Your personal Tumblr library awaits
It's kinda hard to explain, but One feels like the first time that Sentinel Prime was actually meant to be Sentinel Prime from the start.
Usually he's just the name Transformers writers use when the character they've written is too much of an asshole to be any other character.
With the responsibility of leadership and the dangers of pedestals and hero worship being such major themes, it only makes sense that all three of the film's leaders would show their true characters, and in doing so seal their fates, in moments where they have to kneel/bow.
Sentinel Prime essentially sets the entire second half of the film in motion when both the heroes and we as the viewer see him kneel to the Quintessons. It confirms everything that Alpha Trion was just telling them/us about him, and it's also the very thing that ends up getting broadcast to Iacon in order to finally expose Sentinel and turn the public against their False Prime.
For all his superficial charisma and his talk of looking out for the little guys, Sentinel himself is truly nothing more than a self-centred, spineless coward, who couldn't care less for the needs of the many and gladly bends to the will of bigger bullies/oppressors in order to keep himself in power.
After learning of Sentinel's betrayal and being subsequently captured with the High Guard, D-16 makes a point to stand while in custody and adamantly refuses to kneel. Even when Sentinel begins beating and torturing him, D-16 makes it abundantly clear that he has no intention of bowing to him or anyone else ever again.
In better circumstances this could be a heroic trait, a courageous defiance and the willingness to stand up in the face of injustice. But it just as becomes a negative one, and it's one of the last warning signs to the kind of leader that Megatron is going to be.
He may have started out with good and heroic intentions, but because of this Megatron sees himself as superior, and whether by choice or by force, he expects his fellow Cybetronians to rally behind him just as they did with Sentinel. While he sees himself as a revolutionary, in the end he's just going to become another tyrant.
And then we have Orion Pax. For much of the film, he's a far cry from the noble, legendary leader that we know and love from other iterations, but he starts to grow into it as he devises the rescue mission, and is tasked with rallying his fellow miners to help.
Having gotten a major upgrade since the last time he saw them, Orion now towers over his former peers and they're utterly awed by the sight of him. Rather than trying to take advantage of their admiration or even intimidate them with his new size and strength, Orion almost seems frustrated by the new height difference, and before beginning his speech he kneels down to literally speak to them on their level.
Orion doesn't make a point to do this, no one has to ask or prompt him to, in fact he himself doesn't even give that much thought to it, it's just his first instinct for how to best communicate. He may look larger and stronger now, but he still values the miners as his friends and his equals, and nothing is ever going to change that.
Gaining the Matrix later on may have gotten him the name, but it's this moment when Orion truly begins to embody the true core and heart of Optimus Prime. Powerful and inspiring, yet humble and caring. Or perhaps, as the legendary Peter Cullen himself has always said:
"Strong enough to be gentle."
Sentinel gives the entire city a mandatory day off to put on his ego event, then not even a day later he triples everyone's shifts to make up for the lost time.
God, this movie is good.
YESSS BUT
another thought is that they have been through so much during those four months that they probably would have gone maybe a bit manic or smth like that idk
This AU has me thinking so much of the possibilities that could have taken place after
Sentinel wanted to keep them isolated so that they don't escape right? (My memory is a bit fogging rn idk why) SO he would have them locked up somewhere that only he and probably some others have access to. MAYBE they were kept in darkness for a long time to the point where their optics most likely don't work properly afterwards. Maybe they were locked up like shackled or smth. If that happens their limbs would have scratches where the shackles were at since they tried to escape.
WHAT IF Sentinel wasn't that possessive with them (like he would be but not where they would only be fragged by him) what if he lent (?) them to others for them to use??
What if after they successfully escaped, everything plays out as it did in canon. Megatron would want revenge and he got it but Optimus would want Sentinel to still get a fair trial so that EVERYBOT on Cybertron would see how cruel and brutal he was. (Not very likely but whatever)
What if afterwards, the both of them felt that Sentinel has ruined everything for them. They no longer can have sex without thinking about him and the thought alone sends them reeling. They can't be affectionate without thinking the Megatronus/Prima being captured by Quintessons and forced to be incubators role play since Sentinel wanted them to hold each other (another thing he ruined).
Time perception: another thought I just had was that maybe he DOES decide to inform them how long it has been and that gets them closer to spiraling. What do you mean it has only been 4 months?? Surely it hasn't? It leaves them with a sense of dread as they began to think that they are never getting out of here if it's been that long.
That's it but idk if I'm intruding on this soooo yea
Tho it's kinda fun thinking the possibilities😭
https://www.tumblr.com/yayasvalveplay/777775239530725376/in-the-playtoy-au-how-long-are-orion-dee-are?source=share
4 MONTHS??
This has me thinking that their perception of time probably got fucked up during that time (if they didn't have their chronometers) and thought that it had been more than that
Oh ya their time perception got fucked up when their chronometers were turned off, they think they were jut there for a month or two, but nope. It's been 4 months the moment Dee and Orion escape.
I hate to say it but will sentinel still betray the primes in ur au?
pov your non verbal brother says his first words,, 🥹
aka, Sentinel realizes how much Orion trusts and depends on him..
It's safe to say that Sentinel finds his place even among the Primes.
at least,,.. in this timeline.
I hope you like this rare combination of Golden Cheese Cookie and Sentinel Prime
u ever think abt how much sentinel has tainted how these two percieve eachother and their reminiscense ?? the amount of parallels you can draw from these three alone is crazyy yall its been rotting in my head all day
REFFFFFF DO SOMETHING 💔
Another one to add to the hoard! Thank you @nitroplushes !