Episode Seven :: Upside Down (And I Fall)

[Erica Durousseau]

Oh my God! We're down to ten! This is insane. Well, this round it was found out that BB, Dave, Richard & Shane were all snakes and were all the same person. That is just not right. The thing is, they all were starting to play me a bit. I never trusted them 100%. Right now we've merged, I really hope I can hook back up with Ace. I really, really want to. I feel that if I can get myself in a firm alliance now, I can get to the end. That's my whole concern, getting to the end.

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[Erica Durousseau]

We merged. The name is Honiara and it is the capital city of the Solomons. I thought coming into the merge, it would be easier to get around strategically, especially better than last round but I was way off. This game is intense. Everyone, for the most part, is strategizing. Well, they are to me anyways. I've gotten offers from Matty, Brian, Michelle, Ace & Darrah today. All with different deals.

Though, I am glad I got an alliance offer from one person and that person is Ace. Ace, he is the one person I am going to put my 100% trust in. That's going to be the only person I tell that too. I trust Ace, I like Ace! Ace is someone where I can go to and just let my emotions out. He understands me and I hope to God he isn't playing me. I hope to God he isn't. He is the vampire. He could totally be playing me for my blood to give him a leg up in this game. I would not want him to be that vampire, but you definitely have to think of that. It's Survivor. You are suppose to lie, you are suppose to back stab. You are suppose to trust? I don't know about that. I just hope he isn't thirsty for my blood. I hope not. If he is, good job though, if he plays me, he played me like a fiddle.

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[Erica Durousseau]

Another interesting deal I received was from Brian. In his FIRST PM he basically told me that he was impressed with my game play so far and he wanted to work with me.

WHOA!

Wait a minute, this is the first PM you send me and you ask me that? I don't think so. No no no! Don't do that, it's not going to earn my trust, how do I KNOW that he isn't saying that to everyone else. He did try hard though.

1) He tried to flatter me: Make me feel like I was special.
2) He seemed desperate: Like he needed me.

The part that sucks about that is he didn't even try to get to know me at all. Why can't you do that? Form a social bond, THEN make an alliance? Is it that hard?

I accepted the alliance anyways, like a chump would. I am going to keep an eye on that boy. Nobody is going to outwit me. I didn't say no to the alliance because a) he would target me and b) I may need the connection later if I DO get in trouble.

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[Erica Durousseau]

Well one interesting power play that I am trying to make this round is the blindside of Alex Bell. Matty PMs me saying it would be a good move to get Lindsey out this round... but the thing is Lindsey is a ticking time bomb. She could leave at any time and any time possible. Our best bet would to blindside someone, because it would work. I want that person to be Alex. PWNED SUCKA! The reason it would work because everyone expects Lindsey to go next round which would not make Alex try hard at the challenge, thus him not winning immunity. I just want to knock him off whatever pedestal he put on himself because, I DON'T LIKE IT. I've made it clear. I don't like Alex. He is a snake, he is a vampire. And whenever a vampire comes around me, I throw garlic at them. Why? Because it keeps me alive that much longer. And, that's something I think we all want right? The thing is, I don't want to start getting cocky now. I don't want to be some arrogant bitch in the game. I am still a genuine person, a genuine person with strategy now.

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[Erica Durousseau]

Matty won the challenge, I felt really happy for him. I was feeling his empathy when he won. It's just so great that someone cares that much about winning to do it for about 2 hours. Myself, I only did it for a short time that was reasonable. I felt that if I did it too close to an hour I would be looked on as a threat and I don't want that target on me. So if I win a challenge, great. But am I going to win every challenge? No, I hope not.

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[Erica Durousseau]

Matty & I have gotten closer as the rounds have flown by. We send each other a lot of PMs and we talk about our personal lives too. I feel with Matty that he is really, and honestly looking out for me. Now do I think he will vote me out if he has to? Yes, absolutely. But will he back stab me for no reason? No, I don't think so. I don't see that in Matty. I don't see the thief in him. Maybe he could be playing me, I don't know but if he is kudos to you Matty. The game is a toss up of mixtures of emotions so I wouldn't be surprised if he is. I would be shocked, yes but surprised? No... I hope I didn't just contradict myself there.

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[Erica Durousseau]

Right now, Michelle, Matty & I have a tight alliance. It's really rock solid it's hard to get into but I do have other alliances that I look out for. That is my alliance with Ace. I feel that Ace isn't as social as I would like him to be, time after time again people say that he is borderline inactive but I don't see that. I don't see that in anyone. I feel that Ace is just Ace and we should respect who he is. That doesn't mean we should like him. I am not shoving that down peoples throats, I mean we should respect who his CHARACTER is. If he isn't as social... let me rephrase that, if he CHOOSES not to be as social, it's his own call. We have to decide if we want him to win based on that.

My alliance with Michelle and Matty is like a LOVE relationship. It's gone through some bumps and some hot spots but we're still tight no matter what anyone says. There is no doubt in my mind that we're going to the three. I hope we are.

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[Erica Durousseau]

Michelle did mention something today that I might need to keep my eye on... she said she could pull Darrah & Jed in as spare votes. Now, that scares me. Does she really have that good connections with them? I know what Michelle is doing, she is playing for jury votes. Which means I need to do that as well. I think it's going to be a final 3 if the jury starts now so lets see, I need 4 votes to win for sure, 3 if it's split. I think I can get Ace & Brian... I would just need to form bonds with other people, which is what I have been doing for most of the game. I am playing this game socially, not strategically like Michelle, not physically like Matty but socially like Erica. I think playing a social game, while playing a bit of a strategical and physical game can ensure you to a win.

Because Survivor, is like a recipe. You have your cook book, then you have your ingredients. Outwit, Outplay, Outlast. You need to combine all those three together to make sure you win. It has to be 33-33-33. It can't be 50-25-25 or 40-40-20, it has to be equal. You also need to be good at using your words and I think I have, expressed that.

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[Erica Durousseau]

Talking to Jed... she is a good person. I can see why Michelle likes her so much, Jed... Shannon has basically let me got to know her and I respect that, I honor that. While this is a game about strategy, it really is nice to get to know people. It really is, I really enjoy talking to her because I feel that it doesn't always have to about game. I feel we can actually just go and talk about random stuff like that. It's relaxing.

Brian on the other hand worries me. He got paranoid about my little speech, and you know it wasn't about him. It was about Alex. I feel that tribal council isn't the place to write one sentence answers. It is the place to write what you actually think. And if that hurts me in the end, well so be it. I would rather go out for being outspoken then to NOT say anything at all. In doing so, I can't have Brian around. He gets easily paranoid and I don't need a paranoid person costing me this game!

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