Five Reasons Your Character Would Approach a Stranger (And Other Prompts)

[Jana]

1) Jana's shy but nosy, and will approach if she overhears something of interest to her as an adventurer, like info on leves and the like.

 

2) She would also approach someone she overhears making threats, because she is nosy and likes to fight. She may or may not mention her Immortal Flames affiliation in Ul'dah.

 

3) Jana also approaches people who seem to be lost. In Ul'dah she might mention being in the IF in a less threatening way, but even out of the city, she is proud of her knowledge as an adventurer and will try to both help and show off.

 

4) Jana may have overheated information regarding groups of people she likes to see die, like Pirates or Garleans.

 

5) Jana thinks you're in a group of people she likes to see die, like Pirates or Garleans.

[Kellach Woods]

1) Kupo! There is a package for you courtesy of the Mognet! Why isn't it a Moogle delivering it? Well, the moogle supposed to deliver this package is lazy as hell Erm I mean ha ha ha yes how about the weather?

 

2) Oh hey you did something awesome I should totally talk to you and like praise you and things.

 

3) I have here a decree asking that you turn yourself in immediately to the nearest authorities or that I coerce you into doing so using any means necessary. And I do mean any means.

 

4) So, uh, this weird thing happened and I was wondering if you had any insights as to what I should do about it?

 

5) I've a hankering to explore these ruins near here for adventure, discovery and perhaps even treasure! Who's in?

[Zoya]

1. To yell "SURPRISE!" after sneaking up to them or similar pranks. Needs to be in a place where she can easily run away after in case the person doesn't take it so well.

Playfulness/Boredom.

 

2. Asking for help/favors, assuming she's in need and the stranger looks like he would be able and willing to offer some.

Necessity.

 

3. Someone else motivated/told/asked/forced/enticed/recommended her to.

Relatedness.

 

4. The stranger in question does something weird but harmless that catches her interest. Like, sorting things in alphabetical order, walking aimlessly up and down, wearing a stupid hat/mask or similar.

Curiosity.

 

5. The stranger appears to be in distress and nobody else seems willing to help for an extended period of time.

Conscience.

[GloryRhodes]

1. Spahro is looking for a news story and has either decided you know about something important or, more likely, can be easily scapegoated into being the center of an imaginary scandal.

 

2. She is scouting for Bronco Models and wants to try to convince you to get your clothes off for little to no compensation in order to earn her money.

 

3. Somehow, she's decided you're annoying and need to be taken down a peg, so she's made up some ludicrous story about having your baby and wants to try to alienate you from whomever you're talking to.

 

4. She just wants to rob you.

 

5. She's having one of her rare moments of actual human empathy and would like to help you with a problem.  This is likely due to overhearing you being held down by "The Man" or otherwise oppressed by rich people and/or fascists.

[Thunderbolt300]

1. L'anayla is trying to solicit critiques on a new tea brew she's created, and she's offering it for free to boot!
   
2. L'anayla observes someone eating bread or a bread-related product and decides to impart her disgust (she has a wheat allergy) while trying to convey her belief in uncompromising meat supremacy. 
   
3. L'anayla gets into a scuffle (again) with her wife, Kips, and tries to get a (unwise) third party to tip the scales into her own favor for a change. 
   
4. L'anayla has to distract her wife, Kips, away from someone else to give them a rest from Kips' hyperactive and in-your-face tendencies. 
   
5. L'anayla interacts with a person-of-interest to help her analyze and gather information subtly by means of small talk- rumors, gossip, or personal information- and ultimately build a dossier for later use. 
   

[Zetchryn]

1) The individual is injured.

 

2) The individual is female, and attractive.

 

3) The individual is male, and intelligent.

 

4) Rhaya is a merchant. Any discussion of business attracts her.

 

5) If someone looks sad/down on their luck, Rhaya WILL approach them.

[ɴᴘᴄ]

For Orieldis, gonna skip the alts at present.

