Charisma.
It's a stat in RPG and LARP games. And unlike many stats, it really can't be faked.
It's like a social form of genius - you either have it or you don't; and by gods you know when you're in its presence. It's usually warm and light, but it can occasionally be dark too. (The light version makes you feel happy and welcome and like you're special, the dark version doesn't - makes you fear they scorn you - but you're drawn in just the same.)
In my life I've known two actors (observed on screen and stage), one director (met occasionally) and four friends (met frequently) to hold this elusive quality. Of the friends, two held the light version, and two the dark.
Once you get past the supernatural (kickarse magic etc), charisma is the one quality I really wish I possessed.
Oh, I can put a shine on. There have been a couple of times when I've looked like hell but behaved like a goddess and had four boys and one girl in one evening pay suit to me. Or I've held court at parties (so I'm told. I didn't notice at the time, I was too terrified everyone would think, 'kerrist, what a dull and crazy-mad-lush-girl'.) but that isn't the same. A Shine is a cheap and temporary approximation of charisma and the best I can ever muster - like nickel plating instead of pure silver.
I don't really know where I'm going with this.
There's a card in the tarot - Knight of Pentacles: good looking, kind, practical, stalwart, but dull. And I always wonder what's so wrong with that until I meet him.
I met him again the other night. Lovely boy and very much the sort I'd find attractive. But he was at best shy, at worse had all the hidden depths of a puddle. So I sat there, attempting the Corvidic version of smalltalk (which is very much like normal small talk, but infinitely weirder) and feeling kinda frustrated because I couldn't figure if he had uncharted depths or no depth at all.
I've been talking to one of my friends who has dark charisma (after many years of non-communication). I'd like to go sit in his kitchen, drink tea and talk rubbish, even though I'm sure with the gap of years such a thing would be even more awkward than it was first time around.
Nope, I'm still rambling.
Also there are friends of mine who no matter what has occurred nor how long the gap between our meeting, brew some tea or pour a shot of liquor and we'll fall back into place as if time was no object. That's not charisma - not sure what to call it (what the fuck do you call it? 'Ease' sounds dodgy, 'Comforting' insulting in its blandness) - but I'm very grateful it exists because it's really quietly infinitely cool.
So.
Charisma, something-like-ease, genius, social interaction, holding court, moths-to-flames...
Any thoughts?
It's like a social form of genius - you either have it or you don't; and by gods you know when you're in its presence. It's usually warm and light, but it can occasionally be dark too. (The light version makes you feel happy and welcome and like you're special, the dark version doesn't - makes you fear they scorn you - but you're drawn in just the same.)
In my life I've known two actors (observed on screen and stage), one director (met occasionally) and four friends (met frequently) to hold this elusive quality. Of the friends, two held the light version, and two the dark.
Once you get past the supernatural (kickarse magic etc), charisma is the one quality I really wish I possessed.
Oh, I can put a shine on. There have been a couple of times when I've looked like hell but behaved like a goddess and had four boys and one girl in one evening pay suit to me. Or I've held court at parties (so I'm told. I didn't notice at the time, I was too terrified everyone would think, 'kerrist, what a dull and crazy-mad-lush-girl'.) but that isn't the same. A Shine is a cheap and temporary approximation of charisma and the best I can ever muster - like nickel plating instead of pure silver.
I don't really know where I'm going with this.
There's a card in the tarot - Knight of Pentacles: good looking, kind, practical, stalwart, but dull. And I always wonder what's so wrong with that until I meet him.
I met him again the other night. Lovely boy and very much the sort I'd find attractive. But he was at best shy, at worse had all the hidden depths of a puddle. So I sat there, attempting the Corvidic version of smalltalk (which is very much like normal small talk, but infinitely weirder) and feeling kinda frustrated because I couldn't figure if he had uncharted depths or no depth at all.
I've been talking to one of my friends who has dark charisma (after many years of non-communication). I'd like to go sit in his kitchen, drink tea and talk rubbish, even though I'm sure with the gap of years such a thing would be even more awkward than it was first time around.
Nope, I'm still rambling.
Also there are friends of mine who no matter what has occurred nor how long the gap between our meeting, brew some tea or pour a shot of liquor and we'll fall back into place as if time was no object. That's not charisma - not sure what to call it (what the fuck do you call it? 'Ease' sounds dodgy, 'Comforting' insulting in its blandness) - but I'm very grateful it exists because it's really quietly infinitely cool.
So.
Charisma, something-like-ease, genius, social interaction, holding court, moths-to-flames...
Any thoughts?