Ray G. (GentlemanG)

Vote: Ali

Stoner can’t vote and screwed us over for the rest of the game...sad. But I’ll cast my vote for Ali tonight anyways. I truly believe he’s going to win this game.

Jojo C. (FlamingJojo)

[1] You have been a bit of a wildcard thus far, stating that you do not have many strong connections to anyone in the cast. However, personal connections can only take you so far in this game, and it is likely that people who are friends with each other will turn on one another eventually and cracks will begin to form. How do you navigate these complicated interpersonal relationships and convince people that you can be useful to their game?

First off, the side vs side thing has to die off or else i'll be stuck in a sink hole, until this set-up changes. Secondly, when the set-up changes because we will put it into the air...well, virtual air, then I will have to try and keep as many people who I feel close to while making sure I keep targets. Like, Steve going was the ideal choice because he was a threat glued to emma, but would be nothing close to threatening alone and having emma stick around, lives a target to remain the focus on.

So, I need to show I am not a threat, yet I am a valuable resource while showing I am not going to b.s crazily while also making sure to show I am not trying to play the middle, even if I have mentioned I am a middle player, continuously before the merge came.

[2] Two Tribal Councils ago we saw a heated argument take place between both you and Kelly, where you stated then, and when you voted out Brittany, that you felt that you were ‘being backed into a corner.’ If this is truly the case, what can you do going forward, especially with Immunity tonight, to reposition yourself in this game?

Well, as I won immunity either before this was send or right after, I feel that wouldn't change that right now with it being side vs side and if I flipped, it would be the wrong time to flip, so that isn't even an option atm.

Though, I need to have some relations on the opposing side stay alive, so I don't feel backed in a corner as I did with Brittany, even though her going was best though. She ultimately wasn't providing anything game wise for me and I need to find established connections that'll bring something to the table.

If I can find those right connections, I will be able hopefully get towards the end-game while not feeling forced to a decison--unlike now, being forced to a side that ultimately imo, has more of the stronger, social players.

[3] Who are your closest allies? Who are you targeting going forward?

Well as of now, I defintely have trust in Ess, Matt and Xakim, though honestly, I trust no one completely because I am unfortunately not naive to think I could trust any of them fully. On the opposing tribe, Ray, Lexey, Zach have given me some content to work with, but still same situation as mentioned above though.

Targets going forward are the players who can slide to the end. I know I need "threats" to stay around and attack eachother, so me pushing like lexey, when everyone was about to scrap her last dc, would be idiotic, though they will cut her when they get the chance, which is ultimately fine, as long as I am not doing their work for them, but making sure I don't give all the reasons to why, but just some--like her sharing information, which was true. Though, I won't add that it also makes it more complicated to try and flush her, which they would be tempted to flush her more if I would.

Ess C. (PureEssence)

I have a feeling I might actually be going tonight - Ray told me Ali is the vote but then it was said in the public tribe chat so I don't think that's legit. i just don't know because idk why he would tell me he's doing ali

-----STONER VOTED OUT FOR 12TH-----

Austyn S. (Oysterman11)

[1] This is your third time playing, and in your prior two appearances you made it to Final Tribal Council and lost the jury vote. What are you doing differently this time around to ensure that if you make it to the end, you will win this game?

Well I am hoping that my honest and just like straight up gameplay will be enough. I am honestly hoping more so to protect my never been voted out record in this survivor series. I do think I am playing a VERY similar game to Last Dance. A game I DO think I would’ve won had Noah not gotten the jury to switch up their votes.

[2] We’ve seen you get into multiple scuffles with some of your tribemates, most notably with Ali, Brittany, and at the Immunity Challenge, Stoner. Are you afraid that you might be jeopardizing potential jury votes by arguing with these players?

Are you saying my Jury management is poor? I mean as far as I know Brittany isn’t in jury so I luckily got her out when I did. I do think Stoner and me are both similar people and it was all in good fun. I do know Ali is VERY dangerous and Idt I have his jury vote unless I go to the finals with someone he hates. I think he is plotting a chance to get one of me or Matt out.

[3] Who are your closest allies? Who are you targeting going forward?

