FTC closing speech v2

[Lucifer Morningstar]

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.

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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

[Lucifer Morningstar]

I edited this post, please take note and use the edited version for my speech.