Cumulative IQ May Be Under 14/Confessionals

Day 34
"sparrow"

- "I haven't brought this up yet, because it hasn't really been relevant, but after literally every challenge, Su brings up how bad he is in them, and that he can never win one. Yet, if you google his name, you can see that he WON another org, and won 5 immunities in that season. So I am not buying his whole ""I suck at challenges xD"" Shtick. He claims it was because people were inactive, but that is a blatant lie according to that other org. I have to keep my eye on him, that's for sure.

Right now, I think I'm in a good position to make it to the end. I need to focus on getting rid of challenge threats right now, because I can see myself winning my way to the end of the game if I play my cards right. I would love to see Su or Elmo leave this round because I believe they are the strongest two players (along with Yousef, but to a lesser extent). I know that just ""winning the challenges"" isn't really a compelling reason for people to respect my game, but I think I have a pretty good social game, and have made great in-roads with everyone that is on the jury and in the game still. Plus, I can play more aggressive strategically if I know that the vote won't bounce back on me at that current tribal. So right now, I'm trying to convince my alliance that Elmo probably has the merge idol (which I think he does, or Bradley was voted out with it. I don't really see anyone else having it). My #1 target right now is Elmo, and my #2 is Su.

Right now, we are nearing the end game, so I have to be focusing targeting the people I don't think I can beat in challenges, or at the end if I'm sitting next to them in the jury. I feel bad that I have to vote these people out because I have bonded with them, but we all signed up for Survivor, and I am being 100% respectful and not lying unnecessarily to people. I'm trying to play an ""Honest"" game, without being truthful... if that makes sense. I'm giving the other players the respect that they deserve (which is a lot, we all have done great) and I feel like they are giving me the same respect back. It's crazy what being a normal person does for a social game. So far, every person I've sent to the jury has said positives things about, or too me as they were leaving, so I think I'm in a good position jury-vote wise should I make it there.

I know I'm getting ahead of myself right now, and I still need to focus on the short-term as well, which is trying to get the vote to go my way, and keep my name out of other people's mouths. I've officially beat my best placement of 7th also! So huzzah for improving! Never thought I would have made it this far if you asked me at the start of the season. I'm glad I am able to prove to myself that I can do well in a game like this."

"sparrow"

- "All day I have been working to keep this ""Grasshoppers"" alliance between myself/Andrea/Yousef/Jake to stick together. I have been saying how I am so paranoid about Elmo having a 2nd idol (Which to be fair, I think is true). I know people LOVE Elmo, and I don't blame them, I love him too, but I have been trying to show that to everyone. EVERYONE loves Elmo, if you think you have this special bond with him, it's probably real, but not in the way where he will keep you in the game should it come to that. I hope I have been able to sow the seeds of Elmo being the biggest threat that we need to get rid of at this vote. Yousef is the one I'm most worried about flipping or spilling our plan, just because I think him and Elmo have some sort of safety for safety deal. Which I think is really unnecessary at this point of the game. The Time For Meat-Shields Has Passed. At least that is what I am thinking. And that is coming from a meat-shield! I really hope this alliance can pull through for one more vote, because that puts me in such a great position.

So as the tribal deadline looms closer, I have been trying to tell my alliance how ""close"" the other 3 are. And I maaaay be lying to achieve this. I have said how the ""plan to vote elmo"" I have been sharing with Karsten/Su has already gotten back to Elmo. I'm trying to make this other side seem like a solid block that has bonded over being in the minority for these last 2 votes, so that I can reduce the likelihood of anyone flipping at tribal council tonight. I think the best shot right now, is to vote out Elmo, and double bluff them into using the merge idol on the wrong person should they have it.

UPDATE AS I'M WRITING THIS: Yousef flat out refuses to vote for Elmo no matter what I say. He is clearly looking out for his jury management because he promised Elmo that he wouldn't vote him. But he also refuses to vote for Su because he wants people that he can trust going further in this game. I think at this point Yousef is becoming more of a detriment to me than a helper, which really sucks to say. I would have wanted to go down to the wire with him, but he is not giving me the same level of loyalty that I am giving to him. He's looking out for his best interests, which good for him, I don't blame him, if he wasn't I would have been surprised because he is a really smart guy. But... I may try to pull something big off tonight that won't include him, but time will tell."

"sparrow"

- Crazy ass tribal. Might well be me, because the clowns in this game are too clownish to take down the real threats. Cumulative IQ may be under 14. Only time will tell. Hopefully this ain't my last confessional!

"sparrow"

- So im pretty done, yousef and ethan have idols so yay theyre safe! and i voted out elmo who was the only person who really trusted me because he was a threat and the majority was doing it and i thought it would get me trust with the only people i have a hope of beating like jake and andrea, but yet andrea and ethan have both told me to win immunity when i expressed concern about being voted out. so. fuck idols!

"sparrow"

- "Last vote was a clusterfuck and a half, but I can thankfully I was able to get what I wanted to happen at that tribal, no thanks to Yousef once again, blowing up his game and being extremely paranoid to the point of where he is losing all trust with our alliance. But that is good for me, because if they find him to be a bigger threat, there is a slim chance he could be eliminated over me. (At the final 5 because both of us have idols, and this is the last round to use them). ANYWAYS, onto the vote!

