#She gave me a 90 meanwhile she gave everyone else 100 for their note

[socialshy]

the devil works hard but my physics teacher works harder

[survivoraqualand]

EPISODE 8: All The Men In This Game Are Frustrating

After their dramatic first merge Council, the players were tasked with testing their loyalty and relationships even further in a paired-up immunity challenge called Prisoner’s Dilemma. Each randomly assigned pair went on call with the hosts and had to decide privately whether to trust their partner or betray them. If both trusted each other, they’d both get a Hotel visit; if only one trusted, the one who betrayed would win two visits; and if both chose to betray, they’d get nothing. Despite the strategic rifts between many players, nearly all of them chose to trust each other in this challenge - the only ones who betrayed were Rose and Jessica, disqualifying each other from getting a reward.

Because that wasn’t enough drama, the immunity challenge was Touchy Subjects. The person who overwhelmingly got the most positive answers from the team was Jenna, who also won immunity to help make that target on her back even prettier. Jessica got most of the more negative answers, Linus got a bit of a Fabio edit, MJ was named the person who never shut up (and promptly proved that point in the team chat), and Logan was named a master pie-eater.

Meanwhile, there were several more visits to the once-again-renovated Transcontinental Hotel, where the “???” elevator button was replaced with a “!!!” button that when unlocked with the correct passcode would take players to a hidden shrine room where they received a clue that told them they must transform pearls into shells. The only ones who made real progress with this discovery this round were the alliance of Jenna, Marg, and Logan, who managed to get through the door and figured out how to convert two out of the five pearls they needed to make something else happen, though mostly by accident.

At Sea Council, the vote was shuffled around several times, with every single eligible person having their name thrown out at some point. The initial consensus was to do a split vote between Katie and Jess, but MJ, unhappy with this plan, decided to go rogue and attempt a blindside of Marg - which would have worked had Linus not spilled the beans to Jenna, causing their alliance to become frustrated with MJ and decide to all vote for Jess. Marg played their idol for Logan, unaware that the opposing votes were actually on them, but Jessica ended up going home in a 5-3 vote.

JENNA

Okay all I know right now is that somehow Katie, linden, and jess found out about the 3-3-3 vote. Mj told Jess about the extra vote on Linus which why would he do that if he wasn't trying to work with her? Someone voted Linus and wont own up to it. I told Linus to throw his vote on Jess cause i was worried about his extra vote incase his idol thing didn't work (which he did tell me about). I thought it'd be 4-4-2-1 so i am confused? Jess told me she katie got the idol from the monster, I know katie gave hers to jess last round so that's a lie. Jess told me everyone said they were planning on voting me this next round if I don't win immunity. Logan hold he never told that to Jess at all? The only person I can think that would vote Linus would be Mj but why not own up to it? I am overall very confused still but I am glad Linden left. It's all a they said they said type of vibe which makes things a lot harder. I haven't ~fully lied to anyone because I was confused on the vote and I did hope Linden would go... I'm sure it'll catch up to me I just hope I can be a ghost.

JESSICA

Last round was all over the place! I finally used my hotel tickets and I found an idol which is great. Then, despite telling Logan and Marg basically every thought that occurs in my head in this game, I hear from MJ that they are all planning to split the vote between me and Linden because people think we're a trio with Katie. I personally think this is a horrible move because Linus literally lies to every single person all day and I give Marg/Logan a lot of intel but?? Okay! So I asked MJ to please not vote for me and vote for Linus instead and he said sure. He also told me Linus has a penalty vote so even if everyone else votes for me, I won't go home because it will tie. We're thinking it's going to be 5 Linus - 3 Linden - 2 Me (and 1 Katie, but that didn't really matter). I give Katie the idol just in case I get voted out because I'd rather it stay with her! Unfortunately, Linus also had an advantage that he played and then he was safe. I originally told Katie not to play the idol on me and let's just risk it but she did so now I am still in the game and Linden is out :( 

I don't really know where to go from here because there isn't much else I can do to convince people I'm really not playing that hard slash at all. I usually only show up for ~an hour a day, talk to everyone, say yes to whatever the first plan I hear is and then that's it but for some reason people are convinced I'm the player to beat??? I told Jenna that if she tries to vote me again she will regret it FOREVER. Okay I didn't say that but I did say if I leave she is definitely out next because everyone is threatened by her. She doesn't know who voted Linus and I'm not telling her either! 

LINUS

I suspect nearly everyone will trust in this reward challenge. Jessica, Katie, Rose, and MJ are the only ones who it would benefit to not trust, and even then there’s pros and cons. Jessica and Katie probably feel a bit cornered after last round, I don’t know if I actually think they are or not, but they would have reason to feel that way and think advantages are their best path forward. MJ and Rose by extension have reason to think that they are going to be betrayed, so it would be defensive 

I also think MJ is a bit more sneaky than he’ll probably get credit for due to his inactivity, but as early as that schoolyard pick for teams he was telling Logan about a girls alliance and trying to game the ceto’s to go for girls. I’ve seen players like him before, and although he isn’t socially doing a ton, I suspect he is very invested in the hotel, probably has advantages already and would like to push for more. 

