Wako had one rule when it came to free trade and proper business tactics - conservationism. It wasn't always the easy route, most things in modern society that were not easy weren’t profitable but the profit mattered little to him versus the untold horrors that ambition could wrought upon nature. It was no secret that he had a grudge against a few larger companies that had partook in alchemical dumping or poaching as a means to an end, and he would speak to no end about their shortcomings if asked.



It was on one such grudge fest that he had learned of the Baroque company and their intention to strip mine for silver and hunt en-masse if able. This did not sit well with him at all, and brought him to immediately turn his ship towards Eclipse city where the ships were currently docked and hiring last minute employees before shipping out to their destination. He assumed one of two things, that the ship would be heavily guarded, and that night time was the best time to raid them given that their crew would either be carousing or patrolling meaning less unwanted casualties so to speak. Having sent out a call to some fellow consortium members who might be in the area, he docked the Ryokan-Bune and opened up a half off night for dock workers and crewmen, causing a rush of business for himself and an ample distraction for his more…. Clandestine task.



Waiting along the docks for whomever would show up from the consortium, he had asked that they wear something gold so he could recognize them, and in turn they were told to look for a Tanuki with a crest on their jacket of a Stylized Solar. His explosion flasks at the ready on his bandolier, he had his harquebus on his back and was ready to take some names once his companion appeared.

Once more Fish finds themselves on a similar job, but this one at least makes sense. Rich people could easily toss money at building more ships and funding more expeditions. Events like this made Fish feel good about often robbing them blind, they were blind with money anyways so lifting a few baubles likely mattered little to them.

Fish saw the requirement to wear something gold and scoffed....well they would've scoffed if they could. Fish was too much of a professional sneak to wear something that would be such a giveaway. What they do have though, is a pilfered necklace of gold with a decent piece of jade in it. Whatever complaints there might be about skirting around the requirement could be made up though the gold the necklace could fetch. This is what Morrigan would call "buttering someone up." The tiefling was an excellent teacher when it came to social manipulation.

The kenku seemed to just appear only a few feet from the tanuki, having slipped through the crowd without making a sound. They offer out the necklace to the tanuki, the chain somewhat wrapped around their wrist which technically made it so they were wearing something gold. Izzy was great about teaching Fish about technicalities.

He waited for whomst ever was going to show up and low and behold it was someone he was at least more familiar with then a complete stranger, as they had already done something before for the Consortium together. Their "gold" they wore was just a necklace or so it seemed as they offered it to him. Knowing how this one worked he took no time as he shook his head and chided pushing the necklace back to the Kenku before signing. 

"Fancy seeing you here. You received the request then? Ready to cause some havoc this time?", he made sure to use emphasis on the havoc part as if to say that the clandestine tactics used before were fine but he especially had interest in harming these targets. He hated those that abused nature for their own gain and this was no different to him.


Taking steps towards the docks now he made sure to keep the conversation flowing as he signed again at the Kenku, "I have explosives on me, and I can stun those we come across at least three times. You packing anything big?", he had a penchant for explosives and as he had seen the Kenku arm themselves last time he had hoped that his companion was packing the same heat as before. 

"In my experience sabotage like this is best if we can explode the center of the ships keel I think. Itl'l make it take on whatever if it doesn't outright crack it in half.... Sound good to you?", he would look towards the Kenku's hands while they walked under cover of night for whenever they replied to him.

Fish shrugged, more gold for them. Seemed odd for the burgeoning crime lord to turn down easy money, but then again it seemed odd for Fish to be handing it over. In gambling terms this was a push.

"Fish has explosives, poisons, and distractions....Last time Fish took out some boats, Fish simply utilized the ships powder rooms. Eliminates any chance it can be traced back to Fish if Fish does not use their own items."

They keep their steps quiet as they follow the tankui. Usually this was a time for the bird to relax a little bit, that lull before the job, but Fish knew the sensitivity of this from working with Kamille. Even in different countries, word of a ship getting exploded in the harbor tends to travel so there would probably be even more eyes watching.

"Any hole big enough and under the water line is sure to sink a ship....it's just a matter of how big the hole and how fast the water comes in. Big ships are easy targets, plenty of surface area to make holes."

