#or counterpoint they’re too similar to recognize that the other is in a bad situation so its just like “huh that’s annoying” over crazy shit

[transmasccofee]

Hc that saiki and teruhashi take turns screaming “thats not normal, please get help” into the others face whenever they say something about their life

[the-nysh]

Hey! I just wanted to say that I love your writings and character analysis! :D. Do you have more examples of garou being an empath?

Oh! 😳 Thank you, ah you probably saw some of those recent posts about it, yeah? :O Are you looking for more story examples or older posts previously written more in depth? Cause I think this one went into most detail before, but also oddly enough, I don’t think I’ve ever used that precise term (diagnosis?) for him either, hmm mainly because I’m no clinical expert he most often practices avoidance - both with his feelings and in forming relationships with others, in favor of focusing on his goals instead. (Familiarly, he’s that lone wolf introvert who isolates himself out of having to deal with such socially difficult situations.)

So other than Tareo, we haven’t really seen him...allow himself many other opportunities to empathize or connect with others yet (even when he has the potential & capacity for it, which I feel Garou has some of what Bang lacks and needs most to improve his teaching method, in that regard). Also because whenever he finds himself caring too much (like about Bang, whom he still closely emulates, so you can interpret Garou’s ‘absorbency’ trait as a symbolic manifestation or another side to him being an empath, heh :P) he gets pissed at himself for feeling that way, cause it interferes with his goals and how he thinks he should act & behave instead. :’)) So here he is, getting pissed whenever he runs across or experiences injustice (compelling him to act on emotion, instinct, or gut intuition which he can hastily misjudge), but then also getting pissed at himself when he doesn’t fully understand why he’s upset, or when he feels it goes against his ‘image of a monster,’ only to forcefully push those feelings aside and once again avoid thinking about them any further. Ohh!!! lol someone help him always suffering a cycle at conflict with his own feelings...

But! Saying all that, I feel the first instance that closely represents this, as part of his origins to show he was always empathetic like this, comes from when he stood up for the other kid getting hurt by Tacchan:

“That’s dangerous; I feel sorry for him!” Getting upset for the other kid’s pain (already knowing this game’s behavior is wrong for the violence inflicted & injustice suffered) and instantly stepping in to break it up. (Driven to help out only for the other kids to turn on him as the next easy target...) 

This also ties into why he relates most to the fictional representations of monsters on tv; he sees himself in their shoes and sympathizes with their pain and situations too, so to speak. Not because they’re ‘evil bad guys’ per se, but rather cause they’re the unpopular ‘outcasts’ like him, who have dreams and aspirations to live too, but get unfairly targeted, outnumbered, humiliated, and crushed underfoot by.....the representations of those preaching ‘justice’ (like Tacchan above). When what Garou clearly sees, feels, and takes from this, is the unbalanced injustice suffered by those in these designated ‘monster/villain’ roles instead. (Counterpoint: these fictional roles he saw in cartoons, or reenacted in games, were not accurate to real monsters & heroes, but that’s Garou’s other struggle he comes to realize as he experiences more of the real world...) Another way of looking at it: when the favored/popular/strong group deems another marginalized group as ‘bad’ or undesirable, it absolves them of any guilt and their capacity & kindness to care, giving them the freedom to enact violence on them (ie bully the weak) without shame. For ex: ‘oh you’re a [insert any dehumanizing label here] monster? Prepare to be dogpiled and eliminated in the name of performative justice! :3′  I’m getting ahead of myself, but does this not ring a bell to anyone familiar with online cult movements? Which is precisely the unjust behavior Garou hates.

So another instance of him stepping in to inadvertently help a stranger in distress, as another victim to what he hates seeing (with the excuse ~they just happened to be in his way~) was when he stomps over to break up a fight between an old man and a rowdy drunk outside the dine n dash restaurant. He could have ignored it, walked on by, or gone to another place to eat, but nooo; seeing this behavior still pissed him off enough to intervene and deescalate the fight by scaring off the aggressor. 

With non-strangers, naturally we see most examples of Garou’s empathetic side with Tareo, cause Garou sees much of his bullied past-self in him, and he can’t help but care and react to his similarly felt distress even if Garou is very tsundere denying how much he cares; remember his ‘I didn’t come here to save you’ blatant lie line? Yeah; no one else made a beeline responding to Tareo’s cries for help, heh. 

(As covered in the other posts you’ve seen) he sensed and understood why Tareo was upset without him even having to fully explain it. Since he empathized enough with that familiar frustration (peers messing with him) to step in and help out with advice. Which was a gracefully ineloquent way with words, but hey he tried the gesture actually calmed Tareo down and got him to stop crying. :’)

Likewise, later witnessing Tareo suffering from the bullies pissed him off for reasons Garou can directly relate to (they were even calling Tareo a monster!) so once again, he’s compelled to step in, break it up, and deescalate the behavior.....then waltz down there to check in with how Tareo’s doing.

Offering another “I feel sorry for you.” :’) Which he plays off as more detached pity before he whoaaa, quickly turns around to leave with a ‘tch, go home’ once Tareo speaks. :’D (Like he can’t emotionally handle facing this, even turning his back when Tareo thanks him for helping him twice now since the shed scene.) But, we know there’s empathy felt for Tareo getting picked on, which drove Garou to act and intervene on his behalf here, BECAUSE..!!! Look what drives that evidence home:

Ohoho...probably one of his biggest telling moments! 8′D Recognizing what’s on Darkshine’s face now (while rendered overpowered & unable to fight back)...is the same he remembers relating to in Tareo, cause it’s similarly what he’s felt and suffered before in his past! :O Ahhh!! Making him go ‘oshit, wait...NO,’ as he realizes this is what he hates; ‘this isn’t what I want to do or who I want to be,’ and forcefully stops himself (he breaks up his own fight) before soon barreling over as the pain and consequences of everything finally catch up to him.

So...! Based on his track record, and provided he’s not off on his lonesome anymore or unable to interact/socialize with anyone in the near future, then he’s highly likely to add on more examples of such moments. Especially whenever he witnesses what he hates seeing (similar cycles of what he’s felt in his past, attuned to the same injustice suffered by others that he’s already experienced himself) that he can’t help but intervene & act on their behalf. Even when it gets emotionally overwhelming (for him to get upset with himself and want to avoid it as much as possible) or in direct contrast to the person (ie closed-off ‘monster’) he’s trying to be, ever at conflict with the inner empathetic kid he always was. :’)

[arrowheadedbitch]

THESE TAGS ARE SOOO REALLLLLL

Hc that saiki and teruhashi take turns screaming “thats not normal, please get help” into the others face whenever they say something about their life