History Main / MutualMasquerade

* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDragonJakeLong'': Jake is secretly a dragon and protector of New York City's magical community. His crush Rose is secretly Huntsgirl, a high-ranked member of an organization dedicated to killing magical creatures. This leads to situations like the two of them each ducking out of a study date with a [[INeedToGoIronMyDog paper-thin excuse]] so they can fight... each other. Jake is the first to realize what's going on after a fight ends with him realizing Rose and Huntsgirl share the same distinctive tattoo, and he begrudgingly reveals his identity to her in the season one finale. [[spoiler:She breaks up with him, but they get back together early the following season to try and make it work.]]

* In [=LuisJM=]'s version of ''Fanfic/TransformersPrimeSeason3'', [[WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime Team Prime, their Allie’s, MECH, and the Decepticons]] were unaware of the existence of the [[Manga/GunslingerGirl Social Welfare Agency]]], who in turn didn't know that aliens existed and were already on Earth. This example has more justification than others - the two stories take place on separate continents, there are no Cybertronian relics in Italy, Team Prime only fights groups that directly oppose their actions, and the Social Welfare Agency does not try to root out terrorists from overseas. Funnily enough, the US Government ''did'' have evidence that the SWA existed, but never followed up on it because they had no reason to get involved.

* Common occurrence in ''TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness'' campaigns, due in part to the sheer number of masquerades that know next to nothing about each other.
** Varies. When you're a vampire, werewolf, mage, or changeling, you can expect to be inducted into your respective secret society, in which, generally, everyone knows who is who. Thus it's a rare occurrence that a vampire is in town without the other vampires knowing (and this is the way things should be-- masquerade breach is deadly for the vampires as a whole).
** Meanwhile, the same luxury can't always be afforded by hunters, the Frankenstein monsters, and sin-eaters. Sometimes you don't even know that there are other hunters in your area. And one doesn't need another sin-eater to become a sin-eater, so it's likely that a sin-eater might go a long way without meeting the others.

* ''LightNovel/{{Dokkoida}}'': The series premise is a pair of superheroes fighting a group of supervillains on Earth as a test to see whose superhero suit is superior. Everyone, hero and villain alike, is given secret identities, with none knowing who any of the others are, and are under strict instruction to make sure their identities aren't discovered... then each and every one of them are placed in the same apartment complex due to budget issues.
* In ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'', a great deal of the conflict in the latter bit of the series is the various factions of Ikebukuro butting heads (sometimes very very violently) and maintaining secrets from each other and the public. As such, many, many, many characters that interact with each other don't know that these people are actually part of the Dollars, or Saika's army, or Nebula, or the Yellow Scarves, or the yakuza, or...

* In ''ComicBook/{{Chronin}}'', both Mirai and Gilbert are time travelers from [[TwentyMinutesInTheFuture the not too distant future]] (Mirai is from the 2040s, Gilbert the 2050s), who are [[TrappedInThePast stuck in 1860s Japan]]. Both keep up the pretense of being a normal person from that era as they travel together.

* ''Fanfic/FateBuildTheMechanicalMagus'': In addition to the canon example of [[LightNovel/FateStayNight Shirou and Rin not knowing the other is a Magus]], Rin was in the dark to the fact that Shirou is ''Series/KamenRiderBuild''. In fact, the magic side as a whole was blind to the existence of the Kamen Riders, who in turn didn't know that magic existed, until Shirou used Build to fight Lancer.

[[folder:Film]]

* While most elements of the Masquerade avoid this in ''Literature/TheLaundrySeries'', vampires are an exception as they're trying to remain secret even ''within'' it. As explained, if a vampire can recognize somebody else as a vampire, clearly the second vampire's very existence threatens to reveal vampires are real, and so the only reason why vampires communicate is if they haven't yet worked out their plans for killing each other. This fades rapidly after their introduction to the series (after the inevitable finally happens and a plan for killing another vampire involves threatening the Masquerade to force him to expose himself, the plan going bad on both sides).

* PlayedForComedy in the ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'' tale [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/everyone-knows "Everyone Knows"]]: [[spoiler:Turns out, the entire population of Earth is aware of the anomalies, sans one Jeremiah Wuthers (and even that is doubtful). The organizations have upheld TheMasquerade simply because they have never correlated their membership numbers before.]]

