Ninpocho Chronicles is a fantasy-ish setting storyline, set in an alternate universe World of Ninjas, where the Naruto and Boruto series take place. This means that none of the canon characters exists, or existed here.
Each ninja starts from the bottom and start their training as an Academy Student. From there they develop abilities akin to that of demigods as they grow in age and experience.
Along the way they gain new friends (or enemies), take on jobs and complete contracts and missions for their respective villages where their training and skill will be tested to their limits.
The sky is the limit as the blank page you see before you can be filled with countless of adventures with your character in the game.
I looked at Kahako with a nervous grin. "My bad my bad!" I laughed off while Hikari acknowledged me. She came to sit next to me while Kahako took the time to ask us if this was our first class, to which I shook my head lazily and leaned back in my chair. Arms moving across the chairs next to me to relax, I replied: "Nah I've been here for a while. However it's the first of this kind of class I am taking." However my attention was quickly called away by the sound of the crop hitting the desk. My eyes veered the man who commanded attention and listened to what he said. "Gaaaaay!" Was my first thought. Was this guy really the teacher? I stood smirking. "Ishikawa Zaku." I bowed. "What I did wrong? I should have had trumpets announcing my arrival." I smiled deviously and sat back down. This was the kind of teacher I enjoyed messing with.
After accepting Hikari's answer, the boy began to wonder what kind of animal he'd like to have as a partner; however, before he could think on this for too long, the sensei finally spoke up. After hearing the demands of the man in front of the class, Eji was more or less turned off by his approach. The idea of listening to him was almost like hearing someone take their nails and drag it across the chalkboard. Tilting his head a little, the boy wondered why Tomotoya-sensei's words were jagged and hard to take, while in his last class Kitsune-sensei's words were easier to handle.
Watching the girl name Miyako introduce herself, the small boy wondered if he should go next, but that issue was soon resolved as he watched Zaku introduce himself. Watching his classmate be slightly entertaining, the small boy smirked at the idea of calling out the teacher; however, the academy student decided he'd rather learn from him than to call him out. Standing up after Zaku sat down, the young boy stated timidly, "Uki Eji." After saying his name, the boy promptly bowed towards the sensei. After the bow, the academy student stated, "I did not introduce myself to you, I did not bow, and I did not wait for your instruction."
Sitting down after he was through talking, the small academy student thought it was best not to say the actual reason for not talking to him. I'd probably would be laughed at if I said my parents told me not to talk to strangers.
Something that Shisou had lost over all the years of being beaten senseless by his own father was his patience for people of higher power, flaunting their bourgeois status, and picking on anyone they felt had less status. So when the instructor, who had been silent and apathetic up to that point, cracked a riding crop against the desk, Shisou perked up ever so slightly. Then he stood up, straight like a puppet with a hand shoved up it’s –this is an etiquette class. The man had hawk-eyes, Shisou noticed; they were etched into his face. Shisou could almost feel the overwhelming and uncomfortable presence of the man’s ego pressing against his temples. The man just had that sense of jaded nonchalance that pissed Shisou off. They say it only takes seven seconds to accurately come up with a personal first impression of another human being, Shisou was hoping for the next seven seconds to prove the first wrong.
Unfortunately, Shisou was wrong.
The instruction slithered from Tomotoya’s mouth, the only thing missing was the forked tongue; Shisou had not seen one… yet. The instructor insisted upon total respect. Shisou knew to respect the elders, the wise, the powerful, but he did not think that included snide egomaniacs. The riding crop was probably meant to be a scare tactic that shocked the young students into being obedient and then bending to the whimsy of his cynical mind. Too bad Shisou had been beaten by metal poles that would put the crop to shame; Shisou’s eyes hardened at the duality of those thoughts. Slowly, Shisou drew his hand away from his kunai pouch –not holding one for the teacher’s sake- and rested it again on his desk while he waited to formulate his response. All the while, his heart was hardening, and his pulse was quickening. Bad memories, and fight-or-flight responses are entirely too troublesome to change, and Shisou had no exact way to cope with a man who emanated almost the exact apathetic malevolence that his father did; power was only sought after by those who had already tasted it.
