Application - Hannah Lorenson (Helen)
Nov. 17th, 2013 05:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sly_foxOOC Information:
Name: Clari
Are you over 15? Yep!
Contact: Plurk: awakened
IC Information:
Name:
Preincarnation: Helen
Reincarnation: Hannah Lorenson (nee Clayden)
Canon and medium: Claymore :: Manga. (I will be using Natalie Dormer as a PB, as Helen/Hannah won’t have her usual silver eyes/blonde hair.)
Age: 29
Preincarnation Species: Half-human, half-yoma hybrid
Preincarnation Appearance: http://www.cosplayisland.co.uk/files/costumes/1519/14575/Helen%20-%20claymore.jpg
Any differences: Helen’s preincarnated self had silver eyes and blonde hair, which was all due the yoma flesh and blood inside her. Her reincarnated self will look like her if she’d never become a warrior. Her hair will be dark brown and her eyes blue.
Preincarnated History: Not much is known about Helen’s past, before becoming a Claymore. It is specifically stated that no one ever chooses to become a silver-eyed warrior. It can be assumed that Helen’s parents were killed by yoma, and she was taken in by the Organization soon after the fact. Helen trained with the Organization, and eventually managed to earn herself a rank among the warriors, graduating from trainee status.
Somewhere along the way, she met a fellow warrior named Deneve. Deneve was annoyed by Helen’s boisterous, loud nature and Helen was annoyed by Deneve’s suicidal fighting style. Helen ends up berating Deneve for it, stating that it was all right for them to be afraid to die as they were only human. This incident brought them close together and the two of them soon became inseparable.
Helen was proud to fight, but considered herself human and something she hated greatly was being referred to as a monster. She mentioned during one chapter that once, she came close to killing a human, but she stopped herself due to the Organization’s cardinal rule not to take a human’s life. She mentioned that she almost awakened once as well. Awakening is when a Claymore pushes herself over her limits and becomes a full-fledged monster herself. Both incidents were never elaborated on, but it could be assumed that Helen nearly killed the human after he called her a monster. Perhaps the human didn’t back down, which drove her over the edge. It is possible that during this time, she grew so angry that she lost control of her yoki and nearly awakened.
Helen became ranked number 22 after a while, and met Clare, who she initially bullied for having the lowest rank. They were sent to fight an awakened being but were given the wrong information. It was advised by their captain, Miria, to “behave” for the time being, once they defeated the awakened being. They did so, but eventually they were sent to Pieta along with a number of warriors. Reunited, they discovered that the war in the north was a suicide mission. They had all essentially been sent to die, because the Organisation felt it needed to purge warriors they considered less than ideal. They wanted emotionless warriors who would obey and carry out every request the Organisation had. They didn’t want warriors who asked questions and did their own thing. Miria’s plan was to take yoki suppressants and “play dead”, which they all did. Once they were knocked out by an enemy, they would appear to be dead, their yoki no longer flowing.
Only seven survived, including Helen, and they spent seven years in the North before leaving, due to Clare asking for permission to search for Raki. They went to Rabona, and after that Helen and Deneve split from the group to visit her home town. After a fight, and after meeting a warrior named Dietrich, they found out where Isley of the North was. Curiousity got the better of Helen, and she and Deneve went to go see him. They were confident that Isley wouldn't know they were Claymores, but he figured it out and attacked. Helen and Deneve barely survived. The Abyss Feeders arrived, and Helen lost an eye after taking one on. Helen then sought out Cynthia who healed it for her, helping her regenerate it.
Helen and Deneve then searched for Clare. They found her, got involved in more battles, then returned to Rabona. Finding out that Miria had gone to fight the Organization by herself, Helen went with the rest of her group to find her. Eventually they did, and they helped Miria successfully take down the Organization. They then found Raki, and reunited him with Clare. A new threat came along, for which the warriors prepared.
Her history can also be found here and here.
Reincarnated History:
Helen’s reincarnated self, Hannah, was born to John and Rebecca Clayden in Washington, USA as the youngest of two siblings. Both of her parents were high-ranking in the US military, and so they moved around a fair bit due to that. Hannah looked up to her parents and wished to follow in their footsteps. This was something that was encouraged by both her parents, as they were both honored that she wished to follow the same career path as them. They always told her to pursue her desired career, and push past any hurdles in her path. Her elder brother, David, had a similar outlook on the future and the two ended up developing a friendly rivalry. Both joined martial arts clubs when they were young, and often challenged each other to see who was stronger. Some feelings were hurt when Hannah would beat David, but grudges were never held for long.
As they grew older and started high school, both Helen and her brother started considering other career options. David started to like the idea of becoming a police officer, while Hannah wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to do. She got in trouble at school occasionally for misbehaving and causing problems for other students, purely because she liked the attention it got her. She’d always had an outgoing, brash personality and it clashed with a number of her fellow classmates. Her relationship with her parents grew somewhat strained as they tried to discipline her, which only caused her to act out more. They did their best to straighten her up and get her back on track though, and it did begin to work. Hannah was merely testing her boundaries, and her parents could see that.
It was just after high school that her parents died. Her mother passed away during a mission in the Middle East, and her father passed away a month later in a car accident. Both incidents were so close together, which left Hannah in shock, and then left her angry and resentful, wishing she could have done something. Thankfully, her brother stuck by her temporarily; though they both knew he too had to go away soon, as he’d been stationed out in the countryside.
Not entirely sure what to do, Hannah felt lost. She toyed with the idea of joining the military again, but still felt unsure about taking that path. A conversation with an old friend of her father changed all of that. They got into a conversation about her parents and their achievements in life, and he asked if she planned on joining the military after all. She told him that she wasn't sure yet, and he essentially encouraged her to go through with it, suggesting that she could honor the memory of her parents by doing so. Hannah recalled just how much they wanted her to join the military, and the words of their old friend was the push Hannah needed to sign up. She went through all the tests to join and made it through; being pushed past her limits in all the ways she expected she would be. Hannah worked hard, determined to rise through the ranks and become as good as her parents had been. She became a lot more disciplined, though she did like to cause trouble still. Her parents had been successful in straightening her out during her high school years, telling her that if she wanted to join the military or the police force, she needed to learn not to be so brash. In the military, she was witty and sarcastic and wasn't afraid of angering people by being blunt. However, she never went too far, as she didn't wish to be discharged for bad behavior. She took the advice of her deceased parents to heart.
