Speeches

[Joss Carter]

This is where speeches will go when they are posted.

[Joss Carter]

Hey, everyone. So I'm going to try to keep this a little shorter. So that being said, if you have any questions about my game though like obviously feel free to ask them all- I'll clarify and elaborate on anything you want.

Going into this game I was kind of ambivalent about it. I felt like I was likely out of the touch with the meta on MS because I hadn't played in a while and these games have always been a struggle for me- I'm not somebody who's ever been particularly good at the social game and that's always caused me problems. So I came into the game really just trying to survive by winning challenges, making friends where I could to keep me safe from the vote as well and trying to keep a low profile to stay safe. I guess that's to say I mostly tried to play to my strengths as best as possible. I think the game can best be broken down into sections for me to talk about in this speech- First from rounds 1-9, second from rounds 10-14, and last from round 15 until now.

From round one until nine, the game was honestly a bit boring for me, but that was good. I only attended tribal council once in round two and it was a fairly easy vote. Besides that me and my tribes won the other eight challenges making the path to merge for me fairly easy. I do think that highlights one of the strengths of my game though: my challenge performance. I never necessarily led my tribe to these victories (which was something that I think benefited me in keeping a low profile) but barring a few instances where I sat out- I was always contributing in challenges and in many cases was one of the better performers on my tribe and definitely never dragged us down. I went on to win the most combined challenges out of anyone and brought home the bonus from Challenge 10. Challenges were a strength of my game. So while the first portion of my game wasn't too exciting, I do think I was able to quietly showcase one of my strengths in the game. I knew I wasn't going to necessarily be able to dominate the social and strategic aspects of the game- so I avoided having to worry about them by winning a lot.

Rounds 10-14 resulted in the game getting more difficult for me. Throughout these rounds I repeatedly heard my name come up basically every round and was battling to stay in the game. During these rounds the votes weren't really going the way I wanted them to most of the time and for me- the main focus was on surviving. I was kind of trying to keep a low profile as much as possible, because multiple allies I had went home during this portion of the game and I knew that if I was seen as too threatening, I could easily get voted out next. I utilized the connections I had to stay out of trouble and tried to keep strong relationships with my allies in hopes that we could eventually turn the game around and get into a better position going forward.

Rounds 15 on were where I think I got more control in the game and put together a better performance. I thought Lennie going home in round 15 was important for me, because I knew we weren't on particularly good terms at the time and it set me up to go deep. The next two rounds the bigger challenge threats went- in particular, the round 16 vote would've been impossible without me beating Judy- I knew it was important to get them out if I was going to win immunity these last few rounds and fully guarantee my spot at the end. Obviously the one blemish here is round 18, but I was still safe during that important vote thanks to my challenge performance. I think during these rounds I exhibited a little bit more control over the game, my status as a low-profile player paid off and my devotion to my allies worked out. I think it shows some dynamism.

I know I was far from playing a flawless game- but I got here to the end. At the end of the day, the way I played doesn't really matter that much. All that matters is you- the jury. It's up to you to determine who wins this game and what you want to reward. There's no rules about how to cast your votes- it's up to you to decide what characteristics and traits you desire in a winner and reward the player who best fits that. I think I played well and treated you all fairly. Barring a couple of instances where I felt I had no choice but to lie to get by, I was honest with all of you when I could be and did my best to stay true to my allies whenever possible. I gave the challenges my all and won a lot of them and kept myself safe from votes and idols throughout the game. I hope that's something that's meaningful to you.

I enjoyed playing with you and will always be grateful to everyone involved for this experience and the ups and downs it has brought with it.
~Lucifer

[Joss Carter]

Salut mes amis! C’est moi, Hercule Poirot! Mon Dieu, what an incroyable journey zis ‘as been. Eet ‘as been such a pleasure and privilege to play zis game representing ze fabuleux Hercule Poirot. I came into Survivor: PD wanting to play a game worthy of ze greatest detective zat ze world ‘as ever known, and I ‘ope zat throughout ze course of zis FTC, I can demonstrate zat I did so and prove myself worthy of your votes.

At ze start of ze game, I made two promises to myself. Un, zat I would accurately depict ze caractère of Hercule Poirot, both ze personnalité and ze ‘eart beneath ze surface of ze man, in order to do ze character justice and to make genuine social bonds with my fellow players. And deux, zat as Hercule Poirot always says, I would use my leetle grey cells to constantly analyze and reanalyze every situation in order to determine what was best pour moi and to fight to pursue eet. I feel zat I accomplished both of zese goals, and zey will be ze organizing principle of zis speech. I do warn you zat as you ‘ave come to expect from Hercule Poirot, zis speech will not be ze most bref, but I will do my best to keep ze length somewhat raisonnable.

Part Un: Ze Caractère of Hercule Poirot

I ‘ave enjoyed bringing Poirot to life so much zis game. Far from being an obstacle to overcome, my caractérisation was an active asset to my game zat allowed me to charm ze rest of my fellow players and make friends, sometimes in unexpected places. Ze way in which I allowed my unique posting style and my use of French to work for me instead of against me ees incredibly impressionnant, especially given zis site’s general attitude towards posting gimmicks. Ze fact zat I am ‘ere at ze end at all, ‘aving ‘ad and maintained a posting gimmick for ze entire time zat alienated no players other zan Mlle Jenny zat I know of, ees a feat in and of eetself.

