"HOW!?" the cry of despair came from the Grand Library groundskeeper, who had set up a ladder to climb onto the roof to inspect his trap.

Inside the cage, which seemed to have been triggered successfully, the plate of apples had been replaced by a plate of nuts, positioned right in front of a big white plushie squirrel.

"That creature is mocking me, I tell you!" the groundskeeper called out, with a fist raised to the sky, as several students that had arrived at the library early to do some reading looked out at the man on the ladder in confusion.

With a deep sigh, the groundskeeper climbed up onto the roof to clear up his best trap yet.

The worst part wasn't just the failed plans, but the report he had gotten from his trusty cat familiar Felix, who had absolutely insisted that the creature which the groundskeeper had sat out to trap had added further insult to injury by escaping the trap while dressed up as a bunny. As if that made any sense.

In his report to the Ivory Tower about the legendary white squirrel, the groundskeeper noted that it seemed like the creature, besides being unnaturally smart and tricky, also possessed the ability to turn into a bunny-rabbit and change size to escape from cages.

As he wrote his report, new plans started coming up for a better trap. Perhaps it had simply been to easy to get to the trap, and the creature could be foiled by setting up some sort of obstacle course for it to traverse before getting to its reward...

Rani was giggling as she told Fidessa about the traps that the groundskeeper had been laying, and suggested she stay clear of the area as she was concerned that she could get caught and not have the skills to escape or the next trap could actually get her hurt.

Still Rani had to admit that the locking mechanism had been rather clever and, while escaping it, she had taken notes of it's design in order to incorporate something similar in her own cage trap, even using two sections at each end of the door that had to be manipulated simultaneously to open it, something a creature without fingers or opposable thumbs wouldn't have been able to do. Not that she was planning to steal the design, but it had been rather clever, and she was intending to tell the groundskeeper that at the appropriate time and pay him for the design.

She sat in the small room, still studying, but watching out the window in the hope he would be setting up the next trap while she was there.

She was also a little disappointed that the only witness to her feat was a stray cat.

Just in case magic was involved in the next one, she started looking around for a Detect Magic wand.

Incidentally, the apples were delicious.

Leigh just laughed happily and left Fidessa another apple for her to find. He had chased her long ago for the same crimes and was happy to see she was again out playing and doing her thing. Always willing to go running the rooftops with her when she wanted fun company.

Nice addition though, you didn't used to leave a white squirrel behind. he laughs happily again at the image in his mind of it all.

"I suppose I could leave the library alone for a bit" Fidessa reasoned when Rani warned her not to go there

"The people there are a bit loopy in the head anyway. I once overheard one saying that he was smarter than me because I spend all my time outside playing while he spends his time inside reading books." she remembered "Which is weird, because while we agree on the premise, we've come to completely opposite conclusions. I suppose that just proves that logic does not make any sense." she reasoned

"I do not know where the Plushie came from though. Maybe it was just there looking for apples as well. Do you think we should hire a group of adventurers to liberate it?"

"Weeeeeellllll" Rani replied. "Nah. I don't think so. Hopefully it is now somewhere where it can get lots of hugs and cuddles from small children. Maybe the person who retrieved it has small children or grandchildren to give it to."

"And what that person didn't realise is there are different kinds of smarts"

She thought for a bit. "But yeah ... I'm gonna keep an eye on the situation ... in case any more traps turn up. Oh .... if you want any company on the rooftops, lemme know. Once it gets too cold to swim I'm gonna need something else to do"