6.1 Gravity the Wicked

Olive's second-best feat of magic is summoning doves.

Magan Sielen is not impressed, though.

He's even less impressed with her first-best, most-best trick, summoning rubber ducks.

Olive doesn't get many tips today. There's that damn squirrel under a bench upstaging her performance.

"Help me."

Olive persuades her brother's friend Akari Lee to help her practice some new things she'd like to add to the act. "Step right into the Box of Doom..."

"Okay, but can you not make that murderous grin?"

Sorry, Akari. Murder face is part of the act. It builds suspense.

Meanwhile, Spring puts a ton of love into the Woo Woo 4000.

It's all that stands between some sims and untimely death.

Some shots of the fire station.

Spring gets to know the other firefighters. Why were they drawn to this profession?

Jane Toledo jokes that she became a firefighter so she'd have to spend less time with her family.

Spring makes sure to spend as much time as possible with Olive.

She's made a bit of money in tips, dressed up clownishly to advertise World of Wonder, but Saturday night sees her at her first real stage gig, in a nice dress.

She has the Natural Born Performer trait, so even at this low career level she can rile the crowd for cheers.

DOVES

She's added a hypnosis trick to her repertoire.

Getting this audience member to act like a chicken is all too easy for a real witch.

Unfortunately the only volunteer for her next trick is Spring.

She doesn't think she should use her magic on him...

But she's certain he'll go along with her act.

"Make a silly pose," she whispers, through clenched teeth.

He makes a silly pose.

She smiles at him, adoringly.

"It's perfect," she whispers.

The show goes on.

Afterwards, Tom Bledsoe questions her magic's authenticity.

So she gives him a little demonstration.

The love charm! Always morally questionable.

At least he's going to leave a good review now.

"Mmm, that was amazing," Spring says, between kisses, once they're home. "I don't know how you do all that stuff..."

"That's what makes it a good show," she replies, "the mystery."

Olive isn't on stage anymore, but the magic doesn't have to stop. She gives Spring a sly grin before she plucks a massive coin out from behind his ear.

Spring is proud of Olive for being such a skilled illusionist. The thing that amazes him most is how she seems prepared at any moment for stunts he assumed would take precise planning and setting up. She refuses to reveal her trade secrets, and that's okay... he'd prefer to catch on on his own.

And for now, he's just amazed.

Dysen shakes his head and walks away.

Olive pulls Spring close again. "I have one more item to pull out of my invisible hat," she says softly.

"Will you marry me?"

Spring is so overcome with emotion, he can only smile behind his hands and nod as he tears up. He's been trying to think of a romantic way to propose, but Olive got around to it first... and he's just happy they're on the same page.

The young couple celebrate their engagement with a happy dance, before falling into bed together around 3AM.

Molly plays house, daydreaming about grandchildren.

Olive wants a wedding party, so the ceremony will have to wait until a venue is booked and everything is planned out just-so. Everyone at the fire station is invited to attend, and it's all they can talk about.

Martino Valenci is quietly a little jealous of what Spring and Olive have; he wishes he had the sense to be in love with someone his own age. Story Progression has him in a depressing pattern of romancing elder women who have just lost their husbands. They get with Martino for a little bit, and then they die too. Lately Martino has been mourning the loss of Dawn Hatfield-Craft, who took him in after the death of her husband, Marvin.

Martino is a kind and friendly sim, but he's the subject of a lot of nasty town gossip, and despised by his lovers' adult children, so it's no wonder he prefers to spend most of his days hiding at the fire station.

Woo Woo to the rescue!

Spring recognizes this as the Ziggfield house. He used to play here with Zag and Zab sometimes.

Zab is reluctant to leave her possessions, but Spring is very convincing.

Spring runs into Severino Selmone at the pizza parlor. Severino is an established travel writer now, but hasn't been able to keep up with Apollo's spur of the moment adventuring since things have gotten so serious lately between him and Lydia Lu.

He promises to let Polly know about the impending wedding, though. They're supposed to meet up in Aurora Skies soon.

"How are the wedding plans coming along?" Dysen isn't doubting that the wedding will happen—he can sense and see how his daughter and future son in law feel about each other—but he is starting to doubt that he and Molly will live to see it.

"I'm making arrangements to hold the ceremony at 20 Via Veronaville," Olive updates him.

"It's where we had a romantic gondola ride," Spring says, before Dysen can protest their choice of such a constantly booked up venue.

Holland may live alone now, but he is still part of a pack, and every full moon he answers his father's howls.

Suzetta attends one of Olive's performances. The full moon out tonight makes it perfect for romance, but her boyfriend made excuses to not be with her, yet again. So she's trying to get her mind off of the crushing loneliness.

 Spring shares work-out tips with Martino.

Spring has mastered the athletic skill.

Dysen is his sim-fu mentor, and Spring is surprised how strong the old man still is.

Spring certainly spends a lot of time working on his body...

...and Olive appreciates the results.

Giulia Capp lives in the house Scarlett & Greta Goldbeard lived in when they first moved to Monte Vista. This place was a fire hazard back then, and it's a fire hazard now.

Olive has a gig at Amphitheater tonight. So she and Spring have drinks before the show.

They got here early, with plenty of time to kill, so they hit the dance floor.

A kiss for good luck.

Amphitheater is impressive. I just wish Olive's performance was in the day-time, so I could get nicer pictures of it.

Olive, now under the stage name Gravity the Wicked, calls her "beautiful assistant" to the stage.

(It's her mom.)

"What a rush!" Molly is endearingly thrilled to participate.

The show ends, and most of the attendees head straight for the bar.

Olive and Spring get back to dancing.

"I think your mom is coming to bug you about the wedding," Spring whispers.

Incorrect! It is Dysen who wants to do the bugging about the wedding.

"It'll happen when it happens, Dad," Olive laughs.

"I'm not getting any younger," the old werewolf whines.

Holland is dancing with Elisa Alaria.

 Olive goes to ask what's up, and where's Suzetta Marchesi?

"Great performance! Did you see me cheering?" it's obvious her twin has had a few. "Oh, Suzie... yeah... Suzie... we broke up!"

The hamburgers are right there in front of you, Dysen. You old man.

Holland explains why he and Suzetta were a terrible match. The argument that led to the breakup was Suzetta wanting to move in with him. Not only was he not ready, he never will be.

He's not interested in being serious with anyone now, but has already been out casually a few times since the breakup. He's sure Suzetta is moving on, similarly.

"As long as you're happy," Olive concedes.

Dysen is finally getting his hunger bar sorted. He sits down at the grumpy elders table to feast. Darino Moretti complains about being tired.

Cam Toledo is displeased with the eggplant wine.






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 Etc.: That squirrel has been there since 2.31