My posting gimmick, combined with my social prowess en général, allowed me to consistently be positioned well throughout ze game. On 99, I immediately formed an alliance with M. Grouch and Mlle Hopps, two ‘ighly charismatic, social players, but I was universally liked by everyone apart from Mlle Jenny, and ‘er dislike of me was a ‘uge part of why she went ‘ome second. On SVU, I connected strongly with M. Briscoe, who became my confidant and closest ally for ze time ‘e was in ze game, and with M. Kennedy, whose social play and innate charisma immediately endeared ‘im to me. Along with Mlle Hopps, ze four of us formed a four-person alliance which would go on to dominate ze tribe and much of ze early merge, keeping me safe and in control despite SVU’s many challenge losses. Even ze people in ze minority on SVU I bonded with, 'owever, including Mlle Macer, M. Blart, and M. Chase, and I even secretly told M. Cheddar about ze M. Chase vote before eet 'appened, with both of us agreeing to keep eet quiet and to play up ze fact zat we were at odds moving forward to 'ide our relationship.

Strike was objectively an ‘orrible swap for me, and another player might ‘ave been in ‘ot water, but not Hercule Poirot. Again my social ability bailed me out and I was able to win over Mlle Garcia, M. Wilde, and M. Peralta (and eventually flip M. Morningstar) to ze point where I was not ever on ze table as an option on zat tribe despite ze fact zat as M. Peralta said to me, zey came in expecting me to be an enemy. Come merge, I connected with M. Cohle despite not ‘aving met ‘im prior to zat point, and ze two of us were able to form a secret agreement to look out for each other early on in ze merge zat carried us all ze way to ze final three. I also ‘ad decent starts to my discussions with M. McGruff and M. Pikachu, though due to our limited time together zese per’aps did not reach zeir full potential. Despite ‘ow well I connected with almost everyone I met socially, all of ze social relationships zat I made in ze game were genuine on my end, and I appreciate ze unique relationships and dynamics zat I ‘ad with each and every player. You all made zis game a pleasure to play.

My social play did not go unnoticed by my fellow players, ‘owever. M. Grouch warned me zat other players were seeing me as a meatshield and zat ‘e worried about my chances longterm. M. Cohle told me zat I was ze strongest PMer in ze game, and zat everyone ‘ad identified me as such and would not be willing to take me to ze end. I saw ze danger of me being eventually cut looming in ze distance. Despite zis, ‘ere I sit, in ze F2, not ‘aving won my way ‘ere, but ‘aving been taken ‘ere. In order to accomplish zat, I ‘ad to put in work. In order to accomplish zat, I ‘ad to use my leetle grey cells.

Part Deux: Ze Leetle Grey Cells

If you take nothing else about my strategic game away from zis section of my speech, take away zat I was constantly thinking and constantly working. Every interaction, every strategy PM, everything zat I did in ze game was a chance to benefit myself. Zis section will focus more on a few key important decisions zan on ze smaller, daily decisions zat go into playing Survivor, but I ‘ope zat eet will give you a sense of my thought process throughout ze game so zat you can ask about ze individual decisions zat matter most to you during questioning. I did ‘ave a lot of agency during ze premerge, and I did make decisions zere zat were crucial for ze rest of my game, including some impressive mechanical play with ze tiger idol, but for ze purposes of length, I’m going to begin at ze second round of merge.

M. McGruff

An important early decision zat I made in ze merge was my decision to target M. McGruff at ze second tribal council.  Zere was a lot of confusion about M. McGruff’s decision to vote for M. Peralta ze previous round, but I actually did not care about zat or what ze truth about zat was much at all. I wanted M. McGruff eliminated for my own reasons, mainly because M. Kennedy ‘ad told me zat M. McGruff and M. Peralta were ‘is two closest allies in ze game other zan me, and I saw M. McGruff as ze one person who could pry M. Kennedy away from ze M. Peralta-SVU majority zat I was trying to form. I also really wanted M. Peralta to be alive for as long as I could keep ‘im alive, both because we ‘ad an agreement to go to ze end together which I actually trusted ‘e would keep and because ‘e was such a ‘uge distracting presence zat kept people from looking at me (and voting for me). I’m definitely not ze sole person be’ind M. McGruff’s elimination, but I did fight ‘ard for eet from ze very beginning of ze round, and I was one of ze people who benefited from eet ze most.

[close]

M. Grouch

Ze M. Grouch vote at final nine was, à mon avis, ze defining move of ze game zat established ze trajectory zat ‘as led to me sitting in ze F2 aujourd’hui. Without eet, I think ze entire landscape of ze game ees different. While I do not claim sole responsibility for M. Grouch’s elimination, I do believe zat I was a ‘uge part of eet ‘appening when and ‘ow eet did, and eet ees my most interesting and controversial choice of ze game. I knew coming into ze final nine zat either Mlle Garcia, M. Cohle, M. Grouch, or M. Morningstar would ‘ave to be ze boot. I was in such a strong position with SVU+M. Peralta, ‘aving ‘ad so much time to solidify my relationships, and M. Peralta, M. Briscoe, and Mlle Hopps were all players who I trusted, but who I also knew would attract a lot of attention and probably be targeted before me. Keeping shields in front of me was a ‘uge component of my strategy zis game because when you are such a conspicuous player as Hercule Poirot, you need other conspicuous players around to take some of ze pressure off of you. Although I genuinely liked and trusted all of M. Grouch, Mlle Garcia, M. Morningstar, and M. Cohle, I also knew zat ze direction zey wanted ze game to go in and ze direction I wanted ze game to go in were extremely different, and I did not see a path to ze end for me with all of zem still in ze game at 8.

