Board Thread:Survivor 24: Caracol/@comment-30582641-20170529023710

'''Shaquilla/ 'Cassie '- I’m sorry I never had a chance to meet either of you. Your situations were tough ones, and who knows what could have happened if you pulled through the first few days? It feels weird to me that we could all be part of this incredible experience and develop mutual friends through it, but still never meet. '''

 

'''Matt- On the one hand, you came into this game with a shit reputation for trolling and you tried to blindside me less than a day after offering me an alliance which I felt was… cheap. Totally, okay, but still cheap enough that I felt justified taking cheap shots back. On the other hand, I pissed you off wayyyyy more than I ever meant to. I guess some naive part of me was hoping you’d see the humor in your own comeuppance, because the rest of us sure did. Like hell I’m taking responsibility for your own cockamamie actions that led to your ban, but I’m sorry to everyone that had to clean up the mess I helped make by riling you up. '''

 

'''Marie- I remember the first time we talked on Maya 2.0, we just clicked. However, I’m glad I beat you to the punch because I don’t know if I’d have seen you coming if you ever decided to strike at me and I knew you weren’t being entirely forthcoming to start. I think we’re similar people in that we love to make friends, but we override our emotions, no matter how powerful, when we step into the ring. I’m sure know how guilty I felt for your blindside because I never stopped apologizing and wishing you well in your other ORGs. You’re already a reputable player and Caracol can’t take that away from you. '''

 

'''Isabella- We never met but I heard you were a character. I’m not sure I’d have gotten along better with you than anyone else did, but I still wish we had crossed paths. '''

 

Dwayne- '''<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Ugh, this one is hard to write. '''

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">'''<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">    <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Your boot sucked. I’m not sure why you didn’t trust me, but it made me feel uncomfortable taking you any further, for the sake of my own security. Your distrust towards me that you voiced to Luis was a self-fulfilling prophecy: It made me decide to target you. I hope you understand that I’m not sorry I did it, but I’m sorry I felt I had too. '''

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">'''<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">    <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">And I’m not saying you’re to blame. As some of the jurors love to remind me, your perception is your reality and you perceived me as unreliable. I didn’t know what I could have done differently, so I resigned myself to the idea that it was eventually going to be you or me going, and it wasn’t going to be me. I just wish we could have developed the same sort of trust I did with others on Macal 3.0. '''

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">'''<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">    <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">What I want to apologize for most of all is smearing your name once you were gone. When Kristen leaked the blindside to you ahead of the deadline, I knew you were angry at me and my perceived betrayal. You had a few hours left in the game, a few hours during which you told anyone who would listen that I could flip on them like I flipped on you. It frustrated me because you didn’t know my reasons behind the flip, and I wasn’t prepared to tell anyone, including you, that Luis repeating your words to me was my reason. So I got creative with my excuses for your vote-off, to explain why it was justified and why everyone else didn’t have to fear a similar betrayal from me. '''

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">'''<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">    <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">This is the story I gave: You and I agreed to search for the idol, together. I planted a fake idol to test your trust. You claimed to guess the spot where the fake was hidden, but didn’t mention an idol. I concluded you were either lying about your guesses, or hiding the ‘idol’ you had just found from me. Hence, I couldn’t trust you (That lie actually drew from reality, because something like this actually happened, except it didn’t involve you, but I’ll cover that later). '''

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">'''<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">    <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">The story didn’t have a huge impact on the rest of the game, but I wanted to come clean in front of everyone anyway because you don’t deserve the way it reflects on your character. You have a great soul, man. I really appreciated how openly you were willing to talk to me about what was on your mind, and how eager we both were to discuss race relations and gentrification, as two people with wildly different backgrounds (Preppy white child of the federal government in DC and former hoodster turned Psych major in New Jersey), but similar perspectives. I hope nursing school is going well and that we can talk again sometime. '''

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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">'''<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">PS- In my perfect world, no one would take this game personally, and I could focus on personal relationships in my Rites of Passage without addressing the game in depth. Unfortunately, I know you took personal offense to my betrayal, which is why I felt the need to break down the strategical element of our relationship here. '''

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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">'''<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Kristen- Kristen, to say you pleasantly surprised me in this season would be an understatement. When the cast was revealed, I was dreading the day we were swapped onto the same tribe. After all, the last time we had talked, you called me too retarded to understand Survivor. And then when we landed on Maya together, I discovered I couldn’t view your profile and thought you blocked me and I was prepared for the worst. But in fact you hadn’t blocked me; your account had been hacked and deleted by some skank named Lauragail. You came back online just in time for us to change the plan to booting Matt, thank god. '''

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">'''<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">    <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">You were such a positive presence on Maya 2.0  and I wasn’t prepared for it at all. You were active and cheerful. You led us in the categories immunity challenge where we came up just short. We became really tight when I explained it was best for us to let go of Marie. I won’t lie that I think part of your attachment to me was due to your belief that we would make a great showmance, since we used to despise one another, but there’s no denying we had real chemistry too. '''

