Post by Jeff on Jul 1, 2015 19:17:42 GMT
Yay! Finally get to change my color and switch it up! Also, I've been using the same pic basically because it's impossible to find more pictures of Jeff. That will change soon, but for now, I'm not going to find enough, so you git what you git!
Anyway, this merge is already turning out to be messier than scooping peanut butter, ya'll. I don't know why I expected things to be so easy, but maybe it's because I just assumed a lot of people were on the same wavelength as me in terms of like people sticking together and stuff. SURPRISE! That isn't the case. I think the biggest thing I didn't realize is that I was so worried about other people together, but I'm beginning to see that I am like the most connected person here and I literally don't have a single person in this game I would prefer to vote out or see beneficial in leaving. Like, not a single person here I could see being a good thing if they left. That's honestly scary because no matter what I do this round, I'm going to be making someone upset I think. Nature of the game, but I'm not used to this at all.
To put it in perspective, here are all the deals I have or that people have brought up to me:
Penedo: Chelsea, Jeff, Shane, Sierra, Tom
Foursome: Chelsea, Jeff, Ozzy, Steph
Fivesome: Chelsea, Jeff, Ozzy, Steph, Tom
Fierce and Fabulous: Chelsea, Jeff, Sierra
Fivesome: Chelsea, Jeff, Matty, Sierra, Tom
Foursome: Chelsea, Crystal, Jeff, Shane
Threesome: Chelsea, Crystal, Jeff
Threesome: Chelsea, Jeff, Tom
Twosome: Jeff, Joaquin
Twosome: Chelsea, Jeff
Twosome: Jeff, Shane
Foursome: Chelsea, Jeff, Ozzy, Steph
Fivesome: Chelsea, Jeff, Ozzy, Steph, Tom
Fierce and Fabulous: Chelsea, Jeff, Sierra
Fivesome: Chelsea, Jeff, Matty, Sierra, Tom
Foursome: Chelsea, Crystal, Jeff, Shane
Threesome: Chelsea, Crystal, Jeff
Threesome: Chelsea, Jeff, Tom
Twosome: Jeff, Joaquin
Twosome: Chelsea, Jeff
Twosome: Jeff, Shane
I mean, that kind of lays it out for you. I'm all over the place and that makes it all the more difficult. If people get wind of this at all (which I'm sure some have), then I would be in huge trouble. But this isn't anything of my doing. People seem to really, really like me this game which is awesome, but this is a new position for me. I feel like I'm more free and being more myself in this game which brings about my actual personality. I'm just having fun here and trying to enjoy it and I think people are drawn to that. When things get crazy and the game takes more out of you than it did before, I think you kind of get drawn to the people who ease that a bit and I'm hoping that is me. So, the proof is in the peanut butter and that list of alliances up above shows a lot of the game I've been playing and I'm proud so far.
But...this game is taking a huge turn and there is a lot going down. I get this idol and this whole time I felt like I wouldn't want to inform anyone if I had it. Because of the ruling of not being able to get the idol two rounds in a row, it could put a target on my back next round because people would know I won't have it. I've even thought about just using it the round I got it so I would not longer have people worrying about me using one. After all, I've played many of these games without an idol in my pocket, in fact, like all but two. So having no idol in a game would be familiar to me, but I also don't want to play this stupid and maybe I will need it. I'm hoping I won't need it this round, but there are things happening that make me think using it might be best. But with all the chaos that was ensuing about this vote and who had the idol, I decided to tell my Penedo people and only them. Poor choice, I think because it might just cause a whole lot more problems than I had hoped for.
In the challenge I was super excited to play because I'm a serious puzzle geek; I do them all the time. Love 'em! Anyway, I've seen this challenge done before and I've always wanted to do it and see how I would do. I thought I would do pretty well in it and no one seemed to be coming for me which was kind of shocking. I wanted to start by taking out the people who weren't online. So I took out both Matty and Ozzy. I then was going to do Chelsea's so it didn't seem like we were together and I was having people message me which ones they were doing and all that. Well, Shane told me he was doing Chelsea's so I decided to go for Sierra knowing she was around and I wanted to win this thing. Sure enough, those bits and pieces of talking with people and strategizing were the seconds I needed in order to take her out and remain in the game because she did mine right as I print screened my picture of hers. That sucked and oddly enough, I was actually a bit upset because she didn't go for someone else like Steph or Chelsea first. Hypocritical, but I knew Shane was doing Chelsea's which is why I even changed mine at all.
So, Sierra wins and I'm not sure I was happy about it, mainly because she is a power hungry, psycho girl and the last thing I would want on my first round of merge is to be vulnerable with a psycho woman running around trying to dictate the way this vote goes...but now I'm going to have to deal with this madness, so excuse me while I go kiss the pale butt of the neurotic girl! Ugh! Like, I can deal with people in these games and have learned how to keep my head in most situations with people, but people like her, though I like her on a personal level, are very hard to deal with in the game.
