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Basic Trope: In order to preserve Family Honor, a bloodstain thought to be indicative that the bride was a virgin must be visible on the sheets from the wedding night, and is faked.

  • Straight: Alice and Bob consummate their marriage. Before going to bed, Alice pricks her finger and dribbles some blood on the bed.
  • Exaggerated:
    • Alice slices her big toe completely off so she can bleed all over the bed.
    • Alice has reconstructive surgery on her hymen (or has an artificial one created) a few days, weeks, or months ahead of the wedding.
    • Alice uses a substance that really doesn't look like blood at all, such as red Kool-Aid.
    • Alice does this despite the fact that it's not her first marriage and therefore everyone knows (or at least assumes) that she's not a virgin this time around...and do not expect her to be.
  • Downplayed: Alice contracts her pelvic-floor muscles to achieve the "tightness" associated with virginity.note 
  • Justified:
    • Many women actually don't bleed the first time they have penetrative sex. However, many people don't know this (especially if the story takes place in the Dark Ages) or choose not to believe it because of tradition, and the families still require that particular MacGuffin for the sake of Family Honor.
    • Alice isn't a virgin, or the marriage wasn't consummated, or both, and that MacGuffin is needed.
  • Inverted: In order to preserve her Family Honor, Alice must prove she wasn't a virgin on her wedding night.
    • Either Alice or Bob bleed on the sheets for unrelated reasons, and now everyone thinks that Bob took Alice's virginity.
  • Subverted:
    • It turns out that a bloodstain is not required.
    • Alice thinks she has to do this, but Bob informs her that the families don't care whether Alice bleeds or not.
  • Double Subverted:
    • ...But it's recommended or another thing regarded as a Virginity Flag is required.
    • But her new husband does, or he isn't looking for blood, but for perceived "tightness". (which Alice can achieve by squeezing her pelvic floor muscles)
  • Parodied:
    • Alice spills Blue Liquid Absorbent on the sheets before going to bed.
    • Alex and Bob, a gay couple, consummate their marriage. Alex still spills some blood onto the bed.
  • Zig Zagged: ???
  • Averted:
    • No such MacGuffin is required In-Universe.
    • Even if it's required of first-time brides, this isn't Alice's first marriage, and therefore no one expects her to have been a virgin on her wedding night.
  • Enforced: It's Product Placement from a company that actually sells blood capsules for faking this.
  • Lampshaded: "The old blood on the sheets trick. Smart thinking, Alice."
  • Invoked: Someone tries to impugn Alice's honor (and that of her husband or family), and to save it, they display the bloodied sheets to those who are Slut-Shaming her.
  • Exploited: Bob sees his new wife faking the blood on the sheets, and blackmails her with the knowledge.
  • Defied: The families view this as wrong, and so don't do it.
  • Discussed: "Are you scared of your wedding night? I've heard some stories, a trick that'll help you out..."
  • Conversed: "A wedding night in a historical romance! Is the bride going to prick her finger to pretend she's a virgin?"
  • Deconstructed:
  • Reconstructed: Bob's wonder at Alice's cleverness overcomes his anger at her deception, and their marriage continues without a problem.
  • Implied: Alice is not a virgin, but Bob thinks she is. When asked how, Alice just smiles. There's a meaningful shot of sheets.

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