THE FALL could have been anything: a tumble down the cliffside, a leap into the lake, a jump off the ledge, a trip over broken sidewalk. Once the fall had begun, it did not stop. Darkness pressed close and air rushed past, tumbling, no notion of which way was up, no sight of the bottom. Consciousness, eventually, was lost.

A pile of soggy pillows broke the fall. They were of a rainbow of colors, each lovingly embroidered with patterns of thread, all frayed and dulled by age and water.

The room was smaller than a child's bedroom and made all of copper. The tarnished walls were etched with patterns like a motherboard. A warm light illuminated the room, but its source was unclear. The ceiling was dark and made of deep, rippling water.

There did not appear to be a door. There was, however, a cat.

The cat was black. Its green eyes stared wide. It grinned.

"Hi!" said the cat in a meowling and excitable voice. "Are you okay? That was a big fall! Welcome to Compass District One, visitor! I'm Howl. What's your name?"

---

_{The IC is now open for play. Each character will arrive alone in their own separate room and in identical circumstances.}

"...Agh, that hurts...."
As the world swam back into view, Kieran first became aware of a burning ache in his right leg. Nothing else hurt, however, which was odd considering how long the fall felt. He wasn't quite sure what had happened. He had just been walking home, stumbled over the curb, and then... it was like he slipped right through the pavement and into an endless void. No way to tell how long he had fallen, nor how long he'd been lying... wherever he was.

He was lying in a crumpled position atop some disgustingly moist pillows, which must have broken his landing. The walls, all of which were close enough to make the boy feel slightly claustrophobic, were made of a metal similar to his Aunt Maeve's kettles, with nonsensical patterns carved into them. A surreal experience, no doubt about it.

Just as Kieran had managed to sit himself up to have a proper look about the place, a small black animal came into view. Upon closer inspection, Kieran figured out that it was a cat. It was prettier than the knarled strays that wandered the alleys in the darker corners of Belfast... and it talked.

Kieran flinched back in surprise, barely catching what the cat had said. He blinked confusedly, as if in a vain attempt to process what had happened. "...Now that's just mad as a box of frogs, it is." He muttered to himself, clearly disturbed but not quite afraid. He was too lost to be afraid.

The 9 year old made no attempt to communicate with the cat, currently waving his hand in front of his eyes rapidly to check if he was hallucinating. Anything to convince himself he wasn't dead.

Chris had been walking to school listening to music on his phone. He was taking a more scenic route to his destination, a small little street. The leaves had been budding, and Denver was fading into a scenic spring. His song stopped, and he pulled his phone out of his jacket. It got caught on the lining, and the headphones fell out. He slowed down, still walking, and carefully navigated the cord into the audio jack and tripped over that piece of sidewalk. He quickly stuck out his right foot to catch himself, except he couldn't find his footing. Chris braced for the inevitable impact, closing his eyes, but nothing happened. he opened his eyes, and found himself in a sea of darkness, with air rushing past. He shoved his phone in his coat pocket and panicked. He flung out his arms and legs in a skydivers position to slow his descent. It didn't help. Chris panicked, as his vision started failing him. He went limp, as his body fell further and further.

Chris was jolted awake by a sudden impact, but there was no pain. He had landed in a world of blue red and green, and his breathing was strained. He pushed with all his might, and flew upwards. He found himself looking down at the pillows he had landed face first in. The pillows were damp, and surrounded with copper, like the rest of the room he was in. Except the ceiling, what?! The ceiling seemed to be made of a watery substance. He was about to start panicking, when he heard a voice behind him. "Are you okay? That was a big fall! Welcome to Compass District One, visitor! I'm Howl. What's your name?" The boy whipped around to face the sound, finding a cat like creature, well, just a cat. Except it talked so it couldn't be one... or could it? He almost forgot the question, and rushed out his answer "C-Christopher.. but uh, everyone calls me Chris? Where am I again? some clock district?"

