Tell us your Second Life Love Story.

[Worthless Whore]

Yeah, we alls got one. So if you be down for it, share that love with the rest of us. Cuz god dammit, SL love is fucking real!

For me, it was a guy in Sheffield England.

So like 12 year ago I heard about SL and instantly thought "oh hellz yeah, that shits is for me!" and I immediately got online and worked on logging in. Seriously, heard a story on NPR and *ran* to my computer to find this magical place.

So a few months in a guy I knew (the one from Lestat) introduced me to dis guy in the UK and it was like a moth to da flame.

What is it about those English guys, amirite?

Anyway, we hit it off pretty fast and started hanging out together daily. I honestly don't remember who's idea it was, but after a few weeks we were officially partnered and spent every minute in SL together. I can honestly say that I loved him dearly. He was intelligent, funny, and ooooohhh so British! After a while almost everyone I was hanging out with in SL was from the UK! (Which isn't a bad thing, they were fun!)

The weirdest thing about all this is that his wife, dat's right his freaking WIFE, was also in SL and knew we were partnered, and didn't care (she had her own boyfriends in SL.) His wife and I were friends even. And I'm not kidding when I say we were partnered. This was some serious shit with some real emotions. I remember once where we arraigned a log in time and I logged in first, but less that five minutes later he logged in as well, and then we spent the next eight hours standing on the exact spot we logged in on (land we owned together. And we owned A LOT of land together) doing nothing more than talking. Seriously, we didn't move. We just talked and enjoyed each other's company for eight freaking hours.

He owned (owns?) a jewelry store in Sheffield and even mailed me a gold ring, which I still have to this day. I mailed him a pair of my panties, which I presume he still has to this day. How's that for serious? I even joked with him that one day I was going to just show up in his shop and ask him to replace the battery in my cheap watch (something he despised doing) just to see if he would figure out that it was me (something he definitely didn't want me to do.)

Those months were magical. I lost a LOT of sleep to that relationship with the time zone difference (totally worth it.)

Eventually an old lover who was bitter about me leaving showed up and caused problems between us, and after a while things just fell apart.
To this day I still think about just showing up in his shop and not saying anything. Just chat for a while, maybe buy something, and then leave, but leaving the ring he mailed me for him to find after I've left.

So there ya go. I've bared my worthless whore of a soul to all of you and now it's your turn. Tell us about your SL love(s) past or present, good or bad, we want to hear the story.

 

[Rose Karuna]

My husband (Bran Brodie in SL) found SL through an article in a tech magazine. We had a blast in world together and we also used to use SL to communicate with each other when either of us had to travel (we use Facetime now). My husband bought a bunch of land at first but eventually he became frustrated by so many bugs in the system and just gave up. He's only in world once in awhile now. I have more patience OTOH and am still in world once in awhile and still playing with creating a few new things.

I took to SL like a duck to water and made a bunch of friends that eventually, through Linden conferences and such, I met in RL. Several years ago, Surreal drove down all the way from Philly to give me a little ("furry", love of my life) when she brought her cat Obie for me to take care of. Obie and I had a wonderful life together.

I can't count the number of friends I have made through SL and SLU/VV. There are really some awesome people here.

 

[Aeon Jiminy]

I've had many. Usually they last about a year. They are all different, but kind of all the same. It seems like love in SL ultimately ends up being like the seasons. I enjoy every one of them in the moment, but really find myself longing for the next spring. It's nice to be warm in the winter, but nothing is as exhilarating as flying freely in the spring winds and waiting to see where they carry you next.

 

[Myficals]

I'd been in SL a little over a year and was hosting at a club. She turned up one night, one or two days old, doing some solo exploring after being introduced to SL by a friend. We got to talking and ended up friending. The next day I offered to take her round some SL destinations, our first trip together was to Greenies. Anyway, one thing led to another and a few months later we partnered. I won't lie and tell you it's all been smooth sailing. We've had rough patches and there was one time I thought I'd screwed things up for good. We've gotten through it though and over ten years later, we're still together.

 

[Shiloh Lyric]

One day, several months after my marriage broke up, I was hanging around, under a tree in SL with a friend I had met, taking each other's pictures, when this 'newbie' in a funny looking, but very cool crow outfit, asked if HE could take our photos.(found out later that not only was he NOT a newbie, but he was on SL long before I was originally. And his "I built some things" was a serious understatement) We friended, but I was a couple of weeks into an SL 'thing' with someone else. But Crowthorne and I chatted now and then...I took his photo for his profile pic, etc. When the other 'thing' fizzled (we're still friends, though. He's a cool dude), Crow took me on our fist SL 'date'.

