Here we are, at the last moment before the power in this game shifts to the Jury.  There is only 1 decision to make, and it rests in the hands of halfshellvenus 

Unless, for some reason, you would like to give up that necklace around your neck? 

*halfshellvenus looks shocked at anyone would suggest such a thing and shakes her head*

I didn't think so, but I had to ask. 

Here's how this works - flipflop_diva, gunwithoutmusic - you can only vote for each other.  So your votes cancel each other out.  halfshellvenus will be casting that final vote, to make one of you the last member of the Jury, and put the other in the seat beside her to argue their case to win this game. 

halfshellvenus, it's time to vote

*camera follows her as she goes to the voting urn, after a few moments of hesitation and writes down a name and places it in the urn before returning to her seat* 

Alright then.  I'll go get the vote. 

***
*Gary meets with production and eventually comes back* 

Once the vote is read, the decision is final and the person voted out will be asked to leave tribal council immediately. 

I'll read the vote. 
*opens urn, takes out the parchment, looks at it and slowly turns it over* 


gunwithoutmusic - please bring me your torch. 

*snuffs torch* 



The tribe has spoken.  Head on out. 

***

Turns back to the final two. 

Congratulations.  You have done it. You've gotten as far as you can go in this game. 

Now it's going to be up to the Jury to determine how this is going to end.  I'll give you a couple days to collect your thoughts before we all come back here to see how this plays out. 

Good night. 
*the camera follows him down the path* 

 *final contestant comes back from voting and sits down* 

"I'll go collect the votes" 


*Gary goes back and consults with production for a half hour so as the contestants wait anxiously* 
*He returns and sets the urn on the podium in front of him* 

"Once the votes are read, the decision is final and the person that is voted out must leave tribal council immediately.... I'll read the votes* 

****

*pulls the first parchment out of the urn*

First vote



1 vote murielle


Next vote

*pulls out the urn, looks at it before slowly turning it over* 

1 vote murielle  1 vote halfshellvenus.  2 votes left. 


2 votes murielle  1 vote halfshellvenus   1 vote remaining 

Last vote... *takes it out and looks at it, before slowly turning it over* 



You managed to get to the final 4 without a cast against you, but this time your number was up...

murielle ,Please bring me your torch. 

*snuffs torch* 

The tribe has spoken.  You will return as a part of the Jury, who will be making the decision on who is going to win this season...

Until then, head on out of here.

*camera slowly follows murielle's walk down the torch-lit path, into the darkness* 

Gary turns back to the Final 3. 

You did it. You made it to the Final 3.  Now the question before you, is how do you win?  I'll give you some time to think about that one... 

Good night. 

*waits until the last contestant sits down from voting*

I'll go get the votes.

*an uncomfortable while later, Gary comes back with the urn*

If anyone has a hidden immunity idol, and would like to play it, now would be the time to do so.

*camera shifts around to the contestants, looking nervous*
Finally, a voice can be heard,

"I would like to use my Immunity Idol."

halfshellvenus stands up and walks over to the podium with an idol in her hand.




"The rules of Survivor state that if a hidden immunity idol is played, votes against that person will not count. This IS a hidden immunity idol. Votes against halfshellvenus will not count"

*waits to see if anyone else has something to play.*

OK then. I'll read the votes.

*opens the urn and pulls out the first parchment*

First vote



does not count

Next vote





Does not count.

Third vote... *dramatic music swells and cuts to commercial*

*comes back from break*

The third vote is

*dramatic pause as Gary takes parchment out, and looks at it, before turning it over*



1 vote alycewilson. 2 votes remaining

*takes the next to last parchment out of urn, looks at it and slowly reveals*

The person voted out, and the newest member of our Jury is




2 votes alycewilson. That's enough.    alycewilson please grab your stuff and bring me your torch. 

*alycewilson approaches*    The tribe has spoken. 

*Gary snuffs her torch*    


Head on out. 

*camera follows alycewilson as she walks down the torchlit path*

*Gary turns back to the group* 

And then there were 4.  
The end is in sight. All you have to do is get through this last stage of the game and you will have the chance to earn the grand prize as well as the title of Sole Survivor. 

But that might be the biggest challenge of them all - convincing the people you've had a hand in voting out that you deserve the win.   If you don't have a plan to get to the finale at this point, then your only real hope is to win immunity.  

But which is these other 3 are people that you want to sit next to at the end?    That could be the decision that guarantees your win, or haunts you.  

Head on back to camp.  I'll see you in the morning.  

 *cut back to tribal council following commercial break* 

*the final contestant voting sits back down, camera pans to Gary*

OK then. I'll go get the votes. 

*time lapse of an hour or so as production looks over votes and makes decisions* 

*Gary returns to the podium with the urn* 

If anyone has a hidden immunity, and wants to play it, now would be the time to do so. 

*camera pans over the faces of anxious contestants*


flipflop_diva 
"*smiles nervously then stands up*

 *cue Survivor theme music as the show comes back from a commercial* 

*Gary motions to flipflop_diva* I believe you have something for me.  Don't make me come get it.  She reluctantly hands over the immunity necklace* 

Immunity is off the table this time around.  No one is safe from the vote, except murielle who gained the advantage from the bottle twist. 

