Pretty much all that matters at this point is the challenge. Last night, I practiced a little bit (at least with all of the ones I could practice), and came up with a strategy. I separated 4 of the components of this challenge into 2 categories, Mindful, and Mindless.

The 2 Mindful challenges are the Counting and Endurance. You need to be so focused on an individual task that any slip-up could spell the end for an otherwise perfect run. Trying to do these 2 challenges at the same time is a recipe for disaster. At least in my opinion. I'd rather do the Counting challenge first so that I'm not too tired to do it once Endurance is over.

The 2 Mindless ones are the Flash Game and, ironically, the Slide Puzzle. I can practice these as much as I want. These are the 2 challenges I will focus on while doing Endurance, as I'm going to need SOMETHING to do during the 10 minute gaps. Hopefully I'll still be able to do okay in these while running on no sleep.

Fallen Comrades is a sort of one-and-done kind of deal. You get one chance and it's really difficult to "assign" quotes to people, especially when I never met a portion of them. I'm not going to rely on the results from this one since I had the worst performance in Touchy Subjects. Instead, I have hope that my strategy with the other 4 challenges will be enough to net me the win.

1. I really freaking hate this counting game. Like a lot 2. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to win like any of these. 3. I hope these two don't talk to each other. I'm not sure who I'd rather go with. I'm just really tired right now. 4. Seriously. Screw that counting game.

So, I applied my strategy like I intended. Pretty much everything went the way I expected, except for Endurance.

I got carried away practicing the Flash Game and missed an extremely early round in the Endurance comp. I'm certain that I got last in that portion seeing as how Jake and Karth both stayed up well into the night (in their timezones), something they obviously wouldn't do unless they were completing their Endurance runs.

But, I think I won the Counting/Flash Game/Puzzle segments. I worked on the counting over a 24 hour period and got what I consider to be a really high score with very few slip ups relative to the amount I was shooting for. I practiced the Flash Game and Puzzle for hours and I'm satisfied with the scores I've submitted there.

I still consider Fallen Comrades to be a bit of a crapshoot, but as long as I got 2nd in that I don't think it's mathematically possible for me to lose. (Of course, this assumes I won those other 3 comps which isn't a given at all). All and all, I'm satisfied with my performance, and even if I lose, I have arguments to make for why both Jake and Karth should keep me.

If Jake wins, I can emphasize how Karth has avoided being a target the entire game while also being the deciding factor in numerous blindsides. He positioned himself so well that he never needed to rely on immunities to stay safe. I'll probably have to spill all the schemes me and Karth got into on OG Takagi regarding the idol to show that he really has been "playing the game" and isn't a goat like Jake's been lead to believe.

If Karth wins, I can talk about how Jake was also involved in a ton of blindsides, has many close allies on the jury, specifically OG Kato. I'll emphasize that Jake has a stronger underdog story than me, considering how many times he's been targeted since the jury phase started, and has survived every single attempt to get him eliminated. I might also throw in that Jake promised to take me to F2 over him, which should hopefully have an impact.

If I win.... I'll listen to what the others have to say. No reason not to, right?

Honestly, I think I'll be voted out by both of them if I lose here, but that's not a reason not to try. If there's even the slightest ray of hope that I can get taken to the end I'll do whatever it takes to make it happen.

I am glad to have won the FIC and to have a spot at the FTC. I am so scared and nervous about how I am going to face the FTC as I have never been in a group call with strangers and English isn't my first language. I guess it will be an experience worth having regardless of how it ends up for me.

Stephen Z is voted out and becomes the final member of our jury.

Completing ROP was really fun. Getting a chance to look back on the season and see how far I've come isn't something I normally feel so good about doing, but this season, I did alright. The reason I bring this up is that it's essentially a foregone conclusion that if I lose the upcoming immunity challenge, I'll be heading to the jury. I've been told to my face by all the remaining players that they consider me a threat to win, and two of them (Tim/Karth) have outright said they think I'm the biggest threat to win.

The ambiguity of this challenge is something I'm trying to use to my advantage. We aren't sure whether or not this is the last challenge or not, the host announcement implied that it wasn't, but it's Day 37 out of 39 days. And usually challenges are held on one day with Tribal Council on the next. This would be a weird exception this close to the end.

Anyway, I came up with a plan to try and salvage myself strategically. I went to Jake and acted 100% totally convinced that this game is ending in an F2, meaning that Karth and Tim will take him out at F3 if they're given the chance. I swore to him I would take him to F2 if he would promise me the same right here and now. It's a crude strategy, but at least I managed to get him to agree to it. Now he has to worry about whether or not betraying me would impact my jury vote and how I speak to others if I'm voted out here.

