The world around her continued to move as she waited. Everyone fled, Cradle was alright, Bolorton was Wonderland's. She didn't exactly react to it. Until...

 Jennifer's brows rose when the Queen managed to get a hit (albeit a [i]slight[/i] one in) against Nykannis. And lo, more of the Queen's ranks flooded in soon after. And her commanders, more than willing to rain hellfire back at the Mad Scientist and her team. She didn't act yet. She allowed the Queen and Nykannis to converse for a bit longer before the latter finally left. Then the former finally acknowledged her pressence.

 She smirked. [b][i]Couldn't turn me down, huh?[/i][/b]

 [b]"Quite the collective you got, Sweetheart! But this event has been going on for long enough. Can't we settle this over a nice cup of tea?"[/b] She fearlessly approached the queen and her guard. No weapons, no tricks in sight. [b]"Though if you still wish to try your luck against me, well, how can I turn down such an offer~?"[/b]
 
"Halt! None may approach Her Highness!" The centaur-shaped girl ordered as she landed between Jennifer and the Queen, unfurling her wings and baring her claws. The soldiers around pointed their weapons. But then, a voice rang out from behind her:
"Stand aside, Gryphon. I want this vessel to carry me for the rest of the day." The Queen had unsummoned her weapon, and waved the monster girl away dismissively. Gryphon grit her teeth, but then slowly stepped to the side, and the rest stood down. "Besides, she has piqued my curiosity..." She met Jennifer's gaze with her own, displaying a royally haughty disposition. "What do you think could be settled here in the first place?"

At this, Jennifer allowed her glided clock eye to be revealed. [b]"Oh, just a little theory I wanna confirm!"[/b] Her intense gaze remained even as she tilted her head with an ever prevalent smile. [b]"We bear a similar power, you and I, [i]do you not?[/i]"[/b]

The Queen looked disappointed. "Ah. I see. A mere pawn, playing at a Power." She slowly shook her head. "Yes, someone like you would assume I also possess a boring ability like glimpsing into the future, I suppose." She sighed. "Did I get that right?"

[b][i]Close[/i], but not quite!"[/b] Jen winked, tapping the side of her head. [b]"Sure, the concept of the Exodus of Time [i]was[/i] limited to seeing into future [sub]willingly or otherwise[/sub] at first, but since this reality's more magic based, it gives [i]me[/i] more freedom against those dreadful limitations!"[/b] The jovial woman explained further. [b]"The Powers-That-Be couldn't stop me from breaking the rules against time travel, could they? Hahah!"[/b]

 She folded her hands behind her back. [b]"But you can't really blame me for being curious, Queenie! How you spoke to Finnegan and Mac, your talk about being the one to "shatter" the rules of this reality, and how you will see that it reaches its rightful conclusion? Ever the more curiouser~"[/b] She tilted her head to the other side. She purposefully left out one other detail, but the color of one's eyes was a relatively minor detail.
 
 The Queen grimaced at the mention of the Powers-That-Be. "That's right. Once I attain the Nexus, I will be able to reach beyond this plenum, and crush the Grand Magistrate. But I am merely wasting my time on the likes of a puppet like you," she afterwards said, and turned away. "The only one who could truly understand me had already left."
 
  [b]"Cute little analogy, but you're still no different in that regards."[/b] Jen puffed a cheek out. [b]"Trying to release yourself from your own strings or not, you're still this chapter's bad guy. Your plot armor ain't gonna keep you safe forever! The bad guy must be defeated eventually, [i]as all stories go[/i]."[/b] She rocked in place on the balls of her heels. [b]"Do you even know where the Nexus is? What's your motivation for doing all this anyways?"[/b]
  
  [b]"Is it really all just for Alice?"[/b]
  
  Ugh, saying [i]that[/i] name outloud left a sour taste in Jen's mouth.
  
And as she gulped, she felt cold steel against her throat, the Queen having drawn her weapon in the blink of an eye. How could she not foresee this? It was as if the action was outside their perceived reality.
"...Mention her name again, and it is off with your head." She kept the weapon completely still, gauging the Witch' reaction.
The latter could tell her words had affected her deeper than her expression let on.

Jennifer wasn't smiling so much either. In fact, something about it seemed to trouble [i]her[/i] as well.

 [b]"Trust me, I never wish to speak of [i]that name[/i] ever again. This will hopefully be a one time thing, if I have any say in it."[/b]
 
 As much as a small part of her wished to know more, the rest forbade it.

After a grueling ten seconds, she lowered the sword.
"This is not just for any single person, but for us all," she afterwards spoke. "I took on the role of a villain, for only then will the script develop as I want. Their precious Penrose must be challenged and in mortal peril for the stage to be set...and for the Nexus to fully manifest." She smiled disturbingly. "That is how the letters form on the parchment, how the sentence is punctuated, right on the dot. Powers they may be, but in the end, even the Grand Magistrate bow to the laws of narrative."

The false witch listened closely. [b]"For what good is a plot without a proper narrative, right? A willing villainess, ready to bend the world to her whim so that her desired ending may be achieved..."[/b] She noted. With that, her smile returns.

 [b]"Mayhaps we [i]are[/i] leagues apart in strength, but our goals still align, nonetheless. Perhaps we can arrange something!"[/b] 

The Queen lifted an eyebrow. "And what, pray tell, would that something be?"
"Your Highness, If I may be excused." The Mad Hatter spoke up, having listened to the conversation from the sidelines. "Witches are not to be trusted. She is simply luring you to her peppermint house so she can cook you in the oven, if you pardon the metaphor."
The Queen glanced at the dapper inventor, and looked back at Jennifer.
"He makes a good point. What reason do I have to trust you?"

Jen pretended to be flabbergasted. [b]"[i]In name only[/i], Hattie! You really think they'd suddenly exempt their rule against witches of time and space now? I only go by the title to blend in!"[/b] 

She turned her attention back to the Queen. [b]"You're not gonna get anywhere with Penrose with their current hierarchy. I know you tried to parlay with Miss Paragon-of-Penrose back there, but she was never gonna hear you out!"[/b] She told her. [b]"BUUUT I believe if your theory holds any weight, getting rid of Penny should cause enough chaos to draw the Nexus out of its hidey-hole!"[/b]

The Mad Hatter seethed at the insult. "That's Mister Hatwington to you, hexlet!" Jen simply stuck her tongue out at him in response.

However, the Queen put a hand to her chin in contemplation, ignoring the verbal scuffle. "Hmm...That would be the kind of development the Grand Magistrate would not tolerate, considering how favoured she seems to be..." She smiled. "Yes, that might be the key to all this. So, you wish to co-operate in this, yes?"

[b]"Yup!"[/b] Jennifer nodded.

"Excellent. Well then, I look forward to hearing about your success," The Queen spoke with a wave of her hand, followed by opening a portal. "Now, I must depart. There's so much to do and so little time."
 
 [b]"Hmmm, yeah, we've been prolonging this a bit too long. See ya!"[/b]
 
 ...
 
 Though once the Queen of Hearts and her army finally left, Jen stayed behind for [i]just[/i] a bit longer.
 
 [b]"...You got all that?"[/b]
 
[color=e3bbc6]”I don’t know what to say. I probably shouldn’t say anything… Let’s meet up with Nykannis later!”[/color]

[b]"Lame. But fair."[/b]