History Main / PlayingNiceForNow

Compare ChaosWhileTheyreNotLooking. See also TheMasquerade and LivingWithTheVillain. Compare TeethClenchedTeamwork which happens when they're forced to play nice and work on the same thing.

* There's a SugarWiki/{{Funny Moment|s}} for this trope in the ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'' manga and OVA (Original Video Animation), where a meeting between Hellsing and Iscariot goes badly and Alucard and Anderson are about to throw down in an art museum, so Seras defuses the situation by pretending to be a guide and leading a group of elderly tourists into the room.

* There's a CrowningMomentOfFunny for this trope in the ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'' manga and OVA (Original Video Animation), where a meeting between Hellsing and Iscariot goes badly and Alucard and Anderson are about to throw down in an art museum, so Seras defuses the situation by pretending to be a guide and leading a group of elderly tourists into the room.

* There's a CrowningMomentOfFunny for this trope in the ''{{Hellsing}}'' manga and OVA (Original Video Animation), where a meeting between Hellsing and Iscariot goes badly and Alucard and Anderson are about to throw down in an art museum, so Seras defuses the situation by pretending to be a guide and leading a group of elderly tourists into the room.

See also TheMasquerade and LivingWithTheVillain. Compare TeethClenchedTeamwork which happens when they're forced to play nice and work on the same thing.

* Seen in ''TheSarahConnorChronicles'' episode "The Tower Is Tall But The Fall Is Short". Cameron and another Terminator have a FightScene that turns into an ElevatorActionSequence, and then into an UncomfortableElevatorMoment when the elevator stops for a family of civilians. The two Terminators stand there silently for the duration, covering up their wounds, and then go back to beating the [[WesternAnimation/BeastWars slag]] out of each other once they're alone again.
* Partial example. In {{Series/Merlin}}, nobody except Merlin and Gaius know about [[spoiler: Morgana's FaceHeelTurn]]. Merlin has to play nice and pretend to be overjoyed about [[spoiler:her]] being back, and [[spoiler:she]] has to continue the facade of friendship so as not to raise suspicion. That they keep this up for the better part of a ''year'' really says something about either their acting or everyone else's obliviousness.

* Mojo Jojo and WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls find themselves in joint cooperation to stave off an alien attack in "Forced Kin." Mojo is only going with it to prove that he, and not the invading alien, is the most evil of all.

* Mojo Jojo and ThePowerpuffGirls find themselves in joint cooperation to stave off an alien attack in "Forced Kin." Mojo is only going with it to prove that he, and not the invading alien, is the most evil of all.

* There's a CrowningMomentOfFunny for this trope in the ''{{Hellsing}}'' manga and OVA (Original Video Animation), where a meeting between Hellsing and the Catholics goes badly and Alucard and Anderson are about to throw down in an art museum, so Seras defuses the situation by pretending to be a guide and leading a group of elderly tourists into the room.

* In ''LightNovel/HatarakuMaousama'', Maou reveals to Suzuno that he knows her secret and had only pretended to ignore it so long as she did not interfere with the daily lives of him and his associates, which shocks her greatly. [[spoiler: Subverted later when Suzuno decides to side with Maou instead [[EnemyMine against Archangel Sariel]]]].

* In the City Watch sub-series of the {{Discworld}} novels, this is a common effect of the intervention of the Watch, especially if Captain Carrot is involved.

* This occurs in ''Film/KillBill Volume 1''. The Bride and Vernita Green are fighting, but they temporarily stop when Vernita's four year old daughter Nikki arrives home from school.

* In ''LightNovel/HatarakuMaousama'', Maou reveals to Suzuno that he is aware of her true identity as a human Inquisitor from Ente Isla all along and had only pretended to ignore it so long as she did not interfere with the daily lives of him and his associates, which shocks her greatly. [[spoiler: Subverted later when Suzuno decides to side with Maou instead [[EnemyMine against Archangel Sariel]]]].

* In ''Film/WestSideStory'', we have the Jets and Sharks putting up a facade for the cops. The cop doesn't buy it, but lack any evidence to arrest them for assaulting each other.
* This occurs in ''KillBill Volume 1''. The Bride and Vernita Green are fighting, but they temporarily stop when Vernita's four year old daughter Nikki arrives home from school.