Of course, if I end up winning the challenge, all of this would be pointless. Tim and Jake are both reasonable targets for me if I win immunity, so I'll probably vote Tim if that's an option and try to rely on my deal with Jake. It beats going to F3 with 2 people who have said they think I'm the biggest threat to win straight to my face, whether it's the end of the game or not.

Last place again!! King of last place. Jk. Not really. I don't know how I feel about this vote. I feel it goes to Tim, but that depends on Karthik. Stephen and I made an alliance earlier to get to F2 which is...I still think he's a HUGE jury threat but if that's the way to make it to the end, that's the way to make it to the end. It depends on getting Karthik to vote Tim, and that's pretty much the only way I get to stay, I feel. I'll just have to see what comes out of discussions with the others. I'm not entirely sure I trust Stephen, but with Zach and Alyssa gone, my allies are gone as well, so there's not much else to be done at this point.

Well...I think I have adapted and maybe have a game plan. I think if I can get into F3, and Stephen and karth both keep their word, then I can get to F2 because they both say they want to bring me. Of course that means I’ve pledged alliances with them both, so this is where he risk comes in. If I can get hem to vote Tim off and I just happen to...lose next challenge (which shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone at this point TBH), then hopefully the winner picks me to go with them. It’s not a perfect plan, and I risk getting voted out this round if they all figure out what I’m doing, buuuuuuuuuut I don’t see any other Better options at he moment. So we’ll see!

I am NOT happy about a final 2 scenario. I just wanted to make f3 without Stephen and be happy about it but NOOO. Now the three of us just have to beat Stephen in the immunity challenge.

OK SO WE LOST. AND I got sent to the basement. Before I left Karthik told me that he would vote with me against Jake so I guess its going to firemaking. Ugh I'm gonna be flying for the first time tomorrow and traveling and stuff so that sucks that I may have to do a showdown while exploring the world.

Soooo Stephen secures safety yet again but it might actually not be such a bad thing for me as I have been considering the option of voting Tim out in F4 because he is playing a similar style of game as me but he has done it FAR better than me. My chances at the end are probably very low but against Tim, I literally have no shot. Hence, I hope he leaves here so that I could flop in another challenge if there exists one.

The day did not switch over like I expected! Meaning this game likely will end in a Final 2. As for my deal with Jake, I plan on honoring it for now, meaning that as long as Karth is on board, Tim is very likely to be the next person voted out. He's played pretty well, but he also kinda told me to my face he'd vote me out if I lost the challenge so I don't feel too bad about this. Intentionally going to the Final 3 with Karth and Tim would be like dragging a bag of poisonous snakes while they're trying to bite you. It's better to let them go here.

Hopefully I can win the final immunity challenge. I don't believe Jake is so into our deal that he'd keep me in over Karth at the Final 3 if he won, and I'm not sure Karth is even capable of winning a competition at this point. Honestly, I'll probably vote Jake out if I win this upcoming challenge even though I F2'd him. I don't think he'll be so surprised that he'd never vote me to win and I do consider him a much bigger threat to win than Karth at this point.

So....pretty sure my game just suffered a MAJOR setback. Alyssa was my ride or die to the end, and Karth just proved himself to be an unreliable ally. He felt threatened by Alyssa, and maybe rightfully so, since she would definitely have probably beaten him. So at this point, it looks like the sides are lining up to be Me/Zach vs /Tim/Karth/Stephen at this point. I don't think I can convince either Tim or Karth to go against the other, but Stephen might be a possibility. I promised him my loyalty if he'd be my ally, and I argued that tim and karth definitely could NOT and have shown that they will break those promises, so Stephen is pretty much my hope at this point. That being said, I am one clue for spelling the word 'ESCAPE' in the idol hunt, although I don't know what to do with the word once I get it. If I can pull out an immunity this time and get the idol, it's a possibility I could still make it to the end. Here's hoping.

So I survived the last tribal!!!! I can't believe it!! I'm very very satisfied with the way last round unraveled. I pushed for Alyssa to go because she was the main person after me and I was happy with targeting her this round. I pushed for her name because I figured Zach wouldn't want to go to rocks over Alyssa and if he didn't then she'd go home. I didn't want to vote Jake out because I'm trying to bring him to the end of the game with me and karthik. It all worked out in my favor when Stephen won immunity and Zach,Alyssa, and Jake voted for me. Karthik wouldn't flip on me and Stephen had nothing to lose in the event of a rock draw.

