One down, two remain. As I've already talked about, last round didn't go perfectly because I may have overestimated Jeremiah's involvement in everything and forced a split when we truly didn't need one. But it is always better to err on the side of caution than to take a risk and have it backfire. By not voting for Kenny and essentially lying to Natalie, Jeremiah, Jenna, and Rita, the Mushu 4 have made themselves targets and I can't help but feel responsible. However, I don't care too much because, at the end of the day, Mushu doesn't blame me and I'm only in this for myself. So overall last round was a success and we sent one of the Sewer Rats crying to jury. I hope Jaison gave the little dick everything he deserves. I still ultimately am a little unsure of where Jeremiah truly stands so for now, I'm going to monitor him carefully and make a judgment call at a later date.












The challenge was definitely interesting. Usually, I know the answers to Majority Rules and end up doing pretty well in them, especially because I've put myself in a position in the game where I won't be cut too quickly. This time, I actually didn't know many answers going in. A lot of them were pretty hard because nobody has really distinguished themselves yet in any particular way. In addition, this challenge did not include cutting anybody which I thought was an odd edit to the challenge and instead revolved around points and betting. Basically, it allowed everyone an equal chance at the win despite their position in the game because it put more weight on getting the right answers as opposed to not getting cut. Either way, I planned to throw. I didn't want to put my best foot forward because I know I don't need immunity this round and I also don't want to offend anybody with my answers. I had 3 main strategies to get myself through the challenge. I knew it wouldn't win it for me but it would manage to not raise any flags.

1. Put Neal for every negative answer. I don't like the guy and have zero relationship with him so this can't backfire.
2. Put Natalie for most good ones (makes her visible).
3. Put Hunter for any iffy ones because it's easiest to do damage control with him.

Ultimately, I lost as expected but I also managed to not get any answers which is amazing. I was honestly expecting people to see through my gameplay a bit and how I'm playing the middle but either they didn't or they were smart enough to not single me out. It's great. I would say just about everybody's visibility went up that challenge except for mine and that was certainly the goal. The ONLY downside to that challenge was that Neal won. He was EASILY my target this round and someone who I think I could swing the vote onto. I do not like the guy because he's a fake person and he's a complete and utter moron with next to no gameplay who continuously targets me despite how much effort I put into our relationship. I mean seriously with some of these answers? Neal for Top Sausage?!?! The guy is a boring sack of boredom. Neal for Hero?!?!!? He's fake and manipulative and the only person I refuse to lose to at this point. NEAL FOR WOULD DO WELL ON ACTUAL SURVIVOR?!?!!? In what world??? I didn't know that being on the bottom and having absolutely no strategic or social skills meant you would do well on the actual Survivor. Sadly, him winning makes this round a little more difficult but not impossible.









So now we have the issue of tribal. The Anaira-Lóng alliance is still mad at Mushu for what happened last round. Natalie has told me that she wants a Mushu out and, feeling like she's the most likely to hear me out, I did say I was a little worried about Neal and Liz suddenly becoming the swing votes but she wasn't worried because Mushu voted for Neal (disregarding the fact that WE voted out their close ally Kenny). I later talked to Jeremiah and Jenna who were both adamant about a Mushu going this round as well. Jenna did give me one thing to work with when she said that she feels kinda betrayed by Neal and Liz because they were close before the merge but the two of them basically threw her aside and literally voted for her. Meanwhile, they're going to the ends of the Earth to save Kenny. But she also thinks it's best to rely on them for now. Idk if I'll be able to save Mushu this round but I plan to try. If a Mushu does have to go, it's important that I decide who it is. You see, I may be in this for myself and I may ultimately need to be the one who is in control but you can't do it alone with just chess pieces. You need assets, people you can trust who will have your back and be able to help you carry out your missions. I trust 2 people the most at this point and they are people who I think are key in getting me the win this game. From here on out until they are no loner necessary, these 2 will serve as my team.







I think they may be prime targets for my alliance this round but I can't let that happen. Ideally I can use my skills to project the target onto Liz which I'll get into in a minute but, if a Mushu must go, I must protect my assets and project the target onto a non-relevant.