* In {{Dexter}} season 5, Dexter drugs a villain, but the guy gets him with his tranquilized dart as he falls down. They both fall unconscious, and wake up in the same ambulance - quickly starting a friendly bickering about the "accident".

* Partial example. In {{Series/Merlin}}, nobody except Merlin and Gaius know about [[spoiler: Morgana's [[FaceHeelTurn Face Heel Turn]]]]. Merlin has to play nice and pretend to be overjoyed about [[spoiler:her]] being back, and [[spoiler:she]] has to continue the facade of friendship so as not to raise suspicion. That they keep this up for the better part of a ''year'' really says something about either their acting or everyone else's obliviousness.

* Young Ben and Gwen of the ''Ben10'' franchise do this sometimes when Grandpa Max gets sick of their constant fighting. The most epic moment was in a five-minute short to go with the "Destroy All Aliens" CGI movie: their usual arguing escalates into a ''full scale battle'' with the full might of the Omnitrix vs. Gwen's magic, even more epic than the one time they fought each other with their powers ''and meant it'' in ''Ultimate Alien.'' The result is the complete and utter demolition of the area - and being in perfect sync as they feign innocence when Max comes back.

* In ''LightNovel/HatarakuMaousama'', Maou reveals to Suzuno that he is aware of her true identity as a human Inquisitor from Ente Isla all along and had only pretended to ignore it so long as she did not interfere with the daily lives of him and his associates. Needless to say, Suzuno was shocked by this revelation.

* Partial example. In {{Series/Merlin}}, nobody except Merlin and Gaius know about [[spoiler: Morgana's [[HeelFaceTurn Heel Face Turn]]]]. Merlin has to play nice and pretend to be overjoyed about [[spoiler:her]] being back, and [[spoiler:she]] has to continue the facade of friendship so as not to raise suspicion. That they keep this up for the better part of a ''year'' really says something about either their acting or everyone else's obliviousness.

* Partial example. In {{Merlin}}, nobody except Merlin and Gaius know about [[spoiler: Morgana's [[HeelFaceTurn Heel Face Turn]]]]. Merlin has to play nice and pretend to be overjoyed about [[spoiler:her]] being back, and [[spoiler:she]] has to continue the facade of friendship so as not to raise suspicion. That they keep this up for the better part of a ''year'' really says something about either their acting or everyone else's obliviousness.

* Partial example. In {{Merlin}}, nobody except Merlin and Gaius know about [[spoiler: Morgana's [[FaceHeelTurn Face Heel Turn]]]]. Merlin has to play nice and pretend to be overjoyed about [[spoiler:her]] being back, and [[spoiler:she]] has to continue the facade of friendship so as not to raise suspicion. That they keep this up for the better part of a ''year'' really says something about either their acting or everyone else's obliviousness.

* In the Jean Valhardi adventure ''Le Soleil Noir'', the eponymous hero makes use of such a situation to escape.

* [[PlayingWithFire Natsu]] and [[AnIcePerson Gray]] from ''FairyTail'' are always fighting, but will immediately put on huge smiles (and [[TheDreaded a cold sweat]]) whenever [[LadyOfWar Erza Scarlett]] walks in.

* In WestSideStory, we have the Jets and Sharks putting up a facade for the cops. The cop doesn't buy it, but lack any evidence to arrest them for assaulting each other.

* ''BackToTheFuture''. Marty and Biff do this when Strickland shows up.

Two guys or groups are at each other's throats. TheHero versus TheVillain, the Jets versus the Sharks, the vampires versus the werewolves... you know the drill. But then the cops or muggles or whatever show up, and bam! Time to put up the friendly faces and play nice with each other. The enemies instantly turn into best friends. And it will last until those nosy people have left the scene. maybe even a few seconds longer. Then it's back to trying to kill each other again.

* Seen in ''TheSarahConnorChronicles'' episode "The Tower Is Tall But The Fall Is Short". Cameron and another Terminator have a FightScene that turns into an ElevatorActionSequence, and then into an UncomfortableElevatorMoment when the elevator stops for a family of civilians. The two Terminators stand there silently for the duration, covering up their wounds, and then go back to beating the [[BeastWars slag]] out of each other once they're alone again.

* In {{Dexter}} season 5, Dexter drug a villain, but the guy gets him with his tranquilized dart as he falls down. They both fall unconscious, and wake up in the same ambulance - quickly starting a friendly bickering about the "accident".