Autotroph is a fancy biologists' word, meaning a 'primary producer' (a plant, not a farmer), or something that produces its own food. In the context used, it just means Reggie's photosynthetic, and therefore he isn't a 'consumer' (once again, in the biological sense). I doubt putting that as my answer on an assignment or exam would have gotten me very many marks though, which is perhaps why I failed. By the way, when I wrote 'animated discussion' in the third scene, I didn't intend it as a pun.
***
"Bushroot?"
Reggie looked up from the Melaluca seedling he was re-potting. "Yes, Darkwing?"
"The Fearsome Four have escaped from jail."
"Thanks for telling me, Darkwing," said Reggie, patting the potting mix down around the baby Australian shrub.
Darkwing looked a little self-conscious. "Um... Would you like to come through to the house for dinner tonight?"
"I don't need to eat, I'm an autotroph, remember. I won't say 'no' to the company, though. I don't think I want to be alone tonight."
"You think he'll try to reclaim you?"
"I'm certain, Darkwing. But I won't go quietly, not this time."
***
"Name?"
"Real name or pseudonym?"
"Real name first, then pseud," replied the clerk.
"Belle Swan, The Lady."
"Description of any superpowers?"
"Psionic talents. Telekinesis, read-only telepathy, and the ability to cause psychokinetic explosions at touch range."
There was a pause while the clerk scratched this down.
"Address?"
"536 Avian Way."
"Marital status?"
"Single."
"Any family?"
"Nephew/ward, Marcus Swan, 16. Mother Kathryn White, nee Swan, Father Gregory Royle, step-father Rodney White, all in late 60's."
There was another pause.
"OK, basic description: Female 'Mute' swan, mid 40's, 5' 1", 140 lb., auburn hair."
"Dark brown, actually. The lights are strange in here."
"Any other group affiliations?"
"The St. Canard 'Pink Parenting' group, the Swans Club. I plan to join the Fearsome Four, taking it back up to Five, but Negaduck required me to join the Supervillains Guild first."
"No group affiliation," muttered the clerk, scribbling again.
***
That evening Darkwing and the kid ate before Darkwing came up to the tower and invited Reggie through to the house, and according to Darkwing Launchpad had a date that night.
"He lives with you?" asked Reggie, rather surprised at the carelessness.
"Yeah, something wrong with that?"
"How is it that your real name is still a secret if you live with your undisguised sidekick and you acknowledge your daughter as such when you're in costume? What if an up-and-coming supervillain was living just across the street?"
"I don't think that's very likely, Bushroot," said Darkwing.
"It doesn't have to be likely to happen. I am quite surprised nobody has worked it out yet. I think it's really rather stupid of you."
"It's not my fault you can't disguise yourself."
"This has nothing to do with me. I don't even use a pseudonym. I just think you're taking needless risks if you really want to keep the two identities separate."
Reggie looked over at the kid, who was now doubled over in silent laughter.
"What are you laughing at?" he asked.
"You two. You sound like an old married couple."
"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response, young lady," said Darkwing stiffly.
"If we were 'an old married couple' this would be an old argument, not a new one," pointed out Reggie. "Believe me, if I cared, you wouldn't be able to shut me up about it."
"We haven't been about to shut you up so far," said Darkwing.
"I've only been here a few minutes," Reggie said defensively.
"Anything you wanted to watch on TV, Bushroot?" interrupted the kid, in an obvious attempt to head off another argument.
A few minutes of animated discussion followed, after which Reggie and Darkwing settled on a drama about forensic scientists, which was quite good and made Reggie wonder why he hadn't bothered to watch it before.
***
"A nephew, 16?"
"Yes, sir," said Belle.
None of the others have family. What's he like?"
"A bit geeky. A bit on the lazy side, since he finds schoolwork so easy. A bit Goody-two-shoes-ish at times, but I think I can blame my late brother for that - 'give me a child until he is five...' and all that. He's rather short for his age, still has his juvenile plumage. I can't see why he'd prove a problem, he's not the sort of kid who attracts attention."
"A swan, in a duck-dominated part of the country, not attract attention?"
"Well, less than his normal due. He's always been a little too humble, his parents lived in a part of the country that has more mammals than anything else, I don't think he realizes how far we are above ducks. Mind you, I think there may be something wrong with his sense of aestheticism, he's dating a goose," she said, pronouncing 'goose' like a dirty word.
"Really," said Negaduck, his tone colored with skepticism.
