For Ricean vampires (idk the rules with others), I don’t think dye would last forever bc they can cut their hair, and the dye would be effectively removed.
Dye is a color treatment on material that’s basically dead and outside their bodies. Even though their hair does not grow longer than the length it was when they were turned, it can be cut off and will grow back their natural color. I don’t think the dye would vanish during turning, either, like nailpolish wouldn’t vanish during turning. The nail underneath would change to that vampiry glassiness, but not be visible. The hair would change in texture inside the dye.
With something like a tattoo, I would think that it could be permanent, if the mortal had them before being turned, because the ink is under the skin, but maybe the vampiric parasite would reject the ink as being unnecessary. I don’t think we have any tattooed vampires in canon to know for sure.
I treat vampires as just very long living humans, which means even tattoos fade over time as the skin cells regenerate. Vlad has one (it features in the book) which he had done while alive, but after 400 years it has faded into a smude under his skin. In another few hundred it’ll be gone entirely. They’re undead not dead, with abnormally lengthened lives, so regeneration seems plausible, unlike a zombie who cannot heal.
So things like hair dye would grow and fade out too, in my universe too. Which means now I’m imagining hair dying parties with other vampires cause they can’t see whay they’re doing in the mirror.
For Ricean vampires however I’d say cutting the hair off would probably remove the dye and purge any tattoos from under the skin, especially the metals found in the ink.
I very much agree with “I treat vampires as just very long living humans, which means even tattoos fade over time as the skin cells regenerate.” and in fact, Ricean vampires do change, whatever animates them is working to convert their flesh; they can even accrue supernatural gifts over time*. I agree, then, re: your Vlad character, and it would probably be the same for Ricean vampires. Fading tattoos.
*Injury may also contribute to this, it’s implied that suffering damage will make them stronger (the old “whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” thing, probably).
Which means now I’m imagining hair dying parties with other vampires cause they can’t see what they’re doing in the mirror.
♛Oui, ma petite. I did mention that particular gift *smiles* and it is a gift that keeps on giving… It was a gift for a mortal we have grown extremely attached to, allowed his life to tangle into ours, and shared some very intimate evenings together. “Ours” not in the royal sense but in the Mine and Louis’ sense.
Our beloved Brian Callahan drove into our lives one night by chance; he was assigned to chauffeur us to the airport on a night that we preferred mortal transit. Since then, he became a personal assistant, friend, and then even closer as a lover for one or both of us at different times… It’s difficult to say that fate was not involved. I don’t know that I would call it fate that brought Louis and I together, but a similar invisible thread must have brought Brian to us as the one that brought Louis and I together.
During our more intimate moments, I’d wanted to see Brian with fangs of his own, wanted him to be able to pierce our flesh without hand-held blades (even as erotic as seeing him with an antique razor has been) or having us do it for him, but there is more consideration to be had over whether he wants the more permanent fangs. The custom fangs are fashioned of a white pearlescent metal that he can remove, but again, they are not just for show; the intention was for them to be functional and they are reinforced enough that he can truly bite, quite firmly and pleasurably. What he has are stunning and vicious training wheels *flicks fangs* We all enjoy them.
I will add here that the fangsmith who made his fangs had been very impressed with mine, and asked me, repeatedly, “Who did your work?” and refused to believe that they’re real. Finally I told him, “Magnus.”
And the fangsmith said he’d never heard of that designer. I replied very curtly: “He’s French and he’s dead.”
…Louis will answer your other question separately, about the time I had “Property of Louis”tattooed across my chest just to rile him, it was a trick that could only be done once, and his reaction far exceeded my expectations!
//ooc; I meant to write that fic about the custom fangs, and it’s @vampchronfic/@gairid‘s OC, Brian Callahan (click his name for more about him, but if you really want to get to know him, you’ll have to read Gairid’s fics on AO3!
Also, wow, I am beyond flattered that you dug that deeply into my archive to followup on that. *hearteyes* I had asked Gairid if I could write that fic with her OC, and she’s even given me notes and encouragement for it, but like many fic ideas, it’s fallen to the backburner.
Your ask has renewed my interest in it… and maybe I’ll try to actually write it. Thank you for that!
^All of which also applies to the tattoo thing, too! We’ll see what Louis says in his answer about it.
I couldn’t finish the doujin on time (I will just not before tomorrow) and realized I hadn’t done a single Halloweeny thing that I could recall, so Morning to Moon Halloween!
I-want-my-IWTV 