#sentinelverse

Coppelia wore a blouse that seemed to have come straight from a wardrobe spanning decades ago, with an esoteric pattern painted across it, reaching all the way to her knees. She had curly hair, with bleached blonde ends near the front. Beauty marks spanning her dark face whole, like dots of a constellation.

She crossed her tan legs, and rested her head on a hand.

"Ahem.", the other woman cleared her throat, "Interviewer, Sentinel Sly. Current date is the 12th of March, 202X. Let's begin with your name, why don't we?"

Following the click of a pen, a notepad is shuffled on hand.

"What- like you don't know it?", she scoffed, "I've been there multiple times, im sure you eggheads have that on file don't you? I mean come on what are you all—"

A tap on the table, not so loud to disturb, but it stops her.

"Full name..." Sly grabs the brim of her hat, "please, ma'am."

She opens her mouth for a second, before pausing.

"...Oh i see," Coppelia scowls and crosses her arms.

"Coppelia," she said, and then... "Coppelia Letout" finished.

"What is your title and Core?"

She stared at her nails, painted matte yellow just today.

"Sentinel Flattery, Mediocre."

Scratches of pen on paper, noting down the information.

"How has your time been as a Sentinel?"

She smirks.

"Hm, what can i say? Not too shabby all things considered...", she spoke, "i get to take out some fugly monsters, i deal with rude people the best way there is to deal with them," her hand balled up, with a few pops, "not to mention the other cuties of course, the dolls i get to lend a helping hand to, the admirers popping up and around..."

She let out a dreamy sigh, and a new note was jotted down onto the pad.

"...Good bunch of months, it's been lovely thank you very much."

Sly kept cool under the hat, taking a breath in.

"Are there any aspects you dislike?"

She squinted at her, looking away, "...the disrespect. It's insane honestly, so many of those people out there who act almighty when they hear about me, as if they're better or something. And then i have to be the one busting myself out to help 'em," her eyes roll, "sheesh."

"Naturally of course... they all learn. Im good at teaching that lesson."

"Mhm." Sly nodded, scratching a few additional notes onto her notepad.

Coppelia let out a sigh, "How many more do you need? Geez."

"We're nearly done, no need to worry. Now, how do you regard your Core?"

She looked away, and put her hand down to the table. Tapping her fingers on it sequentially. "...Are you getting at something, brim hat?" she said, squinting her eyes.

"I promise you, im only asking the required questions as they have been made."

She smiled, "Well, for starters, i am very satisfied with my Core. Thank you lots n' lots."

"Really now?"

"Well duh, i mean come on, you've got all these knuckleheads out there running with like rocks or the power to print fabric from their mouths or whatever weird core they got handed. And then you've got me." she smiled wide, tilting her face forward, "I get to make some actual use out of all their dumb abilities, and guess what? I have to actually use my brain to squeeze some good out of them. I mean, come on, it's just a simple fact. It doesn't matter if you're a pipsqueak with the ability to like, make sounds, or if you're some big shot that can fire meteors. If you don't think, you can't strategize, and even small omens can overwhelm an idiot if they play the right cards." she pointed a finger at Sly accusingly, "Do you want to be the idiot who has to call backup because some small fries poured water on you and made you as useful as a pair of wisdom teeth in a fight?!"

"...No." Sly said.

"Exactly, and it's not easy weaponizing some abilities! I put in the work, i reap what i sow, and that's that on that."

"I see, that's a very interesting thought process." the detective said, still writing down notes.

"Yeah i know, im smart, what'd you expect?"

"Of course, of course." she nodded as she finished writing, and closed the notepad. "Now, is there anything you'd like to add?"

Coppelia blinked for a second, "...Scuze?"

"I mean, is there anything you would like to tell me, off the record?"

She crossed her legs and arms, tapping her feet in the air for a moment as she closed her eyes.

"I think it's an honor to be a sentinel around here."

"Really now?" Sly raised an eyebrow, "What makes you say that?"

