Empath (trope)
| Tropes and genres | |
|---|---|
| Synonym(s) | touchstone, lifeline |
| Related tropes/genres | telepath, psychic |
| See also | Hurt/Comfort |
| Related articles on Fanlore. | |
This article is a stub. Please help us out by adding more content. |
In both canon and fan fiction, an empath is a person who can not only sense feelings around them, but also has the ability to change/soothe them. Some empathic characters don't need touch for this, while others do. Frequently, but not always, this touch involves sex (sometimes dubious consent).
Some known empathic canon examples are Mantis from Guardians of the Galaxy and Professor X from the Marvel Universe. Following this line, the trope became very popular in the Marvel fandom, notably Charles Xavier/Erik Lehnsherr fics, also is a common trope in Kakashi x Iruka stories from Naruto fandom.
Touchstone
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Touchstone is a related term and possibly a sub-trope. In Naruto fanon, touchstone is described as: "a partner ninja who will help them go through the stress."[1]. Or, from the fanfic "Touchstone" by paxnirvana, as: "Someone to talk to about things other than killing and duty. Most get around this requirement by finding steady lovers, actively living among extended family or by getting married." Touchstone appears as a term in Naruto fanfiction as early is 2008.
Touchstone was also used in Harry Potter fanon, possibly as someone or something that connects a wizard to nature, however the term may be obscure.[2] He has also been described as someone who can ease others' pain when they touch each other.[citation needed]
Fanworks
Empath
Touchstone
- Touchstone by Cindy Ryan, Alternate take on 2x1. She was becoming his touchstone and it scared him (L. Chen, T. Bradford - Rookie)
- Touchstone by Jehilew, In a moment when Rogue is having problems with the psyches, Carol in particular, Gambit helps a little. Or maybe a lot. (Gambit/Rogue - X-Men)
- notes from an undertaker by chuchisushi. Naruto, Kakairu.
- Touchstone by Sunlight through Leaves. Naruto, Kakairu.
- Touchstone by paxnirvana. Naruto, Kakairu.
- Remnants of Solitude by paxnirvana. Naruto, Kakairu.
- Shadows on the Moon, by aviss. Naruto, Kakairu.
Archives, Communities & Resources
There is no canonical tag in the AO3 for the sub-trope "touchstone," however you can find several tags for "empath" and "empathy", in addition to character-specific ones such as "Empath John Watson".
- Empath tag at AO3
- Empathy tag at AO3
- The Empathy article at TVTropes
References
- ^ Basically a fic that deals with trying to get... Tumblr.Jun 6, 2015 (Accessed 12/6/2022)
- ^ Harry Potter and His Incredible, Dumb Luck!, thebejeweledgreenbottle.com. (Accessed 12/6/2022)