Civilian
The civilian greeting, used between peers, civilians, and Stenza meeting members of other species whose military status and rank may be unknown or not applicable, involves two parties grasping forearms. Due to the Stenza possession of claws, this is considered safer than a handshake members of other species such as
humans would be familiar with.
Citizen/Military
The military salute, reserved for addressing elders, ranked officers, and important diplomats, consists of crossing the arms over the chests, fists turned toward the self, and holding this pose until acknowledged. This version is considered formal and reserved for situations where politeness is required (such as conferring with an elder about important matters).
A version of this also appears in
funerary rites, where it is combined with the act of kneeling.
Exceptions
Blood siblings,
litter mates, mated pairs and other parties who are exceptionally close may greet each other with
gestures of affection.
Pups, for obvious reasons, tend to "boop" one another, or growl, hiss, or get into a scrap depending on the current hostilities between the parties. However, they will frequently attempt to mimic adult gestures, especially as they age closer to
shifting.
Comments