So that is my backup plan. If things look bleak, we'll have to vote out Rachel. But Hunter and I may have devised a different plan. I think that if we can expose Liz and Neal for playing both sides, then I can make my alliance vote out Liz for this round. Liz and Neal will set us up perfectly. They will go to my alliance and agree to vote out a Mushu (hell, Liz has already complained to Jenna about how personally betrayed she feels and bullshit like that). And they will go to Mushu (Neal already went to Hunter) and agree to vote out one of us because they're going to try to abuse their middle position just like I am. It's smart as Lóng as both sides trust you and need you. So my goal is to get it so that we no longer need them and trust them. Because once they're exposed as playing both sides, they become untrustworthy. I told Hunter to try to get Liz and Neal to say a name.

The issue is that he really can't go to Anaira and show them because they will overlook the fact that the Sewer Rats are playing both sides and will instead just see it as a good way to rat out Hunter to Neal and Liz and guarantee their votes. What we may be able to do is he can show me the messages and then I can go to members of our alliance who are most sympathetic to his cause (Rita and probably Jenna) individually and say how uncomfortable this makes me feel about Liz and Neal. And that I think we should reduce their numbers before trying to make a move on Mushu, especially if Mushu is down for an easy vote.

At this point, my plan is to get Hunter to get guarantees from Neal and Liz which he will then show me and which I can ideally use in individual convos with Rita and Jenna (not in the alliance chat where the rah rah attitude can disregard a very real threat from the Sewer Rats) to show them that these two are going to play both sides and that we can't trust them. It would be smarter, if Mushu is down, to team up with them and reduce the Sewer Rats' numbers because then we have a guaranteed majority. If that fails, then I just have to make sure the target lands on Rachel and get out of this round fairly unscathed. For the first time in a while, I'm feeling completely safe which is never good in this game but I finally think I've positioned myself where I want to be and now I just have to rely on my skills and get Liz and her filthy vermin pet out of this game. Iceman is headed to work and I hope you put on a coat this morning because it's about to get cold.

Ok I'm trying to keep you guys as updated on this vote as possible because I know all the last minute stuff sucks and doesn't keep you informed. One of three options will be happening this round based on how everything goes down. I'll list them in terms of best for me to worst for me.




The two remaining Sewer Rats have done a good job about making themselves the swing votes. Both sides feel like they need those two in order to succeed this round. They're put themselves in the middle but that's my spot so that pisses me off. My ultimate goal this round is to get Liz out. I really wanted her partner out but he won immunity so she's the fallback. They've apparently already promised Mushu they'll be voting with them this round and my Anaira alliance is currently going to them about voting against Mushu. What I really hopes happens is that the Sewer Rats are just as convincing to Anaira as they were to Mushu. I will then tell Hunter this and he will go to Jenna and Rita in order to throw Liz and Neal under the bus. I will support him and hopefully passionate messages from those 2 will be enough to prove Mushu isn't lying. We all unite for an easy Liz boot and Neal the Jackass is left all alone for next round.








If I am unable to convince my alliance that Liz and Neal are a couple of lying scumbags, then I need Liz and Neal to actually vote with Mushu. This will send an Anaira home which will probably be Jeremiah but nothing I can't recover from. It will be a perfect sign to the alliance that Liz and Neal are not with us and I can then work on the more moldable Mushu next round and get them to flip on Neal and Liz. I'd have to sacrifice Jeremiah who is 100% in my corner but it will give me two easy Sewer Rat boots. This option is probably the most poetic because Mushu was just trying to be loyal but Anaira refuses to see that and would get their just desserts for trusting the Sewer Rats over the significantly more reliable Mushu. But it's still not the best for me.









If I am unable to convince my alliance to turn on Liz and Neal AND if those two side with us, then a Mushu will go. I tried to push the target onto Rachel but it may end up on Woo. Either is fine as Lóng as I don't lose one of my assets. But this is definitely worst case scenario. Anaira basically runs the game at this point and, without Natalie being intelligent, I can't do anything except wait until a point where I can make a move.






At the moment, Jeremiah and Jenna are talking to Liz and Neal. I'm waiting for a solid convincing act from those 2 that they're voting with us. I can then take it to Hunter and the rest of the vote hinges on me being able to convince my alliance that we can't side with 2 people who have clearly shown they're playing both sides. Hopefully I can send Jaison another gift this round in the form of Liz and Neal will be sitting there, ready for his turn next round. I'm ready to exterminate so let's go.

The Sewer Rats have made a group chat with Mushu. Looks like they will be siding with them and Jeremiah will be going home. Not incredibly happy about it but at least now the Sewer Rats are exposed to my side of the game and I'm safe either way.



