History Webcomic / Roommates

%%* CatSmile: [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-204-Sonic-265918018 The Doctor]]

* OppositesAttract: Outside the general cast of {{Odd Couple}}s thing, this trope is the only reason the fandom could come up with how the Erlkönig could ever end up together with Jadis. They have some things in common like [[PowerIsSexy power]] and [[EvilIsSexy wickedness]], but outside of these they are different like night and day, or summer and winter. As a subversion their relationship didn't last long, and at least the Erlkönig's current relationship seems to be more the BirdsOfAFeather kind, even if it's questionable how much he realizes this.

* ParodiesForDummies: The in world equivalent is "[[TheWikiRule Wiki]]'s _____ for Beginners" for example "[[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-309-Astronomy-362859230 Wiki's Astronomy for Beginners]]".

!!Tropes used in Roommates

* RedBaron: It's common for the more powerful magical people to be better known by their [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep tit]][[TheMagnificent les]], than their real names (being on FirstNameBasis with them means a whole lot too... Jareth isn't that close to at least his father apparently), and not dreading somebody like this is a sure sign of the TooDumbToLive or at least the WrongGenreSavvy. Examples: The Erlkönig, The White Witch, The Queen of the Night, the Goblin King, the Erlking's daughter. Yes. It's related to the fact that having a title means a court or something similar and AuthorityEqualsAsskicking.

* SupernaturalElite: The [[TheFairFolk magical]] [[MageSpecies people]] tend to organize themselves into [[StandardRoyalCourt more-or-less feudal courts]] where the [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking leaders tend to be the most powerful of them]]. Also the courts' "{{Decaden|tCourt}}ce", central [[{{Motifs}} themes]] and the connected MagicalLand (if any) seem to be somehow connected to [[FisherKing their rulers]]. It's said that magical Kings and Queens are exalted by blood. Which can mean two things: [[RoyalBlood they inherit the title]] or [[YouKillItYouBoughtIt they claim it by spilling the blood of their predecessor.]]

* CasualDangerDialog: Several characters, many times. [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-188-Checked-260306606 James and House]] in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Also "Odile" a lot.

* MassiveMultiplayerCrossover: All fiction seem to have a back door leading to the ''Webcomic/{{Buildingverse}}'' (and back). Taken together with the RecursiveReality of the series and the ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve rule... and this will even border on the idea of TheWorldAsMyth. Yes, RuleFifty is pretty much in effect too.

* EverythingsBetterWithSparkles: Several of [[TheFairFolk magical]] [[MageSpecies people]] have a thing for sparkles. Jareth is the worst offender for the [[BerserkButton great annoyance]] of his roommate(s), but also the Erlkönig has this even if he isn't as bad as his son (but he '''can''' [[UpToEleven outsparkle him if he wants to]]), Jadis' ice theme is probably also sparkly and who knows who else.

* FacePalm: [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-6-River-62111743 Let's]] [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-13-Flush-66111403 just]] [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-17-Hospital-68397225 say]] [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-53-More-Awkward-93659264 that]] [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-54-Up-and-Down-94397769 it]] [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-67-Staff-Lounge-104382342 happens]] [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-102-Boy-Player-156480419 a]] [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-145-The-M-Word-194726509 lot]]... Even a [[UpToEleven triple]] [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-112-Beneficiary-166305258 one]] isn't an imposibility.

* GratuitousGerman: [[UpToEleven IN RUNES]]! Odin [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-284-Quarry-334965033 here]]. [[spoiler:He says "Schattenjäger"/"shadowhunter".]] Or just so [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-290-Crush-341192198 here]].

* CluckingFunny: This ''is'' a ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'' fanfic (amongst others) so random black chickens appear naturally (they are a lot rarer and less important than for example in ''Webcomic/GirlsNextDoor'').

** Nathan and Todd. AxCrazy, {{Knife Nut}}s, with medical background, family issues and daughters they would die to protect get along frighteningly well.

It's mainly about Goblin King [[Film/{{Labyrinth}} Jareth]], The Phantom [[Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera Erik]], (ex-)Commodore [[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean James Norrington]] and (ex-)Inspector [[Theatre/LesMiserables Javert]], who all live together in the same apartment building. Also along for the ride (occasionally) are [[Literature/GoodOmens Crowley, Aziraphale]] and [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Legolas]] and the romantic interests [[Literature/ThePhantomoftheOpera Christine]] and [[Film/{{Labyrinth}} Sarah]] and [[MassiveMultiplayerCrossover many]] [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters MANY]] more as they try to survive [[WithFriendsLikeThese each other]], [[MetaFic life outside]] of [[SelfReferentialHumor their normal existence]] and [[FantasticComedy general weirdness]].