1. She's contractually obligated to do so as part of a courier assignment.
   
2. She's hunting the same Mark as said stranger.
   
3. She's gathering plants in the same field or of the same kind as the stranger.
   
4. The stranger appears in an unusual place or remote landmark.
   
5. The stranger is performing and unfamiliar song or story.

[Zhavi]

1) Because she's broke (looking for work or petty thievery, take your pick).

 

2) Because she's high or drunk.

 

3) Because she's on a job.

 

4) Because she thinks she's funny/they're interesting.

 

5) Because she wants to make a bet or gamble.

[111]

I really like the thread idea!

 

For Evangeline:

 

1) She thinks the person is bullying or opressing someone else! Death to Tyrants!

 

2) She thinks the person is being bullied or otherwise oppressed (could apply to anyone)

 

3) They're a Female Roe or Elezen (Eva has a thing for women that are taller than her)

 

4) She wants to ask them for aid or support in her revolutionary activities. Could be money, information, etc.

 

5) She hears anyone mention the Twelve as anything other than a bunch of BIG PHONIES. Evangeline is that annoying militant aethiest you all knew in highschool. Saying "Twelve Bless you" Is a good way for her to poof into existence next to you.

[voidVirago]

Rihxo has a lot of reasons... she's... well.

1. She thinks they look lonely. Everybody loves friends! ...right?
   
2. She thinks they look sad, angry, or some other negative emotion.
   
3. They're attractive. She may be taken, but pretty people are usually good company.
   
4. She thinks they'll like chocolate, or any other kind of candy she'll have on her.
   
5. She just finds them plain intriguing! She's not hard to find the interest of.
   

 

/edited for spelling im a dummy

[GhostlyMaiden]

Well, now that I have had more time to make Nanagi LESS SHY, she now actually has good reasons to approach a stranger.

 

1. The person looks like a buyer: Although she isn't like other merchants, she still makes a bit of gil on the side making jewelry. If she someone who she can easily convince to buy her stuff, she'll talk to them.
   
2. If she in need of assistance: She wont ask help for very often as she can be quite stubborn. However, she will eventually realize she needs help and will ask someone. This is only if it is not a personal matter.
   
3. She is a mercenary: If she happens to overhear someone talking about a job they need done, but don't know how to go about it. She'll happily offer her services.
   
4. Required: If she is required to talk to someone she doesn't know, she will do it. Weather it be unwillingly or willingly.
   
5. To be social: Given a current story arc, she has realized that she can't be completly alone for long periods of time. To help her, she will talk to people she doesn't know, just so she can feel a bit better.
   

[Luzia Dawn]

These are what Elza uses so far.

 

1. You are so drunk you can't think straight and it is viable to just walk up to a stranger 

 

2. You overhear (with your large Miqo'te or Elezen ears) something you have in common with someone. (aka. Someone is a conjurer just like you)

 

3. You want to be nice and offer them a drink or to buy them some food.

 

4. You ask if they dropped something

 

5. Just give them a compliment on something they are wearing you like.

[Rufus Wightman]

1) Desperation for conversation. That rhymed, but is also very true. Probably the biggest thing in his day-to-day life is being unable to find anyone to strike up a conversation with any real substance to it.

 

2) Hearing someone complain about things he also doesn't like. Makes him feel like his gripes are more valid, somehow.

 

3) If he sees someone in a spot of bother, or about to cause a spot of bother for someone else. Though he doesn't like to meddle all that much.

 

4) He sees someone else cooking food, and feels the overwhelming need to judge the end result, using his own very finicky guidelines.

 

5) Trying to find some small-scale work, in-between times where he feels he has absolutely sweet bugger all to do.

[Khunbish Avagnar]

1) They are injured

2) They are in need of help

3) They are a shopkeeper in one of the cities

4) There is no other tables with an open chair in the tavern

5) -Redacted due to secrecy-

[Edric W.]

Edric would approach if:

 

1. They look rich and like they'd be easy to mug.

 

2. Someone he's hunting frequents that area; he'll ask around with a description.

 

3. Someone is offering free food or drink, so he can drain them for as much as he can.

 

4. He overhears someone insulting Ala Mhigo/Ala Mhigans, and he'll try to start a fight with them.

 

5. A person is being obnoxiously loud while he's relaxing after a job (normally in The Drowning Wench), so he can tell them to piss off.