Where we spent hours just chatting and found so much in common. SO much so that I almost fell out of my chair when I found he was 14 years younger than I am in RL. That's never really mattered, though. Not then, not now. We partnered about a month after that first date, and have been ever since. We don't get to see each other as often as we did in the early years. (It's been SIX now! I can hardly believe it), mainly on the weekends now, unless one of us is off work. I'm in the US, EST, and he's in the Netherlands. We both have fulltime jobs...I'm a single mom. And my mother lives with me...which she didn't in the those early years. It's not as easy to be online at the same time. But we manage at least *some* time every weekend.

We don't have as many opportunities to be 'intimate' as we used to, either, mostly because I'm not often alone here, but we still have so much fun together. No matter what we're doing. Just hearing his voice on Skype can make my day better, and he claims the same about me. Our lives...our life experiences...are so very different, and I don't think this could ever actually work in RL for those reasons, but he's probably the best guy I've ever met. Sweet, smart, creative, funny...and just able to deal with me. He makes me laugh constantly, and loves doing it.

Sometimes I worry that maybe I'm keeping him from living his life. He's never been married. But I don't think he cares. He has a pretty decent life, and seems really happy with it. (he's got his shit together WAY more than I do) I considered, in the past, breaking it off so that he could have a chance for a RL relationship without feeling obligated to me. But a wise friend told me that's not my choice to make for him. I realized she was right. He's a grown man...and the kind who knows what he wants without being arrogant. If he wants something else, I know he'll tell me.

And I know that no matter what else happens, he's been one of the most important relationships in my life. I don't know how well I'd be, right now, if it weren't for him...helping me get through some dark days. He's the one who allows me to have even the slightest faith that all men aren't lying, cheating asses with control issues. I'll always be grateful to him and he'll always have a place in my heart, no matter where our lives, second or real, take us. Will we ever meet in RL? I'd love to. We used to talk about it...but not so much anymore. Maybe the illusion is better. I'm not getting younger, and I'm not getting richer. As much as I'd LOVE to visit him, it is probably out of reach. And I'm not sure he's really into visiting the US.

 

[Val]

I always found SL love stories endearing and posts in this thread show me why - SL is really good for learning about how love really is this bonkers thing that is very different for every person you come across. Sometimes you want to keep that human around your house and sometimes you both feel your partnership is best online and in different countries. Not to mention you can have both sort of people in your life at same time. I mean, my mum had an internet chatroom dating phase when we first got online and it went much more like it would in person and don't recall dudes she came across much into being open minded or into progressing together which is why I see SL as interesting. For full disclosure of this trite paragraph - I also have / and had poly friends irl and in SL and still would say same.

So now the bit where I over share and my SL romantic life is not as ... interesting probably because I am mostly aromantic. Mostly as had few exceptions that were sort of weird crushes and one major one being my husband. Of course I did meet him in SL but story is not as endearing as others .

In all my SL time I had friends I got flirty with same as irl because usually I come across people who like that as form of daily banter and showing of friendly affection. My SL and RL actually totally matched, even the reason I joined was due to the political climate in Poland back in 2006 - opposition decided to utilise SL to hold events and discussions because they thought it will be next big thing like web 2.0 UI designs. Hell, few Poles made loads of money when they opened SL banks and predictably they moved to RL finance sector and I bet they are still working as such after stopping in SL. Ahem, pardon off topic - point is - my virtual life was never a 'second' one and it aligned with 'first'. My avatar back then had some SL back story but I recall constantly breaking character so in the end I have utilised it only on RP sims. Time flew and turns out SL can be helpful for those wishing to start in media and got me into a uni in UK thus I moved and ... had no time for internet overall with being a full time student during the day and then full time worker at night.

Years past and I barely ever glanced SL's way besides reading few bloggers I followed but when they stopped writing, I shrugged and moved on. In 2014, my work was dying down and my night shifts were less being on phone with clients but more staring into computer screen so I wished to pass time and get back into writing. I never roleplayed seriously and thought it would be a fun way to both pass time and practice for potential novels I shall never write xD. It turned out most games I thought interesting were not in form I felt comfortable with or disliked for some reason. Few search sprees later I found a project that fit all my anal demands (ha ha ... pun) but it turned out to be in SL.

