Outsmart (G/T)

Communication

POV: Nolan Queen

Laurie is the most confusing giant I've ever met. I mean, I've met two (or one in total, since I've only half-met the two of them), but her priorities are not nearly as straight as Seth's. That fuck wants me dead and gone, but Laurie might be trying to actually befriend me, in a way?

She keeps trying to coerce me into talking to her, but I'm not having it. She even told me she doesn't like humans during the conversation, but then immediately after said she wants to get to know me. I had a bit of fun messing with her, but I'd be way happier not even dealing with her in the first place.

She also just had a fight with Seth. A weird one, too. It was about me, and Seth kept telling Laurie that humans are useless, all the basic shit. Laurie was somewhat defending me, though; she said she'd break them up if he hurt me. That means a lot, I think? On one hand, I'd get hurt, which is my only fear in this, and on the other, Laurie wouldn't sit back and just let it happen, which is kind of nice from a microphobe.

Speaking of microphobes, the man of the hour approaches the wall. "How are you today?" he asks me. I'M SO CONFUSED. I DID NOT SAY SETH INSTEAD OF LAURIE, HE ACTUALLY ASKED ME A NORMAL QUESTION. I obviously don't respond. "I just wanna hear you talk, can you talk for me? I know you can for Laurie." I tap once. "Please." I tap once again, harder. He stands to his full height and walks out.

"Didn't you say you got it to speak for you?" He asks, muffled by the wall.

"I got them to tap for yes or no a couple of times, but never words. Why?"

"I kept asking it to speak for me and it kept tapping the wall."

"Once or twice?" Laurie asks.

"Once." Seth answers. She laughs in response. I feel her coming over, probably for another round with me.

"Okay, so how old are you?" she asks. "Tap as many times as years." I tap once. She doesn't need to know.

"Okay, I assume you're not one. Are you a boy or girl? Or other I guess, tap once for boy, twice for girl and three times for anything else." I tap once. "Once as in you're a boy?" I tap twice. That doesn't give me away. I have nothing else to say to her, though. I mean, until she asks a question I wasn't expecting.

"Are you happy here?" I pause at her question, weighing my pros and cons.

Pros: I'm getting food and water easier now, I'm not as stressed as expected, no one's come to kill me yet, I think I'm finding a way to get out of here to go back and forth to school across the border, and other things.

Cons: Seth, Laurie is stalking me, I still haven't truly found a way out, my battery pack is already almost half gone, I could come to my demise at any moment if either of these people are crazy enough, I'm limited on variety of food. I appreciate the cracker Laurie left me, so I don't have to go out and hope to not get truly caught, but I want something with spice and savor or sugar and sweetness, something that truly makes eating worthwhile.

I tap three times.

"So yes?" I tap once.

"No?" I tap once again.

"A mixture." I tap twice.

"Me too."