 

He's a lovely person.

[xelliexell]

1. Mistaken identity! "Ah, it's been a while, hasn't it? How is Miss Genevieve? Are they still making you go all the way out to Camp Bluefog? ... W-wait, um... aren't you Mr. Thomas?"

 

2. She was instructed to meet someone, but all she was only given was a physical description and a name. This would lead to her saying, "E-excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you, but are you perhaps Miss Aelia?" to everyone within hearing range in the hopes that she'd find the person she seeks.

 

3. Mistaking anyone for a merchant. "May I please, ah, purchase three antelope flank steaks?" To anyone who would give her any indication that they sell food.

 

4. Anyone being an actual merchant. "Thank goodness! I mean, ah, the Twelve, probably...! I've been looking everywhere for some antelope flank steaks. Do you happen to, um, have any for sale...? Oh, this is a pottery store? O-oh..."

 

5. Anyone being an entertainer of any sort. She holds a deep appreciation for anyone who does public entertainment, be it storytelling, juggling fire, or magician's tricks. "Wow, that's amazing! You're amazing! Even if I can't see everything, it's still so impressive that you're able to stand in front of people and do things! I mean, isn't it? Ah, I'm no good with words, r-really..."

[Noirelle]

Niffie..god Niffie.

 

Case 1: When finding quite the attractive/sexy man/woman all alone in the Quicksand or even Ishgard for that matter. She hopes the former is as spicy as she believes and the latter isn't as frigid as her home in recent years.

"So...how about it? Like what you see? How about you and I go around back to the Pearl Lane and get to know each other." She winks at [subject], biting her bottom lip and otherwise nudging and/or beckoning them to follow. "I don't charge much for lookers, if at all really, and let me just say you are spicy." She step back, swaying her hips with each step toward the exit that leads to the Pearl Lane. Thankful she decided to wear her skimpiest at this very moment. Now all she had to was hope she didn't waste her time. 

 

 

Case 2: When overhearing someone who sounds even the least bit Ishgardian or seeing someone blatantly Ishgardian. Usually characterized by cold stares that match their mother's love in recent years. Zing.

"Oh the [monseiur/madame] is Ishgardian?" She leans on [subject], almost casually, like they've been old friends from way back when. "What got you to leave the Homefront? Gil? The Holy See, is it the Holy See? Bigots the lot of them am I right? Oh...oh you're a dragoon/knight/noble/someonewhostilllovesIshgard, right right. I was just testing you. Heretics abound everywhere gotta keep a vigilant eye and all that." She nods, patting [subject] and going on her way, thanking Nald'Thal or whoever that she wasn't gutted as a deserter then and there.

 

 

Case 3: Any lone Quicksand Patron. Any at all. Have you seen people just clump around the back like they want to get out of the place but can't since it's only spot to look for rp? ;n;

"Say what's everyone fetish with the Quicksand railings? I mean I've leaned on them myself but I really really can't get off leaning on some sandy stone." She leans right on the railings beside [subject] who is also leaning on the railings of the Quicksand. "Honestly, if it isn't leaning on these railings, it's sitting on the floor, leaning on the perimeter wall. I mean you don't think people have an aversion to chairs don't you?"

 

 

Case 4: When someone wears their weapons with pride in public. Weapons or armor really. Usually weapons and anything that falls under the category of Tank/DRG gear. 

 

"You don't look like a Brass Blade. Get a kick out of showing everyone your compensation?" She chuckles, patting the steel plated [subject] on the shoulder and eyeing him or her from hair to toe. "Well since you're already raring to go on adventure or otherwise kill something how about you and me go look for your friends and we go do some errand I need to do. Maybe even a levequest that I've accepted but kept in a backlog for the past few bells? C'mon there's gil in it for ya." She steps away turning around the looking almost puzzled at [subject] shaking her head. "You don't melt in all this heat wearing all that armor? Not even sweating in the slightest? And don't give me that acclimatized horse shit you need to see a conjurer and wear less or you're liable to burn up and die before you can be useful to me."