Hannah was known as a bit of a joker, though she fought just as hard as everyone else when times got tough. Hannah was eventually stationed in Germany. It was a place of little action, though Hannah enjoyed visiting town to check out the pubs and drink German beer with her colleagues. Germany was where she met Lucas Lorenson for the first time. They got along famously, exchanging jokes and chatting about all kinds of things. They both had a similar appreciation for sarcasm and wit as well, which made her feel instantly connected with him. However, the two of them were both involved with other people, though Hannah’s own relationship was becoming rather strained even at this stage. Her boyfriend, who was still in America, didn't like the distance between them, but Hannah was needed in Germany. As much as he wanted her to, she couldn't just up and leave, abandoning her duties.
About a month after meeting Lucas, she and her boyfriend split and Hannah put all her energy into her career. He was only thinking of himself, and Hannah soon grew tired of the way he kept hinting, pushing and trying to guilt trip her. There was also the fact that she felt more drawn to Lucas than to him, and felt happier getting an email from him than she did her own boyfriend. It wasn't like she could do anything though, as Lucas was already involved with someone else and Hannah wasn't the type to sabotage someone’s relationship. She might have been a troublemaker but she was honorable.
About three months after breaking up with her boyfriend, Hannah was involved in a devastating accident during a training exercise. Her back and legs were injured badly, making it difficult to move, and she was monitored by doctors in the barracks’ hospital for a number of weeks until it was decided to discharge her from active duty. She was in no position to serve, and the injury was something from which she’d never fully recover. While she’d be able to function in normal, everyday life, she would be a hindrance while on the field. Helen returned to the USA, moving to California. She was angry, and couldn't quite get comfortable with the idea of doing nothing and receiving compensation for her injury. She tried to do as much as she could, while going to doctors to help her with her movement and well being.
Occasionally she thought about Lucas, but she was too stubborn and prideful to tell him that she’d been discharged from the army due to her injury. Thus, she remained silent, with a first draft email sitting in her inbox that never got sent.
By some miracle, she came across Lucas again, a year after she’d met in him in Germany. It was entirely by accident. She was in San Francisco at a farmer’s market, buying apples for herself when she saw him. Initially she didn't want him to see her using a cane to help herself walk, but he approached her and she told him everything that had happened. She told him about the accident and the discharge and the countless visits to doctors, apologizing for never returning his email and failing to keep in touch. He showed no signs of anger though, concerned for her well being more than anything.
Soon they started dating. She continued with her physical therapy, gradually seeing improvements. It was slow, but she found herself able to walk and move a little easier. Lucas was supportive of her, and her brother came to visit whenever he could get away from the country town in which he was stationed. The relationship between Hannah and Lucas got serious quickly, and eventually they moved in together, with her doing as much as she could around the house while he worked. She was quite happy living with Lucas, though she did wish she could actually work. She wanted to do something with her life.
They had no real intention of getting married, until Helen discovered she was pregnant with their child. She worried about her own physical well being and how she’d do carrying the child, and she also worried about her own ability as a parent. She didn't know if she was ready for this, but she couldn't reverse the past.
Feeling that it was only right that they get married, they eloped in Vegas with David and Lucas’ sister Sylvie in attendance as witnesses. David was happy for her, pleased that there was someone out there that his kid sister loved enough to want to get stuck with for the rest of her life. Neither David or Hannah saw marriage in her future, though the future was indeed unpredictable. Little Elise eventually came into the world and was doted on by the both of them. Hannah didn’t want her to feel the kind of loss she had felt at such a young age, and she also vowed to support Elise in anything she wanted to do with her life. She wanted to be supportive, in the way her own parents were supportive of her before they passed away.
After a while, Lucas brought up the possibility of them moving to Locke city, closer to his family. She agreed to it. Elise had just turned two and Hannah was in much better shape then she’d ever been. She applied for a security position at Locke City University, figuring she was feeling good enough to start working again. She was confident that she could do something like campus security, wanting to push herself as much as possible. It wasn't quite the military but it was something.
First Echo: While casually browsing a weapon’s store, Hannah finds an old broadsword. Curious, she asks if she can have a look at it. As soon as she takes a hold of the hilt, she gains a memory of using a sword to fight a horde of monsters in a snowy wasteland.
Preincarnation Personality:
Helen stands out among her comrades as being the loud, boisterous one. Unlike most of her comrades, who tend to be stoic and standoffish, Helen is emotional, hot-headed and honest. She doesn’t like to hide her emotions, openly showing how she is feeling most of the time, and occasionally getting herself into trouble for it. She thinks with her heart and not with her head, and can rush into situations without really considering the consequences of her actions.
She has admitted that she has almost taken a human life before. Humans do not treat Claymores very kindly, and often call them monsters. Helen loathes being called a monster and so it is possible that she overheard someone call her just that, and got into a heated argument with that person, which may have turned ugly. She tends to get very passionate if one calls her a monster, seeing herself as having a human heart, and one of the things that she hates most is being thrown into the same basket as creatures that prey off of humans. The manga has depicted her getting angry enough at the suggestion of being “half-awakened” that it seems possible that she would almost kill someone who riled her up enough with such an insult.
