Alex shook his head. "That won’t work. The furniture’s enchantments only function while inside this shop. The entire room is linked by magic, so once you remove them from here, the engravings will fade. The magic power they rely on comes from the store itself."
"Ah, that makes sense," Vivian said, slightly deflated. But it wasn’t long before she found something else to nitpick. "Wait, these are all the products you're selling?" She turned in a slow circle, taking in the limited variety of items on the shelves. "I know you’ve developed a ton of alchemy tools. Where’s the tactical vest? The magic handcuffs? Why aren’t they on display?"
"Those items are too dangerous," Alex explained. "They’re meant for professionals, and I can’t sell them to just any random wizard."
Vivian put her hands on her forehead and groaned. "So, what you’re telling me is that, aside from the humanoid training dummies, which aren’t even fully upgraded yet, you’re only selling five products?"
Alex sighed. "For now, yeah."
Vivian gave him a deadpan stare. "And you call this a business? No wonder it’s failing. These products don’t even fit the aesthetic of your shop! They look like half-finished prototypes, and yet you’re selling them at premium prices." She picked up a defensive talisman, turning it over in her hand with clear disdain. "This thing? It looks like some discarded scrap metal."
"That’s why I called you here, to help me fix it," Alex replied, unbothered by her harsh critique. "By the way, didn’t I give you some of these talismans before? You never complained about them then."
Vivian huffed and put her hands on her hips. "That’s because they were gifts. I don’t care if a gift looks half-baked. But if you had tried to sell me this thing? No way." She pulled out a small chain from under her collar, revealing a pendant. "Besides, I modified mine. Didn’t you notice? I turned the talisman you gave me into a proper accessory."
Alex leaned in for a closer look. Sure enough, the pendant hanging from Vivian’s necklace was one of his talismans, but it had been completely transformed. The original had been a plain, rune-engraved metal disk. Now, it had been reshaped into a round-faced rabbit, complete with a painted cartoonish expression. The rune itself was embedded in the center of the design, while the ears had been added later. The final result was cute and unique. "See? This is a finished product. A lot better than that dull lump of metal you’re selling," Vivian said smugly.
Alex had to admit, she had a point. If the talismans were redesigned as wearable accessories with a bit of artistic flair, they’d be far more appealing. "I just painted over mine," Vivian continued, waving a hand. "You could take it a step further, engrave decorative patterns into the metal, maybe even add some subtle magical effects, like the glowing lines on your furniture."
Alex hesitated. "The problem is, the current talismans have their runes carved in a very specific way. If I start adding decorative engravings, it might mess with the enchantments."
"Are you stupid?" Vivian rolled her eyes, looking at Alex like he was hopeless. "You only engraved one side, right? Then just engrave the other side! And if you really can’t, just add a cover and engrave on that."
"A cover?" Alex raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t even considered that.
"Yeah, a single talisman is too thin and plain. Wrap it in a leather, cloth, or metal casing and decorate it, whether it’s engraving, embroidery, or painting, it’ll give it a more refined look," Vivian explained matter-of-factly.
Alex blinked, suddenly feeling as if he had been struck by enlightenment. "Wait, that actually works?"
"Of course it does! And that’s not all. The way these defensive talismans work, they’re activated by pressure, right? So why do they have to be pendants? You can turn them into bracelets, brooches, belt buckles, whatever you want! Just make them look good." She stretched out her wrist, revealing a delicate string of bracelets. "See this? These are the communication amulets you gave me and Charles. I turned them into matching couple bracelets, it makes staying in touch so much easier."
Alex stared at the bracelet, then back at Vivian. His brain was working overtime now. "Think about it," she continued, eyes glinting. "Something like your communication bracelet? With a little tweaking, you could turn it into a couple’s item, matching pendants, bracelets, rings. It was originally designed for battlefield communication, but with the right branding, you could make it a symbol of love! Honestly, it’s just a matter of repackaging. Change the design, add a cute story, and boom, people will eat it up." "And it’ll boost sales, too," she added, grinning. "Selling them one by one is a pain. But if you sell them in pairs? It’s way easier. And couples love buying things like this as gifts."
Alex was speechless for a moment, watching as Vivian practically vibrated with excitement. This girl wasn’t just spouting nonsense, she actually knew what she was talking about. "I see now," he muttered, rubbing his chin. "So these talismans don’t have to be plain. I’ve been so focused on function that I completely ignored aesthetics. And it’s not just the talismans," Vivian pointed out, shifting her attention to the other products in the store. "Look at these protective gloves, for example. You can make them in different colors, offer mix-and-match options, or make them look cooler, boys would love that." She suddenly paused, then turned to Alex with an intrigued look. "Wait… what if you made them into Quidditch gloves?"
Alex frowned. "But Quidditch rules don’t allow players to bring private alchemy gear."
Vivian scoffed. "Oh, please. Quidditch also bans fouls, but that doesn’t stop anyone. Cheating is part of the game. Worst case, they get caught and confiscated, but if that happens, it just means they'll have to buy another pair from you! You’re just selling ‘Quidditch-style’ gloves, not forcing anyone to use them in a match. What’s there to be afraid of?"
Alex stared at her, feeling a headache coming on. Only Vivian could talk about cheating with such confidence. "And another thing, your self-testing pocket watches," she said, crossing her arms. "You do realize there's a huge issue with them, right?"
Alex blinked. "What issue?"
"Why does a self-testing alchemy tool have to be a pocket watch?" Vivian shot back. "Why not separate the scanning function and sell it to St. Mungo’s? They need medical diagnostic tools more than anyone else!" Alex froze. Then, like a switch had flipped, everything clicked. He had originally combined the self-testing enchantments into a pocket watch for convenience, making it compact and easy to carry. But when he turned it into a product, he had just kept the same form out of habit.
Vivian smirked, watching the realization dawn on his face. "See? You’re so caught up in your little alchemy world that you don’t think like a businessman. That’s what I’m here for."
Alex exhaled, shaking his head with a half-smile. "Alright, alright, I get it. You’ve made your point."