Tarnished Aura

[sunandshadow]

Suppose (in a fantasy or science fiction romance novel) people normally had auras, where the color of the aura corresponded to one's personality type (and maybe also the type of magic one could do). Now suppose that suffering, especially being emotionally traumatized, causes one's aura to look gray, i.e. tarnished.

Why would it be a problem to have a tarnished aura? What might it get in the way of doing?

Also, how might a tarnished aura be healed?

 

[Monazwx]

Maybe it can get in the way of having an orgasm or something, (keeping it all sex-related).

 

[sunandshadow]

I don't particularly want it to be sex-related, I was more thinking romance-related or somehow interfering with a magical ability, a job, an ambition... But, thanks for responding.

 

[Guest]

Deleted

 

[kskittles]

I'd think the grey aura would denote a troubled past/hurt or fragile esteem. This would lead many men to steer clear, as they wouldn't want the responsibility of buiding her back up, or dealing with the recovery.

Of course, this would lead others to pounce and victimize her once more.

 

[Jack_Samuel]

If people really did have visible aura's i doubt it would be much different then today. You would have the best people or strongest magically having a very bright, outstanding and noticable aura that would diferentiate them from people with lesser ability whose aura was not as bright.

Someone with damaged goods might grey they're aura out to hide. They would fall into the background and be walked past by the bright auras like today except in a much more obvious way.

If your going for a more fantasy idea i do like Gnometoplume's idea tho

 

[sunandshadow]

GnomeDePlume - Ooh I didn't of the angle that aura tarnish might be considered dangerous or freaky, you're right that's basically instant romance potential. And really fits in with my other tentative ideas for the worldbuilding, because I was thinking this culture's 'religion' was built around an idea like 'manifest evolutionary destiny' and they tend to be prejudiced against anyone they think is 'holding the race back' or going the wrong direction.

kskittles - Nice, another idea I hadn't thought of, that people might think those with tarnished auras would be easy to manipulate or someone you wouldn't want to attempt a friendship or a relationship with.

Jack_Samuel - Hmm, I was actually thinking everyone's aura had about the same strength/intensity, and also that everyone had about the same level of magical power. Just because I'm kinda sick of stories about heroes who are just naturally better than everyone else, and I want to have a moral about individual empowerment and the key being how how you use your abilities, not what abilities you have. But I like the idea that people with grey auras might have an advantage in hiding/disadvantage in getting a love interest to notice them.

 

[emap]

You know I believe there was a thread along the same lines at some point last year.

Anyway the best idea I remember from that was you have to have matching aura's to get married, so you have a guy or gal who has had no sex and the other has had tons so the not sexed has to get sexed yet not with the fiance. I admit it appealed to me simply because it was a good excuse to have tons of sex and it's a sanctioned affair.

 

[sunandshadow]

You know I believe there was a thread along the same lines at some point last year.

Anyway the best idea I remember from that was you have to have matching aura's to get married, so you have a guy or gal who has had no sex and the other has had tons so the not sexed has to get sexed yet not with the fiance. I admit it appealed to me simply because it was a good excuse to have tons of sex and it's a sanctioned affair.

Edit: hmm I searched for aura in this forum but didn't really get any results, at least not a thread dedicated to the topic.