[center][h3][color=red]♢[/color][color=black]♡[/color] [color=red]Marissa[/color] [color=black]♡[/color][color=red]♢[/color][/h3][/center]
	Marissa looked like she wanted to roll her eyes at Sinmara, but considered herself too high-class for such a thing. Hadn't this woman ever heard of subtlety? Yes, she was trying to take this outside, but saying it outright like that was just asking for someone to intervene and spoil the moment! [color=red]"Oh."[/color] At Sinmara's insistence that she was trying not to cause trouble, Marissa's face softened, in spite of her sour tone. Well, if she was going to be [i]reasonable[/i] like that... there was always room for more powerful figures, with big egos to match, in Marissa's court—the Duchess, the Court Jester, the King—this wasn't the kind of mission she could do alone, after all, nor was there any sense in the Queen competing for a lesser role, though whether Sinmara was competing for Duchess or Court Jester was up in the air. [color=red]"Perhaps you didn't realize that disrespecting someone with a long name might cause some trouble then, hm?"[/color]

	No sooner had the words left her smug mouth than a fox lady teleported behind Sinmara in a very personal way, and cut straight to the heart of what Marissa wanted to say. [color=red]"Well, that took the wind out of my sails,"[/color] she responded, sighing in disappointment. What sense there may have been in teaching Sinmara a lesson about subtlety or deceiving appearances was getting vanishingly small at this point, especially since she didn't even question Marissa's strength or her right to be here. She made to put her lighter away, with a nonetheless satisfied smile on her face despite her sigh. Unfortunately, it only lasted for as long as it took for the mysterious kitsune woman to get around to her, at which point it became one of barely concealed fury. Much as Sinmara had made an arse of herself with the chairwoman, she at least had the decency to introduce herself somewhat properly, and while she could do without the nickname of "Rissy" and the comment about "getting smoked," her clever wordplay and personable attitude convinced her to let it slide, just this once at least.

	When the fox-like woman disappeared, Marissa stood ready for her to do it again, ready to steal whatever spell she was using. How cocky would she be when she could no longer run away? What snarky comments would she make then?! ...but she never used it again, leaving the Red Queen holding her fingers in the air, poised as if waiting to snatch a card out of the hands of a phantom that never appeared. Did she know to expect that trick from her, and choose to visit her last on purpose? Frustrated, Marissa instead flicked open her lighter, causing her to burst into flames instantly. In a flash, those flames became armor, and a great steampunk waraxe. [color=red]"I'm always prepared,"[/color] she scoffed, glaring at the woman. Indeed, the "Red Queen" was currently wearing and carrying everything of value that she owned.