So this round's challenge is mastermind! I absolutely love this challenge it is my favorite!!!! Ok so the worst case scenario that can happen tonight is Zach winning immunity and Jake playing an idol on himself!!! That would leave me completely vulnerable. The only way I would survive in that scenario is if Zach and Jake vote Stephen and not me, which I doubt. But the numbers are dwindling quickly. Does jake really think he stands a chance against Zach or Stephen at the end???? He can't be that delusional right??

i promised alyssa i would have me or jake in ftc.

i lied.

the idol is gone.

i'm flopping at this challenge.

it's over.

i'm going :airplane emoji: fifth place.

i think there's a decent chance the vote is 3-2 and i'm in the 3, but get idolled out.

So basically at this point, my path to the end involves Karth not being an idiot, but for whatever reason, he doesn’t want to recognize Stephen as the legit jury threat he is. Ughhhh

Zach claims Stephen is the biggest challenge threat between the two since he has won 2 immunities. I disagree. Have yall SEEN Zach premerge??? He literally carried every tribe he was on. He def has challenge capabilities that I or Stephen don't possess. If I vote out Stephen then it leaves two duos at final 4. Its a 2v2 and if Zach wins that immunity then the game is over for me. If Jake wins it will go to firemaking and I will get my ass handed to me by Zach. On the FLIP SIDE If I vote out Zach then the game becomes a 3v1 with Stephen being a solo player. If he wins that immunity then I can kiss my chances of winning goodbye. If he loses then his game is up and I get to go to f3 and possibly win?? So that is why I'm leaning towards voting for Zach over Stephen.

I'm about to make a million dollar mistake.

I am a mess..idk what to do. I am unsure if I should be glad or sad for being the only person not getting votes so far. I have been doing the best I can but it still seems that I would be seen as the goat at the end. Its so unclear for me on how the jury perceives any of the remaining people and who their favorite. All I know is its definitely not me. At least winning this immunity could have given me some confidence but I wasnt lucky in that either.

I've been pretty calm all day today knowing that I'm going to survive the Tribal Council thanks to my idol. Maybe to a strange degree, but honestly, it's all okay. Jake winning immunity is unfortunate only because it limits my options of who to vote out, but I was leaning towards voting Zach anyway, so this isn't the worst case scenario at all.

Since Alyssa has been voted out, Tim and Jake have both told me that I'd win if I make Final Tribal Council. Tim even got a little vindictive with me when I tried to argue I wasn't the biggest threat to win. I appreciate the compliment, but not all of the implications that come with it. Needless to say, if I didn't have an idol, I'd be packing my bags tonight. But luckily, thanks to Tim, Karth, Alyssa, Jess, and Ally, and all the information they gave me, I won't have to worry about that. My eyes are on F4.

Winning the next immunity challenge would be amazing. It might get me into Final Tribal, but it may also just get me into F3 immunity. I have no clue what it could be. I hope I don't NEED to rely on immunity to stay, but, I mean, give me a break here. With so many people saying I'm THE threat to win, how could I not feel that way?

🚨🚨🚨ANNOUNCEMENT🚨🚨🚨 🚨THIS IS POSSIBLY MY LAST CONFESSIONAL FOR CELESTIAL: KOMNATA🚨

i believe this vote will be 3 votes stephen, 2 votes me. i also believe, in some way, stephen is going to get idolled.

my initial plan was to get [tim + karthik] = stephen [zach + jake] = tim [stephen] = zach

so when one of them idolled, i was safe. however, tim not being on board derails that plan entirely. this game is so frustrating. his logic to a degree makes sense. i support it. but like, stephen will sweep this FTC and i honestly probs wouldn't so. also, through our conversation, i realize how smart tim is. good for him!! king of analyzing.

anyway.

firstly, thank yawls for hosting. i'm sorry 2 alyssa. it's just sucky cuz the "three biggest players" at merge (this is on paper, not legit) were ally/alyssa/myself, and all three of us are probably leaving back 2 back LOL

i also want to apologize to jake. this is for post-season ig NNNNNN jake - i want 2 apologize for being distrusting of you in the past. you are a great person + i am so appreciative to have worked with you & met you in this game.

i am leaving this game content (if i do, that is). i played hard. despite a huge target on my back, i managed to get fifth (when i almost got 10th/7th). i had a pretty elevated social game, physical game too, and i think strategically i was fine. my main blunder was the idol misplay but zzz i wouldve used it at f6/7 anyway probs, just bc ppl knew i had it. i dont want to stroke my ego or anything but im fully accepting of how i played. i only wish i had more agency, but i dont really fault myself for that i guess (but when i get to jury/post season ill def see that it's probs more something i did but... for now, i'm angel :$)

me rn: Alexa, play The Climb

going✈️fifth and going✈️jury tonight! cheers

🚨🚨🚨gays dont win lol🚨🚨🚨

Sooooo...this vote basically hinges entirely on Karthik. If we three vote Stephen (is and Zach), then Stephen is out UNLESS he plays the idol which is a distinct possibility. Either way, the possibility that Stephen gets three votes and doesn’t have an idol is the only way Zach can get thru this vote, and I really hope he does.