 

 

Case 5: Finding the finely dressed loiter around somewhere they wouldn't be loitering around. Her gil sense is tingling!

 

"So, looking for a 'courtesan' today?" She walks up as casual as always to [subject], a quick glance to get a feel for the finery. "You're shit out of luck I'm 'fraid. I think they're all hired at the moment." She looks at her fingernails hoping they were properly maintained and almost discreetly glances herself over to make sure the dirt and grime from the earlier adventure was washed off. "I'm not one of them but I charge considerably less and we can go straight to delicious part." She smooths her hair, leaning back as if she could still lean back further onto the stone wall. "Oh? You're looking for someone to solve a problem, just so happens I solve problems too." She shrugged, laughing off her attempts to get into the clean and refined [subject]'s pants. "Why didn't you say so, let's hear it, I'm itching to sink these stabbers into a problem or, hells, even just go out and do something!"

[desmond28]

1) Inspector Desmond on the job.

 

"Excuse me, have you seen this person?" Holds up a sketch of [description here].

 

2) Why is the rum always gone?

 

If Paul's drinking, he's talking. And he drinks a lot of rum...

 

3) Magic tricks

 

Paul is an expert illusionist and will sometimes use one of his many tricks as a conversation starter.

 

4) Eavesdropping

 

Paul has a trained ear and as part of his work will loiter at taverns to collect information. If he overhears something he thinks he can help with, he'll enter the conversation.

 

5) Deflect sorrow

 

Paul's had a lot go wrong. When it gets him down, he drinks and looks for someone to talk to in order to get his mind off his life.

[azahana]

Hi, my wonderful, sweet summer child is a Lalafell mercenary. These are five reasons she would approach a stranger.

 

1: Looking for work.

 

2: Hunting a bounty/target

 

3: To Buy/Trade for supplies.

 

4: To assist refugees/give a handout.

 

5: Don't know if this counts, but to kill someone. Technically they're strangers, yeah?

[ZoktaiKhor]

1. Money if he can make a sale he'll do it.

2. Books. More books more knowledge!

3. More workers for his tavern.

4.Coonections for business.

5. Allaghan. Because Allaghans.

[Miss Gaz]

Xha

1. If they are fishing

2. Discussing medicine

3. Are eating fish

4. are sitting somewhere outside relaxing

5. are talking about fishing.

[Verad]

There are a lot of really good responses in this thread, and I hope people are keeping them all in mind when approaching strangers. Now, let's take a look at how our characters behave when they're the ones getting approached.

 

There you are, either minding your own business or perhaps engaged in casual conversation with somebody else, and a total unknown approaches you and begins to insert themselves into the conversation. Under what circumstances would your character go along with this? Antihero loners, I'm especially interested in your responses.

 

Bear in mind that these responses can, but don't have to, include instances where your character is in an extremely important or personal conversation when this happens. If your character would balk at an unknown third party getting involved in that, that is fine, and doesn't need to be addressed.

 

Again, Verad's:

 

1. The most common instance of this is when a third party interrupts Verad's sales pitch in order to provide their own commentary, whether that's to derail the sale, question the sanity of his business, or try and escalate the pitch further by suggesting even more dubious products. He always gamely attempts to incorporate the questions.

 

2. Somebody is actually approaching him about buying or selling dubious goods unprompted. Verad would be so ecstatic that he'd probably drop whatever he's doing, up to and including his own wedding, to conduct the transaction.

 

3. If somebody were to approach Verad claiming to know him or remember his actions from the larger blank space in his past that is not represented by his memoirs, he would be skeptically interested in learning more.

 

4. Anybody challenging his self-proclaimed status as Eorzea's Greatest Archer (Pending Certain Conditions) and Lover, among other grandiose titles, would immediately start a blustering match.

 

5. Verad is a sucker for a sob story or somebody in need of emotional support, and he will always be happy to lend an ear to somebody in a bad spot. Even if his advice is often terrible.

[Marcy]

Reviving this because it's a quality thread, and the question of walk-up RP and motivations has come up a lot in chats and LS lately. Somehow we forget how important CHARACTER HOOKS are when engaging in collaborative writing!