However, she is capable of stopping herself, and can recognize when she has gone too far. She will openly admit to her mistakes and has no problems apologizing for her actions where it is due. She is still a warrior and still possesses a sense of honor despite being the “irresponsible one”. If she says she’ll do something, she won’t go back on her word. She may whine, but she’ll still do it. She is not someone to back out or back down, for that matter. She will never turn her back from a fight, even if things look bad for her. For example, during one chapter she found herself fighting Isley of the North. She recognised that the situation was dire, and that there was a high possibility of her dying but she did not run away. She even admitted to her mistake over wanting to go “check out Isley”, demonstrating that she is capable of understanding and admitting to times where she has messed up. She has a strong warrior’s spirit, and refuses to leave comrades behind even if they tell her to do so. She will stay and fight until the death. It is no wonder that Helen is an offensive Claymore, as she gladly jumps into fights and seems to care more about enjoying the fight and killing the monster than saving her own ass.
It’s true that Helen can be pretty insensitive and harsh. She likes to say and do things to stir up others, and if she doesn’t like you, you will most certainly know about it. Upon meeting Clare for the first time, Helen does nothing but mock her as she assumes that number 47 is too weak to be going on their mission. She does not hold back with her insults, and demonstrates that she will say whatever is on her mind, no matter how blunt, at any time. However, if her judgements are proved incorrect, she will change her tune. Although she can be brash and harsh, she is also extremely loyal to her friends and those whom she deems worthy of her respect. Again, she will stand by them at all times and will gladly defend them.
She will say and do things simply to get a reaction at times, and the stronger the reaction, the more she may refuse to leave that person alone. She will go against the advice of her comrades, sometimes simply because she is bored, and does not care what they have to say about it. …Until she gets herself into trouble, of course.
It is likely that she is a little wary of humans, considering the way they have treated her and her comrades in the past. She does not want to be called a monster, and believes Claymores are just as human. Humans? Are a little misinformed in her eyes. And she’ll gladly argue if she must.
Helen is one of the most emotionally honest Claymores a person may meet. She loves attention and will be as annoying as she must be to get it. She can’t get the kind of attention from humans that doesn’t make her want to punch someone in the face, so it’s her comrades that she’ll try and get attention from. And if she must do it by lunging at them with a sword, she will. She’s not happy if she’s not getting attention, and she’s happy with both negative and positive attention… as long as the person doesn’t call her a monster. And her comrades really wouldn’t do that.
While Helen is not the most intelligent Claymore, she is smart enough to have been able to survive for as long as she has. She has a strong desire to live and keep fighting onwards for herself and for her comrades, which has probably helped her get past the many obstacles that she has faced in the past. Things can go over her head at times, but Helen does have moments where she can actually give good advice, such as telling Deneve that they were “only human”. Her honesty, optimism and emotional strength allows her to try and help others if morale is down, and sometimes she may not even realise that she’s helping. Did she realise that her words helped Deneve that day? Probably not. She was just saying how she felt at the time without holding back on those feelings. She has a good heart despite being insensitive a lot of the time. She’s capable of being serious when she must be, understands times where jokes are inappropriate, and will treat those situations with respect. Again, she is a warrior at heart and there are times where she must act like one. In times of conflict between close comrades, like when Tabitha and Deneve got into a fight over Miria, she will not hesitate to stand between them and try to stop the situation from getting ugly. Helen may have her flaws… and she has a lot of them… but she is a decent person at heart.
As for strengths and weaknesses, Claymores are women who have had the flesh and blood of monsters called yoma placed into their bodies, turning them into half-human, half-yoma hybrids. The yoma flesh gives them many abilities, including enhanced speed and strength. However, using the power of the yoma takes its toll on the Claymore’s body and mind, and every time they do use that power they risk going over their limits and awakening. When one awakens, she loses her humanity and becomes a monster herself, and this is one thing that all Claymores, including Helen, are very afraid of. It is a very real danger, and Helen’s rash nature means she is more likely to overuse her yoki than her comrades. She has almost awakened in the past for letting her brash and fiery personality get the better of her.
Her recklessness is a huge weakness, for reasons stated above as well as the fact that she tends to get herself into fights without thinking things through. She can be overconfident and may not think about the situation, ultimately getting herself into trouble. Of all of the half-awakened Claymores, she is most likely the weakest, physically. While all four half-awakened Claymores have enhanced abilities over normal Claymores, Helen is the one that tires out faster than the others. She is often the one who needs a comrade to step in and help her out, getting herself into trouble constantly. However, she has a great deal of mental strength. She has demonstrated that she lets bad experiences strengthen her, rather than consume her. She remains positive, stays strong for her comrades, and supports them. Again, her strong loyalty to her friends, and her willingness to fight without backing down has been shown to be a huge strength of hers.
Again, humans in Helen’s world tend to be terrified of Claymores. They fear that Claymores may turn on them and may openly call them monsters. Helen is likely to be quite wary of humans, and has little patience for anyone who may call her anything but human. As Claymores can never be a part of the human world, Helen likely lacks a lot of social skills and understands very little about how to live as a human. Therefore things that may be considered normal for humans will most likely go straight over her head. Her rude personality and inability to relate to human life will probably make it even harder than it usually is for people to get close to her, as they may be put-off by her bluntness.
Any differences:
Hannah is not as reckless and brash as her canon counterpart. The reason for this is that she was born and raised by two military officers who would have undoubtedly taught her discipline and strictly punished her if she did something terrible. That being said, she still retains some spark. She will cause trouble if she thinks the outcome is worth it, though Hannah is far more capable of thinking things through carefully. She can recognize when things might be going too far with a bit more ease. Again, Hannah thinks things through more carefully due to her upbringing and her training in the military. She can’t afford to be too brash, and risky behavior is not taken lightly by the higher-ups.
Helen is more likely to punch someone out when they anger her, while Hannah relies more on sarcasm and wit. Her tongue is sharper, mostly due to the fact that she can get into a lot more trouble for being physically violent than Helen ever will in her canon verse. She also doesn’t anger as easily as Helen. She still has a temper but its not as fiery as Helen’s.
