2012-07-11, 03:37 AM
Endgame Wrote:What exactly makes people think Orchid is a little girl?
There isn't any real difference in her body type from all the other females we know to be adults. (Mercedes, Athena, Kyrin, basically everyone except the semi-sexualized Hilla.)
Plus, there'd probably be some comment about the Black Wing leader being "so young" (Although we know the Black Mage granted immortality to all his generals, since they're still alive and well after hundreds of years.), seeing how everyone always brings up how young Cygnus is.
Mercedes never brings up the subject of Orchid's status as a woman or a girl, despite her being the most ethically appropriate member of the heroes to do so. She is a woman, after all - the "guys" wouldn't dare question her age, and nobody in the Black Wings would bring it up for different reasons altogether (age wouldn't matter, only results).
Mercedes DOES mention her being more powerful, but her use of the word is very ambiguous here. Power doesn't have to be seen - it can be felt. I mean, the Black Mage doesn't LOOK intimidating by himself - but he strikes fear into ANYONE he meets (the exception being the heroes, who are exceptional beings in themselves by Maple World standards).
The reason they bring up Cygnus' age is because of the importance of her position. She IS the Empress of Ereve - and by extension, a good amount of the Maple World. Athena even had to "bargain" for the freedoms of the Explorers, since Cygnus could've easily conscripted us all.
Which also helps explains our involvement (and the level of said involvement, if it even exists at all) in the Second Dark War - we're in this war of our own volition. Cygnus conscripting us would've forced us into this conflict, even if we had no desire to do so.
Cygnus being so young and the fact that everyone harps about it is important because she's essentially the figurepoint of the Forces of Good in MapleStory - if she goes, we're all screwed (the proof is in Arkarium's "Dream World Ereve" - that was basically showing us how important Cygnus is to this whole affair).
They don't ask about Orchid's age because she's not the big honcho in charge - in fact, I'd have to say she's probably the Commander with the least amount of influence in the Black Legion - her Black Wings unit is just one fragment of the Black Mage's entire army.
Old Arcs dying may have forced Hilla out of hiding because of the severity of the situation - he was probably the most loyal of the Black Mage's Generals, and one of the closest, if anything (another theory is Hilla being the Black Mage's consort or love interest - think Cleopatra and Marc Antony).
Orchid and Lotus are not mentioned because they're the Team Rocket of the Black Legion - basically they're the "joke unit" of the group. Although it remains to be seen how much more powerful Orchid and Lotus are when together than, say, Arkarium/Hilla/Von Leon/Magnus.
I'd like to think Guwaru's death was due to him being caught off guard by Magnus - though if Guwaru was a Commander then Magnus would've had to have been seriously strong to end him in one shot (unless Phantom weakened him before the deathblow).
All in all though - I still don't think it changes why Cygnus's age gets questioned and Orchid's doesn't.