Tangled

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311 Lisa: Would a Watch Work?

LISA

"You've gotten fat. Elverly greets me, in that traditionally hateful way of hers.

Does the fact that I missed her toxic tongue mark me as abnormal? Probably. But I hug her anyway, smiling when her body doesn't tense, even as she grumbles at me for touching her without permission.

The rest of the night with Kellan was nothing but awkward silence. Being away from him is a blessing right now. I just keep thinking about how he smelled-yeah. No. Not thinking about that. "I'll ask next time. How have you been?"

Elverly's snort could mean anything really, but I choose to interpret it as I've missed you too.

Maybe I'm psychotic. Or delusional. But I'm pretty sure that's what she means.

"Their food is terrible," she mutters. "Not a cook among them."

"They are refugees from war," says the Grand Sage, sounding rather resigned. "It isn't as though they would gather the kitchen before escaping."

"Food is important, the old gnome woman snaps. "Eating well is an important part of recovery."

""Yes, yes."

say that out loud. Elverly might actually bite my head off if I did. "It's good to see

for

Grand Sage's eyes twinkle with understanding. "Ah, yes. It's always important to step away from new mates. Wolves don't have the same deep-seated urges for privacy as

I nod towards the papers scattered on the

you working on? Looks like some kind

Grand Sage's face lights up. "Indeed it is. I'm developing a communication device. Something smaller and more portable than what we currently

lean in, genuinely curious. "Like a magical

that. Communication is a weak point for us right now, and I'm trying to address that. But I'm working with limited options due to our lack of supplies." We're refugees, after all. It's not like we have access to

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Lisa: Would a

you mean

Grand Sage sets down his pencil and turns to face me fully. "Not everyone in our camp can utilize or sense magic. We need a device that anyone can use,

what that means. "Right. Gnomes

gnomes have

fascinated. "So, how does that work with werewolves? I mean, their

says, his eyes lighting up. "Werewolves do indeed have a form of innate magic that allows them to shift. But that doesn't necessarily translate to an ability to manipulate other forms of magic. It's a bit like how some humans

They're intricate, full of symbols I don't understand and diagrams that make my head spin. "So, how

principle is to create a network of energy that can carry messages across distances.

the way you might think. The device itself would be charged with magical energy, but using it wouldn't require any magical ability from the user. It would be like using a flashlight. The electricity makes it work, but you don't need to be an

on."

world and its inventions, but I suppose that's why he works

mainly. We need certain materials to construct the devices, and they're not easy to come by in our current situation. And then there's the matter of testing and refining the design. It's a delicate process. But above all, we