Day 30 - Final Tribal Council

[Ashley]

only saved by Whitney's non-vote and the subsequent rock draw.

I worked around the most obstacles to get here, with the odds stacked against me both figuratively (getting ranked low on trust rankings) and literally (drawing rocks twice)

LOL seriously? If David was 'only saved by Whitney's non-vote' then the SAME applies for you, Mike.

[Ashley]

When people talked to me they knew what to expect and they knew they wouldn't get B.S.'d

But yet you hardly talked to me for three rounds, and when you did you messaged me five minutes before tribal council with this face:

Seriously? B.S is exactly what that is. You just wanted to sniff out an idol. But I appreciate your truthful answers.

he sent that SAME thing to me. what the fuck?

[Grant]

talking to you in the long conversations we did about 16 hours of daytime and silly things like shopping for purses .

[Mike]

only saved by Whitney's non-vote and the subsequent rock draw.

I worked around the most obstacles to get here, with the odds stacked against me both figuratively (getting ranked low on trust rankings) and literally (drawing rocks twice)

LOL seriously? If David was 'only saved by Whitney's non-vote' then the SAME applies for you, Mike.

Yes, it does apply for me. It applies for everybody sitting in the F3. But it wasn't me that put us into that position, it was David.

[Sophie]

When people talked to me they knew what to expect and they knew they wouldn't get B.S.'d

But yet you hardly talked to me for three rounds, and when you did you messaged me five minutes before tribal council with this face:

Seriously? B.S is exactly what that is. You just wanted to sniff out an idol. But I appreciate your truthful answers.

I thought it was the other way around - after I voted you instead of Ralph as a safety vote, you messaged me about something like "I know that you voted me but I won't hold it against you in the future" and I responded with something like "it was a safety vote", then for some reason we just stopped talking. I wouldn't have spent time talking to you in the long conversations we did about 16 hours of daytime and silly things like shopping for purses if I wasn't actually interested in talking. We talked a bit about me flipping at F8 but it was always a no from me and we never really got back into anything else. That's how it is from my perspective.

Look in your messages right now and pull up the ones from Wednesday at around 9-11pm EST ish. Right now. Show me the chain we had, and if I was wrong I was wrong but I'd like the exact strand posted here, please. It'd help to know what I actually said and what we both said to each other.

[Ashley]

Mike you weren't the one who had to go to rocks that tribal. You only went to rocks later because it would be suicide for you not to - I did it for exact same reason.

Don't act like that's not the case.

[Mike]

Mike you weren't the one who had to go to rocks that tribal. You only went to rocks later because it would be suicide for you not to - I did it for exact same reason.

Don't act like that's not the case.

I'm not acting like it's not the case. There's no difference between the two. In the first, you and I both knew one alliance would attempt to pick off the rest of the members had they had majority. In the second, the same still applied, even though you could argue it was worse since we were already one person down, none of you were going to flip, it was a clear fact.

[Stephanie]

Hi guys! Thanks for all your questions and statements tonight. I hope I gave you the answers you needed to make the right decision.

For the most part I think I've said what's needed to be said, but to summarise, I feel I deserve to win the game because:

*I fought for over TEN HOURS to win the Final Immunity challenge. Mike/David quit and messaged me saying "Good luck, it's on you to beat Ashley"
*I won three individual immunity challenges in a row, found two hidden immunity idols, ensuring I was immune from Final 7 onwards
*My biggest move was Final 6, I won individual immunity, gave it to Mike, found the idol, played it on myself, and with David getting the votes in the 3-3 tie, it ensured that our alliance would come out of it with a 3-2 majority, to get us to the end.
*I placed myself in two conflicting Final 4 alliances, with Grant and I both in the middle, so we could go either way we pleased at Final 7.
*I had conflicting deals, but disguised them to the best of my ability, to keep the target off my back.
*I had a strategy of keeping the biggest threats in the game, to act as my "shields" if anything was to go awry. This paid off for me when Grant/Kristina left, and I was able to recuperate. I played a way in that I wouldn't be perceived as a threat, until it was too late.
*I feel I was one of the most, if not THE most, well connected player on Ovambo, having a working relationship with everyone on our tribe, so I had options everywhere I turned.
*Mike got lucky with two rock picks, David got lucky by Whitney not voting. I felt I earned my position more to get here, by working hard to keep myself immune from Final 7 onwards, and put far more effort into social connections with all of you.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow night no matter what!

