This is a trope for when a character (usually a noble or aristocrat, but not always), pretends to be spoiled, effete, and/or foppish
These characters are often
Compare with Obfuscating Stupidity. In that trope, a character pretends to be an idiot to disguise their intelligence for any reason, whereas a Fake Wastrel is pretending to be useless to hide heroics such as vigilantism or spywork. A Fake Wastrel might be openly intelligent or even act more intellectual that they really are. This is most likely to be true if the story is set in or inspired by the Enlightenment, where science and literature where, alongside gambling, were the most accepted hobbies for noblemen.
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Title or Description
- Zorro1957
- Across a Star-Swept Sea, by Diana Peterfreund.
- The Mask Of Mirrors: Discussed and Subverted. Leato is the perfect canidate for this trope. He isn’t.
- The Curse of Capistrano: Don Deigo Unlike later varitions, he seems mo
- Elfshadow: Danilo Thann is a dandy, a seemingly disastrous spellcaster, and a disappointment to his family. Like many, he loves being a hero but loathes having to pretend to be a fop.
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- Zorro1957
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