dangerous woman

"Another day of Russo taking the cheap shot... What a shock. We should get Carmen down there to remind him of what fighting dirty is really like." @havensdalestarters

Marissa Alvarez (Codename: Viper 🐍)

She/Her

39 years old

Human

Co-Head of what’s left of the Institute (with Analese Huang)

Goodish / Resistance

So What Happened?

Viper was ready for a messy fight the day that Founder’s Festival rolled around. Hell, she was ready for a messy fight any day that rolled around. It wasn’t how it was supposed to go down. Their Intel had been bad from the start and when the comms went down... She knew there was more to the story. 

Surviving to tell the story? That became her #1 objective. Viper would never label herself as ‘good’ but her interests aligned with the Resistance. Helping to nurse Analese Huang back to health also aligned with her own interests. Marissa had been after becoming Head of the Institute for years and frankly, had been planning to kill Colonel Q herself. She didn’t need to.

When the news managed to break through that Col Q was dead, she could have died laughing. (Still, the suspicious survival instincts in her don’t entirely believe it. No body, no crime and even then). The next step became obvious.

If she couldn’t have the Institute as it was, she’d have it as what it could be. Analese had the likability factor and Viper had the respect of even the worst of their agents. They could build something new from the ground up, together. They’d be more necessary than ever in the future.

Waiting around and living under the dirt in the meantime? Not cool. Viper spends most of her time angry and irritable, itching to smash some heads. She still takes care of her own and some of the Resistance have become that, in a sense. Sometimes a very small sense. She has no time for most of their baby emotions. Womp womp.

Losing Karen McReid and the kiddos was a harsh blow. Definitely not cool and almost derailed the whole thing. They needed to regroup, take some time to lick their wounds but Viper is determined that they get out of this hellhole now. One way or another.

Wanted Connections

Institution family <3 let’s hold hands, always!

Resistance friends let’s hold hands but keep a spare knife in our boot, just in case.

Any Resistance allies that are kinda scared of her/kinda like her/kinda want her to teach them how to #fight.

Would-be and potential recruits that she still has her eye on for the future Institute 2.0.

Despite the other woman’s comment, Emily couldn’t help but pull her phone out, type in the words she was given. Nothing, just pages of search terms that gave her less information that she’d had before. She put her phone down. “That’s not exactly a name suited for researching, is it? Tried both TM and Ltd, and all I got was some nonsense about health insurance, and I have no need for that.” Not having all the facts, her mother had warned her about that, told her to think things through, but curiosity had always ruled Emily.

“I wouldn’t mind a private tour,” she admitted. “I’m assuming based on my acquaintance with Carmen, you all have quite the gym set-up. That alone would convince me, to be honest.” Her nose wrinkled at the mention of a boss. “Well, let’s both hope I don’t have to spend any time with him.” She had never been great at following rules. “But cool toys? More charming humans? Sounds fun.” With a smile, she took the offered business card. “I look forward to it. I’ll check my calendar.” She knew it was wide open, but better tell a small lie than sound too eager. “Do you need my number?”

🐍 

Marissa flashed a wolfish grin at Emily as she concluded her close to pointless Googling of HQ. It still amused Viper, the whole cloak and dagger thing. Playing up the ‘big mysterious’ always made her laugh afterwards. She opted not to give Emily anymore details, having a feeling that the sheer curiosity of what the hell was going on would get her. Besides, there was Carmen’s friendly face to help seal the deal. Prospect of freebies. And, if the worst case scenario was running through her head, Viper would bet Emily Matthews liked her chances for escaping.

“Excellent, consider it done.” She did let out a laugh then at the ‘gym’ comment. “Yeah, you could say we’ve got a pretty sweet set up. Don’t worry, he keeps to himself, thank whoever. Love to hear it. Alright then, you check your calendar and we can handle the rest.” Of course Viper didn’t need Emily’s number. There were faster ways to track a person down than sending a text but she didn’t want to be dismissive with her. This was one she wanted to see through. “Sure, have at it-,” she said, handing the pen to Emily and holding out her hand for her to write the number on. “Then I’ll get out of your way for tonight. Feel free to stay on my tab though, my treat.”