This guy is pissing me off. I don’t know what to do. Shisou looked up and watched stoically as the first girl, Miyako, stood up and stated her name, and her ‘wrongdoing’ then see followed it up with a small plea about socializing with the group. Shisou could empathize with her on a baser level, for he too wished for some friends, but no one seemed to wish to talk to him. Maybe he seemed too old, or too reserved. He didn’t mean to not act like a child; Shisou just wasn’t used to much freedom. She seemed almost too timid to stand in the presence of this man, and yet he still truly feels as if this is the best way to teach a class.
The next boy, Zaku was his name, seemed to be too much of a pretty boy to be in class for shinobihood, but Shisou knew beggars could not be choosers. He seemed to emanate an egotistical attitude, but it was nowhere near the levels Mr. Tomotoya had. As Shisou had predicted, the boy made a snide comment which would properly have received a scolding from the teacher; Shisou had wanted to stand, but Eji beat him to it. So Shisou prepared himself for another moment while another student made his timid response. Eji soon sat; Shisou smirked and stood straight up. Here goes nothing Shisou, time to stand up for the class, and probably make your first enemy. Well, it was nice trying to be a ninja, at least for a moment.
Shisou bowed once more, at the same angle, and he now knew that it was called keirei; at least Shisou had learned something that day. A bit of dry humor that only brought him the barest of sense of comfort. “My name is Kagatsuchi Shisou, Tomotoya-sensei. I have to plead guilty on the charge of my incompetence.” Shisou slowly straightened up as he spoke his words, his clear basso-tenor ringing out solidly in the classroom. “I fear that what I did incorrectly upon entering the classroom was fall for the dubious assumption that I was going to be learning under a capable instructor who would start class the moment all students had gathered. Also, I had assumed that my instructor would have enough hearing to be able to understand me when I announced my name. In concurrence with that last point, I had assumed, also, that I was going to have an instructor who could see me well enough when I bowed and then studiously sat down afterwards. I had assumed that I was going to be learning under an instructor who was going to teach, not whip a riding crop against a table in a mock scare tactic. My most grievous error was taking on these assumptions without a shred of truth to uphold them; I will make sure to never commit to that mistake again. I apologize completely for my actions, and I will take any reprimand that you have to give.” Shisou was screaming inside, and his forehead had broken out into a light sweat; once you start to shove your foot into your mouth, though, it isn’t wise to stop.
Shisou performed the keirei once more then took his seat, a steady gaze trained on his teacher. He had said everything in as sincere tone as possible, almost superb etiquette. Now he was just waiting for the inevitable castration, but at least the rest of the class would get off easy. At least Shisou was used to beatings, by now the pain didn’t feel like anything anymore.
After Sensei interrupted, Hikari leaned over and bowed slightly to Kahako, "Kahaku I express my apologies at having our conversation interrupted. Perhaps you would like to continue another time?" She said.
Snappish.
Sensei reminded Hikari of a youth her mother had taught. Entitled. He was paying, so he should get the grade. He was paying, so she should teach the way he wanted. He was the son of the Sun, so she should kiss the rainbows that came out of his bum.
Hikari stood after the quiet boy who had sat by the door had... fished his rant, and bowed with a cool calm look, carefully avoiding rude eye contact. She followed all of the rules she knew. "Apologies, sensei, I am Tanaka Hikari. I acknowledged a junior before you. I did not bow, but bobbed instead, and of course I did not introduce myself. I offer an explanation. I assumed that you were busy, as teachers tend to be before class begins. May I ask, however, in what way is that," She gestured pointedly at his crop, "appropriate for a classroom full of children? We are students; here to learn. Therefore, I believe your attitude to be unjustified. I may take this matter to one who is above you, if you do not behave appropriately. I know, sensei, what appropriate is for a teacher. My mother is one." Then she bowed again, I might mention you to a certain friend in any case... She thought spitefully. Gekido would eat that guy for lunch. But this was not an emergency, and she wouldn't call her friend for the likes of this snob. So she sat back down, never having changed that cold expression, and folded her hands primly before her.
Koaru quickly found a seat and did a deep bow " I am sorry if I have offended you Tomotoya- Sensie, my name is Koaru" She blushed violently as she did this, for she was not used to this kind conduct or situation.
