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."

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

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

I nod towards the papers scattered on the table in

working on? Looks

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

genuinely

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

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Lisa: Would a Watch

you

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

that means. "Right.

"We gnomes have always

lean against the table, fascinated. "So, how does that work with werewolves? I mean,

the 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

look at his sketches. They're intricate, full of symbols I don't understand and diagrams that make my head spin. "So, how exactly would

to create a network of energy that can carry messages across distances. Think of it like your human radio waves, but powered by a different kind of energy."

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 makes it work, but you don't need to be an

on."

gnome is with our human world and 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 isn't

and they're not easy to come by in our current situation. And then there's the matter of testing and refining