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Bunnie got back to chatting with Sally, as much as anything to guess at how she felt about Starla. She watched the ground squirrel as they talked, and thought to herself. Sally fretted an awful lot and Starla had worried her, no doubt about it. Most people wouldn't have noticed, not even Sonic, but sure as anything Bunnie had. There'd been just that little bit of tell-tale tension in the angle of Sally's ears, an intensity in her eyes and a ready-for-action energy in her slim little body. But right this minute the princess was at ease again, comfortable and easy with the Mobians around her. Bunnie watched with pride as Sally pushed her auburn hair out of her eyes and, as an unconscious afterthought, touched at the short cream fur of her muzzle.

Just then Bunnie's sight was drawn to a bright pink shape beyond the princess, and she looked over Sally's shoulder to make sure she knew for sure what she'd seen. She was right - Sonic and Starla were back, bright pink with rich blue. It happened like a switch: one moment Sally was talking and laughing in her mostly-relaxed way, the next she'd turned to see what Bunnie had noticed and her shoulders went tense. Sonic and the hybrid were a little way away, Starla clearly flirting with the hedgehog.

Bunnie spoke to get Sally's attention. "Don'cha fret about ol' Sonic now, honey," she whispered, her heart glowing with sympathy for Sally and all her ol' worrying. "Ah'm sure Starla's an okay gal really!" Sally sighed and agreed with a subtle nod, and stepped backwards to let the hybrid and Sonic into their circle. Bunnie looked around and noticed Antoine watching with half an eye. But he didn't look ready to come and introduce himself quite yet. Sonic made to speak but the anteater called him over to the temporary bar, away from the females.

"See ya, Starla," the hedgehog said over his shoulder, his eyes bright and boyish. He walked away, blue spines swaying. Bunnie decided to start things off on a happy note and offered Starla her best valley-girl smile. Maybe she and Starla would get on better than Sally and Starla had.

Starla's eyes went straight to her robotic arm, and Bunnie became very aware of the dull metal, the smooth but quietly-clicking and clanging joints, the mangled fur and sore skin of the interface. The hybrid stared for a moment, then looked at Bunnie's face. And then came a sweep down her body, at the leotard that was the only clothing Bunnie found it easy to wear. Skirts looked ridiculous over robot legs. The same was true of wide-enough pants. For Bunnie's own personal reasons a lower-body covering was necessary, but there wasn't a shirt or blouse on Mobius that went right with her leotard.

Starla's gaze ended at Bunnie's unclothed, robotic legs. "Nice slacks," said the hybrid dubiously, shifting her weight from one elegant leg to the other, the dagger-holders around her thighs making her muscles bulge just enough to show off her exquisite toning.

Bunnie immediately felt like ducking behind Sally - anything to hide her ugly, unfeminine, clunky metal legs. She could sense Sally holding her breath. Her blood pumping in her ears, Bunnie tried to put the mortification out of her mind and breathe evenly so that she'd stop shaking. Perhaps Starla was just tired and in a bad mood...

She answered as if Starla hadn't said anything. "Ah'm Bunnie. It's good to meet you, Star," she said, marking darn sure she sounded good-natured and light.

She was faced with a cold stare. "It's Starla," the pink animal corrected her sharply, and then looked down again at Bunnie's arm and legs. "What's wrong with you?"

Bunnie's jaw hung open with shock and her eyes swivelled in Sally's direction. What in tarnation?! she thought, hoping against hope that somehow Sally would transmit back some kind of psychic answer. The rabbit looked over at Antoine. He definitely seemed to have noticed her surprise and watched from behind his drink with a furrowed, curious brow. Still feeling a little shaky, she stammered out a response:

"Uhm-" she began, looking down at the back of her metal hand. It was still trembling so she clenched it and put it down by her side. "-I was part-roboticized last year." Surely there was no need to say more? Bunnie had never been asked about her part-robotic status by anyone before and she sorely hoped Starla wouldn't ask anything else. The hybrid looked over the rabbit's limbs again and arched her brows as if to say, Yeah. Whatever.

Stiff fabric rustled to Bunnie's left and she looked to see Antoine come to join them. It wasn't often that Bunnie felt safer with Antoine around but just at that moment he was definitely welcome. She felt her shoulders relax as he stopped at the edge of the circle.