Hannah is a lot more nurturing than Helen too. Helen has not had a child, and wouldn’t even consider the idea of children, let alone getting married. Hannah, on the other hand, is open to getting married. She may not have seen herself as being a wife before Lucas came on the scene, but she was not opposed to the idea. Helen would be less open to marriage and to children. Considering that Claymores are typically feared and hated, the idea would be unthinkable for her anyway. Hannah is more family-oriented, and cares about her living brother, her husband and child, and her in-laws. Helen has none of this, and so she isn’t as family oriented as her counterpart.
Abilities:
Helen is very skilled with a sword, having been trained intensively from a young age on how to use one. All Claymores, including Helen, appear to be very good at hand-to-hand combat as well. It’s stated early in the manga that Claymores receive covert training as a part of their job. Claymores can act differently, changing their personalities to suit the situation/mission.
It can be assumed that Helen has also received this training. However, she has not been seen using it, and so her level of skill is unknown.
Helen is what the humans of her world call a Claymore. In other words, she’s a half-yoma, half-human hybrid. In canon, Claymores are created by an Organization by having a human take on the flesh and blood of a yoma. The yoma flesh gives them enhanced strength, and speed, and it also allows them to sense yoki. In other words, they can sense demonic auras, and are thus able to hunt those demons down.
In the Claymore-verse, there are offensive-type Claymores and Defensive-type Claymores. The idea is that a warrior who focuses on killing the monster to survive becomes “offensive” while a warrior who focuses on protecting herself to survive becomes a “defensive-type”. Defensive-type Claymores excel at healing and can regenerate their limbs, while offensive types can reattach limbs that have been cut off, but may not be able to regenerate them.
Helen is an offensive-type, and thus can reattach her limbs. Of course, reattaching limbs requires the use of yoki. The Claymore, being half-yoma, may release her demonic aura in what is called a yoki release. The use of yoki, at 10%, turns a Claymore’s eyes from silver to gold. At 30%, she gains unnatural, animalistic features and if she exceeds 80%, she risks awakening. Awakening means that the Claymore loses her humanity, turning into a flesh-eating monster known as an awakened being. Helen is half awakened. She reached her yoki limit but was able to stop herself from fully awakening into a monster.
Being half awakened merely means being stronger and faster than your average Claymore, and being able to use enhanced abilities. For Helen, being half awakened means that she is able to stretch her limbs, in order to attack from long distances. She’s also able to twist her sword arm multiple times and then release it, so that her arm turns in a drill-like motion. This attack, the drill sword, is one of the most destructive techniques a warrior could possibly learn.
Roleplay Sample - Third Person:
There are times where Hannah Lorenson would love to punch certain people in the face. It seems like an incredibly satisfying thing to do when another human being has pushed you right over the edge. She’s been close to doing it before. She’s balled up her fist, ready to dislocate a jaw and give the gift of a black eye. The only problem is that she can and probably will get into deep shit for it, and so she ultimately holds back. If there’s one thing her parents emphasized, its discipline. Admittedly, she does have a rough time with it, her emotions almost taking over completely. The voice of reason in the back of her head speaks up, however, asking if she thinks it’s worth it. It asks her what kind of problems she’d cause for herself by beating the object of her irritation up.
That voice of reason speaks up just before she smacks the guy in front of her over the head. He deserves it, really, but she manages to stop herself. The line at the checkout is long, and she’s growing impatient, and this guy pushes in front of her, without a single damn care in the world. For a moment, she wonders if he can feel her glaring at his back, her eyes shooting daggers at him. Someone behind her mumbles angrily, and she can hardly blame them. She wants to get home to her daughter and to her husband. Every second wasted in this queue is time she can’t spend with her family, and this dickbag has just extended her waiting time. Just because she can’t hit him, doesn’t mean she can’t speak up and say something. Her family time is precious, after all, and she doesn’t want it wasted.
“Oi. Dumbass,” she speaks sternly, with a slightly menacing smirk on her face. He ignores her. She taps him on the shoulder this time, shaking her head. One thing that really grinds her is when they ignore her while she’s speaking to them.
“Yeah, I’m talking to you. Turn the fuck around.”
He does, puffing out his chest and giving her a look that can be easily summed up as ‘aggressive.’ Is he trying to intimidate her? Well, Hannah isn’t easily intimidated. She’s been in the military. She’s dealt with far worse than a rude asshole in a queue.
“In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a line,” Hannah says bluntly, to which he merely shrugs. Cocky bastard. Rolling her eyes, she places one hand on her hip. “I’m guessing his royal majesty doesn’t think he has to line up. Or maybe you’re just too fucking stupid to see all these people, doing the right thing and waiting their goddamn turn. Now fucking go back to the end of the line, and line up like everyone else.”
She laughs, as a couple of people finally speak up, backing her words. She’s not sure if they would have said anything if she hadn’t spoken up first, but it sure is satisfying to see him with his tail between his legs, huffing and puffing and leaving the line like a sulking child. Just because she can’t punch them doesn’t mean she can’t speak up, and Hannah has one sharp tongue. She feels pretty damn satisfied with herself, watching that guy do his walk of shame. At least she won’t have to spend any more time than she has to in this queue now.
Additional Sample:
Test Drive Meme thread
Roleplay Sample - Network:
[Video]
[She looks tired as all hell, but Hannah still manages her usual, playful grin, resting her chin in her hands and tilting her head slightly. It’s just about home time for her, and admittedly she’s glad for it. She’s been missing the kid and the husband for a good portion of the day, and would really like to get back to them. Not too long now.]
Not much to report. The campus has been nice and quiet which I consider a good thing. Remember, if there’s anything you need to report, or if you require an escort to your vehicle or out of the grounds after 6pm, let us know. There’s plenty of us on patrol after dark.
[She snorts, with a bit of a smirk as she brings up the next point of her message.]
Oh, and to “Jonathan”, who keeps writing his name and painting sticks figures on the walls with mustard and ketchup… You must have an incredibly dull, unfulfilled little life. Cut that shit out, or you’ll be helping out our cleaners for the rest of the year. Got it?