***


adoptedwriter -  You just barely survived one vote, and then you immediately had to give the tribe the bad news that they would have to vote someone else out.  How quickly do you start processing "Oh no, we need someone else to vote out"?  Is it far to say that you could very well be a target once again? 

gunwithoutmusic - I believe you were the first one to mention that you thought it might be a double elimination?  Did that factor into how you approached the first vote? Were you already thinking of "who would I vote out next?" or is it fly by the seat of your pants time? 

bleodswean - Murielle is safe back at camp. Is that a blessing - she's safe and doesn't have to undergo this stress? Or is it bad, because last vote came really close to being a tie and every extra vote you have is a good thing? 

flipflop_diva - I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that eeyore_grrl was the first member of La Mina to be voted out. The other two of your former tribemates ended up being medevac'd right before the merge. Did those short-lived swap tribes end up creating any real relationships - or were the true bonds in this game cemented before we ever got to the island? 

alycewilson - In Survivor there are different names for different kinds of bonds - there are "alliances", people that you have no intention of ever turning on no matter what, voting blocs where people come together for a vote or two that is mutually beneficial. and something in between that has been referred to as a "trust cluster", where you are with people for the long haul, but if you have to break that... well, it's a game.   Looking around at the dwindling group - what do you think most people fall under or is it combinations?  Who seems to have the tightest bonds? 

halfshellvenus - A related question to that - have there been times when your long-term friendships and your short term interest in making it to the next round have been in conflict?  Do you see a point where that might happen? 



halfshellvenus -  It's funny because I'm currently reading the Murderbot series where a lot of these themes are explored. Which may be why I picked up on the twist a little earlier than other people did.  (Honestly, people should be reading Murderbot. If you are reading this comment - go start reading that series)    I love how you tied in the "blah" of every day being the same working in an office with the numbness of not actually being human.  What was the point when you realized this was the story you wanted to tell?  Did you come up with the office first and then at some point realize he was a robot or did it assemble itself in your head fully formed? 

adoptedwriter - Whatever you are on, please keep taking more of it.  :D   It was a completely unexpected direction, and voice for your work.  I feel like you don't "play" very often - and this is definitely just you cutting loose. It's nice to see.  You mentioned the inspiration already - what you were watching, but at what point did you decide that you wanted to feature the silverware drawer?  How did you decide on the entry point for this particular world? 

bleodswean - I love how quiet yet deliberate this is.  I'll admit, I had to go back and reread that last line (after reading the comments) but it all fits together nicely. The word choice of "gentled" set the tone right off the bat. I enjoy seeing the choices you make with language and how you tie things together.  Until the last line, I was thinking about all of the different images of babies (of various species and forms) until it hit me that these were all vulnerable babies left without the protection of their mother.  That fire is dying quickly...  what goes into your process for something like this?  Does it flow and you realize connections as you go, or do you map out all of them ahead of time? 

gunwithoutmusic -  This was surprising to me.  Not the aspect of "thinking deeply about an every day thing" - that's normal. Or the format, or the message.... honestly, I've been reading this over several times trying to figure out what it is that surprised me, and I can't quite put my finger on it.  Something does feel different/"off" about it though, like when you are trying to fit things together and there is that slight gap and you don't know if you just need to push a little harder to snap it into place or if that will break it and you should go back and line things up to try again.  What was the process of writing this like for you?  Did it go smoothly? 

alycewilson - You've been showing a very "old school Idol" side to your writing.  Both with bringing back your poetry and with more personal stories.  Obviously, you weren't the only one to go with humor - but you were the one who went with a very personal side to it.  You are literally talking about your vulnerabilities, as you open up to people.  It's for a laugh, but it's also hitting on universal themes of aging.  Is this just where your head is at the moment or have you been purposefully mixing things up to keep people coming back to see where you go next? 

flipflop_diva - I like the beats you have at the start of this piece. It's well paced with the reveal.  It's not a world-breaking idea - but the simple nature of the subject matter can be deceptive.  After all, people have read a lot of stories about "kids coming into the bed", but they haven't read YOURS.  And I think you manage to tell it in a relatable, but not cliched way.  How did you find your entry point into this - did you start with the numb arm and work your work back or was it more of a discovery as you went?  You've mentioned that you feel like this "Survivor event" has helped you form Idol friendships.  Do you think that these "slice of life" stories have helped let people to get to know you better than they might have otherwise? 

***

It's time to vote.   Please the name of who you wish to eliminate to me at clauderainsrm@gmail.com by tomorrow, Saturday Feb 6th at 5pm ET.   If you have a hidden immunity idol, and would like to play it, please notify me in the same email.  

 *cue Survivor tribal council ominous music* 

Come on in folx and take a seat.  

Now we'll bring in the members of our jury... *camera pans over them as they come in, and take a seat across from the jury* jenwithapen, bittyjane, megatronix, impoetry, n3m3sis43, minikin25, wolfden, lawchicky819. bsgsix, and swirlsofpurple, voted out last week.

*Gary takes out a sealed bottle and sets it on the podium*  We will get to that in a minute.


 flipflop_diva - You described winning immunity as "a Survivor dream come true" - what other "Survivor dreams" do you have? Do you think that openly being as big of a fan of the game is a benefit or does it make you more of a target? How does having that necklace around your neck change your attitude toward tribal council? 

halfshellvenus - You are in the opposite position this week.  Last time you were safe. This time, you are in as much danger as anyone else, other than flipflop_diva.  Did you feel the pressure as soon as you didn't win? 

adoptedwriter - If people are voting off the person with the lowest total, that means it's either you or gunwithoutmusic this week.  Why should people keep you around - what are you bringing that makes you the better choice to keep?  

gunwithoutmusic - Same question to you.   Are you ready to get your torch snuffed and go hang out in Ponderosa? Or is there something more you want to do in this game that makes you worth keeping? 

