History PlayingWith / MysteriousWaif

* '''Enforced''': "As per the executive mandate, all of our games must feature a mysterious woman with magical powers sought after by the Big Bad, because it is the perfect way to make the Hero jump at the call."

* '''Defied''': Alice makes a special effort to be as unmysterious and normal as she can, perhaps even rejecting powers and items if she feels it would draw attention from Evulz.

%%

* '''Zig Zagged''': Alice has a very special, ornate necklace...which is simply a gift from her best girlfriend...which said girlfriend stole from her uncle's collection of ancient artifacts...but the ancients make useless bric-a-brac too...however, after wearing it, Alice's healing powers surface...

* '''Straight''': Alice is an ethereal, fascinating young woman who meets [[TheHero Bob]]. She is being pursued by TheEmpire and [[BigBad Emperor Evulz]], so Bob agrees to protect her and her lucky amulet in exchange for the use of her healing powers.

** Alice is [[CombatPragmatist pragmatic]], [[WomenAreWiser clear]], [[TerseTalker concise]], and [[CoolOldLady old]].

* '''Enforced''': "A mysterious woman with magical powers sought after by the Big Bad will be the perfect way to make the Hero jump at the call."
* '''Lampshaded''': "Are you the mysterious girl everyone is talking about? Could you please heal my wound?"

* '''Conversed''': "Hmm, magical powers, hiding a magical crystal, air of mystery...the Emperor will probably be after her."

** The mysterious waif's tendency towards self sacrifice is easily exploited by Evulz, thus making quick work of her, and the party ends up grieving.

** ''[[LoveInterestTraitor Alice]] [[BitchInSheepsClothing herself]]'' turns out to be the BigBad, while TheEmpire pursuing her [[GoodAllAlong was trying to stop her]] EvilPlan. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Nice going, Bob.]] [[RealityEnsues This is why you shouldn’t trust mysterious people who are being pursued by authorities.]]

* '''Parodied''': OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Bob, [[HeroicWannabe wanting to be a great hero]], goes to find any sort of mysterious girl, convinced that it'll set him on the path to defeating the BigBad, who is simply his {{jerkass}} history teacher who happens to have [[WhiteHairBlackHeart white hair]].

** However, her magical powers allow her to return to life, or at least a guaranteed [[AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence ascension to a higher plane.]]

%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???

* '''Exaggerated''': Aerith is a completely cryptic and inscrutable young woman who is really seven hundred years old, has vast magical powers, is self sacrificing almost to the point of being a doormat, and her locket holds the key to utopia.

* '''Subverted''': Bob comes across Alice, who initially is a bit distant and ethereal seeming, but she was just distracted when he showed up. Her necklace turns out to simply be a gift from a girlfriend.

* '''Downplayed''': Alice isn't that cryptic and she looks like the GirlNextDoor aside from her unusually dark eyes, but she can't give a satisfying explanation of where her amulet came from.
* '''Justified''': Having to hide from [[BigBad Emperor Evulz]], or just from an misunderstanding society at large, because of her gifts, leads to a certain sense of 'distance' from everyone else.

** There is nothing mysterious about the woman at all.
** She is [[CombatPragmatist pragmatic]], [[WomenAreWiser clear]], concise, [[CoolOldLady and old]].

** However, that is just a ruse, she has even greater secrets than initially imagined.
** Alice had been distracted because she hadn't been out in a city before and was [[MundaneObjectAmazement captivated by a toy demonstration in the window]]. Talking with Alice reveals that the necklace she got from her girlfriend Carol is itself holding some kind of key, which all Carol told Alice about was that it was extremely important to unlock something but never elaborated to Alice even when Alice asked.
* '''Parodied''': Bob, wanting to be a great hero, goes to find any sort of mysterious girl, convinced that it'll set him on the path to defeating the Big Bad, which is simply his {{jerkass}} history teacher who happens to have [[WhiteHairBlackHeart white hair]].

