"Please tell us about Arktica! Is it really all snowland?"

"You really worked in a Robotropolis factory for days and days? That sounds horrible!"

"Have you ever had a sweetheart?"

The young voices rang out from the lawn behind Aero's Elite Tutelage Home for Girls. Dappled sunlight fell through the trees over the wood and stone convent house, resting on the collection of young Mobian students. They were each dressed in smart uniforms and their hair was done up in complex double buns and pigtails and bows.

The object of their attention, a young sea lion, sat on the edge of a garden chair, nibbling on a stack of crackers. He kept clearing his throat and glancing down, his face reddening.

"I—well—" Rotor choked. "I didn't really have—I mean—no."

Rotor's fur looked much thicker now and the color had turned a sea gray. Like a stone. Other than a few bruises on his shoulders and face, he looked almost recovered. Crème had even managed to find him a pair of trousers and a jacket.

The girls giggled, hanging on his shoulders. One girl, a small coyote with big brown eyes and curly hair hugged his arm. "Oh good!"

"We'll teach you how to court high born ladies then," an older girl, a blonde fox laughed. "That's the only interesting thing they teach us how to do here!" She blushed. "I mean—not that they teach us to court highborn ladies—they teach us to be courted as highborn ladies."

"There are so many rules and graces," laughed a little otter girl.

"Oh—I'm sure," Rotor said. He smiled a little, but his face was still red.

That morning, Bunnie had said she needed to head to the palace to meet the princess at once. She couldn't leave Crème and Rotor to themselves in the Underground, so both had come through the tunnels, into the school, and ever since then Rotor had been the center of attention. They were supposed to wait there for Amy Rose, but she had not returned…Apparently males were somewhat a novelty at the school.

The three girls had introduced themselves at once. The fox called herself Zoey, the otter, Cordelia, and the coyote, Lizzie..

"Are you all crowding Mr. Rotor?" Crème came into the garden, carrying a small silver tray set.

"Oh, we're just listening to his amazing stories!" Lizzie gasped.

"How romantic to escape from a factory," Cordelia gushed. "Can you all imagine it? I would love to escape from anywhere."

"Like here!" Lizzie blurted.

"Shhh!" Zoey laughed. "They're good to us here. We'd never become proper ladies otherwise."

"It's very important to be a proper lady," Crème said under her breath to herself. She was by far the youngest of the group and while Rotor could see she was happy to be with the other girls, she was quieter than she had been in the Underground. "Real proper ladies take care of people, like mama said."

Rotor just caught her words. He smiled to himself.

"We should all teach him how to have tea first!" Cordelia said.

Zoey began setting out the tray. "I hope Bunnie comes back soon. You know, the cyborg. Poor girl."

"Uugh," Cordelia shivered.

"Yuck! Having an awful metal arm and legs!" Lizzie groaned.

"She can't wear dresses or anything pretty," Cordelia sighed. "It gets caught in her hinges."

"She has the nicest smile and hair though," Crème tried, but the girls didn't hear.

Rotor took the silver teacup offered him, but he only stared at it. He blinked.

"Now, Amy Rose is the lucky one," Cordelia gushed.

"Being girlfriend to Sonic the Hedgehog," Lizzie flapped her arms and made a squealing sound. "Oh my goodness gracious me!"

Cordelia rushed over to Rotor, gripping the arm of his chair. "Guess what, Rotor? Sonic has this little creepy fox thing with two tails that follows him around and the fox has a crush on Zoey! He just stares at her every time he comes here with Sonic, like he's in a trance!"

Now Zoey was blushing. "He's a little cute, but he's just a baby. His voice still squeaks."

"He's a Mutate!" Lizzie's jaw dropped. "How can a Mutate be cute?"

Behind Rotor's chair, Crème kept her head down, but at Lizzie's words she glanced up, her brown eyes flashing.

Rotor cleared his throat. "Well, uh, I don't know much about all that…"

Bunnie had warned them not to say a word about Sonic and Tails while at the school. Rotor glanced at Crème and saw her face.

Creme turned away, pouring a cup of tea for herself and glaring hard.

"Never mind about him, Sonic is..." Zoey sighed.

"He's—he's-" Cordelia blinked.

"He's our hero!" Lizzie said, hugging herself. "He's the whole city's hero. He's so brave. He looks out for us and talks to everyone and he's so funny and—he kissed my hand once! Amy Rose said I could help serve food at their Union ceremony—you know, when they get married!"

Rotor tried to avoid their gazes. "Oh—I—wouldn't know…"

"He really is a hero," Cordelia sighed. "He'll never let anything happen to—."

The garden backdoor was ripped off its hinges with a crack.