[Ashley]

Mike you weren't the one who had to go to rocks that tribal. You only went to rocks later because it would be suicide for you not to - I did it for exact same reason.

Don't act like that's not the case.

I'm not acting like it's not the case. There's no difference between the two. In the first, you and I both knew one alliance would attempt to pick off the rest of the members had they had majority. In the second, the same still applied, even though you could argue it was worse since we were already one person down, none of you were going to flip, it was a clear fact.

Well no - David ended up in the F3. If either of us had flipped we would've been GUARANTEED NEXT BOOT no matter what since Steph dominated the shit out of challenges.

There's the difference. He had wiggle room. We did not.

[Mike]

talking to you in the long conversations we did about 16 hours of daytime and silly things like shopping for purses .

True story.

For closing statements:

Maybe people think I'm cocky, but I only aim to be blunt and to-the-point. Sometimes it comes out wrong but anybody who's talked to me or viewed the tribal council threads knows I don't like B.S. . Talk to me honestly and I'll talk to you honestly as well. Do I know what to expect after this? Hell no.

In the end I stayed true to my roots, finishing what I started, and weathering the constant storm that was the pathway here. I have no idea what to expect, but regardless of what happens, it was a pleasure playing with all of you.

Sophie, which strand are you talking about, if you still care about that? I have 3 pulled up.

*I fought for over TEN HOURS to win the Final Immunity challenge. Mike/David quit and messaged me saying "Good luck, it's on you to beat Ashley"

I never said this, in fact it was the opposite to Ashley. Try and find my PM because it's not there.

I was certainly lucky in the game, I won't deny it. But luck is always and will be an element in any game - as they say, "You have to be good to be lucky, and lucky to be good." If Grant didn't get swapped, he'd likely be sitting here.

[Grant]

If Grant didn't get swapped, he'd likely be sitting here.

[Mike]

Mike you weren't the one who had to go to rocks that tribal. You only went to rocks later because it would be suicide for you not to - I did it for exact same reason.

Don't act like that's not the case.

I'm not acting like it's not the case. There's no difference between the two. In the first, you and I both knew one alliance would attempt to pick off the rest of the members had they had majority. In the second, the same still applied, even though you could argue it was worse since we were already one person down, none of you were going to flip, it was a clear fact.

Well no - David ended up in the F3. If either of us had flipped we would've been GUARANTEED NEXT BOOT no matter what since Steph dominated the shit out of challenges.

There's the difference. He had wiggle room. We did not.

But can you understand why I felt the same way? I was going to get voted for that day until I won immunity, and you told me I was going to get voted next if I didn't flip. You felt the same way about our offer as I did about yours.

[Ashley]

Mike that PM you sent me pretty much cost you my vote. I'm being honest with you. It was straight up rude. I know you apologised, but I had a shit go of it that night and your PM really didn't help.

[Ashley]

Re: rocks I just don't think you should put it all on David - I know his move benefited us (short term :( ) but there was a 50% chance you'd have ended up a person down anyway.

[Mike]

Mike that PM you sent me pretty much cost you my vote. I'm being honest with you. It was straight up rude. I know you apologised, but I had a shit go of it that night and your PM really didn't help.

I wouldn't expect anything different, you're right.

I suppose tribal will end informally on that note unless you have anything else you'd like to say. :L

[Ashley]

See you at reunion <3 As much shit as I talked about you (trust me..... Ponderosa and my confessionals aren't pretty, babe), that's just my opinion. I got a LOT of resistance - people do respect your gameplay, I just wasn't one of your biggest fans the last few days. Best of luck, really.

Best of luck to all of you. :)

[Mike]

See you at reunion <3 As much shit as I talked about you (trust me..... Ponderosa and my confessionals aren't pretty, babe), that's just my opinion. I got a LOT of resistance - people do respect your gameplay, I just wasn't one of your biggest fans the last few days. Best of luck, really.

Best of luck to all of you. :)

See you at Reunion it really is a shame what happened to you but we all love you indeed, and that's what counts

[Ashley]

lol you wait.... the peeps at Ponderosa might tell a different story :P

[Stephanie]

lol you wait.... the peeps at Ponderosa might tell a different story :P

[Grant]

lol you wait.... the peeps at Ponderosa might tell a different story :P