Strange. Riley didn't remember the water being this far away from land. There was some elevation between the rocks and the water, but definitely not enough to warrant ten seconds of free falling. Now nervous, Riley slowly opened her eyes, to find that everything was dark. She held her hand in front of her face, and found that she could not see it. The sky never got this dark at home. Even in the night with a citywide power failure the stars were always out in brilliant droves, the most prevalent of all the celestial bodies being the moon.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she hit something wet and soft back first, that received her with a FWOOMPH! and no pain whatsoever. Riley squeezed her eyes shut, and when she opened them, she found herself in a place nothing like the endless cavern she was in but seconds ago. It was a well lit room, an unclear source of light illuminating the walls in a vibrant bronze and the ground beneath her in a surfeit of gaudy colors. On one such pillow lay a cat, so dark it seemed to absorb the light around it. It opened it's maw and began to speak. "Hi!" it said, lifting itself from its seat and slowly approaching. "Are you okay? That was a big fall! Welcome to Compass District One, visitor! I'm Howl. What's your name?"

"Are you a fairy?" asked Riley, not paying any heed at all to what Howl was saying.

Mikhail was resting on his top bunk bed after a long day at school. He had exams all days and he felt pooped, exhausted, enervated even. But that last one might just be an exaggeration. But he really did feel sleepy as his eyelids tried their best to stay open, but they felt heavy like an ocean of pressure are keeping them shut. And the dam that was his consciousnesses was being crushed under the immense force of his sleepiness. Mikhail let out a huge yawn as he sat up, the young boy looked around his room. It was still early evening as the sunrays were slipping though the curtains hanging over his window, and the digital clocked was shining 5:56 PM at him with it's LCD blue lights. Mikhail let out another yawn, which caused his eyes to water, which he promptly wiped away with the palms of his hands. Mikhail after wiping his tired tears decided to see his mother, who should be relaxing in her bed about now after picking him from school, Mikhail crawled to the ladder of his buck bed, he turned himself around and slowly made his down each ladder, half way down Mikhail let out another yawn, but suddenly the loud sound of something crashing into his window shocked the young boy, which caused him to lose his grip on the ladder and as he was falling backwards he flings his arms all around to find something to grab onto something... anything. But his flinging around caused him to lose his footing on the ladder and he was falling off the bunk bed. In a moment Mikhail could only let out a soft confused "Oh no."

Mikhail let out a soft tired groan as he felt himself awaken from his scary dream. He dreamed he was falling off his bunk bed, maybe his dad was right about not keeping it. Mikhail turned to his other side as he felt that the side he was sleeping felt cool and wet, he does while sleeping in the summer. But yet, when he turned around the other side felt just as damp and cool, which caused himself to let a confused murmur before patting the bedding in front of him, but it didn't feel like his bed, it felt like a large collection of throw pillows, Mikhail opened his eyes slowly and he sat up, finally getting a good look around the area he found himself in. It wasn't home he knew that that much. It was a small room with copper walls which had strange symbols on it that he never seen before, Mikhail couldn't locate the light source, as there was no lamps or any windows. But strangely enough the roof of the room was covered in a thick layer of water, as if it was a puddle, but stranger still was that there seemed to be no glass or plastic keeping the water from falling down on the pink haired boy and the damp pillows surrounding him, Mikhail couldn't help but let out a soft gasp at the sight, a million possibilities of how that's possible is running though his mind, his mind was so preoccupied that he barely noticed the black cat. But yet when the Black cat spoke up Mikhail's attention focused on the black feline tenfold compared to the lake on the ceiling.

"H-hello...Yeah, I think so...Nice to meet you Howl...My name is Mikhail Fox, don't worry about my last name I'm not really a fox." Mikhail spoke politely holding back his questions until the cat was done talking, it's rude to talk over somebody else, even if said person is a cat and that should be impossible. But once Howl was done talking Mikhail's curiosity took over. "Wow~ I neverseenatalkingcatbeforeitshouldbeimpossibleduetohowyourlungsandvocalboxesaredeveloped differentlycomparedtohumansorevenbirdswhichsomecanbothmimicandunderstandthesoundsthey'remakingalsodoyouknowhowthewaterisfloatingontheceilingmagically?" Mikhail was speaking so quickly that his words were running into each other and amazingly he did it all in one breath but yet he took a sigh then he talked again. "wheredidyousaywe'reatagain? compassdistrictoneright? ... Where is that?"

