Lets see...
C'kayah - Aya met C'kayah before she came to Ul'dah, before she became the barmaid, and all. It was an innocuous little meeting on this forum in my very first thread - which I posted hoping to meet some people and find a little RP interaction. The good times and the character development that have flowed from that first incidental little meeting have been incredible, its really just the sort of thing that makes you fall in love with RP.
Natalie & Kage - Aya's story for the first six months or so was entirely focused in Gridania and the Shroud. As my FC mostly vanished on me I found myself somewhat stuck. I was not finding RP in Gridania, but was not much interested in (nor did I see a good IC reason to) moving elsewhere. Joining Kage and Natalie in a forum RP thread at the Quick Sand changed that. Within a couple of weeks Aya was in Ul'dah, working for Momodi, and an entire character arc was born. Their Link Shell has also introduced me to so many of my friends that I have met since then.
Dogberry - Aya was off in Limsa Lominsa on one of her two-day trips to the city that she loves to take for a little shopping, and a taste of sea air away from the desert. In particular this was during one of the festivals, with dunking for apples. At this point I knew of Dogberry from the forums, but had never met him in-game. There he was without his legs, sitting in one of the tubs of water and apples, carrying on in a drunken stupor. It was an unforgettable fist impression
Obsidian Hornet - The visual impression of Hornet prowling the Quick Sand really stood out. Aya was more than a little intimidated to approach her, even though it was her job! There are many wonderful and interesting Roegadyn, but none have ever had quite the presence of Obsidian Hornet at first meeting (and in this case, first sight, really).
Erik Mynhier - Erik was away from the game for my early times in Ul'dah. Plots were unfolding around the place, and the phrase "If only Mynhier were here" was heard on more than one occasion. When he finally returned Aya first met him while she was working at the Quick Sand - he was definitely not in uniform, and I believe shirtless. It was definitely not what she expected!
Val & Berrod - My first encounter with these two was, like most of the others, at the Quick Sand. Aya was finishing up a late shift and the place was empty. They came and stood down between the pillars and the bar, and started up a public conversation (and why not, the place was empty)! I do not recall the specifics, but the way they carried on reminded me so much of cockneys. The slang, and manner of speaking both employed, and they swung from one thing to another like they'd known each other all their lives. The way they discussed women, and violence, gave Aya pause about both of them, but they also (I think) reminded her of the sort of men she grew up around. Since then she's met them both, but I'll never forget that first encounter of the two of them just talking to each other, having no idea who Aya was, or that she was listening in.
Askier - It was just a little meeting, and not even a blip on Askier's long, arching memory. It was out along Emerald Avenue, and Askier was nervous, and hiding his (I believe at that time, missing) arm. He looked like he was in some sort of trouble, and Aya stopped to check on him. It was only moons later that she was able to piece together that the distressed Miqo'te she met under that mid-afternoon sun, was the villainous bomber turned unlikely hero Askier.
Osric - Something about the way Osric wore that mask, and the air he carried about himself, left me deeply impressed on an OOC level. He just felt like the perfect Ul'dahn character, and I was left wanting to get to know him better. I'll be honest, I miss the mask because to me that was such a core element to Osric's mystique in those days, and part of what made me really admire his RP and his character. (The mask is gone, at least mostly, but the admiration is not )
Kahn'a - Aya met Kahn'a during one of Askier's Jin'li plot events. She found him kind of stuttering, and seemingly unable to get a full handle of the situation. With Mynhier still gone, and Osric compromised, Kahn'a was left in charge of the Red Wings and the situation was dire. He felt like someone fully thrust into a bad situation by the hands of fate, and it made things feel that much more dramatic. It was not a positive first impression on Aya's part, but it was OOCly!
I am sure that there are many others I am not remembering right now, and of course there are so many good friends I've made where our first impressions were perhaps not terribly memorable (that happens, I think, when you meet a lot of people by serving them drinks!). This is really a fun thread!
AND I DID REMEMBER A VERY MEMORABLE ONE:
Kiht - Just as the Ishgardian Exiles plot was winding down, Kiht came by to talk to Aya. I forget just how the meeting was initiated (if I contacted her, or she contacted me, but I believe we touched based on the forum first somehow). She had recognized Aya's Ishgardian accent, and wanted to speak to her in private. Aya was more than a little nervous, and played the entire encounter at her most defensive (though her approach to being defensive may differ from others!) They walked to an area of the Hustings Strip, and Kiht told her a little bit about what had been going on, about the dangers to the Exiles. She gave Aya a link pearl so they could stay in touch, and thus started one of the most meaningful friendships Aya has outside of Ishgard.
