Tackle Safety - Arena??? Gun??? Get out. SAFE.
Block. SHIT. SHIT SHIT SHIT. INVESTIGATE. Witnesses? Competitors Village. Security??? High Noon? Mesh???
Canon. Related???
Cinder. Definitely related.
What is Shaft 19???
What is Season W- SHIT. SHIT THIS IS.
SHOW TO DIAMOND
SHOW ALL OF THIS TO DIAMOND
What the actual everliving shit
This is messed up
Mesh???
Someone shot Mesh - Investigate
YARN? Host?
Mesh. ToDO List? Not connected. Dr Frost. Blaze??
Strike - connected?
Mesh's head just did that
YARN.
This is all connected??
Way too connected.
Buy new journal

– excerpt from Bright's private journal

DAY 1: STATEMENTS
Treasury: Poisoning set in during speech. Max Taste had strongest motive, ran advertising campaign countering Treasury's at same time, sent “mocking, smug, VERY rude” letter to Treasury before Munch-a-Monster opening. Chefs apparently of high enough quality that they wouldn't make mistake during cooking.
Max Taste: Claims he didn't do it. Would be too obvious, didn't see Treasury as much of a threat, says eyewitnesses can place him at Monster House for much of window of opportunity.
Munch-a-Monster guests: Max Taste was seen in kitchen immediately before opening.
League Conference security: Treasury handed over a total of 300R in bribes to guests before they gave testimony.
Storm Viper: Tested food before delivery, didn't get sick. Had no motive since was named during speech as source of food.
Skillet, Monster House chef: Corroborates Max Taste's statement. Max Taste at Monster House during incident.
Flambé, Munch-a-Monster chef: Tested food after delivery, didn't get sick.
Garnish, Munch-a-Monster waitress: Tested food after cooking, got sick.

CONCLUSIONS SO FAR: Food poisoned after delivery but before service. Max Taste has alibi but unsure if Skillet can be trusted. Very slim chance Storm Viper responsible.

—

DAY 2: NEW LEAD?
Guests of Munch-a-Monster report disruption outside: pink tentacled Monster dropped onto tables, rampaged through crowd. Did Treasury bribe all of them?

Update: Apparently not. In fact, they seem to have been bribed to keep that fact quiet – to limit further embarrassment? Damage to exterior consistent with reports of Monster damage. A distraction?

Description of Monster fits none in the League, will extend search.

—

DAY 3: NEW SUSPECT?
Eyewitness (no connection to either Max Taste or Treasury) saw pink Monster hiding in Munch-a-Monster gardens with two unknown individuals.

Reported uncanny similarity to Thorn. Is Thistle involved?

Update: Yes. Thistle promoted Munch-a-Monster, has rocky relationship with Max Taste. No clear motive.

CONCLUSIONS SO FAR:
Possibility that Thistle + Thorn involved low – why would she sabotage Max Taste's rival's restaurant if her relationship with him was poor? Despite alibi, evidence currently points to Max Taste as prime suspect.

Wait. Unless.

—

DAY 4: CASE CLOSED
Crabgrass is a really bad liar.

Two figures make their way to the top of the city wall.

Years ago, they would have taken the stairs. Years ago, there would have been no other choice. These days, Pluck struggles to walk for long, even on level ground. And Bright limps, has done for years, ever since she broke her leg in a scuffle with a small-time drug dealer in a back alley, and it never quite healed right.

Fortunately, these days, there's a lift - Crash's patented antigravity platforms, put to good use.

The two of them make their way to a familiar nook, looking out to the West. They lace their fingers together.

“Hey. You know I…”

“Yeah. I know.”

The sun is sinking at the horizon, the sky lit with streaks of orange, fading out into rose-gold, and then the deep, darkening, cloud-streaked blue of the sky above.

The colours gradually shift as the golden circle of the sun dips down to the horizon. In the distance, there is a whining hum, and a flight of hoverpods flit across the face of the sun, banking and turning - racing season is coming up, and the pilots are training constantly.

Pluck leans in against Bright's shoulder. Pink-orange clouds spatter across the darkening sky, and the horizon is darkening reds and oranges, deep purple above it.

“Love you.”

The sun settles deeper, the colours of the sky deepening and fading. Night comes on.

“…you too.”