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Unclear Description: Innocent Cohabitation

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    Original post 
Note: This thread was proposed by Synchronicity.

Wick check is done at Innocent Cohabitation Wick Check.

I was inspired to bring Innocent Cohabitation to TRS after confusion expressed here, as to whether or not the quote (as of writing) fit the trope:

"These two best friends decide to move in together, what happens next will shock you!
(Or not, considering all roommate fics end up the same anyhow.)"

Essentially, the trope name and description are not clear as to what "innocent" means — I thought from the name that it meant a totally platonic roommate living situation. However, the above quote and description then says that living together is a fertile ground for romantic/sexual tension, and several examples involve characters being into their roommates (either they went into the living situation with an agenda, or the roommates eventually fell for each other). In the end, the description neuters itself by saying "sometimes it's platonic after all", making it essentially "characters are roommates".

The wick check also backs up this scattered "characters are roommates who may or may not have tension" usage:

  • Totally platonic cohabitation: 7/50 = 14%
  • Cohabitation with explicit romantic/sexual tension (e.g. mutual sexual tension, only one character wants something to happen, they end up together shortly after living together): 16/50 = 32%
  • Examples that mention some sort of tension but are mixed/unclear if it applies (e.g. guy has multiple roommates and only gets together with one, awkwardness or something happens but example doesn't elaborate): 6/50 = 12%
  • Just "people are roommates" 12/50 = 24%
  • ZCE: 9/50 = 18%

We'd need to decide what to do with the following ideas:

  1. Despite societal expectations of roommates with compatible sexual orientations, these people have a platonic living situation
  2. Drama and sexual/romantic tension from roommate situation

Ideas:

  • We pivot the trope to be about roommate situations being inherently sexy and make #1 a subversion of that notion, removing examples where the expectation is never brought up.
  • We split these two ideas. Here a trope called From Roommates to Romance about living together as a romance arc was pitched.

Innocent Cohabitation wicks checked: 50/50

  • Totally platonic cohabitation: 7/50 = 14%
  • Cohabitation with explicit romantic/sexual tension (e.g. mutual sexual tension, only one character wants something to happen, they end up together shortly after living together): 16/50 = 32%
  • Examples that mention some sort of tension but are mixed/unclear if it applies (e.g. guy has multiple roommates and only gets together with one, awkwardness or something happens but example doesn't elaborate): 6/50 = 12%
  • Just "people are roommates" 12/50 = 24%
  • ZCE: 9/50 = 18%

    open/close all folders 

    Totally platonic cohabitation 

  1. Characters.Persona 5 Ann Takamaki: Stays with Joker, Ryuji and Mishima for a night during their Hawaii trip when she's locked out of her hotel room. While the boys are quick to point out how it could go wrong, she states that she trusts them. This happens regardless if Joker is her boyfriend or not at the time. True to their word, no hijinks ensure apart from a conversation among the founding Thieves about what kind of girls Joker and Ryuji would date, and Mishima getting sick from drinking tap water. Joker even gives her his whole bed. Assumptions about m/f roommates mentioned
  2. Literature.Beachwalker: While she has her initial doubts about the Starfish's intentions when he protests against her sleeping on the floor, there turns out to be little or no sexual tension despite the situation.
  3. Main.Honorable Marriage Proposal: The stigma is so bad that if a woman is even suspected of having had sex with a man, due to being alone with him for an extended length of time — typically overnight (there is no such thing as Innocent Cohabitation in the mind of society) — she will still have to suffer the consequences. The only thing that can avert this is for her to get married as quickly as possible.
  4. Manga.A Town Where You Live: Yuzuki initially lives with Haruto and Asuka might has well have, though nothing happened at those times.
  5. Manga.Twin Star Exorcists: Averted, Benio and Rokuro are made to live together for the express reason that it will help them become a couple. Put here because of "averted" — the example is assuming that the trope is not about prospective couples.
  6. Manhua.My Wife Is A Demon Queen: Isabella and Xiang live in the same room, but absolutely no hanky-panky goes on.
  7. WesternAnimation.Libertys Kids: The only reason it's okay for Sarah to be living with three males. One of them black. Along with every inn and house they stayed at on their travels.

