Lore: When a Trickster Meets His Match

Chapter Four: Burning (Metaphorical) Bridges

"You've made a mistake."

"Why am I not surprised," Jane Foster tented her fingers and brought them to her chin, "That it's you saying that."

Toni did her best not to roll her eyes. She also uncrossed her arms from around her chest, aware that it would only make her look even more confrontational, and then stepped into a wide-footed stance that hopefully made her look more at ease with the situation. She wasn't. There were wasps of irritation picking apart her insides and building a hive in her chest and it was all because of the thing that she held in her hand. The thing that had been slipped under her door with a note saying that she was required to wear it to all future astrophysics meetings and lectures. Toni dropped the object with a clutter and a clash, having it skid to the end of the desk where it was saved from falling over only by the computer mouse. The astrophysicist picked it up and scrutinised it. Her brows raised.

"I don't see a problem," Jane replied.

"It says Snark," Toni specified, "Not Stark."

"Ah. I see. Well, typos happen. I don't know what to tell you."

"Also, my nickname doesn't have a y in it. That would be my dad's name," Toni bristled, "So, there aren't just mistakes with the name tag. There is actually nothing correct at all about Tony Snark."

"Oh dear."

The indifference on Jane Foster's face confirmed what Toni already knew: she'd done it on purpose. And she would do nothing to fix it. Toni clenched her hands into fists and dug them into her sides to prevent a possible astrophysicist assault charge. If she likes the solar system so much, Toni thought hotly, I'll gladly make her see stars! Instead, she changed tack and took a short detour to the minifridge in the corner of the room. It was still seven-thirty a.m., which meant that there were no other people in the astrophysics department at this time of the morning. It was becoming increasingly necessary for Toni to move around early in the morning - since her newfound infamy made it hard for her to leave her room without being viciously glared at or spoken about in hateful stage whispers – and she was almost grateful for the fact that there were no other people around. It would make it easier to reconcile things with Jane, who was now her warden for all intents and purposes, if she didn't have an audience.

Toni grabbed herself one of the cans of coconut water, one which was painted in bright, tropical colours with 'an added flavour of pineapple', and she took a sip to calm her nerves. She gagged.

"Ew!" Toni recoiled with disgust, "I know you're all astrophysicists, but that doesn't mean you need to hate yourselves."

"It's low-calorie, high in electrolytes and minerals, and a much better substitute than coffee," Jane explained drily.

"It tastes like I licked the underside of a beach-goer's foot," Toni wiped her mouth on her sleeve, "It's so – grainy."

"Darcy's fine too, by the way," Jane interrupted, "I mean, in case you were wondering. Since she was almost given the shock of her life because of something that you dragged her into – that you made her scared that she was about to lose her place in the programme. Or maybe I really have made a mistake about you," She said flatly, "Maybe I shouldn't give you credit and assume that you'd stop to think about someone other than yourself."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't think I stuttered," Jane's voice was hard.

Antoinette's cheeks had started to grow warm but they now blared scarlet. She almost couldn't hear the sound of her conscience's placating words over the pounding of her pulse in her ears. It was her emotions, pounding on the door of her mind with sledgehammers of anger and irritation, and they were charging in on her logical reason. She wanted to reach forward and dump the redhead's face in her keyboard. Jane picked up a ballpoint pen and noted something decisively.