Wednesday 12 November 2008

The Best Moment Of My Second Life

The following post is written by Dandellion Kimban of "Living in the Metaverse" as part of the SL Bloggers Mix & Match Challenge. The topic was suggested by Crap Mariner.

There are nights in second life when the fake stars on our virtual sky are playing with us. Nothing can help that. Especially because we're not even aware something is happening.

Night we're recalling now was special itself. It was Human's birthday,so the two of us, in two different worlds, were heading for a nice intimate evening in club Reactor. We planned a quiet, calm and intimate night. No candle-lights, but cheese and wine for human and a new set of dancing anims for me. But...

He was sitting on the pillows in the corner, occasionally taking a draw from the water-pipe, goggles resting on his forehead. Cyberpunk kid. Looking in my direction. And while I was reading his profile he threw the first IM. I would politely end that conversation but Human pushed my back to the pillows and we started chatting. Soon enough he took my hand and teleported us to the sim I've never heard of before.

In the meanwhile, somewhere on the other end of the Grid, in the area with all those Orientation Islands, another Ruth came to life. She made a few clumsy steps, probably asked a question or two and headed forward into her second life. Knowing her now, she probably went to the nearest hair-shop. Sure that I couldn't care less for another noob in that moment, how could I know that few months later she will come and steal my heart.

My friendly celebration with Human turned to be a date with a cyberpunk guy. Date? Well, maybe. We were running around the streets of Suffugium. Shooting the trash bins, avoiding the police drones and sneaking in the Lex Neva's private rooms, deep behind the sewer system. We were two kids playing around. Liberated in exploring the dystopian sim. Entertained not by all the cool things around as much as by the joy of showing the discoveries to each other.

Months later, that Ruth will turn into glamour blond. We'll run all around the grid, getting our pleasure not in the cool things we find but in showing them to each other.

So, why am I telling you all this as the best moments of my second life? I spent days trying to isolate events that would be in the competition for "the best moment". And it wasn't working. It's not about things happening. It's even less about buildings and sims, clothes and hairs. It's about people we share our lives with. Those cyberpunks and those glam girls that show us the places and who use their hairs to seduce us... they are the magic that makes all those pixels come alive. They make the moments to be remembered.

3 comments:

My Wonderings said...

Lovely post Dandellion. Nostalgic even! Great second lives, aren't they?

Anonymous said...

Thanks. Sure they are great. We are making them great together.

London Spengler said...

I agree that people makes SL important, I whould even say trascendent, but I liked more one of the questions you mentioned at the asociated post at your blog.

I think that asking for a best moment is like asking for a favorite dish, or dress; I don't like it, because selecting one necesarily demotes all the rest to the "not as good" cathegory.

When deadline comed, your human asked, "Is this life worth living when one can't instantly remember something that should qualify as the best moment?":

If that means you have had many, many good moments, you enjoyied them, and you didn't lose your time looking for a better one, guess what is my answer :-)