capeandcowl | [video]

[There is a blue-eyed child looking at you. She can't be more than three. She is, however, wearing a very grown-up expression of dissatisfaction. And some kind of superhero outfit with a big "6" on the chest.

Ordinarily, Val would be cagier about immediately going public in a strange place, but, well, she has A Problem. When she speaks, it's with fully adult syntax and no hint of a lisp or any other childish speech impediment.]

Hi. I'm Valeria Richards. Assuming no alternate timeline stuff--not a safe assumption, I know, but sometimes you gotta live dangerously--it looks like there are a few people out there who're friends of my parents. You've got a couple of hours to come get me before they [she turns the phone to show a pair of what are presumably social workers, looking simultaneously put-upon and patient] try to stick me in foster care and things get sketchy.

[Anyone who knows Val will know that's more for the prospective foster parents' protection than hers. No one wants her turning some unfortunate family's appliances into her robot escape army.]

...'Bye.

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[Mordin blinks his eyes, lids flicking upward.]

Must have complicated biological background. What kind of factors?

Nictitating membranes. Are you amphibious?

[She doesn't want to talk about the more personal stuff on the network.]

[Fortunately, Mordin is very easy to distract and very enthusiastic when it comes to talking about his biology.]

Yes. Good deduction. My species originally descended from amphibians. Don't live in water anymore, but still retain preference for moist environments. [Smiling.] And nictating membranes, of course.

You talk pretty fast--no big deal, I can keep up--and your respiratory rate is what I would consider high. How does your metabolic speed compare with a human's?

[Val pulls observational stuff like this in canon all the time, but if it starts to get into infomoddy territory, please tell me.]

[It's no problem! Also, Mordin is visibly beaming at the sight of all this insight going on here.]

Much more rapid. Faster thought processes, faster reflexes, faster digestion. Live life at faster pace. Require less rest, but also have shorter lifespan.

[Small shrug.]

Get more living done in less time.

Would text be more convenient for you? I type faster than I can talk.

[She has miraculously adult dexterity yet canon insists she has no powers.]

No need. Fine like this. Appreciate consideration, though.

Communication cues in voice inflection and tone valuable in understanding. Nonverbal information from video useful as well. Clear dialogue more important than speed.

Do you ever get bored during conversations? I used to get bored until I figured out how to run more than one thought track simultaneously.

[supergenius problems]

[Their pain is so intense.]

Very rarely. Learned to multitask mentally at young age. Good habit. Helps keep mind occupied and analyze problems from multiple perspectives. Likely would go mad without it.

Is that the norm for your species?

Common, not standard. Salarians not as diverse as humans, but still have great variation. Some think from many angles at once, others become hyper-focused, devoting all energy to single question. Different philosophies, different schools of thought.

Could forward cultural backgrounder to your communicator if you would like to learn more. Certain you're a fast reader.

[The fastest.]

Please. If we have your species where I'm from, we haven't made contact yet.

My pleasure. Hope you enjoy it, Valeria.

[Yup just reading the name off the communicator introductions are inefficient. Also a data file is now being sent to her comm with all she could ever want to know about Salarians.]

Still intend to discover origin of your intellect, by the way.

[Well obviously.]

Heh. Maybe I'll tell you one day. [Not that she herself actually knows for certain.]

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