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."

though I'd never dare say that out loud. Elverly might actually bite my head off if I did. "It's good to see you, Lisa," the Grand

thought it'd be the safest place for me

"Ah, yes. It's always important to step away from new mates. Wolves don't have

change the subject, I nod towards the papers scattered on the table in front of

are you working on? Looks

up. "Indeed it is. I'm developing a communication device. Something smaller and more

genuinely curious. "Like a magical

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

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Would a Watch

you

to face me fully. "Not everyone in our camp can utilize or sense magic. We need

what that means. "Right.

"We gnomes have always been deaf to

work with werewolves? I

Grand Sage 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 might have extraordinary physical abilities but no talent for, say, mathematics. They are unrelated. Now, let's get back

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

energy that can carry messages

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."

that's why he works on magical technology, trying to blend the two things. "That makes sense.

to come by in our current situation. And then there's