eeyore_grrl - You were the alternate target last week.  Does dodging that bullet mean you feel like you are in with the numbers?  Or does that just move you up on the list of people who are in line to go next?  2 people wanted you out.  Do you expect to see your name written on parchment this tribal council? 

murielle  - You've talked quite a bit over the the course of the game about supporting your friends.  At this point - is there anyone left who isn't your friend? Or is there a hierarchy?  When you say "I didn't want this for you" as people leave - who DID you want it to happen to? 

bleodswean - As the options for who to vote for get fewer, how do you decide on who to vote out?  You've said you don't always understand other people's process in making the decisions.  What is yours?  

alycewilson - You had that coveted second immunity last time around.  But this time you are vulnerable.  Where are you when it comes to deciding who to eliminate?  Are you part of a larger group or more of a free agent waiting for a pitch? Or are you the mastermind planning the next great blindside? 

*camera follows conversations as people answer, before coming back to Gary* 

Oh, almost forgot.  This bottle.  I told you that we would talk about it.  
It's sitting here.  If you want it, stand up in front of everyone and come get it.  The first one who contacts me at clauderainsrm@gmail.com gets it.  
It will remain sealed until it's time to vote. 

*a few minutes into the questions, murielle stands up, walks over to the podium, takes the bottle, and returns to her seat* 

***

Murielle selected the bottle, which ends the questions period for Tribal Council.  

Murielle - please open the bottle.  There are two notes in there.  Please pass the one marked #2 to someone else.  
Please let me know who you are giving it to. 

***
*murielle looks over both notes for awhile as the tense tribal theme music plays for the home audience in the background* 
Finally she stands up and hands the note marked #2 to adoptedwriter   

"Adoptedwriter - hold onto that until after the votes are read" 


"Murielle, you can now open your note and read it to the group" 

"SAFETY WITHOUT POWER.   You must leave tribal council immediately and return to camp" 

Congratulations murielle, you have survived until next week, and don't have to cast a vote.  Head on back to camp.  Good night. 

***

As for the rest of you - the bottle has been open and the talking is over.   It's time to vote. 

Head on up to the urn and cast a vote for who you want to eliminate this week.  (Send the vote to me at clauderainsrm@gmail.com by tomorrow, Feb 4th at 9pm ET) 

Have a seat. 


Let's bring in the Jury... jenwithapen, bittyjane, megatronix, impoetry, n3m3sis43, Minikin25, wolfden, and lawchicky819, voted out last week. bsgsix will be on the Jury once she is cleared from the hospital, but can't be with us today.


 What a difference a week makes. 

The last couple times we were here, the question was "How do we beat bsgsix?"  

Of course, we all wish her well and hope for a continued a speedy recovery, but there is also a game happening and these things have consequences. 

One of those consequences - 

halfshellvenus - You are sitting here with that immunity necklace around your neck for the first time.  What does it feel like knowing, for the first time, that you won't be going home this week? 

alycewilson - You too have immunity.   Is there a distinction in your mind between winning it at a poll challenge or winning it via the Chop challenge?  Or, is it "a challenge is a challenge"?   You expressed that it might be a mixed message, that you received it because you "weren't a threat", but knowing that no one was gunning to take you out, does that just mean that now you are on everyone's radar as being someone everyone wants to keep around? 

eeyore_grrl - You were surprised to be one of the first people of the Chop challenge, but then you come back and put in another strong performance in the immunity challenge.  As one of the dying breed of original Asaga's, are you expecting to see your name written down this week - and if so, what can you say to change people's minds?  Why should they keep you around? 

gunwithoutmusic - You're the other original Asaga member sitting up here without immunity around their neck - and you came really close to winning the poll challenge. Do you think that bsgsix's vocalized strategy of "vote out the lowest" is out the window now that she is gone - and people are going to start looking at taking out threats? How do you keep that target off yourself? 

bleodswean - Your name was the correct answer on "Who is the best writer", "who is playing this the most like LJ Idol",  "Who would you trust with your life" AND "who you most want to hang out with..."  - feeling pretty good about those answers or is it worrisome that you are such a big presence?  You also ended up making it to the end of the Chop challenge, meaning that no one wanted to chop your rope until they had no choice.  Those are all wonderful superlatives, but they are also things you can point to at the end of the game as reasons why you should win.  Is there any part of you that wishes that people didn't think quite some highly of you right now?  ;) 

flipflop_diva - You are in the opposite position.  You won the "most likely to stab you in the back" and "who is playing the most like Survivor" - do you think that your choice of name may have influenced that decision?  ;)   Or is it how you are being perceived in this game?  Is there anything you can do to make people confident that they can trust you and want to keep you around? 

adoptedwriter -  You were one of the correct answers for "who would I trust with my life" - how does that make you feel?  In a game that is about knowing who to trust, did that increase your confidence in "Hey, I might just be able to get to the end and win this thing!"   You switched from Luzon to Asaga for a brief period during the swap, for all of the talk of how it's NOT about the old tribes anymore, coincidentally, since the merge, it's been old Asaga members going home.  You were on a tribe with some of these people - does your heart go out to them? Or is it "it's just a game?" 

swirlofpurple -  How does bsgsix's departure change your approach to this game?   Given her stance on "vote the lowest out", and who has immunity, it would be between you, murielle and adoptedwriter to go home this week.  Which, for someone who was constantly winning immunity, was easy to say "keep voting for whoever is lowest, that way if I DO lose a week - no one will target me because I'm usually doing well"...  it's less sure of how great of a game plan that was for everyone else. Do you think people are going to stick with her game plan, or is this the time when someone is going to come up with their own? 

