So I’ve figured Nancy out a little bit better now. You see, she plays Second Life, a massively multiplayer networking game that’s not so different than a giant chat room. She role plays as a couple different characters, and it just so happens that one of those characters is partnered to her ex-boyfriend, and the other character is partnered to the friend who is coming down next week.
These people that play Second Life take the game very seriously. It’s much more than a game to them; it really is a second life. They get married, have sex, cheat, date, dress up, and where Second Life stops and regular life begins becomes a kind of grey area.
So should I be jealous that her avatars in the game date other people? No, that would be silly.
Should I be jealous that she’s getting together in real life with the people she plays with online? No, it’s a different relationship.
Should I be jealous that the relationship they share online is going to spill over into real life? No, I don’t believe in exclusivity.
But should I be jealous that she’s probably going to fuck this guy who she only knows through a game when she won’t have sex with me, someone who knows and cares for her in real life? You’re damn right I am.
This relationship isn’t as promising as I thought. It’s been fun, but if this is how it goes then I have no interest in it from here. I won’t play second fiddle to someone she only knows virtually. I deserve better than that.
mercury sunrise
