Arabella had no idea who the goblin was who had just entered the tea store, but she knew the look in his eyes. It was sheer greed. Involuntarily, she had to shake herself.  Her neck fur bristled, all her instincts were screaming for her to run for all her short hamster legs were worth.  

"Good evening, Melchk." Even her usually dorky roommate changed his body language. Suddenly he didn't seem so soft and well, dimwitted, quite the opposite. A transformation took place before her eyes that caught her off guard. The hamster infatuated puppy became a snarling attack dog. His whole aura changed from one second to the next into the threatening. Fixing and warning he built himself up in front of her. Like a knight in front of his lady. Her jaw almost dropped.  Slowly, like a spider climbing up a leg, the realization dawned on her that her roommate was not so harmless. Who was the tea vendor really? Squealing, she took a step backward.  

"Drive down, old man. I won't steal your supper." A disgusting grin showed a row of, for her taste, way too pointed teeth. Wait, what had he just called her Hotti?! Fist thrust upward, she stepped forward from her roommate's shadow and squealed in rage. Who called this creep an old man?! Had he ever looked in a mirror?! Who did he think he was? Her roommate was the hottest guy on Earth! An image of the gods! A tribute to the beauty of flesh and blood! Had this goblin seen this butt?! That was molded marble! Or these eyes? Liquid shining gold! And first of all... 

"Don't ever call her supper again." Her roommate's voice vibrated like a warning growl. "Uh right! I'm not a snack!"  Slightly irritated that she had missed that part, Arabella squeaked her paw halfway up. Damn, how had she forgotten that? The goblin wanted to eat her! She really had to concentrate. 

" Slow down, I'm not going to gobble up your little pet." Neither Arabella nor her roommate believed a single syllable he said, that bothered, the guest apparently little, he continued, "My mother sent me to pick up her order." casually, as if he were the best friend in the house, the imp leaned against the other end of the counter.  She would have loved to bite his hand.  Whispering, the tea vendor leaned toward her : "The order is in the warehouse, princess, I'll put you in the cage now, it's secured with magic against theft." Arabella would rather be on his shoulder or even in his pocket, yet she nodded. The prospect of being struck dead by a falling cardboard box made the cage seem like a lock. Besides, someone should keep an eye on that imp, he was grinning too slyly at her. Not that he still helped himself at the cash register...After all, her luxury depended on it. When she dived from her thoughts back into the real world. She was already behind bars and there was nothing to see of the Hotti. Damn, she really had to pay more attention. Her neck fur bristled, disgustingly stinking breath hit her. That lousy goblin was squatting right in front of her cage. "Ta you thieving goblin! My home is theft proof!" Sneering, she grinned at him. There was only one thing she hadn't considered, goblins were master thieves.