What Emily wanted to do was slam down another shot or two. However, the faintest bit of instinct told her, no, to wait, to actually pace herself for once. This was a conversation she wanted to be able to remember, without a pounding headache the next morning. She just had that sort of feeling. And instead, she pushed the glass to the side, waiting to get an answer. “You didn’t mention that you had a cheat code. That completely changes things, doesn’t it?”

God, Marissa was taking her sweet time in actually saying anything worthwhile, wasn’t she? If it hadn’t been raining and if Emily hadn’t been in a calmed mood from the Jager, she would have thrown some cash on the bar (regardless of how much she owed) and walked out. And then, just as Emily’s patience was about to snap, Marissa actually divulged, well, something. “And does this private organization have a name?” she asked, ignoring the comments about Carmen for now. “Because I feel like just Googling ‘private investigation’ won’t be all that helpful.” The offer, as limited as it was, she couldn’t help but admit that it was tempting. Wherever Carmen had gotten those skills? Emily would love to learn more, get some training in with them too. “And if I do decide to open the box? Anything I should know before unwrapping the ribbons?”

🐍 

Marissa felt the tease wind down, keen to come to a close which Viper was sure Emily Matthews would be happy about. Of course, she wasn’t about to divulge every secret of her private organization but this was coming to something close to the climax. If you Googled them, you’d find a lot of boring, vague, carefully placed misleads. Some sky-high office building in San Francisco- with international offices when needed. A company that dealt with, ah, this-and-that. Boring stuff. Legal work, mostly paper pushing. Their external reputation, their outside aesthetic was just a facade of course. Something she was willing to divulge free of charge.

“Googling’s rarely helpful, you just end up being fed the bullshit you’re supposed,” she smiled, shrugging with one shoulder. “To answer your question though, we’re called ‘The Institute’. TM or Ltd... I forget what they’re putting on the website these days. None of that’ll matter though. We want to give you the real tour- none of the corporate bullshit.” Marissa chuckled at Emily’s question. Was there ever... Some people asked too many questions, some not enough. Viper put her in the category of ‘freelancer’, at least for now. No deep ties and loyalty like Carmen had but could still make a very valuable asset (especially for when the Old Man finally fell off the throne). “The big boss is an asshole but no place is perfect. There’s lots of cool toys for you to play with, other charmers like Ms Caffrey around for Q and As. Don’t mess with the nerds. Oh, and if there’s something you wanna know- anything you wanna find out about- ask for it. Our resources are far from limited.”

Marissa slipped her hand into her pocket, bringing out a manila business card with a black and white snake printed on the front. She pulled the cap off a pen with her teeth and proceeded to write down one of her more personal numbers. “Carmen can give you a ride if you name the date and time. You like what you see? Give me a call.”

“I’ll make a reminder in my phone then,” she replied, unable to keep herself from giving the woman a quick smirk. Whoever she was (and Emily truly had no idea) she liked her style. “Jager bombs it is then.” She could already feel a slight buzz building underneath her skin, a mix of the alcohol she had already consumed and the potential that this conversation seemed to hold.

At the woman’s smile, she raised an eyebrow. “What? Would you not check it out?” Yes, yes, Emily remembered what she’d said about the whole ‘don’t look under any circumstances’ thing, but rules were meant to be broken. “I’ll take that as a compliment, thanks.” After the woman took the shot, Emily did the same, wincing a bit as it went down. The taste of Jager was awful, but it was worth it. “Marissa? I’m Emily.” She was going to offer her hand, just to be polite, but the next words out of the woman’s mouth made her pause. Carmen was an agent? That only raised more questions, didn’t it? “Yeah. I know Carmen. She has a mean right hook.”

🐍

Marissa barked out a laugh at her response. Alright, she could see the appeal. The potential. Carmen was a reckless reference to have but Viper had always been in her corner. Now she was starting to take on more responsibility, she deserved her requests to be taken seriously. A mean right hook never lies. Marissa grinned at her question though- “I’m the one who puts the thing in the box so I don’t have to look. I just know. It’s a special cheat.” She added a wink just for good measure.

