Roleplaying In the Buffyverse

Roleplaying in the Buffyverse

 Before starting the page, I had never roleplayed. But I agreed to give it a try, and I have to tell you I'm so glad I did. It has helped me learn quite a lot about myself. In fact, I would even go so far as to say you can tell more about someone after you roleplay with them. 

Buffy is an interesting character to rp as. In example, she is strong, not just physically but mentally as well. She's also fiercely loyal. This is something I like to think I have picked up from her. Yes, she has weaknesses. And sometimes, her friends can prove to be a weakness. They are the people the demons can use to get to her, that's true. But it's deeper than that too. Her friends can also hurt her the worst. (I.E. the way she felt at the end of End of Days when they kicked her out.) This is something I have learned too.

Admin Spike has also noted certain ways she is similar to her character. So this leads me to wonder. Are we adapting to our characters? Or did we choose them without fully understanding the parallels that were already there?
I have a few other characters that I roleplay as, but none that I feel quite as close to as Buffy. Sure, I might understand Hermione Granger a bit better. But I cannot seem to get into her mind quite as well. And forget Rose Tyler. She may be one of my favorite characters, but I fail at roleplaying her. The demon named Ruby from Supernatural is probably the closest to Buffy as far as my roleplaying skills, but that is basically because I have made the character my own in the way I portray her.

Back to the main point of this:

The group of people in the Buffyverse community that roleplay is a pretty decently sized one. We all have vastly different ways of portraying the same characters. But I like to think we all do it in a great way. Roleplaying is supposed to be fun. If we are restricted, it isn't quite as much fun. The thing I like about the Buffyverse, and rolepalying in it, is that there aren't a ton of restrictions when you are playing a Slayer, or a vampire, or a demon. Or even someone that's human but is a friend of the Slayer's. 

So take this from me. If you want to roleplay, don't let fears of restriction stop you.
By the same token, do me a favor. Don't hate on someone for playing a character different than you would/think they should. Things would go so much more smoothly, and therefore more fun if you just accept those who roleplay as they are.

Thanks for reading! ~Buffy