Elf on the Street Talks with Nyree Rain

I first came to Fantasy Faire when I was new in Second Life because… FANTASY!

Fantasy is my home, my delight, my muse. Walking the Faire and seeing all the amazing sims took my breath away. Shopping the Faire and finding all the amazing creations I could buy took… well, took my lindens away.

I ran out of time to see all the amazing performances, try the role playing options, or write for the Lit Fest. And then there was the Quest. All the joy (and frustration) of regular SL Hunts, but with the addition of a story line, a bit of puzzle solving, and a complete deluge of amazing prizes at the end.

Years passed and I became a Fantasy Faire creator myself, with my own shop here. I started enjoying the Faire even more, feeling proud that I was doing my bit, however small, in joining the fight against cancer.

My mother developed breast cancer when I was only three years old, but she beat it and lived to the age of 99. My younger son was not so lucky. He was diagnosed with leukemia when he was only 2, and spent six years fighting before dying at the age of 8. So it felt good to know some of my creations were helping fund research for a cure.

Then, year before last, just as I was setting up for Fantasy Faire, I was diagnosed with cancer myself, making the entire Faire experience surreal. I found it difficult even to listen to FF Radio that year.

So far so good, for me, but last year, also during Fantasy Faire set up, I had another scare. Fortunately that one turned out not be more cancer.

Let’s hope everything goes better this year, and I can really enjoying the Faire once more and feel like I am actually doing something to help the fight against this dreadful disease.

Nyree Rain

In the Elf on the Street series, Catori Mistwalker shares her chance encounters with Fairelanders as they explore Fantasy Faire.