aslkdfkjlsdjklflaksdf TIM why did you flip?? I mean

This sort of ruins my game plan I had going in. I was counting on the Kato 2.0 to stick together at least past this vote and NAH Tim goes and votes Zach? I mean, it makes it easier for us in regards to voting out Tim b/c he's done something legitimate now so it won't be straight betrayal. I still feel bad because we were talking F3, but it is what it is. Plan now is to go Alyssa-Karth-Me, but if it's F2, I'd definitely have to make a choice. That's if I make it that far. I think the next move is approaching Stephen, but I don't know how much he'll trust me after all this.

SO my 3-2-2 idea didn't but out but a bitch K N E W Tim was shady and MY TWO F2S ARE STILL HERE AND SO AM I SO WHO'S WINNING, BITCH!

So uhh its clear that I am being perceived as the goat of the season and I am not sure if I could do anything now that could change it so I shall just continue enjoying the game and do what I feel is right. Seriously, this is a wonderful cast with a lot of really good players. Even though, at the end of the day it comes down to how the jury sees you, I do not really regret the way I have played and I am pretty sure I will learn a lot from this game.

This messy binch is now idol searching with the remaining members of Kato 2.0 minus Tim. 1) It’s fucking F6 and we only have two more times we can use it 2) If Tim gets it I’m going to fucking YELL

Ok so Karthik woke up last vote and decided to royally screw me the fuck over. He had a talk with Ally before the vote and allegedly she was rude to him which caused him to be emotional and switch his vote to her instead of Zach. I get out of theatre practice to find my entire game set ablaze and on fire. So much for being on the right side of every vote at every tribal right???  And now I'm in the "minority" with Stephen and Im gonna get 6th rip.

OK so I fessed up to voting for Zach to him and everyone except Alyssa lol. And Karthik is explaining how he  flipped and why to the entire tribe as well as his initial intentions on getting Zach out. I FLOPPED hard in the challenge and now I have accepted my 6th place title lmaoo. Stephen won which is GREAT because that means we are probably gonna go to rocks unless Karthik betrays me.

Winning this immunity was HUGE. It's firmly placed Zach/Alyssa/Jake against Tim and Karth (hopefully) which should be something I can exploit for the rest of the game. If Karth is willing to stick with me here, we may actually be able to take back control despite his flip at the last vote. I just hope he actually sticks with it since.... you know... he did flip again at the last tribal council for seemingly no logical reason. The reason I sent him to the basement was to limit his communication with the other 3 so hopefully that works out as intended. If Tim does get voted out 4-2 I'm not even sure I'd still be surprised at this point though.  I know that everyone is playing for themselves, but they're doing a really good job of hiding it imo.

After I won the immunity challenge I had some kind of weird convos with Zach and Alyssa. Alyssa told me she'd never vote Zach out as long as there were people she didn't trust in the game and she then proceeded to tell me she's been honest and loyal to me for awhile now. But it's hard to rationalize all of this since I KNOW I was a possible target at F8 and F7 according to Karth's info which I do believe at this point. It's almost like she expects me to be grateful my allies were voted out instead of me? I don't wanna get petty or anything but how can she expect me not to see 2 distinct sides when she has literally never seriously considered voting Jake or Zach out, meanwhile I know I was an option for her on many occasions and she's also voted out most of my allies.

The convo with Zach was a little less heated, mostly because we didn't pretend to be allies with each other anymore. But he still gave me the same "I've only lied a little bit" line like... no one wants to hear that. But I've lied to so meh. And I'm about to lie again. Voting Zach at this tribal would probably be my move if not for 2 facts: 1) He appears to be the most likely person on that side to have an idol used on him here, and 2) He seems like the only would who would consider flipping in order to avoid a rock draw.

If tonight works out as intended, it can be a major shift in the game that pushes things in my favor for the last leg of the race. If not, someone else who has backstabbed me (Tim/Karth) is going home. And I can't be too sad about that. Guess I'll just have to win another few immunity challenges then.

I SURVIVED ! 4-3 ! i almost went home but karthik had a change of heart :sparkles:

this conf finna be short. i love everyone left. i hate that they want me out. my name, once again, is trying to be thrown out as the TARGET. so rude. i have trust in alyssa + jake i think for this round. karthik? i'm unsure, especially since ally called him a goat. she also thinks im gonna win so SLDKGLDSKGSD wow. thank u! but nope!

my plan for tonight is tim. him leaving secures a 4v1 majority. well, let me rephrase. "majority". then stephen will target me AGAIN, but maybe thats when i get stephen to vote w me and karthik against like alyssa. idk. i want alyssa out in the sense of... i think she's playing the best. but i love her so much n shes done so much for me that im gonna be heartbroken.

this game suckz. not actually, just sucky situation 4 me. theres a pretty decent chance im leaving tn as well tho, so we can only hope x.

