Life is fucking relentless.

SO HERE IS THE WHOLE STORY (SO FAR).

I am on my knees begging you to reblog this post and to stop reblogging the original ones I sent out yesterday. This is the complete account with all the most recent info; the other one is just sending people down senselessly panicked avenues that no longer lead anywhere.

IN SHORT

Cliff Weitzman, CEO of Speechify and (aspiring?) voice actor, used AI to scrape thousands of popular, finished works off AO3 to list them on his own for-profit website and in his attached app. He did this without getting any kind of permission from the authors of said work or informing AO3. Obviously.

When fandom at large was made aware of his theft and started pushing back, Weitzman issued a non-apology on the original social media posts—using 

his dyslexia; 

his intent to implement a tip-system for the plagiarized authors; and 

a sudden willingness to take down the work of every author who saw my original social media posts and emailed him individually with a ‘valid’ claim,

as reasons we should allow him to continue monetizing fanwork for his own financial gain.

When we less-than-kindly refused, he took down his ‘apologies’ as well as his website (allegedly—it’s possible that our complaints to his web host, the deluge of emails he received or the unanticipated traffic brought it down, since there wasn’t any sort of official statement made about it), and when it came back up several hours later, all of the work formerly listed in the fan fiction category was no longer there. 

THE TAKEAWAYS

1. Cliff Weitzman (aka Ofek Weitzman) is a scumbag with no qualms about taking fanwork without permission, feeding it to AI and monetizing it for his own financial gain; 

2. Fandom can really get things done when it wants to, and 

3. Our fanworks appear to be hidden, but they’re NOT DELETED from Weitzman’s servers, and independently published, original works are still listed without the authors' permission. We need to hold this man responsible for his theft, keep an eye on both his current and future endeavors, and take action immediately when he crosses the line again. 

THE TIMELINE, THE DETAILS, THE SCREENSHOTS (behind the cut)

Here's another list of some Cody/Obi-Wan fics I have read and quite enjoyed over the last year and a bit. They are listed below->

While trying to navigate through not_so_transparent RoL’s lore, character development and pretty fucked up emotional baggage of Thomas and Peter (god help them), the lovely @punnyadt-goreny and I at some point came to a conclusion that “Starlingale”, as a popular pairing as it is, has a lot of flaws. One can forget about the age gap and the chain of command, one can get used to social, cultural and economical differences. But one can’t fix psychology. Overall, for “Starlingale” to work (realistically)… they need to work… HARD. And none of them (realistically) seem to be capable of doing such work.

And that got me thinking. There are at least two other suitable candidates for the role of a perfect guardian of Nightingale’s battered heart. Less tricky and more reliable. So, ladies, gents and non-binary folks, let’s take a closer look at Alexander Seawoll and Abdul Walid.

Quick note: Yes, I'm considering only same-sex relationships. Partly because of the personal preferences and partly because I for the life of me cannot see a more or less suitable straight pairing for Nightingale in canon (unless Dr Vaughan is secretly waiting to seize the opportunity, that is). Yes, I know that Abdul is canonically married, but since no one ever saw Mrs Columbo Walid… And, yes, when it comes to Nightingale’s heart we could always just resurrect David Mellenby and be happy with that. BUT… in order to do that, I’m afraid we’re gonna need a healer. And when I say a healer I mean The Doctor. Vwoorp-vwoorp!

So… Let’s start BIG.

Alexander Seawoll

‘This is my fucking investigation, Nightingale,’ said Seawoll. ‘I don’t care who you’re currently fucking — I don’t want any of your X-Files shit getting in the way of proper police work.’ (Book 1, chapter 2)

Yeah… If it isn’t the vibe of a bad break up… I honestly don’t know what it is then. But of course BA never intended it like that. He obviously wants to be good and progressive, but apparently not that good and progressive (cough I do want to have some words with BA cough). Anyway…

The obvious sparks aside, this pairing seems oddly believable and strangely workable.

They both know what the job is and how it always comes first. They’re equal in ranks. And the " weird bollocks” aspect doesn’t seem like a big problem. Alex can get used to it, certainly.

Alex’s apparent… simplicity (let’s call it that) in manners is easily overshadowed by his loyalty and pragmatism. He is as reliable as a staff made by Sons of Weyland and really clever. He would definitely rip Nightingale’s shooter to shreds with his bare hands (who needs impello, right?), then would get suspended and move to the Folly to take an eye on the inpatient patient, to Molly’s delight and Peter’s confusion.