"Yes," Belle said, not giving any sign she realized Negaduck *didn't* agree with her. "A properly brought up swan has an adamant belief in our species' aesthetic superiority. If we marry, date, or even just fuck below us, it has to be for a good reason -- and of course we never produce offspring under such circumstances, after all, nobody wants ugly children."
"Perhaps you could demonstrate those 'psionic talents'," said Negaduck through his teeth. This woman was annoying the heck out him. He wondered briefly why anybody would *want * to marry a swan if they were all like this. It was only the fact that he didn't want to scare her off yet that kept him from threatening her with his chainsaw.
"Certainly sir. Which one first?"
***
"I really should be going on patrol, Bushroot. Launchpad should be back soon, and you're welcome to stay here the rest of the night if you can't face the tower alone, just stay out of sight in case LP invites his lady-friend back, OK?"
Reggie nodded.
"Good night, see you in the morning," said Darkwing, and he brushed his hand lightly against Reggie's shoulder, before sitting down in one of the two 'transporter chairs' and pressing the statue to active them.
"Good night," said Reggie, to the empty room.
"Dad gone?" asked the kid down the stairs, which gave Reggie quite a start.
"You're supposed to be in bed," said Reggie mildly.
"Look, Bushroot, I know something's the matter with Dad. I don't know what makes me think it, but I think you know what it is," she said as she came down the stairs two at a time.
"What makes you think something's up?"
"He's letting you live in the tower, for starters. He's not sleeping well -- LP can back me up on that. He's been ... jumpy. And the way he reacted when I said you two sounded like an old married couple -- I expected a quip about not living in a state that recognizes male/male marriages, or you not being his type, not snapping at me like that."
"Perhaps he was uncertain about what my reaction to the teasing would be," suggested Reggie mildly.
"You did seem a bit hard on Honker when he brought Marcus up to the tower," said Goslyn.
"He was a nerdy little kid, trying to shed a more macho light on himself by making sure his boyfriend knew that he knew *Darkwing Duck* personally. I would have said exactly the same thing if Marcus had been a Marcia."
"Would you?"
"Yes, I would have. Now go back to bed, or I will fetch your father."
***
Next chapter will be up here in about a week (depends when I get around to it), and will be posted on the Toonslash Yahoo! group (see my author page) as soon as I finish fiddling with FF.net, and all subsequent chapters will be posted on Toonslash first. Yes, I am bribing you to join my Yahoo! group.
***
"Bushroot?"
Reggie looked up from the Melaluca seedling he was re-potting. "Yes, Darkwing?"
"The Fearsome Four have escaped from jail."
"Thanks for telling me, Darkwing," said Reggie, patting the potting mix down around the baby Australian shrub.
Darkwing looked a little self-conscious. "Um... Would you like to come through to the house for dinner tonight?"
"I don't need to eat, I'm an autotroph, remember. I won't say 'no' to the company, though. I don't think I want to be alone tonight."
"You think he'll try to reclaim you?"
"I'm certain, Darkwing. But I won't go quietly, not this time."
***
"Name?"
"Real name or pseudonym?"
"Real name first, then pseud," replied the clerk.
"Belle Swan, The Lady."
"Description of any superpowers?"
"Psionic talents. Telekinesis, read-only telepathy, and the ability to cause psychokinetic explosions at touch range."
There was a pause while the clerk scratched this down.
"Address?"
"536 Avian Way."
"Marital status?"
"Single."
"Any family?"
"Nephew/ward, Marcus Swan, 16. Mother Kathryn White, nee Swan, Father Gregory Royle, step-father Rodney White, all in late 60's."
There was another pause.
"OK, basic description: Female 'Mute' swan, mid 40's, 5' 1", 140 lb., auburn hair."
"Dark brown, actually. The lights are strange in here."
"Any other group affiliations?"
"The St. Canard 'Pink Parenting' group, the Swans Club. I plan to join the Fearsome Four, taking it back up to Five, but Negaduck required me to join the Supervillains Guild first."
"No group affiliation," muttered the clerk, scribbling again.
***
That evening Darkwing and the kid ate before Darkwing came up to the tower and invited Reggie through to the house, and according to Darkwing Launchpad had a date that night.
"He lives with you?" asked Reggie, rather surprised at the carelessness.
"Yeah, something wrong with that?"
"How is it that your real name is still a secret if you live with your undisguised sidekick and you acknowledge your daughter as such when you're in costume? What if an up-and-coming supervillain was living just across the street?"