I found the idol. Me. After ALL the BS I've been faced with these past few days I am the only player guaranteed a shot to be in F4. I'm keeping it a secret because I don't owe anything to anyone out here. Final Tribal Council is in sight.

ROCKS ROCKS ROCKS ROCKS????

i am voting alyssa and i'm heartbroken.

she is a great person. i love her with my whole heart, and i think she's genuinely a sweetheart.

she has all right to drag my fatass on concrete.

when u see this alyssa, i just want to say once again i am sorry. from the bottom of my (little) heart, i meant every word i said to you

The F8 vote seemed to have worked out well for me. I believe I shifted the plan from voting Stephen to Jess as Jess has been socially great but I havent been able to develop a great personal relationship with her and our interests in the game seem to differ. I am kinda glad with my position rn tho I am pretty sure the jury hates me rn but my aim is to find a way to maneuver to the end. Stephen and Ally must be really upset with me for lying over and over again and I might be targeted soon.

i am on a train and so i decided i'll write a confessional.

after having time to think last night (misplaying my idol), here are my thoughts: yeah, it sucks. it definitely hurt my game more than it helped. i am now 10x more vulnerable in the game. but, i'm not regretful? i'm now in a less-stressed state, where if i'm going to leave, so be it. no one was really shocked (though some may be more angered at me), and it kinda helps clear a target on my back because i'm like... easy to beat.

now, let me talk about something. after thorough analysis, i believe i have the least likelihood of winning this game. that's fine. i'm not really mad about it. below i'll just provide why i think i can't win this game, and my personal view.

CHANCES OF MAKING IT TO FTC: to begin, my chances of making it to ftc is very limited. i'm in a state where i have no idol, and i must rely on competitions (at some point, not necessarily now). i honestly think i'm safe at F7, but i know in order to get into F2 (or F3), i'll probably need to win a few immunities (or hope people see me as the goat i am and.. dragggg me BAAAAA). other people in the category of 'limited' when it comes to making ftc are stephen/ally/alyssa. now, let's pretend i do win like 3 immunities and achieve that position at FTC. this has two outcomes. first being that i don't think the jury will majorly respect it. and secondly, well, i'll describe it in the points below.

CHANCES TO WIN (IF I REACH FTC): i think i have horrible chances at this rate. ever since jury started, my management of said people hasn't been the greatest. i don't entirely blame myself (though maybe i should), but i don't see stephen w./miguel/luke/jess being keen on voting me. i think the most grossest(word choice?) of those are miguel. he's going to be emotional/bitter, and kind of rightfully so - i did vote him out. but i also got targeted in the first place for trying to save him. i put my blood, sweat, tears into trying to let him live and... well... i couldn't do it. and, in my personal opinion, that should outweigh me voting him. so as of now, i think i have 0/4 locks. i could see current players voting for me depending on how the game goes (i.e ally, alyssa, karthik) but that's so iffy to really count on. now a quick analysis of other players: alyssa - i think she's by far the strongest middle player/has been the swing vote in various instances. though bitterness may be an outcome, she's played a dominating game. ally/stephen - minority. they are going to have stephen w./luke/jess practically on lock, and even miguel to some extent. they are the underdogs that even i would be rooting for if i were on jury. tim/karthik - both are better middle players than i am. they are always the go-tos to make a move. maybe this is a bad thing for them (and by default, good for me) because they are seen as 'goats' or something. i doubt that though. they have more agency, and though i once again don't think that's at MY fault, it ultimately detriments my game. jake - jake has continually been targeted due to being a flexible, snakey threat. though he may not be doing the absolute most strategically/etc., he has that perception of ''winner'' and ''big player'', which alone can carry a lot of brownie points when it comes to voting.

CONCLUSION: So i think my chances to win are the lowest odds because of my inability to guarantee FTC for myself, and even if i do, i ain't going to be a strong contender to win unless the jury comes around to my busted ass game.