* In ''Fanfic/TheresMoreMagicOutThere'' a sizeable chunk of the main school cast of Ladybug are all various sorts of magical or monstrous being but before the events of the story, a vast majority of them don't know about the others and only start to figure out this by sheer chance when Juleka (a vampire) notices something odd about Alya's (Selkie) coat. In addition, they remain completely unaware of the fact that two of their other classmates are superheroes, and the two superheroes have no idea just how many of their classmates are something other than human.

Of course, this type of situation could lead to many surprises. Suppose you're a mystical creature living in a world where mystical creatures are thought not to exist, and you must maintain the persona of being an ordinary person. You know that there are others like you that exist, but other than your [[LimitedSocialCircle close friends and family]], you don't know who or where they are. You try your best to maintain your disguise, lying to all the muggles at school and at your job. But one of them is getting incredibly close to your secret. You've known this person for years, and never thought him to be anything more than an ordinary muggle. But when he [[BrokenMasquerade discovers your secret]], it's actually okay, because he has the same secret himself!

** The premise of the story revolves around this. Loid is actually a spy (codenamed Twilight), and Yor is an assassin (nicknamed the Thorn Princess). Neither of them know this about one another. Several others play out their own hidden agendas with all of them being equally unaware about anyone else. Anya, the HappilyAdopted daughter of Loid and Yor in a false family, is the only exception to this because her {{Telepathy}} gives her complete knowledge of people's actual jobs and intents once she's near them or with someone else who knows. She naturally keeps this knowledge to herself for [[MindOverManners one obvious reason]] and also for [[ItAmusedMe her entertainment]]. However, there are some points in the story where the charade slips a bit.

* There's a GoldenAge Creator/DCComics story about the first meeting between [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Clark Kent]] and [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]] - neither of whom have any idea the other one is also a superhero. (They find out before the end of the story, when they both see the other changing into costume.)

* The ComicBook/DisneyMouseAndDuckComics have some fun with this in their superhero stories, as the various heroes all know each other in their civilian identities but most secret identities are unknown,[[note]]Donald knows that Fethry is the Red Bat, and so Fethry's girlfriend Gloria (herself a superhero as the Purple Butterfly). The latter was ''supposed'' to wipe her memory of his secret, but decided not to [[GenreSavvy because she knew that Fethry would need her help to get himself out of trouble]][[/note]] leading to multiple shenaningans-especially because Paperinik (AKA Donald) is prone to [[LaserGuidedAmnesia wipe the knowledge of his identity from the memories of anyone who stumbles on it]]. Most notable (and funny) is [[DependingOnTheWriter when the authors remember that Daisy has one]], as in those stories her and Donald hate but grudgingly respect each other's alter ego-and [[BelligerentSexualTension are also attracted to each other, much to their mutual horror]] (sometimes it's hinted that they've actually guessed each other's identity multiple times, only to forget through sheer denial).

* In ''Fanfic/TheresMoreMagicOutThere'' a sizeable chunk of the main school cast of Ladybug are all various sorts of magical or monstrous being but before the events of the story a vast majority of them don't know about the others and only start to figure out this by sheer chance when Juleka (a vampire) notices something odd about Alya's (Selkie) coat. In addition they remain completely unaware of the fact that two of their other classmates are superheroes, and the two superheroes have no idea just how many of their classmates are something other than human.

* ''Film/TheBrothers1979'': The titular brothers are, respectively, a triad enforcer and a police inspector. They are actively trying to hunt each other down, while preventing their mother from discovering the truth. It ''doesn't'' end well at all.

* ''Literature/TheManWhoWasThursday'': The protagonist is recruited as a secret agent so secret that none of the agents know who any of the other agents are. There are several moments later in the book where he discovers that some person he was suspicious of is actually one of his colleagues (and was, equally unknowing, just as suspicious of him).

* Fairly common occurrence in the ''Literature/{{Deryni}}'' works set after the beginning of the persecutions, since many Deryni went into hiding one way or another to save their lives. A notable example occurs in ''The King's Justice'', when Bishop Arilan finds Jehana guilt-stricken after she warned Nigel of an assassination plot, knowledge she acquired thanks to her powers. First he tries to teach her through a couple of parables that she had an affirmative duty to reveal what she had learned, and when she retorts that he doesn't understand, he displays his Deryni aura to show her that he actually does.

