Blair's Hair

In The Sentinel fanon, Blair Sandburg's hair, along with his compromised lungs, is almost a secondary character.
In fiction, Blair's hair is constantly described in great detail—there are many descriptions of its color, its texture, its smell, the way it fans out on a pillow (both in Jim's bed and in the hospital ICU), how Blair tucks it behind his ear, how he pulls it back in a ponytail, how it causes Jim to zone, and whether or not Blair cuts his hair if he decides to become a cop.
==Blair's Hair in Canon==
* Blair stated: "I'm not cutting my hair."
* David Lash called him "Hairy Blairy."
* Blair has the nickname "Hairboy."
* Jim complained of Blair's hair in the shower drain.
==Fan's Early Interest in Blair's Hair==
In a July 1997 interview that was printed in a semi-official club newsletter, Garret Maggart talked with a fan about Blair's hair: 
==Permuatations of Blair's Hair==
Most fanworks and discussion focused on Blair's dark, luxurious, and plentiful mane. 
Some fanworks imagined Blair's hair as not just short or incredibly super long, but white, or gone entirely. The Panther Tales universe is one example.
	
==Blair's Hair: Warnings==
The Sentinel became known as the fandom with the most warnings after a fan wanted to be alerted for a shorn Blair. This led to many stories including a "short-hair Blair" in their summary/story description; these warnings were almost always a tongue-in-cheek gesture.
The tradition of warning for Blair cutting his hair sparked a wider-ranging debate about the concept of warnings in general, and whether The Sentinel fandom was overly sensitive, or respectful, regarding fans' feelings and possible triggers.
The 2000 zine, "I'm Not Cutting My Hair", features stories focusing on Blair and threatened haircuts.
==Fan Comments==
===2005===
=== 2009 ===
 
 
 
===2023===
 
==Blair's Hair in Fanon==
===Examples of Jim's Devotion to Blair's Hair===
Jim Ellison, Blair's partner, often notices Blair's hair.
* In Of Plastic Sticks, Silky Curls and Lime Green Love by Zanz, Jim expounds on Blair's glorious hair: "And that hair. Those masses of rich brown curls that in the sunlight held highlights of gold and red and seemed almost to be alive in their sinuous movements. More than anything he wanted to turn up his sense of touch and run his hands through those curls, feel the caress of the silk sliding between his fingers."
* Sometimes by Xasphie includes an ICU scene: "I'm here, Chief. Just like I said I would be.' The eyelids remained closed, the trauma mask providing warm air, and the plethora of tubes offering much needed fluids and medication. The cervical collar had been removed and a corona of errant curls splayed across the pillow."
* The More Things Change by Sue Pokorny 
* Exposing the Nape by Bone
* In Cold by Daydreamer, Jim combs an unconscious Blair's hair: "'Hand me that comb, Simon,' Jim asked as he wriggled a little to get settled. 'I'm gonna get this mess straightened out for him.' Jim started at the bottom of Blair's hair, taking small little sections and working the comb through carefully."
* In Two Many Guides by Lady Ra, the fan gets a double-dip: hair and Blair's heartbeat: "Jim carefully worked his fingers into Blair's thick hair, needing to feel the curls wrap around him. They'd started IVs in both of his hands, and Jim figured a full-body hug was out of the question. The hair would do, that and listening to the steady beating of his Guide's heart."
* In A Hairy Situation by Eaglefeather, Blair cuts his hair without telling Jim: "'Oh! Big bad cop Ellison here loved the hair! How could stupid little Sandburg ever assume that big bad cop Ellison actually loved him, when he only loved the hair!' With that Blair grabbed his jacket, ran out of the loft and slammed the door shut."
* In Breaking the Silence by Morgana, Blair's hair anchors Jim to sanity: "All I can think about is burying my fingers in his hair. I want to finger his curls, kiss them, and taste their texture. Under different circumstances I would fear for my sanity, but I've never felt this much in control before."
* In Pinecrest by Rent Girl 2, Blair takes his belongings and abandons the loft, accidently leaving just his hair tie for Jim to sniff and remember him by: "He stroked the hair tie around his wrist then put it up to his nose. The scent was so strong he could almost believe that Blair was downstairs. Downstairs with his laptop open, books spread around him, glasses on, pen flying as he tracked down the answer to some Sandburgian type question."
* In The Book by K9, Jim overhears a conversation: "Blair had taken to tying back his hair and Jim had even heard him discussing having it cut with his mom on the phone a few days ago, the prospect of which had filled Jim with horror. He secretly loved Blair's long hair, the way it framed his face and made him look so young."
* In Precious by Debra Fran Baker, Jim has a little secret: "'It's okay, sweetheart. He won't take you away from me. He tried, but he won't. I'll comb you and make you all pretty and it'll be wonderful. Just you and me.'"
* In At the End of the Day by Lyn Townsend "I turn my head and bury my nose in Blair's curls. I take in a slow deep breath, and allow the scent of his herbal shampoo to waft in. My hand moves up and captures strands of hair, allowing the shiny locks to glide through my fingers like silk."
===Examples of Blair's Devotion to Blair's Hair===
* In Man Child by Grey, Blair's shot, gets thirty stitches in his head, regains consciousness and asks: "'What? No, they didn't.' Slight panic brought his free right hand up to find the bandage that wrapped most of the side of his head. 'Man, this sucks. How much Jim? Please tell me they didn't like shave it or anything.'"
* In Letting Go by Elaine, Blair refuses to cut his hair for the Academy: "'What more do you want from me?' Now Blair's anger matched his own. The blue eyes fairly blazed with it for a moment before his shoulders slumped in defeat. 'I know it's stupid, all right? It's just... I don't know how much more I can take. Cutting my hair, man, it's the last straw.'"
===Examples of Other Characters' Devotion to Blair's Hair===
* In Dork by Francesca, Blair cuts off his hair and sends it in a box to a former girlfriend, telling Jim: "Well, I figured they could continue their relationship perfectly well without me."
===A Supporting Character to Blair's Hair: Blair's Herbal Shampoo===
Blair's hair products are an essential part of Blair's mane. Also see Blairscent.
From Priorities by Sandra McDonald: "He tried to find Blair's familiar heartbeat, but hundreds of cardiac rhythms surrounded him from all directions and he only got confused at the loud beats. He knew the odor of Blair's herbal shampoo, but his sense of smell had been chancy since the ordeal at the ocean's edge and the smell of dust and smoke overrode everything else."
Blair and Jim make shopping for hair products a joint effort in A Rose by Any Other Name by LRH Balzer: "As they emptied the cart onto the conveyer belt, he grabbed at the shampoo. Herbal Essences. "Made with Rosemary, Jasmine, and Orange Flower in Mountain Spring Water." He fished around for the conditioner. "Made with Sage, Jasmine, and Soy Protein in Mountain Spring Water," he read. Tentatively, he sniffed at them both, his eyes looking beyond to meet Jim's. The smell was kind of nice. Like the gentle herb shampoo he used to use before the little store closed down and he couldn't get it any more."
==Meta/Further Reading==
* Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow by The Divine Adoratrice (1999)
* Things You Learn From Slash by Josephine Darcy (2000s)
==References==
Category:Sentinel Fandom GlossaryCategory:2017 Featured Articles