- okay, i want to talk about my personal thoughts on this.

i don't think i played the best. but, i don't blame myself for being in this shitty situation. wait. to specify, i don't blame myself for being hated by jury/players. i DO blame myself for being in the shitty position and limited chances of making FTC, which has factors including my prejury comp strength (there was strategy w/ that but i'll talk abt that another time.

my chances have sucked ever since jury started. stephen w. and i were never on a tribe together, and though i was a 'threat', i didn't flip. i did consider it however, but that isn't enough credit for him. it wasn't smart to work with him considering he was targeting me, but that's valid to not vote me in the end. miguel is a loyal and emotional person, 100% valid. i did not meet those terms at the end of the day, and that's only on me i guess. luke showed no loyalty to me and so i reciprocated the fakeness. we never worked together. jess, i DID try to work with, but she rejected that just to kinda blame it on me and so i voted her out. i have no friends on jury, and the earlier jurors are the most critical to some degree (because they can become an unit or something and start rallying campaigns for people).

my lack of agency, which is my biggest in-game flaw, isn't my fault directly. i tried to be extra social and show willingness to flip. of the 5 Kato2.0 members, i think i was easily the most willing to change up the game. karthik/tim have lied numerous times about flipping, and jake has done so prior. i haven't. maybe i should have, and i would be in a position, but i wanted to maintain this veil of honesty that like i was opened 2 working w them, even if NOW wasn't the time. the voted me and then only talked to me abt my vote when they needed me. i have to be missing something. this isn't a bad thing on MY game when others dont want to work with me, but i cant figure out the missing piece. maybe someones lying about what i'm doing and pitting people against me (good on them). maybe i did something really bad. but, it's a struggle. i thought i was playing so well but now i'm in a position of... hopelessness. i don't have any strong friends in the game. tim's probably the closest to me. i'm just... i'm unsure.

-

i want to talk about the future of this game real quick. this round, i anticipate ally/stephen will target one of me/alyssa/jake. tim wants to target alyssa (according to him) so i can see her being targeted. i'm unsure if that's how i'll vote, but i'm thinking. i think, if i am lucky + smart enough, that i'll make f5 easily. if alyssa goes, theres no way ppl would keep ally/stephen both til f5 considering they are minority n have that sway over the jury. put in that position, im the strongest physically. if ally goes F7 (or stephen), then jake/alyssa are a duo i can spearhead to break up. but, if alyssa has two idols, shes final 4 and well . it's over . but maybe she'd idol out like karthik or smthing n then me/tim/stephen vote out alyssa/jake and... yea. there's some hope for me but it's VERY circumstantial.

my brain hurts lol sorry

So last night I was BRUTALLY blindsided. And it's kinda late in the game for that to still be happening! This is way worse than Miguel or Luke leaving. Karth, Tim, Zach and Alyssa all overtly lied to me about their plans and votes. Granted, I also lied to Alyssa so there's that.

Karth, Tim, and Zach all hit me with the "but we're allies now that you proved you're honest" and I'm rolling with it because I don't have much of a choice. Ally wants to try something with Alyssa/Jake but I'm not exactly holding my breath. I won't buy anything until people start coming to me with real plans. At least Zach's idol is gone so others might be more tempted to make a move on him now.

Being voted most honest was something I ABSOLUTELY capitalized off of. I used it to try and get Alyssa on my side by telling her Stephen said she's next if Zach wins (even though she went and mentioned my name) I used it to blatantly lie to Jess and Stephen and Im using it now to do damage control with Stephen

Honestly the reason I voted Jess was very strategic. If Stephen was gone then Jess could weave her way into an alliance with Alyssa and Jake whereas Stephen would not. Stephen is still a big threat to win and with him here it means that he'll possibly take priority over me. Because honestly who wants Stephen at f3??? Who wants Zach at f3??? Who wants Ally at f3?? They MAY want Alyssa at f3 which is why she's my next target Stephen: Its not smart for me to go against you guys either way

Me: I already know this lmaoo you want me in your f3 duh

Im gonna go ahead and be overzealous when i say this may be the first game where I make f3.

I feel like I've played my cards correctly and If it works out how I want.. i could win/ get 2nd. I can literally destroy and discredit Karthik's game in a matter of seconds so I'm not concerned and Jake's game thusfar has been straightforward. If I can survive this round then I can make it to the end of the game. Omg if its a f2 instead of a f3 i will scream. I'm being too hopeful rn lol.

AHHHHH BITCHESSS I WON IMMUNITYYYY. Poverty was on my side. (I'm not poor lmao). I feel great and I definetely needed to win it considering the fact that my name was mentioned last round. Oh I also sent Karthik to the basement in hopes of finding something buy I also sent him there so that I wont make a target out of Alyssa and break any potential bonds there.

Now originally I made an ellaborate plan to vote out Alyssa but I've done quite a bit of talking to Stephen regarding my position as well as everyone's position in the game.  I'm torn between trying to get the vote on Alyssa or going with Ally, Karthik, and Stephen and voting oyt Zach. We will see.