So the plan started where the ""Grasshoppers"" of Me/Andrea/Jake/Yousef all agreed to vote Elmo. I was pushing him because he is a huge challenge threat, and he possibly had the merge idol. For my game, I need the strong challenge players out asap, so I can hopefully win my way to the end. But, I make sure to not tell anyone else that is my end game plan. So we decide on Elmo, but then a few hours later, Yousef starts getting paranoid... like he has for every vote in this game. At this point, I genuinely was very tight with Yousef, and wanted to go to the end with him, because if possible, I want something I can hang my hat on, and claim ""I was loyal to this"" because if I start cutting everyone and flipping back and fourth, I will piss off everyone on the jury, and that is something I would like to avoid. So after Yousef started getting wishy-washy, he REALLY started pushing for Karsten, because he promised Elmo that he wouldn't vote for him this round, and also because I think he wanted someone to contest me in the next immunity challenge. So at this point I'm getting very suspicious of Yousef, because he is refusing to vote off Elmo or Su... aka 2/3rds of the entire ""other side"".

At the last vote, I need to MAKE SURE Elmo left, so I added Jake and Andrea to a sub-sub alliance chat, called the ""Penguine People"" and I started throwing Yousef under the bus to them, telling them, how shady Yousef was being, and that he is refusing to vote who the 3 of us all would like to leave. While is this happening, Yousef has put his foot down, and said that we are voting Karsten, which is something I can't afford, so I tell Yousef that ""we are going to tell Su/Karsten we are voting Elmo, so we can flush his idol"" and the ""real"" plan is that we are voting Karsten. So I tell the ""penguin people"" chat that we are going to actually be voting Elmo, and assume that Yousef will leak the plan to Elmo, making him not use an idol if he has one. The reason I left Yousef out of the plan I made, was because I couldn't trust him to not tell Elmo stuff. Because Yousef has been notoriously leaky this entire game. Turns out, this plan worked out even better for me than I thought, here is why; Su comes to me and says that he's worried about Elmo having an idol played on him, so he will be voting Yousef. I immediately tell Yousef about this to hopefully get his paranoia amped up even more with the chance of Yousef burning his Calico idol. This made Yousef worry about it enough, and he told Elmo to find out if it was true, and then Elmo told Su that I leaked what he said to him. HERE IS THE KICKER: Yousef was planning on idoling Elmo this vote, but because Elmo ratter out what Yousef ratter out to what I ratted out, Yousef just changed his vote to Elmo. So not only did I prevent a totally catastrophic blow to my game from happening, I was able to bond even more with Andrea/Jake over our fear of Yousef going rouge. (which he kinda did this round tbh). That round was so crazy. I'm trying to play hard, because If I make it to the end, I need to be able to point to moves like these, to show that I had agency and strategic input over who went home. I want to try and avoid the whole ""he only won challenges"" narrative which I can see forming around me. Elmo seemed very respectful and in good spirits with me upon his departure, so I think that is another person sent to the jury who respects my game, and would be good with giving me their vote. Right now, managing my perception and creating bonds with these people to keep me should I lose immunity at final 5 or 4. This game is so challenging, but in the best possible way! It's been exhausting to be spinning these plates for these 34 days, but hopefully it will be worth it if I can just make it past these next few days."

"sparrow"

- So I have more hope now. Immunity results should go up someday soon hopefully, and I got 13/15 which is pretty good in my opinion, but I am mad at myself for not getting the other two. If I'm immune I think I can get in a good position, and if not I think I can survive. My ideal F3 is me andrea and jake and im going to do my best to make it happen. I just hope I won this immunity cuz it will make this round a lot easier, otherwise its going to be me vs. Karsten since Yousef and Ethan both have idols

Day 35
"sparrow"

- "So this last round of voting has basically been me setting my End game up. I know Yousef has a close connection with basically everyone in the game at this point, and he is ALSO positioning his end game and who he wants sitting beside him. I know that Su and Karsten are pretty much equal in challenge strength, and I think the only way I'm getting to the end of this game is winning out at this point. So I took the shot at Su this round. Judging by his past challenge performances (he got 13/15 in this most recently challenge!) I think I can afford to have gone after either Karsten OR Su this round, it doesn't really matter. Su has come to me and said that he wasn't sure if I made the right move, but at this point I don't think it matters. Karsten's strengths in challenges are similar to mine, and we struggle in the same areas, whereas I feel Su has a more diverse skillset which could be used to edge me out in some random puzzle or skill based game. At least that is where I am coming from. did I make a huge mistake? MAYBE, but I am confident with my decision. (Also watch Yousef claim this was his move, when in reality I wanted Su gone over Karsten since forever ago, I think my last confessionals will prove that, lol)

I ended up using my idol on Andrea, unless Su has an idol used on him, in which I had it used on Jake, because I feel they may have been planning a blindside on him if that is the case. I highly doubt this will happen, however, I have my idol conditionally set to be played on him should that happen, otherwise I'm using it on Andrea. Right now I am digging HARD into Jake and Andrea and hope that this bond I have built with them over these last few days could help get me through a vote if I lose immunity, but I know that is a long as hell shot.

Yousef is probably my biggest threat right now, so I can see myself wanting him gone next round, if possible. He was right to be worried about that. But honestly, if he had just calmed down, I wouldn't even be thinking about taking him out earlier than 4. I was honest when I said I wanted the Grasshoppers at final 4. Yousef, I love the guy, but before every tribal, something sets him off and he gets all paranoid and he always is asking for reassurance and then starts to leak information to other people, information I trusted him with, so I have really just stopped trusting him at this point."