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Basic Trope: A character sends conflicting information regarding their interest levels to their (clearly smitten) Love Interest.

  • Straight: Bob has a crush on Alice, who tells him that she loves him... "but not like that".
  • Exaggerated: Bob has a crush on Alice, who despite showering him with physical affection, acting like they're already married, and describing Bob exactly when she lists traits she finds ideal in a hypothetical boyfriend, still insists that they're Just Friends if Bob so much as hints at a Relationship Upgrade.
  • Downplayed: Bob has a crush on Alice, who is always nice to him; when he asks her out, she tells him that she'll "think about it".
  • Justified:
    • Alice has Asperger Syndrome or a similar disorder, so she has difficulty expressing her feelings and reading social cues. Alternatively, she's usually fine with reading social cues, but can't read Bob's very well.
    • Alice can't or won't either accept or reject Bob, and so tries to Take a Third Option.
    • Alice is in love with Carol. Trouble is that Carol's out but Alice isn't. Even so, Alice's feelings find awkward ways of expressing themselves whenever the two chat that leave Carol confused and frustrated.
    • As much as Alice likes Bob, the thought of an actual relationship terrifies her, causing her to freak out and backtrack whenever it comes up — but she keeps a straight enough face that her own discomfort is not apparent, making it look like she's just inconsistent.
    • Alice is an immigrant from some Fictional Country, and the problem is due to language (and cultural) barriers. In her native tongue, "just friends" has a much broader meaning which can translate recursively as anything from "just Friends with Benefits" to "just boyfriend and girlfriend". Bob saying "we should be more than just friends" by implication is basically (to Alice) "will you marry me?" Alice thought she had made her feelings towards Bob quite clear, but she wasn't prepared (or ready) for that! Meanwhile, Bob doesn't get her response.
    • Alice is secretly fighting crime. She can alternate between being loving towards Bob, and being cold to get him out of dangerous situations.
    • Alice doesn't love Bob back, but she does consider him her friend and she's a huge Cuddle Bug with No Sense of Personal Space. Bob, who was raised in an environment where hugging was pretty much an exclusively romantic act, is thus confused by her behaviour.
    • Alice and Bob are both only preteens and just starting to develop romantic feelings, so Alice truly doesn't know whether she likes Bob back or not.
  • Inverted: Alice's answers are always straightforward, but Bob still wonders how to interpret them.
  • Subverted: After wondering how Alice truly feels, Bob puts Alice on the spot for a straightforward answer about how she feels. She gives tells him in no uncertain terms.
  • Double Subverted: ...and then, after thinking about it, later tells him that she's honestly not as sure as she thought she was, and that she needs time to think because he's really important to her.
  • Parodied: Alice asks Bob if he wants to have sex later... BUT JUST AS FRIENDS! JEEZ!!!
  • Zig Zagged: Alice waffles about certain guys, but is also more direct about others. It really depends on the kind of relationship and what mood she's in.
  • Averted: Alice never minces words. When she likes someone, she'll tell them exactly in what way. If she truly doesn't know how she feels, she'll clarify that too.
  • Enforced: It's a typic Will They or Won't They? setup, so naturally they need a way to keep the characters from getting too close or too distant.
  • Lampshaded: Bob confesses to Carl that he has no idea how Alice feels, despite knowing her for years and talking with her twice a day minimum.
  • Invoked: Alice is The Tease or has a Honey Trap planned. She calculates that Bob would prefer a mystery and a challenge over a more available girlfriend.
  • Exploited: Carol, who also likes Bob (or just hates Alice) seduces him by offering a comforting shoulder to cry on when Alice gets him too confused and frustrated.
  • Defied: Alice realizes how Bob feels, and rather than stringing him along she decides to let him down immediately.
  • Discussed:
    • "But I don't know if I should tell her. What if I say 'no', but she likes me? And what if I say 'yes', but she doesn't like me that way? Isn't it just better to not say anything at all?" "But you won't know unless you actually say something to her. Keeping her confused will just drive her away anyway."
    • "So what is it, Alice? Is it a 'yes', or is it a no'? Because we can't keep going on like this if you keep giving me those half-assed 'maybes'."
  • Conversed: "Does that Alice character actually like Bob back, or is his love unrequited? She seems to keep changing her mind!"
  • Deconstructed: Alice likes Bob back, but doesn't want to wager their friendship either, so she instead waxes between ardent and aloof. Bob gets sick of this and decides that his "friendship" with her is just too frustrating, thus destroying the relationship that Alice ironically was trying to save.
  • Reconstructed: Alice later follows up with Bob and explains herself. Bob considers what she says, and agrees that maybe they should start over again. When Alice asks if they'll be a couple or Just Friends, Bob tells her that he'll "think about it".

Let's walk back to Master of the Mixed Message together! Oh, but not like, together together. Let's just hold hands. Like friends!

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