C'kayah - Aya met C'kayah before she came to Ul'dah, before she became the barmaid, and all. It was an innocuous little meeting on this forum in my very first thread - which I posted hoping to meet some people and find a little RP interaction. The good times and the character development that have flowed from that first incidental little meeting have been incredible, its really just the sort of thing that makes you fall in love with RP.
Natalie & Kage - Aya's story for the first six months or so was entirely focused in Gridania and the Shroud. As my FC mostly vanished on me I found myself somewhat stuck. I was not finding RP in Gridania, but was not much interested in (nor did I see a good IC reason to) moving elsewhere. Joining Kage and Natalie in a forum RP thread at the Quick Sand changed that. Within a couple of weeks Aya was in Ul'dah, working for Momodi, and an entire character arc was born. Their Link Shell has also introduced me to so many of my friends that I have met since then.
Dogberry - Aya was off in Limsa Lominsa on one of her two-day trips to the city that she loves to take for a little shopping, and a taste of sea air away from the desert. In particular this was during one of the festivals, with dunking for apples. At this point I knew of Dogberry from the forums, but had never met him in-game. There he was without his legs, sitting in one of the tubs of water and apples, carrying on in a drunken stupor. It was an unforgettable fist impression
Obsidian Hornet - The visual impression of Hornet prowling the Quick Sand really stood out. Aya was more than a little intimidated to approach her, even though it was her job! There are many wonderful and interesting Roegadyn, but none have ever had quite the presence of Obsidian Hornet at first meeting (and in this case, first sight, really).
Erik Mynhier - Erik was away from the game for my early times in Ul'dah. Plots were unfolding around the place, and the phrase "If only Mynhier were here" was heard on more than one occasion. When he finally returned Aya first met him while she was working at the Quick Sand - he was definitely not in uniform, and I believe shirtless. It was definitely not what she expected!
Val & Berrod - My first encounter with these two was, like most of the others, at the Quick Sand. Aya was finishing up a late shift and the place was empty. They came and stood down between the pillars and the bar, and started up a public conversation (and why not, the place was empty)! I do not recall the specifics, but the way they carried on reminded me so much of cockneys. The slang, and manner of speaking both employed, and they swung from one thing to another like they'd known each other all their lives. The way they discussed women, and violence, gave Aya pause about both of them, but they also (I think) reminded her of the sort of men she grew up around. Since then she's met them both, but I'll never forget that first encounter of the two of them just talking to each other, having no idea who Aya was, or that she was listening in.
Askier - It was just a little meeting, and not even a blip on Askier's long, arching memory. It was out along Emerald Avenue, and Askier was nervous, and hiding his (I believe at that time, missing) arm. He looked like he was in some sort of trouble, and Aya stopped to check on him. It was only moons later that she was able to piece together that the distressed Miqo'te she met under that mid-afternoon sun, was the villainous bomber turned unlikely hero Askier.
Osric - Something about the way Osric wore that mask, and the air he carried about himself, left me deeply impressed on an OOC level. He just felt like the perfect Ul'dahn character, and I was left wanting to get to know him better. I'll be honest, I miss the mask because to me that was such a core element to Osric's mystique in those days, and part of what made me really admire his RP and his character. (The mask is gone, at least mostly, but the admiration is not )
Kahn'a - Aya met Kahn'a during one of Askier's Jin'li plot events. She found him kind of stuttering, and seemingly unable to get a full handle of the situation. With Mynhier still gone, and Osric compromised, Kahn'a was left in charge of the Red Wings and the situation was dire. He felt like someone fully thrust into a bad situation by the hands of fate, and it made things feel that much more dramatic. It was not a positive first impression on Aya's part, but it was OOCly!
I am sure that there are many others I am not remembering right now, and of course there are so many good friends I've made where our first impressions were perhaps not terribly memorable (that happens, I think, when you meet a lot of people by serving them drinks!). This is really a fun thread!
AND I DID REMEMBER A VERY MEMORABLE ONE:
Kiht - Just as the Ishgardian Exiles plot was winding down, Kiht came by to talk to Aya. I forget just how the meeting was initiated (if I contacted her, or she contacted me, but I believe we touched based on the forum first somehow). She had recognized Aya's Ishgardian accent, and wanted to speak to her in private. Aya was more than a little nervous, and played the entire encounter at her most defensive (though her approach to being defensive may differ from others!) They walked to an area of the Hustings Strip, and Kiht told her a little bit about what had been going on, about the dangers to the Exiles. She gave Aya a link pearl so they could stay in touch, and thus started one of the most meaningful friendships Aya has outside of Ishgard.