Flora Questions
Who are Flora's parents? Is Flora Jayce's sister?
-
Flora doesn't have any parents, in the normal sense of the word. Flora was originally a plant, possibly an orchid, if her affectionate nickname of "Little Orchid" is to be taken at face value. Audric and Gillian used science and magic to turn Flora into a human. She considers Audric and Gillian her fathers. But she has no mother figure in her life. Flora is Jayce's sister only in spirit, not in genetics.
I heard that Flora is Scottish. Is this true?
-
Well, she does have red hair and wear a kilt. One fan theory says that perhaps Audric and Gillian used DNA from someone with Scottish ancestry to help change Flora into a human. But this is pure speculation. No writer has ever said that Flora was intended to be Scottish. It's also important to keep in mind that series may not take place in our universe at all. In that case, it would be impossible for her to be Scottish, as Scotland wouldn't exist. (Lizzard's Note: I also think some confusion has arisen over the fact that I used to go by the alias of "Flora." While I was using that name, I was living in Scotland, but I'm not the cartoon character. Sorry to destroy any carefully nurtured delusions.)
Why is she named Flora?
-
Flora is the name of the ancient Roman goddess of springtime and flowers. The name denotes a connection to all plant life, and reflects Flora's powers over plants.
How does Flora get her hair to stick up like that?
-
No official explanation is given in the series as hair style was not a major plot point. However, Flora was created from a plant, and all plants contain what are known as "bast fibers." These fibers are located in the stems of plants and provide the flexible yet firm support needed for them to grow upwards. Bast fibers can be removed from plants and made into thread and textiles, such as linen. Flora, as a plant-based creature, probably still retains many plant-like features, including bast fibers, and the most likely place for such fibers to be located is her hair. This is not to say that Flora has linen hair, of course. But it is fully possible that bast fibers are mixed in with her human hair or, alternatively, surround it. (Lizzard's Note: Who says I don't take stupid questions seriously?)
How is Flora getting educated? Shouldn't she be in school?
-
Well, she is in school, technically. Oh, sure, a very exciting war-time school, but a school nonetheless. Gillian is Flora's tutor as well as her father. Herc, Jayce, and even Oon also pitch in with occasional lessons such as how to crash your own ship, how to come up with an impossible plan that will win every time, and how to fall apart at the drop of a Zoggie.
Is Flora in love with Herc? And is Herc in love with Flora?
-
It's not made very clear if Flora has a crush on Herc or not. Early in the series, Flora and Herc don't get along very well. But later in the series, Flora and Herc are virtually inseparable. Flora and her pets crawl all over the hapless captain, engage in attention-getting behaviors with him, and cling to his side in battle. Flora stops teasing Herc, and Herc, for his part, replaces his cruel jests with affectionate pet names such as "Flower Face," "Little Orchid," and "Spinach Nose." Two particularly touching scenes take place in the episode Bloodstone. When Gillian is turned into crystal, Herc kisses Flora comfortingly on the top of the head. Later, when the two are trapped in a crystallizing Drill Sergeant, Flora sits in Herc's lap as he hugs her protectively. But does this mean they are having a May-December love affair? Probably not. Flora and Herc seem to have an uncle-niece sort of relationship. It is highly unlikely that Flora dreams of strapping Herc down on her bed and having her way with him. She is only a child, after all. As for Herc, he may be a con man, but he doesn't seem to be a pedophile. One must also take into account that Herc already has a close romantic relationship with the Queen of the Pirate's Guild, Morgana.
Why does Flora's hair change color when she gets hit with pesticide?
-
When a living being is exposed to poison, it will usually have a marked effect on its physical health. Since Flora is a plant, her reaction to the pesticides is different from a real human's. And hey, it looks really damn cool.
