Working on my Orion language. I'm finished with most of the grammar and have built up a decent vocabulary, so I'm on to the fun bit: explaining how the grammar and vocabulary work within their society, and which words and phrases have special meanings that can't be translated.
Here's an excerpt, if you're interested:
Deals and Favors
Every culture has its categories of what may be talked about, what may not be talked about, and what may be talked about, but only obliquely. Most Terrans prefer to speak about sex obliquely only; Vulcans prefer not to talk about emotions at all.
Orions speak freely about emotion, sex, money, family, and friendship. But talk of debt and obligation can sometimes be very oblique. This presents a problem often to Terran negotiators, because they think they are receiving a favor, but in fact are purchasing a service for which payment is deferred till later.
Consider the difference between these statements:
Et x’ruti konda?
Et x’ruti solv?
Your universal translator will spit out “will you do me a favor?” for both questions. However, konda refers to a task that is taken on for a debt (dudra) whereas solv is done as a free gift. The expected answer to the former question is,
Sfa yas?
For what price?
Don’t agree to the deal unless you know the price. To agree to a deal without knowing the price is something people do in utter desperation, because it will come due, and often in a form you don’t like. The person you are dealing with may be reluctant to name the price and assure you that you’ll find a way to repay them later. This is called dudra strit, open debt, and it’s a terrible thing to have hanging over you. Keep pushing until a price is named, whether cash or a konda of equal value.
If the price named is threx, get out of there immediately. They are offering to do the favor in return for acquiring you as a slave.
Here is an example of a normal deal bargain. Notice the helping verb pik, which means “to do as part of a deal.” You can speak in normal present or future tense, but as long as pik is there, you both know you are not talking about what will be done, but what you are offering to do if the deal is accepted.
Vu Terra vah sh’rai.
I need to go to Terra.
Brida sh’tri.
I have a ship.
Pik trilvia thox esh?
Will you take me [as part of a deal]?
Pik sh’trilvia pax.
I will take you.
Sva yas?
For what price?
Sva dudra.
For a debt.
Ixi djol! Sva shofivint krediten.
Absolutely not! For three hundred Federation credits.
Skir rel krua.
The deal has been made.
Duun sh’chritia.
I will pay now.
Studritakt.
Acceptable.
No thanks are necessary because no favor has been done. Always pay in advance if you can. They may offer to delay payment till later, but don’t agree to that unless the terms are spelled out in full.
Pik vs. sul
The helping verb pik is used for actions that are done as part of a deal. Like most helping verbs, it can be used in a split order to imply a counterfactual. However, don’t ever do so in the first person.
Shi pik chritia.
I will pay (as part of a deal).
Pik shi chritia.
I made a deal to pay (and I won’t).
This would be an extreme dishonor. Not that everyone always pays what they owe, but when they refuse, they’ll try to disown the deal itself: it was made by a subordinate, that’s not what they agreed to, etc. They won’t say they made a deal and are breaking it. Likewise, never say it in the second person unless you fully intend the insult:
Pik xa chriti.
You made a deal to pay (and aren’t paying up).
You can say it when someone isn’t carrying out their commitments. But only say it after normal methods have been exhausted—reminding them of their obligation, informing them that interest is being added to the quantity for every day it’s late (you did put that in the deal, right?), and expressing disappointment in the slowness of the delivery. In Terran terms, it’s like saying “see you in court.” Bargaining is over, you are pronouncing the deal a failure and will turn to alternative methods (generally violence).
To let others know that a person is unreliable, you can use pik in split order about what they didn’t do.
Pik jut vint krediten chritua sfa’svaldev esht.
He was to pay a hundred credits for my assistance (and didn’t).
This is called flars dronle, to denigrate their honor. You called them frelt, untrustworthy. Only do this if you feel yourself in a strong position (i.e. they are not in range to send assassins, or you know yours are better). The kind of person who would not pay is the same kind of person who would kill you to hide that fact. Everyone knows that.
Sul means almost exactly the opposite of pik. It is a request or even a demand to be allowed to give without cost.
Normally a favor will be offered by the giver, not asked for by the receiver, unless you are very close. You may mention your need in passing (similar to Terran guess-cultures) and they will offer the favor in terms such as solv sul sh’ruti (let me do you a favor) or sul sh’vori (let me help). This indicative let-form suggests that they will do it, if you allow it. They don’t ask, because if they offer, that suggests the beginning of the bargaining process. Instead they say they will if you let them.
An offer like this suggests that you are high in their esteem, almost family. Treat that relationship with the value it deserves. Though do not ever suggest you owe them anything, or feel obliged to repay them with favors. They said no debt, they meant no debt. To keep pressing that you owe a debt suggests that you disbelieve them, that you accuse them of manipulating you into a dudra strit. However, your natural human instinct to help them in return isn't wrong. It respects the relationship between you, which is an intimate one, closer than xota (trusted) and just below chosen family. Just make sure you are offering what you can afford, and without ever implying you have to.
Thank you all for yor well wishes :) I’m getting better now, but it’s going to take some more days to get rid of that bone-deep exhaustion. I don’t feel like there’s any long-term residue, though, which I’m absolutely glad about.
Went out on my first little walk today, too, and took the above photos. Since a year or two, there’s a lens filter on the market which mimics the old Kodak infrared film (”Aerochrome”). It’s the red-plants-effect I like to emulate with my filter stack and subsequent Photoshop gymnastics.
The “IRchrome” filter is expensive, though, and also needs to be imported, so I ogled it from a distance until my partner made it this year’s birthday present. Thanks to the illness with the crown, it needed to wait until today to be inaugurated, but here it is :) Images are almost straight out of camera with only a little bit of additional white balance. I love it. This year’s infrared season will be IR-radiant.
