Testing the waters and establishing boundaries. The Vulnerability Peak: A moment where masks come off.
What must they give up to be together? A career goal? A long-held belief? A sense of safety? Testing the waters and establishing boundaries
What is the character afraid of? If a protagonist fears vulnerability because of a past betrayal, their "internal" obstacle is just as important as the external "rival" or "long-distance" plot point. Testing the waters and establishing boundaries
This works best when the "act" allows the characters to say things they are too scared to say in real life. Testing the waters and establishing boundaries