Tangled

Unshift 311

Unshift 311

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."

can't help but smile as I watch the Grand Sage and Elverly bicker. Their dynamic reminds me of an old married couple, though I'd never dare say that out loud. Elverly might actually bite my head

place for me while Ava and Lucas are... you

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

implication. Desperate to change the subject, I nod towards the papers scattered

Looks like some kind of

face lights up. "Indeed it is. I'm developing a communication device. Something smaller

lean in, genuinely

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 the latest tech or endless resources. "Plus," he continues, "it needs to be independent

11:34

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Would a

you mean by

in our camp can utilize or sense magic. We need a device that anyone can

that means. "Right. Gnomes can't use magic.

gnomes have always been

that work with werewolves? I mean, their whole shifting

an ability to manipulate other forms of magic. It's a bit like how some humans might have extraordinary physical abilities but no talent for, say, mathematics. They are unrelated. Now, let's get back to

sketches. They're intricate, full of symbols I don't understand and diagrams that make my

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

nods. "Yes, but not in 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

on."

our human world and its inventions, but I suppose that's why he works on magical technology, trying to

to come by in our current situation. And then there's the matter of testing and refining the design. It's a