My closest allies are Matt, Zach, Xanny and Ben probably. Idt any of them would vote me out in the foreseeable future. If I’m separating them Zach and Matt and my top two. Moving forward I think Ray, Ali, Lexey and Emma are the most detrimental to my game currently. I would put Ess in there as she’s a huge threat to win but I do not think she’d vote me in for the next couple of votes.

I am truly not worried to be voted out because I know Zach/Ray/Ben will deflect off of my name for the time being...

Ess C. (PureEssence)

https://vocaroo.com/1fSRayAgk4nk

-----EMMA VOTED OUT FOR 11TH-----

Zach R. (Washed_Ravioli)

https://vocaroo.com/1gFwOGA8AkSd

https://vocaroo.com/17oAxW26KYnb

Ess C. (PureEssence)

[1] While Chris was an extra vote for you, him being in the game also painted a target on your back as being a pair. After Chris quit the game, how have you had to change your gameplay?

As i said to mike on call before, i had a feeling chris would be my greatest strength and weakness. he’s a very emotional player at times (as we can see with his departure) and isn’t the strongest game player. he was a very very loyal ally and the one person i knew i could trust 100% to the very end but with him gone i’ve been trying to pick up the pieces. he definitely put it in my head that i shouldn’t be working with zach because that was his main target, and now i’m trying to do damage control with zach (although it’s seemingly very unsuccessful and since his vote is between me and jojo, i have a strong feeling he will be voting for me). i’ve also been trying to work more with kelly because we have before in past games and i know that when we try, we work VERY well together. but i know he’s vindictive so i’m not sure how that will go LOL

[2] We saw you receive a single vote against you at last night’s Tribal Council. Who do you think voted for you and why?

At first i thought kelly voted for me at tribal because he really thought i was voting for him but it was not him! i’m not entirely sure who it was but i think it was zach. he was offline for a while and i think he may have just locked my name in and logged out LOL because we aren’t close and he sees me as a threat to his game

[3] So far we’ve seen your six-person, now five with Chris quitting, alliance stick together throughout the entirety of the game. However, you’re now in an interesting position as you’re sitting between the pairs of Ali/Xakim & Austyn/Matt. Do you think this alliance will stick together to the final 5, or do you think these pairs might try to use you to go after the other before then?

I love my five person core so so much and i would love for us to get to f5 so much. i don’t see that happening though. i have a final three with ali and xakim that i’m definitely loyal to. i’ve told them about my idol to show xakim in particular that i trust him fully. i think austyn and matt are playing a bit shadily — i feel especially strong about austyn being shady because he constantly says he doesn’t want to vote for zach. and xakim doesn’t trust matt whereas i trust matt more than austyn. i do think ali and xakim might try to use me to take out austyn or matt and i would rather take out zach, lexey, and jojo first as i see them as bigger targets

[4] You have voted in majority at every single Tribal Council that you have attended this game. While this is impressive, are you afraid that people might see this as enough justification to take you out before Final Tribal Council? If so, what do you think you can do to downplay the game that you’ve played so far?

While i’ve voted in majority in every tribal council i’ve attended (go me!) and like you said it’s impressive (smiles) i do think it puts a target on my back that kelly has not been shy to point out like every chance he gets. i don’t think i even have an option to downplay my game because i’ve stood very strongly by my side and haven’t shown that i wanted to flip at any point in time. until today anyway :) jojo has been very shady and i want him or zach gone but it’s looking like my best shot is jojo at this point bc kelly wants him gone too

I think if i got to f4 i would 10000% need to win the final immunity. like there’s no way anyone in their right mind would take me to f3 with them at this point unless i really fuck up my jury management. but i think i’ve played a really strong game so far and i’ve gotten my way at every tribal council i’ve attended so i’m definitely really threatening to some people in my own alliance. i know people in my alliance are smart otherwise i wouldn’t work with them. but i’m gonna have to be very selective with who i chat game with now because i know people have their ties to the other side and it’s a dangerous game

Kelly R. (Kelly0412)

[1] You have voted correctly a total of 1/10 times in this game. How frustrating has this been for you, and why do you think that it has been so difficult for you to be able to vote in the majority this game?

Idk i guess i am just poison mike everybody always wants me or my allies out it will never end :(

[2] You’re officially in the Final 8, beating out over 22 other players to make it to this point. Do you see a path to the end for yourself, and if so, how do you think you’ll be able to get there?