Kuma smiled while Miya petted Inna, who seemed to it as well. Inna loved making friends, Kuma can remember when Inna brought a squirrel to him. Of course the squirrel ran away, but Inna felt like it was a friend. Miya thanked Inna and Kuma, so Kuma replied, "Your very welcome. Inna likes you and would like to be your frie.." Suddenly the sensei hit his desk with a riding crop. It echoed loud through the classroom, which made Kuma and Miya jump, he demanded everyone bow, say their name, and to say what they did wrong. Miya ran to her seat and did as the sensei instructed. After Miya it was a boy Kuma didn't know named, Zaku.
Zaku seemed a bit over himself, which could sometimes be a good or bad thing. Then another boy named Eji, who again Kuma didn't know, but he followed the instructions as the two before him. Shisou was the next person, Kuma noticed him coming into the room taking a seat and not saying anything to anyone. Kuma thought maybe he was shy, but Shisou too did as instructed. The next student was a girl, Hikari, and she seemed angry by what the sensei did, but did as instructed. The last was Koaru, who blushed and Kuma could see that she was nervous.
Kuma was next to stand, beginning with his name as instructed, "My name is Izumi Kuma and this is Inna, my best friend." Which Kuma bowed at a thirty degree angle called a keirei. "I apologize Tomotoya-senei for not giving my name when I first walked in. I did say hello, but I didn't give my name, nor did I wait for your instructions." Kuma continued. With that he rose from his bow and sat back down with Inna. Inna seemed a bit nervous.
Just when Kahako was going to respond to Zaku, a smack sounded in the air that surprised her. She turned her head to the front of the room, her face hiding her surprise. Tomotoya-sensei was going to be hard on all of them. She was foolish to have expected any less. It seemed all professors took their classes seriously. She listened to each of her peers introduce themselves, fighting the smirk at Zaku’s personal introduction. Some listened to their instructor’s demand; others fought it in their own way. She decided she was going to be the later. But she would play with the abilities she was already taught. It wasn’t the first time she had training that was similar to this, however her etiquette was only limited to what was acceptable within the world of business.
Kahako rose slowly and placed her hands over her thighs. ‘Right over left, back straight, legs together,’ she thought to herself. She bowed to the correct degree, bending her elbows slightly. It was the customary bow of a proper hostess in a higher class restaurant. She kept her head in line with her back as she spoke. “I apologize, Tomotoya-sensei. My name is Higa Kahako. I did not properly introduce myself to you first, as you are someone of higher status. I, however, must admit that I received a letter from my mother, and was taught to give my parents my ultimate attention due to the sacrifices they have taken for me.” She rose from her bow, her smile still reserved on her face, her eyes only showing the minute challenge she silently issued to the teacher. He probably was going to win (he was the teacher of a class on etiquette after all), but what was the harm in testing one’s own ability? “I must ask you, Tomotoya-sensei, what is more appropriate: Respecting the spirit and sacrifices of my mother, or a proper greeting when it isn’t custom to produce one?” Indeed, it would be an interesting class.
(OOC: I apologize if I’m a little bit slow and short on the updates. My fall break is over, so I’m going back to my classes. I should be able to continue posting on time, but with not as much fluff.)
"Thank you, Yoshinaga-chan. It takes grace and strength to admit one's mistakes." He nodded to her in polite acknowledgement. There is hope after all. If at least one of them can contain the homicidal brattiness, perhaps we'll make it as a village into the next century.
Sadly, the case didn't carry through with the second student. "Ishikawa-kun. Everyone knows that brass is passé. A man of taste would have selected the reed flute, knowing that the traditional peasant arts are experiencing a revival in the capital." He snorted. "Anyway, this isn't a music class."
The third kid, however, did not exhibit the blond idiot's foolishness. "Thank you, Uki-kun. You must learn to speak up. If you graduate the Academy, you are going to one day become an individual of stature. Your speech should be commanding."
And, of course, the fourth child evinced the insolence Jareshu had expected all along. The temporary teacher's eyebrow rose. "Class has already begun. It started for you when you entered this room. Your misjudgment is your responsibility, Kagatsuchi-kun. Your bow was insufficient for greeting an individual of higher rank. Your posture was poor. And when did I ever accuse you of not giving me your name? Now you have given it to the class--so all can know you.
"Mark this one well--someone who bubbles over with passive aggression loathes himself at least as much as he holds everyone else with contempt.
"Now, if you think you have nothing to learn from the class, Kagatsuchi-kun, feel free to leave." Jareshu smiled invitingly.
