He said what?!

[Yoritomo Kaito]

cats on a ship? are we going to drown them later to curry suitengu's favor?

[Hida Musasha]

They are to eat the rats, which are unlucky if you like to eat and not catch some kind of hideous disease.

The Scorpion will likely want to name them shitstink and ballsweat, as rats are lucky, but still gross, so cats have to be named terrible names if they are mousers.

[Isawa Junpei]

Thankfully to the rest of the empire cats are good luck, not to mention, from what I hear from popular lore cats ward off lightning strikes and angering a ship's cat can cause gales. So...you just better watch yourself. All of you.

[Shiba Naomi]

Cats on ships is a common tradition in "our world" in the old days.
You'd rather feed a cat (which you can eat later if desperate) than to have rats on the ship (which was bound to happen when you made port), since they carried all sorts of diseases as well as would eat and spoil the food. After the Black Plague, it was fairly common knowledge that rats brought diseases.

[Yoritomo Kaito]

sorry for pulling the topic off topic:p. Yes I know cats in a ship was a tradition in "our world" was more curious if it was something the rokugani did or not as most of them really aren't avid sailors and its likely there is a shuj spell that can kick all the rats off a ship anyways. O.o I just stated it poorly

[Rixy]

There are more ways than cats to kill rats.

[Shiba Naomi]

There are more ways than cats to kill rats.

But kitties make such good company

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

Somehow I don't think it would be appreciated if I hunted rats with Fury of Osano-Wo.

[Moshi Chihiroko]

What about Tempest of Air? Can I use that?

[Yoritomo Kaito]

"Shinjo-san, you are not a child," she informs the Unicorn with a hint of sarcasm, "If you have something to say, open your mouth and say it. That is, unless someone else has their gob open or I'm trying to teach you lot how to not fuck up too much in the days to come."

<3 I think I'm in love she's not married right?

[Yoritomo Choukichi]

sorry for pulling the topic off topic:p. Yes I know cats in a ship was a tradition in "our world" was more curious if it was something the rokugani did or not as most of them really aren't avid sailors and its likely there is a shuj spell that can kick all the rats off a ship anyways. O.o I just stated it poorly

Honestly no idea, my research turned up a few Rokugani naval traditions and superstitions, but not nearly enough, so using more common ones from "our world" seemed like the way to go so that they are more likely to be understood as crazy traditions/superstitions rather than just crazy... And cats on a ship seemed like an easy one as whether or not Rokugani believe the more out there beliefs about cats... Cats eat rats, and anyone can appreciate that... Except Daikoku and the Captain it seems, to Choukichi's dismay.

Far as shugenjas dealing with rats, im sure they could, but I could also see most considering such a task to be too far beneath them, even for some of the more pragmatic clans.

[Volsung]

"Shinjo-san, you are not a child," she informs the Unicorn with a hint of sarcasm, "If you have something to say, open your mouth and say it. That is, unless someone else has their gob open or I'm trying to teach you lot how to not fuck up too much in the days to come."

<3 I think I'm in love she's not married right?

So long as you don't mind the fact that she'll be wearing the pants and you are her bitch...

[Iuchi Rinzuki]

I seem to recall the "rats are lucky, so cats get stupdi names" thing as being a mostly Scorpion superstition.

[Isawa Junpei]

It is, it's a purely Scorpion tradition. The majority of the empire finds cats to be omens of good luck.

[Hida Musasha]

I did say as much when I posted it.

They are to eat the rats, which are unlucky if you like to eat and not catch some kind of hideous disease.

The Scorpion will likely want to name them shitstink and ballsweat, as rats are lucky, but still gross, so cats have to be named terrible names if they are mousers.

[Hida Musasha]

Kaito glances at the bunch running towards the rail and trots over as well at first he had though this was going to be a exercise for the three but it looks like it was one for everyone. Looking down into the water he spots the wet kitty and for a moment ponders pushing someone else in to complicate matters but at last decides against it.

ZOMG!!! I CAN'T BREATHE!!! LOLOLOL!!!

[Yoritomo Kaito]

*snorts* It ain't good practice if no one in panicking *nods sagely*

[Shiba Nozomi]

he spots the wet kitty and for a moment ponders pushing someone else in to complicate matters but at last decides against it.

*sigh* Edited to explain the Crab's hyperventilation and breath-stealing laughing fit.

[Hida Musasha]

Even more edited...

Kaito glances at the bunch running towards the rail and trots over as well at first he had thought this was going to be a exercise for the three but it looks like it was one for everyone. Looking down into the water he spots the wet kitty and for a moment ponders pushing someone else in to complicate matters but at last decides against it.

Pretty much, it describes a g*ng b*ng...

[Rixy]

Falling....Failure....Defeat at the hands of a mere ashigaru....

The torment for this failure was going to be hellish, but for the moment there's naught the Scorpion could do about it save tighten his grip on his katana and race towards an uncaring sea.

You know...I can't help but feel a little sorry for the guy.