Every Vorta has two tongues. Two, long, purple tongues. Why? No reason, I just thought it would look cool. How would they be able to speak clearly? This is Star Trek, it does not give in to demands for so called ‘scientific accuracy’, so I do not see why I should.
WHAT THE FUCK
Do we share a brain?! I also headcanon Vorta with two long tongues, but never mentioned it anywhere, because I don’t want to think about a scientifically correct explanation. And here you are, not giving a fuck like the punk that you are. (Punk is a compliment in my eyes, I hope that’s clear).
Though I do have a reason for their two tongues. (and no, it’s not an astounded Weyoun, saying after his first french kiss ‘Oh! Maybe I should have warned you.’, because his date didn’t expect to meet two tips of tongue in one mouth)
No, it has something to do with them having no taste and being immune to poison, but that’s a long story and I am tired… maybe I’ll share it another time (if demanded).
Please, highjeff my post until your heart is content!
I am very much a punk, oh yes, sometimes I step outside with a hole in my trousers. I cannot be tamed. Seriously, though, it is pretty great that we both thought of the same thing. I would really like to hear your story behind the two tongues, when you are not too tired to tell it! Honestly, in my case, I just found it rather fitting aesthetically. I feel like two, long tongues would line up look quite well along side their long, slender ears. Besides, would a Vorta cheekily sticking their tongues out not look just adorable? I find the image of Dukat tasting the air with his forked, lizard tongue and Weyoun (misunderstanding, somewhat) unrolling his two tongues and waggling them as a moth waggles it’s antennae really cute and funny.
Ok, I’ll try to explain my hc. I guess it’s not super biologically accurate – for human standards. But since it’s alien biology, it doesn’t have to.
And as long as it is more logical than Ocampa biology, it would be even good enough for TV, right?
So in my mind, Vorta have super tough bodys and can devour pretty much everything without it having a negative effect on their health. At least regarding the biological/chemical parts of whatever they swallow. So sharp objects like..blades..for example, shouldn’t be on their menu.
Their strong immune system/digestive system/whatever is a result of the species’ evolutionary adaptation to their home planet’s ecosystem, which is full of toxic/poisonous fauna and flora.
So, since biological/chemical aspects are no danger for Vorta,they also don’t need „warning systems“ like humans and other species need them.
One of these „warning systems“ is how the potential food looks like. We don’t eat stuff, that looks disgusting. (well, normally..)
And I think, a cultural sideeffect, that we developed later as an indirect result of the importance of appearance, is a sense for aesthetics.
So, Vorta lack a sense for aesthetics,because their ancestors didn’t need to pay that much attention to appearance (because their bodies are strong as fuck from the inside, and for other dangers in their surroundings they have other „warning systems“ like their very acute ear)
(I’m aware that this doesn’t explain, why they can’t carry a tune)
(I’m also aware that I use a lot of brackets)
It also goes hand in hand with their bad eyes. Their ancestors developed on a planet, where other senses were way more important and easily made up for their eye-sight.
Another warning system for us is our taste. If sth tastes bad/rotten/“wrong“ in any kind, we spit it out. Vorta never developed that either, for the reasons explained above. They can’t taste food, because they never needed to. As long as the object isn’t too big or it’s form too sharp or pointy, it’s unlikely to be a threat for a Vorta.
In my mind, this also results in Vorta barely feeling disgust. Like – they could see a smashed and rotten corpse, they could smell, even lick or eat parts of it without being disgusted by how it looks/‘tastes’/smells. They’d probably be disgusted because of the morally wrong implicated by a smashed corpse..or saddened, because someone died.
Another result is,that they can’t throw up. When you can eat almost everything, an emergency-“throw this shit out“-function isn’t of first priority.
So the emergency function is rather rough. The second tongue is more of a muscle, that goes deep down their throat, to simulate sth similar to our vomiting reflex. So in the rare case, they really need to get sth out, this second tongue does the job.
In my mind, they don’t only make up their bad eye-sight and gustatory sense with their sharp ears, but also with a very sensible tactile sense. „Textures“ matter to them more than to humans, not only when it comes to food. But yeah btw. – the tactile sense in their mouth is also superior to the human one, so that textures of food are indeed especially exciting for them. Not only food - having small objects in their mouth just for the pleasing stimuli is a thing for Vorta.
Their skin is more sensitive as well.
Not as in „it’s easier to physically hurt them“, but as in „they
feel more details of whatever they touch or touches them“.
Now I can’t think of anything more to add, so..to anyone reading this: feel free to add your own hc’s regarding this matter. Or roast me for mine, lol. That applies especially for @loathsome-aesthete, though I’m positive that you won’t roast me. ^_^
