“Incroyable” is French for “incredible”, and since French is a romantic language, I need to declare: there’s a lot of love in Second Life, and one of the best (and most obvious) ways to share the love is to visit kewl/cool places bristling with romance and beaming with affection. TOGETHER. In recent weeks, my wife and I have had the privilege of knowing a number, and if you’ve been wondering where to take a date, these 4 will definitely answer part of your question. Scroll through the pictures above to whet your adventurous appetite, then read on. You can visit each by clicking its ALLCAPS TITLE below, which’ll open up a page asking you to teleport inworld. Come with us… TEMPURA ISLAND Apparently, some of the same people responsible for the horrific (in the scary, not the sucky sense) [REC] experience made this. Which makes sense and proves their aptitude for diverse immersivosity (yes, I made that up). Centerpinned by a gleaming, golden ballroom which uses the “copy prims and flip them upside down to fake a reflection” trick to great effect, there are also light shafts coming through some of the windows, surely a comforting warmth to bask in with your lover. The overall feel is post-Renaissance. In addition, there’s a vintage (I hesitate to say “steampunk”; it’s more like fairypunk) submarine with luxurious interiors: a round bed and meticulously-placed food only reaffirm the cohesiveness of the experience. And when you get really lovey-dovey, head into the forest, where you can’t possibly take a bad picture. I tried several of my WindLight settings out, and was startled by how well each one simply gelled. As we’ve seen, it’s one of the most beautiful forests in Second Life. NATURUM ISLAND Summer camp all over again, only grown up. Decadent and gracefully-styled, the lush arboreal arrangements here will leave you and your partner awestruck and breathtaken. “Naturum” sounds like “Natural”, and it’s only natural that you ride a supplied canoe out into the water, and perhaps even partake in the fishing game they’ve got going. Ravi and I didn’t, but it brought back memories of Neo-Realms fun. Other pastimes await. In the most excellent tradition of “But wait, there’s more!”, there’s a second Naturum Island which extends the beauty of No. 1. Should you want to shop, some carefully-arranged and fun goods are on display. Heading into even more familiar traditions, there’s campfires you can huddle up with — be sure to play with your WindLight settings; they’re a real mood enhancer! Some of the sculptie-stuff can take awhile to rez, but it’s more than worth it. SWEET MERMAIDS If you’ve seen my grand panorama of this place based on Greek culture, you’ll know I like it a lot, and not just because I dig Yanni (a master of romantic music). Verily, creator kenny Humby has been fantastically talented and nice, recently adding a fireworks show. Walk down the streets — there’s a station where you can get on “walk together” poseballs, awwww — and follow the paths down to the beach. Some of the build, specifically the massive underground beneath the island leading down to the water, looks incomplete, and I’m eager to find out what it’ll be like when it’s done. The fake moon is a standout and while it may be odd at first, it casts a soft glow not present in the system-based moon. By the balconies are poseballs which you can do, well, all sorts of sweet things on. (Poseballs are kinda like SL’s passion facilitators.) Don’t forget to take lots of piccies to treasure the memories afterwards! KENROKU Most of this place isn’t made for romance, per se. It’s actually sort of a showcase for a store that sells well-made-yet-expensive trees which have a unique feature of being able to simulate seasonal weathering. A couple highlights I need to point out: (1) The really well-crafted sculptie bus. While a bus may not be the most romantic vehicle to you, it holds special memories for me, for it was on a coach line such as this that I first came to meet my wife “in the flesh” after Second Lifing with her. It’s fun to get in (albeit a bit tricky) and sit down. (2) Of likely broader appeal, there’s a nature walk with lush vegetation which inspired a couple new WL settings. Somewhat reminiscent of Naturum but with its own character. It’s a nice place to stay still and open up your soul. So there you have it: enjoy your Second Love Life, and if you have favorites, please let me know in the comments!