murielle -  You were selected as the member who does the most for the tribe *and* the Most Honest - so, going with that honesty, who do you think has benefitted the most from bsgsix's sudden departure?  Who do you think has had their game plan shaken up by it? 




swirlsofpurple -  Another world-building piece.  You definitely have the knack for creating these images of not-so distant realities.  The type of experimentation being done, on both of the women, echoes historical real life examples.  I like how you are able to ground your ideas, and relationships, while still exploring.  I like exploring the choices people make - did you come in knowing about the twist and build the situation around it, or was it something you discovered along the way? 


eeyore_grrl -   Going to the heart of the issue might break social protocol, but certainly makes a powerful statement.  It's upsetting to see how many people went almost immediately into spin mode for what happened at the Capitol instead of addressing it as a wake up call.   I like how you called out exactly what would have happened, if not a quick thinking Capitol cop who distracted he terrorists away long enough for the members of the Congress to get to safety.  "i know this because i’ve heard the threats against strong women/against women in power"  - that hit me in the way "your politics are my life" hit other people.    What was it about this particular prompt, and moment to compelled you to speak, and how did you go about crafting the entry itself from a structural standpoint? 


adoptedwriter -  There were definitely points in reading this that I was "Oh no, where is she going?"  But turning it into a discussion of the triggering phrases involved with child who have been adopted was an interesting take on it.  Obviously, I know why you chose the subject matter, what I'm interested in why you decided on the structure for the piece.  Coming at the idea of "triggering" as framework for the specific conversation.  Was the use of "G-d" intentional when discussing words that, if used, might upset someone? (I know why that is used, but it struck me when you used it alongside what you referred to as "the T-word" 


flipflop_diva  -   You focused on how people notice your "lazy eye" in pictures - was this to distract people from the picture that clearly shows your baby has been hit with Avada Kedavra (the killing curse) and survived?  Did you think no one would notice that there are dark wizards after her???  Oh... right, sorry... your actual entry itself.  Writing is personal, and this clearly is something that you live with every day.  I thought the opening sequence worked well to bring people in, as well as set up talking about your eye.  I've seen far too many people over the years bungle their openings, but you really did it well here. What was it about the prompt that made you immediately say "I want to reveal this part of myself?" 


bleodswean - As always, it's beautifully written. Your use of language is always quite a treat, as is your take on the retelling. I'm familiar with the myth, although it didn't come straight to mind until the end and had to go back and reread. It makes me wonder what you cut out. This needed more room to breathe, to keep it from being too dense. Which makes me curious if it had that before you cut half of it. How does your self-editing process work?

murielle - Your food obsession continues! :) I agree with your self-assessment that it was too short.  Deadlines get the better of us all sometimes and we make due with what we can get out there.  But it makes me wonder - what do you think this particular entry could have been with a day or two more?  You managed to get to another cliffhanger - would the story have stopped at the same place with just more details? Would the arc have progressed further?  You've had a few extra days to think of the "might have been"s - in an ideal scenario, how would this be different?


gunwithoutmusic -  Stop thinking that.  No, I'm not talking about what you wrote this week. I'm referring to that thought you just had 5 minutes ago. I'm in your head. I know.  And you really need to stop thinking that.   Seriously though, another week of emotional scab picking poetry where you rend pieces of your being until they become words. Being able to work real pain into something so raw and present it for public consumption is a true gift.  I've been excited to see you delve more into the intimacy of poetry to express what you are going through right now.  How do you think you would approach this if you had gone with non-fiction instead?  How would the narrative expand, from snapshots to atmosphere? 

halfshellvenus  - I saved you and alycewilson for last, since both of you are currently sitting comfortably with those necklaces around your neck.  Given your entry I thought you might appreciate that I separated the two of you from all the "non immunity winners."  :)   John Hodgman often says "specificity is the soul of narrative" and I think that important here in understanding why there was such a great response to this piece.  What was it about the prompt that made you start thinking about your sensitivities?  Why did you decide to break back into non-fiction for this particular piece? 

alycewilson - I'm going to speak my own honesty here for a moment - this may be my favorite piece from you in a long time.  (I always enjoy them, but this one was special) I think that if you hadn't already won immunity, there would be a good chance that you would have it now anyway.  I hope that anyone who missed it - because they "didn't need to read it" goes back and checks it out.  It's very timely, and important.  What was it about this particular prompt that made you want to tell this particular story? 

General question for everyone - Someone is about to go home.  If this is your last entry, how do you feel about that?  Are you satisfied with what you were able to come up with? 

There's been a lot of talk about personal relationships and their impact on the game  - Who is the one person left in the game that you, personally, would never vote against? 

alycewilson , halfshellvenus  - you both have immunity.  You can, if you wish, give it to someone else.  Or, do you want to keep it? 

(Voting information coming tomorrow) 

Welcome back to Tribal Council. Line up your torches in the back and take a seat.




I'll bring in the members of the Jury.

jenwithapen, bittyjane, megatronix, impoetry, n3m3sis43, minikin25 and wolfden, voted out at the last tribal council.

They are here to gather information only. They will have a big decision to make at the end of the game, and what you saw and do here will play into that.

