Blairscent

Tropes and genres
Related tropes/genres	Blair's Compromised Lungs, Blair's Heartbeat, Blair's Hair
See also	Soul Bond
Related articles on Fanlore.

In fanon, Jim Ellison spends a great deal of time sniffing Blair Sandburg. Blair is often described in fanon as smelling like a variety of earthy, hippy odors: sage, pine, his ubiquitous herbal shampoo, toothpaste, and natural teas. Much less common: a mention of the canonical odors in the bathroom that requires "the spray."

In some fanworks, Blair's personal odor has a name: "Blairscent."

Function of Blairscent

Blair's odor allows Jim to:

• locate Blair
• to monitor Blair's health
• bond to Blair
• to determine, by other's smells on him, if Blair is "into men"
• by smelling his pheromones, if Blair is "into Jim"
• to read Blair's state of mind: Jim can often smell Blair's fear. Also, especially in GDP fiction, Blair is often portrayed as giving off an odd, sharp tang when he is "distressed."

Appears as a Trope

See Things You Learn From Slash

In Canon

• the bathroom spray remark
• other?

General Sniffing Fanon Examples

• In Delayed Impact by Arianna, Jim can smell that Blair has damaged kidneys: "He held that thought until he walked into the bathroom and was caught by a pungent, slightly sour scent. It was faint, and all mixed in with the herbal and masculine scents he associated with Blair, but … there was something not quite right. Not quite the way Blair usually smelled."

• In Mountain Pass by Lady Ra, Jim is unable to stop himself from smelling and bonding with Blair: "Blair put a hand up, holding him off. "No. No, you may not taste me. You may not smell me, or listen to me, or do any of that Sentinel imprinting stuff... Couldn't you go find someone else to sniff?""

• In Breaking the Silence by Morgana, it allows others to understand Jim's senses/devotion to Blair: "Does it have something to do with your senses, Jim? I noticed the way you were... sniffing him when we found him and your gaze seemed glued to him when I was at the hospital. What's going on?"

• In Without Love by Josephine Darcy, Jim admits to Simon he sniffs at Blair to determine his sexual activities: "Jim shifted uncomfortably. 'I can smell who's touched him,' he shrugged. 'Men smell different from women. When Blair comes home from a date, I can smell who he's been with and how . . .how intimate things got.' He found his skin growing uncomfortably hot at the admission," To which Simon replies, "Glad I don't live with a Sentinel."

• In Palooka by Pares, Jim has narrowed down the odor of Blair's sexual satisfaction, albeit not with him: "Also, there was the smell of a happy roommate who was getting laid regularly. For Blair, that meant he smelled like fresh bread all the time."

• In Crash and Burn by Audrey Lynne , Jim can specifically focus on the odor of Blair's blood: "Before, he'd had to concentrate on the smell before he found specific scent markers that would tell him where it had come from, provided he knew the person well enough. The reaction only seemed to work with Blair, however -- Jim supposed it must be some sort of developed 'Guide protection system'."

• In Run by Summer Rain, Jim tracks Blair like a bloodhound: "Only the possibility that he would miss something in his rush stopped the Sentinel from engaging in an all out run as he tracked his Guide. He walked swiftly, nose in the air not noticing the strange looks of the passersby on the street. The scent grew stronger as he passed through the areas his Guide had most recently passed through."

• [need a GDP example]

Specific "Blairscent" Examples

• In Cold by Daydreamer, Jim grounds himself: "Jim breathed deeply again, inhaling the heady Blairscent and let his hand wander over skin and bandages briefly before he pulled back."

• In Juicy by elmyraemilie: "The creak of the couch springs and the shift of Blairscent told him his partner had finished putting things away. Overlaid on the beloved, familiar, soothing scent of his Guide was the aroma of a nectarine. It smelled luscious--sun-warm and savory sweet, an indefinable tree-ness to it. He nudged up the dial on scent just a little to better appreciate the bouquet."

• From Calendar Guide by Kerensa: "Blairscent filled his nose; the cinnamony essence that was Blair, coupled with the all-natural shampoo and body wash that he used combined to make a combination that could only ever be Blair."

• From Sweat by Pares: "The BlairScent is strong here, but I can't hear him. And if I can't hear him, he must be... gone. If he was here, I'd know it. Even tied up he's a twitchy little guy."

• From Like Father by Alyjude: "Jim sat up, looked around, checked the back of the truck - no Blair. No familiar heartbeat, no Blairscent - nothing."

• From The Blair Sandburg Crowne Affair by Krisser: "The Sentinel buried his face deep into Blair's neck of curls, taking a renewing breath of Blairscent. His whole world shifted into place."