The next girl was similarly insolent--not to the same degree, because that much craaaawling iiiiiiin my skiiiiiin nouveau riche entitlement took a great deal of fermentation. "Tanaka-chan. If you are going to issue a threat, make sure it is one with potency. You should have a better understanding of your target. If you want to speak with Headmaster Fujinama Souseiki-sama, be my guest. He and I will be going out for drinks and cards this evening anyway.
"Moreover, you are no longer children. You are students at an academy of war. Do you think I don't see how many of you are bristling with senbon, kunai, and shuriken? Am I ignorant that many of you have already begun working on the rudimentary workings of chakra? Most of you can bust down a sturdy house just using your hard heads. If you're afraid of a riding crop, perhaps the Academy is not the place for you."
The next girl rose and spoke after some confusion with her desk. Jareshu very carefully did not smirk at her--this one appeared to be a true innocent. "Thank you, Koaru-chan."
The boy with the comfort primate introduced himself next, with surprising gravity and courtesy for someone so innately ridiculous in appearance. "Thank you, Izumi-kun. I apologize for misjudging you and your companion, Inna-san."
Lastly, the final girl in the class. Interesting that there are so many girls here. I was given to understand that the Academy was something of a miniature wiener fest. Perhaps it's the nature of the course which causes some self-selection. "Higa-chan, your posture is excellent. Unnecessary information about your personal correspondence aside, in no way does your personal history invalidate the social contract you share in by being a member of this village. It is always custom to produce a proper greeting. In the year 953 before Our Lord of Thunder, the most notable occasion of excellent breeding and manners among our nation's shinobi occurred at the Reed Creek Incident, in which two teams of five ninja each all introduced themselves before battle. In the true spirit of what became the Lightning Country, the last combatant only survived to introduce himself to a vassal of his liege and make his report, and then succumbed to his wounds as one who had successfully completed his mission and honored his lord. We could all only be so fortunate to die with such sterling honors."
To irritate the whinier homicidal brats, he cracked the end of the crop against his desk only slightly softer than last time.
"You have already commenced your studies of etiquette, whether or not you have been formally told as much before today. In watching your parents, guardians, other assorted blood relatives, strangers, superiors and subordinates, you have observed right and wrong ways of behaving. Make no mistake: there are right and wrong ways to respond to every situation.
"The goal of this class is to give you a head start on how to use your words and your bodies not just as physical weapons to burn or break your foes' bodies, but to gain what you want or need with the least personal cost and to leave your opponents in your dust, in your debt, or deeply in love with you--whatever it is that benefits you and the village the most.
"First, we shall discuss basics: proper modes of addressing others according to their ranks. Then, we shall discuss bowing, as it is not only closely related to appropriate greetings, but also to apologies. If you want to live a long and happy life, you will learn very quickly that an apology is the best way to do so--and so apologizing will be the third topic we cover. These three fundamental social tools will allow you to move smoothly through most parts of society, handle your clients, and not be executed by peevish superiors. I once knew a girl who had her eye plucked out by a Sennin simply for not being polite enough. Though our laws regarding the treatment of subordinates have improved, you never know when the law will look the other way. You do not want to be a ninja with limited depth perception.
"Lastly, we will cover several topics in less depth, though they are no less important. We will only skim them today because to spend more time would mean the class would take many consecutive days, and no one has the stomach for that much courtesy. These subjects, presented in no particular order, will be eating, drinking, paying, giving and accepting gifts, refusals and rejections, posture and body language, and a few general pointers on dealing with superiors, clients, and other individuals you may wish to impress in the future.
"Now, before we launch into proper forms of address, someone explain to th class the honorifics -kun and -chan. The first one to do so to satisfaction gets extra credit."
Okay! Now we're cooking with hot grease.
Please make sure to proofread your posts. Simple errors like misspelling a character's name are easily fixed if you just take a few seconds to look over your post using the "Preview" function next to "Submit."
Make sure you're meeting the site's minimum word count!
If you ever have any questions, please PM me or another Cloud Council member. We are always happy to help anyone, veteran or newcomer alike.
If this is your first time experiencing a more adversarial roleplay, don't take it to heart. What a character does or thinks is one thing, and what that character's player does and thinks is another.
Miya watched each student introduce themselves after she had returned to her seat, keeping a mental note of each ones name and attitude. She wished she could have had more time to pet Inna, and time to have a chance to greet the one shy boy by the door. She thought shy people were the most interesting because they were more difficult to crack. However, her bubbly personality made people more comfortable with her until they made her mad.
