#joras

[ikkaku-of-heart]

@miskatonicfolly asked: "Don't you think that it's a bit odd that there's suddenly a large influx of new residents to Arkham?" Herbert asked with a slight yawn. He shifted the voice box of the den den to be able to hold it better as he scribbled notes. It was getting later but it had been difficult to actually get a call through to Ikkaku recently and he didn't want to lose the opportunity. Unprompted

Ikkaku pursed her lips in thought as she took in Herbert's words. She'd gotten the call on her personal den den mushi, much to the surprise of Hakugan who had been feeding the ship's snails, and had been pleasantly surprised that it was Herbert, who had decided she needed to be filled in on the recent developments back on Joras. The doctor, despite his wonky ethics and disturbing experiments, had become a trusted friend and if he found something suspicious, she knew to take it seriously.

"Depends on what you mean. New residents to the city of Arkham is exactly what the islanders want. It means that people are starting to look past the freaky history and old superstitions and see the island as worth living on. Gets them closer to being seen by the World Government as respectable." She had to grimace at that thought. A lot of what the islanders had done in the past century had been in the vain hope of the World Government respecting them instead of being seen as a superstitious backwater. "And you know damn well anything the World Government approves of is typically bad news."

Laying back on her bed, Ikkaku stared at the ceiling, her brow furrowing further. "But if you're talking about an influx of residents to Arkham Hospital...yeah, that's bad no matter how you look at it. Last time that happened was the Siren Plague, and I don't think Joras would survive a third of the population getting wiped out again. And I definitely don't want lobotomies to come back into fashion."

With a sigh, she rubbed her forehead. How was it that despite leaving that horrible place in the dust she still cared just a tiny bit about the people there? Even though they'd treated her like shit?

Oh. Right. Gramps. He'd taught her well that even though the people didn't deserve it, it was their job to protect the thankless fools who depended on the Light to protect them.

"Ok, have any other noticeable things been going on that could be a connection? People noticeably going mad? Or is this being kept quiet?"

[ikkaku-of-heart]

Joras Dogs Headcanons

Dogs are highly beloved on the island of Joras and have been ever since the old days when the island was known as Innsmouth and Merfolk still lived in Amity Bay. While the locals have started to forsake their old traditions and beliefs, love and respect for dogs remain. There are three breeds of dogs that can be found on Joras.

Newfies are guardian dogs who have lived in the coastal towns and aided sailors and dockworkers for as long as anyone can remember, being great swimmers who will quickly rescue anyone in danger of drowning. There has also always been a Newfie or two living with the Light Keeper, helping protect and guide them as their master keeps the light burning. They are loving and friendly, but when their humans are threatened their barks can shake a house's foundation and their teeth can break bones and tear off limbs. They are occasionally mistaken for small bears by outsiders. Ikkaku grew up with one named Neptune who was basically her protector as a child.

Borzoi are more commonly found more inland, typically around the mansions of Bangor Crater and the city of Arkham. They're hunting dogs with a keen sense of sight and smell, and it's not uncommon to see one sprinting through the apple orchards in pursuit of something. They are also treated as status symbols as they're mainly owned by the upper class, both old money and new, but if a borzoi decides to call the home of a poor family theirs, no one would dare take the dog away, as they're considered very good judges of character and most would assume their former rich owner was unworthy of its loyalty.

There are only a few corgis on Joras, but they are beloved in the town of Dunwich as they are owned by the mayor's family. The most prominent of them is a female corgi named Molly, who can be seen strutting through town like she's the one in charge and has even been known to sit in on important meetings with her owner and asked for her approval on laws and addendums.

[ikkaku-of-heart]

@taiixuan asked: 💭 + joras traditions maintained in the tang mayhaps ? 𝓗𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓬𝓪𝓷𝓸𝓷𝓼 — send 💭 + a topic to receive a headcanon about said topic. (Still Accepting)

There aren’t too many Joras traditions that Ikkaku maintains on the Tang, but there are a few. Mostly in secret because she knows they’re weird and superstitious but the are a few other Hearts, like Law, Crozier, and Darter that know she keeps them.

Anyway, they’re fairly simple things that are meant as protection rituals. Cutting her finger and offering up a few drops of blood over the side of the ship before a long journey is one she holds true to. Also wearing silver jewelry as a defense against any Old Ones she might encounter, even while on the job (usually silver stud earrings since those won't get caught on any equipment and be a safety hazard).

Perhaps the biggest tradition she holds to is her plans for her funeral arrangements if she should die. Joras is big on not burying bodies on land (there was an...incident with the dead rising from their graves. Might have been a curse, might have been a past user of the Kage Kage no Mi. Either way, burying bodies has been forbidden for over a century). Instead, they cremate the body and/or bury them at sea. Ikkaku has made it clear to Law that, if it's something that can be done (after all, she'll likely die in battle or something so it's possible circumstances could prevent the crew from retrieving her body), she'd like to be cremated and her ashes released into the sea. Not the most pleasant tradition to have to think about, but she'd rather be prepared for the inevitable and just hope that particular tradition won't be implemented anytime soon.

