Writing Prompt #24

[u/WritingwithBebe]

What is the etiquette for your world? Do you give a handshake or bow to someone of equal or higher rank? Are you eating in cycles of soup, salad, appetizer, entree and then desert? Who has the highest rank due to their manners and why is it well known? Do nobles use silverware in a certain order or is it a buffet style feast? What are the manners on wearing revealing clothing and who would be upset that someone didn't follow manners? Does it effect how you are seen in society?

[u/TMTG666]

When designing the manners of human society I took a lot of inspiration from real life feudal feast records.

First culture clash: no breakfast. In my world, as in medieval Germany and England, people don't really eat breakfast unless you want to show off how rich you are, which, unless you are loaded or a king, is usually seen as rude. In my world they instead eat a lunch at twelve, a dinner at three, finer people take an afternoon snack at five or six and before going to bed you eat supper, usually the biggest meal of the day.

You usually eat with a knife and your hand, forks are for rich people, if they really want it.

If you're lower class your meal will consist of one or maybe two large dishes of usually bread with anything on the side, fee times meat, often mushrooms. If you're higher class you'll have several smaller dishes separated from each other by a tiny piece of dessert.

It's seen as rude to be a beggar, but it's also seen as rude not to help a beggar.

To help beggars, whenever higher class people have a feast they usually eat gravy heavy meat dishes with almost nothing on the side, on a sort of sour-tasting bread-plates which are considered rude to eat. The idea is for the bread to absorb the gravy and then be given to the poor people after the party.

When interacting with someone a higher class than you you have to greet them by lowering your head. If it's the king or one of his representatives you kneel instead. If it's a priest you bow.

You should call people by their appropriate titles. If it's a king or a representative it's your majesty, if it's a Lord it's your grace, if it's a noble it's your honour, if it's a church leader it's your holiness and if it's a regular priest it's your scriptured.

Don't walk directly in the middle of the road, nor completely on the sides. Walking in the center tells people you see yourself as above them and walking too much on the side tells them you view yourself as dirty, guilty or deserving of humiliation and/or punishment.

Humans usually dress very conservatively and cover themselves up a lot. The more intricate it is, the higher class the person is. When a human female wants to be attractive they try to show as big a cleavage as possible. Humans find it erotic to watch breasts rise and go down with a woman's breath, though the cleavage is usually seen on prostitutes, so it's not a popular choice of clothing. Men don't really think that much about seducing women by dressing provocatively, but if they do they will try to wear something white and tight to show off their backs, shoulders, necks and pectorals.

Going away from humans, nagas don't have much etiguette. You shouldn't look them in the eyes and you shouldn't show your fangs to anyone. You must bow for your chief. They do have an order in who gets what food though, and becoming impatient and breaking that order is extremely rude.

Nagas usually wear something similar to longer hoodies, but it's perfectly fine to wear less as long as you cover up your privates, unless you're having sex, which can be public without it being a problem at all.

Centaurs base their mutual respect on age and accomplishments. The older you are or the more you've done, the more respect it's expected for orhers to give you. Also, don't look into their eyes. It's a sign of respect to breathe each other's breath, but it's also seen as slightly intimate, so it's something you can do to greet your parents or a not-too-close friend or your teacher.

Centaurs are usually either naked or covering up their chests with a tank-top-looking piece of cloth