Miya smiled at the teacher, lightly, though her hair as he addressed her. She listen carefully as the teacher greeted each student in turn, then went on to explain the class. The teacher continued to explain why he was going to go over each topic, then finished with the first oral quiz, "Now, before we launch into proper forms of address, someone explain to the class the honorifics -kun and -chan. The first one to do so to satisfaction gets extra credit."
She perked up at this, her mother had taught her this once, though she hadn't used it since. Her voice was calm and steady when she spoke, "-Kun is used by persons of senior status in addressing or referring to those of junior status, or by anyone when addressing or referring to young males, but it can also be used for male teachers addressing their female students. -Chan expresses that the speaker finds a person endearing. It is normally used for babies, young children, grandparents and teenage girls. It can be used for boys or a superior but it can be viewed as condescending." As she explained she kept her gaze steady with the teachers. Smiling when she finished and nodding at Tomotoya-sensei. She was very glad her mother taught her these things, though she never thought she would ever have true use for them.
Koaru leaned over to Yoshinaga - san and whispered " Wow Yoshinaga - san you're smart! I hope we can be friends in the future" She smiled kindly and then quickly readjusted in her seat and sat up listening intentively for Tomotoya - sensei's next instructions
Kahako made a small frown as she sat back down. She knew she wouldn’t have a rebuttal to whatever Tomotoya-sensei said, but his ability to brush her off like a crumb on his jacket was frustrating to say the least. To top it all off, she got him rolling into nonsense about past experiences of extreme ‘etiquette’ that the victor of the battle probably blew out of proportion anyway. None the less, class progressed on without any hint of irritation from their ‘respected’ sensei. ‘Oh well, I’m pretty sure I’ll get another chance later,’ she thought as listened to Miya’s response.
Kahako remained silent in her response to Tomotoya-sensei’s question. Miya already answered what she knew about these honorifics and then some. There was no point in beating an answer with the rod of repetition. She returned to her position of propping her head on her hand; a blank face returning to her features. She just listened to what her peers had to offer.
Shisou knew his anger problems were greater than this teacher had anticipated, but after years of experience, Shisou just allowed his eyes to blaze with the passion of endless anger, much likened to the heat radiating from the deserts of Sand -even though Shisou, or anyone in the entirety of the Cloud village, knew what or where that was. Now was not the time to become too heated and explode on the teacher, that was for later -perhaps in a dark corner of the academy- and Shisou's mind turned to the carefully weighted kunai in his pouch. Now was the time to make the teacher eat his words, to make him understand just how intelligent Shisou really was. After all, he had learned all about proper etiquette while his father was beating it into him. Shisou had a small opportunity to make a point that snarkiness can optimally be added to intelligence with the end result becoming the beautiful speech type: sarcasm.
Shisou waited for a few to go first, He was quite pleased with Miyako, even if she did seem a bit of a suck-up. She had taken the initiative to answer first, and actually give an answer. The others seemed to just sit and stew at what the teacher had said, and that meant that either they were lacking intelligence or they were apathetic about their studies. Miyako, if her initiative preceded her, was going to become a better shinobi by far, than those who could not even come up with an answer. Shisou shook his head slightly, even if she wasn't going to be a better shinobi, she would get there faster.
Taking his opportunity, Shisou inclined his head slightly and cleared his throat as to state his intention. "As well as what Yoshinaga Miyako has already stated, Tomotoya-sensei, there are many diverse honorifics left. The honorific 'San' is used when a person is addressing another of similar age or equality of status. 'San' can also be used after nouns that describe places or companies, to signify a person's job position, such as bookstore-san can be used to describe a book seller who you may not have the knowledge of his or her name. Sama is like San, except it is used to signify someone of a higher rank than your own self who requires respect, so anyone here with me today would, on the street, call you either the aforementioned sensei or call you sama." Shisou paused for a moment to take a breath, and decided he probably had said enough. There was no point in explaining every honorific to death, for Tomotoya-sensei would probably scold him for any 'extra' words he spoke, as that was rude by etiquette's standards. So Shisou inclined his head once more to signify the ending of his turn, and the chance for someone new to speak up. Shisou may be rude, brash, and angry, however he could play the part when he wished to be accepted.