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Even if only Jareth, Erik, James and Javert are counted as main cast but with the regulars the number of characters inflates to over 15 people. (With everybody ... just look at the characters page.)

* ColorCodedEyes: The [[TheFairFolk less]] [[WitchSpecies human]] or [[ReallySevenhundredYearsOld older]] a character is the more inhuman their normal eyes get. Example: MonochromaticEyes indicate [[SupernaturalElite pure blooded]] FairFolk.

* EverythingsBetterWithSparkles: Several of [[TheFairFolk magical]] [[WitchSpecies people]] have a thing for sparkles. Jareth is the worst offender for the [[BerserkButton great annoyance]] of his roommate(s), but also the Erlkönig has this even if he isn't as bad as his son (but he '''can''' [[UpToEleven outsparkle him if he wants to]]), Jadis' ice theme is probably also sparkly and who knows who else.

* FunctionalMagic: Magic exists. There are [[FantasyKitchenSink magical beings of every shape and form]] with assorted powers and [[WitchSpecies "human" wizards]]. As for it's [[MagicAIsMagicA rules]]:

*** source of power (mostly [[TheFairFolk Inherent]] [[WitchSpecies Gift]] & [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve willpower]], but [[DealWithTheDevil contract wizardry]] is probably also possible as Sarah's ''certain powers'' border on it.)

* PowerFloats: Gravity is a suggestion not a law, for many of TheFairFolk and the WitchSpecies. Like "Odile", The Queen of the Night and Jareth (who in his own admission would be GravityMaster or even outright RealityWarper in his own MagicalLand).

* SupernaturalElite: The [[TheFairFolk magical]] [[WitchSpecies people]] tend to organize themselves into [[StandardRoyalCourt more-or-less feudal courts]] where the [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking leaders tend to be the most powerful of them]]. Also the courts' "{{Decaden|tCourt}}ce", central [[{{Motifs}} themes]] and the connected MagicalLand (if any) seem to be somehow connected to [[FisherKing their rulers]]. It's said that magical Kings and Queens are exalted by blood. Which can mean two things: [[RoyalBlood they inherit the title]] or [[YouKillItYouBoughtIt they claim it by spilling the blood of their predecessor.]]

* TangledFamilyTree: It has been established that in the continuity of the comic, pretty much the entire [[TheFairFolk magical]] [[WitchSpecies community]] of ''every fandom ever'' is related in one way or another.

* WitchSpecies: Basically any HalfHumanHybrid or HeinzHybrid produced by the InterspeciesRomance practiced by [[spoiler: TheFairFolk who is too human to qualify as TheFairFolk]] is this. So here, any magical talent implies that the character has such relatives. They also tend to look AmbiguouslyHuman.

* AWizardDidIt: By the fans of this comic this is called ''[[TheFairFolk A Fae]] [[TheTrickster Did It!]]''[[note]](because of the Magical TangledFamilyTree this actually includes the WitchSpecies so also wizards.)[[/note]]... they are right most of the time... [[spoiler: Even more so because magic seems to [[TheoryOfNarrativeCausality run on patterns, story and trope]] in the verse!]]

* FantasticRacism: There seems to be a fair ammount of prejudice against {{Original Character}}s around here, probably stemming from the fear of the dreaded MarySue. So they are [[MarySueTropes Sue]] [[ShiftingTheBurdenOfProof until proven innocent]]. Also there seems to be TheFairFolk's trademark superiority complex against mortals (which doesn't stop them from romancing / procreating with mortals).

* RecursiveReality: Mostly the more {{Mind Screw}}y {{Transfictionality}} kind. The characters come from stories that where real for them but are fictional in the world of the comic (so all the responsible people too. James already placed Creator/OrlandoBloom as his problem with Legolas), that is fictional in ours, and they [[MediumAwareness know this]]. This isn't even accounting for all the {{Dream Within A|Dream}} {{Dream World}}s TheFairFolk can create from the inside or the possibility for things being MutuallyFictional. And don't let us get started on the [[WordOfSaintPaul word of Pika]] that it's possible to read the comic [[RecursiveCanon in the comic]]. Is there a true reality? Does the chain of fictionality ever end? We don't know. [[BreakingTheFourthWall You reading this]] [[FridgeHorror could be fictional in some other world/story too]].

* PassiveAggressiveKombat: One of the Erlkönig's favorite tactics mostly agains his son, be it his speech in ''The Erlkönig arc'' or his explanation about [[TheWildHunt the hunt]], he is a bit of a slow learner as it never worked and always pushed [[spoiler: Jareth]] past his RageBreakingPoint pretty fast. See PolitenessJudo for his one time save. When he and the Queen of the Night did it see NotSoDifferent.

