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."

an old married couple, though I'd never dare say that out loud.

thought it'd be the safest place for

with understanding. "Ah, yes. It's always important to step away from new mates.

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

working on? Looks like

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

in, genuinely curious. "Like a

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 the latest tech

11:34

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Lisa: Would a Watch

you mean by

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

Yes. Obviously that's what that means. "Right. Gnomes can't use magic.

gnomes have always been deaf

against the table, fascinated. "So, how does that work with werewolves? I mean, their whole shifting thing

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

his sketches. They're intricate, full of symbols I

picks up his pencil again, tapping it against the paper. "The basic principle is to create a network of energy that can carry messages across distances. Think of it like your human

be charged with magical energy, but using it wouldn't require any magical ability from the user. It would be like using a

on."

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

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