Let's get started.

bsgsix - Congratulations on your second immunity win. There was a lot of talk at the last tribal council about how you could end up running the table with immunity wins and get to the end. Which, is possible. But what I didn't see mentioned is that it doesn't guarantee victory. You could get the voters on your entries but not win over the support of your fellow contestants. Someone else could easily say "I never had immunity. I had to work harder to get here." How do you navigate that aspect? Winning challenges without risking alienating the people who will ultimately be making the decision on who wins this game?

lawchicky819  - You were on the hot seat last time, and if the talk can be believed about how people are making their decisions, you are on the hot seat once again this time around.  Is there anything you can say at this point to sway the undecided to keep you around?  What are the advantages that might not be immediately on someone's mind? 

murielle - You've said several times that you don't want to "pick off the weak".  The original Asaga tribe has gone from being dominant to now being down in numbers.  Does that mean you aren't going to be sending one of them home this week?  Can an original Luzon be expecting to see their name on your parchment?  Or is that decision going to be based on week to week, regardless of other bonds in the game? 

adoptedwriter - There was talk last week about "wanting to keep the entertaining people around" to keep things interesting as the game progresses.  Is that something you think about when you are responding to these questions?  

bleodswean - In a regular season of Idol, and even during the mini seasons over here at DW, vote totals have been a lot higher for most people. Do you think that since no one is eliminated directly due to votes that it impacts the "get out the vote" aspect?  Only the person with the most votes benefits with immunity, so anyone else who might otherwise be fighting for every vote doesn't bother?   Do you think that will change the closer we get to the end, when people feel less "safe"? 

eeyore_grrl  -   Last week the vote ended up being split between the two people with the fewest number of votes, with some scattered among random members of the tribe.   If that ends up happening again - that means you are a target.  How do you shift the target off yourself, knowing that you are also in their sights? 

gunwithoutmusic -  Back in Borneo, Dr Sean had his "alphabetic strategy" where he would vote for people in alphabetical order. Part of that is that he wanted to be seen as "a good guy" and it kept him from alienating anyone.  But "coincidentally" everyone from the original Pagong tribe had names in at the front of the alphabet.  Do you think the "vote for the lowest" might change once the person with the lowest number of votes is a member of the original Luzon tribe? 

swirlsofpurple - How much of the decision on who to vote for is already made before you come here, and how much of a factor are the answers you are hearing?  How important is it to "read the room" in trying to make sure you are on the right side of the numbers? 

halfshellvenus - Your name showed up on a ballot last week. How does it feel to see that, especially when it's the first vote? Would it be better to be voted out and see it coming, or for it to be a blindside? 

alycewilson  - In the conversation of  "fairness" vs "threat" -  if you end up going home would you rather it be because people thought it was "fair" to vote you out, or would you rather them get rid of you because they saw you as a threat to their plans to win to the game? 

flipflop_diva - What were your biggest takeaways from the last tribal council?

 
Round Two 


alycewilson -  I'm so glad to see you writing poetry again.  It feels like there is an entire "class" of Idol participants who don't know this side of you.  I was wondering who would go with this take for the prompt, and in retrospect, I probably should have put money on it being you.   Other people have mentioned other lines, so I'll skip those and go right for " as steadfast as her love for us, born in that splashy decade", there's so much captured here of a time remembered, and lost.   A memory you can enter whenever you want, but where your current self does not belong.  The connections are obvious, as is why you went with this particular image. So instead I'll ask you why you decided to go with poetry?  What was it to said this should be told in that format, rather than prose?

swirlsofpurple - The idea of a funeral set in the future was as interesting in itself as the character studies were. It's a simple idea, but I can't recall having read, or even thought too much about it before. I kept going back and forth on it as I read.  But then that ending hit. My jaw literally dropped and Cynthia had to ask what was going on because I just started chuckling.  Setting it in the future was one of those things that could have caused more problems than it solved, by having to explain too much and distract for the narrative - I think you managed to strike a decent balance, but why was that important to you? 

gunwithoutmusic - I'm really glad to have seen the update in the comments. I hope that things continue to head in a good direction.  It was a gut punch to read, and I'm sure even more of one to actually live.  The emotional strain on mental states, and relationships, during the pandemic is something I'm sure is going to be studied for years to come.  Which doesn't make it any better to know that other people are also going through it, but I hope it makes you feel a *little* less alone.  Last week you said you were taking a break from your "walk in the woods" stories, but even though you never left your house, this was very much in the same spirit of introspection.  What was it like to find the narrative beats - not in an old memory, which a lot of people do - but in something you are experiencing in real time? 

lawchicky819 -   That story.  Wow.  That story.  :D    I'm always interested in seeing the thought process to why someone picked a particular tale to tell.  Was this the first thing you want about when you saw the prompt or did you have to narrow down your choices?   Given your answer to the last question asked though, and this entry,  how does "I'm done enabling people who don't want to be helped in a real way."  come into play?  


flipflop_diva - So you're saying that I've wasted the last couple of decades?  What are I am supposed to do now with this giant hole in my backyard?  The mole men I've befriended are going to be very disappointed to learn that we can't get to China...  This was a charming look into that moment in time when everything was possible. Unless adults distracted you with candy to sabotage your dreams!   I've noticed that when people post non-fiction, they always include pictures.  What do you think works better - including them at the end or interspersed throughout the story? 

murielle - I started reading this and went "Wait.. it's going there????" before realizing that it was a nightmare.  The heart of this seems to be the moments in between actually digging into what her Aunt Bev left behind, the every day human interactions as she prepares to dig into the past.  They are framed between the fear of what can be and the promise of what it is come.  What is it about those moments, those chatting with people, and taking the time out to eat McDonalds, that speak to you?  Why are they important to include between the digging scenes? 


