Strategy talk starts to heat up

As the houseguests leave the backyard and head inside, the excitement over the competition is still buzzing in the air.

JULIAN (Diary Room) - "Damn! I was so close to winning that competition, but kudos to Victoria. She went for it and it paid off. Now, since Victoria's safe, I'll have to name a replacement nominee. This is not the end of the world, though. There are plenty of people I could put up who I'm not aligned with, and this gives me an opportunity to take a swing at a big target. I just need to figure out what decision is going to put me in the best position going forward."

In a back corner of the house, Alina breaks down, upset over her result in the competition. Eugene and Julian are at her side trying to comfort her as she cries, claiming how the competition was 'unfair' and 'stupid'.

EUGENE (Diary Room) - "Alina seems really down about her performance in the competition. I get why she's upset and I want to help her feel better but, at the same time, I can't help but feel annoyed about it. I'm the one stuck on the block. I'm the one in danger of going home. I should not have to be comforting YOU in this situation."

Raquel and Victoria are talking together in the storage room when you walk in. It's just the three of you, so as soon as the door closes, the two of them start silently cheering and dancing around and you quickly join in. Victoria runs up and wraps you in a tight hug, whispering "Thank you so much" into your ear as you return her embrace. Raquel also joins the hug for a brief moment before you break apart to avoid getting caught celebrating. The scent of Victoria's hair and the feeling of her lithe body pressed against yours linger in your mind. She's coming along nicely.

You don't want to spend too much time alone together, but you stay and talk to them briefly. Victoria lets you know that she told Raquel about how you threw the competition to her, and Raquel confirms she won't tell anyone else about it. Victoria proposes you all make a Final Three deal, which you and Raquel both happily accept. As the women exit the storage room leaving you alone, you look up at one of the cameras and give the audience at home a cheeky wink.

VICTORIA (Diary Room) - "I was already feeling good about Raquel and John as allies, but after John stuck his neck out for me in the Veto competition, I'm 100% locked in with them. If we can make it to the Final Three together, that would be a huge win."

RAQUEL (Diary Room) - "I'm so glad to officially have an alliance with John and my girl Victoria. They've both got good heads on their shoulders and I think they're going to be strong competitors. Things are starting to look up for Raquel."

Chirag and Derek are sitting together at the dining room table. Chirag has been trying to explain astrology to Derek after his comment about not understanding what 'Mercury in retrograde' meant. Roxy ends up joining them at the table and helps fill in the gaps where Chirag's knowledge is lacking.

ROXY - "How do you know so much about this, Chirag? Aren't you a computer guy?"

CHIRAG - "You'd be surprised how superstitious people in the tech world can be. How did you get into it?"

ROXY - "My best friend in high school. She was actually my first crush, but I didn't know that's what it was at the time. I just thought 'Wow, I want to be this girl's friend REALLY badly'."

The three of them laugh and bond together. Derek leaves the conversation a little more knowledgeable but still utterly baffled about astrology.

Late in the evening, after the competition set has been taken down and you're allowed out into the backyard again, you head out there and find Ellie sitting in the hammock. When she notices you approach, she smiles faintly, but you sense that same nervousness come over her that you saw last night. You ask Ellie if you can sit with her. She says 'yes', but you can still sense her growing unease. The hammock is big enough for two people, but you decide to sit on the grass so you can talk without invading her space. You start making small talk with Ellie, chatting about your history watching Big Brother, asking about her diet and exercise regimen, and you learn that she's a big fan of K-Pop and is learning to speak Korean.

After a while, you see Ellie start to visibly relax and open up more, so you transition into more personal subjects. You ask about her family and learn that she grew up in Seattle and was an only child. She had trouble making friends until she got into sports, and now her teammates are like the sisters she never had. You talk about her studies at UCLA, and learn that she's got a well-thought-out plan for a career in city management after volleyball. You talk with her until after the sun goes down, sharing stories, hopes and dreams until her body language becomes fully relaxed and comfortable. Eventually, when the timing feels right, you circle the conversation back to what you wanted to talk about in the first place.

John - "So, this thing between Daisy Mae and me. I'm not exactly sure what everyone in the house is saying, but I wanted to talk to you about it because it seemed like you had mixed reactions last night."

Ellie doesn't speak, but gives you a nod to continue.

John - "Daisy Mae and I connected quickly during the first couple of days, and she let me know that she wanted to have a more intimate connection with me. So far, we haven't done anything more than what you saw last night, but we like each other and I, for one, would like for our relationship to keep growing. That being said, I understand how uncomfortable that can be when it feels like someone comes into your space and takes over without warning. I did not intend to make you feel that sort of way, but I did and I'm sorry."

ELLIE - "It's okay. I know I can be awkward sometimes."

John - "That's exactly why I wanted to clear the air and just make sure you know that, if I'm doing anything that makes you uncomfortable, with Daisy Mae or otherwise, my door is always open. You can come talk to me or send a friend to talk to me, and I will listen. This game shouldn't have to get in the way of anyone enjoying their time here and feeling comfortable in their own space."

ELLIE - "I appreciate that. Thank you."

You wrap up your conversation with Ellie and, when she makes it clear that she wants to stay out in the hammock for a while longer, you leave her be and head inside to get ready for bed. You agreed with Daisy Mae to spend the night apart again in light of this conversation with Ellie. You head back into the side bedroom, which you're currently sharing with Ethan and Derek, and quickly pass out after an exhausting, but productive, day in the Big Brother house.

ELLIE (Diary Room) - "John's so sweet. He didn't have to come apologize to me. He should be able to have whatever kind of relationship he wants with Daisy Mae and not have to worry about people like me getting in the way. I've always been awkward, especially around guys, but the fact that he took that time to work through that with me today means a lot."