Fish did carry the same basic loadout as before, but if need be they could likely quickly whip something else up if they had the time to prepare.

He listened to the Kenku as he watched his hands move about, as he talked about what he had for tools and how he did this job last time. Responding to him with earnest, "Good same kit mostly, except the poison I don't use that much. Using their own power sounds good enough. I have some flasks here from a well known merchant in town so I am sure they can be used as well. Mass produced easy to miss who used it.", The more time he spent around the bird man the more he liked him as he had just as much of a penchant for disruption as he did and that was a good thing. 

"Of that you are correct. Just have to make sure we are not caught... Ill target lights along the way so we can hide better? I have some throwing implements I can use. Hopefully my ship is causing enough carousing to thin the guards even a little bit, if not at least I made some money if we don't die!", he was signing as he found it refreshing to do so but at that he laughed a soft kekeke that he couldn't hold in. Luckily he wasn't over heard as he did so.

Continuing in there mostly silent trek towards the large galleon in the restricted section of the docks, he couldn't help but shake his head at its audacity. The ship was gigantic and boxy, and most definitely a shipping vessel meant to pack as many people and objects on board as possible with little care to the undertow it made or the quality of life for its passengers. It would seem as they got closer to the gigantic gate that guarded the harbor, that their first task would be to sneak back the few guards that manned it, "What's the plan?".

Working with Wako is a strange balancing act for Fish. On one talon, the tanuki clearly knows what is doing and has plenty of experience. On the other, Fish's nature usually put them at odds with those who were a bit more loose and free-wheeling. As professional was Wako was, Fish still worried. The tanuki also had a ship and a crew, attachments that could make him more likely to turn on Fish to save himself and them. Thankfully, the limits of that have not been tested yet.

When Wako asks for the plan Fish motions higher and signals to climb a roof, making easy work of it themselves.[1] "This one looks more like a merchant's ship....likely a much smaller powder room making it less than ideal to simply blow that up."

Little beady eyes survey the docks with analytical precision. There are a few points of ingress, it's just a matter of picking the proper avenue.

"Entering from the water line would be the slowest, but safest route but Fish does not like swimming. A distraction could pull guards away, but we would want to be certain they are distracted long enough to carry out the plan uninterrupted.....There are no high enough points here for Fish to enter through the air."

Another scan of the area......Idea. "One of us could take out a portion of the docks, a loud explosion and commotion would conceal the others movements."

His eyes flittered about as he watched the area that they found themselves quickly moving closer towards, their goal in sight now. A larger merchant vessel lay as the only currently active boat on the docks besides a few obvious fishing vessels, lanterns flitted about its deck and the dock before it, as dockhands and guards patrolled the area in the distance. Listening to what it is that Fish had to say as he watched his hands move every time that he caught movement out of the corner of his eyes, he would respond in kind, as silence was even more important now that they were in what he would refer to as the Danger Zone at least. 

"I agree probably smaller. I can't imagine they have more then four cannons maybe? Two per side....", pausing before he added to what he had to say he closed his eyes briefly to visualize it better before singed again, "A distraction might be best.... I could swim across to the other side of the docks and draw them away? My fur is water resistant as far as swimming goes....", one of the few gifts that he had at least besides a natural swimming skill necessary for any who call the ocean home. 

"I'll go across, you do what needs to be done? I should be fine on my own so I wouldn't worry much. Plus your feather color is better for sneaking if I can distract some of those lantern bearers.", he pointed as he finished signing to the dock in the distance that was most likely where their target lay as that was the only probable ship with activity at the moment.

He would wait for Fish's response but as long as it was an affirmative he would dive into the water and begin swimming towards the far end of the docks, to execute the plan and give a much needed distraction for the Kenku.

Fish nods and ducks into a shadowed spot to give Wako time to pull this off. They may be a new aquaintance, but Fish always did hate the splitting up part of a job. It was hard to tell if the other person was meeting their goals or making it out until the end of it. Fish would have to invent some sort of way to communicate over short distances. This was that trust thing Izzy was always asking them to do.

