Single Tear



A Single Tear generally occurs when a Mary Sue angsts. It is often described with very urple prose, something along the lines of "a clear, glimmering drop of pure diamond." The Tear then tends to "glide down her perfect cheek."

Using a Single Tear is a legal charge, providing some relief for the agents that have to suffer through witnessing one.

However, the Single Tear is also used in many canons, for example Torchwood or the movieverse of Lord of the Rings, since it can be a more dignified way of showing sadness, than to have someone doing full-on sobbing, which tends to leave characters with red and puffy eyes. In these cases, a more appropriate charge might be that of ripping off canon characters.

The Inheritance Cycle is especially guilty of this.