, offering a small smile before glancing down. He fumbled with his hands quietly, remaining silent as the man in charge spoke up. He glanced up at the man, listening to his words and shifting as he glanced at the menu. He was starving but... no. He bit his lip and glanced down, listening. "W-when will we be leaving...?" the young man asked softly, glancing at Mr. Rowe before casting a glance at Desmond.

Mentions: HunterCameron Twin Fantasy

 

[monochromegalaxy]

June immadiatley booked for the table and took a seat, one away from Mr. Rowe. She thanked him profusely, instinctively bowing her head before placing her order; a caramel mocha, a vegetable omelette and hash browns. The trip to Iowa was rushed, barely giving the photographer any time to eat a proper meal. At Norman's question, June nodded, and looked over at Mr. Rowe expectantly.

"Mhm. Oh, shouldn't we introduce each other first?" June did not wait for an answer, and instead, waved to the strangers with a welcoming smile. She had to admit, she was jittery with nervousness and excitement. "Hi everyone! I'm June Ito. I look forward to our caving together!"

 

[Lux___Wolf]

Mason follows the stragglers and that foreigner girl he bumped into. He sits at the table with them, paying Mr. Rowe a fifty-dollar-bill up front, ordering his 'free' and late dinner. He overhears that the woman's name is June Ito. He smiles at her enthusiasm and at the fact that it is the month of June also, before self-introducing giddily.

"Hello, guys. I'm Mason Sangster. I'm an alcoholiiic... Kidding. Not the alcoholic part but, whatever."

"What I really wanna know is: how did you find us, Mr. Rowe, and why are we ... 'the exact types of people' you're looking for?"

 

[Twin Fantasy]

Tossing themself down in their seat, Matsu flicked their hair out of their eyes... and quietly ordered a black coffee and some pancakes. Their eyes were dull. Their face was dull. The only thing not dull about them was their outfit straight out of an MCR video. Not to mention the eyeliner... what'd they need eyeliner for? Caves don't even have lighting, what the fuck was makeup gonna do?

"Matsu Park-Chiba. I'm the lead singer and bassist of Raging Bitch. You've prob'ly heard of me..." No, they probably haven't. Three kids who just graduated high school and have a bandcamp account. Wow, so prestigious. "I dunno why you've invited me, but as you most likely know, I'm a UFO and cryptid chaser, so this sounded right up my fuckin' alley. Mysteries? That's like, getting up on some Invader Zim shit. I'm fuckin' pumped." They did not look or sound 'pumped' in the slightest. If anything, they looked about as bored as a person could physically get.

 

[Sea Jay]

Michael followed the others to Rowe's table, making sure to sit as far away from the walking talking definition of 'emo' as humanly possible, brushing the seat off before he sat. He listened to the other's speak, pushing a small wrinkle out of his shirt to seem busy. His eyes wandered behind his glasses, trying not to inhale too much, the air was stale and stank of dust and cheap perfume, likely left behind by the many customers going in and out of the room.
He looked around at all the people, leaning back, "I'm Michael" he looked around the room as if expecting something to go wrong at any moment, breathing a sigh of relief when nothing happened.

 

[Maine Coon]

Kevin deftly moved over to sit across the enthusiastic girl with a month for a name, not quite knowing what to make of Mr. Rowe's generous offer of free food. In the end, he decided to not go overboard and ordered a Frappé Caramel and pancakes. He quietly let his eyes roam over everyone currently present, the person sitting across from him seemed nice enough, the girl(?) who screams emo punk (remind him to stay a safe few meters away from her), the fidgety, quiet kid who seems like he's been here waiting the longest, the guy who's built like a football player, the newly-introduced Michael, and a few others heading to the table.

Overall, an interesting group of people to pick for going adventuring in a cave.

"I'm Kevin, pleased to make your acquaintance."

 

[Nefelibata726]

Norman glanced at the girl with the name of the month, a small smile touching his lips before he glanced down. He listened to everyone who introduced themselves, his eyes glancing up momentarily at each one to match the face with the name. He bit his lower lip, glancing up when everyone went quiet. All who needed to introduce themselves now was the man beside him and himself...

"I'm uh...Norman...Athens..." the young man added in a soft tone, quickly averting his gaze from everyone as he shifted uncomfortably. He hated being the center of attention. He just felt like everyone was judging him... and not in a good way. Norman wrapped one of his arms over his stomach, the other arm laying on top of that one as he glanced at Matsu. She didn't look excited at all....was just always so..."meh?" Not a care in the world? She seemed liked the type of person who would really put a party to an end... Kevin...he seemed really nice. Mason...something just screamed bad boy about him. A grin painted the boy's lips but it quickly faded as he looked down. Michael was quiet...but he gave off and snobby attitude, in a way. Did Norman have a chance of bonding with any of these people? Would he be able to make friends with any of them...? He hoped so... Norman glanced up when he heard Mr. Rowe begin to speak again.