---

Aro was on her usual morning trek to school. It had just rained, so the worms, pill bugs, and other little creatures were out. She had picked up a little beetle on her way, almost immediately before deciding to jump in a puddle. She expected to hit squishy mud, but instead, she kept falling. She opened one eye, her hands still loosely gripping the little black bug. Before Aro could recognize her surroundings, she was in a mound of pillows.

Aro paid little mind to the talking cat, she was more concerned about her little six-legged friend.

"Are you alright?" she opened her little pale hands, finding the beetle upside down and squirming. She nodded at the bug and stood up, slowly making a hole in the pillows. Only then did she notice the cat. Aro's eyes immediately widened, and she closed her hands around her insect. Another creature, maybe it would have some idea how to get out and back home.

"Uh, kitty, do you know where the exit is?"

<sub>Kieran flinched back in surprise, barely catching what the cat had said. He blinked confusedly, as if in a vain attempt to process what had happened. "...Now that's just mad as a box of frogs, it is." He muttered to himself, clearly disturbed but not quite afraid. He was too lost to be afraid.

The 9 year old made no attempt to communicate with the cat, currently waving his hand in front of his eyes rapidly to check if he was hallucinating. Anything to convince himself he wasn't dead.</sub>

The cat blinked its bright green eyes. Still grinning wide, it sat up like a rabbit and waved a paw in imitation of Kieran's hand, assuming it to be some kind of communication or greeting.

"I'm not a frog!" chirped the cat. "I'm Howl. Howl the Cat." Howl set down on all fours and smiled up at the boy. "If you don't have a name I'll call you Mop-Head. Hiya, Mop-Head."

Howl jumped up softly into Kieran's lap and sat on his knee, purring.

---

_{The boy whipped around to face the sound, finding a cat like creature, well, just a cat. Except it talked so it couldn't be one... or could it? He almost forgot the question, and rushed out his answer "C-Christopher.. but uh, everyone calls me Chris? Where am I again? some clock district?"}

"Christopher!" the cat chirruped, ears perked happily. It stood and danced in a circle, tail pointed at the watery ceiling. "Hiya, Christopher!" It jumped and landed delicately on Chris' lap. "You're in Compass District One, which a lot like a clock without the ticking and with a lot more rabbits. Before you can see the rest of the District, though, you'll have to get out of here first! But hang on, you have something on your face."

Howl reached up and batted at Chris' glasses with a soft dark paw.

---

_{"Are you a fairy?" asked Riley, not paying any heed at all to what Howl was saying.}

The cat tilted its head and swished its black tail. "I never thought about it. I could be a fairy! Are you a fairy? I bet you are -- if you weren't a fairy, you wouldn't ask. Ha! I got you, Fairy!" Howl grinned wide, triumphant.

With a little leap, the cat lighted on Riley's lap and sat on her knee, purring. "Do you think I'm a fairy, Fairy?"

---

_{"H-hello...Yeah, I think so...Nice to meet you Howl...My name is Mikhail Fox, don't worry about my last name I'm not really a fox." Mikhail spoke politely holding back his questions until the cat was done talking, it's rude to talk over somebody else, even if said person is a cat and that should be impossible. But once Howl was done talking Mikhail's curiosity took over. "Wow~ I neverseenatalkingcatbeforeitshouldbeimpossibleduetohowyourlungsandvocalboxesaredeveloped differentlycomparedtohumansorevenbirdswhichsomecanbothmimicandunderstandthesoundsthey'remakingalsodoyouknowhowthewaterisfloatingontheceilingmagically?" Mikhail was speaking so quickly that his words were running into each other and amazingly he did it all in one breath but yet he took a sigh then he talked again. "wheredidyousaywe'reatagain? compassdistrictoneright? ... Where is that?"}

The cat's big green eyes stared with unblinking interest, grinning, tail swishing, while syllables spilled out of Mikhail's mouth.

"The water's on the ceiling because of the gravity machine, silly!" the cat laughed. Of course, everyone obviously knew what a gravity machine was. "Compass District One is the east district of Compass! It's the water reservoir for all the other districts. It's very important!"

