therealljidol | Tribal Council

Come on in and grab your torch and approach the flame.

In this game, fire represents life. When your fire’s gone, so are you.

So, Asaga. I’ve got to admit, I’m surprised to see you here at the first tribal council. On paper, people would look at the people on your tribe and think, “That’s a powerhouse, they might run the tables.” But here we are. You weren’t just beat by a little bit. They were lighting their torches before you rounded that last corner.

Is there anyone here willing to say “I feel comfortable” in their position tonight?

wolfden - You’re the outsider here. You weren’t selected for a tribe, and you are coming into this new situation with people you haven’t been living with. Is that something that stings or do you just look at it as “Someone was going to be left out. It was me. It’s OK” and move on from there?

halfshellvenus -On the other hand, you were the Captain, the person this tribe was built around. What sort of responsibility do you feel when your tribe loses?

jenwithapen - You had the fewest number of votes this week. You weren’t able to turn in an entry due to a personal situation. First of all - how is everything? But as it relates to this game, does that make you the weakest member of this tribe, or are there other factors people should keep in mind?

eeyore_grrl - You’ve been sitting out of Idol proper over on LJ. Do you think that hurts you because the relationships aren’t as fresh, or does it help you because people are excited to see you?

gunwithoutmusic - You had one of the better performances out there. But it wasn’t enough. As we agreed on the mat, coming to tribal council is a horrible thing. But it has the advantage that you get to test those bonds you’ve been forming out here. How strong do you feel your relationships are right now? Are you feeling the heat?

impoetry - Skipper Brian, was it that Asaga did something wrong this week or was Luzon just better?

lawchicky819 - It was a rough start. What do you think Asaga needs to do to go out and win next week?

megatronix - How bad does this loss sting? I know you’ve been getting eaten alive out here with the mosquitoes. Do you think that played into your not doing as well as you might have hoped?

minikin25 - You’re sitting here, at the first tribal council - does this feel “real?” I know that none of you pictured that this was where you were going to end up. But it’s the situation you ended up with. What do you think this group is lacking?

bsgsix - You had the most votes of anyone on this tribe, this week. Is that a relief because “people would be stupid to get rid of me” or are you exposing yourself early as a potential threat down the road? Is that even a concern this early in the game?

What about your actual entries? Where do you think you were especially successful and where did you struggle? Did you learn anything from reading what everyone else put out this week - especially Luzon - and how is that going to impact your work moving forward?

wolfden - You not only decided to write this week, you chose to write about your experience on Exile Island. What was behind that decision? Do you think it captured the emotions you were feeling out there?

minikin25- What does that mean to you for people to talk about how much they connected with your description of “The Blah?” Do you think that you were hurt by actually mentioning the prompt itself in your entry? Was there a better way to weave it in?

bsgsix - Was there a strategy to what you decided to write this week? How much does that play into it? You changed the ending to something more dramatic, but do you think this was a good entry point for people to learn more about you? How important is it for you to weave your personal narrative into the fabric of work?

jenwithapen - You didn’t end up producing anything this week. But how involved with you with the group’s brainstorming before you had to step away? Did you have anything specific in mind that you had wanted to write this week?

lawchicky819 - Given the results, do you wish you’d spent more time chatting about scouting? What sort of practical skills are you bringing to this tribe? Does having kids involved in so many different activities actually end up helping you when dealing with your tribemates?

eeyore_grrl- How important is it for you to include a recording of you reading your poetry? How much does that factor into your process? Other contestants are trying their hands at the form, but this is your wheelhouse. How do you think others did with it and can you offer any pointers? Your search for warmth has led you here - in front of the roaring fire at tribal council - where, as you said, fire is your life. Under those circumstances, do you wish you’d gone with different imagery?

gunwithoutmusic - What can you take from your hiking experience that translates to playing Survivor? You are another one who posts a clip of you reading your work - how much do you think that helps people connect to your work? Do you think the “don’t tell me how to live my life” reflective attitude is something that might get you in trouble when it comes to playing this game?

halfshellvenus - You offered choices in your poem - but your own choice was going with the non-fiction or the poem. Do you think that you made the right one, or do you end up second guessing? What spark do you think Asaga needs to end this particular night and come out stronger?

impoetry - Skipper, what sort of “stupid stuff” do you have planned for this season? What made you choose to go with poetry and why tell this particular story? Is it because it’s fresh and you needed to get it out, or is there a relatability factor? A little of both?

megatronix - What sort of interaction was there between your tribe about the prompt this week? Did you solicit advice? What choices do you think await Asaga in the near future and do you think the tribe, as a whole, will be able to choose the correct path? Whose voice do you hope to hear calling Asaga back to life?

The experience of Tribal Council comes is always an unique one. But never more that the first one. You're learning about each other, and the game itself. You are trying to figure out who you can trust, and to what extent. To make things more intense, you are doing it in public. In front of the other tribe, and the greater DW community. This is something regular Survivors don't have to content with.

There is also the matter of the extra person here at tribal. Usually, when someone is joining - the replace the member who has just left. In this case though, she's sitting with you. What do you think that means, and how does that impact how you approach this vote?

wolfden - When you left for Exile Island, I handed you an envelope. Has anyone been asking you about it? When you got back, did you suddenly have lots of friends? Or was there tension?

megatronix - Has there been a lot of talk about that envelope and what it might mean for this tribal council?

lawchicky819 - In a standard Survivor game, you vote people out and they go away. But with Edge of Extinction, someone you send out of the game might very well come back at the Merge. Beyond that, whoever you get rid of is still going to have the ability to vote in the Immunity Challenges. That changes the game. How does that factor into your decision making and how you go about voting people out?

jenwithapen Someone has to go. How would you feel if it was you tonight?

halfshellvenus - As you said, this isn’t a regular elimination. You are going to play a hand in someone going home this week. You are voting someone out of this tribe. How does this play out in your head and what are you going to use to help you make this decision?

bsgsix - Fairness is something that has been brought up already several times in this tribal council. What role do you think “fairness” plays in the game of Survivor? How is this game different from how you would live outside of the game, is that something you can even separate?

Eeyore_grrl - You’ve indicated that you are scrambling to learn things about your tribemates. What have you learned that might be helpful in forming those bonds? How big of a factor is this week’s vote in helping to forge those bonds?

Minikin25 - Do you think this elimination is going to make the tribe stronger in the long run?

Gunwithoutmusic - You’re on record as saying your two favorite Survivor players are Sandra and Pavarti. Both of those women have reputations that have been misrepresented by Probst and repeated by fans over the years. Sandra’s game has always been more than “anybody but me” and Parvat’s game is much more than “flirting.” Both are actually quite social, but loyal to a core group of people.They stay that way as long as those bonds hold. Have you found that core group of people or are you still in the discovery process?

Impoetry - Skip, you get the final word. In your years of experience going in circles, what do you think it’s going to take to steer Asaga in the right direction? Is this tribal council the Inspiration Falls you need to go deep into this game?

The vote is taking place later today. I’ll give you the details in a post when it’s time.