My stupid paranoia is starting to kick in a bit and recognize the possibility that OG Anaira could be a group of psychos and that they were all together. So now they are guaranteeing that Mushu votes differently from Natalie and I and they all just vote together in a 5-4-2 blindside. But that seems unrealistic even to the crazy, paranoid me. I'm not going to worry too much about it but it's possible. I just don't like having Neal and Liz in this game because they are huge wild cards to me. But it looks like they will survive unless SOMEBODY from my alliance does something useful and gives me a passionate appeal from Neal and Liz that they're voting with us. Without that, Mushu is 100% smarter to vote with the Sewer Rats for probably Jeremiah.



Now just waiting on any additional updates from Mushu or my alliance. Either going to be 6-5 against Anaira-Lóng or a last minute throw-under-the-bus and blindside of Liz. Former is MUCH more likely but I can dream.

Natalie and Jenna both talked to Neal and Liz about targeting a Mushu and settled on Hunter. So they're lying to our side because they also told Hunter about all of this. Jeremiah is about to go home 6-5.



But I'll be damned if I'm gonna let a chance to fuck with the Sewer Rats go by. So I suggested to my Anaira-Lóng alliance that we make a chat with Neal and Liz so that we can organize for the vote. They all agreed. And now Neal and Liz are in a chat with 5 people they're about to burn. Say goodbye to any chance at jury votes you had, Sewer Rats.

Test

Test

Sorry about that. Ignore me. Don't know the plan yet but gonna try to win immunity just to guarantee safety. I think Natalie might go here.

Gonna try to push it into a Neal vote if he loses immunity just because why not. I think I might have been able to if I had more time but having a live tribal probably means I have to lose another number on the Long-Anaira side. Not too big of a deal but those two Sewer Rats need to fuck off soon.

Test

Test

Well this round sucked.

It's taking every ounce of my restraint right now to not go off on Neal in the tribe chat. But unlike him, I'm in a good spot and I'm not going to sacrifice that for his stupid ass. I don't think I have played with such a vile, fake person. I know that I get riled in games when shit like this happens and sadly, this is an ugly side of me I don't like to show but he has been grating on my last nerve all round and he just busted it. I am going to take him out of this game and I am going to do it for Jaison, for Jeremiah, for Jenna, and for everybody else who deserves to be in this game over him. I wish he had been on Shórt instead of Melinda because she was a sweet person who didn't deserve her fate. I know that I'm going to take him out of this game. And when I do it will be satisfying. But the trick is knowing when and how to do it in order to make him feel it the most. I think I can win this game. But right now, it about avenging the people who I care about and about these people who I've connected with.

You mark my words, Neal is going to pay.

Hi so I think I did a good job about updating this round as it was happening (and will continue to do so for future rounds) but I think a write-up is still in order. This round started on the heels of a round I completely overthought. I overestimated Jeremiah’s gameplay a little bit and I overestimated the Sewer Rats’ ability to pull more idols out of their asses. Kenny still went so the round was definitely a success but it led to my Long-Anaira alliance being mad at the Mushu 4 for lying about and switching their votes. I do think they would have been seen as heroes if Kenny idoled despite them lying to us because it would’ve saved Jenna so I’m bummed about that. Basically, instead of Anaira being happy with Mushu, they are now mad at them and the game is about to turn into an all-out war with the Sewer Rats having placed themselves in the middle. The thing is I was also playing the middle so I needed to still eliminate them. I wasn’t too worried though because I know my skills and I was confident that I could read Liz and her bumbling buffoon of a partner well enough to know that they would attempt to play both sides a bit and I could use that to expose them and get the target squarely back on them.