bleodswean - Sometimes I worry about you. ;)   Your dark imagery continues to delight: "Those you buried beneath the rotting oak leaves... wrap yourself around their empty bones", but maybe that says more about your readers than it does you.  ;)    The scream of an old life ending, to wrapping yourself around death, it's quite the cycle.  You stated the this started as something else, but morphed into something else, like someone transforming into a dark creature.  I'm curious where that starting point was and when you started to realize that the idea was changing shape.  

adoptedwriter  -  I loved the rhythm of this, how the structure was broken up into different repeating beats.  Just glancing at it before the first read I thought it was going to be poetry, but quickly realized my mistake.  I like how you played with it.  There's some really good moments in this.  I liked that the main "dig" (her digging in) was something that I missed the first read through.  Which sounds like a weird compliment, but I like that I missed that you had used the word, but knew that was where the prompt had come in.  It was only when I reread that I noticed you had put the word in there... the last sentence's use on the other hand was a little too "on the nose" for me with the usage.   The first two lines though really nail where you are going with this though and it carries through the piece really well.   I'm curious, did you think of the incident first as "digging in" or were you thinking of the "groovy buttons" book and worked your way back from there? 

eeyore_grrl  - Other people have already mentioned both of the lines that I was originally going to mention. So I'll go with something different and mention the impact of "and gifted it to me with her own self."  It was found, worked, loved and made into something much greater than just glass.  It became part of the protections from her, keeping those spirits at bay.  Your work is always great, and listening to it just makes it better.    Your Mother liked it - which, of course she did, it was great.  But since this is question time - what would you have done if she hadn't?  Or, if her reaction had been more "It's OK" 



NOTE - I'm getting an error message when I try to add more questions here.  So I added the last two from the second round in the comments)


Third round - I'm just going to throw a question out there and whoever wants to answer them can do so: 

You've seen lawchicky's pitch for why she should stay.   Does seeing someone clearly want to stay in the game have any impact on you at all?  As opposed to seeing people say "I'm over this format" or "this is a strain on me"... this is someone who wants to keep going.   Does that make you go "We need to keep her?" OR "Anyone who wants to play this game needs to go?" 

Does anyone else want to make a pitch about why THEY should stay? 

***

"bsgsix  - Do you want to give your immunity to someone else, or are you keeping it? "
"No, I’m going to hold onto my immunity again. It’s a safe move at the moment. If it’s time to vote - I’m ready!"

***

Alright then.   Unless anyone has anything else.  *looks around, no one says anything* 

Ok.  It's time to vote.  Head on up to the voting urn and write down the name of the person you would like to eliminate from this game (and then send that to me at clauderainsrm@gmail.com by Tuesday, Jan 12th at 5pm ET) 
If you have a hidden immunity idol, or any other special power, and would like to play it, tell me that in your email. 

*stands behind podium* as the tribe files into tribal council and takes their seats*

Welcome to your first post merge tribal council.

*introduces the jury as they file into the seats across from the contestants*

The Jury is here to watch and take in information that will eventually help them make their decision. They are not participants. From now on, anyone who is voted out will be joining the jury.

That changes things, because these are the people who will ultimately be deciding who will win and lose this game.




The trick is to get the people who are sitting on this side *indicates the current contestants* over to THAT side *indicates the Jury* in a way that makes them want to vote for you in the end. Because, friendships aside, only one person is going to be named the winner.

bsgsix - You dominated this game pre-merge. You were a big part of the Asaga victories, and then you went over to Luzon and helped them start winning. Now, you've won the first individual immunity. How important was it to you to come out strong early on?

halfshellvenus - The old Asaga was, at one point, up by 3 members. There was some speculation that it was just going to be a Pagonging, where old Asaga could have easily just picked off old Luzon one by one. Fortunes changed and now the original tribes have come into the first tribal council at 6 each. Do you think there's a chance of a tie-vote, or are their intertribal personal relationships that are going to be coming into play? 

alycewilson - What about for you? Do the old tribes make a difference, or has this already become an individual game? 

murielle - Before the merge, people talked about the need to "keep the tribe strong" with their vote. Now that it's an individual game though - is it better to take out someone who is "weak" in the challenges or should you be getting rid of someone who doesn't fit into your plans?

swirlsofpurple - You spent some time off on Edge of Extinction, having been voted out of your original tribe.  So you know what it feels like to be voted out of this game.  You fought really hard to get another shot.  Now that you are back, how hard are you going to fight to stay in it? 

adoptedwriter  - People made a big deal of "Not talking to Gary/answering questions" in the first half of the game.  But now you're in front of the Jury, who need to know about your thought process to help make their ultimate decision.  How do you think that is going to impact tribal councils going forward? 

lawchicky819 - What do you think is "fair and square" means in the context of Survivor?  Where are the lines, and where should they be when it comes to playing a game like this? 

bleodswean - It's come up at tribal council before that some people are playing Survivor, some are trying to play Idol and that most are trying to come up with a hybrid of those two... how do you negotiate your way through that when there are so many people and none of them are playing the same game? 

wolfden -  If people are "playing Idol" they will be looking to vote out someone with the lowest vote totals.  This week - that could be you.  What do you say to those people who are thinking that way in order to change their mind? 

gunwithoutmusic - On paper, this vote will be a 6-6 tie, if people stick with their original tribes. Is that what is going to happen, or do you think that personal relationships are going to come into play?


flipflop_diva - What is the most difficult part of shifting your thought process out of "Idol mode" and into "Survivor mode"?  Is there a benefit for that, or do you think that keeping in "Idol mode" is good for the short term? 

eeyore_grrl -  How are you going to make the decision for who to vote for - is this something being discussed in smaller groups or is everyone just winging it? 

