LNH: Onion Lad #9

[Saxon Brenton]

On Thursday 15 June 2006 Tom Russell <milos_parker at yahoo.com>
commented on Onion Lad #9:

[...]

For my part I was wondering how I radically different with my original
perception of Teriyaki Chick's behaviour was from what she seemed to
be once I started reading a story narrated by her.  In the past I'd gotten
the impression that she was a competent and somewhat ruthless figure
who was using Onion Lad to advance her agenda in her fight against
crime, and while this certainly remained true I had not anticipated that
she would be actively repulsed by Onion Lad, nor that she would be
leading him on out of simple malice (as when he kissed him and giggled
when fainted).

That said, I noted a number of instances of compare'n'contrast between
what's happening and what she says is happening which looked (and
still look to me, despite some evidence to the contrary) of being for
humorous effect.  The case where she runs out of her room in a panic
from Dr ICBINB but describing herself as a picture of perfect calm was
screamingly funny.  On the other hand, where she hides in her room
from Onion Lad, then opens the door dressed in her pyjamas and
describes that actions as a mistake readly weirdly for someone who
purportedly isn't as incompetent as the rest of the Legion (and most
especially Onion Lad) and only really makes sense in the light of Jesse's
explanation that Teriyakli Chick thinks on multiple, occasionally
contradictory, levels.

[...]

>I'm not sure what the reservation status is on aLLiterative Lass.  If
>I'm not mistaken, Charles Fitzgerald was fairly protective of aLL and
>New Look Lass.
>
>At the same time, what with her marriage to Cheesecake-Eater Lad, she
>might be like Organic Lass: I mean, when either of their husbands are
>threatened, it'd only make sense for them to show up, right?  Any
>thoughts from the group on this?

You're right that he was very protective of her.  By rights we other
writers probably should have had Cheesecake-Eater Lad break up (off
panel, I suppose) with her so that there wasn't any temptation to
have to use her because she was affiliated with Cheesecake-Eater
Lad.  But we didn't, and - increment by increment - she's ended
up married to him and the mother of his child.  Now she's in the rather
strange position that, even if we want to not use AL too much out of
respect for Charles' preferences, we've already altered her to the point
where, if we're going to treat Cheesecake-Eater Lad as a rounded
character, then occasionally is love life/family life is going to addressed,
which means using aLLiterative Lass.  To me that suggests using her
only sparingly in respectful guest appearnces without significantly
changing her status quo - and by that token her appearance in OL#9
is no worse than any other (the mangled dialogue aside, of course).

---
Saxon Brenton     Uni of Technology, city library, Sydney Australia

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