"Phew, Mir and Takashi were really tiring", Sinistra sighed and leaned against the box. "I told you, Eternia - the next hard case is all yours, at last!"
The blonde, who was still slightly shaken, replied: "Yeah, yeah, alright. Although... I'm not quite sure if we're even still missing someone. Are we the last ones here, perhaps?"
"Hm." Sinistra didn't know. She didn't live here for as long as Eternia did, and when her friend didn't know how was she supposed to?
They didn't have to ponder long about the question, as a latecomer arrived right at the spot. Midnight Velvet moved as far as decorum allowed and quickly adjusted her hat before greeting them. "Good day, you two."
Eternia was impressed. "Hello Velvet! I almost didn't recognize you, without the plastic foil and actually wearing clothes! You look terrific!"
"Thank you. This way I feel way more comfortable, that's for sure", the queen calmly replied. "In the end it was so easy to protect me from colour stains! There was simply a white lining sewn into my corset and promptly I was presentable again. Far be it from me to slander but the boss could have thought of that a bit sooner."
Now Eternia was even more impressed. Considering her terrible mental state when she talked to Elizabeth and Shinku before, Velvet was surprisingly rational now.
Sinistra wasn't sure what to think of Velvet. "Excuse me, but may I ask... are you one of the good guys or one of the bad guys in Dolltopia?"
Midnight Velvet straightened up proudly. "Oh please, you will get to know that sufficiently early. A lady has to keep her secrets!"
"Sorry", the elementalist mumbled meekly.
Eternia intervened. "Do you have a partner for the travel?"
"I don't mind traveling alone", Velvet said, without missing a bear.
"Err... that's not allowed."
"Then leave me here. Who cares if I'm missing..." Velvet began to sob.
Sinistra took her gently by the shoulder. "Aw, don't cry. If there's nobody left to travel with you then you can travel with us!"
"That is the problem, though. There is someone to accompany me!"
"Oh, hey, there you are!" yelled a costumed man who came running towards them, completely out of breath. "You cosplay girls are quite fast, I gotta hand you that!"
"Oh my", was Eternia's first reaction. Sinistra bit her lip. She had never seen anything like this before.
Velvet turned away. Her brow furrowed. "Citizen, I told you that I don't even know what a 'cosplay girl' is but that I am sure not to be one of them!" she said irritatedly.
"Yeah, yeah. I will find out what movie your costume belongs to", the young man happily rattled on. "Let me guess... the evil queen from Snowrite and the Axeman? The queen of hearts from Ever Fable High - The moviemovie? Or perhaps..."
"Aaaaargh! What are you supposed to portray anyway, you simpleton?!" Velvet's voice wasn't yelling yet but very loud and high-pitched.
"Whoa, you really have to ask that?!" Quickly the man put on his mask. Then he barked with a deep voice: "I'm Batman!"
"Huh? You're half human and half bat, then?" Velvet was confused.
"Oh my", Eternia sighed again.
Batman was only slightly disturbed. "Where have you been for the past few decades to not know me?! I'm the Dark Knight!"
"'the past few decades'? Oh, how old do you think I am, you doofus!" Velvet stopped dead in her track and eyed the man from head to toe before taking a deep breath. "Goodness gracious! It doesn't become a queen to behave this badly. Oh well. If you are a knight then you may accompany me."
"Yaaay! Then let's go!"
When Velvet was about to follow the man into the box Eternia stopped her. "Hold it, wait, give me your hat or else you'll break your neck climbing!"
"Oh, I almost forgot. Here you go."
"One more thing... Do you go with him now due to courtesy or do you take him with you because you're turned on by young guys with leather masks?"
A thin smile crossed Midnight Velvet's lips. "That, my dear Eternia, you will probably never know."