With a gentle leap, Howl perched on Mikhail's knee. "So, Mikhail Fox-Not-A-Fox, did you always have cotton candy on your head?" Its smile broadened brightly.

---

<sub>"Are you alright?" she opened her little pale hands, finding the beetle upside down and squirming. She nodded at the bug and stood up, slowly making a hole in the pillows. Only then did she notice the cat. Aro's eyes immediately widened, and she closed her hands around her insect. Another creature, maybe it would have some idea how to get out and back home.

"Uh, kitty, do you know where the exit is?"</sub>

The cat's ears swiveled, and it craned its neck to see what she had in her hands. After a moment, it tilted its head.

"I sure do, Beetle-Blue!" the cat chirped happily, naming the new visitor for her pet and the color of her eyes.

Howl winked at her, stood up and spun in excited circles, then turned its back on Beetle-Blue and lifted its paws against the patterned wall.

"All you have to do," said the cat happily, "is touch that circle up there. The one with the ripple-y symbol."

There were several circles among the carved patterns in the wall, but five of them had symbols at their centers:

---

"Uh, the one that looks like a snail, a bean with an f, a flower, or a sideways S? I'm going for the sideways S," Aro trusted the talking animal a lot more than she would ever trust a human. So, after transferring her small friend to her non-dominant hand, she wiggled through the mess of pillows and touched the one she thought looked like a S taking a nap. She was honestly more concerned with missing school than the fact she was in a strange, seemingly magical, place. Aro really didn't want to do all that make-up work again.

@Mokley

<sub>"You're in Compass District One, which a lot like a clock without the ticking and with a lot more rabbits. Before you can see the rest of the District, though, you'll have to get out of here first! But hang on, you have something on your face."

Howl reached up and batted at Chris' glasses with a soft dark paw.</sub>

Chris's expression slightly lifted, as the cat began prodding his glasses. He decided to play along. "Oh wow! When did those get there? Lemme put those away..." He brushed his hands along his coat again, but into the opposite pocket, and he pulled out a long black cylindrical device. He pried it open, and removed his glasses, storing them in there. Once inside, he gently closed the case, resting it in his coat once more. It did affect his vision, but only a little. Christopher slowly slid the cat off of his legs so he could stand. "So, cat, how do we get out of here? Is there some kind of door or lever anywhere nearby? Maybe those puzzle games will actually help?
Chris gave the room another brief examination. He gently moved the pillows on the floor into an empty corner, taking caution to examine the walls intricate patterns. Chris however, didn't find anything impressive on the walls, much to his dismay. He was afraid of touching the water, in case it suddenly flooded the room he was in. Chris could swim yeah, but he definitely wouldn't rely upon it.

Mikhail was surprised when the cat understood each and every word that escaped out of his mouth like the bulls in Running of the Bulls, normally the people trampled in this metaphor are people's ears, but it would seem cat ears are immune to vocal bull trample. The cat anwsered his question about how the water stays on the ceiling with a rather obvious answer to the cat themselves, but was contextless for the boy as no such machine existed back in his world. Well Mikhail thinks he in a different world since no such machine existed and if such a machine existed the laws of physics would be different ever so slightly, also the fact that there's a talking cat was in front of him which is biologically impossible for a cat to even mimic human language and to such a degree that the cat spoke helped with his theory. Or he could be dreaming, or in his case hallucinating from hitting his head from the fall. But that last thought didn't sit well for him, so he just going to say he's in a new universe where the laws of physics are different and where cats can cat freely. That somehow sits well with him, but never mind all that, the cat said this place is the water reservoir for the other districts which might explain all the bronze walling, but he's not sure about all the pillows.

The cat spoke up again, this time asking about his hair, which to the cat looked like cotton candy, Mikhail giggled a bit at that, he gotten that a few times at class. "heheheh, it's not cotton candy! It's just my normal hair, my mom helped me changed it to this color!" Mikahil laughed, half his laughter was from Howl's goofy smile, it reminded him of the Cheshire Cat, but yet he had Howl's name, maybe the cat is a wizard like his name sake?

"Uh, Howl? You wouldn't happen to have a moving castle would you?" Mikhail innocently asked the cat. This place was already strange so a moving castle wouldn't be too strange for the cotton candy haired boy right about now. And honestly Mikhail was always jealous of young boys and girls who got to go and have mystical adventures though strange lands and meet fantastical people and beasts.

