Arachnid

Now open is Arachnid, a new creation by artist Cica Ghost. The fanciful environment in this immersive sim-wide build is a misty, foggy land filled with spiders, webs, curious plant growths, and plenty of food for the spiders that lurk in every corner. (Visitors will immediately see a few trapped butterflies struggling in the sticky webs, as shown above.)

"Once you begin watching spiders, you haven't time for much else," remarked E.B. White, author of the classic book Charlotte's Web, and Cica has used this quote to describe her new installation. "I like what he said — I agree with him," Cica said as we chatted about her new build. And she described how she used to feed spiders: "I would catch a fly half alive, and put it in his web to see how he would grab her! I had a boring job, and there was a spider in the corner."

If the spiders in Arachnid seem friendly, they're not, as exemplified by two human victims who are trapped amid the dangerous filaments and likely to be had for dinner. Other people are out and about but are likely to retreat to their rooms to sleep, thinking themselves protected by the iron bars that make up their walls, much as the butterflies assume themselves safe in their nearby garden shelter. Visitors will notice a stack of washing machines, an extension of a small piece (also containing a spider) created by Cica for the MetaLES sim's Distrito Distinto last summer.

On the televisions located in the rooms, it's possible to watch music videos featuring a few songs of which the artist is fond — simply enable parcel media. Alternatively, one can activate the music stream, which might meld better with the pianist pictured below. Be sure to click on everything, as hidden poses are available throughout the build. If you enjoy Cica's work, please consider leaving a contribution at the landing point, or by visiting her shop in Appalachian.