Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

Click for the full-resolution version.

About the Images

Last year, I was visiting a pretty holiday sim, and out of nowhere, a snowman began pelting me with snowballs. It was funny and surprising, and I decided then and there that I needed a snowman that threw snowballs at people. Well, I got busy and forgot to follow up. But when I saw Bad Unicorn’s “Fockin Frostys” go on sale a couple of weeks ago, I decided to grab one.

This snowman is a well-behaved gentleman when you are close to it. But as soon as you walk far enough away, it will rise up on its legs and begin throwing. And it has a surprisingly good aim, lol! The snowman comes with three different heads, so you can set up a variety of these guys on your land. Once you get tired of being hit, you can set it to stop throwing at its owner (you). It’s a lot of fun, especially when you catch people by surprise, as I was last year!

Another item of note in these pictures is Gavin’s outfit, which was a gift from Cosmic Dust in the MadPea Advent calendar. The Jace outfit comes with a HUD of colors for the pants, jacket, and sweater and is sized for both men and (small-chested) women. At $500L, the MadPea Advent calendar may be a bit pricey, but the amazing daily gifts have made it worth every penny.

Serena’s “inappropriate” Santa hat, as well as the snowy backdrop, are Advent gifts from Synnergy.Tavis. The hat comes with a HUD that includes eight different slogans, some of which may indeed be considered inappropriate, but Serena opted for “Team Nice” instead. Gavin’s Santa hat (and hair) is an older gift from Argrace that is still available.

I also want to point out Serena’s boots, which are from the new Mellow Elie shop, a new project by creator Emma Gilmour (I was such a fan of her work at Mon Tissu, and those Nora Skinny Jeans are still among my favorites). I love these boots so much that I will probably go back and buy the fatpack once I save up some Lindens!

Complete credits are below the story. And as always, store and event SLurls are available on the Store & Event Links page.

The Story

The woods were cloaked in a fresh blanket of snow, with the trees dusted like powdered sugar. Serena and Gavin drove slowly down the winding road in Gavin’s old red pickup truck, the scent of pine filling the cab from the Christmas tree strapped in the bed. Inside, the radio played faint holiday tunes, blending with the soft crunch of the truck’s tires on snow. Serena adjusted her scarf, her camera resting on her lap.

“This is perfect,” Serena sighed, gazing out the window. “Just like a Christmas card.”

Gavin grinned, his hands steady on the wheel. “Nothing like finding the right tree out in the woods. Can’t get that at a tree lot.”

As they rounded a curve, something caught Serena’s eye. “Stop the truck!” she exclaimed.

Gavin hit the brakes, sliding slightly on the icy road. “What is it? A reindeer?”

“No, look!” she pointed to a clearing. There, in the middle of a snow-dappled meadow, stood a snowman. It was adorably quirky, with a carrot nose, coal eyes and mouth, and a jaunty red and green ski hat. Someone had clearly stopped here recently to put him together and had even taken the time to spell out “Happy Holidays” in the snow.

“Who would leave all this out here?” Gavin asked as they got out of the truck, the cold biting at their cheeks.

Serena was already hopping out of the truck, her boots sinking into the snow. “This is too cute! Let’s take a picture with him and pretend we made him ourselves.”

The snow crunched underfoot as they approached the snowman. Serena set up her camera on the truck’s hood and activated the timer. They crouched beside the snowman, brushing fake sweat from their brows and grinning at the lens. The shutter clicked, capturing their silliness against the winter wonderland.

As Serena retrieved her camera, she glanced at the snowman. Something about it felt… off. She stepped closer, noticing faint imprints in the snow leading to where it stood as if it had walked there.

“Hey, Gavin,” she called.

“Yeah?”

Before she could answer, the snowman’s head jerked to the side with a crackle of ice. Its coal eyes blinked—blinked!—and its arms appeared. Then, with a jolt, it sprouted legs and stepped forward, leaving perfectly rounded footprints in the snow.

Serena yelped, stumbling backward.

“Run!” Gavin shouted, grabbing her hand.

They dove behind the truck just as a snowball whizzed through the air and splattered against the side.

“This can’t be happening,” Serena whispered, peeking over the truck’s hood. The snowman’s stubby legs carried it forward with surprising speed, and its arms were a blur as it scooped and hurled snowballs with uncanny accuracy. It also seemed to be laughing—a deep, rumbling sound that echoed through the trees.

“Got a plan?” Gavin asked, crouching beside her, his hands full of hastily packed snowballs.

Serena’s mind raced. “Maybe it’ll stop if we… give it something festive? Like a present?”

“Serena, it isn’t Santa—it’s a snowman gone rogue!”

Gavin rose, and the snowman lobbed another volley, this time hitting Gavin square in the forehead. He grunted, shaking off the snow. “That’s it. We’re fighting back!”

Click for the full-resolution version.

With that, Gavin launched a snowball with all his might. It struck the snowman’s face, dislodging the carrot nose, which landed in the snow with a soft thunk. The snowman paused as if offended, then scooped up another pile of snow and hurled it with renewed vigor.

“I don’t think this is working!” Serena shouted, dodging a barrage of snowballs. “We need to get out of here!”

“Not until we slow it down.” Gavin climbed into the truck bed, grabbing a tangle of bungee cords. “You need to distract it!”

Serena groaned but complied, popping up from behind the truck and waving her arms. “Hey, Frosty! Over here!” she yelled, dodging a volley of snowballs with surprising agility. “Hey, your aim is terrible!”

As the snowman turned its attention to her, Gavin sprang into action, running behind the snowman and looping a bungee cord around its legs. He yanked it tight, tethering the snowman to a tree. The snowman thrashed, flinging snow in every direction, but the cord held firm.

“Let’s go!” Gavin shouted, jumping into the driver’s seat.

Serena scrambled into the truck, slamming the door as Gavin floored the gas. The tires spun briefly before catching, and the red pickup roared down the snowy road.

“Did that really just happen?” Serena asked a few minutes later, clutching her camera. “Tell me I didn’t imagine it.”

Gavin glanced at her, his face a mix of exhilaration and disbelief. “We just got ambushed by a snowball-throwing snowman. Yeah, that really happened.”

They drove in silence for a while, the quiet broken only by the sound of the engine and the crunch of snow beneath the tires. Finally, Serena smiled and held up her camera. “At least we got a good picture before things got weird.”

Gavin chuckled, shaking his head. “Next year, we’re buying a tree at the tree lot.”

Behind them, in the fading light, the snowman stood at the edge of the road, its coal eyes gleaming with icy determination.

CREDITS

Serena

Synnergy.Tavis Inappropriate Santa Hat (Advent gift)
TRUTH Smitten
IKON Lucidity Eyes Eternal Pack
Glam Affair Liv
Kibitz Camille’s Earrings
RED GIRL Claire Sweater Xmas
Kibitz Davina’s Rings
Friday Weekend Jeans
Mellow Elie Camden Boots

Gavin

Argrace Santa Hat/Men (group gift)
IKON Splendor Eyes
Not Found Jerry Skin
Deep Static Anson Glasses
Cosmic Dust Jace Jacket & Sweater Vest (MadPea Advent gift)
Cosmic Dust Jace Pants (MadPea Advent Gift)
Butterscotch Tobias Boots