And this is how I am still here despite game turning to be crap in the end and some sort of a soap opera on worst roleplay of all time. But boy did it have ... some cute boys ... a lot of those thus I unexpectedly found first few crushes in my life ... at 26. One ended breaking my sad, ginger heart into millions of pieces and ruined me for all of eternity to the extent I cannot write about it still ... okay ... I lie - I am just lazy and story is boring and old as time - random bloke found my weakness and went to town with it. In result, at 27, I sworn all those cute guys off and decided not to feel ever again.

A month after that ... me and few friends were bored and just collectively were watching metaphorical paint dry waiting for something to happen in SL as none wanted to log off yet. Suddenly ... the creepiest looking avatar appeared ... and not in a horror sense but "oh gods, your fashion choices kill me!" - he had a skin that looked very dead, spiky hair from pre-mesh age that looked like a mullet, an outfit that did not match the setting, very blurred eyes because the texture was crap and finally as if to top his utterly handsome looks - he started roleplaying with himself.

Everyone got so excited as it was best turn of events - something happened and it was weird ! I proceeded to take photos of this guy and send them to everyone online with snarky captions and then made a final mistake of actually writing to this gift of mankind and saying "Hi, I like how creepy you are!". Turns out it was best pick up line in history of pick up lines. We became fast friends and that lasted a week because I jokingly requested a rl hair photo from him due to me being into long haired dudes and always asking mates for pictures of such in jest. Well ... he sent me one. It was best hair ever.

As they say - the rest is history and we got hitched-partnered a week after that ... just because a friend had a fake-wedding (to another friend) and I randomly asked him to marry me afterwards. So he did. And then the standard irl long distanced relationship ensued and then we learned that we suck at those because both of us never were in a serious one. Had to learn a lot about ourselves and how to communicate and achieve pleasant compromises. Years later and we still are at it and swapping places we stay in because housing market is crap and we cannot have one together. So he stays in my flat in Scotland every month or I go to his house in England. It is sad not to be nearer but we will get there.

This riveting story has been brought to you by my tiredness.

 

[Brenda Archer]

I don’t have a successful love story, but I met my best friend ever from BiSL. He’s been the rare kind of friend I can just talk to, and he’s super smart.

If I was healthier, I’d try to revive BiSL. As it is, if a qualified person comes along who does want to revive it, I would totally support them.

 

[Chav Paderborn]

I don't have a love story but I did make a great friend who I phone sometimes and we've met IRL a couple of times and his shit jokes always cheer me up when I'm down.

 

[Worthless Whore]

Thank you to those who've shared, I have loved hearing your stories. However, I know there are more of you out there who have a story to tell!

I genuinely want to hear what you have to say. At it's core, we can't deny that Second Life is about relationships. Relationships that are every bit as real as those in Real Life.

So come on and share them with us. This is a safe place with people who love you. People who want to hear your story.

I know I certainly do.

 

[Sid]

There are people who seem not to be capable to fall in love. I'm one of them.
So I have no SL love stories or RL ones.
I became a happy single.

 

[shy poster]

I have had several torrid affairs in SL since 2007 but after about 2010 I slowed down. And then I met Mi Yuequi. Mi was a submissive Japanese sex slave who was nonplussed when her Dutch Master brought me home to share the castle. So for a couple of days Mi just hung out in a cage and sulked and I found it particularly painful that she was just silent and brokenhearted and wouldn't chat much. Eventually she loosened up a little bit and we engaged in various adventures all over the grid. As time went by Mi Yuequi and I grew to detest our fake Master and had more fun plotting against him than anything else. Fast forward and it turns out my shy little Japanese sex slave friend Mi is actually a red blooded male who lives just down the road from me in Portland, Or. 2 years ago we were married irl. Ta Da!

 

[Lewis Luminos]

Wow. Well, I met Madison on the original SLU forum. I'd had a previous relationship that had recently (within a few months) ended, and I didn't particularly want to get involved in another one. But we started hanging out together inworld, and the rest, as they say, is history. 8-and-a-half years later, we're still together.

We live on opposite sides of the Atlantic; me in the UK, Madison in the US. Both of us are married in RL and our partners both know and are happy with this SL relationship. We talk about RL a lot, though we don't contact each other much outside of SL. If one of us wins a lottery or something, maybe we'll be able to meet in RL but as things stand, it's probably not going to happen.

We've stood by each other through a lot of heartache and a lot of joy, and I know that whatever comes next, we'll be standing together still.

If you're reading this, Madi, I love you.