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."

old married couple, though I'd never dare say that out loud. Elverly might actually bite my head off if I did. "It's good to see

the safest place for me while Ava and Lucas

twinkle with understanding. "Ah, yes. It's always important to step away

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

Looks like some kind of

I'm developing a communication device. Something smaller and more portable

genuinely

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

11:34

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Would

do you

fully. "Not everyone in our camp can utilize or sense magic.

"Right. Gnomes can't use magic.

"We gnomes have always

work with

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 to the communication

in to look at his sketches. They're intricate, full of symbols I don't understand and diagrams that make

create a network of energy that can carry

it wouldn't require any magical

on."

its inventions, but I suppose that's why he works on magical technology, trying to blend the two things. "That makes sense. So, what's the hold-up? Why

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 would need a way to charge