Nothing really happened for the round until the challenge. My alliance of 5 was deadest on a Mushu going and Mushu was deadest on protecting themselves. Liz and Neal were at the intersection of those 2 different paths. The Anairas + Natalie were confident that the Sewer Rats would join their side and I was pretty confident about it myself but I was still more convinced that I’d be able to expose the two of them so it didn’t matter. We get to the challenge and now Majority Rules typically benefits the middle player so I should have been good. But 2 things inhibited that: these titles are more unclear than I’ve ever seen them in a game before and the fact that cutting is no longer a thing means that me not being targeted by anybody doesn’t become a factor. I was actually grateful for both of these things. I didn’t need immunity this round at all and being exposed by no one trying to cut me was definitely not something I needed. This got rid of that problem. And there being no clear answers allowed me to not have to try to win. I would just put Neal for all the negative ones because I have no relationship with the guy anyway (due to his actions and my complete lack of respect for him as a player). Then, I’d put Natalie for most of the positive ones to get her some visibility and put Hope and Rita for the others because everybody but me could use some visibility tbh. Then for any iffy ones, I would just put Hunter because he won’t get mad at all. I was shocked by some of the answers, particularly any positive ones that Neal got because I don’t think he has any redeeming qualities in this game but I was most shocked by me not getting some of the answers I thought I would. Apparently people are less aware of my position than I expected which makes me very happy. Neal winning was a bummer but it just meant I’d have to throw the target on Liz instead of him. No big loss there.



The vote for the round was going to hinge on Liz and Neal and when they acted. Jenna-Jeremiah-Rita-Natalie were convinced they would target a Mushu with us and all we had to do was name a target and get them on board. Hope-Woo-Hunter-Rachel were working on them in an attempt to get them to target Anaira. All they needed to do was agree to both sides, which I would hear about. I could then show this to both sides and be the uniting force, the hero who ends the civil war if you will. “You’re all targeting each other but while you’re doing it, these 2 sick fucks are taking advantage of that and trying to make you all suffer. Let’s cut them off and make them pay.” It was gonna be great. Meanwhile, I’m of course truly taking advantage of it and am ready to straddle the middle. But first I have to eliminate these rookies who bumbled into the same position I strategically placed myself in. All I needed was their promises from both sides.



The night after the challenge passed. Most of the next day passed. Still no word on the Anaira side from Neal and Liz. Meanwhile, Hunter is telling me all about how he is campaigning to Neal and Liz and it’s working and they’re buying it and are responding well. I still didn’t think much of it. Anaira was convinced they had these 2 and so I felt comfortable with that. It didn’t really matter which side actually had them but I thought it would be easier to convince Anaira to vote for them than it would be to convince Mushu if they truly had those 2. Anyway, Hunter told me he had enough now for me to throw Liz and Neal under the bus when they came to our side. The problem is that they didn’t. Jenna and Jeremiah both said they were gonna talk to the Sewer Rats but honestly got nothing convincing at all, just vague promises that they’d vote with our side and for a Mushu, but no one specific. At this point, those 2 also made a group chat with Mushu so it was clear they were siding and that Jeremiah would be going.



The problem was that they had been smarter than I anticipated. They weren’t as convincing with my side. This threw my plan to throw them under the bus out the window. They were more convincing to Mushu and weren’t convincing enough with Anaira where I could make Hunter believe they were on our side. Without that guarantee, it was obviously smarter for him to abort the mission and just vote with the Sewer Rats. They hadn’t lied hardcore to both sides, just a little bit and not enough for me to expose them. I didn’t think it was possible for those 2 to be smarter than I expected but I guess I underestimated Liz. Obviously Neal’s one brain cell was not what made them smart enough to not lie to my side but I’ll give credit where credit is due and Liz was smarter than I anticipated. Good on her tbh.



Luckily, Natalie came around and gave me one more avenue I could work. She, being SIGNIFCANTLY more aggressive than Jeremiah or Jenna went right to the Sewer Rats and got them to promise they would vote Hunter. At this point, they probably would have said anything just to get the vote to go through but hell I’m not passing up a solid opportunity to put a final nail in the Sewer Rat coffin. I suggest that we should get them in a group chat and of course my girl Jenna comes through. It took Neal and Liz a while but eventually they responded. Sweet. Now you’ve acknowledged a group chat you have with 5 people you are about to burn. Aaaaaaand there go your jury votes. It did little for me in terms of the game although it did guarantee that my alliance would be more mad at them going forward than at Mushu so they would be somewhat easier to target in the future. More importantly, it guaranteed that Neal and Liz would not win this game. If I don’t make it to the end and either of them do, there are 5 jury votes they do not have. Jaison makes 6 and they cannot win this game. That’s enough of a win for me for a round where I was going to lose Jeremiah so I was content.