I have a plan for this vote tonight and I think it’ll work. We’re gonna split the votes and if Stephen or ally goes, I think I’ve set myself up for s really good game. Of course anything can happen, but as long as I don’t get blindsided, I feel good about the rest of the game. Of course, that being said, anything can happen and this is Survivor

Thinking about how this could be my last day in the game is crazy. I'm relying on Tim and Karth to hold up their end of the deal to vote Zach out tonight. If it works, everything will change. I'll suddenly be in a real alliance for the first time in awhile. I don't plan on letting go of the numbers once I have them, but I really don't know if I even have them. Karth was my closest ally since Day 1 and he lied to me and sent out my next closest ally. I believe Tim has been leaking information I was posting in the 4-elements chat for awhile now. And I am definitely the target of at least 3/7 people heading into this tribal according to Tim.

Basically, everything should be seen as a negative right about now. But that's not how I see it. Playing from the bottom could be an amazing opportunity for me. I believe with Zach finally leaving, the 2 duos on the other side will finally have to point fingers at each other rather than doing everything behind the scenes. Then I'm just a little bit farther away from the end. Maybe I can still win this thing.

Of course, I could also go home 5-2 if Karth and Tim are just lying. But I think I've convinced them that keeping me is best for their game. Or maybe it's just that Alyssa and Zach come across as too threatening We even discussed possible endgame scenarios where I go to F3 with them. I wouldn't quite go that far with both of them after all the scheming and plotting on their end but hey, one of them can come along for the ride ;). Assuming I don't go home which is still totally possible LADSHSJKDHDKJHKSDJ

it’s rly quiet lol

i feel kinda nervous but also just kinda like i don’t give a fuck ya know

like... i’ve already been lied to and blindsided so many times that it’s hard to care or have high expectations at this point

i’m voting zach, afaik everyone else is down but again that could be a lie or he could have another idol idfk

i’m only loyal to stephen now idc abt any of these ppl

Dear Alyssa,

For someone who claims to have a HUGE interest in Astrology.... you seem to have forgotten the fact that I'm a fucking Virgo. If you burn me I will never forget it. You declared war and that's on YOU.

i hate this “we only start talking an hour before tribal” nonsense that this merge tribe has going on. like pls get your lives together sooner. i don’t even message ppl anymore bc we just do the “yaaa i haven’t heard anything” “me either” back and forth

i feel pretty hopeless in the game i’m ngl, fully think we should just wrap it up now and give zach the win

alyssa is an emotional and illogical player who came into the merge with the goal of miguel and luke being voted out for voting against her premerge. she didn’t think of the long term, only revenge. it’s embarrassing.

i don’t rly have an endgame path. or anything anymore. i miss luke and stephen.

So, yesterday was a bit of blindside for me. Not even really because Luke left, I woke up that morning willing to vote him out myself, but because I was unable to get Karth, Tim, or Alyssa on my side. I don't think any of them are truly "against me" at this point but it's a little worrying that Luke left over Jake, who I still don't really have a strategic relationship with.

Alyssa confronted me last night saying that other people had gone to her and said that I was planning to target her once Jake was gone. This isn't exactly true, but it has enough basis in reality since I have talked in the "4-elements" alliance about how we should target Jake before going after Alyssa. I'm not sure who went to her with this idea, nor do I know if she was even approached with it in the first place. Alyssa has deceived me for 2 votes now. First, she outright lied to me about voting Zach out at F10 (I still don't technically have confirmation of this, but it makes sense that she'd take out Luke/Miguel as soon as possible). More evidence supporting that she lied is that the former Kato2.0 side decided to vote Luke out next, which would be odd if he was the one to flip to their side at the first merge vote.

The second thing she lied about was being on the fence at this last tribal council.  After Luke was gone she told Jess that we "should've known she didn't want Jake out" despite her never saying that to us. It's clear that Alyssa had planned to vote Luke out as soon as she knew this would be a 5-4 vote. But she lied to me about that and wasted my time up until the very last minute.

Basically, what I'm saying is... it's getting exhausting to try and work with her strategically. It's not like Ally/Jess/Karth, who I feel I can talk frankly and honestly with. I want her and Jake gone. Jake hasn't really "wronged" me in anyway, but I can tell him and Alyssa have to at least be a little close so the jury can have both of them. Honestly, I kinda want them both gone more than Zach at this point. I'm doing my best to win this upcoming immunity challenge so people stop going behind my back, but if Zach were to win.. well... I certainly have a few alternatives in mind.