I could see Logan doing some jumping around alliance wise, but it would be showing his hand too much if he burnt trust for a mere reward. Marg and Jenna both have reason to want the other to like them right now, so it would likely hurt either of them to betray. 

I’d say odds are 

Trust Jenna (90%) Marg (90%) Logan (75%) Linus (100%) (just since I know what I did) Rose (60%) (rose should betray, but I think since she’s pretty inact she might trust just so no one holds a grudge against her and it allows her to go as far as possible). Betray MJ (70%) Jessica (75%) Katie (60%) (Katie tries to present an appearance of siding with whoever she is talking to even if what she’s saying makes no sense for them to believe her, so she could do that here).

MARG

MJ

STILL LOCKED OUT? DON'T FEAR OR FUME / YOU NEED A MUSICIAN, A PLANT, A COSTUME 

First name = the musician Genus = whatever the plant is? Appendage = wings (from the crow costume) I feel like genus has to be referring to Nelumbo nucifera even though that also refers to the lotus which granted another visit but a genus name isn't provided anywhere else in the hotel 

I think I have to inspect the sheet music at that piano like maybe a name is written on the back of it or something from the bulletin board: "It's covered in a variety of colorful sticky notes, mostly with illegible words. You can make out some of them, though, including "If we shadows have offended, think but this and all is mended," "F5 is the good stuff," "nelumbo nucifera," "new schedule next week," the word "RETURN" over & over, and a crude drawing of a whale." 

F5 = vending machine = ceto idol presumably seeing as u wouldnt give it to me at the time nelumbo nucifera = the lotus flower in the garden that granted another visit AND POTENTIALLY the "genus" name needed for the !!! code new schedule next week = idfk i really dont. return = see above whale drawing = see above

I talked to Jenna about this but I think F5 = Ceto idol Metal box = Proteus idol 11 pearls = sapphire idol DUNNO = 50/50 coin = found by rhea and transferred to linus Releasing the monster = one idol per team = played by jess and linden ??? = idol claimed to be found by jess but i think this is the one katie played on jess at the merge vote !!! has to be a new idol so i think the ceto idol and the proteus idol are both still in play and i think marg has the f5 one 

idk who has the proteus idol could be anyone rlly

JESSICA

One day I will win touchy subjects by saying someone's name for every answer.... that day is not today!

JENNA

I am again not really sure what to do this vote. Marg told me Logan wanted MJ out but Logan didn't mention that to me at all. MJ said he'd want Logan or Marg out but I said this round doesn't make sense for that. So MJ suggested doing a split vote and just not telling Linus, Marg, or Logan, which doesn't make a ton of sense to me either. Also why would MJ wanna do that unless he either 1. actually thought Marg or Logan voted Linus last time or 2. he has his own plan somehow?? Logan said he's worried I'm gonna be blindsided next vote which is fun. Jess and Katie told me they wouldn't vote for me if I don't vote for them this round and part of me wants to take them up on that???? But I don't see MJ working with Marg so a blindside would really have to come from Linus and Rose going with MJ or Marg. Or Logan doing it which I would hope he's not lying to me so i don't know. 

Marg is honestly playing a really good game and I could see them being the one who voted Linus last time just to cause chaos. And as far as I can tell Linus and Rose like Marg as well because they were both saying they trust Marg. Marg is worried about Logan supposedly and Logan is worried about Marg blindsiding me supposedly as well? I'm still not sure what MJ's end goal is. I got the most likely to win and biggest hero thing for touchy subjects which isn't great. And I won again which is fine but all those are more reason for people to want me out. I don't know how to explain to Marg I don't really care if I win since I've won before... Part of me thinks I should just become a ghost because that way I can help people and not worry about the vote... but it's hard cause I don't rly wanna vote out MJ or even Katie and that would force me to do that whereas if i'm just gone I wouldn't have to worry about it. I don't really want Katie to go this round, partially because she's literally getting surgery and it feels bad to vote for her when she's not even here to save herself. 

MJ wants to get out Jess with the split vote supposedly, which I do kinda believe him? But it makes me wonder why he doesn't want Katie out. Does he have some end game plan with her?? Also MJ shared a watch tower clue with me to figure out the new !!! room in the game and I got in but can't figure out the rest. I told MJ about it and I also told Marg which I'm not sure was the right move or not now but i don't know. Marg told me we shouldn't tell Logan incase Logan tells Jess but I think I'm going to now because I don't know who I should trust and if I made the wrong call on MJ or Marg I might as well risk making the wrong one on Logan too. No ones really online and I think the hard part is I don't know what Rose or Linus are thinking long term so i don't know if they'd wanna get me out or not. Anyway I'm sure I have too many confessionals but whatever! I think I'll probably tell Marg and Logan about MJ splitting the vote and see if I can convince them to let me do it with him so for next vote they have a reason to get him out and he would hopefully tell me his plan so I can keep them updated as well. I don't know if they'll go for it though I think they'll want Katie out even more.

MJ

stan jenna :)

JESSICA’S FINAL WORDS

This game has my favourite idol system ever! I love Ari and Josh and all the creativity that went into this game.