Mr. Rowe looked at everyone, making eye contact with Desmond when it was his turn. After the man introduced himself, the leader spoke up. "We will be leaving this afternoon. If nobody has a problem with that, that is," the man said, sitting back and going quiet as the waitress took orders. Watching the young woman go, Mr. Rowe cleared his throat. "There are many reasons you're the type of people I'm looking for. Some of you wish to escape, some of you seek adventure, some of you just wish to know the unknown. I've done...research. I've been looking for years for the perfect group of people to take on this adventure. And all of you just happen to be that group of people."

Mr. Rowe glanced over the group of people. "I will be supplying the cave equipment for each and every one of you. If there is anything else you'd like to take, feel free to bring it. I will give you helmets with flashlights, knee pads, gloves, a compass, spare batteries, water, and food. I will not be taking anything from you before we embark. Bring anything else you wish to bring," the man said, looking up as the waitress came by and handed out the plates of food to everyone who ordered something. "Make sure all of you get a full meal in before this afternoon," Mr. Rowe said, glancing at the few who didn't order anything.

Mentions: Maine Coon Sea Jay Twin Fantasy Lux___Wolf monochromegalaxy HunterCameron

 

[monochromegalaxy]

June grinned as everyone introduced themselves. She felt a little nervous as Matsu took her(?) place a the table, already intimidated from the outlandish entrance which resulted from her grin faltering slightly. June had to give her credit though, Matsu's got guts. Mason, he seems friendly enough. Although, the alcoholic comment brought some concern in June's eyes. As for Michael, he also seemed alright in her book. June had a nagging feeling he seemed familiar. Perhaps it was the way he composed himself that's similar to the models June have worked with? The photographer shrugged the feeling off, moving on to the next caver. Kevin seemed like the most prepared of them all, ignoring the offer of equipment. The last two June laid her eyes on, Norman and Desmond, looked nervous compared to everyone else. She'll just have to make her rounds and talk with everyone later.

The differences in personality was somewhat relaxing, having to work with stolid coworkers or fake/snobbish models for the last few years; or maybe June was unlucky to the point where she'd stuck with a horrible company. Who knows. The universe works in mysterious ways.

But then, June slightly tensed up as the mysterious Mr. Rowe mentioned his 'research' on who to invite, specifically the escape part. Not wanting to ruin anyone's excitement however, June instead kept up her enthusiasm. After all, she didn't want anyone to not have fun.

"Yeah guys! If he's offering, might as well order a feast or something," she said with mirth, briefly looking at Michael, Desmond, and Norman before passing the menu towards their direction. "Once we're in the caves, you'll definitely regret not taking up on Mr. Rowe's offer. Unless you happen to like trail mix."

 

[HunterCameron]

Desmond hesitated before taking the menu. He didn't know how clean they were, and who could have touched them. He held it gingerly between his fingers, and cleared his throat.

"I guess I'll just get the stack of three pancakes," he put the menu down and slid it towards Norman. "Oh and a coffee too." He wasn't used to eating out, staying at home meant living off of cereal and left overs. The gamer glanced around the table, now that everyone was sitting. He started pointing to people and relaying the names to the best of his ability. "Mr. Rowe, June, Mason, Matsu, Michael, Kevin, and Norman?" He was good at remembering names, he could list off the names of all the NPC available companion characters in Skyrim and their specialty. He nodded to himself and turned to Mr. Rowe.

"So I noticed that we didn't sign any wavers. No disclaimers, or any other safety paperwork. Does that mean this won't be dangerous?" He hoped to god it wouldn't be dangerous. He looked like the only one here who couldn't pull his own weight. "Not that it would be a problem." He said quickly, before starting to wipe away invisible crumbs on the table top. The group of people here made him feel like he was in high school all over again. The group was so diverse, and he prayed to whatever god that was listening that those stupid cliques wouldn't happen. Where people grouped up and left the losers to defend for themselves. He was definitely one of the losers. He thanked the waitress when she brought his coffee and pancakes. Taking a moment to rub the rim of the cup with a napkin, he reached over and grabbed the sugar packets and cream. He used six sugar packets, and three cream cups. He like his sugar with a little coffee. He sipped it while starting to cut the pancakes up into smaller bites. That way he was less likely to choke on them. He began eating them, and was glad that June brought up the point that she did. He really would have regretted not grabbing something to eat before they left.