"I've heard about some things every now and then about big names, and i just think with how much i do, i should join those ranks."

"...Care to elaborate?"

"Come on, im an amazing catch! Im a great fighter, im a great adapter. Couldn't have reached my best heights without the bit of support from the Cool Core. Well, not as fast at least, heh. I'd be like this no matter what, of course. So i can be like a tad grateful, and i can think of wanting to be like, in the big leagues and all."

"Could you not call it that? We refer to it as the Sentinel Core—"

"Cine te crezi, the Core is cool, so it's a Cool Core! It's as simple as it gets! Sheesh." Coppelia said, rolling her eyes.

"Right, of course... is that—"

"Yes, pack it up already." she said, looking off to the camera.

"...Understood." Sly got up from the desk and stopped the recording. Securing the camera inside of her coat. "It has been a pleasure meeting you this afternoon, goodbye Ms. Coppelia"

As Sly walks towards the door, she is waved off by a smile.

"Pa Pa, Sly!"

And so, Sly walked out of the house, and began to walk down the street. The sky was cloudy, and what little light remained was soon fading.

Her footsteps clicked and clacked, as she walked by someone, and turned from the corner into an alleyway. She put a hand in her coat's pocket, and took a cigarette to her mouth, taking a deep breath in, and exhaling thick smoke.

In the midst of the smoke, a decrepit telephone box's shape came into view, and she entered it.

Within, she pressed a phone number into the keypad, and put it to her ear.

"What is your report, Sly?" a voice crackled from the receiver.

"I have finished up with Flattery." she said, "It was an enlightening conversation."

"How did she act?"

"Self assured, il say, seemed to match up with what the reports said, very self confident, egotistical, rude... stuff we knew, but..." she paused to consider her words.

"Does she suspect something?"

"...Of a sort." Sly settled on, "She seemed to catch on to my ability quick, and her tone slipped. She bragged about 'using her brain', and it might be more true than her exaggerated tone suggested."

"Her Core ability does lead into a need for strategy, it does not surprise me that someone so successful with it has a more intellectual hood under it."

"Mhm... she also seems to show no will to rebel against the core."

"From your finding, or her words?"

"Mixed, she seems willing to cooperate at least, do put her under observation for the next month or so, and keep an eye out for any... activity. If she shows any signs, pair her up with a team that can monitor her."

"...I'l say, it baffles me how such an Incarnation was given to a free spirit like her." the voice lamented, "We dealt with a similar case some time ago, didn't we?"

"Well, im not too familiar with the workings, not enough to comment on it at least." Sly spoke, chewing on a mint tablet, "All we can do is keep an eye on the second loosest cannon we got while it's still in the cabin, and not out there hatching a scheme with GOIs."

"Point taken. Return to base Sly."

"Aye aye." she said, as the voice crackled into static, and she hung the phone up.

Gun had been guided by universal Guides before. Once again in courtesy of Choi. But none of them had felt like this. Your eyes were glinting under the light, and Gun could see your shoulders rise and fall with every rasping breath. But you didn’t run away. Not immediately. 

You just stared at him for a bit. Gun rolled his shoulders back and ran his hand through his hair. He held your gaze and watched as your expression morphed from one of confusion to shock. You must have come across the same conclusion he had. Your guiding frequency was compatible with him. You were his Guide. 

He laughed when you bolted. He plucked a cigarette from his pocket and lit it up. He took a leisurely drag of it. Gun would see you again. If you were here tonight, you were already entangled with the crew business. And he would see you again soon. 

Jake Kim

Jake knew you. A fleeting member helping out the older girls with their shops and occasionally popping by to check up on some of the members of Big Deal. 

But he had never had the chance to talk to you properly. You were always being tugged away by Yeonhee or the others. Sometimes, it would be Lineman or Jerry who had all your attention, and he was fine with that. What he wasn’t fine with, was the occasionally shit eating grin Sinu would send his way whenever you were near.  As if the older Sentinel knew something he didn’t. 