What a weirdo. I was obviously joking and the dope played along with it. Maybe he wasn't as stuck up as I previously thought. Looking around as they all gave their answers, and thought about mine. I didn't know all the mumbo jumbo about the proper speaking like these guys so I answered how I used them. "I use Kun for my guy friends, and Chan for those of the female persuasion that are my age." It was obviously that I was in need of schooling in this area-- heavily. But this was a class I truly didn't think contributed to my graduation in the academy. However, this would not stop me from paying attention. My eyes and ears were attentive.
[Short I know, I had to go somewhere XD]
[iNPC: Zaku]
"Thank you, Yoshinaga-chan," Jareshu replied, nodding at the girl. There was an expectant pause for a few moments, and then the whiny one spoke up, expounding further on the subject.
"As well as what Yoshinaga Miyako has already stated, Tomotoya-sensei, there are many diverse honorifics left. The honorific 'San' is used when a person is addressing another of similar age or equality of status. 'San' can also be used after nouns that describe places or companies, to signify a person's job position, such as bookstore-san can be used to describe a book seller who you may not have the knowledge of his or her name. Sama is like San, except it is used to signify someone of a higher rank than your own self who requires respect, so anyone here with me today would, on the street, call you either the aforementioned sensei or call you sama."
"Exactly so. Though nowadays, -san is used more and more frequently in the place of -sama outside of very formal settings. Kagatsuchi-san also merits some extra credit."
The final response, from the class clown, only reinforced the fact that no, society could not rely on manners being taught in the home environment. Especially not in a world of latch-key homicidal brats. "I use Kun for my guy friends, and Chan for those of the female persuasion that are my age."
"Yes... That is one way of putting it. Moving on," Jareshu replied, shoving aside one of the rolling blackboards. In elegant script, a number of characters were written on the board, including the honorifics already mentioned.
"When in doubt, -san is always an appropriate way to speak to another person your age or older if you cannot tell what that person's rank or title may be. Using teineigo, polite language, will take you a long way in almost any situation, even if you have drastically underestimated the other person's rank by using -san. After all, you can always apologize and correct yourself. Typically, among your own peer group, you would use -san for people you are acquainted with but not particularly close to. You might also use -san at home when respectfully speaking to your parents. When you speak about another person, -san is the socially acceptable thing to do.
"Now, you might have noticed the similarity between -san and -chan. -Chan is the diminutive of -san. As Yoshinaga-chan said, it is mainly used to refer to girls and infants. Close friends, especially female friends, may refer to each other with -chan. Among men, this is very uncommon; when it happens, it's as an insult or ironically, and honestly tends to happen if the men are close friends and drunk. Given our culture, you are probably going to get drunk with your peers and your superiors quite often, so don't be too alarmed if your sloppy teammate starts addressing you intimately. He will pretend not to remember in the morning. The polite thing to do for both of you to save face is simply to forget about it.
"Saving face is obviously one of the most powerful driving forces in Kaminari no Kuni social interactions, and that is why addressing people appropriately is so important. An insult could mean loss of income or loss of life. So, let's move on a bit...
"Yoshinaga-chan already reviewed -kun for us. It's not as widely applied as -chan; you'll mainly hear it used for boys and you'll hear it as a junior member of a business or squad, rather than your senior calling you a kouhai. You can use -kun for people you are particularly close to, of either gender, but it's not so common. Using -kun and -chan for your peers assumes a certain degree of intimacy--it's used between friends, after all, and so being addressed so intimately by someone who isn't close to you would make you uncomfortable. Thus, unless you're trying to make a point, it's best to avoid being socially awkward.
"There's another lower degree of diminutives: -bo, -chin, -tan, -tama among them. These are essentially baby talk. Avoid using them unless you wish to sound infantile. If you wish to know more, do your own research. Similarly, there are diminutive suffixes added to names to make them into nicknames or feminize them. These are -rin and -ko respectively. In short, -ko means "child," and is added to words representing beautiful natural phenomenon to create women's names. "Hoshiko" is a good example." He turned his face from the class and cleared his throat respectfully before continuing. Lecturing was dry work.