Nefelibata726 Twin Fantasy monochromegalaxy Maine Coon Sea Jay Lux___Wolf

 

[Lux___Wolf]

It was very strange occurring to Mason that he was researched by a man like Mr. Rowe. Suspicious.
But it was just a cave. Even if it came with its own urban myth. Maybe this was a reality tv show or something.
His eyes flicked to Norman. Pretty boy, but seems unsure of himself, indecisive? Might slow them down.
Desmond made him chuckle out loud. He didn't apologize for that, because the dude was hilarious.

"Dude, no one signs waivers going into a cave," Mason snorts-snorts and pats the table.
"Assume it's dangerous. Stay with the group, and you'll be fine. It'll only be for an hour, tops."

Nefelibata726 Twin Fantasy monochromegalaxy Maine Coon Sea Jay Lux___Wolf

 

[Maine Coon]

Bells instantly started going off in Kevin's head. First of all, what did Mr. Rowe mean by 'Researching' them? He certainly doesn't have a record that would make him an optimal candidate for something like caving, unless his extensive list of online purchases somehow caught the attention of someone as seemingly high-profile as Mr. Rowe -- which he doubts -- then this would point to Mr. Rowe actually not having conducted any valid research! But why? What would he gain from having a group of untrained and seemingly unprepared individuals go down one of the most mysterious cave known to mankind? With what looked to be individuals so far from one another they may as well have been picked in a lottery, no less. Things just aren't adding up.

Things just aren't adding up! Kevin mentally screamed, his thoughts at disarray and unanswered questions floating through his head. Who is Mr. Rowe? What did he mean by research? Why us specifically? What could he possibly hope to gain with this? ARGGHHH!

The answers? Gods he hated not knowing the answer. Logic points to the conclusion that he has nothing to gain but why go through all this trouble for nothing?! There has to be a reason! Unable to hold back any longer Kevin cleared his throat to get the attention of his point of interest. "Uhm, Mr. Rowe, what exactly do you mean by doing your research? And how? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

 

[Nefelibata726]

Norman watched the group quietly, shifting slightly as he kept his mouth shut. He listened to all of them speak, ask questions. Why did they have so many questions? The more questions that are asked, the longer its going to take for them to get down into the caves. Norman was actually pretty excited, despite the fact that he wasn't showing it. He looked at Mr. Rowe, then Matsu, and then Desmond as they talked about food and passed the menu around. He took it, biting his lower lip before glancing up at the others. The last thing he wanted was to eat around these people... Norman handed the menu over to Michael, averting his gaze down to his lap as he sighed softly to himself. He didn't want this to be like every other time... He didn't want to be teased and taunted like he was in high school when he ate.

Norman glanced at Desmond when he heard the question, "I...I don't think Mr. Rowe would intentionally take us into a dangerous cave, Desmond..." he said softly, glancing at his eyes before looking around the table at the others. He bit his lip as he heard Mason begin to laugh, his nervous gaze looking toward the man. When he heard Kevin's question, Norman looked at Mr. Rowe. It was kind of....unsettling. Some guy random researching a group of people... How did he do the research exactly...? This was one of the important questions...

Mr. Rowe watched the group of people, sitting back as he watched the waitress pass out the plates. He picked up his own fork, beginning his meal of eggs and bacon. "If it was dangerous, Desmond, I wouldn't be taking you down there. If anything, you'll get a few scrapes from the cave walls. Nothing major. You will be safe, I assure you of this," the man said before looking at Kevin as he heard his words. He raked his fingers through his dark hair, looking at the other man. "What I mean by that is simply going the past few years, finding people through social media, only by chance. Every one of you has a special quality, one that makes you a liable aspect of cave exploring. Sure, some of you have no experience, some of you never even thought you'd step foot into a cave, period. That doesn't matter because you will learn. Look at this like...an adventure. Just a harmless, fun activity. One that not many people could say they've done. Its a once in a lifetime deal. You don't have to stay, you don't have to go through with this. You can walk out of this at any point in the week. Give it a shot, if you don't like it, then its a money back guarantee. You may take your money and leave. Each day you go into the cave, its seven dollars. You will not be getting the fifty dollars back, only parts of it. Does that make sense?"

Mr. Rowe cleared his throat, continuing to eat. "Now, if you'd like to go through with this, pay the fifty dollars, cash, and we will embark on the journey at noon. If you wish to leave, you may finish your breakfast and leave. No questions asked, no payment for your meal."

Maine Coon Sea Jay Twin Fantasy Lux___Wolf monochromegalaxy HunterCameron