[PP-F3] Calling Upon a Comrade

[Telrenya 0]

As her finger hovered over the button reading 'Send' in her menus, Telrenya took in a deep breath through her nose. She had already spent several minutes writing out a message to a stranger, one whose name she had only recently learned.

Quote

To: @Hikoru
Subject: Beatbox

I've heard from Jomei that you knew Beatbox. He's a person that's very precious to me, and I would like to know more about his life here. If you don't mind, would you be available to talk sometime?

There's a place called The Wildflower Cafe in Delilah. We can meet wherever you'd like, but you can find me there.

-Telrenya

She was hoping the title of the message was enough to catch the player's attention, and the contents were neither too suspicious nor too demanding. She wasn't sure if Hikoru knew who she was or not, as she hadn't prodded into the details of Jomei's conversation with the man. With a stiff bottom lip, she urged her hand forward and sent the message off.

Letting out the breath she had been holding in a sigh, Telrenya closed her menus and made her way to the cafe next door. Slipping away from her Artisan shop and locking the door behind her, the girl nervously ran a hand through her shoulder-length blonde hair. She was dressed casually: a pastel blue off-the-shoulder sweater paired with a straight black skirt that reached to the middle of her thighs. With the white-and-gold headband resting behind her bangs and a pair of matching ankle-high boots, she pulled open the door to The Wildflower Cafe and found a small table that was as out of the way from other players as she could manage.

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru received a message from a player whom's name he had seen somewhere before. He read the message and saw Beatbox's name within it. He took a moment to think and remembered Jomei speaking of the girl before, and he knew that she was the one he had been talking to. He couldn't remember her connection to Beatbox, but he knew that she could be somebody that could use the info about him. He gave a small sigh and sheathed his dagger, the creature behind him finally pixelated as he made his way back to Tomoika. Soon he appeared in the middle of town, not a lot of player's on the floor as most of them stayed on lower floors. He cleared his throat a little before speaking.

"Teleport, floor 3." He said, following the co-ordinates connected to the message. He followed them until he found the shop and saw a young girl sitting alone at a small cafe. He guessed that she was the person who sent the message. He came slowly and sat across, his cowl hiding his face so all that could be seen was a blue cloaked man in front of her. "So, I hear you wish to talk about Beatbox..." He said quietly. He pulled down his cloak, his black hair and gray eyes appearing from the hood. "Then lets chat..."

[Telrenya 0]

The girl had requested a cup of tea while she sat alone for a short time. Soon the procelain was brought to her table, and Telrenya had only just taken the warmth in both hands when a cloaked figure approached her, taking the opposite seat without a word. She blinked with surprise, straightening slightly while a touch of anxiety began to fester inside of her. The silence last only a second until the man referenced the message she had sent him in order to confirm that he was the player name 'Hikoru' that she had heard of. She remained stiff even after he pulled the cobalt hood down to his shoulders to reveal his face.

"Oh, r-right," She couldn't help but stammer as her mind finally caught up with her. Still, she felt unsure of where to start. Introductions seemed either unnecessary or unwelcome, and so she avoided reiterating any information that had already been included in her message. The blonde gave a small clear of her throat in an attempt to disperse some of her nerves before starting, "Well... Really, I would just like to know more about the life he led here. I'm sorry if it sounds silly, and I hope I'm not wasting your time like this," Her gaze had shifted to the side while her thumbs fidgeted, running themselves over the smooth surface of the cup they held onto. Urging herself to look into the stormy gray eyes of the man sitting across from her, she continued, "How did you know him? Are there any adventures you went on together that you can tell me about?"

[Hikoru 0]

Awkward. That's the first word Hikoru could use to describe the woman in front of you. Next to shy, innocent, and a bit naive. In all honesty if he didn't know that Jomei was good friends with this player he probably would have left by now. An NPC waitress came over in a bit of a skimpy outfit, asking for a drink. He looked straight into her eyes, avoiding any unnecessary ideas forming in the young girls head. "Just a Peppermint Latte if you have one. It's about that time of year..." He said with a chuckle. The girl nodded and bounded away, checking on other mostly male customers. He raised his eyebrow at the choice of meeting, but im sure the player had her reasons.