So I knew which side I was going to side with almost immediately, but ze specific choice of M. Grouch as ze target was incredibly difficile, because on 99 M. Grouch was my closest ally and ‘e was someone who I had built up mutual trust with and who I adored as a person and initially planned to go far with. Ultimately, ‘owever, I realized zat ze trust I ‘ad built up, in a situation where I ‘ad to betray eet and openly work against ‘im, actually became a detriment. Our relationship was built on honesty with each other, and me being dishonest in such a flagrant way I knew would cause irreparable damage to our relationship, whereas people I ‘ad connected less with at zis point such as M. Cohle actually became closer to me as a result of zis move. For zis raison, and for other raisons, I went with my leetle grey cells over my ‘eart and pushed for M. Grouch to be eliminated. I’m sure zat others wanted M. Grouch independently of me, but I was ze first one to bring eet up in ze groupchat zat voted together, and I think without my influence, zere ees an excellent chance zat M. Morningstar ees targeted ‘ere instead of M. Grouch, so especially in ze context of who I’m sitting next to maintenant, zis was one of my most important decisions of ze game.

[close]

M. Peralta and M. Briscoe

In many ways, I think of ze premerge and early merge leading up to ze M. Grouch boot as me building up a fortress around myself, and zen from ze M. Grouch boot on, ze floodgates were opened and eet was time to see if my fortress could withstand ze storm. And was zere ever a storm. Mlle Hopps was one of my favorite people in zis game and someone who I immediately knew would be an amazing ally for me, but we are extremely different players. I prefer getting myself into a strong position and zen defending zat position, whereas Mlle Hopps thrives in chaos. I knew what I was getting myself into when I chose to ally with and form a F2 with ‘er, but even still, ze aggressiveness with which she was willing to force ze M. Peralta and M. Briscoe eliminations against my will genuinely surprised me. I ‘ad guessed zat she might try to get M. Peralta very soon after ze M. Grouch vote, but I thought zat I could talk ‘er out of eet. Zis proved to be impossible. Both of zese eliminations were in my opinion not good moves for my game, and I fought as ‘ard as I could against zem, literally for hours and hours.

I do think, 'owever, zat I showed my strength and confidence in myself as a player during zese rounds. I was always fighting for what I believed was best for me, and I knew zat I was a strong enough player zat even if I tried something and eet failed, I would be able to recover. Par exemple, I attempted to flip ze vote around on M. Kennedy in order to save M. Briscoe, and M. Kennedy found out about eet, and yet I was able to entirely salvage my relationship with M. Kennedy and blindside ‘im once again when I finally did remove ‘im at F4. And if I was not going to control what was actually ‘appening, I was going to control ze narrative, and I made sure zat everyone knew zat I ‘ad nothing to do with M. Peralta and M. Briscoe going so zat Mlle Hopps took all of ze blame, which allowed me to pivot and form a F4 alliance with M. Kennedy, M. Cohle, and M. Morningstar, seamlessly adapting to ze changing circumstances.

[close]

Mlle Hopps and Mlle Garcia

Mlle Hopps and Mlle Garcia were always going to be ze next two boots after M. Briscoe was gone provided zat zey did not win Immunity. Eet was clear to me zat I might not be able to save either of zem even if I wanted to, but I didn’t especially want to, given zat zey were both challenge threats and not ideal people for me to sit next to in ze end, though I did connect extremely well socially with both of them. I’m not sure if zey were removed in ze right order for me or not, but I do think zat Mlle Hopps going first was fine, especially since Mlle Hopps ‘ad revealed to me zat she ‘ad been throwing challenges and, while I don’t think Mlle Hopps would ‘ave gunned for me at 5 if she ‘ad won Immunity, I was relatively confident zat I could get M. Kennedy eliminated at 5 instead of me in ze unlucky event zat Mlle Garcia 'ad won Immunity zere. As eet 'appened, eet did not matter and zey both went ‘ome, as I expected zem to after M. Briscoe was gone. Neither of zese votes were fun votes to cast, and Mlle Hopps' vote was a betrayal a F2 deal, but I do think zey were necessary steps on my journey to ze end of ze game.

[close]