[ikkaku-of-heart]

Old One’s Bride Headcanon

Ikkaku is very lucky that she wasn’t born during the days of Old Innsmouth, and that Arashi and Tomasu protected her against the superstations surrounding the circumstances of her birth that still lingered. Because she would have been doomed to a terrible fate had Joras still held fully to the Old Ways.

Opposite-sex twins were immediately seen as an ill omen. In fact, they weren’t even seen as twins. It was believed that only the male twin was actually human/merman, while the female was actually the spawn of an Old One who impregnated the mother to carry its child alongside her own. So, upon birth, the male twin was often welcomed into the community, at worst regarded with pity that he’d shared his mother’s womb with a parasite.

The female twin was not raised by the community. She wouldn’t be killed outright, as the people dared not risk the wrath of her Old One father. But she would be raised away from the others. There was a temple on Shutter Island where the Sect of the Kraken resided where the girl would be raised to adulthood (16) basically in seclusion so she could not cause harm to the mainlanders. Very few know exactly what the girl’s upbringing entailed, but there is much unsavory speculation, given the girl’s ultimate fate. When she came of age, this female twin was put in a boat and pushed out to sea, where she was delivered to the Great Dreamer to become one of his brides/concubines. It was believed that the Old Ones deigned to impregnate the mother in the first place for this exact purpose - to appease the Great Dreamer, as he was considered one of the most terrible among them.

So, if Ikkaku had been born a hundred years ago, she likely would have met this fate; raised in seclusion, then offered as a sacrifice to a God. There were still some who believe it’s what should have been done when she was born, but Arashi and the Mayor of Dunwich ensured it didn’t happen - Arashi to protect her granddaughter, and the Mayor because he didn’t wish to see people return to the Old Ways. Tomasu took up this mantel of protection when he took Ikkaku in, to ensure that the fanatics who scapegoated her as the cause of the island’s misfortune couldn’t kidnap her and turn her into a sacrifice.

[ikkaku-of-heart]

Joras Dog Grooming Headcanon

Considering how the two native breeds of dogs on Joras are Newfoundlands and Borzoi, dog grooming is taken extremely seriously. It’s actually considered one of the most respectable positions someone could get on the island outside of being a doctor. They’ve developed modern blow-drying and rinsing equipment, groomers are well-trained, and the dogs are treated very, very well. Cat grooming is also done, and scars gotten one the job are shown off with pride, as it’s a sign of just how fierce the cats would be against eldritch threats.

[ikkaku-of-heart]

During her youth on Joras, Ikkaku was basically ignored or tolerated at best and outright shunned and hated by the majority of the human population. For some it was because they wanted to be liked by her brother, others it was because of her connection to the lighthouse and Tomasu, some because they held onto the old superstitions and considered her “cursed,” and others still simply because everyone else did.

But the dogs of the island? They loved Ikkaku.

She was never without Neptune if she went into any town, the lighthouse dog dutifully protecting her from any danger. Every dog in town would happily let her pet them if she approached. From the Newfies at the docks to the Borzois that belonged to the high class families to the mayor of Dunwich’s corgi, all of them would wag their tails and never so much as growled at her.

This drove the superstitious sorts crazy, because it implied that Ikkaku wasn’t some omen of ill luck, and they needed to believe that so they could blame their problems on something. So even though it should have been a sign by their standards that she was good, they refused to acknowledge it most of the time.

The dogs are absolutely one of the few things she misses about Joras, and even off-island dogs generally like her, and she’s always happy to spoil them with pets and treats.

[ikkaku-of-heart]

I hope you all realize that Dredge is giving me the best Joras vibes and so much lore potential.

And yes I am role-playing the protagonist as Tomasu. No one can stop me.

[ikkaku-of-heart]

Some Royalty AU Thoughts

👑 Joras is a small, seaside county known for its ore-rich soil and fishing industry. Their silver and iron mines are as plentiful as the weather is bleak. 

👑 Ikkaku is the youngest child and only daughter of the royal family. Her mother is a daughter of a successful merchant (Tomasu) and a noblewoman (Arashi). She married the king and gave birth to Ikkaku and her three brothers. Ushi is the oldest and crown prince.

👑 Joras is a country full of superstitions. The people believe in old gods, visions, and that twins are good luck but not when they’re opposite-sex and especially not when one of them is stillborn. Ikkaku unfortunately is the living twin of such a tragic birth. Normally, such a child would be sent out to sea to die but Arashi, Ikkaku’s grandmother, had a vision that “when she comes of age, her sacrifice will save us all” and convinced the king and queen to spare her life, as she had a great part to play in the country’s future.

👑 While Ikkaku is technically a princess, she was brought up in secret by her grandmother and grandfather until she came of age to marry. Her parents basically wanted nothing to do with her and felt it would be best if she remained out of the public eye until she could be used as a bargaining chip for an alliance and sent off to live in another country. They consider this the “sacrifice” she will make, though Ushi still campaigns for her to be used as a more traditional sacrifice and killed.

👑 Arashi and Tomasu are both alive and happily married in this verse. Arashi gave Ikkaku the proper “lady” training and education expected of her for when she did have to set foot in court again. Tomasu focused on more “practical” training like sailing and throwing a punch. Neither of them want Ikkaku to be some political pawn but understand it’s necessary for her survival (though Tomasu frequently proposes she just run off to sea and become a pirate or something).