“You’re very welcome.” The pause told Marissa that Carmen hadn’t divulged any classified information yet on the nature of her job. In all honesty, it might not even have come up. Viper loved to see the look on a newbie’s face when they took the elevator down to the cool levels at HQ... She really couldn’t afford to ditch Havensdale though. Too bad. “That she does. And a real attitude,” she added (with love, of course). “We’re a, ah, private organization,” she smiled, a little amused with herself, “Carmen wanted to give you the tour but I’m the one who makes the guest list. Not that she usually asks but I think she’s trying to be on her best behaviour.” Marissa held back a laugh then. As if. “All expenses paid, cool freebies. Consider this offer the box-,” a grin- “I’d open it.”

Charlotte turned her attention to the bartender, watching as he made her drink. She waited for the stranger to order, a little curious about what the woman would choose. Now that she thought about it, she’d gone with such a juvenile option, hadn’t she? But it was the first thing that had come to mind, beyond wine, and Charlotte had had enough wine for the evening. No, the vodka-cranberry was the safest choice, and she had decided in the last few weeks that safe was good, thanks.

At the question, she couldn’t help but frown. It wasn’t that Charlotte disliked talking about her past. She didn’t; she loved talking about her moms and growing up in Napa and the bed and breakfast and all that. It’s just that explaining how she got there could be…difficult. Luckily, she had practice, didn’t she? “Oh, I’m not from here. I grew up in California, but I wanted to go somewhere with snow for college, and here I am. That’s basically it.”

🐍 

The frown. Now, it could have been for any number of reasons. For example, she might have been the type who didn’t like strangers prying into her personal life which was valid. Marissa was a prier. But in a town like this? Any average, ‘borrow a cup of sugar’, neighbour would be more than willing to annoyingly give you their whole damn life story. The answer was even better. Short, non-descriptive, a good line. Then again, Viper could have been looking too much into it- anything was possible.

“Not from here, huh?” She paused then, a smile tugging onto her lips, “Snow. Well, I hope you got it. You must have had to do some real digging to find Havensdale though. I mean, bam-” she clicked her fingers- “And you miss it! I hear it has a pretty cool history though especially if you’re into your... Well, myths. Legends. Conspiracies,” she joked, watching as the vodka cranberry was placed in front of her. “Not to say I am but I think you need to have a pretty open mind in this world. I’m Mari,” she said, voice having picked up in cheer the more she talked. “Kind of a history nerd.”

For a moment, Sylvie worried that she had slipped up, had said 1972 or 1885 (that had been the summer she had learned what cider was) instead of a more recent year, but no, she had stuck to the correct answer, one that wouldn’t raise any eyebrows. “Oh, it was. I was reduced to drinking lemonade and gin. I hope I never have to repeat that experience.” She glanced around the bar. Franks certainly was a grim option, but at least the table wasn’t sticky this time. “I have some friends who live in town, and the countryside can be charming, especially in the summer.”

She couldn’t help but run her hand through her hair. It was going to frizz. “It was fun. It’s a pity you missed it.”

🐍

"Here’s hoping,” Marissa smiled, holding back a small laugh. Expensive taste they might have shared but she was beginning to doubt Madame Maison Cote du Py would fair well around the sight of blood and guts. Then again, she tried not to judge a book by its cover. Or content, sometimes. Marissa gave the bar another scan, the walls littered with cutesy, homegrown memorabilia and framed, family photos. The whole place gave her hives just thinking about it. “The rustic charm? Summer better work some magic on this place then ‘cause so far, it’s barely making the grade.” She paused then, a slight smile on her lips- “I’ve got some friends here to though. No accounting for taste.”

Viper knocked back another glass of subpar whiskey, scrunching her nose. “Doesn’t sound my speed. Maybe next time though, huh? I bet there’ll be another cutesy celebration right around the corner. Summer in Havensdale... It’ll either be a dream or the start of the next damn apocalypse. Something to drink to, at least-,” she tilted her glass towards her- “Cheers.” Then, as an afterthought, “I’m Marissa, by the way.”