"Before I say anything about Beatbox." He said, intertwining his fingers together and placing his elbows on the table. "I wish to know about your connection with Beatbox. For all I know you could be a person trying to hurt the people in my guild, and if so this meeting could cause the downfall of us..." He said, then his eyes narrowed. "I also with to know your intentions with Jomei. I have known the man for as long as i've been trapped in this game. If you have any intention of hurting him whatsoever, I will make sure you won't leave here without telling him yourself." He said, his eyes waiting for her to respond, reading her body posture, reactions and the way her eyes would move to make sure if she was lying.

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya hadn't been expecting as much suspicion as the man gave off. His first request--wishing to know about her connection to the fallen frontliner--left her wishing that she had taken the time to pry a bit deeper into Jomei's conversation with the man before she had taken it upon herself to reach out to him. With so many missing puzzle pieces, she tried not to take his skepticism personally. Aereth had shown the same degree of caution, but she found herself wondering to what lengths she might have to go in order to prove herself to Hikoru.

His gaze sharpened as it trained on her, causing the woman to shift in her seat. Telrenya blinked in surprise when he expanded the question to include her relation to the Irishman. When he had gone so far as to insinuate that she might mean to harm him, her chest rose slightly with an instinctive sharp breath through her nose. Dirty blonde brows narrowed slightly over her chocolate eyes. "Of course I wouldn't--!" Her mouth clamped shut as she stopped herself, loosening the tight grip she had taken on the porcelain teacup. Air expelled itself steadily from her lungs and her shoulders fell half an inch as she chose her next words carefully.

Her eyes had dropped to the amber liquid in front of her while composed herself and her explanation, picking back up after a few silent moments to meet his stern gaze once again. "First... Jomei and I are dating. We...recently started living together, so..." She had fought to keep a bashful tone from infecting her voice, to no avail. She normally wouldn't be so open with the fact that the Irishman had recently invited for her to share his home in Taft, but she felt the need to prove her sincerity to the man sitting across from her, and hopefully that would do well to get her point across.

She took in another steady breath, dismissing her shyness as she continued. "Beatbox... James is my brother. I get the impression he didn't talk about me much." The words were paired with a tiny, wry smile. "We had logged into the game separately, and we never told each other our usernames. After we were trapped, the only thing we could do was search through the other ten thousand." Her chin fell, no longer able to maintain eye contact. "If you need any other kind of proof, I'll do the best I can."

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru listened quietly for a few moments. The girl got heated over his reply to her wanting to hurt Jomei. His eyebrow raised a few millimeters in surprise. She seemed a bit offended that he would say something. He mentally wrote it down as she explained her relation between the two characters he talked two. The waitress returned with his Peppermint Lattea and he gave her a few bits of Col plus tip, then locked eyes with the young girl as she finished. He took a small sip then set the cut down, his eyes closed.

"It doesn't matter whether or not you live with him, you could still stab him in his back and he'd never know..." He said, his teeth clenched a bit, then he released the tension and opened his eyes with a small smile. "But there's no need to think I wouldn't trust you. I remember Jomei saying that you two were dating, so I wanted to be sure..." He said with a chuckle. He cleared his throat. "And as for Beatbox... you are correct, he never spoke of a sister... I'm sorry I couldn't help save him..." He said, his eyes downcast with a small sigh. "But past that, what you want to know is nothing more than just facts I had learned over time. I never knew of his true intentions, only of what I saw within his eyes and his actions." He took another sip. "But if you still want to hear what my side of the story is im willing to say..."

[Telrenya 0]

His next words were like needles pricking into her pride. Telrenya bristled slightly at what she interpreted as Hikoru's doubt regarding her feelings and intentions toward the Irishman, wondering why the man seemed so persistently distrusting. Her gaze was cast into the nearly-untouched drink in her hands while she forced a mental shake of her head, giving her best attempt to understand his point of view. She had seen first-hand how quickly this world and the players in it were to turn on each other for the pettiest of reasons. Her lips pursed slightly, at a loss until the man's expression softened.

She blinked, looking back up to him when he said there wasn't a need for her to think of him as distrustful towards him. The woman was confused. If he had heard about their relationship directly from Jomei, why had he been so stern with her? 'Aughh, it doesn't matter.' She forced her mind away from the topic, not wanting to cause any more friction between them than what already existed.