He never really had a Guide that was his. But he was lucky enough to have a couple of universal Guides on the street as well as in Big Deal. And they were all too happy to help him out. Although they helped a lot, he wasn’t a hundred percent at ease with them. 

Jake didn’t know why, but he always seemed to find himself near you whenever you popped by the street. Like he was now. He was lingering near the entrance of one of the clothes stores and he couldn’t help but watch, leaning against the wall in faux nonchalance. 

Your eyes snapped away from the fabrics and he was lightly surprised when you grinned brightly at him, abandoning the fabric and walking over to him. Jake had to be nonchalant. He had to be suave. So, he smiled back. 

“You’re the boss everyone’s been talking about. It’s nice to meet you. Uh- properly.”

“Same to you.” 

Jake offered you a hand, and you took it- your warm palm against his own callused ones. You felt nice. Similar to when he held other Guides’ hands for guiding. But warmer. As if the guiding was seeping directly into his soul and not simply grazing at him. 

You seemed to feel something similar as your hold on his hand only tightened. Your expression was one of wonder and your thumb brushed at the back of his hand. Jake responded in kind, his own grasp on your hand squeezing- 

You weren’t an universal guide. Your guiding frequency matched him completely. You were a Guide- fully compatible with him- 

“What did I tell you?”

“Yeah, you were right, Sinu.” 

Jake decided to ignore the older Sentinel and his Guide to instead offer you a small smirk and a wink. 

Samuel Seo 

Samuel didn’t need a Guide. He was one of those lucky ones that were self sufficient. He could use his Sentinel abilities and senses without a limit. That gave him a slight edge in many fights with the other Sentinels. With Jake- with Eli- and hopefully with Gun. Or, so he thought. He had overexerted himself. 

He felt his cracked, bruised knuckles scratch against the dirty asphalt ground. It was a nuisance. He should have been up and walking by now. He should be ready to fight. He should- 

He could barely see anything now. One by one, his Sentinel senses were going offline. His sight first, then his sense of smell, then his touch. His hearing would be gone soon too.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. He still had too much to achieve. Samuel couldn’t die here. He was a fucking self-sufficient Sentinel. He didn’t need a Guide. He had never needed one. But why- Why did everything have to come crumbling down all at once? He never made connections with Guides. Not that they didn’t try, but he considered them to be more of an inconvenience than anything. But now he was regretting everything. 

“Holy shit.”  

Samuel wanted to roll his eyes, but his eyes were closed. Maybe. He thought he was. 

“Fuck off.” 

“I’m not going to do that. You’re obviously a Sentinel in need of guiding.” 

He didn’t fucking need guiding. And he sure was not going to let this random stranger do it. 

“I’m an universal Guide. Chill.” 

All Samuel could do was let you do your thing. Even though he knew you couldn’t do shit- 

Warmth seeped into his skin and curled at his spine. His senses were slowly but surely coming back to him. His sense of touch first. He could feel the warmth of your hand against his forearm. He could smell the air again. The smoke of the busy Seoul streets coming to him. And then his sight- He saw you, knelt by his side- wearing a rather familiar uniform- one that he had seen Daniel wear- 

You gave him a soft smile and removed your hand. But Samuel didn’t let you. Gaining another burst of strength, his hand shot up to grasp at your wrist. He saw you flinch back at his grip, but he didn’t care. Guides shouldn’t do much to him. But this was- you were- You were like a breath of fresh air. A drop of water in a desert. 

You fidgeted slightly in his grip, and Samuel half-instinctively let you go. You stood up quickly and backed away- as if you knew he was involved in some less than legal activities. He expected you to flee, and leave him to recover in this alley. But you didn’t. 

You hesitated and rummaged through your bag for a pen and paper. Samuel watched as you scribbled something down and crouched down next to him once more, slipping the piece of paper into his hand. He assumed it was your phone number.

“I’m just a universal Guide but you look like you could need me later on.”