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">'''<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">    <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">I never thought I’d grow so close to a random ass promotional model/single mother ten years my elder from Mississippi, who drinks Coke with every meal (If you still care about me at all, then I beseech you to drink more water. Sugar kills.) and made, I’ll be honest, some questionable strategic decisions. Although I know you intended the best for me, I felt I lost a lot of influence when you quit, and I was bitter for a short while. I later learned you were dealing with some turmoil IRL at the time, so I won’t hold it against you anymore. I hope you’re doing well. I wish you and your daughter the best and again that you’d drink less soda. '''

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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">'''<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Zach- Zach, you are a young and sweet kid. I identified a lot with your sensitivity to friction and negativity, a weakness in Survivor as it is. You were always honest, always pleasant, always earnest. I think you’re the best person of us all, even if I don’t consider you the most capable or savvy, and I hope you’re not offended that I say that, since you’re still very young. '''

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">'''<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">    <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Given how the rest of your alliance recovered from the blindside and reached the F3, I believe you placed well below where you could have easily. It could have been any of us in your place, and you in any of ours. I don’t throw this word around as easily as others, but you were robbed. I wish I had more time than just three rounds in the game with you and I’m sorry you couldn’t be here with us. You and your baby brother are so cute and I hope you’re both doing well. <3 '''

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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">'''<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Thiru- I just want to mention because I think it’s funny that Luis and Anna each described you in a word as ‘adorable’ to me, when I asked them their impressions of you. Between us, I’m 85% sure Luis has a little crush on you. I appreciated that we could still talk about this or that despite never aligning. You are a very savvy conversationalist. Every time we talked, you spoke to me as if we were old pals and made it hard for me not to like you. Then when I tried to steer the subject towards the game, you’d let me say my piece, and then quickly nip the conversation in the bud and disappear without allowing me any opportunity to pick your brain. Unfortunately, you over-extended yourself just a bit too much at F8 and paid the price. I hope your daughter’s trip went smoothly! '''

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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">'''<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Phew, four more! '''

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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">'''<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Christine- This one is also difficult. I have very selective emotional intelligence, and I think it failed me with you. Maybe it’s just because we were trying to keep each other at arm’s length strategically that I felt you weren’t willing to have a real conversation with me, or maybe it was me telling myself that because I didn’t feel like I could identify with you. It was difficult for me to process because I respected you so much as a person and wanted to be your friend and I’m not sure if you reciprocated. I’m a very social person and it wasn’t something I’m used to, and it’s why I kinda interrogated you that one time about why exactly you were saying this or that about me (Although there was a strategic element to it, which I’ll have the chance to delve into soon, fingers crossed), when really you have every right to not like me if you don’t, and to let others know as much. I doubt you actively dislike me either so I’m at peace. And sorry for rambling here; once again this isn’t something I’m used to confronting or articulating. '''

'''<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">    <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">I think you played a well-rounded game. If Forrest were not immune at F7, you could have placed where he did or higher. <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">When we first met after the second swap, I had the impression that you didn’t care very much to stay, since you didn’t talk to anyone in the majority without us messaging you first. I even dropped a comment to you about ‘I don’t blame you for being worried [about your chances if we lose immunity]’ to try to light a fire under your ass, so you’d fight harder to stay, and my case to boot Dwayne would become easier to sell to Luis and Kristen, mainly Luis. When the vote rolled around, Luis fiercely protected you when I dropped your name, so either my plan worked, or more likely it was unnecessary, because you had simply put the effort I didn’t get into Luis all along, and knew exactly what you were doing. That was when my opinion of your gameplay shifted dramatically. '''

'''<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d2173dd2-520d-d90d-43e3-e8f71958814b" style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Lori- I don’t think you get enough respect for your game. Yes, you barely spoke to anyone unless absolutely essential, and that was problematic and doesn’t leave me with much to comment on with regards to your personality, but a lot of people mistook your quietness to mean that you didn’t care enough to fight for a resume and a win, and that’s simply not true. You functioned with more autonomy than anyone else who made the merge, even Luis. You kept yourself in a comfortable swing position for most of the game. You flipped when you felt threatened, and would have flipped again if I wasn’t trying my hardest to cut you off at the knees on the F6 revote. And this is only what I saw of you; escaping the disaster that was the Yajaw tribe with no votes cast against you is an amazing feat. There are F2s in which I’d have voted for you to win. <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"> '''

Ok, I'm going to have to stop here for tonight. Forrest, and Luis, sorry to keep you waiting until tomorrow morning. I can't wait to see you all again so soon!<ac_metadata title="Roodman&#039;s Rites of Passage"> </ac_metadata>