As an aside to this--I do live action roleplay (LARP). I've had a situation where a character hasn't been played in nearly 6 month because she's having adjustment issues (so would you, if you went from being a ghoul for 50 years to being a vampire, and then a vampire who could manipulate time). While it frustrates me to not play, I feel I need to be true to the character and not RP when she, as an individual, would be having serious adjustment problems. While I don't write--she's still 'telling me what to do', and to stay true to the personality I've developed and behaviours crafted, it's necessary.

However, I do NOT go out and buy her mugs because "It's something she would like". I've had cases where I've forced situations for good games for others even if she wouldn't be 100% true to the personality, because it's what needed to be done.