M. Kennedy

And now we come to ze crown jewel of my game, ze final four. Ze fact zat I was able to pull zis off, with some ‘elp from M. Cohle naturellement, ees legitimately incroyable, and I think deserves so much credit. I knew from ze beginning of ze round zat either M. Kennedy or M. Morningstar would ‘ave to go ‘ome as soon as I saw zat eet was a F2. I ‘ad been developing a tight relationship with M. Cohle for rounds, and I knew zat both of us were not people who M. Morningstar intended to take to ze end, so in order to get one of us into zat F2 chair in ze event zat M. Morningstar won ze F3 Immunity, which as eet ‘appens ees exactly what ‘appened, we both agreed zat we would vote together and zat we would not tell either of ze other players what we were doing. M. Kennedy told me zat ‘e was going to vote for M. Morningstar as long as ‘e lost Immunity, which I believed, but zen when M. Morningstar won ze challenge, my decision was made for me, and I cast my vote for M. Kennedy five minutes after I saw ze challenge results. Most of ze time, I think zis round ends in a firemaking challenge between myself and M. Kennedy, but I ‘ad no guarantee zat I could win zat. I was not going to leave anything up to chance. Both M. Morningstar and M. Kennedy told me zat zey were strongly leaning towards voting for me early in ze round, and from zere I was ready to put in work. I began by pleading with M. Kennedy. Eet became clear zat M. Kennedy was content with zere being a firemaking challenge, but ‘e did not want to vote for and potentially alienate M. Cohle. I zen approached M. Morningstar, and actually succeeded in convincing ‘im zat taking out M. Cohle was ze smarter move for ‘is game, but M. Morningstar was not willing to make ze move without M. Kennedy. So I zen ‘ad to return to M. Kennedy, and, in exchange for my Jury vote, I convinced M. Kennedy to lie to M. Morningstar and say zat ‘e was voting for M. Cohle while actually voting for me. I was definitely chanceux zat M. Kennedy was even open to doing zat, and I wouldn't 'ave been able to convince every player in zat situation, but ze fact remains zat ze vote started out 2-2 and through my 'ard work, eet became 2-1-1. Zis was ze only way zat zis vote did not end in a firemaking challenge, and I managed to pull eet off. I saw my incredibly narrow path and seized eet. I said zat my goal was 2-1-1 to M. Cohle at ze very beginning of ze round, and zen I actually accomplished zat.

I duped M. Kennedy. I tricked ‘im into voting ‘imself out of ze game. I felt incredibly guilty about eet, especially because M. Kennedy ees someone I genuinely loved meeting and playing with and I was laying ze emotional manipulation on ‘im thick while voting for ‘im ze entire time, but I felt zat eet was nécessaire in order to keep myself alive and not leave my fate up to a firemaking challenge. No matter what you think about ze rest of my game, I think zat my play zis round speaks for eetself. I outplayed M. Kennedy and M. Morningstar, and make no mistake, if not for my play zis round, I would not be sitting in ze F2 aujourd’hui.

[close]

La Fin

Mes amis, I stand before you ‘aving truly given zis game everything zat I ‘ad in me. I’m very proud of ze game zat I played and of ze fact zat I am sitting ‘ere in ze end, but I also am aware zat my success came at your expense. I ‘ad to make some betrayals to get to zis point, and I take responsibility for zem. Sending wall PMs to M. Grouch acting like nothing was wrong while secretly voting ‘im out was horrible. Emotionally manipulating M. Kennedy into casting a vote zat I knew would send ‘im ‘ome 'urt mon coeur. Zere were moments in zis game where I felt like a bad person because of ze lengths I was willing to go to for ze sake of my game. I broke a F2 with Mlle Hopps. I tried to get Mlle Garcia eliminated for multiple rounds in a row despite 'er being one of ze people I socially connected with best in ze whole game. I absolutely understand if you cannot bring yourselves to give me your votes, but I do ‘ope zat I can earn zem, or even if I cannot, zat you can find eet within you to forgive me and understand why I acted ze way zat I did. Everything zat I did, I did because I thought eet was ze smartest move for my game. I was aggressive. I was cutthroat. I did what I ‘ad to do in order to advance myself. But for any emotional pain zat my play caused anyone, I am truly, truly sorry.

Despite all of zat, I am proud of my game. I was proactive player. I shaped ze trajectory zat zis game took. I maneuvered my way to a F3 where I believe (M. Cohle can correct me if I’m wrong) both players I was sitting with were taking me to ze end if zey won zat final challenge. I went longer zan anyone else in ze game without receiving votes. I made multiple big moves zat ‘elped to advance my interests. And I did all of zis while being universally seen as one of ze biggest social threats in ze game and never sacrificing ze caractérisation of Hercule Poirot. I think zat I would make an extremely worthy winner, if you allow me to become one. I look forward to your questions. Thank you all for a fantastique game. Merci pour tout.

[Joss Carter]

Closing Speeches Below This Post

[Joss Carter]

Well, mes amis, ‘ere we are at ze end of ze road and, as ees so often ze case in zese games, I find myself laid bare. I believe zat in Survivor, whether you like eet or not, your true nature ees revealed to yourself. And now, as ze game winds down, I think I realize what part of myself zis game ‘as exposed. I think zat eet can be summed up in one word:

Spoiler

Effort.

[close]

I ‘ave put so much effort into zis game, mes amis. I ‘ave probably put too much effort into eet. From ze moment I received my acceptance PM until zis moment maintenant, I ‘ave cared so much and I ‘ave tried so, so ‘ard. Before ze game even began, I compiled a list of French phrases used by Poirot in ze novels to aid in my characterization. I spent hours upon hours perfecting my representation of Poirot throughout ze game (and in my confessional), sending enormous wall PMs peppered with French words and phrases. My elaborate posting gimmick was in and of eetself a testament to my effort and ees ze perfect representation of ze kind of person and player zat I am, but my effort went far beyond zat. And just as effort can be a strength, eet can also be a weakness.

