Helen

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   <default>Helen</default>
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</image> <label>Name</label> <label>Other Names</label> <label>Creator(s)</label> <label>Species</label> <label>Affiliation</label> <label>Ablilities</label> <label>Weaknesses</label> <label>First Appearance</label> <label>POV Chapter(s)</label> <group> <header>Physical Appearance</header> <label>Hair</label> <label>Eyes</label> <label>Height</label> </group> </infobox> Helen was created by Dr. Ibott as his submission to the Lambs Project. She eventually was traded to Sylvester's Rebellion.

Psychology

Helen is human derived but largely has non human coding. This plays into her personality. She has an understanding of humanity only a true outsider can. As such she is a highly skilled actress, an exceptionally fluent in body language.<ref>“She uses the same body language techniques you tried to teach me.”

“Taught you,” I said. “Didn’t try. Please don’t malign my abilities. And I’ll tell you this. Those techniques? The framing of the body, posing, balance and clothing? Hers.”

“Mine,” Helen said.

“It’s what she does,” I said. “Except very natural. Spend time with her if you can. Study Helen. You can learn an awful lot, even if it’s hard to put into proper words. I studied her and figured out some tricks and techniques, but she’s a natural.” - Excerpt from Gut Feeling 17.7</ref>

She likes messing with people,<ref> Helen composed herself as fast as she’d gone feral, one hand going to fix her hair at one side, where it had fallen across her face. She looked at us, her face now running with blood, smiled, and made a pleased little half-giggle sound in her throat, before leading the way upstairs.

She was most definitely doing that routine on purpose, just to freak people out. - Excerpt from Lips Sealed 3.7</ref> in all meanings of the word. She cares about killing strong people and protecting those she loves.

She sees people through this lens wanting to crush her friends even when she would never willingly place herself in such a situation.

Relationships

Loves, but does not Like nor Respect her creator, Professor Ibbot.Physiology

Appearance

A poison flower of the female sex. Throughout the story she grows into an elegant young woman. On the inside she is unrecognisable as human.

Project Goal

Helen Galatea Ibbot was created as a submission to the Lambs Project. After the Lambs, Helen would serve as a bodyguard and lover, and Caretaker for Ibbot.

Think of the subject as a cephalopod wrapped around a human skeleton, a hydraulic system<ref>Excerpt from Gut Feeling 17.14</ref> able to be primed and used to constrict and crush targets.<ref name="6.8">Off to my left, Helen moved. Cartilage and bone snapped and ground together as Helen strained, a torture rack in human form. I imagined I could hear the silent scream from Helen’s victim as her arms were stretched out and to either side, like a bird. Helen’s body shifted, bones standing out in strange ways against skin or the fabric of her clothes, a biological equivalent to a spring or mechanism being set, a trigger cocked. Her hands bit deep enough into skin that I wondered if she was squeezing muscle aside to press against bone. Flesh between fingers was bulging like it might pop.

Then Helen readjusted. It was a sudden, violent movement, the twist of a constrictor snake seizing its prey all at once, contorting itself in knots in a sudden, spasmodic way. Her body could move like that, but the body of the victim that was securely in her grip couldn’t. The wet sounds and the crunch of bone and gristle against more bone and gristle seemed to go on forever.

Helen hadn’t done anything but twist and wrench, but she was still bloody as she picked herself up and off of her victim. Her bones were still in weird places, like she had a feline or a lizard’s skeleton inside a little girl’s skin, the limbs too long, the shoulders oddly skewed. She sagged under her own weight, her muscle structure not lending itself well to standing upright. Slowly, piece by piece, she pulled herself back into a more normal configuration. - Excerpt from Lamb to the Slaughter 6.8</ref> Can use water to change her proportions.<ref>“If it would help, I can drink and redistribute water across my body,” Helen said. “Change my proportions to be less stare-worthy.”

“No,” I said. “Not if you’re walking long distances.”

“I can expel it,” she said.

“Means stopping repeatedly.”

“I can expel it through the mouth.” - Excerpt from Gut Feeling 17.7</ref> Her musculature and joints are built differently, making them bad at exerting strength quickly, however when speed is not an issue she is incredibly powerful.<ref name=":0">“Her musculature and joints are different,” I murmured back.  “In configuration and type.  Mostly, she’s bad at exerting a lot of strength very quickly.  She’s almost weaker than me when it comes to throwing proper punches, and that’s with her being bigger than me.”

“She’s almost weaker,” Jamie remarked, leaning in to join the conversation.

“I said almost!” I protested, annoyed.  “Geez.”

“Give her a few years and some practice, maybe she’ll be dangerous in a scrap,” Jamie said, ignoring me.

“If she can get her hands on someone, we’re good,” I said, not taking my eyes off Helen.  “You could use a prybar and you wouldn’t make her let go, and the sudden strength she can employ lets her take advantage of any openings.” -excerpt from Cat out of the Bag 2.3</ref>

Can rearrange her internal organs for camouflage,<ref>Interlude 14.x</ref> and even fake being dead.<ref name=":0" />

Very little of her is directly human,<ref> - Excerpt from Lips Sealed 3.7</ref> She does have a slight pattern overlay likely so she can communicate and for complex thoughts. She cannot have children.<ref>“I’m fond of not having a uterus,” Helen said. “Very convenient.” - Excerpt from Gut Feeling 17.7</ref>

Expiration Date

Does not have an explicit expiration date, yet she needs 'maintenance' to retain her human form.

The Infante postulated that her Expiration Date would be when Ibbot grew tired of maintaining Project Galatea due to his own political progress as an Academy Professor and/or the time it took from his other work, and would eventually disable vital functions during a checkup. This differed from the rest of the Lambs who would have died due to how they were developed.

Record

Was created in response to a challenge from Professor Hayle to Professor Ibbot.

Was not humanoid early on. Tried to hug people but was rudely shot instead.<ref>“I didn’t think that was a project which would have emergencies,” I said.

“It’s not,” Jamie said.

“There was one with me, once,” Helen said, smiling. “My first time out of the vat. I was only half as tall as I am now. I opened my eyes and wanted to give someone a hug. They shot me.” - Excerpt from Lamb to the Slaughter 6.5</ref>

Followed Ibbot around, learning how to become more human-like from actresses, socialites and more. At some point, Helen saw Nephilim One as Ibbot was called in to aid with maintenance.

1917

Worked as a Lamb for several years, joining after Sylvester and Gordon, but before Jamie.

1924

Was forced to defect to Sylvester's Rebellion alongside parts of Ashton as a trade for Professor Berger.

On her first outing she was injured

1925

Lost her body to kill the Infante by jamming herself down his throat. She was saved from death thanks to most of her body being amputated, however as such she didn't of a hand in the following proceedings.

1926

Made for a beautiful and graceful lady.

Trivia

• Named after Galatea, a statue that came to life and became her creator's wife.

References

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