Mikhail smiles broaden at the notion of going on a magical adventure though this land of talking cats and floating water held in place with science defying machines! He could do without the damp pillows though Mikhail could barely contained his excitement at the prospect of a grand adventure!

This wasn't the first time Isabelle fell somewhere. She has tripped on rocks, branches, toys, everything you can imagine, and what she could likely imagine anyways. But this was the first time she outright fell into the abyss, and the girl from Missouri doesn't know what caused her to fall, she wasn't really paying attention.

Isabelle had awoken in a room of some sort, and she was lying on some pillows. While she was pondering where she was, the girl heard someone speak. And it was a kitty-cat! And a talking one, at that.
"Hi! I'm Isabelle!" The girl reached out to pet the kitty.

"I'm not a fairy. I'm Riley," Riley said, pouting childishly. "You're the fairy. A cute, fluffy fairy, with big ears." She reached over and began scratching Howl behind said ears. "After all," she reasoned. "Only a fairy would try to use funny word tricks to make others believe they weren't fairies." She moved her other hand to the cat's head, stroking it, then down to its back, and all the way to its tail. "Now, fairy," she said. "You are in my grasp. You have to answer three of my questions without lying, like in the stories. How do I return to Scalby?"

_{Aro trusted the talking animal a lot more than she would ever trust a human. So, after transferring her small friend to her non-dominant hand, she wiggled through the mess of pillows and touched the one she thought looked like a S taking a nap.}

The symbol, upon the touch of Aro's finger, lit up with a gentle white glow.

WHRRRRR-CLACK clickBOOM!

The walls shuddered with mechanical movement, and the entire little room creaked and vibrated violently, like an old machine shaking off the rust. The room lurched, throwing Aro back into the pillows, as the water descended slowly toward her -- or, rather, as the elevator raised her up toward the water's inverted surface.

The cat's ears flicked, and its grin flashed. "That's exactly the one!" it chirped happily. "Goodbye!"

With that, Howl turned around and leaped out through the solid wall of the rising elevator as if the cat were nothing more than a spirit, leaving Aro alone with the encroaching water.

---

_{Christopher slowly slid the cat off of his legs so he could stand. "So, cat, how do we get out of here? Is there some kind of door or lever anywhere nearby?" Maybe those puzzle games will actually help?
Chris gave the room another brief examination. He gently moved the pillows on the floor into an empty corner, taking caution to examine the walls intricate patterns. Chris however, didn't find anything impressive on the walls, much to his dismay. He was afraid of touching the water, in case it suddenly flooded the room he was in.}

The cat's tail twitched thoughtfully, watching Christopher navigate the lines and circles that patterned the little room. "No doors or levers, but --" It was cut off by the sudden mechanical noise of rumbling and whirring, coming from somewhere outside the room. The cat grinned again, pleased by the sound.

"You see those circles there?" asked Howl as it pressed its paws against the wall; the cat pointed at five symbols in five circles that were carved in relief on the bronze wall. "Press the swirly rippley one, and you can get out of here!"

---

_{"Uh, Howl? You wouldn't happen to have a moving castle would you?" Mikhail innocently asked the cat.}

"Moving castle?" Howl tipped its head and swished its tail. "A castle that moves?" The cat paused at the sudden mechanical noise of rumbling and whirring, coming from somewhere outside the room. The cat grinned again, pleased by the sound.

"Sure! This is a moving castle, in a way! Here, look!" Howl pressed its paws against the wall; the cat pointed at five symbols in five circles that were carved in relief on the bronze wall. "See those circles? Press the swirly rippley one and see!"

---

_{Isabelle had awoken in a room of some sort, and she was lying on some pillows. While she was pondering where she was, the girl heard someone speak. And it was a kitty-cat! And a talking one, at that.
"Hi! I'm Isabelle!" The girl reached out to pet the kitty.}

The cat's ears twitched, and it purred. "Isabelle! That's a nice name," Howl chirped happily. The cat got up with its tail pointed at the watery ceiling, and jumped up to gently sit on Isabelle's lap. It paused at the sudden mechanical noise of rumbling and whirring, coming from somewhere outside the room. The cat grinned again, ears swiveling, pleased by the sound.

