Unshift

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 can’t help but smile as I watch the Grand Sage and Elverly bicker. Their dynamic reminds me of an 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 you, Lisa,” the Grand Sage says, turning to me with a warm smile.

“Kellan thought it’d be the safest place for me while Ava and Lucas are… you know.” Original from NôvelDrama.Org.

The Grand Sage’s eyes 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 as humans do.”

My cheeks burn at the implication. Desperate to change the subject, I nod towards the papers scattered on the table in front of him.

“What are you working on? Looks like some kind of design.”

The Grand Sage’s face lights up. “Indeed it is. I’m developing a communication device. Something smaller and more portable than what we currently have.

“Oh?” I lean in, genuinely curious. “Like a magical walkie–talkie?”

He chuckles. “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 tech or endless resources. “Plus,” he continues, “it needs to be independent of magical affinity.”

11:34

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311 Lisa: Would a Watch Work?

“What do you mean by that?”

The Grand Sage sets down his pencil and turns to face me fully. “Not everyone in our camp can utilize or sense magic. We need a device that anyone can use, regardless of their magical

abilities.”

Oh. Yes. Obviously that’s what that means. “Right. Gnomes can’t use magic. Or wolf shifters.”

He smiles. “We gnomes have always been deaf to magic.”

I lean against the table, fascinated. “So, how does that work with werewolves? I mean, their whole shifting thing is pretty magical, right?”

“Ah, excellent question,” 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 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 device, shall we?”

I nod, leaning in to 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 work?”

The Grand Sage 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 radio waves, but powered by a different kind of energy.”

“Magic,” I supply.

He nods. “Yes, 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 electrician to turn it

on.”

It 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? Why isn’t it working yet?”

The Grand Sage sighs, running a hand through his beard. “Resources, mainly. We need certain materials to construct the 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 above all, we would need a way to charge them.”

So many intricate designs and symbols are scattered across the papers. A thought strikes me, and I can’t help but voice it.

“Instead of starting from scratch, what if you used something that already exists as a base?” @

The Grand Sage’s eyebrows rise with interest. “That would depend on what you have in mind, my dear.”

It seems almost silly to suggest, but… “Well, what about watches? You know, instead of carrying around something bulky, we could take old watches and turn them into something like cell phones. Kind of like smart watches for humans.”

11:34

311 Lisa: Would a Watch Work?

His eyes light up with fascination. “Smart watches? I’m afraid I’m not familiar with this term. Could you

elaborate?”

“So–watches are these small devices we wear on our wrists to tell time. But smart watches are like tiny computers. They can do all sorts of things–make calls, send messages, even track your health. They’re often linked to our cell phones.”

The Grand Sage leans forward, clearly intrigued. “Fascinating! And these are small enough to

wear on one’s wrist?”

“Yep. They’re super convenient. I thought maybe we could do, something similar with magic.” “Could you perhaps draw one for me?” he asks, sliding a blank piece of paper towards me.

I grimace. “I’ll try, but I have to warn you–I’m not much of an artist.”

Taking the pencil, I start sketching. My lines are wobbly, and the proportions are all off, but I do my best to capture the basic shape of a watch face and band. (2