"For the former question, I will take the round prior, when Lion was eliminated. I am not allowed to quote PMs, but I have (quite heavily) paraphrased every PM we sent that round."
It turns the notepad to the Rat.
Immediately following the Bunny vote:
K: Can you 'tell me about the double vote' now?
E: Oh, right (proceeds to send a PM detailing exactly what the double vote is and why it was given to me, which Kestrel had already heard the previous round)
K: Thank you, *sarcastically* oh great and mighty eagle, because I am an idiot and obviously didn't know
E: *Laughs, points out that K is in the best position in the game rn*
K: I need to be surprised, right?
E: Unless you think it's better if people know you knew.
K: I'll save that til FTC. Gives me a reason to vote Capy out.
E: I'm going to sleep now.
K: Can I talk to you about something first?
E: Yes, sure
K: Lion's negging is making me think that you might have had that plan hours before and didn't care about my opinion on it. And that's fine but, I'd like to know if so?
E: I thought about it a long time before, but you were the first person I asked and I only went to the Aquatica group after you.
K: Alright, I trust you. Good night
E: Good night
The next day:
K: I have buyer's remorse, and didn't get enough sleep
E: I didn't either. I'm also not sure whether it was right, Lion is outright hostile to me and Rat is not talking to me
K: Lion had a breakdown, but I don't know if it was real. Rat sent Capy a snarky message about wasting the double vote. I really dislike that Terra is being so negative.
E: I think Lion's breakdown is real, he's usually very fast to try to make up after things like this and he just seems out of it now.
K: I'm not sure. He knows he's in a bad position, but I think he's also genuinely stressed.
E: Lion's latest message has me feeling really bad. It feels more disappointed than angry. But I've also heard that he's already pitching me as a vote to Capybara. I kind of just want to ditch the conversation and vote him out; I know I can't go to F4 with him and I don't want to lie to him again.
K: Remember at least some of what happened was due to his own idol claim. So you're not completely to blame. And re: your feelings, the thing is I'm having similar ones about Capy; he's never straight with me despite me constantly trying to get him to be. And I know he's an easier beat but I'm just not okay with going forward with him.
<There was also some conversation about my voyage to London and getting pizza in these messages, but I have removed the not-game-related stuff>
E: Lion's messages feel like they're getting past 'screw you' and into 'let's talk a little', so maybe that would be okay. But I'm worried because he's already pitched my name to Capy. If you want to take Capy out, we'd need to convince Lion to stop going after me. And that still leaves an angry Cat.
E: Is there a way we could take Capy out with me being 'blindsided' like you were last round? So that the Cat stays close to me? Me flipping on the revote would be understandable I think.
K: Lion seems to be considering Capy. The Rat I don't know, he said he was replying to you. And I think Cat might be more amenable to a Capy vote than you think, but she is very frustrated at Lion and Rat. I just gave Capy another chance to be open with me and he was terrible.
E: If Lion really is okay with it, I'm okay with it. But I don't want to go to Cat about it, because if they react badly I think I'm on the block.
E: The Rat replied and it really annoyed me. He seems to think he was entitled to hear everything I was hearing when he's been gone for the entire merge, the only thing he told me strategically was before the TC that he wanted the Lion gone and then suddenly changed his tune at TC, and he told the Lion everything I actually did share with him.
E: Sorry for the rant, I'm just really annoyed right now.
Rat wins immunity
E: Lion says there's an Edge of Extinction. I'm kicking myself, I should have realised it earier. *Lists clues*. I feel like an idiot.
K: I hate that. And it's Terra getting all the items. And re: the Rat, that sounds like where I was at with Butterfly. I also think I might have messed up with the Cat, I don't know how to explain to them that Capybara being there is bad for them.
E: Lion told me that Frog might return and that Aquatica could reunite as a three at F6. But that feels like a bad pitch? Cat and Capybara have shown willing to vote Frog out. And practically everyone else will side with Lion. Also re: Cat, I don't think you've messed up, I haven't heard from her or Capybara about it anyway.
K: Lion just told me about EoE too. Same pitch. I'm frustrated, it feels like the game is throwing a structural curveball that'll take us two steps back. Cat just told me that they want to vote Lion, but I'm worried what happens to you and I next if we do that.
The next day
K: I'm stressed.
E: It's frustrating for sure, and I hate it too. I'm not sure what to do here. The Rat told me yesterday he can't go to the end with me, but also that he wasn't necessarily going to vote me here. I thought having two players angry at me would be fine because we're close, but suddenly we're not as close.
E: I think if any of Hedgehog/Bunny/Butterfly walk back in and Lion is still here, I'm just dead. They team up with Lion and Rat for sure. I think you make endgame in any of those situations, because you've been playing this really well, so these reasons don't really apply to you, but... I need Lion gone, I think. Can I ask what your worries about him staying are?
E: If you want Capybara gone, I will vote Capybara. You already gave up Bunny last round. I know I'm giving reasons for taking Lion out, but moving forward together is more important than how we do it.
K: I need to have a nap, I'm feeling really down about this twist. I'll give thoughts later.
E: I hope you get good sleep. I'm not sure what to tell people right now; I've told the Lion that if it ties, I won't go to rocks. I don't want to commit to anything until we've talked this out.
Later
K: I actually think the vote here is Lion. Terra sending him advantages and stuff is too threatening. And if he's got an idol, then at least Capy will be the target right now. And your arguments about the returnee twist are right, I think, unlike his and Rat's. Cat is not going to want to sit next to Frog at the end.
K: I'm worried about moving forward with Capy and how we handle that. But I think this is the right move right now.
E: Yeah, I agree. I'm willing to go with you either way but if I'm honest, I'm terrified of what happens if Lion stays. I'll try and make up with the Rat a bit so that we can take a shot at Capy next round instead?
E: I just had a conversation with Rat which... I'm not sure was right of me to do. Yesterday I was straightforward about how I felt about his inactivity, but I just kind of exagerrated how much I would have trusted him otherwise. I think it broke down a barrier and he was a lot more straightforward with me after it, but I don't know that it's made him like me any more.
K: Let Rat know that you want a Capy vote next round, I guess? It's weird because I thought I was close to Rat in the premerge too, but he basically stopped talking to me. I know he's going through RL stuff at the moment though. (EDIT: added 'next round' - it was clear in the PMs but not in this paraphrased version)
K: Capy is being like a bad manager. He's telling that I'm a valuable member of the team. It's pretty clear he just wants to keep my vote onside.
E: You're not happy with the employee of the month badge?
E: He's never really personal with me either, but it doesn't really matter because I'm happy to just talk strategy oneliners if someone wants to just talk strategy oneliners. I get why it's a problem though.
E: Did you see Lion's public post? He told me he has a steal-a-vote. Even if he does have it though, it sounds like he's planning to use it himself which means it'll be dead on the revote. So should be fine.
End of Phase