She brought the edge of her cup to her lips, finally taking another drink before she shook her head at Hikoru's apologies. "Don't be. Like I said, my intentions here might sound silly to some, and I don't mean to inconvenience you by calling you out here." She started, her own features softening into a sad smile while she gingerly set the cup down on the table. Her fingers remained curled around its surface to enjoy its warmth, and she leaned forward slightly on her arms. "I'm not out for revenge, or to take up his mantle. I'm...not capable of either of those things." Her eyes turned back up to Hikoru's with the smallest flicker of light returning to her eyes. "I knew James. The big brother who beat up the other kids that pushed me around. Who was so nosy that he snooped around for a solid week until he found out about the guy I had a crush on in high school just so he could tease me about it." She chuckled, pulling her cup back to her chin. "But I never knew Beatbox. If...I manage to get out of here, I'd like to take some stories back home. So if there's anything you can tell me about him, good or bad, I'd be happy to hear it." She said with a smile stretching a bit wider.

[Hikoru 0]

The girl seemed a bit ticked with him about his mind games, but he just needed to be sure that things were true and that he had found the right person. Hikoru gave a sigh and nodded as she said she wanted to hear about the stories he knew. He took another sip of his latte, and gave a sigh as the taste lasted for a few moments after the liquid had entered his body. He knew that it would matter to her if he was truthful about everything, and he gave another sigh as he set down the drink.

"I'll tell you everything I know about Beatbox, well the relationship we had anyways." He said as he looked to his coffee. "I met him a little after I joined the Celestial Ascendants. The Tank Paladin, Morgenstern had said I could join and soon I was given the title of Sentinel and then Paladin. Beatbox if I remembered was kinda ticked, along with the others me taking the place under their noses." He said with a thoughtful chuckle, the memory fresh in his mind. "Well soon Beatbox became my Apprentice, and my first memory really getting to know him is when we did Redemption..." He looked at the girl. "I had an orange crystal at the time, and knew I could shoot two birds with one stone. Anyways, I gave him some money after I saw that he was worthy of the Sentinel title." His eyes beamed with pride in the player. "I didn't teach him much, if anything at all, but I was still proud of how him and the rest of the guild had become with my time being there..." He sighed. "Anyways, a little while later he left to be apart of another guild. It was a hard time, but we said he would be welcomed back with opened arms."

"After that, he came back after awhile but we had gone on a bunch of quests together. The two of us were unbeatable. My stealth attacks and his raw damage, we were a tough team to handle in my opinion. Every fight we had, we always came out stronger and closer... Until one day he sort of disappeared." He said. "Then, I heard that we was killed by Death Adder... There wasn't any warning, nothing that told me it was going to happen... He deposited a bunch of items at the time, and I grabbed the Demonic item that he was given..." He looked at Telrenya "Which I gave to Jomei awhile later... And that's, where my stories end..." He said with a sigh.

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya listened intentedly at everything the man had to say. She remained silent through the entirety of his story, draining the last of her tea just before he had finished. Her expression naturally dimmed when he explained what little he knew surrounding the swordsman's death, which was nearly as little as she did. A few words in particular caught her attention, and her brows narrowed just slightly in confusion when he mentioned that he had left items behind just before his disappearance and later demise.

Her brows knit further as she found herself contemplating the circumstances behind his death for what must have been the millionth time. Soon giving a small shake of her head to dismiss such thoughts, her attention was briefly drawn to the bubbly waitress who returned to check on them, giving the NPC a small nod to indicate she would like another cup when prompted.

"I'm glad you were close to him." Her smile grew a bit warmer as her hands rested in her lap. Her fingers traveled to the emerald charm hanging on a silver chain around her left wrist, idly turning the trinket over. "He didn't have a lot of friends in the real world. But here," Her eyes lifted up as she referred to the whole of Aincrad, "I imagine this place was a paradise of sorts for him, at times." She chuckled.

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru just gave a small chuckle as she said she said she was happy he was close to Beatbox. He gave a small sigh, staring at his coffee with longing, wishing that Beatbox was still here and that he could have stopped him from dying. The feeling of shame, regret, and sadness overwhelmed his heart and he just stayed silent, holding back a stray tear as he took a few moments to compose himself. It was a hard thought to think of him, or anyone who had fallen that he was close to. Beatbox, Lowenthal, Azide.... All of them difficult. He gave a small sigh as he took a drink of coffee to calm his nerves. He set it down and looked into her eyes.