Sylvie turned; the voice had been unfamiliar, and she had come to learn how rare that was in Havensdale. She’d never been one to back down from meeting new people, and why back down tonight? In fact, it could be just the way to close out what had been a shockingly pleasant evening (the unexpected rain removed, of course). The woman before her was certainly a stranger. “I don’t mind Old Fashioneds,” she replied, a little taken a back by her response. “But, if I had an unlimited wine list, I wouldn’t say no to a nice glass of Maison Cote du Py. Their reds are…incredible.” She couldn’t help but wrinkle her nose. “2009 was a terrible year for grapes, wasn’t it?”

“You’re much too kind. The rain absolutely destroyed my hair. But yes, vaguely special occasion.”

🐍 

A woman of renowned taste indeed. Marissa liked nice things too- it was probably a side effect of her big, fat, pay checks. Some of her fondest memories involved smashing $8000 bottles off some Hostile’s head... Plus there was this unopened bottle of top shelf whiskey in her boss’ office (wax sealed, obviously) that she fantasized about a lot. “Disgusting year for grapes. Let me guess, you’ve seen so much of the world already that you thought why not check out the lesser locations? No glasses of Maison Cote du Py but definitely an infinite supply of peanuts,” Marissa joked, gesturing to the peanuts on the bar.

“Nah, the rain’s not powerful. Sounds cute though. Did you have fun?”

🖤

Delilah owed a lot to Marissa, both of the Fisher sisters did. The other woman had shown up in the midst of their grief and thrown them a lifeline, a stable home for Blair, a job for Delilah with the ability to pay her bills and get revenge.

“We can’t have anyone murdering Q, not even you. Then who will give us fancy toys to break?“ Delilah said with a grin and tipped her glass in return. “It’s…getting easier. Kind of. I still feel like I don’t know what I’m doing.”

🐍

“Big Boss does sign all the paperwork that let’s us do what we do, I’ll give him that. Be honest though, who would you rather hang out with though? I’ve got plenty of fancy toys and I look much better in a suit,” she winked, just teasing. She wasn’t about to drag Delilah into her coup just yet. For now, it was all just fun and games. A little office banter.

Marissa tilted her head at Delilah’s answer, another soft smile on her face. “You’re doing it. It’s hard and it’s messy but you are doing it. It’s all you, Athena. Besides, you got yourself a good kid too. If I could get the likes of Carmen Caffrey through those ‘moody teen’ years in the training room, you can do it for Blair.” Marissa took another drink, glancing over to her. “Besides, you’re not alone. I wouldn’t ask most of our guys to babysit or anything but we’re around. We’re a family.”

🖤

            A smirk once again pulled at Ayesha’s lips. She hadn’t come here to flirt, but it as a way to pass the time – and she enjoyed it especially when the other party was receptive. “I intend to.”

She took a sip of her own drink, not the worst martini she’d had in the last half century – that prize was still held by that utter shithole she’d visited in Denver in 1993. This place was classy in comparison.

“Ah, that’s a shame. Can’t make it look like an accident? Not that I support murdering your boss, of course.” she raised her glass to the other woman. “Here’s to the silver lining of a decent drink and good company then.”

🐍

            “Well, if I’d known that there was gonna be someone like you in town, I would have hauled my ass over here a long time ago,” she winked before pausing, a little laugh tumbling out. “Alright, that was a line. This place is a shithole but you are hot.” 

Marissa grinned at her response, raising her glass up too. “Cheers to that.” A smile continued to play on Viper’s lips as she ran through a couple scenarios in which she could make it look like a quote, unquote ‘accident’. “I could cut the brakes on his car. Or, better yet, hack into it and make him think his baby’s gone all homicidal on him, right over a cliff. There’s poison obviously but that’d just end up offing some hapless assistant. A small act of chemical warfare? Is that too much? Oh, stuffing him into the walls of his office where no one will ever hear him scream while he slowly suffers and decays...,” she shrugged then, waving a dismissive hand, “Maybe not. I might wanna take down the wall when it’s my office so that’d be super inconvenient.” Viper winked again, cocking an eyebrow playfully, almost jokingly but also not.

“You ever have a boss like that?”