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."

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 Sage says, turning to me with a

the safest place for me while Ava and

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

change the subject, I nod towards the papers scattered on the

you working on? Looks like some

I'm developing a communication device.

I lean in, genuinely curious.

"Something like that. 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

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Would a Watch

do you mean by

turns to face me fully. "Not everyone in our camp can utilize or sense magic. We need a device that anyone can use,

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

gnomes have always been deaf

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

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

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 this

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." "Magic," I

magical energy, but using it wouldn't require any magical ability from

on."

always surprises me how familiar the 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?

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