so, i’d like to preface this by saying that i completely understand that originality in the rpc is dying. writing a character with a completely original, never-been-seen-before background is RARE, and i completely get that. but there is a DIFFERENCE between taking inspiration from something and taking it, period. regardless, let’s get into this.
i joined pearlshq right before it opened ( and just in case anyone was interested, i was playing the dacre montgomery fc ) and during the process of reading everyone’s intros and liking them all, i started reading one that sounded familiar. it sounded like something i’d written in the past, and that started to worry me — so i started going through my old blogs, and bingo. on november 30th, 2017, i posted this intro for a roleplay i was in at the time, for a muse i had called bianca. ( keep in mind, i was still going under the pseudonym of ruby at this point. ) on january 14th, 2018, this intro ( screenshot here ) was posted. ( just in case she deletes any of her blogs, i have screenshots of all of this. ) firstly, i was hurt beyond belief. anyone that knows me is well aware that writing is my heart and soul, and that i put incredible amounts of work into what i do. i take my writing seriously, and the theft of my work is not something i’ll stand by and watch. admittedly, i didn’t know whether i had the right to be so angry — people get angry and call others out when they steal graphics, or roleplay ideas, but i’ve never seen someone get angry get over someone stealing someone else’s writing, especially not in the rpc. a very naïve part of me thought that hey, it’s just a one-time thing, just let it slide. unfortunately, i did a little more digging. at this time, this particular person was going under a pseudonym that i was familiar with, and i asked the admins of smokehq ( the main group that i’m in ) if we’d ever had that particular person in the group. we had, and as soon as i found the url of the account that that person had operated from, what did i find ? more of my writing, blatantly stolen. on december 1st, 2017, i posted this reply. on december 28th, 2017, this starter ( screenshot here ) was posted. at this point, i was ANGRY and felt fully validated in that anger because that’s two counts of stealing my shit, and i’m not okay with that under any circumstance. i told my friends in smoke what was up, and lo and behold — - one of my friends came forth with a story about her icons being stolen, by this very same person. it was at this point that i actually messaged this person, and god knows i was civil. if anyone would like a transcript of the message i sent, i’m more than happy to provide it, and i genuinely thought i was going to get to the bottom of the situation — but the person in question ghosted. they disappeared, and a part of me was glad, because hey, maybe they’ve left and i don’t need to worry about it. a few days ago, though, a dear, dear friend alerted me to their presence, and the anger came flooding right back, because there’s an incredible amount of audacity in ghosting on one personal when confronted, and then appearing on another, without so much as apologising. i sent another message to this person’s new personal, and again, no reply. at this point, i’ve given up being civil and polite and trying to keep it private because this is beyond a joke, and it’s at this point that i’d like to reiterate my question. @kiwistylcs, @weathcrs, @fairbcrns, @evcporvtes // lusangel, lus, kayla, sahar, whatever psuedonym you’d like to go by, why did you think you could steal my writing and get away with it ?
you do not have the right to steal my writing and get away with it. you do not have the right to steal my friends’ icons, because there are three of us who know that you’ve stolen from us. you do not have the right to dodge the questions that are posed to you, especially when i know that you’re guilty and you know that you’re guilty. you cannot avoid the blame that’s being placed on you, and you can’t run from the problem that you yourself have created and perpetuated. it’s not the sheer avoidance of confrontation that i’m mad about because honestly, i’ve avoided confrontation when placed in hot water. what i’m SO angry about is that you decided that the best course of action was to create a whole new personal, re-establish yourself over there, and pretend like you’ve done nothing wrong. the very least i deserve is an apology, and for you to STOP stealing my writing, word for word, and passing it off as your own work.