His relationship with his emotions, however, leaves a lot to be desired. Like Peter’s shrink pointed out in AoW: Alex’s barking is his way of showing affection. Because showing affection in a proper healthy way involves showing too much vulnerability, apparently (from the creators of “boys don’t cry” bollocks). Him and Thomas are pretty similar in this regard and that makes them… a bit dry (although totally English). And here lies one small technical problem. You can soften them up only to a point. If you want to make them properly cute… you have to sacrifice Nightingale. And by sacrifice I mean making him the weaker one. You can’t fiddle with Seawoll. He is a rock. And if he gets a bit less rocky, he stops being Seawoll. So any potential softness gets to come at Nightingale expense. And it’s a tough decision.

Overall, with no-OOC, this relationship is something that could fit in the canon easily, mostly because of its emotional dryness and no-nonsense vibe. I could’ve mentioned dramatical blandness, but… There are still a lot of potential conflicts and job-related situations one could come up with to shake things up a little. So, it might not be so bland after all. And the initial “getting together” story could be quite fascinating as well.

Abdul Walid

Well… Those of you who haven’t read “A Gentleman’s Agreement” series, I do recommend you take a look. It’s a gem. And most of my theorising is based on the experience of reading it. 

I have to admit, Abdul is very close to being the perfect partner. But as it usually is, it’s his blessing and his curse. 

Let’s start with blessings. He is a self sufficient, sophisticated man, a professional with a brilliant career, a man of science, no less, which makes him a faint reminder of a poor old David. And maybe it’s a different sort of science but the same sort of curiosity, that familiar to Thomas (and that Thomas secretly is quite fond of, otherwise, why would he willingly obey Abdul’s “doctor orders” and let himself be poked, prodded and put in an MRI in the name of science). But this curiosity doesn’t blind Abdul (which, I’m afraid, we can’t say about David). He appreciates Thomas as a person, and not solely as a project, a specimen to be studied. The man fascinates Abdul (so does magic), but his fascination is more on a tender side. It’s a good starting point, but then they get to talk. And with Abdul they would talk, because…

Abdul is mentally stable and emotionally available. Of course, he’s not explicitly touchy-feely, but being a doctor he knows a thing or two about psychology and what is healthy or not. He wouldn’t want to change Thomas, thou, more likely he would guide him subtly to a more open way of expressing emotions, the way Thomas still would be comfortable with (which is important). Abdul doesn’t care about vulnerability, it doesn’t affect his judgement of character, I mean, he’s seen Thomas gravely wounded and drugged to the oblivion, how much more vulnerable one could get. So, basically, when Alex is a man who can physically catch Thomas if he falls, Abdul is the one who can catch him mentally. And, imo, psychological comfort is what the current version of Nightingale desperately needs. 

You can easily make them cute and domestic without sacrificing Nightingale’s slightly dry demeanour. Abdul would adapt to his partner’s quirks, being absolutely comfortable with the way Thomas is. However if you’re partial to a more soft Nightingale, that will work as well. I’d say, with more tenderness they would just flourish. But here comes the curse.

Perfect partners tend to be boring… dramatically speaking. The easiest solution is to overflow them with love and cuteness. But love and cuteness get old pretty fast. One should be really careful with the amount of sugar, especially in M/M relationships, especially if one of these M is Thomas bloody Nightingale. Another obvious way is to make Abdul a “damsel in distress”, but this trope doesn’t really work with him. He’s not so much a part of the job so he can be in immediate danger quite frequently. And his relationship with Thomas might as well be pretty closed so no one would really know about them. So this practically leaves us with a quite limited variety of inner conflicts, such as, for instance, Abdul’s religious beliefs and Abdul getting older while Thomas is not. The former, however it’s an interesting subject of study, is also a big bloody minefield. And as an atheist I wouldn’t go this path, I’d prefer to assume that Abdul was a grown man and knew what he’s doing in regard to the potential controversy. The latter, on the other hand, might spice up their pairing a bit. But at the end of the day it’s kinda sad, slightly morbid and… predictable. Everyone already knows how it’ll end. Even if Thomas starts ageing again, the chances are he still will outlive Abdul. And Abdul being near perfect just makes this inevitability even more tragic. It’s pretty much David 2.0. It’s gonna fucked up Thomas again. Unless he decides to… well… you know… to take the matter in his own hands. 

And that’s what brings us back to the start and (god help me) a potential drama queen…

Peter Grant

I used the “drama queen” term here a bit too freely. What I actually mean is that Peter is the queen for those who love drama. I mean, oh, boy, where do I start?! 

He’s a subordinate and an apprentice, which is already a problem and quite serious one, at least for Thomas. He’s emotionally fucked up, had a controversial childhood and his relationship with his dad… for a long time has been non-existened. He craves validation and love at the same time being justifiably anxious about potential “father figures”. And yes, I agree, he’s showing symptoms of avoidant attachment style. That being said I should mention that after a thorough consideration I came to a conclusion that Thomas is more likely anxious-avoidant than just anxious. And those who know about attachment styles already guessed that it’s even more… fucked up. 