[She shakes her head, a bit of frustration shining through. Honestly…]
Any Questions? Nope!
Name: Clari
Are you over 15? Yep!
Contact: Plurk: awakened
IC Information:
Name:
Preincarnation: Helen
Reincarnation: Hannah Lorenson (nee Clayden)
Canon and medium: Claymore :: Manga. (I will be using Natalie Dormer as a PB, as Helen/Hannah won’t have her usual silver eyes/blonde hair.)
Age: 29
Preincarnation Species: Half-human, half-yoma hybrid
Preincarnation Appearance: http://www.cosplayisland.co.uk/files/costumes/1519/14575/Helen%20-%20claymore.jpg
Any differences: Helen’s preincarnated self had silver eyes and blonde hair, which was all due the yoma flesh and blood inside her. Her reincarnated self will look like her if she’d never become a warrior. Her hair will be dark brown and her eyes blue.
Preincarnated History: Not much is known about Helen’s past, before becoming a Claymore. It is specifically stated that no one ever chooses to become a silver-eyed warrior. It can be assumed that Helen’s parents were killed by yoma, and she was taken in by the Organization soon after the fact. Helen trained with the Organization, and eventually managed to earn herself a rank among the warriors, graduating from trainee status.
Somewhere along the way, she met a fellow warrior named Deneve. Deneve was annoyed by Helen’s boisterous, loud nature and Helen was annoyed by Deneve’s suicidal fighting style. Helen ends up berating Deneve for it, stating that it was all right for them to be afraid to die as they were only human. This incident brought them close together and the two of them soon became inseparable.
Helen was proud to fight, but considered herself human and something she hated greatly was being referred to as a monster. She mentioned during one chapter that once, she came close to killing a human, but she stopped herself due to the Organization’s cardinal rule not to take a human’s life. She mentioned that she almost awakened once as well. Awakening is when a Claymore pushes herself over her limits and becomes a full-fledged monster herself. Both incidents were never elaborated on, but it could be assumed that Helen nearly killed the human after he called her a monster. Perhaps the human didn’t back down, which drove her over the edge. It is possible that during this time, she grew so angry that she lost control of her yoki and nearly awakened.
Helen became ranked number 22 after a while, and met Clare, who she initially bullied for having the lowest rank. They were sent to fight an awakened being but were given the wrong information. It was advised by their captain, Miria, to “behave” for the time being, once they defeated the awakened being. They did so, but eventually they were sent to Pieta along with a number of warriors. Reunited, they discovered that the war in the north was a suicide mission. They had all essentially been sent to die, because the Organisation felt it needed to purge warriors they considered less than ideal. They wanted emotionless warriors who would obey and carry out every request the Organisation had. They didn’t want warriors who asked questions and did their own thing. Miria’s plan was to take yoki suppressants and “play dead”, which they all did. Once they were knocked out by an enemy, they would appear to be dead, their yoki no longer flowing.
Only seven survived, including Helen, and they spent seven years in the North before leaving, due to Clare asking for permission to search for Raki. They went to Rabona, and after that Helen and Deneve split from the group to visit her home town. After a fight, and after meeting a warrior named Dietrich, they found out where Isley of the North was. Curiousity got the better of Helen, and she and Deneve went to go see him. They were confident that Isley wouldn't know they were Claymores, but he figured it out and attacked. Helen and Deneve barely survived. The Abyss Feeders arrived, and Helen lost an eye after taking one on. Helen then sought out Cynthia who healed it for her, helping her regenerate it.
Helen and Deneve then searched for Clare. They found her, got involved in more battles, then returned to Rabona. Finding out that Miria had gone to fight the Organization by herself, Helen went with the rest of her group to find her. Eventually they did, and they helped Miria successfully take down the Organization. They then found Raki, and reunited him with Clare. A new threat came along, for which the warriors prepared.
Her history can also be found here and here.
Reincarnated History:
Helen’s reincarnated self, Hannah, was born to John and Rebecca Clayden in Washington, USA as the youngest of two siblings. Both of her parents were high-ranking in the US military, and so they moved around a fair bit due to that. Hannah looked up to her parents and wished to follow in their footsteps. This was something that was encouraged by both her parents, as they were both honored that she wished to follow the same career path as them. They always told her to pursue her desired career, and push past any hurdles in her path. Her elder brother, David, had a similar outlook on the future and the two ended up developing a friendly rivalry. Both joined martial arts clubs when they were young, and often challenged each other to see who was stronger. Some feelings were hurt when Hannah would beat David, but grudges were never held for long.
As they grew older and started high school, both Helen and her brother started considering other career options. David started to like the idea of becoming a police officer, while Hannah wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to do. She got in trouble at school occasionally for misbehaving and causing problems for other students, purely because she liked the attention it got her. She’d always had an outgoing, brash personality and it clashed with a number of her fellow classmates. Her relationship with her parents grew somewhat strained as they tried to discipline her, which only caused her to act out more. They did their best to straighten her up and get her back on track though, and it did begin to work. Hannah was merely testing her boundaries, and her parents could see that.
It was just after high school that her parents died. Her mother passed away during a mission in the Middle East, and her father passed away a month later in a car accident. Both incidents were so close together, which left Hannah in shock, and then left her angry and resentful, wishing she could have done something. Thankfully, her brother stuck by her temporarily; though they both knew he too had to go away soon, as he’d been stationed out in the countryside.
Not entirely sure what to do, Hannah felt lost. She toyed with the idea of joining the military again, but still felt unsure about taking that path. A conversation with an old friend of her father changed all of that. They got into a conversation about her parents and their achievements in life, and he asked if she planned on joining the military after all. She told him that she wasn't sure yet, and he essentially encouraged her to go through with it, suggesting that she could honor the memory of her parents by doing so. Hannah recalled just how much they wanted her to join the military, and the words of their old friend was the push Hannah needed to sign up. She went through all the tests to join and made it through; being pushed past her limits in all the ways she expected she would be. Hannah worked hard, determined to rise through the ranks and become as good as her parents had been. She became a lot more disciplined, though she did like to cause trouble still. Her parents had been successful in straightening her out during her high school years, telling her that if she wanted to join the military or the police force, she needed to learn not to be so brash. In the military, she was witty and sarcastic and wasn't afraid of angering people by being blunt. However, she never went too far, as she didn't wish to be discharged for bad behavior. She took the advice of her deceased parents to heart.