* '''Exploited''': ???
* '''Defied''': Alice makes a special effort to be as unmysterious and normal as she can, perhaps even rejecting powers and items if she feels it would draw attention from the Big Bad.
* '''Discussed''': "This mysterious girl needs our help to save the world from the Evulz."

** ''[[TreacherousAdvisor Alice]] [[BitchInSheepsClothing herself]]'' turns out to be the BigBad, while TheEmpire pursuing her [[GoodAllAlong was trying to stop her]] EvilPlan. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Nice going, Bob.]] [[RealityEnsues This is why you shouldn’t trust mysterious people who are being pursued by authorities.]]

** Alice became the BigBad because of a FreudianExcuse of a DarkAndTroubledPast that turned her into a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds. The plan still needs to be stopped whether Alice [[HeelFaceTurn renounces her plan]] or [[TragicVillain not]]; the story doesn't happen without her either way.

* '''Double Subverted''': However, that is just a ruse, she has even greater secrets than initially imagined.

* '''Reconstructed''': However, her magical powers allow her to return to life, or at least a guaranteed [[AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence ascension to a higher plane.]]

* '''Exaggerated''': Aerith is a completely cryptic and inscrutable young woman who is really seven hundred years old, has vast magical powers, is self sacrificing almost to the point of being a doormat, and her locket holds the key to utopia. Overall a giant MarySue.

** ''[[TreacherousAdvisor Alice]] [[BitchInSheepsClothing herself]]'' turns out to be the BigBad, while TheEmpire pursuing her [[GoodAllAlong was trying to stop her]] EvilPlan. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Nice job, Bob.]]
* '''Reconstructed''': However, her magical powers allow her to return to life, or at least a guaranteed ascension to a higher plane.

* '''Straight''': Alice is an ethereal, fascinating young woman who meets Bob, who agrees to protect her and her lucky amulet in exchange for the use of her healing powers.
* '''Exaggerated''': Aerith is a completely cryptic and inscrutable young woman who is really seven hundred years old, has vast magical powers, is self sacrificing almost to the point of being a doormat, and her locket holds the key to utopia.
* '''Downplayed''': Aerith isn't that cryptic and she looks like the GirlNextDoor aside from her unusually dark eyes, but she can't give a satisfying explanation of where her amulet came from.
* '''Justified''': Having to hide from the big bad, or just from an misunderstanding society at large, because of her gifts, leads to a certain sense of 'distance' from everyone else.

* '''Parodied''': Bob, wanting to be a great hero, goes to find any sort of mysterious girl, convinced that it'll set him on the path to defeating the Big Bad, which is simply his jerkass history teacher who happens to have white hair.

* '''Invoked''': Alice learns healing magic and attains a powerful magical charm greatly sought after by the Big Bad, knowing that a hero will come to her aid.

* '''Discussed''': "This mysterious girl needs our help to save the world from the Big Bad."
* '''Conversed''': "Hmm, magical powers, hiding a magical crystal, air of mystery...the Big Bad will probably be after her."

** The mysterious waif's tendency towards self sacrifice is easily exploited by the Big Bad, thus making quick work of her, and the party ends up grieving.
** ''[[TreacherousAdvisor Alice herself]]'' turns out to be the BigBad, while TheEmpire pursuing her was trying to stop her EvilPlan. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Nice job, Bob.]]

* '''Deconstructed''': The mysterious waif's tendency towards self sacrifice is easily exploited by the Big Bad, thus making quick work of her, and the party ends up grieving.

** She is [[CloserToEarth prag]][[CombatPragmatist matic]], clear, concise, and old.

* '''Downplayed''': ???

* '''Inverted''': There is nothing mysterious about the woman at all.

* '''Deconstructed''': The mysterious waif's tendency towards self sacrifice is easily exploited by the Big Bad, thus making quick work of her, and the party ends up grieving.
* '''Reconstructed''': However, her magical powers allow her to return to life, or at least a guaranteed ascension to a higher plane.

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** She is [[CloserToEarth prag]][[TheCombatPragmatist matic]], clear, concise, and old.