I put effort into getting to know every person I met, even people like M. Blart who I knew were about to unanimously go ‘ome. I put effort into socializing  and effort into making genuine bonds. I enjoyed eet, but I could not do anything else. Zere ees a reason zat I ‘ave spent more time on ze forum zan any other player. I was incapable of not putting in effort. Eet ees at ze ‘eart of who I am.

I developed a reputation as a social threat because I ‘ad to put in effort. When I was in danger, or even sometimes when an ally was in danger, I ‘ad to fight as ‘ard as I could and leave everything on ze table. I played ze game, 'ard, round after round, to keep myself in ze best possible spot. Zis ees not a choice for me, mes amis.  Eet ees a compulsion. Eet ees not something zat I can ‘elp. Eet ees something zat I bring to everything zat I do. Eet ees too central to who I am as a person for me to leave at ze door.

At times, my effort led me to do things zat I know some of you are uncomfortable with. I understand and respect zat. If zat ees what costs me your vote, eet ees perfectly raisonnable, and I do not blame you. But please do understand zat eet brought me no pleasure, as much as I ‘ave touted eet as a strength throughout FTC. I will apologize for ze emotional pain zat I caused, but I will not apologize for putting in effort. I will not apologize for always doing everything zat I could to keep myself in ze game.

At FTC, I felt myself putting in effort, as I always ‘ave. I think at times I put in too much effort. I put in so much effort zat eet seems like I need to put in zat much effort to sell my game. I don't. My game stands on eets own. At times people told me zat things I was saying were not acknowledging enough of my faults or only telling people what I think zey want to 'ear. I don’t necessarily agree with zose criticisms, but I understand where zey come from. I 'ave never intentionally misrepresented my game. I stand by most of what I 'ave said. I legitimately think zat my game ees fantastique, and I wanted to ‘elp you all to see zat.

But in pursuit of zat goal, I ‘ave per’aps oversold my case. When I put so much effort into constructing every response, eet may 'ave made zose responses seem less genuine. If zat ees why you find yourself unable to vote for me, zen again, I understand completely, but I do urge you to really strongly consider zat. Because beneath all of zat effort at FTC, zere ees hundreds of times more effort throughout ze game.

Even if you disagree with many of ze arguments I ‘ave made at FTC or didn’t appreciate ze way I advocated for my game, my FTC ees ze perfect embodiment of ‘ow I ‘ave played zis entire time. Just as I was working every angle zat I could for myself in each FTC response, I also worked every angle zat I could every round zat I was in ze game. I will not apologize for trying to sell my game as best I could. Zat ees what I must do at FTC. I will not apologize for my effort.

Because ‘ere ees ze thing, mes amis. As much as effort can be flawed, as much as eet can lead you down ultimately destructive paths, pour moi, ze effort ees enough. Eet ees enough because eet ‘as to be enough. Eet ees enough because eet ees what I ‘ave to offer ze world.

And when eet comes to effort, I believe zat ze good outweighs ze bad. I could not live with myself if I came to FTC and did not pitch my game as ‘ard as I could and zen lost. Or if I ‘adn’t tried what I did at 4 and went ‘ome to a firemaking challenge. Or if I ‘ad not removed M. Grouch at 9 and zen M. Grouch became my undoing in ze game. I could not ‘ave lived with myself if I didn’t fight as ‘ard as I could to save M. Briscoe and M. Peralta, even if eet was unsuccessful. Or if I didn’t build every social bond zat I could to ze best of my ability, even if zat meant ‘aving to sever some of zem in brutal ways. Or if I didn’t give zis game every ounce of effort zat I ‘ad in ze tank. Eet goes against my nature as a ‘uman being.

None of zis means zat I don’t take responsibility for zese things. I do. I understand ze problems of too much effort left unchecked. I understand ze shortcomings of my game and of me as a person. When you play with such single-minded determination, you can sometimes lose perspective on things, and zere definitely were moments where I did zat.

But pour moi, ze effort ees enough. Ze fight ees enough. Ze willingness to make crazy plays. To push your own limits. To take risks and see if zey pay off. To backstab friends. To lie. To blindside. To do whatever eet takes.

I will not apologize for zat. I will not apologize for who I am as a person, for one of my best traits and one of my worst.

I do not mean to suggest zat M. Morningstar did not put in effort. ‘E did. I’m sure ‘e wants to win as badly as I do. But effort does not dominate ‘is personality. Eet ees not ‘is defining trait.

If you want to vote for restraint, vote for M. Morningstar. I ‘ave no restraint. I ‘ave no subtlety. I am unwilling to not push things as far as I can possibly take zem in ze pursuit of my goals. Zat ees not what I bring to life, and zat ees not what I brought to zis game.

If you want to vote for effort, vote for me. If you want to vote for someone who really really really wants to win and who was willing to do whatever eet took in ze pursuit of ze win, vote for me. If you want to vote for someone who cares so much, too much, about zis Internet forum game, someone who played ‘ard and made moves and ‘ad control and lost control and regained control and fought ‘ard for everything zat ‘e was given, zen vote for me.

I will not directly compare my game to M. Morningstar’s in zis speech. I don’t think I need to. I think you all know ze games zat we played. Most of you probably already know which type of game you respect more. I do not think either game ees a bad one, and if ‘e wins, I will be ‘appy for ‘im. Zis ‘as been a ‘ard fought FTC.

