Koseki didn't watch much broadcast programming. There wasn't much choice in Firefly territory, and he was usually doing something more interesting. Still, he had seen enough Magistrate shows to know that the best place to ask questions was probably a sake bar, and not one of those high class ones either.

The Firefly had an affinity for Crab, given their ancestry, so this place seemed appropriate. Casually he entered the joint and sauntered over to the bar.

Hotaru Koseki, interstellar Yoriki. Is that what we're going for here boy? Well, fine. Just don't let me catch you starting a bar fight...

It was drinking o'clock somewhere. On some hemisphere or world. Even on a world that benefited from a sunrise and sunset, it seemed there were people here who were just ending their day after a night shift and were destined to go to sleep then repeat the whole cycle again. The ji-samurai customers and their heimen tag-along weren't exactly the most chipper of people, not that the decor demanded it as an Enka tune played in the background.

The heavy-set heimen bartender strolled over to see what the Hotaru wanted. "Samura-sama."

Just like every mining bar he'd ever been to. So basically every Firefly drinking joint... It wasn't too hard to relax into that frame of mind.

He nodded politely to the barman and selected a barstool. "I'll take a cup of sake and a few minutes of your time if I may?" A sake cup was produced from his jacket pocket.

The bartender gave a glance to the stack of plastic sake cups on his side of the counter out of habit, some with cracks and chips around the lip. He gave a curt nod and took his cup, filling it up with warm sake. It didn't exactly have a brand or label to it, so it might be safe to assume it was the 'house' sake. It qualified as sake but wouldn't win any accolades.

He set it down carefully before Koseki and then crossed him arms in a non-imposing manner to show he had his attention. "Of course, samurai-sama."

Taking a sip he nodded. It wasn't so bad. Well, at least, he'd certainly had much worse. "I keep hearing about people going missing. Figured it's not kind of thing that our hosts would want to bother their guests with. Caught my interest though. Maybe you've heard more?"

He tensed and straightened his posture. Although not trying to be obvious about it, it was clear that the bartender was looking about for signs of orange, mainly anyone from security. Not the sort of thing he wanted to get in trouble for, especially as an accessory. "It's really no big deal for you but yeah, I got some ideas about it."

Well, that reaction was interesting. He nodded and took another sip before placing a few coins on the bar. Drink plus a tip.

"Where I'm from 'missing' usually means pirates or a cave-in. Managed a few successful rescues myself, but I'm not planning anything foolish." Yet. A ghost raised an eyebrow. "If you don't know the dangers you can't draw up a safety plan, right?"

The bartender shifted his hands from his stance to rake the coins from the bar, filing them into his apron in short order for counting later along with his other coins. While he hasn't exactly received a bribe, the nature of the conversation was perhaps shaky at best. He took a wet rag and wiped the counter as he thought about it.

"Huh, well...I don't think it's pirates or a cave-in...well, maybe not pirates. The samurai here do a very good job of protecting us inside these walls and there's never an incident. No, never done wrong," he gave a shake of his head as his eyes were trained on the moist counter. "But...what happens outside the walls is a different bit. Those rural folks in the farms aren't exactly as smart."

Made sense. Get far enough away from the home base and people were more likely to take risky decisions. He gave a nod of understanding.

"I guessed our hosts would be pretty righteous about protection. Good to know." Another sip and he was ready for another cup. "So this is about the rural folks then. A wildlife issue, or something else?" Biology. You can't trust it. Better off sticking to rocks.

The bartender placed the rag back where he picked it up earlier with a rather unflattering slop. He gave a few bobs of his head as Koseki got to exactly what he was going to say. "Ayep, it's the wildlife issues...it's gotta be it, samurai-sama. Especially with all the guests...Tanabana coming up...I mean, we get fed pretty well around here, no doubt about that. Whatever gets grown in the fields are immediately passed to the settlements. I don't think they are straving there but sometimes those rural folks get the idea to go hunting for some extra stock and they end up extra stock by some reaver pact or even dumb enough to fall into a lake with a drifter in it!"

"Reavers and drifters, right." He was really going to have to read the Asakaze Safety Manual more closely.

"So does this happen all the time, or are more people going missing than normal? I got the sense there was something a bit unusual about this. But I'm just an off-worlder, what would I know?" He shrugged and sipped.

The bartender gave a small shrug with a shoulder and looked off for a moment.

"Sorry, one moment, samurai-sama," he said before giving Koseki a bow and he walked over to serve a Phoenix samurai a drink of his choice, pouring him a glass of Watsu Lights.

Once that was done and he took the money, he returned to talk to Koseki. "Again, my apologies...No, not all the time but it happens. I guess it's kind of a shocker when it happens but doesn't become a big deal later..." he shrugged, samurai weren't going to make a big deal about a dead heimen and the heimen did eventually follow their lead.

"Four is a lot, yeah...but we were told that security has been patrolling the wilderness more as a result. And yeah, for the festival here too."

Koseki just sipped his sake and enjoyed the familiar ambience as he waited for the barkeep to return. He listened and nodded. "So whatever the cause, security has stepped up. Could be that *something* out there got a taste for foolish people."

Of course he'd seen enough of Seppun Benito Investigates to know that would also be a good way to hide nefarious murders. "Thanks for the chat. Think I'll go and start reading up on all this crazy wildlife you've got here. Maybe I'll stop by again in a day or two." If there were more deaths he'd make it a priority.

The bartender nodded with a few grunts added in agreement.

"Yasuki-sama has me working everyday, up until this wrestling event or even after until all the guests are gone," he said. It wasn't a complaint, he was used to working long hours and clearly he ate well (and badly) enough to have the form he did. "I'll be here, samurai-sama."

Koseki nodded and thanked the man for his time. "Wrestling being hosted here huh? Sounds fun." He looked around the bar, calculating the space required. "Bit of a squeeze but good atmosphere I'll bet."

The space did not look like it could host a wrestling ring, unless there was standing space only around the ring.

He shook his head and pointed at the single informator perched in the corner of the room, surrounded by some rather gaudy mesh to protect it from getting smashed by a stray bottle. That was probably customary for most Crab bars. "We get a fair bit on the big channel from time to time." The big channel, meaning the Miya News and Entertainment Network by his lingo.

"But I heard the real thing was coming in a few days."

"Gotcha! Should be a good night for business then." He nodded and finished his drink. "I'll look forward to watching. Haven't seen a match in months." Plus it was almost always repeats.

"Thanks again." With a nod to the bartender he made his way to the exit. Time to investigate the local wildlife...safely of course.

The bartender bobbed his heed as Koseki prepared to make his leave and stopped himself from taking his cup, which was a habit of his. However, he did pick up the rag once more to make quick work of the counter space he sat previously.

"Thank you very much for your business at the Drunk'n Crab, samurai-sama," he said the line like it was a rote programmed into the heimen and bow deeply in farewell. "Enjoy yourself around here."

"Thank you kindly." Koseki pocketed his sake cup and nodded to the polite bartender before making his way back out into the street. He would have to look into these creatures in a bit more detail, but first up there was trip planned with his fellow Minor Clan guests...

/end scene