Hannah was known as a bit of a joker, though she fought just as hard as everyone else when times got tough. Hannah was eventually stationed in Germany. It was a place of little action, though Hannah enjoyed visiting town to check out the pubs and drink German beer with her colleagues. Germany was where she met Lucas Lorenson for the first time. They got along famously, exchanging jokes and chatting about all kinds of things. They both had a similar appreciation for sarcasm and wit as well, which made her feel instantly connected with him. However, the two of them were both involved with other people, though Hannah’s own relationship was becoming rather strained even at this stage. Her boyfriend, who was still in America, didn't like the distance between them, but Hannah was needed in Germany. As much as he wanted her to, she couldn't just up and leave, abandoning her duties.
About a month after meeting Lucas, she and her boyfriend split and Hannah put all her energy into her career. He was only thinking of himself, and Hannah soon grew tired of the way he kept hinting, pushing and trying to guilt trip her. There was also the fact that she felt more drawn to Lucas than to him, and felt happier getting an email from him than she did her own boyfriend. It wasn't like she could do anything though, as Lucas was already involved with someone else and Hannah wasn't the type to sabotage someone’s relationship. She might have been a troublemaker but she was honorable.
About three months after breaking up with her boyfriend, Hannah was involved in a devastating accident during a training exercise. Her back and legs were injured badly, making it difficult to move, and she was monitored by doctors in the barracks’ hospital for a number of weeks until it was decided to discharge her from active duty. She was in no position to serve, and the injury was something from which she’d never fully recover. While she’d be able to function in normal, everyday life, she would be a hindrance while on the field. Helen returned to the USA, moving to California. She was angry, and couldn't quite get comfortable with the idea of doing nothing and receiving compensation for her injury. She tried to do as much as she could, while going to doctors to help her with her movement and well being.
Occasionally she thought about Lucas, but she was too stubborn and prideful to tell him that she’d been discharged from the army due to her injury. Thus, she remained silent, with a first draft email sitting in her inbox that never got sent.
By some miracle, she came across Lucas again, a year after she’d met in him in Germany. It was entirely by accident. She was in San Francisco at a farmer’s market, buying apples for herself when she saw him. Initially she didn't want him to see her using a cane to help herself walk, but he approached her and she told him everything that had happened. She told him about the accident and the discharge and the countless visits to doctors, apologizing for never returning his email and failing to keep in touch. He showed no signs of anger though, concerned for her well being more than anything.
Soon they started dating. She continued with her physical therapy, gradually seeing improvements. It was slow, but she found herself able to walk and move a little easier. Lucas was supportive of her, and her brother came to visit whenever he could get away from the country town in which he was stationed. The relationship between Hannah and Lucas got serious quickly, and eventually they moved in together, with her doing as much as she could around the house while he worked. She was quite happy living with Lucas, though she did wish she could actually work. She wanted to do something with her life.
They had no real intention of getting married, until Helen discovered she was pregnant with their child. She worried about her own physical well being and how she’d do carrying the child, and she also worried about her own ability as a parent. She didn't know if she was ready for this, but she couldn't reverse the past.
Feeling that it was only right that they get married, they eloped in Vegas with David and Lucas’ sister Sylvie in attendance as witnesses. David was happy for her, pleased that there was someone out there that his kid sister loved enough to want to get stuck with for the rest of her life. Neither David or Hannah saw marriage in her future, though the future was indeed unpredictable. Little Elise eventually came into the world and was doted on by the both of them. Hannah didn’t want her to feel the kind of loss she had felt at such a young age, and she also vowed to support Elise in anything she wanted to do with her life. She wanted to be supportive, in the way her own parents were supportive of her before they passed away.
After a while, Lucas brought up the possibility of them moving to Locke city, closer to his family. She agreed to it. Elise had just turned two and Hannah was in much better shape then she’d ever been. She applied for a security position at Locke City University, figuring she was feeling good enough to start working again. She was confident that she could do something like campus security, wanting to push herself as much as possible. It wasn't quite the military but it was something.
First Echo: While casually browsing a weapon’s store, Hannah finds an old broadsword. Curious, she asks if she can have a look at it. As soon as she takes a hold of the hilt, she gains a memory of using a sword to fight a horde of monsters in a snowy wasteland.
Preincarnation Personality:
Helen stands out among her comrades as being the loud, boisterous one. Unlike most of her comrades, who tend to be stoic and standoffish, Helen is emotional, hot-headed and honest. She doesn’t like to hide her emotions, openly showing how she is feeling most of the time, and occasionally getting herself into trouble for it. She thinks with her heart and not with her head, and can rush into situations without really considering the consequences of her actions.
She has admitted that she has almost taken a human life before. Humans do not treat Claymores very kindly, and often call them monsters. Helen loathes being called a monster and so it is possible that she overheard someone call her just that, and got into a heated argument with that person, which may have turned ugly. She tends to get very passionate if one calls her a monster, seeing herself as having a human heart, and one of the things that she hates most is being thrown into the same basket as creatures that prey off of humans. The manga has depicted her getting angry enough at the suggestion of being “half-awakened” that it seems possible that she would almost kill someone who riled her up enough with such an insult.