Honestly i dont... i think im probably the best at comps but i doubt i could win like 5 or 6 in a row to make it there... but i wont stop trying

[3] Do you think that there are any cracks beginning to form in the ‘majority’ group, and if so, who do you think is the most likely to flip and why? Is there anyone in this group that you’re especially bitter against for putting you in ‘minority’?

Well matt and austyn are going to do the cringey gamebotty thing and flip every round like imagine how tired we are.... i actually would love to take them out but nobody else would :(

Ali C. (CutieAmy)

[1] You and Xakim have managed to be one of two remaining pairs left in the game. While this is impressive, are you worried that at some point people are going to become threatened by both of you being in the game and make a move to take one of you out?

Obvioustly the thought of being taken out is always at the back of my head and it's not affected by having my duo still in the game. I can only trust Essence to keep us safe and not so much can be said about the others.

[2] So far we’ve seen you use 2 Hidden Immunity Idols and an Extra Vote. Are you worried that if you make it to the Final Tribal Council that the jury might not respect how many advantages you’ve used throughout the game?

It's about successfully using the advantages and hidden immunity idols. Everyone had a shot at using them and some of them flopped, but I didn't. I happened to be the target everytime I used an idol. The first time I used my idol, I planted the seed for Keith to talk to the other side to try and figure out who they were voting for just to find out they were voting for me.

[3] Last night we saw you shoot your Silver Bullet to take Emma out of the game for good. Is there a specific reason why you decided that Emma was the person you most wanted to not be able to potentially return to the game?

Not really, I would have rather saved it for someone like Zach or Ray, but since those two are heavily connected to people from our side, it's not always guaranteed that they would get voted out, so I chose to use it on Emma since I knew she was leaving. I haven't talked to Emma at all post-merge, so it wasn't a great loss to me that she is gone.

Zach R. (Washed_Ravioli)

[1] What happened at yesterday’s Tribal Council? From an outside perspective it seemed like the ‘minority’ completely fell apart, with the vote being split 2-1-1-1-1. Why did you decide to vote for Ess?

Honestly I don’t know. I was offline dealing with personal stuff like the whole day and the reason I voted Ess was because before I went offline that was the name that Kelly and emma were discussing voting.

[2] Last night was the 2nd to last time that you could have used your Shtriga power, which would have given you automatic Immunity and the opportunity to pick someone to be on your One Day tribe. This was a huge risk, because if you’re able to survive tonight’s Tribal Council you’re guaranteed Final 7, however, One Day Tribes rounds are always incredibly unpredictable and deadly, especially for those who have been in the ‘minority’. What was your reasoning for not using your power last night, and do you regret not using it?

I didn’t use it because I wasn’t online and I have also felt safe. I have felt safe from both sides bc of my connections to both groups so I figured I should save it for later. I don’t regret not using it because I do feel safe on my tribe and if I go I go. I think Kelly being safe is probably better than me being safe because I’m in a better spot than he is

[3] Last night we saw Kelly select you to be on their One Day Tribe. While Kelly has made it clear throughout the game that you two are friends, do you think this statement further solidifies for people that you two are a duo? Do you think his decision could lead to you being targeted at tonight’s Tribal Council?

I’m sure everyone already sees us as a duo and that’s fine Lmao. I don’t think anything he did has made me a target tonight, if I’m going home I was going home anyways.

[4] We also saw you receive a single vote against you at last night’s Tribal Council. Who do you think voted for you and why?

It was probably emma but idk why. She just seems like the most likely from my side to vote me. She may have been mislead by the others to vote me and she would stay, idk. Weird af but I can’t dwell on it too much.

Matt F. (Gigi10)

[1] Right now you are sitting with 3 Hidden Immunity Idols, and have made it so it is incredibly unlikely that you are going to be voted out tonight, as Kelly and Zach cannot vote for you. This means that you’re sitting at the Final 8 with essentially a free pass directly to the Final 5. However, with all of these Idols in your possession, are you afraid that by using them people might dislike the amount of advantages that you possessed and use it as justification for why you shouldn’t win the game if you were to make it to Final Tribal Council? On the flip side, this could paint a huge target on your back and lead to you being cut one step short of Final Tribal Council like in Survivor: Madagascar - Heroes vs. Villains. How are you feeling about all of this, and what is your plan for the Idols going forward?