"I don't think that's very likely, Bushroot," said Darkwing.
"It doesn't have to be likely to happen. I am quite surprised nobody has worked it out yet. I think it's really rather stupid of you."
"It's not my fault you can't disguise yourself."
"This has nothing to do with me. I don't even use a pseudonym. I just think you're taking needless risks if you really want to keep the two identities separate."
Reggie looked over at the kid, who was now doubled over in silent laughter.
"What are you laughing at?" he asked.
"You two. You sound like an old married couple."
"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response, young lady," said Darkwing stiffly.
"If we were 'an old married couple' this would be an old argument, not a new one," pointed out Reggie. "Believe me, if I cared, you wouldn't be able to shut me up about it."
"We haven't been about to shut you up so far," said Darkwing.
"I've only been here a few minutes," Reggie said defensively.
"Anything you wanted to watch on TV, Bushroot?" interrupted the kid, in an obvious attempt to head off another argument.
A few minutes of animated discussion followed, after which Reggie and Darkwing settled on a drama about forensic scientists, which was quite good and made Reggie wonder why he hadn't bothered to watch it before.
***
"A nephew, 16?"
"Yes, sir," said Belle.
None of the others have family. What's he like?"
"A bit geeky. A bit on the lazy side, since he finds schoolwork so easy. A bit Goody-two-shoes-ish at times, but I think I can blame my late brother for that - 'give me a child until he is five...' and all that. He's rather short for his age, still has his juvenile plumage. I can't see why he'd prove a problem, he's not the sort of kid who attracts attention."
"A swan, in a duck-dominated part of the country, not attract attention?"
"Well, less than his normal due. He's always been a little too humble, his parents lived in a part of the country that has more mammals than anything else, I don't think he realizes how far we are above ducks. Mind you, I think there may be something wrong with his sense of aestheticism, he's dating a goose," she said, pronouncing 'goose' like a dirty word.
"Really," said Negaduck, his tone colored with skepticism.
"Yes," Belle said, not giving any sign she realized Negaduck *didn't* agree with her. "A properly brought up swan has an adamant belief in our species' aesthetic superiority. If we marry, date, or even just fuck below us, it has to be for a good reason -- and of course we never produce offspring under such circumstances, after all, nobody wants ugly children."
"Perhaps you could demonstrate those 'psionic talents'," said Negaduck through his teeth. This woman was annoying the heck out him. He wondered briefly why anybody would *want * to marry a swan if they were all like this. It was only the fact that he didn't want to scare her off yet that kept him from threatening her with his chainsaw.
"Certainly sir. Which one first?"
***
"I really should be going on patrol, Bushroot. Launchpad should be back soon, and you're welcome to stay here the rest of the night if you can't face the tower alone, just stay out of sight in case LP invites his lady-friend back, OK?"
Reggie nodded.
"Good night, see you in the morning," said Darkwing, and he brushed his hand lightly against Reggie's shoulder, before sitting down in one of the two 'transporter chairs' and pressing the statue to active them.
"Good night," said Reggie, to the empty room.
"Dad gone?" asked the kid down the stairs, which gave Reggie quite a start.
"You're supposed to be in bed," said Reggie mildly.
"Look, Bushroot, I know something's the matter with Dad. I don't know what makes me think it, but I think you know what it is," she said as she came down the stairs two at a time.
"What makes you think something's up?"
"He's letting you live in the tower, for starters. He's not sleeping well -- LP can back me up on that. He's been ... jumpy. And the way he reacted when I said you two sounded like an old married couple -- I expected a quip about not living in a state that recognizes male/male marriages, or you not being his type, not snapping at me like that."
"Perhaps he was uncertain about what my reaction to the teasing would be," suggested Reggie mildly.
"You did seem a bit hard on Honker when he brought Marcus up to the tower," said Goslyn.
"He was a nerdy little kid, trying to shed a more macho light on himself by making sure his boyfriend knew that he knew *Darkwing Duck* personally. I would have said exactly the same thing if Marcus had been a Marcia."
"Would you?"
"Yes, I would have. Now go back to bed, or I will fetch your father."
***
Next chapter will be up here in about a week (depends when I get around to it), and will be posted on the Toonslash Yahoo! group (see my author page) as soon as I finish fiddling with FF.net, and all subsequent chapters will be posted on Toonslash first. Yes, I am bribing you to join my Yahoo! group.