    Cohabitation with explicit romantic/sexual tension 
  1. Characters.Dear S: He shares a one-bedroom apartment with Ren, an in-universe Lust Object, and he never tries to exploit her, no matter how much she might want him to.
  2. Characters.Kannagi Crazy Shrine Maidens: They live under the same roof under the pretense of being relatives. After developing feelings for Nagi, Jin would like it to stop being innocent if Nagi becomes his girlfriend.
  3. Characters.Life With An Ordinary Guy Who Reincarnated Into A Total Fantasy Knockout: During their journey to the fantasy world, Tachibana and Jinguuji have to live together at Tachibana's apartment, which they can enter thanks to Jinguuji's wish to "take Tachibana home" before the goddess summoned them. Since Tachibana used to be a guy, he and Jinguuji are fighting their growing attraction to each other in order to try and keep their cohabitation innocent until they go back to their world.
  4. Characters.Lucina Reacts: He shares a room in the palace with Tharja. He desperately wants it to be something more, however.
  5. Characters.The Hunger Games Literature Protagonists: Played with. In Catching Fire Peeta more or less moves in to Katniss' bedroom on the Victory Tour and during their Quarter Quell prep week, but even though he's deeply in love with her and she's falling in love with him in return they keep it platonic (if affectionate). As Mockingjay draws to an end it's implied that Peeta moves in and lives with Katniss in her house, sleeping in her bed to help her cope with her bad dreams. While they do end up married with children it's implied that they essentially were just roommates for a while.
  6. FandomSpecificPlot.Anime And Manga: In the Shugo Chara! fandom, a LOT of fan fics are "Ikuto is the school playboy and has kissed every girl in the school, until the new girl Amu arrives and resists his romantic advances, will they fall in love or not?" and they also usually are roommates.
  7. ExplainExplainOhCrap.Western Animation: In the season 2 finale of Star vs. the Forces of Evil, Marco's father Rafael has one of these reactions when Marco tells him that things have gotten weird between him and Star.
    Rafael Diaz: What could be weird? Two teenagers sharing a home. One boy, one girl. [Beat] Oh. Oh, no.
  8. Fanfic.Hero Academia DXD: Ibara, Ochako, and Rias end up living with the Midoriyas for diverse motives. Of course, the three girls would really prefer it to be less innocent, and are very much not shy about showing Izuku how much.
  9. Film.Hands Across The Table: Ted suggests that he should be Regi’s roommate while he pretends to be in Bermuda, and all is fine and well until romantic feelings begin to boil…
  10. Film.The Professional, Rescue Romance entry: After Léon rescues her from the DEA office, Mathilda changes into a pink dress and starts talking to Léon about the importance of losing your virginity with a man you love. Léon turns down her advances, and they compromise on sharing the bed.
  11. Main.Magical Girlfriend description: the perfect girl for him enters his life. She is beautiful, kind, domestic, and utterly and eternally devoted to him
  12. Main.Horny Scientist: Shinra Kishitani from Durarara. Unlike most examples, Celty actually has to live with him and he wishes that it would stop being just Innocent Cohabitation (having gotten a crush on her since he was 4, long story)...
  13. Manga.Gakuen Alice: Natsume and Mikan do this once. Well, more like Natsume FORCES her to, despite that the effects of being stuck from the mochi Tsubasa spoiled wore off, much to her depression. Comes with 1/2 There Is Only One Bed and 1/2 Beautiful Dreamer (Natsume is the one sleeping), at that. Both of those tropes are shipping tropes
    • Hotaru and Luca as well, but they are honestly still stuck. It's also with Youichi. This one's a ZCE
  14. Series.A Todo Corazon: : El Gato tries to keep this when he moves to Adrian's home so he can stay until the end of the school year. Melissa wants to subvert the "innocent" part, though.
  15. Series.Hotel Del Luna: Mi-ra ends up living with ex-boyfriend Chan-sung and friend Sanchez. Nothing happens between them, though Mi-ra had initially hoped to rekindle her romance with Chan-sung. Sanchez is dating another girl and she soon realizes that Chan-sung has feelings for Man-wol. Ultimately innocent
  16. WebVideo.The Guild: Zaboo set himself up at Codex's place. Of course, he didn't intend for the innocent part, but Codex insists.

    Mixed examples/examples unclear about tension 
  1. Characters.Kono Suba Kazuma Satou: He and Aqua lived and slept together in the same space in a barn, and despite his best attempts, he couldn't think of her as a love interest. Later, once he acquired a mansion as help for exorcising its ghosts, Megumin and Darkness also started living together with the two of them, and things remain innocent after Kazuma and Megumin basically become a couple. He gets together with one roommate, but not the other two
  2. LightNovel.Infinite Stratos: Because the IS Academy wasn't designed with proper coed housing, Ichika and Houki are forced to share a room, with the usual implications for the trope. The situation is resolved when Houki is transferred to another room and Ichika gets Charles as his new room mate... which means the trope still applies considering 'his' name is actually Charlotte. Seems like it's an inconvenience, but what are the "usual implications?"
  3. Main.Shut Up Kiss, Disgaea 2 entry: [...]The kiss is also partially subverted: She shoots him in the face afterwards. Don't worry — He lives and she ends up living with him, so it's all good. Does the kiss mean anything or no?
  4. Manga.Air Gear: Ikki lives with two very hot teenage girls and one very hot young woman, yet (Chivalrous Pervert tendencies aside) he doesn't try anything with any of them. We can assume that it is now not-so-innocent given Ikki and Ringo's Relationship Upgrade.
  5. Series.Ultraman Geed: Moa gets this way when she hears that Raiha and Riku are living together, bringing up the fact that she and Riku used to bathe together when they were kids to try and get under Raiha's skin. Moa is assuming stuff is going on because they're roommates, but it's unclear if there actually is
  6. VisualNovel.A Bridge To The Starry Skies: After Hina runs away from home and crashes in at Kazuma's. She ends up sleeping in his room along with him with the futon spread out so they can both sleep in it. Cue Not What It Looks Like situation the next morning (see below).