"More respectful than -san and the rest are -shi, -sama, and -chama. These days, -shi and -sama are almost exclusively used in formal writing, as in legal documents, articles, or letters. -Sama still sees the more spoken use of the two, and is used formally to address people of much higher status than yourself. In that context, you would not usually address me with -sama unless you were being sarcastic." Jareshu's gaze lighted briefly on Shisou, then moved on. "As a customer, you are addressed as okyakusama; you, likewise, would refer to your clients with that suffix when you become full ninja and take missions. Individuals whom you greatly respect are also appropriate targets for -sama. -Chama is rather intermediate; you might use it for a peer or near-peer for whom you have great respect because they stand out in some way. Of the three, it is the least commonly used, really.
"Sensei means "born before" and is used for teachers, doctors, lawyers, and the like--essentially, any authority figure, regardless of your own age or status. It is a respectable suffix for anyone who has mastered an art or trade as well, though there are often specific terms for those people. We won't get into those, however. You would refer to me as Tomotoya-sensei. If you are speaking to someone who has especially high intellectual achievement or training, you would do better even to use -hakase. Before Hayata-sama became the Raikage, Hayata-hakase would have been an appropriate way to address him. It means something more like "professor." Court scholars and astrologers should also be referred to in this manner.
"Other terms of specific use in school are -sempai and kouhai. Your -sempai are individuals senior to you in an organization without necessarily being the boss of you specifically. If you are a first year student, second year students are your sempai. You can use sempai as a stand alone world or suffix. A kouhai is your junior; if you are a second year student, a first year is your kouhai. We rarely address our juniors as kouhai because it is very easy to come off as arrogant or overbearing, but an occasional use isn't terribly stuffy.
"-Oishasan is how you might address a medical doctor as an alternative to -sensei. Either way is an appropriate way to speak with a med-nin. -Houshi is an appropriate way to address priests of most types. Shachou means "boss" or "chief" and you'll hear it in many organizations, especially in business and other gray areas. Buchou is similar; it's a slightly lower rank for someone who runs a department. You might have a buchou in charge of a bureau in the Main Branch, or in charge of a branch of a merchant house.
"Dono means "lord" or "master," not in a noble sense, but in a respectful manner. It lies between -san and -sama in terms of formality, and is a perfectly acceptable way to speak to someone above you whom you feel merits more than -san, but isn't necessarily elevated enough for -sama--or maybe you think referring to them as -sama would make them feel uncomfortable. It's akin to addressing someon as "milord."
"A term rarely used among--well, outside of large clans, those with noble or royal lineage, and outside of courts and the like is -ue. You are more familiar with it as the preposition "above," but it is used to refer to someone reverently. You might even see the term "ue-sama" in business.
"Now, onto titles... -Heika, 'majesty,' is not a title used within Kaminari no Kuni, as we are not ruled by sovereign royalty like some other nations. That is a term you might see used to address a king, queen, emperor, or empress. -Denka is more common, and used as 'royal highness,' for non-sovereign royalty. You might see it used for crown princes and princesses from other nations, or small states within our national hegemony. -Hidenka is used to address a prince or princess's consort. -Kakka means 'your excellency,' and is used to address heads of state such as the Shogun. -Daitouryou means president. It is a more recent title, and is used for heads of state such as Date Daisuke-Daitouryou, the President of Kagoshima, a breakaway province along the coast. For referring to noble lords such as the Daimyo, you would use "no kimi." If you were to refer to Hayata Shin in his role as Kumo's Daimyo, you could call him Hayata no Kimi.
"The most common military or pseudo-military rank you are likely to use in referring to others is taichou, meaning 'captain.' And that's really about all we'll cover concerning suffixes." He brushed his hair back over his shoulder casually and let that sink in for a bit while he organized his thoughts.
"So, as a quiz... How would you refer to an older woman on the street whom you needed to address for some reason? Perhaps she dropped something and you would like to return it to her, but you don't know her name."
Shazam! A long post, in case you were concerned that I always write brief ones.
[*]Rounds are 48 hours unless otherwise specified.
[*]Please do not be concerned about posting order.
[*]If you can't make a round, please PM me.
[*]Have fun!
Hikari scribbled down the different suffixes and meanings, many of which she knew, from context in her favorite stories. Then, she raised a hand before she spoke, "Before I came to the acadamy, as per my background, I would have called such a woman Oishasan. Now, it would be more appropriate to say Sensei. San would also be appropriate. I have heard another suffix... reifujin. I think it is used to refer to an elder woman. I don't know if it would be appropriate for the situation, though, Tomotoya-sensei, perhaps you could tell me?" She asked And then after a slight pause she sighed, and unbegrudgingly apologized, "Although I still do not believe your behavior to be appropriate, sensei, I owe you an apology. You are my senior. My behavior was wrong, and almost ironic considering our class is one on etiquette." She tucked a red curl behind her ear. "The only behavior I can control is my own." She finished.