I am feeling a bit stuck in this game. With Zach in the game I feel my game is pretty restricted and I would feel too bad to backstab him. I already felt bad for voting Luke. I just dont know what to do here.

i have no idea what’s happening

zach and karth have reached out to me about potentially trying to reconcile and ofc i’m open to that

i’m kinda worried they’re voting jess out and i hope not bc i love her

i wish i had any kind of idea what i was doing

i wish luke didn’t get voted out

i wish this idol search made sense

i wish i was a little bit taller i wish i was a baller

So apparently Zach and Jake are throwing around Stephen's name with my name as an alternative. I'm not surprised at all at this rate. I figured this would happen as soon as I took my strike at both Zach and Jake.

The only possible saving grace from this all is that both Alyssa and Tim let me know about it. This kind of gives me a glimmer of hope that both of them aren't willing to at least vote me out at this stage in the game. If they'd did.. they'll look like idiots because I'm playing such a horrible game. I have yet to make a big move or win an immunity, I don't have any solid alliances aside from "The Last Hope" which honestly just a circumstantial alliance and most likely we die soon. Taking me at this point is ridiculous because I'm literally the perfect person to sit final 3 with right now.

My game plan at least now is.. I want either Zach or Jake to go. If I can work the angle of Jake or Zach trying to get me out as a way to sway people who think I'm their best friend in this game... yeet. If not I am dead and I will write my own eulogy....

If I get voted out because I lost immunity by 1 point.. I WILL FUCKING RIOT.

Ok so sorry for the lack of confessionals going on I have a lot (of good things) happening in my life atm. Anyways, I got sent to the basement which sux and now the vote is super stressful!!! I'm pretty much pulling a lot of strings within the tribe atm and trying to balance it all! I have Zach and Jake in my pocket completely!! Jake and Alyssa are like on my coat tail and Jess/Stephen/and Ally are in their grave ready to be destroyed lmaoo. Fingers crossed I don't go home.

im vulnerable, and it's an hour til tribal. i'm unsure of what's going to happen. here's a quick recap:

A - i go to ally/stephen to encourage reconciling. i think this is genuinely smart as we are all 'big threats' and it's stupid to let middle players slide by while helping pin bigger threats against one another. they basically end up agreeing (more so stephen). B - alyssa and tim come to me (separately) saying that they are throwing my name around, and tim goes even further to say that they want to split between me / jake. this sounds really believable based on track record. C - ally pms me saying that she heard X told Jess who told her that i'm targeting stephen. i say it's true, but under the circumstances that people are saying they are going after me. D - we talk in the "alliance" chat and come to a conclusion that jake should be the vote as he best fits the "middle player" role, thus being dangerous. though i disagree, i'm in no position to bury karthik/tim in a hole. E - with karthik spearheading, i help flip the vote from stephen to jess. this is because jess will weaken that side, and i don't trust her. at all. on top of that, it helps me not worry as much abt alyssa being sketchy & it keeps my promise 2 stephen/ally in the sense of not voting stephen (and i can argue saying that with them lying at merge, i had to be reaaaalllllyyyy cautious). F - i'm unsure about my idol. it could still happen. right now i'm leaning towards playing my idol because i want it GONE. by using this idol, here are the outcomes: F.1 - the vote is 4-4 or even more slanted, and i idol successfully, meaning jess will leave this game. F.2 - i receive 0 votes and completely waste it. this makes me more vulnerable, but also, could help if i utilize it correctly/effectively. F.3 - I receive 3 votes (give or take) and it's ineffective but shows that i can't trust ally/stephen and by attachment, jess (who should be gone). i guess my preferred order would be F1 -> F3 -> F2 just because if i use it, i want it to be as effective as possible since wasting an idol isn't going to help my case at FTC (which is already weak LSDGKDSLGDSH).

my gut is really sick (as always bar f9.. so just f10). i don't THINK i'm getting any votes, but u can never be too sure. to elaborate on the entire point of 'F', i want to go over pros n cons of idolling (and wasting it). PROS: - no more paranoia for me (GOD BLESS) - i'm much more vulnerable, meaning they may not target me (double-sided) - im 100% safe regardless, and in f7. CONS: - im more vulnerable; easier to target. - ppl are shook bc i dont trust them/ didnt tell them - its wasted and doesnt help my FTC case.

and lastly, who has the idols? [based on tribe idols] CONFIRMED: me . (OG Takagi idol) LIKELY: alyssa (the only person who could have two) COULD POSSIBLY HAVE ONE: stephen (someone probs has attila, i think itd be him or alyssa). karthik (basement king, but def not tribal idol probs .) jake (og kato, could have the kato idol). NOT LIKELY: tim (og takagi/nu-kato. both idols were gone, so i doubt it. but, maybe basement??) jess (unless she worked w alissa n found attalia, it's no) DEFINITELY NOT: ally (was on OG Takagi (my idol) and takagi post-swap, so unless swap idol, N/A).