Votes get revealed and everything that I expected to happen happens. Poor Jeremiah goes home in a 6-5 blindside and my alliance is understandably pissed. What came next is what I did not expect. We were about to have a live tribal council. FUCK. I knew I would be safe but I needed a round to attempt to draft a plan for why Mushu should turn on Neal. I don’t know if I would have been able to but 2-3 days are a lot and anything might have been possible. Now I’m guaranteed to lose another ally on my Anaira side within the night. It was a little depressing because I’ve really started to care for that side, Rita and Jenna in particular, and because I don’t want Mushu to have too much power. With power comes confidence and it’s very easy for them to realize they don’t truly need me and that I’m just an endgame threat. Anyway, I knew what was coming and so my goal was to win immunity, mainly because the added confidence would be nice and to avoid Neal winning it. If I was going to spark anything successful, it was going to be against him and so he needed to be vulnerable. Sadly, the NDIM post delay (from when I hit post to when it actually posts) varies from 0-2 seconds and is very unpredictable over the span of 30 posts so I couldn’t win. Rachel did which changed nothing.



Basically, it was going to be a game of finding out who Mushu + Sewer Rats were targeting and updating Hunter with anything my side was doing. I honestly don’t know what I would have done if we had an idol. I probably would’ve told him because I think he would’ve been the target most likely and that would have been bad for me. But alas we don’t have that kind of luck and the three ladies (Rita, Jenna, and Natalie) are basically sitting ducks. I find out from Hunter that Jenna is the target which is depressing to me because she’s kinda one of the best people I’ve met in an alias game in terms of just talking to her and connecting with her. She was also a solid number for the Anaira side who I think would’ve been a predictable ride or die with them for the foreseeable future. Oh well I guess. What pissed me off more was that, despite keeping them constantly updated, Hope and Woo didn’t bother to tell me she was the target. I think they’re getting too comfortable and understandably so (particularly Hope). They are safe as shit with Hunter and Rachel eating out of their hands, Liz and her mindless sock puppet doing the same, and Rita/Natalie focusing more on targeting Hunter/Rachel for most of last round. Regardless, that means they probably feel like they don’t need me which of course I am not a fan of. I was updated this time thanks to Hunter and I guess I just have to see what those 2 do next time.



Jenna found out last minute that she was going home so she told the majority she had an idol just to fuck with them (#496 why I love Jenna). Then the vote ensued. Mushu and Sewer Rats voted for Jenna which I knew was coming (with one particularly obnoxious parchment from I can only assume Neal). My alliance was particularly interesting. Rita threw her vote on Woo which I think was just because she wanted to send a message of some kind and barely talks to Woo. Jenna threw her vote on Natalie because she knew it was her only chance at staying. Natalie threw her vote on Rita for some unknown reason (maybe to make herself seem moldable). And I decided to send Neal a big ol’ message. Now I’ve learned my lesson in the past with mean parchments that rub jurors the wrong way but, in this case, I have no relationship with Neal, wouldn’t get his jury vote, and quite frankly at this point don’t want his jury vote if I make it to the end. I see no repercussions to throwing Neal a good old-fashioned fuck you and it was the only thing stopping me from going off on him in the tribe chat so this is definitely the less-damaging of the two.



Overall, this round was a failure because it gave Mushu more power than I wanted them to have. We lost two good soldiers in my operations and gave Mushu control which will eventually allow them to realize that they don’t need me. I think I’m safe for a while but this round was not a positive for me. I can regain my spot in the game so I’m not too concerned there. But game aside, I lost two good friends and people I bonded with over the course of this game and that’s never a fun feeling. I am Iceman and it bothers me less than it would bother most people but even a commander mourns the loss of a brave and loyal soldier in battle. Just have to pick up and move on. I’ve heard a quote before that I’d like to reiterate here because I think it’s relevant and kinda inspiring.

“A lot of people are gonna die, people who might have been able to help. Everything is changing. I don’t know if it will ever get better but it’s going to get worse. The whole point of Pandora’s Box is that once you open it, you can’t close it again. But it’s important to remember that when everything is over, when the worst has happened, there’s still one thing left in Pandora’s Box, hope.”

I opened Pandora’s Box with my style of gameplay, a consequence I fully accepted. It’s causing a lot of people to fall at the hands of the Sewer Rats due in part to my ruthlessness (and slightly due to my own miscalculation). It’s making this game hard to watch unfold. It’s making people I came to like suffer. But when it is all over, I still have faith in myself and hope, that undying belief that I will ultimately prevail and that this will all be worth it. I’m playing with a purpose and I won’t be defeated. So Sewer Rats, watch out, because I’m coming for you. And I will take you down.