# Relationship Earning Guide

> **How to build relationships the audience believes.**
> **Episode ranges and multipliers:** See `/CONSTANTS.md`

---

## The Core Equation

```
Emotional Weight of Declaration ≤ Accumulated Evidence
```

If a character says something emotionally significant, the audience must have seen enough evidence to believe it.

**The bigger the statement, the more evidence required.**

---

## Episode Timing Guide

| Episode Range | Appropriate Level | Examples |
|---------------|-------------------|----------|
| 1-10 | Actions only | Save each other, watch each other's back. NO declarations. |
| 11-20 | Small acknowledgments | "You're not useless." "That was smart." |
| 21-30 | Tentative trust | "I trust you with this." First name use. |
| 31-40 | Significant statements | "I need you." "Don't die." |
| 41-50 | Deep connection | "I can't do this without you." |
| 51-60 | Major declarations | "I love you." "You were worth everything." |

---

## Accelerated Earning

Shared intensity can compress the timeline:

| Accelerator | Multiplier | Effect |
|-------------|------------|--------|
| Shared near-death survival | 2x | Ep 8 event can earn Ep 16 level |
| One saves other's life | 2x | Immediate trust bump |
| Mutual vulnerability in crisis | 1.5x | Moderate acceleration |
| Extended isolation together | 1.5x | Forced proximity builds bond |
| Betrayal by third party | 1.5x | Shared enemy bonds |

**Example:** If characters survive near-death together in Ep 8 (2x multiplier), a small acknowledgment is earned. But "I love you" still requires reaching the 51-60 range through accumulated evidence.

**Accelerators compress, they don't skip.**

---

## Milestone Markers

Track these in your project's ORCHESTRATION.md:

| Milestone | What It Earns |
|-----------|---------------|
| First vulnerability shown | Can acknowledge each other matters |
| First shared hardship | Can express basic concern |
| First sacrifice for other | Can express gratitude, implicit care |
| Major trust test passed | Can express fear of losing them |
| Great cost paid for other | Can express deep care explicitly |
| Near-loss experienced | Can express what they'd lose |

---

## The Earning Ladder

Each rung must be climbed before the next:

```
Level 6: "I love you" / "You're worth everything"         [Ep 51-60]
         ↑ Requires: Multiple major sacrifices, near-loss
Level 5: "I can't do this without you"                    [Ep 41-50]
         ↑ Requires: Great cost paid, deep vulnerability
Level 4: "I need you" / "Don't die"                       [Ep 31-40]
         ↑ Requires: Trust tested and held
Level 3: "I trust you with this"                          [Ep 21-30]
         ↑ Requires: Shared hardship survived
Level 2: "You're not useless" / "That was smart"          [Ep 11-20]
         ↑ Requires: Actions demonstrated
Level 1: [Actions only, no declarations]                  [Ep 1-10]
         ↑ Start here
```

---

## Red Flags (MUST FIX)

| Issue | Problem | Fix |
|-------|---------|-----|
| "I trust you completely" before Ep 25 | Unearned | Push to later or reduce intensity |
| "I love you" before Ep 45 | Way unearned | Save for final act |
| Major sacrifice without prior bond | Audience doesn't feel it | Build the bond first |
| Declaration without accumulated actions | Told, not shown | Add demonstrating scenes |
| First-name intimacy without earning | Milestone skipped | Earn through action first |
| Instant best friends | No friction = no belief | Add conflict, then resolution |

---

## The Litmus Test

Before any emotional declaration, ask:

> "What have these characters DONE together that earns this statement?"

**List 3+ specific actions/moments.** If you can't, the declaration is unearned.

---

## Relationship Types & Earning

### Romantic
- Slowest to earn
- Requires the full ladder
- Physical intimacy earns faster than verbal declarations
- "I love you" is nearly final-act only

### Partnership/Friendship
- Can move slightly faster
- Actions speak louder: saving each other > saying "you're my friend"
- Trust demonstrated through vulnerability

### Family (Estranged)
- Can have high baseline (they share history)
- But rebuilding trust still requires the ladder
- "I forgive you" is late-game

### Mentor/Protege
- Earning happens through competence demonstration
- Respect is earned, not declared
- The student surpassing the master is the payoff

---

## Show, Don't Tell

**GOOD (Showing):**
```
Kian steps between Jinx and the bounty hunter.
His hand finds the weapon.
He doesn't look at her.
```
*This SHOWS protection without declaring it.*

**BAD (Telling):**
```
KIAN
I'll protect you. I promise.
```
*This TELLS us without evidence. Unearned.*

---

## Relationship Tracking

For each major relationship, track:

```
DAX ↔ CASS
- Ep 5: She saved his life (2x accelerator)
- Ep 12: He chose her over escape
- Ep 20: First vulnerability shown
- Ep 35: "I need you" — EARNED
```

If you can't fill this ladder, you're missing beats.

---

*This skill is READ-ONLY reference. Project-specific relationship milestones live in project ORCHESTRATION.md.*