However, she is capable of stopping herself, and can recognize when she has gone too far. She will openly admit to her mistakes and has no problems apologizing for her actions where it is due. She is still a warrior and still possesses a sense of honor despite being the “irresponsible one”. If she says she’ll do something, she won’t go back on her word. She may whine, but she’ll still do it. She is not someone to back out or back down, for that matter. She will never turn her back from a fight, even if things look bad for her. For example, during one chapter she found herself fighting Isley of the North. She recognised that the situation was dire, and that there was a high possibility of her dying but she did not run away. She even admitted to her mistake over wanting to go “check out Isley”, demonstrating that she is capable of understanding and admitting to times where she has messed up. She has a strong warrior’s spirit, and refuses to leave comrades behind even if they tell her to do so. She will stay and fight until the death. It is no wonder that Helen is an offensive Claymore, as she gladly jumps into fights and seems to care more about enjoying the fight and killing the monster than saving her own ass.
It’s true that Helen can be pretty insensitive and harsh. She likes to say and do things to stir up others, and if she doesn’t like you, you will most certainly know about it. Upon meeting Clare for the first time, Helen does nothing but mock her as she assumes that number 47 is too weak to be going on their mission. She does not hold back with her insults, and demonstrates that she will say whatever is on her mind, no matter how blunt, at any time. However, if her judgements are proved incorrect, she will change her tune. Although she can be brash and harsh, she is also extremely loyal to her friends and those whom she deems worthy of her respect. Again, she will stand by them at all times and will gladly defend them.
She will say and do things simply to get a reaction at times, and the stronger the reaction, the more she may refuse to leave that person alone. She will go against the advice of her comrades, sometimes simply because she is bored, and does not care what they have to say about it. …Until she gets herself into trouble, of course.
It is likely that she is a little wary of humans, considering the way they have treated her and her comrades in the past. She does not want to be called a monster, and believes Claymores are just as human. Humans? Are a little misinformed in her eyes. And she’ll gladly argue if she must.
Helen is one of the most emotionally honest Claymores a person may meet. She loves attention and will be as annoying as she must be to get it. She can’t get the kind of attention from humans that doesn’t make her want to punch someone in the face, so it’s her comrades that she’ll try and get attention from. And if she must do it by lunging at them with a sword, she will. She’s not happy if she’s not getting attention, and she’s happy with both negative and positive attention… as long as the person doesn’t call her a monster. And her comrades really wouldn’t do that.
While Helen is not the most intelligent Claymore, she is smart enough to have been able to survive for as long as she has. She has a strong desire to live and keep fighting onwards for herself and for her comrades, which has probably helped her get past the many obstacles that she has faced in the past. Things can go over her head at times, but Helen does have moments where she can actually give good advice, such as telling Deneve that they were “only human”. Her honesty, optimism and emotional strength allows her to try and help others if morale is down, and sometimes she may not even realise that she’s helping. Did she realise that her words helped Deneve that day? Probably not. She was just saying how she felt at the time without holding back on those feelings. She has a good heart despite being insensitive a lot of the time. She’s capable of being serious when she must be, understands times where jokes are inappropriate, and will treat those situations with respect. Again, she is a warrior at heart and there are times where she must act like one. In times of conflict between close comrades, like when Tabitha and Deneve got into a fight over Miria, she will not hesitate to stand between them and try to stop the situation from getting ugly. Helen may have her flaws… and she has a lot of them… but she is a decent person at heart.
As for strengths and weaknesses, Claymores are women who have had the flesh and blood of monsters called yoma placed into their bodies, turning them into half-human, half-yoma hybrids. The yoma flesh gives them many abilities, including enhanced speed and strength. However, using the power of the yoma takes its toll on the Claymore’s body and mind, and every time they do use that power they risk going over their limits and awakening. When one awakens, she loses her humanity and becomes a monster herself, and this is one thing that all Claymores, including Helen, are very afraid of. It is a very real danger, and Helen’s rash nature means she is more likely to overuse her yoki than her comrades. She has almost awakened in the past for letting her brash and fiery personality get the better of her.
Her recklessness is a huge weakness, for reasons stated above as well as the fact that she tends to get herself into fights without thinking things through. She can be overconfident and may not think about the situation, ultimately getting herself into trouble. Of all of the half-awakened Claymores, she is most likely the weakest, physically. While all four half-awakened Claymores have enhanced abilities over normal Claymores, Helen is the one that tires out faster than the others. She is often the one who needs a comrade to step in and help her out, getting herself into trouble constantly. However, she has a great deal of mental strength. She has demonstrated that she lets bad experiences strengthen her, rather than consume her. She remains positive, stays strong for her comrades, and supports them. Again, her strong loyalty to her friends, and her willingness to fight without backing down has been shown to be a huge strength of hers.
Again, humans in Helen’s world tend to be terrified of Claymores. They fear that Claymores may turn on them and may openly call them monsters. Helen is likely to be quite wary of humans, and has little patience for anyone who may call her anything but human. As Claymores can never be a part of the human world, Helen likely lacks a lot of social skills and understands very little about how to live as a human. Therefore things that may be considered normal for humans will most likely go straight over her head. Her rude personality and inability to relate to human life will probably make it even harder than it usually is for people to get close to her, as they may be put-off by her bluntness.
Any differences:
Hannah is not as reckless and brash as her canon counterpart. The reason for this is that she was born and raised by two military officers who would have undoubtedly taught her discipline and strictly punished her if she did something terrible. That being said, she still retains some spark. She will cause trouble if she thinks the outcome is worth it, though Hannah is far more capable of thinking things through carefully. She can recognize when things might be going too far with a bit more ease. Again, Hannah thinks things through more carefully due to her upbringing and her training in the military. She can’t afford to be too brash, and risky behavior is not taken lightly by the higher-ups.
Helen is more likely to punch someone out when they anger her, while Hannah relies more on sarcasm and wit. Her tongue is sharper, mostly due to the fact that she can get into a lot more trouble for being physically violent than Helen ever will in her canon verse. She also doesn’t anger as easily as Helen. She still has a temper but its not as fiery as Helen’s.