** Varies. When you're a vampire, werewolf, mage or changeling, you can expect to be inducted to your respective secret society, in which, generally, everyone knows who is who. Thus it's a rare occurence that a vampire is in town without the other vampires knowing (and this is the way things should be-- masquerade breach is deadly for the vampires as a whole).

* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDragonJakeLong'': Jake is secretly a dragon and protector of New York City's magical community. His crush Rose is secretly Huntsgirl, a high-ranked member of an organization dedicated to killing magical creatures. This leads to situations like the two of them each ducking out of a study date with a [[INeedToGoIronMyDog paper thin excuse]] so they can fight... each other. Jake is the first to realize what's going on after a fight ends with him realizing Rose and Huntsgirl share the same distinctive tattoo, and he begrudgingly reveals his identity to her in the season one finale. [[spoiler:She breaks up with him, but they get back together early the following season to try and make it work.]]

[[folder: Webcomics]]

* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', quoth one high-ranked member of TheMenInBlack, [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2011-05-09 "the accessibility of magic has always been the real secret."]] So there's a lot of magic users who have no clue about each other and lose time in otherwise trivial cases. Such as when a wizard's apprentice Noah was trying for days to investigate a magical incident, and since he couldn't tell what it's about and had zero diplomatic skills, he was forced to [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2011-02-16 go the roundabout way through Elliot]] without telling him anything. Elliot himself being a full-fledged magic-user and knowing about the wizard but not Noah and working with another investigator connected to TheMenInBlack. By the time he got to his witness (yet another magic user who by this time had a good idea what's going on, but wasn't going to tell Noah anyway), the delay allowed [[spoiler:the follow-up incident, which loudly finished off already damaged {{Masquerade}}]].

* ''Webcomic/BrawlInTheFamily'' has [[http://brawlinthefamily.keenspot.com/comic/464-thesecret/ two Dittos posing as humans to each other.]]

* In ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'', Negi and some of his students find out that each other knows about TheMasquerade.
* In ''Manga/{{Sekirei}}'', both Minato Sahashi and his sister Yukari are Ashikabi in the Sekirei Plan. Since one of the major rules of the Sekirei Plan is [[Film/FightClub "You do not talk about the Sekirei Plan"]], neither of them knows that the other is involved. It gets particularly frustrating because Yukari's Sekirei is an older brother to one of Minato's, and is devoted to finding her.
** Additionally, when Minato and Musubi first move into Izumo Inn early in the series, Minato worries about having to keep the Sekirei Plan secret from their new housemates. [[spoiler:It turned out that they're ''all'' Sekireis.]]

* ''Manga/SpyXFamily'': The premise of the story revolves around this. Loid is actually a spy (codenamed Twilight), and Yor is an assassin (nicknamed the Thorn Princess). Neither of them know this about one another. Several others play out their own hidden agendas with all of them being equally unaware about anyone else. Anya, the HappilyAdopted daughter of Loid and Yor in a false family, is the only exception to this because her {{Telepathy}} gives her complete knowledge of people's actual jobs and intents once she's near them or with someone else who knows. She naturally keeps this knowledge to herself for [[MindOverManners one obvious reason]] and also for [[ItAmusedMe her entertainment]]. However, there are some points in the story where the charade slips a bit.

-->-- '''Anya:''' Somebody's [[spoiler:drowning in the pool]]!
-->-- '''Loid:''' (''AlertnessBlink'') [[HowIsThatEvenPossible How could you know that?!]] What are you?!
-->-- '''Anya:''' (''cue WideEyesAndShrunkenIrises at the idea of Loid possibly viewing her as a monster if she revealed her {{Telepathy}}'')

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': Timmy Turner has been classmates with a rich kid named Remy. After a series of suspicious events, Timmy has decided to spy on Remy and discovered that he also had a fairy godparent. When Timmy asked his godparents why he was never told, the fairies replied that it was against Da Rules for fairies to tell their godchildren about other children with fairies. They have to figure it out on their own.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'': As in ''Returns'', Bruce and Selina are attracted to each other in and out of costume. Unlike ''Returns'' neither ever finds out the other.

* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'': The two main characters Marinette and Adrien have no idea that the other is their superhero partner. This causes [[TwoPersonLoveTriangle some complications]] in their romantic lives: Marinette loves Adrien, who thinks she's a good friend and has no idea how she feels. Cat Noir loves Ladybug, but she's endlessly annoyed by his constant flirting. The whole mess could easily be solved if they unmasked in front of each other, but their respective Kwamis have both firmly informed them that their secret identities ''must'' remain secret, even from each other. On top of all that, the two are constantly battling the minions of the evil Hawk Moth, who is in fact [[spoiler: Adrien's ''father'']]... and as ''Cat Blanc'' and ''Ephemeral'' show, if Adrien and Marinette were to reveal their identities to each other, Hawk Moth would figure it out in short order because [[spoiler:Adrien lives with him]] and use it against them.
* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDragonJakeLong'': Jake is secretly a dragon. His crush Rose is secretly the magical-creature hunter Huntsgirl. This leads to situations like the two of them each ducking out of a study date with a [[INeedToGoIronMyDog paper thin excuse]] so they can fight... each other.

* In ''Series/KamenRiderFaiz'', Takumi thinks Kiba is an okay guy but the Horse Orphenoch is a villain. Kiba thinks Takumi is an okay guy but Kamen Rider Faiz is a villain. Naturally, they learn each other's identities ''before'' they learn they are (or should be) on the same side. It doesn't help that Kusaka (ostensibly one of the good guys, but a DevilInPlainSight and ManipulativeBastard) knows ''exactly'' what's going on and manipulates things to keep them at each other's throats, out of petty jealousy more than anything else.

* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'': The two main characters Marinette and Adrien have no idea that the other is their superhero partner. This causes [[TwoPersonLoveTriangle some complications]] in their romantic lives: Marinette loves Adrien, who thinks she's a good friend and has no idea how she feels. Cat Noir loves Ladybug, but she's endlessly annoyed by his constant flirting. The whole mess could easily be solved if they unmasked in front of each other, but their respective Kwamis have both firmly informed them that their secret identities ''must'' remain secret, even from each other. On top of all that, the two are constantly battling the minions of the evil Hawk Moth... who is in fact [[spoiler: Adrien's ''father''.]]

* The major point of the ''Fanfic/BattleFantasiaProject'' is that there ''was'' one called the Veil, which kept all the worlds Magical Girls (and their respective antagonists) from being aware of each other's existence... than a Magical Girl named Akiko transforms on live tv before making an AttemptedSuicide, is rescued by [[Anime/MagicalGIrlLyricalNanoha Fate Testarossa]], and suddenly that masquerade is [[BrokenMasquerade broken beyond repair]]. The result is [[MassivelyMultiplayerCrossover magical girl forces from across the world]] joining forces and closing ranks to help protect each other better.

* In ''Fanfic/TheresMoreMagicOutThere'' a sizeable chunk of the main school cast of Ladybug are all various sorts of magical or monstrous being but before the events of the story a vast majority of them don't know about the others and only start to figure out this by sheer chance when Juleka (a vampire) notices something odd about Alya (a Selkie's) coat. In addition they remain completely unaware of the fact that two of their other classmates are superheroes, and the two superheroes have no idea just how many of their classmates are something other than human.

* ''Film/TheBrothers1979'': The titular brothers are, respectively, a triad enforcer and a police inspector. They are actively trying to hunt each other down, while preventing their mother from discovering the truth. It ''didn't'' end well at all.
* ''Film/MrAndMrsSmith2005'', the movie where husband and wife discovered each other's secrets: They were both assassins for hire, working for rival organizations. They find this out when they both get hired for the same job ''on opposite sides''. [[spoiler:The whole job is arranged by both rival groups to dispose of the problem their unwitting marriage caused.]]

* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13492828/1/Fate-Azure-Destiny Fate Azure Destiny]]'': [[VideoGame/FateGrandOrder Ritsuka Fujimaru]] stumbles upon the secret war between VideoGame/AzurLane and the Sirens. Just like the Mages Association have no idea about technologically advanced Shipgirls, Azur Lane and the Sirens have no idea about the Mages Association or that magic exists.