Illaria Point of View

'I'm sorry to suddenly postpone the appointment. It was a last-minute plan on my part.'

'It's no problem. In fact, I will be busy this whole week. I was just thinking how to tell you the news as well.'

I read the text message for one more time and know clearly that he was being convenient for me. I was both grateful and guilty when I thought of how Devon was accommodating according to my schedule.

If it was not for...

Never mind! I still a lot on my mind and Disco ball is the last thing I was to think about at this point of time.

There is still the matter of the first folder that Disco ball sent me which is encrypted with a password that has a hint related to me which I'm still unable to crack.

Following that, a couple more documents and timeline sheets came from him which are equally toughly encrypted.

When I'm not busy with other office work or my brother's wedding preparations, I usually spend time on making a list of possible passwords so that I can try them once I jotted them down all at once.

Since I only have three chances to crack it open, I need to be careful with it.

I don't know when my life has become so badly stressful that I'm starting to feel easily exhausted these days.

I looked down at the notes I made in my phone, I thought of few more possible passwords to add to the list since I'm a bit free now.

I was so invested in my thoughts that when I felt something nudge me in my abdomen, I jolted back to reality.

With a hint of frown and displeasure I looked at the culprit, who, not so surprisingly, turned out to be the crackpot disco ball.

He was now somehow, for some reason, sitting beside me, with his head turned towards the other side as he was enjoying whatever is going on in the bus. He was clapping his hands and at the same time nudging me with his elbow.

"Stop poking me." I growled and pushed his arm away from me. "What the hell are you doing here on the seat beside me? Where is Lyra?"

Due to last minute changes, Asmund had to stay back to take care of a few tasks while Lyra accompanied me on teambuilding camping.

Lyra is still fairly not as capable as Asmund when it comes to handling a few things. One of the reasons for this si because Lyra is not as experienced enough as Asmund is.

"Alarming, I'm not poking you! You should sing now." He grinned and nudged me again.

"Excuse me?" I showed a fierce scowl to him which he seriously did not take it seriously at all.

"It's your turn to sing now. Come on, don't be a spoilsport and sing." My turn to sing?

I looked around and saw that a few were standing, few dancing with a different styles of cymbals in their hands and a few sitting and seems to be clapping. Now, everyone is looking at me, waiting with a hint of anticipation in their eyes.

What exactly was going on?

I was in my own thoughts so much that I didn't even know what the hell is going on.

Lyra who was sitting right behind me leaned over and told me that there is a singing competition going on and theme is to sing songs on a particular word until someone cannot think of a song on that word and lose. Then the word will be changed and the competition continues with the new word.

There are four teams, left front – which means the front seat of left side make one team, left back - back seats of the left side make one team. And then there is right front and right back.

However, Lyra said everyone should take the chance to sing even though they are divided into themes.

And this is my turn to sing a song on – "What was the word again?"

"Puppy." Lyra answered.

Puppy?

Who came up with this word?

"How did you come up with the words?" I asked curiously because usually when such games are played, the common words are 'love', 'baby', 'heart' etc.

"Mr. Mayhem has already prepared a few words, wrote them on the paper slips, folded them and put them in the glass jar. We sing on the words that we pick."

Ah, no wonder.

Of course, disco has a hand in it.

"Puppy is it! Let's see. As song with puppy..." I thought for a moment before singing the first song that came to my mind.

"Puppies are cuddly, are cute

Their nasty or mean

I'd give a home to all the lost puppies

If ever one day I were queen

Puppies, puppies, happy puppies

Puppies, of love

Puppies, puppies, puppy puppies

Lost puppies, I love you, love, love

Puppies are cuddly, are cute

Their nasty or mean

I'd give a home to all the lost puppies

If ever one day I were queen, arf" I finished singing the song from Veggietales.

It was one of the shows I used to watch when I was very young and the songs from the show are imprinted in my brain.

That was such a good, funny and musical show.

"Wow! Never thought Ms. Allard used to watch Veggietales." Someone pleasantly gasped followed by series of others comments.

"I thought they grew up watching business channels for having such amazing business acumen."

"I know right! She actually remembers songs from Veggietales." Comments from around flew in.

I only shrugged and did not quite stop them from gossiping as this is not office and we are out on a fun activity.

Cartoon shows from time before were such a good treat for kids then. I and my siblings used to watch a variety of cartoon and even now we watch a few of those past shows every now then.

Look at the cartoon kids shows now... most of them are too educational and less fun and interesting. In those days, cartoons used to have their own logic to them, they are fun and educational at the same time, not to forget how creative they used to be.

"Okay, it's Mr. Mayhem's turn now. A song with the word 'puppy'." Everyone's attention turned towards Disco ball and the latter smiled proudly at the amount of attention he is getting.

"Woof woof, bark bark" Disco ball suddenly started to bark so realistically that, for a second, I thought there was really a dog beside me.

"Puppy lasagna, Puppy lasagna

I wanna be a puppy!

If you wanna be a puppy, all you have to do is crawl around and

make growling sounds

Come on and try it!"

I was struck speechless when I heard the song. I and almost everyone know this song but who would dare to sing it such a way that this crackpot did?

Although it was an innocent song, when he sang it, it sounded so – strange and suggestive that everyone felt pretty awkward right away.

One cannot blame them, disco ball sang it in such a way!

"Alright. Nice song, nice song. How about we change the word now? Puppy is now boring everyone." The very perspective team manager of the planning department diffused the odd air and proposed to change the word, which everyone agreed almost immediately.

They brought the glass jar to me asking me to pick a folded paper and I did so. After opening it, the word inside stumped me.

Looking at me surprised expression, Lyra took the paper slip from me and looked at it. The moment she read what is in it, she was surprised as well.

"What is it? What you surprised, Lyra?" An employee asked.

"Uh, why don't you see it yourself." She passed on the paper slip and those who read the word on the slip, almost everyone has the same or even exaggerated expressions on their face.

"Have you lost your mind? What sort of words did you write on those paper slips?" I gritted at Disco ball almost on the verge of losing my cool.

I cannot believe this man!

"What word did you pick?" He asked curiously, but then, before I or anyone could answer, he said with a proud self-pleased smile. "All the words I wrote on the paper slips are hashtags that are related to you."

The hell did he just say?

It felt like I was struck by lightning when I heard his words.

It was not just me, everyone in the bus were shocked still as well and gaped at him speechless.

He took the paper slip and looked at it and a smile came on his face. "Actually, 'period cramps' is not such a hard term to sing on. There are many songs with this word."

Is he being for real now?

Who writes 'period cramps' for collective singing activities?

"All the words are linked to me? I understand period cramps, how is puppy related to me? I don't own a dog."

He grinned and shook his head, "Nay, puppy is because your nose looks like the nose of the breed boxers; pink and enough long."

I suddenly have a feeling of doubting my own existence now.

Is he complimenting me or mocking me?

My nose as pink as a boxer's nose?

"What about the first word 'skirt' then?" Lyra asked with a frown.

"Ah, that... Alarming's hair is as beautiful and silky as a horse tail so... skirt."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hello Sweeties,

Next chapter is here. Enjoy!

What do you think about the chapter? Good?

Uno Mayhem is totally not from this planet. Agree?

Why is he torturing poor Illaria in such a way?

Do you all also agree that cartoon shows from back then are much better than now?

What kind of hashtags are there in Uno's mind for Illaria?

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Lots of Love

Lady Prim