Scarification and tattooing are two different methods! They both involve damaging parts of the skin, but tattoos are a very small amount of damage with ink injected under the skin, while scarification is with the intent to cause scarring to produce a different texture.
Rocky peeks over the little rock's shoulder(?) to check the screen. Since they got the EARTHCOMM system set up, the poor thing's been practically inseparable from it. Rocky appreciated it too- liked the chance to talk to Adrian again most of all- but most days, Grace had the keys.
The little stone grumbles in frustration. Something about the pointlessness of ink, about the natural pigments in skin. He only realizes Rocky is there when he sets a hand on his suit.
"Here, let me show you. Might be easier with a visual."
Grace had done little visual shows for him before, so it only felt fair. His shirt comes off. Grace staggers, his vents opening and letting out a hiss of steam strong enough to fog the suit.
...Ah, well. The little guy can see through steam anyway. Rocky presses on. Holds up his forearm, takes Grace's claw, and presses a few digits against the old tattoo along its length.
"This one's ink. Black. The skin's a little numb there because it healed a little strangely. That's the kind people get most often. Here-"
He moves the claw to a spot on his chest, above his pectoral.
"You cut me off, Grace. It is the same, technically, but it's invisible to humans unless certain conditions are met. That is, under a blacklight. People use them at parties sometimes to make colors look brighter or more interesting, and there are some colors that are only visible under them. You can see it, but I can't."
The sandstone eridian chimes in intrigue.
"-Now, last thing. Here."
He doesn't have any scarification tattoos, but he does have scars. Should be good enough for a demonstration. He sets Grace's claw on a three-fingered handprint boiled into his palm. The reason he doesn't have any feeling there. Grace flinches.
"It's okay. This is a scar. Feels different, right? This one's a little deeper than most scars people get for decoration. Feel how there's no ink in there. It's all body-made. Same as your star charts."
The little eridian is silent for a moment, then shivers and backs away.
Rocky's not certain why that upset him, though.
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