Follow TV Tropes

Following

Heartwarming / Heart of the Woods

Go To

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cg.jpeg
"We lock eyes and I feel my breath catch in my throat. The look in her eyes- pure, unadulterated happiness- is something I've never seen before."

  • The demo has a prologue scene that didn't make it into the final game, in which Tara records the last episode of Taranormal before her departure. You can see how much she loves doing Taranormal, and while her remark that Madison is "the best manager ever" comes off as Oblivious Guilt Slinging, it's also a glimpse at their friendship without the friction caused by Madison's decision to quit.
  • While Madison doesn't exactly have a good opinion of Morgan at first, due to being skeptical of Morgan's claims (especially after Geladura doesn't actually talk to them), Morgan takes the time to visit her in the evening and opens up to her a bit, which slightly improves Madison's opinion of her.
  • Pictured is Madison showing Abigail the baby book, finally enabling Abigail to properly introduce herself. It's followed by Madison reading to Abigail, the first bonding activity Abigail has enjoyed in two centuries.
  • In Tara's first POV scene, Morgan calls Tara out when she rants about Madison's decision to leave Taranormal, and tells Tara to consider Madison's feelings. Rather than simply take the side of the woman she just slept with over the one who still doesn't trust her, Morgan wants Tara and Madison to be able to reconcile with each other.
  • Despite being angry about Madison's decision to leave Taranormal, Tara still fondly remembers her past with Madison, and that Madison was the only friend who stuck around after Madison transitioned. For all their current troubles, the two are true friends.
  • Tara trying to cook for Morgan. As incompetent as Tara is, it's a random act of kindness that's a rare thing for Morgan, and she's touched by it.
  • When Madison and Abigail drop by to see Tara with Morgan, Madison is happy that Tara has Morgan, someone who can give her support now that Madison is dead.
  • Tara comforting Morgan after the latter comes back from the destruction of the ancient tree, and their getting a Relationship Upgrade.
  • Abigail finally confides in Madison about her guilt over not saving her life, and her belief that her being happy to have Madison around is selfish. Madison doesn't mind, though, and says that Abigail's the best thing to happen to her.
  • Tara and Madison have an emotional reunion in Chapter 5. Tara tries to crack a joke about Madison's fairy queen dress before breaking down, overwhelmed with emotion. After a little while, Morgan, realizing that Madison and Tara need some time alone, asks Abigail to come with her, and Abigail obliges.
  • Tara and Madison apologizing to each other. The former lets the latter know that she's a valued part of Taranormal, while the latter says that Tara's the one person she'd miss most, even more than her family.
  • Morgan and Abigail bonding over their family history of being sacrifices. When Morgan tells of how she refuses to flee Eysenfeld because she knows Evelyn would possess someone else instead, Abigail understands completely, having sacrificed herself for her sister.
    Morgan: I see I'm just carrying on the family tradition, then.
    Abigail: Let's make sure it ends with you.
  • The fact that Morgan, despite hating Eysenfeld and knowing that if she stays, her mother will try to take her body sooner or later, chooses to stay because she knows that Evelyn will go after someone else if she leaves speaks volumes of how selfless she is.
  • After Maddie and Abigail return to the cabin after Maddie revives them, there's a moment where Abigail just goes around the place running her hands over all the different surfaces, relishing all the sensations she hasn't gotten to experience in two hundred years.
  • The four leads spending an evening together in Chapter 5, talking about their future plans once this is all over. Madison knows they're still in danger, but is glad to have hope.
  • That evening, Morgan tells Tara all about her troubled past, and how being a lesbian had contributed to her isolation in the village. Tara responds with a You Are Better Than You Think You Are, and assures Morgan that she'll always love her.
  • On the final approach to the church, Morgan apologizes to Madison for everything that happened, and says she understands if Madison hates her. Madison reassures Morgan that while they hadn't gotten off on the right foot, she doesn't hate her or blame her for the disastrous events in their visit to Eysenfeld.
  • Immediately afterward, Madison says, "We'll save Tara, take care of Evelyn and then we'll all go home. Simple, right?" If you've made the right combination of choices, you can have Morgan say, "You're right," which is the choice necessary to get the good ending. Basically, Madison made the good ending possible by telling Morgan that she doesn't have to sacrifice herself, and the key factor was Morgan being in the right frame of mind to accept it. If you hover your mouse over the choice in question, it shows the four main characters together and has Morgan say, "I'm not alone anymore. We can do this together."
  • The bad endings, being bittersweet are a mix of this and Tear Jerker.