Miya smiled at Kaoru, appreciating the compliment. Then she listen to Shisou's answer after her own. It was interesting to hear more about other honorifics from a fellow student. She giggled slightly at the thought of him calling Tomotoya-sensei, Tomotoya-sama outside of school. She didn't think that the Sensei would accept that until he got older. Then Zaku spoke. He was short with what he said but he kinda ran through it like a bull in a china shop."'The female persuasion', how fitting", she thought.
When Tomotoya-sensei started his explanation, Miya pulled out a small notebook and a purple pen and stared writing important notes, she had pulled from his explanation. After he had given the next oral quiz, Miya thought about the answer. A girl named Hikari answered this question. It seemed well enough, so Miya wrote a little note about her explanation and left room beside it for the Sensei's thoughts on it. Yawning slightly, she put her pen down to wait for the Sensei's next explination. Schooling had never really been her thing before. It wasn't going to change yet. She was getting slightly antsy, wanting to go outside and run for a bit, but she knew she had to endure this class and pass it no matter what her body wanted. Her speed training would wait.
As Kaoru let all this information sink in, she was recollecting all of the times she had called her guardian by none of these names and grief over took her What if I was disrespectful to her? She slipped up her hand and asked " Ummm Sensei how would you address your guardian?" She awaited patiently for his answer. Her thoughts all jumbled and confused she laid her head on the desk and trid to shut out the world as se tried to figure out this confusing mix of actions, obligations, and responsibilities
Kahako opened her notebook as Tomotoya-sensei began writing on the board. Some of the titles she already knew, some of them she didn’t. She tended to be meticulous in her note-taking, so rabid pen scratching could be heard from her desk. She waited for Hikari to finish her answer, and she lifted her hand to give her own. “Like Hikari, because of my background I would address her as okyakusama if she were by my family’s restaurant, as she could be a potential patron in the future. Aside from that, I would use Obasan. Here, one must be careful and not use Obaasan, as that insinuates an elderly woman and could be extremely insulting.”
Kahako set her pen down, finished with her notes for now. “I was also told that the honorifics –bo and –tan are spoken more among people who speak different dialects. Often, one can tell what region a person is from purely based on how they address those close to them. Is this also true Tomotoya-sensei?” The class was actually drawing Kahako in. She was drilled in how to address her customers, and to find out there were honorifics she didn’t know about sparked her natural curiosity.
Shisou accepted the comment of extra credit without batting an eyelash; common knowledge should not be taken for granted, however it should not be rewarded to the highest degree. Everyone in the class should know the answer, but that fact seemed to be lost on most. Shisou just looked around at the students in the class, they truly did not seem to understand the questions. Shaking his head, not for the last time, Shisou inclined his head once more once several students had taken their opportunities to either answer or remain silent.
"I acknowledge the aforementioned answers of Tanaka Hikari and Higa Kahako to hold truth in my life as well. Though I have not dealt with this exact situation previously, I would have to say that my answer would fall parallel with theirs." Shisou was turning on the 'formal speak' now, for that was how an etiquette class should be, no? Everyone should be speaking to a higher level, one that would be respected among royalty and Sennin alike. Shisou inclined his head once more to signify the end of his answer calmly settled back into his chair. This class was far from over.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
I looked at Kahako with a nervous grin. "My bad my bad!" I laughed off while Hikari acknowledged me. She came to sit next to me while Kahako took the time to ask us if this was our first class, to which I shook my head lazily and leaned back in my chair. Arms moving across the chairs next to me to relax, I replied: "Nah I've been here for a while. However it's the first of this kind of class I am taking." However my attention was quickly called away by the sound of the crop hitting the desk. My eyes veered the man who commanded attention and listened to what he said. "Gaaaaay!" Was my first thought. Was this guy really the teacher? I stood smirking. "Ishikawa Zaku." I bowed. "What I did wrong? I should have had trumpets announcing my arrival." I smiled deviously and sat back down. This was the kind of teacher I enjoyed messing with.