But I will say zat I want eet so badly, mes amis. I want eet more zan I can even put into words. Because I ‘ave invested so much time, so much energy, so much effort into zis game. I ‘ave poured my ‘eart and soul into eet. Round after round I ‘ave fought. Winning zis would mean so, so much to me. Eet would mean zat everything, all of eet, all of ze work, all of ze betrayals, all of ze hours spent thinking, spent socializing, spent fighting, all of ze effort, all of eet was worth eet.

Zat does not mean zat I automatically deserve your votes, ‘owever. If you think zat M. Morningstar played ze better game or earned your vote in some other way, zen your vote ees yours and you can do with eet what you please. I respect whatever choice you make.

My game ees a strong one. I think I laid eet out fairly clearly in my opening speech, and apart from a few minor changes, I think zat most of zat speech still ees ‘ow I feel about eet maintenant. If you still are undecided, reread my speech. Reread FTC. Decide for yourself what type of gameplay you want to see in games, what type of gameplay you most respect in zis game in particular. And zen if you still can't decide, vote for effort.

I ‘ope zat my effort ees enough. I ‘ave nothing more to give you. I ‘ave nothing more to give zis game. I ‘ave nothing more to give myself, so for me, eet ‘as to be enough. My effort ees ze raison zat I made eet to ze end to plead my case in ze first place. I cannot regret eet.

And now eet ees in your ‘ands. You ‘ave to put in some effort. You ‘ave to decide what matters to you. You ‘ave to decide what type of winner you want to see. I’m leaving zis game ze same way zat I came into eet. I'm putting in effort and fighting until ze last. Eet ees ze only thing zat I know ‘ow to do.

 I ‘ave tried to keep zis speech as authentique to me and to ze game zat I played and ze person zat I am as possible. I ‘ope zat you agree. I ‘ope zat ze effort ees enough for you aussi. I ‘ope zat when you go to cast your vote, you vote for Poirot.

Merci beaucoup for a great game and for a respectful FTC. I’m so glad to ‘ave met all of you. No matter what, I’m proud of what I accomplished zis game, and I ‘ad such a good time. Eet was an honor to play zis game representing Hercule Poirot. I ‘ope zat I did ‘im justice.

And now, eet ees time to say au revoir, mes amis. Au revoir. I gave zis game everything zat I 'ave. Zere ees nothing more zat I can do.

[Joss Carter]

Jurors,

When I first started playing this game 49 days ago- making it this far seemed unthinkable. I was simply excited to experience all the amazing challenges the mods had planned for us, meet wonderful new people and see just how far I could go in this game. Little did I know, I would make it all the way here. It was a tough fight- I met challenges every single step of the way. I was constantly losing valuable friends and wondering if the next tribal was the one that would finally end my journey- despite these struggles, I never gave up hope and continued the good fight. I could not be happier to have been able to make my case before you over the past few days- it was a blessing. To see all the hard work and time and emotion I poured into not only this game, but the many before it, pay off and get me to the end was a dream come true. It fulfilled a dream I've had since being voted out second many years ago when I first joined this site. Today, you have to make the all important decision of who wins this game. I would be blessed and honored if you would choose me- it would be my crowning achievement and mean so much to me.

This final tribal council presented you with a distinct choice between two very different players in myself and Hercule. We both got here from very different paths- when Hercule's name came up at the F11 vote, it was immediately shot down. He enjoyed safety almost the entire game. Mine was not. I received my first vote at the Strike Team tribal council and from then on my name was commonplace in the discussion of who to send home at every single early merge tribal council. I dealt with setbacks repeatedly as I lost multiple allies early on. Yet I persevered and made it here against the odds and the wishes of Hercule Poirot- who wanted a much different Final 3 and 2.

When you compare our games to determine who to vote for- you'll notice that they're drastically different. That's because the way we played, the way we viewed our relationships and the strategies we used were contrary to each other. Hercule's biggest accomplishments in this game were the "defining move of ze game" where he eliminated Grouch and the "crown jewel" of his game where he voted out Leon. Those are the key moves he's going to use to try to prove to you that he had more agency in this game than I did. The fact that he can claim those blindsides as part of his resume and I can't isn't an accident and it's intentional on my part. I didn't want to backstab people- when I voted each of you out I tried to do it amicably and I'm fairly sure each of you pretty much knew when I was voting for you.

It also reveals how differently me and Hercule see this game. He directly attributed the fact that he was able to emotionally manipulate Leon to the hours of work he had put into building that relationship prior to that TC and made his move at F4 by telling Leon he had no chance of winning without him. For Hercule- even the relationships he built in this game were a commodity he was willing to exploit. By repeatedly highlighting how "great" of a move he made and relishing in the details of how he got Leon eliminated, he is celebrating the emotional abuse he was able inflict on Leon. On one hand, he's spent this final tribal council touting these "great" moves and the backstabbing he was able to do and on the other- he's been apologizing to Leon and Grouch and the people he hurt saying he felt awful and to only remember the good moments with him. It's hypocritical and contradictory. A leopard never changes its spots and Hercule Poirot never stops the two-faced trickery. Like some of you have experienced, Hercule apologized to me after the Final 9 vote when he lied to me and said he felt terrible about it- but it didn't stop him from trying to deceive me just a few rounds later at Final 4. His words were empty to me like they probably are to many of you right now. Hercule's entire performance at this final tribal council has been contradictory- he's been telling you exactly what you want to hear with no regard for honesty or accuracy.

