I cannot express to you the happiness and disappointment I felt when my traveling human, Michael, walked through the doorway; returning from his latest adventure. I greatly missed him, of course, but this also meant I had to spend more time at the apartment rather than out and about. Nonetheless, I greeted him as always, rubbing against his legs as he lugged his huge suitcases and precious souvenirs and artifacts through the living room. I could smell the train station on him, and casually wondered if he had patted Skimbleshanks during the trip.
"Exotica," he gasped, "I can't very well carry these things in with you trying to trip me." But he chuckled and put his things down, reaching down to pet me.
I don't quite remember where I was before Michael brought me home. I know I he found me in a land far from here, and he had a lot of trouble allowing those humans to allow me onto the giant iron bird. I suppose I'm just another souvenir of his from one of his trips, but he treats me well. Well, he treats all his precious treasures well. Michael is what many people would call eccentric. The apartment is littered with this and that from many different countries. He's usually off in dreamland, thinking of his latest or next trip. I would expect these trips of his are why he's always late on his rent. Lucky for him the landlady is a very sweet queen.
Speak of the devil, there's the knock on the door, and the sound of Jennyanydots' heavy pawprints. It is not usual for Jennyanydots to be joining her human queen on rent collections like this, but perhaps the mice have all hidden from her for a while.