Burning off a tattoo http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/plot-doctoring/threads/49991 mixeduppainter So I'm writing some fanfiction to pass the time in between NaNos and editing. In a scene I just wrote, character A is trying to remove character B's tattoo. Forcefully. And rather painfully. The tattoo guards against possession so it needs to be ruined in some way. Character A comes up with the brilliant idea of using a red hot poker to blister/brand the skin to obliterate the tattoo. Now I'm wondering if that would even work. Thoughts? It seems like blistered and broken skin would break the design enough to render it useless. Any other suggestions? I had initially thought of just cutting off the entire patch of skin (yes, gross. I know) but it just didn't have the same kind of finesse to it. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:07:44 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/plot-doctoring/threads/49991?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1122596 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/plot-doctoring/threads/49991?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1122596 vampyre_smiles Burning things would work, but there'd be about as much finesse as cutting a patch of skin. Second degree or higher burns are pretty nasty. They tend to get infected. And blisters ooze even when not infected. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:52:09 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/plot-doctoring/threads/49991?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1122698 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/plot-doctoring/threads/49991?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1122698 vate when you resign from certain well known motorcycle clubs whose names a wise person will not mention, you burn off the club member tattoo you were required to get when you joined. with a red hot spoon, which you hold in your fingers. apply as neessary until tattoo all gone typically they kill you within a month, just for insurance. what a compelling lifestyle. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:03:05 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/plot-doctoring/threads/49991?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1122717 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/plot-doctoring/threads/49991?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1122717 Fraust I've never burned off a tattoo exactly, though I've had a number of good solid burns in the past. A lot of it I think would depend on what makes the tattoo "work" in the first place. Magic ink that creates a particular image which has divine/semidivine power? Yeah, a hot poker would do that in my opinion. Tattooing goes oh-so-deep, pending who did the tattoo, and a burn, especially one backed up by a largish piece of metal that will retain its heat could be put in deep enough to break the ink. Mytholigically speaking fire is a pretty common cleansing agent. Maybe throw some salt in there as well (seems Supernatural loves throwing salt around). Also, at least in my experience, the pain of a burn is largely psychological. A good burn, where you're actually getting penetration, is killing nerves fast. There's a warm sensation, quick burst of pain as contact gets made, and then it's all pressure, what you see, and what you smell. The bad smell is hair by the way. Unless your scorching the monkey crap out of someone with a blow torch, what you're likely to get is the same scent as over cooking pork, unless they're hairy. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:50:43 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/plot-doctoring/threads/49991?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1125742 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/plot-doctoring/threads/49991?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1125742 ThomasP Does it have to be burned? What is the setting? For example, if they're in a kitchen, a potato peeler might work, and possibly be more painful than burning, because burning kills the nerves. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:56:01 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/plot-doctoring/threads/49991?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1132833 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/plot-doctoring/threads/49991?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1132833 mixeduppainter I'm not too worried about the risk of infection or anything. Mostly just the initial tattoo removal. I'm writing Supernatural fanfiction so we've got an angel ready to work the healing afterwards. (: They do have perks. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:58:17 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/plot-doctoring/threads/49991?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1122707 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/plot-doctoring/threads/49991?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1122707 iinsanely Sane Just out of curiosity, it's not one of the tattoo's Dean/Sam have on their chest is it? :3 Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:49:37 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/plot-doctoring/threads/49991?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1123802 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/plot-doctoring/threads/49991?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1123802 mixeduppainter Yep. You would be correct. Dean's gonna be having a REAL bad day. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:17:44 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/plot-doctoring/threads/49991?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1123959 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/plot-doctoring/threads/49991?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1123959