 

Why Marcy would approach you:

 

1. You look like you have money. He hates paying for his own things, and lives almost entirely off others' pockets. Combined with an avid entrepreneurship streak and his ability to look like a sad, lost puppy at a moment's notice, this strategy is almost flawless.

 

2. You look like a musician. Even if you're tweaking your friend's lute and squeezing out the intro chords to Smoke on Water over and over, he is excited about anything related to music or poetry. Genuinely.

 

3. You have a really nice or a really ridiculous hat. Marcy's sense of fashion is eclectic at best, but hats are a source of every Bard's power, and he is determined to Collect Them All. Same goes for other strange fashion choices.

 

4. You are a Roegadyn woman. Somewhere between morbid fascination and a deep bias for women that look like they can break him in half, Marcy is yet to be disappointed.

 

5. You are pro-Syndicate, pro-profit, pro-slave labor and exploitation of any sort and announce it. Marcy will fight you, and lose.

 

--------------------------------------------

 

When approached he will respond to:

 

1. Someone in immediate distress. Marcy will, and has, Disney prince all over them. He feels a burning and strong duty to carry a handkerchief on him at all times, and will interrupt the most important conversations to try and lift another's spirits. Even if they deeply do not want it.

 

2. Someone claiming to be a past/current fan. He's extremely dedicated to upkeeping a good public persona, and will sign your chest, bicep, and panties. He will shake your hand and hold your first born. You have five minutes.

 

3. A proposition of a gig, venue, or patronage contact. Boy's gotta eat and his only source of income is singing -- this job relies on good networking, and business always takes priority.

 

4. A concerned and vaguely threatening authority figure. Bonus points for Brass Blade or Ishgardian Knight armor. He will do his best to prove that Marcy did Nothing Wrong.

 

5. You tell him you will feed him. He'll probably follow you home and stay there for as long as he's tolerated.

[Nodem]

4) He appears in a puff of smoke nearby when people talk about the Grindstone.

Is this why there's always a smoke trail around Aoi? But back to the topic...

 

 

 

1:

Only seat left in bar is yours.

 

2:

She overheard you say something interesting.

 

3:

You look like you might be good company or she'll have a good conversation with you.

 

4:

Booze...

 

5:

"THAT'S SUCH AN AMAZING DRESS! CAN I SKETCH YOU IN IT!?" (this has happened before)

[Chompie]

Oh no I meant to reply to this lovely thread ages ago and got halfway there and forgotttt D:

 

 

So why would Arblis approach someone?

 

1. "Oooh, they look like they're really interested in something, I have to go see what it is!"

 

2. Sometimes a single look is all it takes to get the feeling that something is wrong and it's something she can fix.

 

3. Ever have one of those moods where you just want to find the toughest-looking guy around and get inside his head and mess with him? If your name is Arblis, such moods aren't exactly uncommon.

 

4. She's feeling particularly inspired with a joke or a prank and someone looks juuust perfect to try it with!

 

5. She's impressed by action or fashion and can't keep her mouth shut about it.

 

---

 

And as for the sort of ways people can butt in and end up in a detailed conversation?

 

1. Arblis drops just about anything to respond to flattery. Including sentences she's right in the middle of. Anyone who flatters her MUST have good taste.

 

2. She's been caught eavesdropping. Arblis will happily explain all the many, many things that led to her standing in this exact spot to prove that she was definitely not eavesdropping on anyone and how nice of you to strike up a conversation with her, you truly are great for enriching this day!

 

3. Someone barges into a conversation she's having and adds their own well-thought-out ideas to it? Clearly this person is an expert and was supposed to be a part of this discussion all along.

 

4. The mere mention of ancient lost artifacts and shadowy histories is enough to make Arblis take notice and listen. Such mystifying unknowns prompt about a thousand questions, and no force in the world will stop her.

 

5. Look sometimes she's just really lonely and will take whatever conversation she can get, okay?

 

 

Hey, coming up with all ten of those was easier than I expected. Feel like I missed something important though.