Carrying my overnight bag, I proceeded up the ramps to Meghan's living suite, mentally channeling out the Stamp propaganda plastered along the walls and overflowing the bulletin boards. It was just after 10:30 when I knocked on her door. Meghan answered it and gave me a kiss. "Any trouble along the way?" she asked.
"Surprisingly not," I replied. "Just Stamp junk all over the walls, but the Stampers are unusually quiet."
"Consider us both lucky then. They are on the prowl. And with 'Agenda III,' they're getting quite aggressive."
"Agenda III? I'm familiar with Agenda II. Must've been an update on my way over."
"It started today, I think. They're invading dorm corridors and wings now, even barging into personal quarters, if the rumors are true. They're also very intimidating, threatening consequences to anyone refusing to support him."
That sent a chill down my spine. "Like what kinds of consequences?"
"Expulsion. Campus trespassing. Something of the like. They claim that Stamp will protect students by not enacting 'unreasonable rules' that Kotimer is apparently attempting to implement.... That's false information, by the way."
"Well..." I set down my stuff next to my side of the bed - Meghan planned to share her bed with me. "What matters is that I am here, safe with you, behind a locked door. And you have it auto-locked, right?"
"I do, but I just realized that I need to go to the Slack to get some more snacks for the cupboards. Also, I'm in the mood for a bedtime snack altogether. Would you like to come with?"
Seeing no other choice, I agreed to go with Meghan. We made our way across campus with no incident until we were a few hundred feet from the Slack, where there suddenly emerged Gregory Noser and a few...what I call...henchmen.
"Ladies. Did you get your early ballots in yet?" he asked, arms folded.
Meghan paused, silent. "Our voting plans are none of your business," I said honestly.
"Another way of saying you didn't," Gregory remarked. He reached into a bag he was carrying and pulled out two early ballots along with two pens. "Let's get this over with."
"We're not supposed to vote out in the open," Meghan said. "Also, as she said, we have our own plans."
"And what would those plans be?" asked Gregory.
"We have a right not to answer that question," I said sternly. "And we have a right to not cooperate with you."
Still holding the ballots and pens, Gregory folded his hands behind his back and stood upright. "Indeed. And of course we will respect that right. However, I will caution you to be mindful right now in how you choose your words and responses. This is a very serious matter."
"Is that a threat?"
"No. Of course not. But when Stamp becomes Headmaster - and he will, one way or another - he means to investigate anyone working for the Grime Establishment, to undermine the University. And such investigations may be triggered by public conduct deemed unfavorable, such as...what you may be doing right now...lodging insults against the University."
"That makes absolutely no sense," I said. "First you refer to the current Administration as the 'Grime Establishment,' and then you blame me for being the one to hurl insults against the University?"
"Now you're being manipulative. And Stamp does not play well to that. He won't once he becomes Headmaster.... Here's the deal: We will let this fly under the radar; we will pretend that you said none of these things, or that perhaps you were just being emotional, per your natural tendency-"
"You will NOT go there," I interrupted, bristling, getting into his face. Upon seeing this, the henchmen began moving toward me.
"I would be careful," said Gregory, indicating these henchmen. "And I speak the truth when it comes to natural tendencies."
"Well, your natural tendency is that you're a bit of a crybaby, like you were when you got punched in the 'Noser.'"
"You're the one making the threat now," replied Gregory, who threw down the ballots and pens, and pulled out a talisman. He cast a Shield Spell around him. "Try me! Carry it out! I dare you!"
As I went to pull out my talisman, Meghan grabbed my wrist. "No!"
"SHE OBVIOUSLY MEANS TO FINISH ME OFF!" shouted Gregory. "Let her try me, bitch!"
"You don't call my-" I began, but Meghan cut me off.
"STOP! BOTH OF YOU!" Meghan then turned to Gregory. "It's not worth risking expulsion. Put your talismans away. Let's just count our losses and carry on. It's not worth trying to settle scores at this point."
"We're in league with Heather Walker, by the way," I added.
"Look," said Meghan to Gregory. "We're not interested, and we will not change our minds over the next two days. From now on, whoever you approach, please let it not be us again."
"Whatever," said Gregory, throwing his hands up in the air and motioning for his henchmen to follow him.
***
I had learned of the Word-of-Mouth oathcrafting spell, used by a descendant of House Esary to end a civil war in Canticula about 150 years ago. And the name of that spell speaks for itself. Literally, someone saying certain words will invoke emotions in members of warring factions in a way to stop them from fighting. With Meghan...I don't know if it was her voice, which to me is sweet as honey, or if it was the emotional desperation in her voice. Some effect was had on me that compelled me to stand down, put away my talisman, and let Gregory walk off. And it appeared that a similar effect was had on Gregory himself.
Perhaps it's just a mere, false speculation that I have about Meghan. Nonetheless, she does give off a mysterious vibe...the very thing that made me start having a crush on her in the first place.
I messaged my living suite group chat just a while ago, telling them what happened. "I'll go show him" was Heather Walker's reply, though I responded with a message advising her to be cautious. Meanwhile, Bernard replied, explaining how this all falls in line with "Project New Cabotton," and that this Project included agendas for during, and even after Stamp's supposed Headmaster tenure.
Meghan and I are about to go to sleep, so I will end my entry here.
The Headmaster election is in two days.