Basic Trope: Character who knows important information and/or holds a Plot Coupon doesn't reveal because they weren't asked for/about it.
- Straight: Hiro is collecting the Seven Orbs of Wonder, but can't find a key to the shrine where the Orb of Crimson Flame is held. Turns out his companion Ichigo's pendant opens the shrine. When he asks why she didn't tell him, she replies "You Didn't Ask."
- Exaggerated:
- Ichigo's pendant is the Orb of Crimson Flame.
- They could have avoided this if Ichigo had only given Hiro the pendant at the beginning.
- Downplayed: Ichigo had the pendant the whole time, but didn't know that it was so important, though everyone else would have if they knew she had it.
- Justified:
- Ichigo herself didn't realize her pendant's importance until they visited the shrine to search for clues.
- Ichigo was told not to reveal her pendant's secret to anyone, and didn't fully trust Hiro and the others until just now.
- Whether she is under a Geas or some similar kind of spell, Ichigo is Tongue-Tied in a way that prevents her from divulging any information her about pendant by her own volition. She has to be asked a direct question about it by someone else before she is allowed to talk about it.
- Hiro and Ichigo are on the receiving end of a Stern Chase. There wasn't time to ask!
- Volunteering the fact would have ruined Hiro's Plausible Deniability.
- Inverted:
- A lot of attention is put on Ichigo's pendant, but it actually doesn't have any special effects.
- Hiro does ask about Ichigo's pendant and why she's so protective of it. She honestly answers him to the best of her knowledge.
- Subverted: When they first meet, Hiro asks Ichigo about her pendant and all about the Orbs of Wonder.
- Double Subverted: However, he didn't specifically ask whether or not her pendant was the Crimson Orb of Flame...
- Parodied:
- On a New Game Plus, Hiro tries to claim the Orb of Crimson Flame immediately, but Ichigo doesn't understand why he wants her pendant so badly.
- "I did ask you! I asked you several times if you had any clue how to open the Crimson Shrine, and you just shrugged!" "Oh. You didn't ask loud enough, then."
- Zig Zagged: ???
- Averted:
- The pendant is not the key and is never thought to be.
- No pendant exists and the key needs to be found.
- Enforced: If Hiro learned about the Orb too early, it would just fall into the hands of Emperor Evulz after he has his spy Morty steal all of the Orbs they'd collected.
- Lampshaded: "You wanted this pendant? You never asked for it."
- Invoked: Emperor Evulz realises the heroes are about to find out the location of the last Orb, so he ensures only Ichigo finds out, knowing that she will not tell Hiro unless asked.
- Exploited: Ichigo is The Mole and doesn't want Hiro to find the Orb. When the pendant's importance is revealed anyway she uses this trope to deflect blame and keep her cover.
- Defied:
- Ichigo tells Hiro about the pendant's effects immediately, and constantly reminds him so he won't forget.
- "I don't care if the solution to this problem is you telling me how you prefer to get fucked, you are going to tell me everything, literally everything you know that has the smallest connection to this damned mess, or else I'm walking." "And you would let me di..?" "I. AM. WALKING!!"
- Discussed: "Take this pendant! You're going to ask for it anyway."
- Conversed: "Ichigo is such a bully! She should have asked Hiro if he was looking for her pendant."
- Deconstructed: Hiro is furious about the omission and stops trusting Ichigo, grilling her relentlessly and refusing to believe that she's not concealing anything else important.
- Played For Laughs: Ichigo is clearly just as taken aback at her pendant's importance as everyone else, and tries to cover up her shock with an obvious lie.
- Played For Drama: Hiro and Ichigo get into a huge fight about her not telling him just because 'he didn't ask'.
- Untwisted: Ichigo tells Hiro about her pendant, but he forgets.
Of course I have the back button! Wait, you want to go back? You Didn't Ask!