The fact that Hercule has highlighted those two moves as his biggest and best in this game is also an attempt to hide a rather lackluster performance on his part. Hercule successfully pulled off the "defining" move of eliminating Grouch and then what happened immediately after? Jake and Lennie- two people that he had promised to go deep into this game with went home. What good was a massive blindside to Hercule if the aftermath saw him lose two incredibly close allies? And why was he afraid of Grouch anyway? It was flashy- sure, but it didn't make any sense or accomplish anything for Hercule. The "crown jewel" in Leon's elimination resulted from similar circumstances. It was only necessary, because Hercule had worked himself into a very poor position- realistically he had little control over the votes from F8 on and had to play desperately. And even then- the outcome was not as beneficial as he would like you to believe. He ended up at an F3 with two players that were significantly better at challenges than him and the only reason he even made it to this final tribal council was because I wanted him here and won the challenge to make it happen. His two best moves in this game, while flashy, lacked any real and significant positives for him and came at the cost of his integrity. It sounds like his jewel might just be a worthless fake.

It's quite fitting that my biggest accomplishments in this game are drastically different than Poirot's and the way you view them is quite different. I survived the difficult early merge rounds by keeping my head low and dodging the vote. I managed to turn the tide against Hercule's SVU+Jake alliance when they had the majority at F8. I won immunity in the latter stages of the game when I needed it most. Some of the votes that had the biggest impact on getting me here aren't attributed solely to me and that's probably made many of you hesitant to vote for me- but personally, that's something good about the way I played. One of my strengths was the alliances I was able to build. I was able to work with a lot of amazing people and it was only through my relationships with Rust, Penelope and Judy that I was able to overcome that majority and make it here. I was able to build enough relationships to get to the end without trickery- simply relying on the bonds I'd made and my prowess at navigating the structural parts of this game. I didn't have to emotionally abuse someone to get here or blindside a friend-in fact, that option was never even on the table for me, because I had planned well enough in advance to position myself to make it here without that.

I've tried to be as upfront and honest with you as I can, because it's the least you deserve. I haven't felt a need to embellish my game because it's good enough as is. It wasn't perfect, but I played well. From the start of merge I knew that a lot had to go right for me to make it here. Like I do now, I realized then that the perception of me wasn't great. There were a lot of players that could have beat me on the journey here. I realized that and systematically made sure they went home one-by-one. I wasn't necessarily the one leading the charge most of the time, instead I was the little devil on everyone's shoulder making sure things went the way I wanted. For instance, while nobody was surprised when Judy and Penelope went home at F6 and F5 due to a consensus that had been reached beforehand- I was who easily benefited the most from it. They were two players I couldn't consistently beat in challenges and in a jury vote. Their eliminations were a crucial step in removing shields, so that Rust could go later and it set me up with a dream scenario of Hercule and Leon at the final four in a situation where I could easily win the challenges I needed to. It's not an accident I'm here. I was lurking in the shadows for the entire game, overcoming any unexpected obstacles in my path and slowly and steadily making sure I made it here in a situation where I could win.

-----

Pikachu,
It sounds like your vote is already decided and I wholeheartedly understand why- it was despicable. Nonetheless, you said communication was important this game and I think I demonstrated I could communicate well and more importantly- ethically. I did it in the time we were able to spend together in this game, with other players and at Final Tribal Council.

Scruff,
You seem to care about the game holistically. I think I've demonstrated that I handled all aspects of this game well. My social game was solid- I made the connections I needed to. I cultivated relationships and worked with many people to get deep into the game. My strategy was good- I knew where I stood in the game and made sure I established a trajectory that would get me deep into this game and put me into favorable positions where I was never out of it. My structural game was also good- I made the most of my opportunities on every tribe, I played around items and I won the challenges I needed to. Sure- there were a few mistakes, but I don't think you can point to any serious or major deficiencies on my part in any aspect of the game.

Grouch,
This game has taught me a lot. Even now, writing this speech and during the final tribal council I've been learning. I think the fact that I made it here was evidence of some of the improvements I was able to make. I've had a tendency to freak out when people suggest my name as a vote and I kind of did that right at first on the Strike Team a little bit, but as this game has progressed and my name came up a lot- I think I learned to handle it much better. My social game is far from perfect, but I think it has come a long way and this game has only given me the tools to further develop it. Seeing the way all of you approached this game has given me some ideas of my own. I think my jury management was better than it's been in the past. I know I could improve even more, but I do think I handled some situations much better. As a person, this game has meant so much. I've always struggled with negativity in my life- like I tend to be a very very negative person and it's not healthy for me. I came into this FTC expecting a lot of bitterness from you all and instead it's been so so positive. That has meant so much and I hope that perhaps I can recreate that and pass it on. It's inspirational. In particular, I think about the way Penelope handled being voted out with so much grace and the way Leon was an incredibly positive person basically no matter what was going on. That meant so much to me and genuinely touched me. This has been an experience I will never forget and one that will continually impact me.