"Sadly, this place really isn't paradise..." He said with a sigh. He looked at her. "Remember, we are trapped in a virtual world with now way to escape except to defeat bosses and climb one-hundred floors. The illusion that this game is a paradise is a dangerous one... I'm sure that now, every person's body is deteriorating so now when we do escape, our bodies will be so destroyed that we can barely function..." He gave a sigh and closed his eyes. " I tried to think of it as a paradise once, then everything came crashing around me. This game changes people... It's difficult, to think about some days... But maybe, it was a paradise for him, if only for a moment..." He said, then took another sip. He was running low and waited for the girl to come back so he could refill his drink. He opened his eyes and looked at the young girl "So I will have to ask about you.... I trust you enough to share my part of the story, now it's time to share yours...." He leaned forward, his fingers intertwining as he went back to studying her, his eyes narrowing. "Who are you, Telreyna"

[Telrenya 0]

She was able to enjoy the insight that he provided. Knowing that her brother had really been here, making friends and allies and fighting alongside them as she had tried to imagine him doing brought her a sense of reassurance. She had almost continued to deny Death Adder's words. It wasn't until her meeting with Aereth that she was forced to accept them as the truth--or at least, she had to accept the most basic fact of her brother's death. Then Hikoru brought the reality of the world down on her again. Whether his harsh words were meant to serve as a warning or simply a grim reminder, Telrenya nearly flinched when his sharp gaze turned on her again.

She brought her eyes down to the new mug of steaming liquid that was placed in front of her, but she didn't yet reach for it. She was too busy trying to work past the lump that had formed in her throat. The blonde swallowed hard before speaking so as to ensure the voice that left her was steady. "I'm...nobody special." She answered, her hands having retreated to her lap while fingers fidgeted among themselves. "I... After everyone was told that we were stuck here, I just wanted to find him. I was too scared to leave the cities, so for a long time I just waited.

"After a while I finally decided I wasn't getting anywhere, so I tried doing quests and fighting. Things were okay for a while. I met Jomei, and Ruby, and they really helped me out. It...wasn't long after we made our guild, that--" Her voice finally failed her with a telling crack, and her bottom lip stiffened as she tried to fight back the tears that threatened to form. "I found out about what happened to him... By meeting the man who killed him. S-sorry," Her battle was short-fought as her hands pulled up to hastily wipe away the moisture that rolled down her cheeks.

"I...I'm still trying to get stronger. Or at least, to help and make sure I don't hold anyone back." She spoke in a lower voice. Hikoru didn't need to know about her subsequent decisions to solo under the guise of another player's name. She didn't need anyone else getting involved in that mess of hers.

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru listened intently, curiosity striking as she spoke. She said she was no one special, and he stayed silent as she spoke, her words full of emotion, but acceptance at the same time. He gave a small sigh as he drank the last of his drink quietly, sitting up and setting the empty cup down with a small clink against the table. He gave a small sigh and closed his eyes, processing the information giving to him. After what almost seemed like an eternity, he opened his eyes and looked directly into the girls eyes.

"You.. Are not 'nobody.' " He said with a small sigh, his hair catching a bit of sun and shining a small bit. "Trust me on that. Having enough courage to go out and prepare to search for your brother... That takes guts in this game." He said, then leaned on his arm. "You came face to face with Adder and lived to tell the tale, and you have found the information you were looking for... That isn't 'nothing,' as you put it. That's something special." His eyes softened. "You accepted the death of your brother, although you have moments as anyone grieving would, that's not 'nothing.' Neither is the ability to woo a man so gentle-hearted, yet as troubled as Jomei is. I've known the man for years and he was never impressed easily." He said with a chuckle. "My dear, you may see yourself as nothing." He gave a soft smile. "But what I see is a young woman with a mission, and a person that has overcome many obstacles. And even you leaving the Town of Beginnings is much better than others. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of players that never leave the main towns. You are strong, much stronger than I was at your level." He sat up and leaned back, his arms crossed with a small smile still on his face. "You have the making to be a great frontliner, and a person whom others can rely on... Would you call that, 'nothing?'"

