Round 01 - Leading The Tribe

[Matt Quinlan]

Coming soon.

[The One and Only BOB DAWG]

LATE

[Matt Quinlan]

With being able to select my own tribe, I felt extremely comfortable with the group that I picked. Chelsea and I are really bonding and getting closer, and Sandra and I also get along well. Then Jay and I have a connection, and there's no reason why he would betray me. I consider those three my core with Sydney just on the outside. We don't bond a whole lot, but we are both very game and challenge focused, which helps us click with one another.

Then you have Aras. At first, I thought that he was a down-to-earth, quiet, loyal guy. Around the time we had our first challenge, he approached me about working together as the two of us within the original group 2 sub-alliance consisting of me, him, Chelsea, Sandra, and Sydney. This wasn't surprising as I try to give off loyal vibes and it's pretty common for people to approach me about final two alliances. So, I accepted.

During the challenge, we basically selected groups based on time online. The first three were Aras, Mike, and Sydney. Mike apparently had to go away a few days, and that's why he was selected to go first just to get it out of the way. Our second group was again me, Chelsea, and Sandra, which probably sends warning bells to everyone else in the game about the three of us being linked. Our third group consisted of Sekou, Cochran, and Jay, who were online the least out of everyone. The first 6 of us were actually concerned whether this last group would even be able to get online at the same time. However, they did manage to coordinate well, and all three of our groups won. Sandra struggled in my group, but Chels and I both scored a lot and were possibly the individual two highest posters.

Following the challenge, the twist was to figure out who to give a clue to an immunity idol to on the other tribe. Mike suggested someone either strong, like Chase, or an inactive like Amanda to make it fair since the person selected would send it back to someone on our tribe. And the choice would be randomized if it was Amanda. Cochan and Jay agree on the Amanda on the Amanda idea. Then, Aras shifts into a completely different person. He wants that clue badly, so he starts pushing for Mick to get it since he was part of the 'original group 2' before the tribes and would possibly give it back to us. Sandra and I discuss this and don't agree on it because it would place more of a target on all of us down the road and make our non-group 2 members of the tribe feel insecure.

So Aras talks to Sydney, who starts agreeing with his ideas and regains his confidence. He decides a chatroom between the original group 2 members on our tribe would be helpful. He suggests that I make this because I'm the captain, and I do. I know that he's basically trying to use me as a shield for his ideas, though, but I want to go along with it acting like I don't realize what he's up to. Then he mentions how he has a past connection to Shawna from another site and trusts her to give him the clue back. This makes me uneasy, it makes Chelsea uneasy, and it makes Sandra uneasy. Sydney surely has to feel a little uneasy, but she just acts along with it. So, everyone agrees with the idea that Aras has of giving the clue to Shawna to make him feel comfortable. Aras doesn't want to suggest the idea, so I volunteer, and Aras and Sydney say they'll post supporting it. So Aras gets his wish and Shawna gets the idol clue, who will likely pass it back to Aras.

Aras then reveals that Chase and Mike made a deal to get the clue for one another. He is getting people to agree with him that Mike is shady and then gives the name of the people who agree to other people saying, "This person thinks Mike is shady," to pin the deal on that person rather than himself. It's so obvious that he's trying to manipulate every person on the tribe and get Mike's name out there as a target. Mike probably is shady, but Aras is still being too aggressive strategically too early, and it will bite him because I've already discussed his name as a target with Chelsea, Jay, and Sandra. If I wanted to, I could send him home. But I'll see how this next challenge goes first because it's likely not in my best interest to make a betrayal like that this early.