Fantasy Night on February 13 was a program meant to bring all those innermost dreams to life, to appear as your most desired fantasy. In SL, of course, your appearance is limited solely by your imagination. You can be giant or tiny, furry or winged or quadruped. I approached Silh's Corner as a blue-skinned elven hunter, changed the sun to midnight, and the night was suddenly full of the extraordinary. I met a wildly gyrating faun, a glowing winged fairy, a beautiful goth with buckled boots I envied, a furry white neko, and a mecha-type whose huge boots looked as though they weighed as much as the proverbial cement shoes. While the club normally plays jazz, the music was lively and foot-stomping for this event.

The incredibly generous and helpful Abbygale Neiro, club manager, steered me through the intricacies of entering the photo contest. Notwithstanding the fact that I tried to pay the wrong board to enter the contest, Abby also kindly made an appointment for me to see a photographer, Mila Fallen, who is Abby's sister in RL. Mila's photo studio, Precious Moments, is located high above the club and the first thing I did, newbie-like, was to attempt to dutifully step onto the photography pose stand, which actually turned out to be the teleporter.

I didn't realize how much effort goes into a photo shoot. My avatar's hair was too curly and flyaway so I ended up using hair given me by the photographer, a classy flame-colored updo that allowed my pointed ears to show and contrasted nicely with blue skin. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to turn off the club's dance animation and the "Stop Animating Me" function didn't work permanently since I had selected random dance to animate my avatar. Mila was very patient with all the involuntary movements that interrupted the posing. I received the two photos the next day and was duly impressed. According to Abby, Mila recently and very successfully graduated from a graphics program in RL and it shows; the images were stunning, enhanced in Photoshop. You can view one in the background of the photo with me, Abby, and Silhshoot Seelowe, the club owner.

Returning the next day to finally enter the photo contest, I encountered the formally dressed Abby and Silhshoot, a RL high school librarian, and we chatted about club ownership in SL. The talented Mila helped to build the club, which Abby said could normally cost 5,000-8,000 Lindens to build, with weekly rent that much or more on top of the construction costs! Although Silh's fantasy is to be a cool and laid-back jazz club owner, life is too busy to indulge in that pipe dream (well, maybe he can be cool). Both Silh and Abby are experienced in SL club management, although Silh just recently started this club with Abby, whom he met two years ago. Abby also extended her helping hand to Silh and he credits her with transforming him from the primitive and newbie-looking avatar he was then.

Silh started this club with a philosophy to welcome all kinds of avis to the lounge life. Well, one can hardly have a "come as your desired fantasy" night in SL and limit it only to human avatars! But if "you can rez and wear it, you are welcome" at Silh's Corner.

SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Los%20Alamos/205/227/22