* CrossoverCosmology: All stories exist as fiction and as real past for the characters[[note]](probably because [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve people remember/believe]])[[/note]], myths and legends are stories too, if we make the connection: They also really exist... for someone [[TheMultiverse somewhere]]. And can drop by to visit. Example when Jareth hosted TheWildHunt both [[Myth/NorseMythology Odin]], the [[Literature/TheErlking Elkönig]] and KingArthur attended.

* InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons: We have Toothless who is a cameo, and some Shadow Beasts who are at best symbolic (Saito's and Arthur's)... and we maybe could also count the [[KrakenAndLeviathan Leviathan]].

* BlueWithShock: [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-110-Revealing-164577617 As close as we can get]].

* CatSmile: [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-204-Sonic-265918018 The Doctor]]

* CluckingFunny: This ''is'' a {{Film/Labyrinth}} fanfic (amongst others) so random black chickens appear naturally (they are a lot rarer and less important than for example in ''Webcomic/GirlsNextDoor'').

--> '''[[WordOfGod Ashe]]''': "...a man should be able to wander his apartment in the middle of the night and not have to worry about whether eldritch horrors are going to comment on his choice of nightwear."

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Lots and lots. Sometimes even [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-125-ForeSHADOW-177399111 literally]].

* GivingUpTheGhost: [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-S4-Butcher-Job-153550324 Here goes James' self esteem]].

* HiddenEyes: [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-149-Favor-198285146 Jareth here]]. [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-281-Exchange-331342303 The Erlkönig]].

* LoomingSilhouetteOfRage: A textbook [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-50-Boundaries-91547204 example]].

* ModestyTowel: Erik [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-13-Flush-66111403 here]], James [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-75-Icy-Cold-109871640 here]]. This comic has a lot of {{Fanservice}}.

* OmniscientCouncilOfVagueness: The Conclave of the magical people.
* OnceUponATime: Several times.
** On [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-150-Story-199197924 page 150]] in several languages.
** On [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-Kings-War-59-445907413 Kings War 59]] a call back by Story to that.
** On [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-Kings-War-89-456989620 Kings War 89]] James summarizes the arc that far this way.

* ShowWithinAShow: James is a fan of ''Devious Gingers'' non-existing BBC ([[JustForFun/FortyTwo 42]]) show of insane metaness and ActorAllusion (almost all of its fictional cast also provides the looks of people actually living in the building). [[TokenMinority: This fictional show has precisely one not ginger cast member, "[[Creator/DavidTennant Dave]]".]]

* ShyFingerTwiddling [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-127-Humidity-180018442 Erik here]].

* VisibleSigh: [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-Such-Stuff-as-Dreams-Are-Made-On-3-288739055 Like this]].
* VisibleSilence: [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-Such-Stuff-as-Dreams-Are-Made-On-5-289384062 ...]]

* WithFriendsLikeThese: Almost anybody to almost everybody.

* WorldOfSnark: Yeah. Also. Go to the character sheets and count the DeadpanSnarker related tropes. Also the characters wellbeing is apparently measured by their ability to snark ([[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-Such-Stuff-as-Dreams-Are-Made-On-13-292750951 here]]).

* SupernaturalElite: The [[TheFairFolk magical]] [[WitchSpecies people]] tend to organize themselves into [[StandardRoyalCourt more-or-less feudal courts]] where the [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking leaders tend to be the most powerful of them]]. Also the courts' "{{Decaden|tCourt}}"-ce, central [[{{Motifs}} themes]] and the connected MagicalLand (if any) seem to be somehow connected to [[FisherKing their rulers]]. It's said that magical Kings and Queens are exalted by blood. Which can mean two things: [[RoyalBlood they inherit the title]] or [[YouKillItYouBoughtIt they claim it by spilling the blood of their predecessor.]]

* SupernaturalElite: The [[TheFairFolk magical]] [[WitchSpecies people]] tend to organize themselves into [[StandardRoyalCourt more-or-less feudal courts]] where the [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking leaders tend to be the most powerful of them]]. Also the courts' "{{Deadly Decadent|Court}}"-ness, central [[{{Motifs}} themes]] and the connected MagicalLand (if any) seem to be somehow connected to [[FisherKing their rulers]]. It's said that magical Kings and Queens are exalted by blood. Which can mean two things: [[RoyalBlood they inherit the title]] or [[YouKillItYouBoughtIt they claim it by spilling the blood of their predecessor.]]

** ''[[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Kings-War-Collector-s-Edition-464879983 Kings War Collector's Edition]]'' - Collects the 107 page ''Such Stuff'' arc with the next page from Roommates proper (OneHundredAndEight). Also has extra content, including some yet unpublished sketches and background information related to the creation of the arc.

* WindowsOfTheSoul: There are a lot of eye closeups in the comic to show emotion or more (there can be story in someone's eyes, and as literally as text).