Starla raised her eyebrows in unimpressed scorn and said, "Uh... yeah? What?"

"Bonsoir madamoiselle," he said with a bow that had no trace of the sarcasm that Starla seemed to like using so much. Bunnie wondered how ready he was for the hybrid. She noticed his eyes catch for a moment on her figure but then he determindly averted them. Bunnie could have hugged him. "I 'ope zat you are comfortably to be staying 'ere."

Meanwhile, Starla's face had creased into an expression of wry confusion. For a moment she didn't seem to know how to answer and batted at a long lock of her hair as if playing for time. Then: "What did you just call me? You're kidding, right?"

Then it was Antoine's turn to look confused, hold his breath and look to Bunnie for help. "Madamoiselle is meaning 'miss'," he answered slowly, as if he wasn't quite sure whether she was joking. Then he seemed to regain his confidence and slid a hand formally into the front of his uniform. He clicked his heels, stood with a grand confidence that Bunnie thought was adorable because it didn't quite match up to his physique and added, "My intention was to welcoming you with ze greatest of congeniality. My name iz Antoine D'Coolette."

"You're name's weird," said Starla.

Antoine seemed to realise his charm wasn't working and for a moment, looked angry. But he seemed to manage to restrain it to a simple, cold stare and glanced at Sally. Something passed between the coyote and ground squirrel that Bunnie didn't quite catch and Antoine reasserted his confidence by linking his hands behind his back. "It 'as been..." he seemed to search for the right word, "...a pleasure, talking wiz you, madamoiselle Starla." He nodded to Sally. "My princess," he acknowledged, and to Bunnie, "Madamoiselle Bunnie."

"Freak."

"Actually Starla," Sally answered lightly, "Antoine's one of our freedom fighters, and a very valuable member of the team." She paused, and threw a proud look in Sonic's direction. The hedgehog had no idea of the catfight going on and instead laughed with the anteater and three other guys. "Just like Sonic."

The hybrid paused at this, and then watched Antoine's back with jello-clear eyes as he walked away. "Sure," came the snide retort.

Rotor had been hanging around nearby listening to another group talking. He caught Bunnie's eye and approached, only to be accosted by Starla as well. "And who are you? You haven't said hi yet," she said, her tone lighter but kinda mocking. Rotor seemed tongue-tied for a moment, working his mouth but unable to speak. Bunnie looked from Rotor to Starla and back again. Starla tilted her weight onto one hip as if teasingly impatient for an answer. Her tail, a long, black-tipped thing, curled slightly behind her.

"I, uh... My name's Rotor," he said, and scratched his cheek.

"And have you got a girlfriend, Rotor?" Starla asked, again with her patronising mockery, brushing her hair to one side and revealing her cleavage. He stared at her chest for a moment, wide-eyed. Then he shook his head as if to clear it, blushed and answered quickly.

"Um... uh, no," he mumbled. He looked suddenly uncomfortable and glanced at Sally for help. But before Sally had time to do anything Starla nestled closer to him, breathing in real deep and pushing out her chest.

"And why not?" she asked huskily, batting suddenly-heavy eyelashes. Bunnie was staggered: Starla was so obviously teasing, but the walrus seemed too spellbound by the fur on display to notice. His eyes dropped to her cleavage again and he looked dumbfounded for a second. Then he blinked and looked away, and scratched his cheek again, embarrassed.

"Well, I guess I just... Don't wanna?" he mumbled, as if it were a lame excuse. Bunnie shared a secret glance with Sally. Pushy, ain't she?

Starla seemed to get bored all of a sudden, as if Rotor had failed some kind of test. "Well, I've had a great time talking to you guys," she breezed with an exaggerated warmth before looking Bunnie up and down once more. She turned her strange blue eyes on Sally and mild disgust crept into her tone and the wrinkle of her muzzle. "But I have to go." And with that she turned and walked away, leaving nothing but a loose feather and a trail of white sparkles in her wake.

The two girls looked at each other, unsure of what to say. Rotor didn't seem to have noticed Starla's bitchiness, although he did notice her receding, swaying ass. The general chorus of sideways glances from the other Knotholers were starting to die down and as the anteater stepped up onto the stage and took up Sonic's guitar again, it stopped almost completely.

He strummed his first chord and the crowd whooped.