"Let's have some fun, Isabelle! I'm bored!" The cat smiled, stood up again and turned in a circle, watching her hopefully.

---

_{She moved her other hand to the cat's head, stroking it, then down to its back, and all the way to its tail. "Now, fairy," she said. "You are in my grasp. You have to answer three of my questions without lying, like in the stories. How do I return to Scalby?"}

The cat stretched and sat down, ears swiveling, and stared up at Riley with curious green eyes. It paused at the sudden mechanical noise of rumbling and whirring, coming from somewhere outside the room. The cat grinned again, pleased by the sound.

"Scalby is your home? There's only one way to go back home, and only the Witch can do it. The Witch can open a doorway to anywhere at all -- including Scalby!"

---

@bloonewb@UmbreonRogue@Bornlucky@AluminumDude@LordofthePies

"Kitty, I don't like this! I can't swim! Neither can Bugs!" Aro had named her beetle on the spot in the midst of her panic, trying to give the cat more reason to save her from the water. She curled into a ball, clutching Bugs to her chest as she rose. Maybe she'd float. Maybe it was magic water, like the first puddle. These thoughts blazed through her mind, although they did nothing to calm her.

@Mokley

Riley's face lit up at Howl's response. Perhaps getting home would be easier than thought. Perhaps she could even come back to visit, either occasionally or forever, depending on what her parents think. The sound of a mechanical whirring reverberated throughout the room, possibly coming from a source outside. "What does that noise mean?" she asked. "How do I speak to the Witch? Could you show me the way?" She knew that was more than the allotted three questions, but perhaps if she kept scratching his ears and stroking his fur, maybe he wouldn't notice.

"See those circles? Press the swirly ripply one and see!"

Christopher nodded slightly to the cat. "Got it, thanks for the tip." He walked over to the 5 circles. The cat didn't specify which one was the ripply one, however. The first and second obviously weren't the correct buttons, neither was the fifth, but he hesitated between the third and fourth buttons. He felt inclined to push the third one because it reminded him of the f hole on his viola. But the fourth looked a bit more like a ripple. Though the cat said ripply, not ripple, and the third could be said to have multiple ripples...

Chris reached out his hand and gently applied pressure to the button. He slowly withdrew and turned to face the cat. "So... now what?"

_{"Kitty, I don't like this! I can't swim! Neither can Bugs!"}

But the cat had gone. Disappeared through the wall, with a grin and a twitch of his tail.

With a shake and a whirr, the elevator rose and rose, and warm water enveloped Aro. It continued rising for a few seconds, then stopped with a watery hiss and a thump.

Sunlight shimmered far above, filtered by the moving water -- but of course it would be impossible to admire the surroundings when trapped underwater, unable to swim.

A face appeared over the top edge of the elevator, haloed by floating black hair. It was a child with big, dim gray eyes and mouth open in wonder, fingers curled around the top of the elevator wall. The child watched Aro while she struggled.

After a moment -- when it was clear that Aro was not well adapted for life in the water, the child swam down inside the elevator, grabbed Aro by the shirt, and dragged her speedily out into the open water, where schools of fishes darted past.

By this time, Aro would be out of air and drowning. The child held on tightly, gray expression unchanging, lifted up Aro's shirt and stuck the end of a thick wire to her stomach. An electric shock coursed through Aro, and she passed out for the second time that day.

When she awoke, she was still underwater -- but she didn't need to breathe. She was in the sand at the bottom, surrounded by seaweed and curious fish that tickled her in passing. The wire had disconnected from Aro's stomach, and it floated loose, its end flickering with blue electricity. To her left, she could see the big imposing dark building that hummed quietly within a crevice in the watery floor, and above it the elevator she'd come from.

A second elevator was rising out of the big dark building, whirring and clacking. Inside this elevator was a boy, who had been tricked by the cat just the same as Aro had been.

Above, there was sunlight. All around was open ocean -- and in the distance, the child swam like a fish toward a clump of tall weeds, hair billowing behind.