Jake,
The fact that you tell me that alienating me was your biggest mistake already hints at how integral I was to this game. I realize I didn't make the big flashy moves you wanted to see, but at this tribal council- I don't think it matters. If I was sitting here against any of my allies then frankly, you wouldn't vote for me and I completely understand that and I realized that a long time ago. They had much more vocal and public roles in this game and I knew that if I wanted to win I couldn't sit here against any of them. While I loved all of them, that's why Grouch, Judy, Penelope and Rust ended up on the jury. I knew that if I wanted to win I had to face a member of the "other" alliance who was weaker- somebody that hadn't been a part of the same moves I had. I accomplished that- from F8 onward the trajectory of this game was one that uniquely benefited me as the threats to my game slowly went home one-by-one and now I'm here by virtue of that planning. The players I played "second fiddle" to aren't here and the votes they organized helped me and brought about their own demise. It's not a game of dominant control filled with big moves like you wanted, instead it's a more subtle one, but I think it's still a good one and one you should vote for.

Lennie,
Through answering your questions, I think I was able to explain that I had some control over this game, which is obviously important to you. If I had enough control to deserve a vote is ultimately up to you to decide, but I think I did. Furthermore, I think I justified your elimination. I realize you weren't as threatening as a lot of the people who went around that time, but it was still an important step for me getting here and I hope you can respect the fact that I tried to be honest with you about it. I did my best to treat every juror fairly and with dignity this game and I think I did that with you. I believe it is enough to earn your vote.

Judy,
You seem to really care about the votes. I think I explained how I was integral and important to a lot of the votes that happened and that I exhibited independence from you and Rust when I felt I needed to. My bonds with you two were two of my biggest assets this game, but there were multiple times where I went against those and tried to make the moves I felt were necessary without consulting you or Rust, because it was what I had to do. You particularly asked about the vote where you went home and I think I demonstrated clear agency there. When presented with the choice, Hercule repeatedly told me he wanted you to stay- so while he's tried to own that vote, it was one he was opposed to and one that I made happen. I know there's no hard feelings on your end, but I do feel bad about lying to you because it's something I tried to avoid this game. I think the control I demonstrated should be enough for your vote.

Penelope,
I think you experienced a little bit of my strategy through working together and I was able to paint a clear view of what I did during FTC. You also seemed to care about your vote- and I think I explained why it was necessary. All my allies were great and you had a special place in my heart throughout this game. But you were also all threats to me and I think I needed to take you out and I believe I did so in a fair way. Connecting with you was easily one of the best things I did this entire game. I felt like we had a lot of ups and downs early on and I recall considering you as a possible vote if we ever went to tribal council on the BAU, but I was really glad that never happened. Being able to work with you since the start of merge was crucial for my game and furthermore, it was an absolute joy. You were such a fun person to talk to and hang out with. Getting messages from you was always a treat and I loved working with you. I kept 'favorability rankings' in my confessional during this game and you easily made the biggest jump. Most of the people who started out at the bottom were quickly voted out of this game, but you were able to climb all the way to the top and I think that just shows how far our relationship came. I enjoyed spending time with you a lot- I hope you feel the same way and I hope that's enough to earn your vote.

Leon,
I'm sorry we weren't able to make it farther and I'm sorry the communication with you on my part wasn't perfect. I still think you should vote for me. I remember telling you that I thought you played really well and I genuinely meant that. You should be proud. Making it deep into this game is always a struggle. Especially for someone playing in their first game- I never came close to making it this far in my first game. So while our relationship was short lived, it still meant something to me and I hope it does for you. I admired how positive and nice of a person you were. I never exploited our relationship and the personal connection we made and furthermore, I hope you can take solace knowing that I never did that to anyone in this game. It was a line I would never cross and I certainly wouldn't brag about the details of it if I did. I hope that the relationship we genuinely built was enough to earn your vote. Hercule was never going to give him your jury vote if you didn't save him, so why give Hercule yours when he didn't save you?

Rust,
I think you also valued control over the game and I think I demonstrated that. I think you were also upset about the way our relationship ended and I take full responsibility for that. If it's worth anything, I promise I wasn't intentionally absent and I realize I could've managed my time better at the end. I don't think I was manipulated much at all this game and I hope you were able to see that firsthand. Just because I played in a subtle way from the shadows doesn't mean I was just doing everyone else's bidding. I hope through our relationship and this FTC you were able to see enough to believe that and vote for me. And if the light's winning- well my name does mean the "light-bringer"

-----

I think I've presented a game that wasn't just representative of me and my journey, but also representative of this game holistically. Hercule tried to paint a game of flawless game-play where he used every interaction to benefit himself, but I think you know and I've demonstrated that it was far from true. Instead it was a gilded presentation designed to hide the truth. I've been quite the opposite. I know the game I played wasn't perfect, but that's what makes it real. You all had your hiccups this game and so did I, even this game had its hiccups (*cough* challenge 11 *cough*). But despite that, the game I played was one of resilience and perseverance. Fighting against the odds and never giving up- just like the way all of you played. Without the struggles and challenges I faced, the triumph would be meaningless.

I poured countless hours into this game. It was a tumultuous journey of many emotional highs and lows. I am so appreciative for the chance to plead my case before all of you to win this game. I've cried when I've been voted out of these games before and I'd probably cry if I finally won one, it would mean the world to me. Getting to spend the last seven weeks with all of you is an experience I will never forget. It's been a really fun ride and I couldn't be more blessed to have been apart of this game. While far from perfect, I played well and more importantly- I strived to treat every single one of you with dignity and respect. I hope you feel the same way and feel that my performance is worthy of your vote.

-Lucifer Morningstar