***
alycewilson -  It's rare when an "I don't know what to write" entry can mess so easily into a "the every day beauty of the world around us" entry.  But I think you managed to pull it off.  Did you have a "rainy day" story that you were considering, or when this occurred to you did it just melt everything else away?

adoptedwriter  -  I would like to pretend that you learned about "taking a bye" from Idol.  :)  Even if that's not true, I will pretend that it is!!    Obviously the situation itself is horrible, but I like what you did with the writing aspect and connecting your mother using the Quiet Game against you.  It can be tough to open up like that in your writing, what was it about the prompt that made you remember that specific incident, or with the holidays, is that just something close to the surface right now? 

halfshellvenus - Eagles fans who make Mary Poppins references.  This may be your greatest bit of fiction yet. ;)   Or maybe it's Altoona Eagles fans in general.    :D Seriously though, this definitely took me back into some "helping friends move" moments of my own.   I was trying to put my finger on what felt different about it. There was a discussion in the comments about the "tone", but to me that doesn't seem right.  You've definitely used that tone before.  Something in the overall structure perhaps?  Or is it just the "bro"ness that was new?   Whatever it is,  it clearly had your cleverness and ear for dialogue embedded in it. It did feel a little "off" from what I expect from you, but not that's always a bad thing. Were there moves of your own that ended up inspiring this (beyond what you said about your Dad) or did the image of the two guys and a orange sofa just appear in your head fully formed? 

wolfden - The overwhelming painful frustration poured off of this, anger flaring at the Facebook comments and crashing back down again into helplessness when you were talking about your family. The news about your Mother that you just mentioned, coming on the heels of this entry just makes it hit that much harder. It's really raw, and far better than the votes would suggest. Was there ever a doubt about what you would write about, or did you always plan on talking about what was happening?

eeyore_grrl  -  I believe in the power of your words.   I love the visual structure of this, how it builds from the light rain at the beginning to a deluge of words hitting harder and harder at the end.   I hate to keep asking this question, but was this subject the only one in your head when you saw this prompt?

lawchicky819 - This went in so many interesting directions. I hope you end up going back to it and developing into a longer piece. Like Seraphina, I feel like it needs to expand it's wingspan.   Did you come up with the dragons in love idea and work backward or was it a princess story that took a turn that you discovered as you went?  

flipflop_diva - I feel that most of the attention you've gotten from this piece has been about the dealing with the weather trauma, that the lead somehow has gotten buried - "as members of the dental press."  Obviously, since this is non-fiction, that was just a detail that you used to help set the stage.  But it was such a specific detail, like the mentions of Hula Hut and Buc-ee's.  They are little, almost throwaway details that help establish a time and place. I always appreciate when I see things like that, at least when they are done well - and those were.   (maybe it's because I've been on that stretch of road between Austin and San Antonio).  I also liked the flashback element.  Was there any thought of either expanding that memory in the piece (flashing to it at various points instead of just once) or even making that accident the main focus? 

bleodswean - You certainly do love swimming in some disturbingly heavy atmosphere. :)  People tend to fall right into the spaces between your words and get lost for a time.  Since I need to ask a question somewhere in this ramble - did you consider a spring transition scene or do you think that the jump from winter to summertime with the mule worked the way you wanted?  I know it would have been a different story, but was there ever the thought of it being Jocker's skull? 

swirlsofpurple - It's amazing what we can condition ourselves to over time. Things that were once terrifying can become ordinary occurrences. Just getting to the point where things are "normal," I think that's something that a lot of people can relate to right now.  There's a tension here that worked really well, as the POV was established. Have you established, in your head canon, who she was talking to and what the backstory was of Below? I like that you kept it vague, so that everyone could fill out their own narrative, while concentrating on the moments that were happening in front of us. But I was just curious about what your process was like in determining how much to show.

murielle  -  I like how the bit from the snow and how "this could get ugly fast" is mirrored by the avalanche of garbage bags pressing the door closed in the end section, with the reveal of them towering over her.  I liked the cadence of the story and how the weight kept pressing down, to be released a little with the hope, only to come back down a little harder.   It had a really good feel to it.   I'm not always a fan of "to be continued" but I am looking forward to seeing what this plan turns out to be. 

gunwithoutmusic  -  I kept reading and listening to this one, trying to think of something that other folx haven't pointed out in the comments section.  What I keep coming back to it is the importance of water in each of these memories.  From being safe from it, to it manifesting the pain inside of you as it streams from your eyes. And then, in the second section it comes back again as big as an ocean, the rain coming down until you literally fall to the ground under the weight.  As powerful as all of that is,  I love what you do with the imagery of getting it back under control.  Putting the lid on it, to let those thoughts be reduced, but not allowing yourself to evaporate.   What made you go with poetry and, since it was brought up in the comments, what was your editing process like? 

bsgsix - You have immunity.  So we don't need to talk about your entry.  Obviously, people liked it.  What was YOUR favorite entry of the week?  
Oh, OK.  Maybe I have a few things to mention with yours as well. If you insist.  :)    I'll admit, your personal stories are always a lot more difficult to talk about - there's the "this is really f-ed up" emotional reaction to what you are saying that can cloud everything else.   But there's also a beauty to your language that transcends the horrible things that happen.  The line "But I had no sense that they were going to mourn me" stood out in particular to me.   Honestly, from a story prospective, that could have been the end right there and it would still have been solid.  Obviously, being non-fiction life didn't stop there and there was more to tell.   Like I said, being horrifying real life events makes it weird to talk about "story elements."   :D     So I'll go with the non-horrifying bits for the questions!  What made you lead off with the Baltimore Sun article, and personally, how important is it for you to share the real life pictures at the end as part of your entry? How much does it add for you? 