    Cohabitation without further context 
  1. Anime.Plastic Memories: The human spotter and their Giftia marksman have to live together as part of their partnership. In Episode 3, Tsukasa moves in with Isla.
  2. Characters.Love Chunibyo And Other Delusions: Rikka moves in after his mother moves and Rikka's grandfather didn't hold the apartment.
  3. Characters.Study Group: She lives with Gamin while hiding from the debt collectors chasing her father.
  4. Fanfic.The Red Dragons Saber: Both Asia and Artoria move into Issei's house.
  5. Film.The Major And The Minor: Susan shares a train compartment with Major Kirby overnight, but the fact that he thinks she's twelve means nothing happens. Unclear if there was further tension
  6. VisualNovel.Date Warp: The setup that Linds and Rafael have. Much to Janet's disbelief.
  7. Literature.Remake Our Life: The college housing that Kyouya ends up in is split between two each of males and females.
  8. Manhwa.Faeries Landing: Fanta is forced to live with Ryang after he rips her winged gown, leaving her unable to ascend back to Avalon.
  9. Recap.Death Note Ep 26 Renewal: Light asks Misa to move in with him. Note: I know she is in love with him
  10. Recap.How I Met Your Mother S 4 E 07 Not A Fathers Day: Robin accepts an offer from Ted to move back into the apartment for a couple of days. The two proceed to be roommates for the next 3 seasons. Note: they are love interests at the beginning and end
  11. Recap.The Legend Of Korra S 1 E 7 The Aftermath: Korra invites Bolin and Mako to stay at Air Temple Island, but they've already accepted Asami's invitation to stay at her dad's mansion. Though she neglected to tell her dad about it, she managed to smooth things over with him or so she thought. By the end of the episode, the brothers and Asami will all be moving to the island together. Korra is teased with all of them
  12. Webcomic.Nightmare Factory: After they escape from the Exchange and Emai’s family disappears she goes to live with Kreyul and Seppi.

    ZCE 
  1. Characters.Azure Striker Gunvolt Gunvolt: With Joule, after he rescues her. And then later with Quinn, although this time he was the freeloader.
  2. Literature.Wicked Lovely: Keenan and Aislinn.
  3. Manga.House Of The Sun: Hiro and Mao. They are later joined by Daiki.
  4. Manga.I Dont Know If Its Love Or Magic: Ayane and Kaito are ordered to live under the same roof while he tries to master his Charm magic.
  5. Manga.Keppeki Shounen Kanzen Soubi: For a while in chapter 10, started with a Bedmate Reveal in the end of previous chapter.
  6. Manga.Futago: Yukari and Naomi. ...For a while. Why did it stop? They got together? Someone moved out?
  7. Series.The Secret Diaries Of Miss Anne Lister: Anne plans to invoke this so that she and Mariana can live together.
  8. Webcomic.Devil Number 4: Hanna and her friends do this with Number 4 for a time.
  9. Webcomic.Mayonaka Densha

Edited by GastonRabbit on Feb 10th 2023 at 12:40:07 PM

GastonRabbit Sounds good on paper (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
#51: Jan 30th 2023 at 3:44:16 AM

I think the sandbox looks fine.

Edit: Added a link to it in the header.

Edited by GastonRabbit on Jan 30th 2023 at 5:45:24 AM

Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
Synchronicity (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#52: Jan 30th 2023 at 11:20:31 AM

I don't think a sleepover counts, but a longer temporary arrangement like a weeklong camping trip might.

RandomTroper123 She / Her from I'll let you guess... (Not-So-Newbie) Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
She / Her
#53: Feb 2nd 2023 at 3:06:42 PM

The sandbox looks good to me.

Synchronicity (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
MacronNotes (she/her) (Captain) Relationship Status: Less than three
(she/her)
GastonRabbit Sounds good on paper (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
Synchronicity MOD (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#57: Feb 8th 2023 at 3:40:50 PM

OK, From Roommates to Romance now live, subpages of Innocent Cohabitation cutlisted, and enacting the Innocent Cohabitation -> From Roommates to Romance redirect in 3,2,1...

528 wicks to sift through

Edited by Synchronicity on Feb 8th 2023 at 5:41:38 AM

Synchronicity (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Yindee Just stoic wisdom. from New England Since: Jul, 2016
GastonRabbit Sounds good on paper (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
#60: Feb 22nd 2023 at 6:27:20 AM

Down to 40 (though one is on the Wiki Sandbox and one is in a locked Trope Report issue), and every single wick in the Manga/ namespace was either Chairs ("roommates exist") or ZCEs that were probably in the Chairs category anyway (and the high amount of bad examples is an example of why deleting ZCEs is OK with TRS dewicking), so they all had to go.

Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
GastonRabbit Sounds good on paper (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
#61: Feb 22nd 2023 at 6:38:47 AM

OK, I just took care of the rest since there wasn't much left, so locking up.

Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
Add Post

Trope Repair Shop: Innocent Cohabitation
16th Jan '23 7:34:09 AM

Crown Description:

Consensus was to retool Innocent Cohabitation for sexual tension about roommate situations and rename the trope. What should the trope's new name be?

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