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya was blinking back fresh tears in the silence that followed the last of her explanation, a tinge of embarrassment burning onto her cheeks. And when he spoke up to break that long silence, chocolate brown eyes lifted to meet stormy grey. Hikoru's kinder expressions and his encouraging words easily reached her heart and caused her widened eyes to glisten. The tears that welled and spilled over were no longer ones of mourning, sorrow, and self-pity, but rather hope and gratitude. When the moisture rolled down her cheeks and fell into her lap, Telrenya was snapped out of her stunned expression. A breathy chuckle spilled from her lips while they stretched into a smile, and she was quick to bring her hands back up to her cheeks. Her chin lowered while she rubbed at her wet eyes, working to compose herself between unsteady breaths.

A minute passed, and when Telrenya had once again lifted her gaze back to meet Hikoru's, a wide smile stretched across her face with lingering emotion in her eyes. "You're a lot kinder than you seem, at first." After another moment she finally reached for the new mug that had been resting on the table in front of her, grateful for the comforting warmth that seeped into her palms as she brought the sweetened liquid to her lips. "But that helps. Thank you." She said in a soft voice after taking a small drink.

(ooc: sorry, wasn't sure where to direct the conversation :'3)

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru watched as the girl's reactions changed to one of happiness. He gave a smile and a nod as she said he was kind, and he was about to say something as the waitress appeared. She asked if he wanted a refill, and he just gave a solemn nod as the girl came and grabbed his cup and left to go inside. He cleared his throat and gave a soft smile. "Usually I am quite rude, but recent events... Changed my heart for the better." He said with his smile growing just a little wider. The girl came back with another Peppermint latte, and Hikoru gave a nod as she left. He took a long swig of the small coffee cup with a satisfied sigh.

"Just... Don't let anyone know. I'm supposed to be this 'edgy, scary character' of a person." He said with air quotes. "But if you ask Jomei, he'll tell you i'm a bit of a softie... At least to people I see that I can trust." He said with a sigh. He took another sip and smiled. "So, tell me about this Guild. I heard rumors about it, and I know Jomei has something involved with it... But I really don't know anything about it." He asked with curiosity.

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya chuckled again when Hikoru described his persona, and the corner of her mouth lifted into a small smirk as she pulled her right hand away from the warm mug. With an index finger extended, she pulled it diagonally over the left side of her chest before lifting to cross back the other way in the shape of an 'x'. "Your secret's safe with me." She said, only half-joking. She didn't intend to let anyone know about their meeting, the exception being Jomei, and that was only if the Irishman happened to press on the matter.

Hikoru then inquired about her guild, mentioning the ginger and causing her smile to widen just a bit as the memories came flooding back to her. "More than that," She started with a hint of admiration in her voice, pulling the ceramic to her lips for another drink of tea before she recounted the founding of the Holy Dragon Alliance.

"It was Jomei and Ruby that had the initial idea to form a guild. He called me out to discuss it, and I was surprised at first. We ended up meeting our fourth member that same day, and we all sort of agreed we should stick together and become guildmates." Despite the danger they had encountered during their meeting with Spencer, Telrenya thought back on their adventure in the haunted mansion as fond memories. "Since then, Jomei has really put a lot of work into it. We've managed to recruit a couple more members, thanks to him." Her smile grew a bit warmer as she gazed into what remained of the amber liquid in her cup. She lifted her chocolate-brown eyes back up to meet Hikoru's. "The Holy Dragon Alliance is dedicated to helping and protecting others from any dangers that are out there. Jomei and Ruby have already started fighting in the boss raids, so... Hopefully there will be more of us there to join them soon."

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru listened intently and gave a small nod. She spoke with pride and pleasure for how the guild had taken off and grown from where it had started. A small smile formed on his face as he took another small sip of his almost-empty drink. She seemed proud of how Jomei and the others have done, and he gave a small smile of satisfaction as he knew that Jomei was finally fitting into that leader-like role he saw within the orange-haired player. He showed a small smile as he spoke quietly.