I could have a free pass to the final 5, but I also have to look out for Austyn. We came into this game as a duo and I wouldn't want to leave him open to target, so we will have to be smart about how we use the idols. I think that if people dislike the amount of advantages I had, they could've done something about it sooner. Or found the idols themselves. It would be very weird, in my opinion, to punish a player for finding idols. But could I see that happening? Unfortunately, yes. I'll have to make a good argument if I do end up in tribal council as to why that shouldn't cost me the win. But do I plan on using all 3? Of course, I think it would be stupid not to. I do think I'll have a huge target on my back once idols come out, which is why I've been holding them. The later into the game Austyn and I get, the more power we hold and the more the idols will mean to us.

[2] This round saw One Day Tribes come into play. Were you surprised to see One Day Tribes, and do you think that this could be a blessing or a curse for your game going forward? Do you think that your group of six is going to turn on each other this round?

I wasn't because Austyn sorta sniped this twist. I think it worked out well for me, because it gives me the opportunity to take out Jojo without getting too much blood on my hands since there are only so many people eligible. Also with how messy Jojo's game has been the last few rounds, I don't think too many people will be upset with him leaving. I think that probably answered the second part of this, but yes it's basically inevitable that the 6 turns on each other. I just hope the other tribe doesn't turn as well.

[3] You and Austyn have managed to be one of two remaining pairs left in the game. While this is impressive, are you worried that at some point people are going to become threatened by both of you being in the game and make a move to take one of you out?

Oh absolutely. We are going to become huge threats very soon, and I could see next round being hard for us to get through. I am especially worried for whenever the last returnee comes back, that'll be hell to deal with. It will come down to how well we read everyone and if we use our idol(s) right, because I have no doubt in my mind one of us will be a target at some point soon. It would be stupid to just let us walk to the end together.

[4] How paranoid are you right now on a scale of 1-10? If you got blindsided out of this game how crushing would that be for you?

This very moment, a 3. I have almost no fear of going home this tribal unless it goes to rock draw which I think is unlikely. Ben would have to vote Ess over Jojo and then both him and Zach would have to refuse to switch in the revote which I don't see happening. I am sorta worried for Ess, and her going at this point would be pretty bad for me. But I don't see myself going today, no. A blindside would hurt because I think I've played a pretty smart game and have set myself up in a pretty good position where I have a lot of options left. I also feel like I haven't made a lot of the moves I've wanted to make near the end, so not getting an opportunity to do that would suck.

Ray G. (GentlemanG)

[1] As we both know, false hope is the worst hope. Are you afraid that certain players might be stringing you along, as you’re a big threat being a 2-Time Winner, just to set you up to be voted out right before Final Tribal Council?

I think some people want to use me to break apart from allegiances they may find too threatening down the line. I’m not the most liked so from surface level it doesn’t seem like I’ll beat too many people in a jury vote. That’s definitely played to my benefit.

[2] What are your thoughts on everyone left in the game? Is there anyone whose gameplay has surprised you?

The way Kelly has played the game since coming back has shocked me. I don’t know if he has stronger connections with others than I realize but he’s definitely a threat to win the game at this point. I don’t think he’d want to sit in the end with me either. I could be wrong, but we’ll see. Zach had also surprised me as well.

[3] If you had to vote for a winner of this game right now, who would you vote for? Who has played the best game so far in your opinion?

I’d vote for Ali to win. He’s been my biggest threat all game and I’ve wanted him out for some time. I think he’s also underrated as a player and most of their votes going through probably have been because of him picking the right targets and just knowing how to play the game the right way.

[4] This round saw One Day Tribes come into play. Were you surprised to see One Day Tribes, and do you think that this could be a blessing or a curse for your game going forward?

I was, I shouldn’t have been though. It seemed to be a huge curse for me because I could’ve easily ended up on a tribe with 4 members of the majority or even 3 people who’d be willing to vote me off over each other. That seemed to be the case but I believe in my allegiances and it might’ve proven to be a blessing for my game moving forward instead.

Ess C. (PureEssence)

I very well could be going home tonight

and if i do ive come to terms with it

all i can do is try to trust what people are telling me

if they wanna lie it says more about their character than my own