Body language is an inseparable part of Dragontongue, the primary language used by dragons. Those who do not utilize it, or ignore it, may find themselves to be not well understood by dragons, or thought of as speaking in a monotone in the best cases, or in the worst, actively ignoring important social boundaries and challenging dragons they speak to to a fight. Gestures are generally not used alone or one at a time, but in combination together and with spoken word to convey their meaning.
Polite and Affectionate Gestures
Greetings
Jaw popping- Closing the mouth quickly creates a loud popping sound, generally used as a casual greeting when at distance.
Headbutting- A common greeting between dragons, often considered akin to a handshake as seen in humanoids. Generally done by pressing the foreheads together briefly, though in friendlier interactions, may turn into a nuzzle.
Nuzzling- A much friendlier greeting, more commonly used by dragons who have strong bonds such as family members, parents to children, and mates. Generally done starting as a headbutt, and turning the face to rub the cheek, cheekbone, or from snout to mid-neck together repeatedly.
Bows- A greeting of high respect, often done by younger dragons to their elders, or subordinate members of flights to their leaders.
Deep bows- A variation on ordinary bows, where in the one performing it will bow completely, their chest and forelimbs on the ground, and wings are spread and head lowered. Often accompanied with the bowing dragon tucking their face into their shoulder with eyes closed. This is almost exclusively reserved for members of extreme importance- Leaders of the Flights, the pantheon, diplomatic leaders, etc.
Head on forehead- One dragon placing their head on top on another's, generally straight on so their throat is placed against the other's muzzle, is an extremely affectionate romantic gesture meant to convey their extreme trust in the other party. Almost exclusively used by mates with one another. Can also be used as a farewell.
Farewells
Wing unfurling- Generally a statement of one party's intent to leave soon.
Head on shoulder or head on nape- Placing one's head on another party's shoulder or the nape of their neck is a common farewell, often denoting trust in the other party.
Fully unfurled wings- A stern yet still polite gesture that the other party or speaker is overstaying their welcome, and needs to leave.
Other
Lowering the head (when speaking)- Often considered a submissive gesture, but can also denote agreeing with the other party.
Head bumping and wing tapping- Distinct from headbutts being used as a greeting, head bumps are short, quick, and often used with any part of the face or horns on any part of the other party's head. Paired with or replaced with tapping one's wings against the other party, it is one of few gestures to denote a speaker is joking or not being serious.
Side-by-side positioning- Denotes high trust in the other or affection.
Nipping or lightly scratching- An affectionate gesture most commonly used by younger dragons, often when interacting with their parent or older/larger siblings. When used by unrelated adults with one another, can be seen as a romantic gesture. If used between adults who are related, it often denotes immaturity and may be seen as mildly rude, sometimes used as a dismissal of the other party.
Grooming- Grooming the other party in a conversation is a strong romantic gesture, unless between parents and their own children (in which case, is often simply because the hatchling is dirty). Cleaning debris off, stuck shed, tending wounds, or general grooming of the other is a strong romantic marker and when done for the first time between two parties, often denotes the start of / intent to court the other.
Neutral Gestures
Head tipping- A gesture that in conversation face to face, often is used as a closing to a remark or statement. Often used to denote it is another party's turn to speak, though there is no negative connotation to not using it.
Head bobbing- Different from head tipping, and used as emphasis while speaking.
Ground scratching and stomping- A more stern form of emphasis, and common in arguments and debates to denote the speaker's seriousness.
High splayed wings- A threat display, also used to denote one party being uncomfortable, cautious, or defensive and ready to become aggressive if ignored.
Warbling jaw- Rapidly moving the jaw up and down causes a low 'warbling' rumble, especially when speaking. It is often used to denote safety, trust, or give comfort to another party. Does not necessarily mean affection to the other, however is commonly used between siblings, mates, or parents to children.
Head/neck rolling- More common in dragons with long spines, fins, or manes along their spine or throat. Used as a gesture to accentuate spoken word and denote they are being serious, truthful, or firm in their statement.
Rapid tail movement- Swinging, swaying, or twitching the tail is often a gesture of confusion or uncertainty. Often used while the speaker is thinking or processing, but can be used as a gesture to denote they do not understand the other or what they are saying.
Pressing nose to the ground- A gesture that denotes one party would like to sit or lie down. When repeated by the other party, it is an acceptance of the gesture, and sitting or lying down following is not seen as rude or dismissive.
Neck/Fin flushing- Flushing the neck or fins (should they be present) with blood is often taken as a statement of one party reminding the other they are within their territory and the other party may be stepping out of line or the other is being rude.
Raising other party's chin- Using the snout, a horn, or wing to raise the other party's chin is a very strong statement of agreeing with them or in group conversations to emphasize their statement.
Left wing open- Used to convey truthfulness, openness, or agreement.
Right wing open- Used to convey mild disagreement or a firm stance on the speaker's statement.
S-curved neck- A casual body posture, used in most ordinary conversations.
Straight neck- Often signals the speakers distrust or discomfort.
High straight neck- Conveys a strong serious tone, often in disagreements or debates that the speaker needs more evidence or further convincing.
Rude and Aggressive Gestures
Barring the teeth- Most often used as another dragon approaches, and as a warning. This can often be considered rude in most contexts, but when done by one party is often their way of taking charge of a conversation.
Bipedal stance + high splayed wings- Widely considered to be rude, and a speaker's way of completely shutting down a conversation. It is derived from a territorial challenge, generally used to mean that the speaker is making a very strong argument or statement and is unwilling to listen to the contrary.
Sitting down- Can generally be considered mildly rude in most contexts, meaning that the dragon is not taking the other speaker seriously.
Lying down- A more serious and intentional version of the above in the same context and much more rude than the former. Lying down while in conversation is used often to completely dismiss the other speaker, often as not being worthy of the respect to hold a conversation while standing.
Facing other speaker head on- This positioning denotes one party does not trust the other and may be quick to become aggressive.
Lack of body language- Not speaking with one's body is considered to be rude and untrustworthy, often denoting that the party is trying to hide something or lying.
Pinecone scales- Raising the scales on the neck, body, and limbs is a posture to make one's self appear larger, and considered rude in most contexts unless as a reply to another party's aggressive stance. Most dragons consider it to look angry or aggressive.
Tightly folded wings- Shows extreme distrust in the other party or that they expect to be challenged or fought, as most dragons typically keep their wings loosely folded when in conversation. This is often used as an insult, sometimes to sow distrust in group conversations.
Challenges
Jaw snapping- Snapping the jaws quickly and with force is a mild challenge, though more typically reserved for ideological or argumentative challenges than the physical.
Staring, prolonged eye contact- Dragons may find accidental or brief eye contact to be rude, however prolonged eye contact and staring is a direct and outright challenge to a fight, most often for territory.
Ground scratching + stiff wings and raised tail- An extremely aggressive posture, most common when one party has been repeatedly ignored, dismissed, or their warnings ignored. Considered to be the final warning before a fight breaks out. If a dragon takes on this stance and then sharply raises their head, it can denote a serious intent to kill.
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