"That makes me feel a lot better about Jomei... ever since the incident..." He looked at her with understanding. "I know he's been on edge about protecting his guild... But as far as i've seen, you all take care of each other very well." He said with a small chuckle. "As it was when my guild first started.We all had each other's backs and a lot of us are still within the frontlines. Although, we no longer speak that much." He let out a small sigh. "I'm thinking of splitting from the guild and becoming a solo player soon, as right now im taking sort of a solo mission within myself." He took another sip. "But that's another story..."

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya felt herself give a small, understanding nod to match Hikoru's expression, but her mouth soon fell into a frown after hearing him describe the less friendly manner in which his own guild had evolved. "I'm sorry to hear that..." She offered, feeling uncertain with the thought. If there was one thing in all of Aincrad that she hoped would never fade away, it was the bonds she had--and was still--forming with her guildmates and friends. She could say that the Holy Dragon Alliance was quite posisbly the best thing to happen to her in her virtual life, as the guild and the people that had grown closer to her as a result of its formation had very well held her together during the worst of her struggles.

Despite the fact that she knew incredibly little about the man across from her, hearing him explain that he was considering leaving his guild to go it on his own brought about a twinge of sadness. Whether or not that was simply what he preferred and was more comfortable with, Telrenya couldn't help but hope that Hikoru would not have to walk that path. She took on a tiny smile, trying to ignore the feeling that she was overstepping her boundaries while she spoke up. "Well... You already know Jomei, and I'm glad to have gotten to meet and talk with you. I'm sure the Holy Dragon Alliance would welcome you with open arms if you're ever looking for another guild." Her smile stretched wider and warmer with the offer.

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru just gave a shrug as she apologized. He finished the last sip of his drink as he turned it over, the universal sign he had learned at the Rusty Dagger to indicate that your done drinking. He just let out a small sigh. "It's what usually happens to guilds I join. The fault may have been mine this time however, as I have distanced myself from most of the guild. I felt that it was better for me to train alone so I could prepare more DPS-based players.. But simple training turned into everyday life." He said with a small chuckle.

He raised his eyebrow as she offered to join her guild. "I'm afraid i'm going to have to say no." He said with a small smile. "As much as I love Jomei as a brother, I feel like its my time to stay as a solo player. It's the way of how I work nowadays... Kinda be like, a dagger for hire." He said with another chuckle. "But again, No will have to be my answer, please don't take it as an insult, because it truly is not."

[Telrenya 0]

"I understand." Telrenya's smile didn't falter with his declination. Rather, she would have been surprised if the raven-haired player had accepted her invitation. She brought the edge of her mug to her lips, nearly draining her own cup of its tea. Though their motivations seemed to be very different, Telrenya was able to sympathize with his desire to train and gain experience on his own, at least to a certain degree.

Setting her drink back down on the tabletop, the blonde opened her menus and wordlessly panned through a couple of sections until a semi-transparent window would appear before Hikoru. "I won't be upset if you choose to decline." She chuckled lightly in reference to the friend request she had sent to the man. "Just know that you can call on me if there's anything you need. I would be there just as you were today." She lifted her mug to empty the last of its contents. "I may not look like it, but I think I can hold my own pretty well in a fight," She explained, half-joking in an attempt to keep the mood lighter before her tone grew more sincere. "And besides that. I don't think anyone should have to take on anything in here alone. Not even the 'edgy, scary' types."

( ooc: last post for me c: )

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru gave a nod as he finished his last cup of coffee. She spoke and he listened as he looked at a clock nearby. It had nearly been an hour, an hour and a half. He knew he would have to cut this short as he needed to get back to his regime. Training with his new build would take a lot more time that it had previously to train, as the new movements in the armor and the new dagger he was planning on getting, it would take some time. He gave a small chuckle at her last comment and nodded

"I suppose you are right, but I do enjoy being alone most days... However, a good friend and a cup of coffee is a good break from it all." He gave a small smile and stood slowly, craning his neck a bit. "But more comfortable chairs... That would be nice." He sighed, then he pulled his cloak back up as he set a large baggie of col on the table. "This is for both of the coffee's. My treat for today. Now, I do have to go. But make sure to keep Jomei on a tight leash. He tends to get rowdy..." He said nudging her arm a bit playfully. "And do be careful in enclosed spaces. He's horrible at self control." And with that, he left and soon disappeared out of sight into the crowd of passerby.