Where to begin?
someone else's fire
- Chara's suicidal. That's a tear jerker on its own.
- Asriel really doesn't want to go through with this. But he wants what's best for Chara, and he doesn't know what else to do.
- Chara's just completely dismissive of the fact that they're in agony, that this plan is going off the rails. They don't care anymore.
- Chara's convinced that if they come clean about accidentally poisoning Asgore, Toriel will abandon them.
somebody out there needs you
- Chara feeling responsible for their own trauma resurfacing is just heartrending.
- The fact that Chara's new birthday is the anniversary of their fall is beautiful, but sad as well.
- Chara's utter cluelessness and panic when they see the bloodied sheets.
- Toriel accidentally triggering Chara during the examination, and her reaction.
- Chara, confused and angry and lost, when their voice fails them and they just want to know what's happening.
- The entire scene with Prase is incredibly touching.
love does not make me gentle or kind
- Asriel's playing with the skeleton kids, everything seems great...and then everything falls down on him.
- Asriel's internal argument about whether to confront Chara or not is heartrending, because he's clearly wrong about everything but it's all so believable anyway. You just can't decide whether you want to hug him or smack him.
- Pretty much every interaction between Asriel and Prase.
the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul
- Chara panicking when the kids show up, and Asriel's dismissiveness.
- Asriel and Chara's argument. The entire thing.
- “Your life has value—to us, to Asriel, to the underground. By giving you this, we mean to demonstrate that we know you will not use it to destroy that which we value.”
a wish you tell a star and no one else
- This one's happier than most of the others, but Alphys and Asriel fighting is certain to touch hearts.
- Subtext, but Chara's miscarriage throws all the jokes about their being saved from childbearing by having married a goat into a harsher light.
- While the proposal scene is mostly adorable, Chara's objections are pretty sad.
you in your veil and your pale white dress
- Sans's depression is described really poignantly.
- Chara's talk with Prase about feeling fake.
- Chara getting flashbacks at the tailor's.
- Chara's talks with their parents about their past.
- Happy tears at the soul bonding!
under my skin, there will be flowers
- Chara's DT sickness is terrifying and heartbreaking to read.
- For the first time we see Chara graphically self-harm on screen.
- Holly's real motivations for trying to get out of the Underground.
- The Arc Words return: "it wouldn't be so bad, being your heart".
to rest in crypts and wake in gardens
- Frisk's thought patterns through the whole story.
- The photophobia subplot is pretty intense, and just makes you feel so bad for Frisk.
- "Well—you all changed in the same room last night, and besides, if they leave it’ll be that much harder not to throw the new clothes Asriel brought for you into the fire, and yourself right after them."
- Bittersweet tears at Chara and Frisk's Jewish camaraderie.
- Frisk's fall into the dump, suicidal thoughts, and heartwarming reaction to being rescued.
- The simple fact that Frisk has to think for a while to recognize what safety feels like.
- Frisk's panic attack at the resort.
- Happy tears at the ending!
we light ourselves up from the deepest of pits
- Frisk eavesdrops on Chara and Asriel at night, and what they hear is heartbreaking...
- The hints dropped regaring Holly's assault
- Holly's memories of her traumatic arrival to the Underground.
- Holly's dream.
- Astis worrying about Chara.
- The sense of loneliness in the meditation scene.
- Innig's worry about Chara.
- Honestly everyone's worry about Chara, for that matter.
- Sans's rough patch over Papyrus taking up the ambassador job.
- Rufus and Innig's heart-to-heart.
- When the story reaches Prase's chapter, just about everything starts to get sadder and more tense.
- Chara's worn threadbare.
- Prase's musings on the boat.
- Chara and Prase's moirail chat is sad in a touching way.
- Chara's chapter has this bittersweet tenderness underlying it that turns just heartbreaking when you realize they're suicidal.
- Chara's nightmare.
- All this time Chara's been pushing on, and now they're just so tired...
- Chara's sheer love for their family, especially coupled with the fact that they genuinely believe this is their last day together.
- Chara chatting with Asriel in the evening and biting back their suicidal thoughts.
- The quiet heartache of Chara's chapter really shines through in the Sexy Discretion Shot's description of Chara basking in the absolute peace they thought they'd never feel again.
- Chara dresses in their favorite outfit to go to their death.
- For those that know its significance, the prayer that ends the chapter is heartrending.
- Asriel's musings on his love for Chara are mostly adorable, but for those who caught the subtext in the previous chapter...
- Asriel's brief trip through the humans' minds has some really sad moments.
- Chara's soul has some trouble engaging in the banter.
- The big reveal: Chara has no intention of going back to their body.
- Asriel seeing Chara's flashbacks is this and Nightmare Fuel all rolled into one.
- Asriel talking down Chara is heartbreakingly beautiful.
- Happy tears at the ending!
