Ah, yes, the sound of roleplay. The scene is started, you’re all playing, and then…..something happens. The scenes takes a turn for the worst. A person you’re playing with goes off the deep end, starts acting up, and won’t acknowledge your in-character cues. You really want to get away from this as cleanly as possible, but it may not be workable in character.
You’re seemingly stuck, except you’re really not.
Why?
Because there are many ways to deal with this sort of scenario.
Message the person
Perhaps the most obvious course of action is to message the person. If they’re following you or have open DMs, shoot them a message telling them you’re not cool with what’s happening and why. If they’re not, mention them OOCly asking for one, or tell them ((I’m not cool with where this scene is going. I’m going to bail if you keep it up.)) After you do either, wait to see if they reply.
If they ignore you, fine; leave. If they reply to you, even better, because it shows they’re likely willing to talk about what went wrong and potentially give you an easy out.
Write your way out
Messaging the person didn’t give you a good result, so your next option could be the creative route. If you don’t see an out, make one. Have your character be called away suddenly by something, use a background object to separate your character from the other, or, if you need an instant out, book it.
One important tip is to be fast with your escape. Don’t let them write you back in or cut you off. Flee!
After that, you’re good to do whatever it is you want, be it going AFK or going off to play with someone else/by yourself.
Unfollow/block
Your creative route failed, your messaging failed, or you’re just annoyed at the other player. Unfollow them and leave them be. If they keep trying to force you as a part of the scene, block them. You’re never obligated to follow/play with someone, so don’t let them pull you in if you don’t want to be.
The Formula for Success?
Truth be told, there’s no definitive formula for being successful. Depending on what you want, there are multiple routes you can take. If you’re after good roleplay, write your heart out, join up with others, and contribute to the universe. Are you more social? Get to know members of the roleplay community and make friends. If you’re nice, you’re bound to meet some great people and have some fun.