Customs of Showing Affection
Execution
The Nose Pinch
The nose pinch is the most common manifestation of this particular custom, and the most common form of this is an adult or older child pinching the nose of a pup, without any expectation of reciprocation. There is also a variant between adults such as Blood Siblings or a couple in a long-term relationship, where they can pinch or touch each other's noses as a mark of their bond with each other. The latter form is considered remarkably intimate, but not erotic.The Nose Touch
The prolonged touching of noses is exclusively done between adults and is considered to be a declaration of deep and lasting love. Iradae and Lan'tha are often depicted doing this. There is a long history of couples doing this before large battles, especially when the odds seem long. The nose touch is considered as dramatic to the Stenza as "the first kiss" is to human fans of romance novels. And, in certain contexts, it can be considered highly erotic, although this is very dependent on the participants and the setting.The Nuzzle
A more playful version of the prolonged nose touch, the nuzzle may be initiated by either party in a courting relationship, often by rubbing the nose against their partner's face, ears, or neck. The other party may reciprocate (if positioning at the time allows), but is not always expected to. The gesture may be accompanied by a light nibble, a custom with surprisingly ancient roots, if some of the speculation about the marks on Proto-Stenza specimens' necks and faces are to be believed. Two partners nuzzling each other may settle into a more "conventional" prolonged nose touch.The "Boop"
Pups have their own variant on the nose touch best suited to their quadrupedal lifestyle, wherein they advance upon someone or something and poke at it with their noses. One poke indicates that the pup thinks the individual or object is cool, or in the case of objects, will soon play with it. Multiple pokes are usually an attempt to get someone's attention, as a prelude to physical affection. Boops are almost universally considered to be adorable.
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Good article, I think often we overlook at day-by-day aspects of non-verbal communications but It Is something that increases a lot the sense of reality in a world. Nicely done!
Thank you! :D It really can be the little things that make up a culture, I think.
I like this very much. It's cool when someone manages to communicate an alien use of a humanish custom, but they use it a bit differently (well; not that differently I guess; I understand some Northern First Nations have similar customs because kissing can be awkward when spit freezes, but still.) Good work!
I tried to base this on those specific customs without it being TOO similar (and also without naming names that might be less than polite). I tried instead to go "alright, how would this work /in this specific context/?" and go outward from there. A good method generally, I think.