Peter also has a tendency of being bravely stupid or stupidly brave (whatever you prefer) and this accompanied with the scientific curiosity that makes him a reminder of David as well, can drive poor Thomas to an untimely death from a heart attack. The ageing predicament be damned. 

In no way Peter is a perfect or even comfortable partner for Thomas. And their initial getting together that usually gets simplified in fanfics (for totally understandable reasons) realistically shouldn't be simple. They’ve got issues. Both of them. A lot of ussies. And this obviously makes them interesting… dramatically speaking. However, if they won’t get their heads out of their arses and surender to the therapy, they’re doomed. And given how much is at stake here… with Peter being the only apprentice and with the whole future of the Folly on his shoulders, and if the relationship went awry, he would probably transfer and it would be a square one again for Thomas… Yeah, well, you get the idea. 

Why wouldn’t it work the same way it apparently would with Alex? Firstly, because of inequality. And not even in ranks but in age as well. Thomas’s “borrowed time” aside, Alex and him are still more equal in this regard. Alex is a grown ass man, who knows what he wants and what he’s doing, he’s got a lot more experience with life (love-life included) and people. He may not be the most patient of men, but he knows how to care for others. As opposed to Peter who’s got little to none of such experience. He’s too young. I might even go further and say he is too young to appreciate Thomas beyond his crush on “tiger tank destroyer”. Simply because (truth be told) he doesn’t really know the man. They don’t talk to each other. It’s not solely Peter’s fault. Them talking to each other would have to include Thomas getting a bit vulnerable in front of Peter. Which is not an easy task for Thomas. And, more importantly, might affect Peter’s judgement of him, because of the clearly existing “pedestal”. Neither Alex nor Abdul put Thomas on a pedestal. But Peter does. And it’s a shaky foundation for a relationship that is destined to fall sooner rather than later. 

So in order for them to work they need to transform. The transformation in itself is a very interesting story, add to that the job-related dangers and ooh! So as much as Stralingale is a flawed pairing, it’s pretty damn interesting as well… if you want them to suffer a bit first. 

What does it tell us? In the paradigm of “write what you want” nothing much really. I won’t be nagging about “the right ways” of utilizing characters. But still there are some hints on what type of story would be better suited for each pairing. 

So, if you’re up to some gruesome character development that eventually will help them to be a bit less fucked up, Peter is your boy. He’ll drive Thomas insane but through this insanity he will (probably) find clarity. 

If you want just a happy Thomas who’s loved just because he exists, you may consider putting him in Abdul’s careful hands. 

I’m a little curious why BA has written so we are treated to such small bites of Nightingale. (and just my own opinion, Peter is way too cerebral for his actual life experience for example, he is not an architect, but has a lifetime experience of knowledge about it among many other things. I also get the vibe of a my fair Lady relationship between Peter and Thomas-Peter, the young sweet ingenue and Thomas, the worldly experienced mentor.

the troopers have a riot with this, the jedi amused just as much if not more (no one has heard yoda laugh this much since a prank some padawans *cough cough obiwanandquinlan COUGH* had pulled on mace). cody had refused to participate in the quiz no matter how much heckling he received from the 212th. on the other hand, obiwan is having a riot with it.

After quite literally nothing to show for 2020 and 2021, it’s time to gaze into the abyss and let the carpal tunnel gaze back.

I can’t believe all this is just a fraction of what I drew this year :’)

Rex kept it on comms because he thinks it’s hilarious and just wanted to listen.

I am practicing the comic route as I continue to wish I knew how to write. Comics are a good medium but I get too detailed too quick. Thus! I promised myself this would be a quick comic (that the file tells me I worked on for 33h 6min) to intro a little AU that is essentially ‘Things would have been better if there had been more music playing’. And it turned out both great and agonizing because there are so many issues still but no. No more touching. I shall find my style in the lazy and it shall be good.

How do people comic?

This is also practice for drawing the armour and clones; and again, issues, but I shall continue to practice! You have now been warned of the oncoming content onslaught.

but din djarin.

din djarin.

do any of y'all ever think about how din is the complete character foil to luke? how much his arc mimics luke's original trilogy arc?

luke: a child of the planet that raised his father; raised by kindhearted tatooine natives and jedi alike; trained at a young age to fight in a war he would otherwise have had no part in -- dragged into a war when he could've lived safely, happily, with what family he had

din: a child of ordinary people; taken by kindhearted but vicious, devout mandalorians to a faith that has very nearly died out into safety -- dragged, rescued, from the middle of a war into safety and sanctuary with a new family

luke: a child of arguably two of the most famous and powerful people in the galaxy, raised on a backwater planet as a "nobody", knowing nothing about them and constantly being told lies in order to protect him or to further the agenda of others, which eventually leads to more trouble

din: a child of "nobodies", ordinary people, and brought to live with one of the most iconic clans/groups ever, recognisable by armour if not by face, knowing as much as he can about his past and being told nothing but the truth about his clan and their ways

luke: if not for getting dragged into the rebellion, would've escaped the notice of the empire, as a simple moisture farmer on an outer rim planet

din: if not for his clan being relatively obscure, would've been dragged into the war against the empire, as a mandalorian

luke: chooses to embrace his own personal past (his origins, birth family), but reject the past of the jedi

din: chooses to reject his own personal past (his origins and birth family) but embrace the past of mandalorians and his creed

luke: pacifist by oath (warrior by nature??)

