Yes, you start sucking on skin, purposefully, with intent. That's the only way a hickey happens. He intended to give her hickeys. They don't "just happen".

Can I tangent on the absolutely infuriating nature of someone giving you a hickey when you ask them not to? Like, come on... you dont just accidentally give a hickey because things were hot and heavy... when things are hot and heavy I don't just latch on to one random patch of skin and start Hoovering... All hickeys are intentional and anyone who gives you one when you specifically and clearly stated how badly it would fuck up your situation (or just because they're fucking ugly and used as brands of "ownership" by idiots) isn't really looking out for you, at all.

Ellie Arroway: You know, there are four hundred billion stars out there, just in our galaxy alone. If only one out of a million of those had planets, and just of out of a million of those had life, and just one out of a million of those had intelligent life; there would be literally millions of civilizations out there.

Palmer Joss: [looking the night sky] Well, if there wasn't, it'll be an awful waste of space.

Ellie Arroway: [looking him] Amen.

That is part of it, certainly. But given Carl Sagan's involvement, I think there was a genuine effort to communicate. No matter how infinitesimal the chance of it being recovered by aliens are, it is (besides radio waves) our only ambassador to the galaxy, and I believe he took that role of Voyager very seriously.

You have to read Carl Sagan's Dragons of Eden... this is certainly the neocortex emerging from the R-complex. The skull is ominous, but, as it represents growth from and not decay, we can be sure that, when fully formed, this creature will retain its reptilian power (and danger) but be contained - controlled - by a rational, thinking human brain.

Haha he even has Frodo a hobbit in proportion! Well done