THE MOMENT
"So, run that by me again?" Vivi asked the well-dressed shopkeeper. She and her friend Sprocket entered the exclusive atelier with a specific goal in mind, and Sprocket was surprised that she needed to hear the gentleman's speech again; she was usually very attentive.
"You want me to do it?" Sprocket asked with a chuckle even as the clerk began his monotone explanation. But, it was more of a joke than anything, he wasn't actually able to without knowing beforehand; not on school grounds.
"Shh, no, " Vivi shook her head without looking at him. "Maybe, hold on," she added after thinking about it for a moment. Meanwhile, the shopkeep finished his tale.
“Ah, well, it is a tradition in the royal family that, in times of peace, the ruling monarch lets their hair grow out, only cutting it in times of war. This has been the tradition ever since my ancestor, Rapunzel, ascended to the throne.”
"Rapunzel?" Sprocket tilted his head. "Didn't-," he was about to ask a question, but, he was interrupted by Vivi ignoring him.
"So, run that by me again?" she asked. This time, sprocket listened intently to the whole thing. It was the same rather boring history of the local kingdom he'd already heard twice before; but, the ending changed.
"... and as for the straw piled outside the castle. Ah, well, it's a tradition in the royal family that, in times of peace, the ruling monarch spins straw into gold, only using it to forge weapons in times of war. This has been the tradition ever since my ancestor, Rumpelstiltskin, ascended to the throne."
"Hold on to this one for me!" Vivi nudged Sprocket with her elbow. He nodded with a chuckle. It took him a second to catch up to what she was doing, but now it made sense why she asked him to come along.
"No problem," Sprocket nodded as he reached forward and plucked a clear glass card out of thin air. He raised it and touched the edge to the clerk's impeccable suit, then the card seemingly filled with orange light. It looked almost like the light was being poured directly into the card like juice into a glass. "Got it," he said when the card was full.
"So, run that by me again?" Vivi asked the shop owner.
"Fast forward?" Sprocket asked Vivi. Now that he had had access to the atelier time stream, he could do that. Vivi nodded with a smile.
"Please!" she said. Sprocket skipped the conversation forward about two paragraphs.
"...and as for why Princess Aurora is sleeping? Ah, well, it's a tradition in the royal family that, in times of peace, the ruling monarch sleeps for 100 years, only waking in times of war. This has been the tradition ever since my ancestor, Sleeping Beauty, ascended to the throne."
"Uhhh.. okay, go back please," she nodded at Sprocket. Now that he knew what she was doing, he was willing to help.
"Are you sure? You know you can keep going as long as I have it saved," he reminded her. She nodded indicating she was well aware.
"Destiny's Needle from Aurora and the Golden Thread from Rumplestiltskin are the only two rewards for tailors. I was going to keep going until I found both of them before I decided. And, I think the thread is probably better. It'll let me create another thread per lap, and that will help. Along with the other three I can already do, four threads a lap is pretty great econ; I can gear us up faster."
"Okay," Sprocket shrugged and raised the card; but, he hesitated. "Wait, what does the needle do?"
"It's mostly a stat bonus. It comes with immunity to Sleep; but, we all have high resistance anyway."
"Alright, let's go back," he held the card up and it disintegrated into orange powder that disappeared. The clerk closed his eyes for an extended blink, then he looked at Vivi.
"... and as for the straw piled outside the castle. Ah, well, it's a tradition in the royal family that, in times of peace, the ruling monarch spins straw into gold, only using it to forge weapons in times of war. This has been the tradition ever since my ancestor, Rumpelstiltskin, ascended to the throne."
"You're related to Rumpelstiltskin? No way!" Vivi giggled at him.
"It's true... it's true...," he gave them a secretive smile as he reached under the counter, then placed a small bundle before them. "The King isn't the only one that can make golden thread, would you like a sample?"