    • While the "Freedom" ending, in which Geladura sacrifices herself and Madison is forced to stay as the Fairy Queen, is a Bittersweet Ending, it also ends with Morgan and Tara getting married, and Morgan seeing her in-laws as the parents she never had. Morgan arranges for two empty seats in the front of the wedding for Madison and Abigail, grateful for everything they did for them.
    • The "Sacrifice," ending in which Morgan dies instead sees Madison and Abigail restored to life. Despite her bitterness and grief over Morgan's passing, Tara tries to be happy for them. The final scene ends with Madison ordering pizza for her, and seeing hope that their relationship can recover.
    • Also in the aforementioned ending, the fact that Madison and Tara's cat BT accepts Abigail rather quickly, even though Abigail had been warned that BT isn't friendly around strangers.
  • The Golden Ending, in which all the main characters live, and both couples are able to go home.
    • The forest gradually heals as a result of Geladura returning as Fairy Queen, and the Forest Spirit becoming the new ancestral tree. It's also mentioned that Eysenfeld is starting to recover, now that Evelyn's Glamour is no longer in effect.
    • Abigail realizes she is free to leave, and is able to fondly look back on the forest.
    • As a parting gift, Geladura makes a new fairy in Madison's image as a tribute to her.
    • The forest spirit's passing and becoming the next ancestral tree is a mix of this and Tear Jerker. It fulfills its role with the fairy queen's help, and Abigail says a fond goodbye to her old friend.
    • Madison's Character Development is best summed up in the good ending. At the start of the story, she's desperate to leave Taranormal behind to take control of her life again, feeling as though she's giving too much of herself to Tara's show and having lost her passion for it. At the end, she still decides to leave Taranormal, but not only does she offer to help train Morgan and make an occasional guest appearance, she does so in order to live life to the fullest, and remembers her time on the show fondly.
    Madison: (narrating) I still have a lot to figure out, and feelings to sort through. But now, the future doesn't seem too ominous and scary. In fact, I'm looking forward to it.
    • While The Stinger for the bad endings had the survivors coming to terms with their losses and vowing to live on for the sake of those who are gone, the good ending's post-credits scene has the two couples on the beach together.
    • In the good ending's epilogue and I Told You So, Morgan has cut her hair short, something she couldn't do while under Evelyn's thumb, signifying that she's free from her hated "mother" at last.
  • "I Told You So" has a few such moments.
    • Abigail and Madison, as well as Tara and Morgan, being rather affectionate with each other in the post-game episodes.
    • The fact that in "Stay Spooky, Maddie," Madison goes through with her decision to leave Taranormal, both to go back to school and spend more time with Abigail, and Tara has come to accept her decision. Their dispute has truly been resolved, and Madison is free to leave while still keeping her friendship with Tara intact.
    • It's rather cute to hear Morgan call Abigail, her distant ancestor, "sis," showing that they've accepted each other as family members.
  • The art book mentions a fourth planned ending, in which Morgan takes Madison's place as Fairy Queen.
    • As Madison is about to give in to despair at being doomed to be Fairy Queen forever, and her best friend and girlfriend are distraught, Morgan stands up and offers to take her place.
    • Madison tries to talk Morgan out of taking her place, knowing that she was the one who made a promise, but realizes Morgan is sure about her choice, and gratefully accepts it. In the end, she was far better to Morgan than Helena was to Abigail.
    Madison: I don’t really know what else to say, except thank you. For doing this for me. The fact that I get to go home at the end of all this… I don’t know what else to say.
    • Morgan then says goodbye to Tara and her friends.
    “Our queen! Our queen!” As the fairies’ chants grew celebratory, Morgan couldn’t help but smile. Finally, she belonged somewhere.
    Turning to face Madison and Abigail, and especially Tara, was the hardest moment of her short life. She tried to commit their faces right then to memory. The unspeakable gratitude in Madison’s eyes. Abigail’s compassion for one facing eternity. The love between herself and Tara. She swore to herself, that whether she lived another hundred years or a thousand, that she would never forget their faces. And she never did.
    • Morgan then becomes a legend as a Fairy Queen, and is seen with Geladura, Madison, Abigail and Tara, perhaps suggesting that even in her current state, she is never alone.
  • "Madison Smiles More Lately," a short story in the artbook is, as the title implies, about how Madison and Abigail are happier after the good ending, and a rather cute look at them on a date.
  • "Home Sweet Home," another story from the artbook, is about Morgan acclimating to Tara's place, and not even minding how much of a mess it is. To Morgan, it actually feels like a home that someone lives in, and she loves that.
    Morgan narrating: I know we still have a lot to do. It’s going to be a real struggle figuring out how I’m going to fit all my stuff in here. But that can wait. Right now, all I need is this moment with her. I want it to last, but for the first time I don’t want it to last forever.
    Because now I know how much more I have to look forward to.

Top