_{"What does that noise mean?" she asked. "How do I speak to the Witch? Could you show me the way?"}

Howl purred drunkenly, dropping into a more comfortable position. "Those are just the noises the Laboratory makes," he answered. "We're in the Laboratory, so naturally we'll hear the Laboratory noises.

"The Witch is in the Tower, in Compass District Zero," he answered easily, completely distracted and compliant. "I know how to get there, but you can't go the way I go, which is the easy way. All the other ways to get there are just too dangerous. Wouldn't you rather stay here?"

A grin crept over the cat's face, and he rolled over and returned to his feet, away from Riley's hypnotizing hands. He turned his back on her and pressed his paws against the wall, tail flicking. "See those symbols there? Any of them can get you to District Zero, but none go there directly, but they're all very fun anyway. Touch one and see!"

_{Chris reached out his hand and gently applied pressure to the button. He slowly withdrew and turned to face the cat. "So... now what?"}

The symbol, upon the touch of Christopher's finger, lit up with a gentle white glow.

WHRRRRR-CLACK clickBOOM!

The walls shuddered with mechanical movement, and the entire little room creaked and vibrated violently, like an old machine shaking off the rust. The room lurched, throwing Aro back into the pillows, as the water descended slowly toward Chris -- or, rather, as the elevator raised him up toward the water's inverted surface.

The cat's ears flicked, and its grin flashed. "Now, you drown!" it chirped happily. "Goodbye!"

With that, Howl turned around and leaped out through the solid wall of the rising elevator as if the cat were nothing more than a spirit, leaving Chris alone with the encroaching water.

---

@AluminumDude@bloonewb@LordofthePies

At Howl's suggestion, she became more enthusiastic. A chance to explore this new wonderland? It sounds like a lot of fun! And plus, Isabelle is tempted to try to draw her adventures in this land at some point.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Isabelle said, hopping on her feet a bit. She looked around for a bit for the exit. Well, the little girl and cat can't go anywhere if they don't leave the room, can they?

Riley turned her gaze from the little cat to the buttons he was referring to. They were all strange, intricate patterns, like nothing she had ever seen before. Obviously a classic riddle, befitting of a fairy as devious as Howl. Her hands absentmindedly went behind her head, and she began working her hair into a braid. What do the symbols do? Whatever their meaning, she felt she had to make a decision quickly. This brought to her mind a small memory of home. Mum wanted to move house, to the midlands, but Da fretted with numbers until the home they had picked up was bought by someone else. Riley remembered Mum having a large argument with Da, using long words like 'indecisive' or 'tentative', as well as a great many words she said later not to repeat. Riley most certainly didn't want to imitate that behaviour, so she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and pressed one of the buttons at random. It turned out to be the one on the far right.

Falling, Arthur felt he was falling. He took a moment to realize his situation and hugged himself. Realizing that Tyrone was not with him he began to panic. He was falling! He gasped several times grasping at thin air for something to grab onto. Tears began to roll down his face as fear ripped right through him. He closed his eyes shut tight while praying this was simply a horrid nightmare and that Mommy would come and save him. Suddenly, he landed in something soft... and damp.

Arthur waited for a few minutes before eventually deciding that he was not going to wake up yet and he reopened his eyes. He saw pillows. Dozens of them. This was not his room. He sniffed and wiped the tears from his face before he started to look around to see where he was. His vision was blurred from his fear, and he simply could not think straight. He then saw a bit of movement in the room and he froze.

"Hi!" said the cat in a meowling and excitable voice. "Are you okay? That was a big fall! Welcome to Compass District One, visitor! I'm Howl. What's your name?"

Arthur stared at the black blur a long while before his vision finally cleared enough for him to realize that a cat had just spoken to him. His eyes widened to its extremes. His neighbor had a mean cat that scratched him the one time he tried to pet it, and ever since he had tried to avoid getting near cats whenever possible. A talking cat simply proved to be more than he could handle.

"N-n-no!" He cried out as he twisted around and began to dig into the pillows in an attempt to escape this nightmare. "I just want to wake up!"

Deeper. "Wake up!"

Deeper. "Wake up!"

He made a small hole to climb into and began to blubber in it. "I want my Mommy!"