Basic Trope: A character's cover is blown, and people notice something's up.
- Straight: Bob is trying to sneak past the guards of an enemy base. He starts stepping on crunchy leaves, and the guards take notice that someone's trying to sneak by, get up from their posts, and search for him.
- Exaggerated: Bob somehow makes less noise than the wind, and the guards instantly recognize him.
- Downplayed: Bob steps on a single leaf. The guards become suspicious, but don't begin to search for him.
- Justified: The guards are trained to listen for minute sounds that could indicate the presence of an invader.
- Inverted: Bob jumps in plain sight of the guards and starts yelling. They don't notice him.
- Subverted: When Bob starts crunching on leaves, the guards get up from their posts... to switch out with the new guards at the end of their shift.
- Double Subverted: The new guards soon notice Bob trying to sneak by.
- Parodied: When the guards hear the least amount of noise, they frantically get up from their posts and search for an invader. They run around in panic when it begins to rain on their field.
- Zig Zagged: The guards notice a noise at the same time Bob starts his stealth mission across their guarded area, but they only notice an animal. Bob then begins to make noise, and the guards get up from their posts to search for them. The guard's search ends with one of the guards saying "got him," holding up a rabbit who was also making noise in the field.
- Averted: Nobody notices when Bob makes noise
- Enforced: "We've got to add suspense to this stealth scene. Any ideas?" "Ooh! Let's make it look like the guards are gonna catch our hero!"
- Lampshaded: "Make one noise when you're trying to sneak by, and those guards are going to notice you!"
- Invoked:
- Bob throws a rock to distract the guards, which causes them to take attention to the wrong thing.
- Bob is shuffling the guards for his partners.
- Exploited: When Bob starts making noise, the guards use that noise to track down and capture him.
- Defied: Bob takes careful precautions not to make any noise, lest he be caught.
- Discussed: "Did those guards just notice agent Bob, or did they just glance at the wind?"
- Conversed: "Uh oh. Bob might be in trouble after he made that noise. How did those guards hear him, anyway?"
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