After this happens, my phone starts blowing up. The first biggest mistake I made was being out and about during this because managing so many frantic conversations from my phone was literally hell on earth. I mean, my God, my thumbs have never put so much work out in my life. It was insane! I think I may suffer a severe amount of carpal tunnel through this game and it's only the first round of merge. Basically, Shane wanted Steph out and Steph wanted Shane out. Perfect. Then Crystal tells me she wants Steph out too meaning we get another number. The issue here is that throughout all that seemingly happened on the other tribe when Cirie left, lines were drawn, deals were made and now we're looking at Matty going with Sierra and Crystal coming with us but it would be 5v5. Tom seems to think if Shane was gone and Jamie was still around that Matty would be more willing to side with us, but honestly, I think Shane may be the thing that keeps us at tied numbers because Matty would surely go with Sierra regardless and Jamie would have followed. At least this way, Shane really only has Penedo as a foundation and now Crystal as a side number, but outside that, he has nothing and no where to go.
So, the vote was initially Crystal (spearheaded by Sierra) and I feel like that would be very bad for my game. Although I like them both, I think the Steph vote works better in my favor. I feel like Ozzy/Steph will try to play middle men throughout this merge and that's what I want to do, so eliminating them gets rid of the wild cards in the game from my perspective and allows me to float more in the middle. Unfortunately, I'm stupid and while I was freaking out messaging people on my phone and between all the conversations, I sent that I was wanting to play middle ground and get rid of Steph/Ozzy to the group chat between myself, Chelsea, and Sierra. NOT GOOD! (I've never done this before and been careless enough to have that happen, but it was giving me Palawan flashbacks). Anyway, I tried to patch things with Sierra and said that I was hoping me, her, Chelsea would be able to play the middle for this game and get our way to the end that way and she seemed receptive but said that she thinks keeping Crystal and getting Steph out worked better for me and Chelsea than her. Whether she bought me trying to cover my ass or not, I have no idea, but I know Sierra well enough to know she would pick up on that and likely she didn't buy it in the least. So that sucks.
ANYWAY, moving forward, it seems now that the vote has changed to Shane and not only that, but Sierra is telling Tom she is worried about me and this idol thinking I might try to play it to save Shane or Crystal because I like them both. While I have contemplated the idea, I find it odd that she even expressed this to Tom without thinking he might tell me...which he did. I told this to Chelsea and she said Sierra came to her and said Sierra didn't like me and Tom together and we make her nervous. WHAT!?! I don't get this at all. Sierra knows how close I am to Chelsea. Unless she thinks she has a stronger bond with her, I really don't see why she would tell Chelsea and Tom any of this stuff. My stock with Sierra went way down and I'm closer now to using this idol than ever. This thing in my pocket is a stroke of luck and this is the first time I've had it...maybe it's not a coincidence that I do.
Basically right now, we are stuck (we being me, Chelsea, Tom). Either we put a lot of faith in Matty/Sierra and hope that they are actually all voting Shane and just vote him out with them, or we try to make a move with the five we have. The issue is that I don't want to go to a tie and then rocks. I feel like, based on what I wrote above, that I am in one of the best spots in this merge in terms of alleys and roads that I could take to the end. So the thought of that being ripped away because I go to rocks seems silly, especially for someone like Shane. But, how do I know they aren't telling us Shane just to throw our votes so they could vote me out. I mean, I did mention that I would prefer to vote Ozzy/Steph to Sierra and she very well could have told them right now. Ozzy's conversations with me have felt very forced and disingenuous. I mean, he says he wanted to work with me, Chelsea, him, Steph, and Tom. Tom?! Really? The guy you just got done saying you're nervous about because he forced the Ozzy vote the first time he left. I highly doubt Ozzy is truly wanting that alliance and he is probably lying through his damn teeth. On top of that, Crystal did inform me that Ozzy is trying to gather a 6 person alliance with the swapped Barra tribe and Matty to take over the game. So what is he doing here exactly? I have no idea.
So, I have a lot to think about here. If I use the idol and idol wrong, then we go to a tie and then I move forward in the game, potentially low in numbers, with no idol to save me unless one of my allies gets it and can use it wisely. If I use it and I'm right, then my side would gain numbers, but I'm not sure people like Tom or Chelsea would want to stay with these sides for very long, so it would only be for a few more rounds. If I don't idol and we let Shane go, I could be giving up a good amount of footing in this game. Tom really wants to appease Matty and earn his trust back, but he doesn't seem to understand that Matty is far more loyal to Sierra and would likely stick with her over him so long as she remains in the game. Ugh! This is messy, messy, messy. I really need to think about what to do here. I'm not sure trust gained or lost this round is going to be the most important thing, I'd just hate to sign over my fate in the game to someone else and just wait for something to happen to save me because I feel like if that alliance of 6 is true, then I'm surely on my way out the door next if I don't have immunity. I'm also the type of player that would much rather take his fate into his own hands rather than leave myself exposed to whatever anyone else feels like doing with little to no wiggle room. I'd just hate to give my fate up in the game when I have the chance to do something about it right now. No regrets.
