hummingbirdbandit:

kanguin:

With the reveal of “grub scars” in Hiveswap Friendsim Vol 11, I wanted to get really frustrated at first, because it doesn’t make sense with a standard understanding of pupation, but instead, I’ll just accept it.  However, in accepting it, I have noticed an interesting detail.

These markings are on the sides of the ribs, positioned just below the level of the pectorals, and bear the color of the troll in question’s blood.  So if you wanted to keep your blood status hidden, then it’d be wise of you to keep your top covered at all times, as those markings would give you away before your blood was ever drawn.

And guess what, we’ve seen someone do this before:

The Sufferer (pants highlighted for visual clarity)

As a offspec “mutant” on Alternia, A2 Kankri Vantas would have bright red markings on his sides, signalling him as a ready victim for anyone to see.  So to prevent making an instant target out of himself, the Signless (and Karkat by extension) adopted wearing chest high pants to cover up those grub scars.  It’s easy to get someone to remove their shirt, but it’s a social faux pas, even on Alternia, to forcibly remove someone’s pants.

As an additional note, it’s interesting that in some of his pants (they don’t all match up from artwork to artwork, but come on, he probably has the decency to wear more than one pair of pants), he wears all gray and black, with a bit of red.

While might you think bright red would be a dead giveaway of who he is, it’s important to remember the imperial color is also bright red, and it’s socially acceptable to wear any amount of it.  In fact, Redglare and Kanaya wear more red than the Signless ever did.  It’s kind of a way to hide in plain sight.  No sensible mutant would ever wear their color, so obviously he can’t be a mutant like they claim.

And it seems this color gambit worked so well, even Karkat followed suit:

HOLYSHITHOLYSHITHOLYSHOTHOLYSHIT