Second Life Senra Saga | A Red Paperclip Challenge

Last Updated on: 28th October 2023, 05:27 am

When Second Life unveiled their Senra avatars, an idea formed in my mind, based on the ‘One Red Paperclip’ website. For the uninitiated, ‘One Red Paperclip’ chronicles the journey of blogger Kyle MacDonald, who somehow bartered his way from a single red paperclip to a house, all within 14 trades. This concept spurred me on. While my successful sex work career within Second Life is hardly a secret, it’s the fruit of relentless hard work. Yet, the introduction of the new Second Life Senra avatars inspired a thought. What if I started a fresh journey with a new account, used a Senra avatar, and embraced the ‘One Red Paperclip’ ethos as my guiding compass? You might be asking about how exactly that would work. Well, let me tell you.

The Senra Avatar | A First Glance

Second Life recently unveiled a new avatar named Senra which is aimed at offering a modern and stylish mesh alternative to the traditional avatars we’ve known. As per Linden Lab, this initiative offers newcomers an instant plunge into the realm of mesh bodies, allowing a personalized avatar look right from their initial login. Well… I’ll get to that.

The Senra avatar lineup boasts a range of body shapes, skins, and hairdos, alongside a newly minted wardrobe tailored specifically for these avatars. With apparently over a billion possible combinations, the promise is of an idyllic look for every resident.

Getting your hands on a Senra avatar is easy as they come free of charge for all residents. A quick look through the Library in your Inventory under “Senra” reveals a collection of clothing and body options.

However, as an experienced Second Life resident, my first encounter with Senra was less than impressive. In a world where realistic mesh creations are now the norm, courtesy of big brands, Senra avatars felt like a step back. Despite the hype, the avatar’s aesthetics, especially the head options, left much to be desired.

While Senra avatars mark a leap from the old system avatars, they fall short in the face of current mesh realism standards.

The Birth of an Idea | Second Life Senra Avatars

Despite its step-up from the antiquated system avatar, I honestly find the Senra avatar in Second Life unimpressive. Especially in 2023 when major brands are rolling out incredibly realistic mesh. The Senra avatar somewhat misses the mark.

Nonetheless, a plan has taken root in my mind. My journey in Second Life has been one of seriously hard work to earn my money. It has allowed me to create both Dee and Sasha, and gift them with complete makeovers. However, a new challenge beckons, something to reignite that adventurous spark that has been missing somewhat. Sure, I could take the new Senra avatar, who I have named Aria, to the streets and charge standard rates. And going into the Crystal Craze scenario or Meetro to gather Lindens seems a tad too boring and easy.

Since I became a Second Life escort, I’ve encountered a wide range of clients. Some are generous with their hires, others begrudge every Linden, and then there’s the lot who presume a simple gift earns them a free pass…

This last type used to vex me, but now it’s time to flip that to my advantage. So, here is the plan.

Aria will embrace the sex worker career path just like me, but with a twist. There will be no financial aid from my end, nor will she be gracing the X-Sisters Sex Bar (at least for now). Her chosen path will be the streets, but no Lindens will exchange hands. Aria’s escort services will strictly be bartered for gifts. The end goal is to end up with a fully upgraded avatar. It doesn’t matter what the gift it either. It could be hair, it could be skin or even a full mesh body. I am aware that the body and head are going to be the big hurdles. The rule of thumb is clear: gifts from the wishlist open her legs; otherwise, they remain shut.

Senra Struggles | The Grind Begins

I’m not going solo on this challenge, my roomie’s on board too. Chandra, who’s always up for some good fun, joins me. I love reading her pieces both here and over at Second Life Adventures. Even if her “thankies” “whuuuuut” and “welkies” give me a headache to read. When I first pitched the idea to her, we were both buzzing. Our first rule set was simple. We could upgrade our starter avatars, but only with freebies.

I’ll be honest, I gave it a good go. However, with Rebirth pulling the plug on their free head offer and all other freebie heads being, let’s face it, pretty hideous, I just couldn’t. The necklines alone were a tragedy that ate my soul. So, I opted to stick with the new Second Life Senra avatar to kick things off. Sure, it might put me on the back foot a bit, making things slightly harder, but hey, what’s a challenge without a little struggle?

I brought Aria over to the office shortly after she rezzed and had a little play around before deciding that Senra was the path I was going to tread.

Aria Vale, the new me, but with a little twist.

Aria’s Chronicle | The Road from Second Life Senra to X-Girl

Now, Aria steps out onto the grid, a standard default Second Life Senra avatar with a singular mission in mind. The goal: to transform into a full, high-quality, mesh avatar. And the route to get there? Trading sex services for wishlist gifts. Honestly, it’s shaping up to be my most insane challenge to date.

She will of course write her adventures right here on the blog, updating on how the journey unfolds. I don’t see this as a three-day challenge either, it’s going to be a tough grind. But hey, if Kyle MacDonald could turn a red paperclip into a house, I’m going to turn a Senra avatar into an X-Girl.

Starting off has its own set of hurdles. The best sims for sex work have account age restrictions, putting Aria at a bit of a disadvantage until she gains access to those areas.

So, what’s the verdict? Are you a fan of the new Senra avatars? And the burning question—do you think Aria will pull through to eventually become an X-Girl? You won’t find Aria at the X-Sisters Sex Bar but you will find me and the X-Girls, so come and visit.