Once they could see Wako in position, Fish would start to move forward and advance out of the sight of the guards. Docks provide quick places to duck in and out of, plus Fish was small enough to dive into any containers if needed.

The kenku gets into a spot amongst a few barrels of, ironically, fish. As soon as they saw the guards start to leave they could make their move and scale the boat and slip inside.

The water was cold but calm at least which made his late night swim pleasant in a way as it at least was not an arduous task to get to where he was going. Swimming towards, under and then pulling himself up at the farthest point on the far docks, he hid behind a grouping of crates that he assumed were deemed to be moveable in the morning before one of the two ships on either side of him left port. Looking for any lit lanterns or flammable materials he decided to slide the top of one of the crates off once he made sure that no lookouts were on duty. What he found in the crate itself was the more interesting part of this whole ordeal. 

As he slid the top off he was greeted by the sight of linen that laid over top of straw and chalices of silver or nickel, of that much he wasn't sure, but the straw? That was flammable and that meant he had the means now. Looking for a nearby lantern he saw a rusty looking bullseye hanging at the midway post down this section of the dock. Trying to waste no time he quickly moved towards it and hit behind another set of barrels when he was in sight of it, as he saw the light of the lighthouse itself rotate towards the docks and quickly flash over it as it completed its normal rotation. Waiting to move again until after the damnable light passed.

Once the light moved on he pushed one of the barrels towards the post and clambered up it as he began working at removing the lantern itself. It was rusty and nailed to the post which made it very difficult to undue, but after a few moment he removed it from its rusted mounting and stealthily hopped back down to now attempt to head back to the open crates as sneakily as possible whilst holding a fricking light source, which to the uninitiated was not an easy feat. If it wasn't for the lantern bulb training that his clan underwent when they were learning the ways of their people, he wouldn't have been able to move with it while concealing the light as best as he did.

Once he arrived at his target he took a deep breath before he tossed the lantern into the crate, to which the dry straw caught fire very quickly thereafter. The now sudden bonfire like flame was possibly not enough of a distraction however, so he leapt onto the brigantine ship on his left before tossing one of his explosive flasks into the fire after arming it, causing an extremely loud boom and that end of the pier to begin buckling and cracking. The smaller ship that was docked in this section was blown sideways and had tipped over, causing its mast to tangle into the ship on its other side causing shouts to begin erupting form that crew now. 

Hopefully this was a good enough distraction to pull some heat off of Fish so they could do their thing at least!

"Wh-?! FIRE BRIGADE!" The guards on the ship they were targeting called out as they started to rush over with buckets and poles in hand. People called for more help as alarm bells started to ring. It was just enough chaos that people's attentions were pulled, but there was no mass mob forming.

Fish dropped out their hiding spot and sprinted off the short side of the pier. Their hood and cape caught the air to help them float to the backside of the ship^[1], opposite from where the fire is to keep themselves hidden. The bird easily scrambles up the side of the boat and into an open porthole.^[2]

They drop to the floor silently^[3] slowly making their way past a pair of sailors looking out the window at the fire. That trio would make the escape a bit more complicated, but Fish had a plan for that. First, was the mission.

Slowly, Fish headed down to the bottom of the ship. They pulled out some string and their explosive casks, tying the explosives to the bottom of support beams. Even if it doesn't crack them completely it will weaken them on top of punching a hole through the bottom of the hull, with luck it will split the ship in two.

The fuses of the casks are extended just a bit to give themselves more time to escape. 30 seconds to be specific. Fish takes one last moment to trace their escape, eyes drifting around to make sure all variables have been concerned.

When satisfied, the fuses are lit and Fish takes off towards the top. Ahead of their ascent to middeck, they pull out a flask and toss it up. The shattering confuses the guards who all start to investigate, but the room is quickly filling with smoke.^[4] In the darkness of the fog, Fish can still keep track of the group[5] to slip past them and out of a window.

Fish drifts out of the boat and towards the shore to hid behind a rock formation. In a few seconds the muted explosions below deck can be heard as the wood of the ship groans and creaks. It's not quite split in half, but the panicked sounds mean it is sinking fast.