***



Rather than ask specific people questions. I'm going to throw out some general questions and some thoughts as follow up. There was a lot of really good discussion already.  I may get into specific items later. 

For now though - 

- Is there anyone in this competition you just can't see yourself voting out? 
- What is your general voting criteria for this first vote of the individual game? 
- There are a lot of different ways someone can be a "strong competitor" - how do you think YOU fit that description? 

bsgsix - You have immunity.  You can choose to give it to someone else, or keep it and be safe from this vote. 


***

If no one has anything else to add?   *waits for a moment*  OK then, it's time to vote.

bsgsix  is wearing the Immunity necklace, so you can't vote for her. 

 How this will work is simple.  You are casting a vote for the person you want to see exit this game.  Send them to me at clauderainsrm@gmail.com  by Thursday, Dec 31st at 5pm ET.  

If you have a hidden immunity idol, and want to play it, that is when you need to let me know.  

One by one, make your way up to the urn and make your decision. 

It's time to vote. 

Welcome Asaga.  It's been awhile since I've seen most of you.

Have a seat and let's catch up. 



halfshellvenus  - The old Asaga was on a roll in challenges.  How big of a shock was it to you when you saw the tribe shake-up? is there anyone from the old tribe that you wish had stuck around?   

adoptedwriter  - On the other hand, you've been to the last 3 tribal councils in a row.  You have a different tribe, but the same result.  How frustrating is that? Do you think that being the only member of the old Luzon makes you vulnerable tonight? 

wolfden  -   Its a tribe of 5.  There is nowhere for anyone to hide anymore.  What do you think should be the criteria for deciding who goes home tonight? 

Megatronix -  OR, is it a matter of "there are 4 original Asagas and 1 original Luzon? Easy decision!"  Does original tribal loyalty play into this, or is "New Tribe, New Game"?

lawchicky819 - What about idols?  There hasn't been one played since the first tribal council. Has anyone been talking about the possibility that they are out there, and the impact that might have on your vote? 




lawchicky819  - Let's circle right back to your entry.  What did you like the most about twisting expectations? Did you write this entry or did Lord Wasley? ;) 

megatronix - At what point in your thought process did you go with the musical bridge as the angle for your piece?  With your own jazz band experience, do you have your own The Girl from Ipanema-related story? The story is framed between two sets of "car trouble" (Abigail's and then Vanessa's) - Abigail was able to ask her sister for a ride in the same way Madeline asked for the chance to sing.  Whereas Vanessa wasn't able to deal with a situation out of her own control (a flat).  What do you think that says about asking the uncomfortable question and its role in finding opportunities? 

wolfden -  Breaking News:  "Dream inspires Idol entry!"   You said you dreamed about the story, but not about the specific characters.  Was it just a bridge explosion or a gun running operation? What was it about the idea that made you want to write it as a small town newspaper article, with a pull back reveal at the end of the characters reading it? What did you find challenging/rewarding about that format? 


adoptedwriter - Obviously, the timing of this entry hit me in a personal way, so I'll skip the bit about the content, other than to ask -   How lucky are you to have been able to spend 18 1/2 years with her?  It's truly a gift.  What was it that made you decide to take this along "the rainbow bridge" route?  

halfshellvenus  -  "A new setting, new opportunities" could also describe where you are with the new Asaga.  How are you about embracing change in general or do you find yourself stuck under a bridge doing what you've been doing forever?  How big does the goat need to be in order to shift you out of your own unproductive habits? Are the goats methods justifiable?  They seem to have gotten a great response from readers, but at several points it's mentioned that they are "just as disagreeable" as trolls.   
Jo-Jo ends up leaving his home, for some (new) grass... will he end up "getting back" to being someone who can belong?  ;)   
Seriously though, going from "a bridge you must cross" to trolls is an obvious path, but how did you decide that this was a particular story you wanted to tell? You've written about trolls before, what about them is so interesting to you? 

 

adoptedwriter  - There are probably some people sitting at home right now, screaming at their computers.  The numbers are stacked against you.  What have you been doing to prove to Asaga that you are the person they need to keep? 

lawchicky819 - I'm just as sure that there are folx looking at how well Asaga did these past few weeks, and the makeup of the tribes and wondering if members of the tribe threw the challenge to keep their old tribe mates safe.  Is that a reasonable question or knowing these people, is that something that no one in this group even considered? 

wolfden  -   How have things changed since the tribe shakeup?  Do you think that it's helped anyone's position in the tribe or just put a bigger target on specific people?  

halfshellvenus -   For you personally, what is "the greater good" for this tribe? Loyalty or staying strong for the challenges?  At what point does that switch? 

megatronix  - I'll give you the last word  - what is it that Asaga needs to remember before they walk down that long torch lit path and decides someone's future in this game?  


***

With that said, it's time to vote! 

Please send your vote for elimination to clauderainsrm@gmail.com by tomorrow, Friday, Dec 4th at 5pm ET.  

If you have a hidden immunity idol, or other special power, and want to play it - please inform me at that time.