Through the dark... I SHINE.

[Starr☼]

...Hi. Not exactly sure what to say to you three. I've listened to you blabber about how perfect your alliance was and how you guys are like, amazing because you stuck with your alliance throughout the entire game. And you know what, that really is awesome. This game wasn't a small game by any means. You guys obviously weren't able to stick together the entire game... I took Thiago with me to Farrago, but to know that you guys had each other's loyalty in the game's entirety is pretty cool. Ain't it? It sort of is sad, though, to think that I had two of you wrapped around my finger. Zac, I talked to you the least out of the three of you. This is probably true to all of the jury, -looks to jury for nods of agreement-, but I do give you congratulations on the final 3. I know you didn't intend to play an under the radar game, but you did. I can't help but think that this is merely a ploy for you to sound like you knew what you were doing and did it on purpose instead of an excuse for not being around as much as you intended to be. That being said, I don't have a question. You can respond to what I said, that you playing an under the radar game is just something to grab onto to try to get a vote or two instead of you owning up to being severely dependent on your other two, or you can say nothing. It's not a big deal to me. And then, hey Mark! Amazing job at getting here. Like I said to you over AIM, I'm extremely jealous that you are sitting there and I'm not. I mean, I wouldn't mind being there over Zac, either, but really, if there was one person I would replace with me, it would be you. Which, in my eyes, makes me feel like you haven't done enough to get my vote. If I want to take you out of the final 3 and put me in it, why should I? With that being said, you really did play well. You were in trouble from Day 1, and with the help of a few of us, we saved you. The thing I'm confused with is how honest you were with me so much of the time. If your final 3 was with the people you're sitting with, why would you be so honest to me? I think you knew that I didn't want to go to the Final 3 with you, or anything, so why did you make me think that you trusted me as much as you did? You know, potentially enough to go all the way. Aaaand... Thiago. I saved you for last because I have the most to say to you. You were my favorite in this game, and it was completely stupid of me to realize that you were everyone else's too. I mean, I'm known as a pretty social player, I think, so maybe I subconsciously knew that you were everyone's favorite but I didn't care because I figured you liked me the best out of everyone. And honestly, I thought you did. No, in fact, you said multiple times that you did. And as cheesy as it is, I'm not mad that you lied, just genuinely disappointed, because the relationship we had was extremely personal for me. When I talked to you a few rounds after I'd be voted out, it really did seem like you weren't too effected/affected, which definitely effected me. I just want to know, was I the only person you did this too? How genuine was our friendship in this game? Multiple times you told me that you wanted me in the final 3, yet you sit here and say you'd rather have these three. That these were your three amigos the entire game. If it was me in the final 4 instead of Bree, would you have voted me out after how much I trusted you and after how vulnerable I got and still let you see that?

[Zac]

Hey Starr. Thanks for the comments and the congratulations. I was definitely dependent on a number of people in this game. You can't get very far on your own. But I wasn't dragged here by any means. I did play an UTR game. I felt I had to. It's true I wasn't around as often as everyone else, but that doesn't mean that I didn't think about this game and my plans for it while I was away from it. The fact that I was quiet, and didn't perform very well in challenges was a pretty good way to make it look less likely that I'd be aligned with the boys. It was part of my strategy to look like I didn't know what was going on sometimes and that I was on the bottom of the fans alliance. It helped to keep me here over people like you. No offense, of course.

[thiago]

Hey Starr,

Thanks for your questions.

I knew coming into this that you were the one who may be hurt the most, because I did explain everything to Bree immediately after I won immunity, so she had time to process it.

I will point out that I haven't said that I wanted the F3 to be Mark, Zac, and myself all game. It was never an amigo-type deal where I knew I was going to take them. I didn't make a decision until last round. I wanted all fans in the end, and at that point I'd make my call. To be honest, I think I would have preferred having you, Mark, and myself in the F3 because you were the two Fans I had the strongest personal connection with.

Although I didn't tell you about some moves I made strategically, on a personal level, our relationship was extremely genuine. There were times I would say to people that I didn't trust you or that I found you to be irrational, but it was always to throw people off the scent of how close we were on a personal level. It was impossible to hide after the Tina vote that we were strategically close.

I think that the 3 people in the game that I had a close relationship with, on a person level, would be you, Gloria and Mark. They were genuine on my end and I felt that I got along best with you three on an outside-the-game level. On a strategic level, Mark was very level headed, more mature than you (more than 10 years older), and also less threatened with me, as I felt that many times on Reliquum that you were worrying about my social skills. I knew that you were a player that, if given the opportunity, may cut me to get ahead, but I knew Mark wouldn't do that to me. However, I never had to make the choice to go against you, so I'm not completely sure what I would have done in that circumstance.

If you were replaced with Bree in the F4, I would have tied it for sure. Bree's loyalty to me took a hit when she voted for you on Farrago, but your loyalty to me was consistent, and I would have liked to have given you the opportunity to fight to stick in the game.

Regarding when you messaged me once you left, I was in game mode and I really didn't know if we could talk given you were on the jury, but I was super shocked when you left and I panicked a bit. However, you leaving didn't ruin my game because we had worked so hard to get the Fans together that losing one fan didn't alter the course of the game. It did, however, suck having you be the first casualty of our 6, because you were such a big part in getting us there.

I'm sorry for what I did on Reliquum, because on a personal level it does betray your trust; however, on a strategic level I'm not sorry for it simply because it allowed me to be in the best position in the tribe. I encouraged you to talk to Mark more because I knew that if you and Mark became close, Mark would be another person who would want you around. I knew that Gabe/Zac wanted you off so if I had Mark in my corner saying we should keep you, then I wouldn't have to worry about you being a target. In a very indirect way, I did protect you.

Many times in the game I saw you in a frenzied state and I calmed you down and helped you see the big picture. That was me stepping outside the game to help a friend who was in a state of disarray. I'm not sure anyone else in the game would have taken the time to do that for you.

I hope that answers your questions and I do hope that, regardless of how you vote, we can continue our friendship outside of this, because it was legitimate on my end.

[mark]

Honesty is my schtick in these games. Of course I lie and manipulate and do other things, but you'll read in my confessionals that a little bit of candid honesty will go a long way, and it most certainly did with you and Bree. If you'll think about it, the people who are distrusted the most are the ones who hold everything close to the vest. In my experience, I give just enough honesty to make me feel uncomfortable but that the other person will feel comfortable with me so that it balances itself out. I pick and choose what to be honest about that will create the illusion of complete candidness while giving away nothing that will expose me, endanger me, or endanger an ally. I've said it a number of times, and it's all throughout my confessionals. Coming into this game, I fell into a role of complete dependence. So I stuck with it and made people believe as such, and therein opened the door for perceived complete honesty.

You should take me out and put yourself in the final 3 because you probably have the biggest personality of this game, so it's only fitting. But you also connected well with Thiago, so you deserved to sit there next to him with as long as you played together and as much as you went through together from Farrago on. Also, you were pivotal as far as moves and strategy go. You mostly always at the center of it all, and it was YOUR apple that saved your potatoes on Farrago. I don't know who's idea it was the to sacrifice, but the 3 of you going was one of if not the most pivotal move of this game. And for that I am grateful.

[Starr☼]

Thanks, guys. I got exactly what I wanted!
Good luck to you 3.