---

<sup>1. Free-Flowing Scarf
2. Surface Scaling
3. Silent Step
4. Smoke Flask
5. Way of the Zen Archer</sup>

The men and women who were working the docks came with abandon as they made their attempts to put out the spreading fire, it wasn't as large of a group as he had wanted but it was sizeable enough that he at least felt accomplished in his side of the bargain. Wanting to waste no time in causing as much confusion as possible he unslung his arquebus from his back and fired a sonic bolt at one of the masts of the ship, causing it to swing towards the ongoing fire and one of its ropes to begin to catch blaze, further adding to the panic below.

Choosing to capitalize on the moment he slung his Arquebus back on and leapt off the side of the ship, plunging into the water below as he began to swim with a fervor he hadn't shown in a long while. He wanted to be far away from the crime scene and more importantly he wanted to rendezvous with Fish as soon as possible. The ensuing explosion that rocked the docks within mere moments, gave him all of the verification he needed that the Kenku had done his job, expertly so it seemed as well. 

Hopefully their antics tonight would dissuade others from pursuing the same abhorrent goals. If not then he supposed he could make plenty more explosive casks and would keep at it until the message was clear, nature deserved to be left alone. The swim was long and arduous as he tried to make his way to where he had first met up with Fish, which required him to sim under the docks for cover of darkness as the people above tried to put out fires and argued amongst each other for whatever had happened.

After nearly thirty minutes he surfaced just below the entrance to the docks where he had first met with Fish, hopefully seeing his companion there as well. If not, well, he would have to go back for him. There were a multitude of reasons for it but mostly he had come to actually like the guy somewhat and that mattered a lot in their business.

It does take just a minute or so longer for Fish to make it back to that rendevous point with Wako. They had to take a much more winding route through the city outskirt and back inside. The direct route of the water would have been nice, but Fish can't swim.

They look off into the distance, the smoke still rising from the chaos the two of them caused. Fish wasn't usually one to luxuriate in a job, most of the time they did quiet jobs that no one realized they happened until the next day. This time they could enjoy themselves.

Fish turns to Wako and just gives a little nod, "That's should slow their progress for a time. Fish did not stay to see if the boat split completely in two, but it will not be easily salvaged even if they pull it out of the docks."

With no lips and minimal facial muscles, there's no discernible change but the fellow beastkin can see the bird does have what they can best call a smile on their face. For Fish, that comes in the subtle squinting of the eyes and a sparkle of mischief glittering inside of their black little pupils.

He was still breathing a little hard from the swim itself but as his composure came back to him Fish was arriving on scene. It seemed that Fish had to take the scenic route so to speak as he was on foot, which was curious as it would have been faster to swim here, which only meant that he either couldn't, or more likely hated water. He had known a few of the beastkin species to detest water so that had to be the reason. 

Looking off into the distance with Fish before watching him sign to him, he nodded and couldn't help but look a little smug at the work they had done, "Hopefully it slows it down for more then just a minute, but beggars can't be choosers! Kekeke!", he laughed as he acknowledged the situation and the luck they had with carrying out this assignment.

Pausing before he spoke again he looked off back towards his boat and he nudged his head in its direction, "My ship is docked over there, ya see the big bright one with all the people on it? I call it a Ryokan.... Traveling Inn ship! If ya like you can grab a room and some grub, on the house of course.", he didn't usually offer things for free but he was willing to make an exception in this case. 

Wako was right in his assumption, Fish both could not swim AND detested the water. They were faster on the land anyways and crossbows worked terribly underwater, same with explosives and poisons. It may limit Fish's options at times, but they seemed to know enough to get around those.



"Fish usually doesn't stay near the site of a crime overnight...." It's not a flat out refusal as the bird pauses. They look towards the boat in thought for a moment. Wako at this point had proven he wasn't exactly a threat to the bird and in a lot of ways their goals aligned. They may one day become bitter business rivals as each seem to have a mind for a burgeoning criminal empire, but today was not that day.



"But Fish will make an exception in the name of business." Fish nods as if they are agreeing to do some big favor for the tanuki. Whenever he is ready, Fish will follow after.