#relationship development

What if Noa feels many things but doesn’t know how to name them?

Could Mae be the one to teach him the names of the emotions he feels, among other things?

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“It all means something and yet nothing to me” (Stranger like me - Phil Collins)

I’ve mentioned that it's good for both Noa and Mae to have had crushes before so they can recognize their attraction to each other.

I was told it would make sense with Mae. Because if she hadn't fallen in love before, it would lead to confusion. But if she knows what a crush feels like, it would give us more room for a sense of alarm.

Especially considering that this time, her romantic interest would be an ape, supposedly the beasts she wants to defeat.

Now, let's talk about Noa. The same should apply to him. BUT...

Remember the deleted scene:

<<Noa didn't know what dreams were.>>

That makes me think Noa doesn’t know many things, actually. He feels them, sees them, but can’t name them all.

Which creates an opportunity for Mae to explain/teach him things. Like a guide or teacher.

Because who else would he talk to?

Noa knows she knows a lot of things. And he’s very curious.

They just need to break that barrier where Mae doesn’t want to show him much. Give her a sign of trust.

But once Noa can identify his feelings, then he’ll be able to differentiate what he feels for Soona. Whether it’s platonic or something more romantic.

I like that more.

Hence, he could point out that his thing with Soona is platonic.

The point is that Noa can express his feelings to show that the apes are evolving by leaps and bounds. And that they just need guidance.

Thx 𖹭

YES absolutely, arranged marriage strangers-to-lovers is so juicy, but yeah, the beginning can feel weirdly hard to crack. like… how do you start a relationship when there's no relationship yet?? you’re trying to build chemistry and stakes from nothing, and still make it feel emotionally real.

so let’s break it down 👇

🌶️the core tension = contract vs connection. they’re bound together by something external (family, politics, survival, magic law, whatever), not choice. that friction between “we have to be in this” and “do we want to be in this” is your heartbeat. → every early scene should let that tension breathe. → she doesn’t know if she can trust him. he doesn’t know what she wants. they misread each other. they pull back. they move forward. they get it wrong. it’s messy, because real closeness grows from uncertainty.

🌒 start after the decision, but before the comfort. you don’t need to open with the wedding or proposal unless it’s plot-critical. honestly, it’s often more powerful to start right after the commitment is sealed. → they’ve signed the papers. the ceremony is done. now they’re staring at each other in the hallway of a shared home like: “so… you want the left drawer or?” → this gives you room to explore who they are in proximity to each other, and how the arrangement shifts their behavior.

🔍 build tension through contrast. they should approach this situation differently. one might see it as duty. the other as punishment. one’s trying too hard. the other’s emotionally shut down. one’s deeply polite. the other pushes buttons. → the contrast gives you sparks. and from those sparks, you can build emotional ground.

🔥 scenes > exposition. show the distance through awkward firsts. → eating dinner together without talking. → realizing they don’t know how the other takes their tea. → one getting sick and the other not knowing if they’re allowed to help. these tiny moments do more than backstory ever could.

🕯️don’t skip the awkward stage. seriously. lean into it. the first time they argue, the first accidental touch, the first sign of protectiveness or jealousy. even the silence has texture. → when you show the shift from “i don’t know you” to “i’m starting to see you,” it hits harder. you want that moment later where the reader realizes: wait… they know each other now.

💡 quick prompts from me to get started:

she finds something of his in their shared space, something vulnerable.

one of them is forced to defend the other in public, even if they barely know them.

a shared chore, task, or journey where they have to cooperate, but completely clash.

someone from their past shows up and the other gets an unexpected glimpse of who they were before this marriage.

🌼 final note from me: you’re not writing a romance that starts with attraction. you’re writing one that starts with obligation and grows. and that’s so rich, because everything they learn about each other is earned.

Zoro & Nami - Continues wonderfully from their established connection in S1, fun sarcastic and sassy banter throughout but also wonderfully sincere moments of support, concern and care for each other.

Vivi - Nami acts as her main emotional focus to help her integrate into the crew, Luffy is the other, which makes for great supportive scenes between them.

Luffy - Has the least amount of emotional one-on-one scenes with the others this season (though there are a few moments) likely because his emotional connection to all of them was the most established in S1. He gets more stuff with the new characters like Vivi.

Nami & Usopp - Very wholesome and supportive interactions throughout, they just get along really well. They don't really joke around or banter with each other and have a little more calmer nature to their conversations than what we see them have with most of the others.

Sanji & Usopp - Two dumbasses supporting each other's dumbassery in a very entertaining and wholesome way. Not really emotional-focused so far but they just naturally feel on the same wavelength in their shenanigans which makes them really fun to watch together.

Zoro & Sanji - Not a very emotionally deep bond either but similarly focused on dumbassery as Sanji & Usopp, just more in the form of rivalry and insulting each other. Not to the point where you'd think they genuinely don't like each other though, they just rub each other the wrong way to some degree.

Nami & Sanji - Very comfortable with each other despite Nami being entirely unimpressed by Sanji's flirting. Sanji is particularly caring towards her which Nami doesn't reciprocate to the same degree but she still accepts and appreciates his emotional vulnerability towards her.

Zoro & Usopp - Also get along well despite the contrast in their personalities and mostly expressed by Zoro encouraging Usopp and genuinely praising him for when he comes through in a fight. Had the only emotionally sincere argument in the crew so far (Usopp snapping at Zoro for making him anxious with his anxiety about Nami) but also quickly solved it with a simple apology from Usopp which was really well done.

It's funny. If I had to say who each member of the crew is closest to I would rank them like this:

Zoro - Nami. It's probably supposed to be Luffy given Zoro's vow to him in S1 but in the episode-to-episode interactions Zoro just feels much more in tune with Nami than with Luffy and also more attentive to her and her emotions and well-being. He's definitely 2nd closest to Luffy though after Nami.

Nami - Zoro. Similar reason as above though Nami feels pretty emotionally close with every Straw Hat. I still see Zoro and Luffy as closer to her than Sanji and Usopp though because she expresses more care and concern towards them and relies on them the most.

Luffy - Romance Dawn Trio. He's pretty instantly emotionally close with pretty much everyone but the way he connected to Nami and Zoro feels more significant because of how emotionally closed off both of them are at the beginning.

Sanji - Usopp. Though Nami is a close second as he pays a lot of attention to her and opens up to her. Interaction-wise he feels more in tune with Usopp as his encouragement and care is better reciprocated by him.

I was reminded of Takeru and Ken's arch after Ken was no longer the Kaiser. Mainly, how Takeru treats Ken during his time of trying to make up for what he's done and convince the other's he's good.

For me, the biggest change I’d make is have Marinette and Adrien’s relationships with Luka and Kagami last from the back half of season three to the end of the first half of season four, as well as focusing on them being actual friends in seasons two through four. I’d also have a mutual identity reveal happen near the end of season three (alongside the other Miraculous holders at the time since Miracle Queen never happens) and create a kind of charm that conceals any miraculous-related thoughts from Shadowmoth to justify the continued knowledge. This leads Adrien and Marinette to re-evaluate their partnership and relationship as they become of the full extent of each other’s natures, rather than just the sides of each other that they each fell in love with.