din: warrior by oath (pacifist by nature??)

luke: jedi

din: mandalorian

but now for the similarities that make their differences so profound ;)

luke: came from nothing, grew into one of the strongest people in the galaxy -- the only jedi master, to rebuild the jedi order after the empire destroyed it (but it was his choice, ultimately, to choose the jedi, to choose love, to choose family over the old ways of the jedi)

din: came from nothing, grew into one of the strongest people in the galaxy -- one of the last remaining from a splinter group of mandalorians, to rebuild mandalore after the empire destroyed it, the mand'alor (but it was his choice, to choose his ways, to choose love, to choose family, over the old ways of his people)

din is the perfect character foil of luke. two men who decided family was more important than their long standing traditions and history. two men that follow religions that were almost wiped out, two men that are trying to simply get by in the world. two men who are on their way to rebuilding their histories and legacies, despite being born outside of them, who are so fundamentally different to their traditions, who choose to reject the past methods which let the empire take advantage of their weaknesses, which let the empire destroy them. two people, fundamental opposites in their histories. a jedi and a mandalorian. they'd never work, right? two enemy cultures, and yet they could come together for war or for peace. luke skywalker and din djarin.

we all make fun of din for being the one star wars character who doesn't know he's in star wars/doesn't want to be in star wars, but wasn't that exactly like luke at the beginning of the saga? luke didn't want to be a jedi. he just wanted to be a pilot, to explore, and to have a family to go home to. but we know what he became.

Coruscant (>1 trillion people) has less Jedi (10,000) per capita (0.01 ppm) than Marvel New York (~10 million people) has Spider Man (1) per captia (0.1 ppm)

You know, just for scale.

But the Republic doesn’t just expect Jedi to solve Coruscant’s problems, they expect Jedi to solve the entire Republic’s problems. (at least two orders of magnitude larger)

(like yeah i know it’s sort of part of a movement but that doesn’t defeat my point doesn’t it? there are more people who could be convinced into joining a movement within short notice in one country on Earth than there are Jedi in the whole goddamn Republic in Star Wars)

The Battle of Ruusan didn’t help either by apparently eliminating 99% of the Sith aligned talent pool too.

Jedi are not the only people who could solve problems! You shouldn’t need Jedi to solve problems!

If the only way the galaxy can survive is to have several order of magnitude more Jedi, it means that the other 99.9999999% of the galaxy has already failed.

Moreover, you can’t have it both ways. You can’t say the Jedi are at fault for deliberately reducing the ‘gene’-pool for Force Sensitive people and then say they shot themselves in the foot by not taking in every Force Sensitive that asked to join and that there were actually so many more Force Sensitive people in the galaxy. Either there is a lack of Force Sensitives out there which you could theoretically try to blame the Jedi for, or there isn’t a lack of Force Sensitives in the galaxy.

I also want to take opportunity to express a personal frustration of mine. The Jedi ask for consent from the biological parents before adopting any children. The Jedi do not take in people they feel would not be suited for the lifestyle. These are not bad things, but it is effectively what they are being critisized for here. They are being looked down upon for seeking to continue on what they consider a worthwhile life philosophy rather than trying to accumulate power. However, I’ve seen the Jedi being critisized for the exact contrary reasons. I’ve seen people accusing them of “conscripting” all Force Sensitive children in Republic Space and even suggesting any consent is a result of mind tricks and Force manipulation, or accusing them of outright stealing babies (despite author commentary and interviews expressly saying this is false.) All those accusations built under the assumption that the Jedi must clearly want to accumulate power and grow the Order, and since they apparently want this, they clearly must be corrupt.

I’m tired of these contradictory stances to hate on the Jedi. It feels that no matter what the Jedi actually do or who they actually are, there is going to be people looking for a way to villify them for it. People saying the Jedi deserved their Genocide for either being corrupt and loosing their way and forcing people into their lifestyle, and people saying the Jedi deserved their Genocide for not being ambitious enough and not trying to get more people to live the Jedi lifestyle and not attempting to gain political power. Here’s an idea: The Jedi were victims of a targeted attack thousands of years in the making designed to wipe them out regardless of how they acted. The Jedi are not responsible for their own Genocide. Nobody deserves to be killed off like that, adults and children and religion and community and even from the face of history.