Taloveri

Taloveri are a unique humanoid species in that they have no defined gender, though they reproduce exactly like humans and most other species. They are genderless until their bodies are ready to reproduce (Puberty, which happens at roughly 32 years old, though for them, it's when they're mentally and emotionally ready; physically, they can be ready at birth due to their body structure), at which point they can choose which gender they wish to be. This process takes about a week. They can change this at any time, which takes two weeks (one to become asexual, one to change to the other sex).

Taloveri are naturally curious about everything. They will often taste things that look edible without even considering that it may be dangerous (though most things aren't due to their unusual biology, described later). They are often good spies and assassins as they make very little noise when they move, if any at all (at most 5 decibels).

Taloveri look remarkably human in their bodies, though they are genetically as far from human as one could get. They are technically a collective of bacteria that work together as a huge mass. The genes of all the bacteria in one Taloven are identical, but are unique to that individual Taloven. They could technically reproduce asexually and some do, but they feel the collective need to fit in with humans (hence the body shape). They eat basically anything, with the Stomach Cells being in charge of digesting the food and transferring excess to the other cells. They don't require much food to get energy as Energy Cells absorb some sunlight and transfer excess to other cells the same way the Stomach Cells do. Each other cell serves some purpose as well, though they all think together with a collective awareness, so they can see, hear, smell, taste, and feel everything all the others experience, though they coordinate to know where the sensation comes from. Their decisions are reached democratically with majority vote getting the say in what is done. This can make Taloveri unpredictable at times, but they generally act in the best interest for all involved and are strangely wiser than most other races.

To produce sounds, a Taloven's Speech Cells create vibrating pillars within a cavity equivalent to lungs and vocal cords combined (though much smaller). This sound exits through the opening of the cavity, which they usually cover with human-like "lips". They are completely influenced by humans and have formed their language and societies based on human models. It should be noted that without restructuring their vocal pillar, which takes a few days, they are unable to yell. And it should also be noted that they would require a few days to restructure their vocal pillar to its normal size and shape, and until it's changed back, they can't not yell.

Taloveri do not name their individual cells, instead naming one Taloven (which is the proper term for an individual mass of Talo, the individual cells. Though humans refer to individual Taloven and groups of Taloveri as Taloven, too, they prefer to be called Taloveri; however, they don't go out of their way to correct this) after an adjective. For example, one Taloven may be named Special, another Gemmed, and another Shiny. Their names are mainly determined by the feeling the mother Taloven feels when the baby is formed, a description of the mother Taloven's most prized possession, or how the mother Taloven thinks of the baby Taloven. Taloven do not have surnames or any other form of family name, as they are all individuals. They do not care for their young (they are born fully capable of taking care of themselves), and they do not give each other nicknames (their given names at birth are just a glorified nickname).

Taloveri all work together collectively as well, though most of their decisions are based on human ones in their current location; they conform to human standards. They are not very social creatures (they see speech as a waste of energy when it's not essential), but occasionally, they will run for human political offices, though they almost never win. They are distinctly a metallic silver color and often look wet, though they are very dry and soft, feeling very much like human flesh, but not as warm (usually).

Due to their physical structure as simply a collection of bacteria, Taloveri have about the density of ballistics gel. They can't be cut or stabbed (they part around the edges of blades, then reform), but they can be burnt by friction, like a bullet speeding through them, or by flames. They can't be crushed easily (being composed of many tiny cells approximately a quarter of the size of the smallest cells in a human), but it's not impossible. They are slightly translucent, but only in very bright, directed lights (spotlights, lasers).

It should be noted that because of their structure, they can take any form they want, taking about a week and a half to two weeks for the change, but it also limits their ability to push heavy things, often resulting in flattened shoulders, severed fingers (which can be reattached without any effort), because they have no skeleton to structure them. This malleability also means that if they take a form with claws or spikes, those claws or spikes are also soft.

Dogs and other animals with strong senses of smell can pick up their scent, though it's not much different from normal household mold or, if they bathe frequently, dust. The scent is practically only identifiable right as they enter a room in the same way as someone turning on a box fan or dropping a heavy object on the floor, otherwise their scent begins to blend with the rest of the scents in the room.