Sentinel AU
| Tropes and genres | |
|---|---|
| Synonym(s) | Sentinelverse[1] |
| Related tropes/genres | soulbond, slavery, dominance hierarchy, Sentinel and Guides are Known, Bonding |
| See also | The Sentinel |
| Related articles on Fanlore. | |
This article or section needs expansion. |
Sentinel AU's is the name given to every plot that uses the concept of Sentinel and Guide from the fandom of The Sentinel, where different characters live the experience of being sentinels or guides, becoming an extremely popular trope, mainly in fandoms with military/police content, such as H50 fics where Steve McGarrett and Danny Williams have such abilities. Extrapolating wildly from a brief mention about "guides" in canon[2], the trope often posits that for each Sentinel there is one perfect Guide and the two will imprint on each other.
The Trope
In series canon The Sentinel, Jim Ellison has super-heightened senses what makes you a sentinel, which can be useful tools for his job as a cop. Anthropology student Blair Sandburg helps him deal with the effects of those senses during the series, being then a guide according to the plot.[2] Ellison's super-heightened senses very often lead to his "zoning out" or becoming overfocused on one of the senses[3] and in fanon (almost) the only thing that will help them return from a zone-out is assistance from a/their Guide.
Most Sentinel AU fic are based on Sentinel fanon and the popular Sentinels and Guides are Known trope in Sentinel fandom. Thus, in Sentinel AU fic, the terms Sentinel and Guide aren't just descriptions, they're an almost mystical calling, with the Sentinel and the Guide destined to find each other and be together. This may or may not include a soulbond, and the spirit animals present in The Sentinel canon may or may not be completely ignored. In some stories Sentinels and Guides are a societal institution managed by military or non-military bureaucracies, in others they are instead self-organized in pack structures. There is much variation and overlap in fanfic.
When Sentinels and Guides are a societal institution under the management of some kind of agency, either the Sentinel or the Guide is usually higher-class than the other, who may be little more than a slave. The GDP Series by Susan Foster helped popularize this specific sub-trope in Sentinels and Guides are Known fic, which expanded beyond Sentinel fandom into general Sentinel AUs.
Examples
For The Sentinel examples see Sentinels and Guides are Known
- The Imperfections series by Dasha. May have first introduced the concept of the "fragile Sentinel."
- Thomas and the Society of Sentinels by Alex51324, a fusion set in the interwar years in which Sentinels and Guides are well known but have their own unique subculture which, due to the military value of Sentinels, the establishment is prepared to make some exceptions to accommodate.
- Stopgap Measures by idelthoughts, Technically, Henry didn’t need a Guide. He’d gotten along for most of his life without one. He’d learned to cope, better than most lone Sentinels, but now that he’s met Jo, he’s remembering how much better he is with one.
- Oddbodies by toffeecape. "Will is an off-brand sentinel. Hannibal is a reputable guide. What could go wrong?" Starts at the beginning of canon and proceeds apace. Sentinels and guides are societal equals, and bonded pairs have special legal status.
- Harry Potter and the Sentinel Phenomenon by elyssblair, Harry/Draco fic where The Dursley's abandon Harry alone in the woods for a week, triggering his Sentinel gifts and leaving him hurting and in need of a Guide
- Kahu a Alaka’i by Cattraine, in which "Sentinels serve the military and Guides are chattel", with Steve as the Sentinel and Danny as the Guide.
- 'Uhane by Sealie, a series that features Danny as the Sentinel and Steve as the Guide.
An accident triggers unexpected changes in Jeeves's life -- and in Bertie's.
- we'll share tomorrow by melonbutterfly, a Sam Wilson/T'Challa focusing on how Sam, an unbonded Guide, has to deal with the fact that the literal King of Wakanda is his Sentinel.
- Observations on Sentinels and Guides in Victorian London by RyuuzaKochou, set in a Victorian time in which Sentinels and Guides are forming packs and John and Sherlock are especially powerful.
Stargate Universe (SG-1/SGA/SGU)
- A Contemporary Re-Examination of Sentinels and Guides Pair Bonding in North America by creedcascade. Among other mentioned sets, Daniel Jackson is Jack O'Neill's Guide, but the focus is on Sentinel John Sheppard and Guide Rodney McKay unexpectedly bonding.
- A.W.O.L. by esteefee. McShep story in which Stargate Command treats Sentinels better than the rest of the world does because of their ability to sniff out Goa'uld.
- Like Strawberries in Summer by darkmoore, in which somewhat fragile Sentinel Rodney McKay has almost given up hope of finding his Guide until he meets John Sheppard.
- Lost and Found by rosiepaw, in which Sentinels like John are commonly treated as only one step up from animals by "Handlers" while bonded-type Guides are considered outdated legends.
- The Sentinels of Atlantis series by Keira Marcos, in which the Ancients "encouraged" the genetic spread of Sentinels and Guides as weapons against the Wraith. Many Sentinel/Guide couples, including super-alpha Sentinel John/super Guide Rodney.
- Unmapped by Jerakeen, in which Derek is a Sentinel without a Guide, and Stiles is definitely not a Guide.
Links & Resources
- tags at AO3
- /report episode discussing "which fandom characters would make a good Sentinel?": Slash Report - 28 August 2011
- What is this Sentinel/Guide tumblr post dated November 2013[4]
- Sentinels and Guides by lurafita, September 2019
- Recs tagged Sentinel AUs at Fancake
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
References
- ^ Kero, 오메가버스, 네임버스, 센티넬버스, 타투버스, 피스틸버스, 2 November 2014.
- ^ a b The role of "Guide" stems from episode 7 of the first season of The Sentinel, when Blair is referred to as Jim's guide, see Episode Transcript for Rogue. (Accessed November 15, 2008.)
- ^ The character Rachel Pirzad in the television series Alphas looks a lot like a fanon "fragile Sentinel."
- ^ reference link.