Hannah is a lot more nurturing than Helen too. Helen has not had a child, and wouldn’t even consider the idea of children, let alone getting married. Hannah, on the other hand, is open to getting married. She may not have seen herself as being a wife before Lucas came on the scene, but she was not opposed to the idea. Helen would be less open to marriage and to children. Considering that Claymores are typically feared and hated, the idea would be unthinkable for her anyway. Hannah is more family-oriented, and cares about her living brother, her husband and child, and her in-laws. Helen has none of this, and so she isn’t as family oriented as her counterpart.
Abilities:
Helen is very skilled with a sword, having been trained intensively from a young age on how to use one. All Claymores, including Helen, appear to be very good at hand-to-hand combat as well. It’s stated early in the manga that Claymores receive covert training as a part of their job. Claymores can act differently, changing their personalities to suit the situation/mission.
It can be assumed that Helen has also received this training. However, she has not been seen using it, and so her level of skill is unknown.
Helen is what the humans of her world call a Claymore. In other words, she’s a half-yoma, half-human hybrid. In canon, Claymores are created by an Organization by having a human take on the flesh and blood of a yoma. The yoma flesh gives them enhanced strength, and speed, and it also allows them to sense yoki. In other words, they can sense demonic auras, and are thus able to hunt those demons down.
In the Claymore-verse, there are offensive-type Claymores and Defensive-type Claymores. The idea is that a warrior who focuses on killing the monster to survive becomes “offensive” while a warrior who focuses on protecting herself to survive becomes a “defensive-type”. Defensive-type Claymores excel at healing and can regenerate their limbs, while offensive types can reattach limbs that have been cut off, but may not be able to regenerate them.
Helen is an offensive-type, and thus can reattach her limbs. Of course, reattaching limbs requires the use of yoki. The Claymore, being half-yoma, may release her demonic aura in what is called a yoki release. The use of yoki, at 10%, turns a Claymore’s eyes from silver to gold. At 30%, she gains unnatural, animalistic features and if she exceeds 80%, she risks awakening. Awakening means that the Claymore loses her humanity, turning into a flesh-eating monster known as an awakened being. Helen is half awakened. She reached her yoki limit but was able to stop herself from fully awakening into a monster.
Being half awakened merely means being stronger and faster than your average Claymore, and being able to use enhanced abilities. For Helen, being half awakened means that she is able to stretch her limbs, in order to attack from long distances. She’s also able to twist her sword arm multiple times and then release it, so that her arm turns in a drill-like motion. This attack, the drill sword, is one of the most destructive techniques a warrior could possibly learn.
Roleplay Sample - Third Person:
There are times where Hannah Lorenson would love to punch certain people in the face. It seems like an incredibly satisfying thing to do when another human being has pushed you right over the edge. She’s been close to doing it before. She’s balled up her fist, ready to dislocate a jaw and give the gift of a black eye. The only problem is that she can and probably will get into deep shit for it, and so she ultimately holds back. If there’s one thing her parents emphasized, its discipline. Admittedly, she does have a rough time with it, her emotions almost taking over completely. The voice of reason in the back of her head speaks up, however, asking if she thinks it’s worth it. It asks her what kind of problems she’d cause for herself by beating the object of her irritation up.
That voice of reason speaks up just before she smacks the guy in front of her over the head. He deserves it, really, but she manages to stop herself. The line at the checkout is long, and she’s growing impatient, and this guy pushes in front of her, without a single damn care in the world. For a moment, she wonders if he can feel her glaring at his back, her eyes shooting daggers at him. Someone behind her mumbles angrily, and she can hardly blame them. She wants to get home to her daughter and to her husband. Every second wasted in this queue is time she can’t spend with her family, and this dickbag has just extended her waiting time. Just because she can’t hit him, doesn’t mean she can’t speak up and say something. Her family time is precious, after all, and she doesn’t want it wasted.
“Oi. Dumbass,” she speaks sternly, with a slightly menacing smirk on her face. He ignores her. She taps him on the shoulder this time, shaking her head. One thing that really grinds her is when they ignore her while she’s speaking to them.
“Yeah, I’m talking to you. Turn the fuck around.”
He does, puffing out his chest and giving her a look that can be easily summed up as ‘aggressive.’ Is he trying to intimidate her? Well, Hannah isn’t easily intimidated. She’s been in the military. She’s dealt with far worse than a rude asshole in a queue.
“In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a line,” Hannah says bluntly, to which he merely shrugs. Cocky bastard. Rolling her eyes, she places one hand on her hip. “I’m guessing his royal majesty doesn’t think he has to line up. Or maybe you’re just too fucking stupid to see all these people, doing the right thing and waiting their goddamn turn. Now fucking go back to the end of the line, and line up like everyone else.”
She laughs, as a couple of people finally speak up, backing her words. She’s not sure if they would have said anything if she hadn’t spoken up first, but it sure is satisfying to see him with his tail between his legs, huffing and puffing and leaving the line like a sulking child. Just because she can’t punch them doesn’t mean she can’t speak up, and Hannah has one sharp tongue. She feels pretty damn satisfied with herself, watching that guy do his walk of shame. At least she won’t have to spend any more time than she has to in this queue now.
Additional Sample:
Test Drive Meme thread
Roleplay Sample - Network:
[Video]
[She looks tired as all hell, but Hannah still manages her usual, playful grin, resting her chin in her hands and tilting her head slightly. It’s just about home time for her, and admittedly she’s glad for it. She’s been missing the kid and the husband for a good portion of the day, and would really like to get back to them. Not too long now.]
Not much to report. The campus has been nice and quiet which I consider a good thing. Remember, if there’s anything you need to report, or if you require an escort to your vehicle or out of the grounds after 6pm, let us know. There’s plenty of us on patrol after dark.
[She snorts, with a bit of a smirk as she brings up the next point of her message.]
Oh, and to “Jonathan”, who keeps writing his name and painting sticks figures on the walls with mustard and ketchup… You must have an incredibly dull, unfulfilled little life. Cut that shit out, or you’ll be helping out our cleaners for the rest of the year. Got it?
[She shakes her head, a bit of frustration shining through. Honestly…]
Any Questions? Nope!
