Time Maze

Prank War in the Past?

"So, how do we create those diversions?" Marcus asked impatiently as both Tyson and Anastasia just sat there deep in thought.

"I'm not really sure," Tyson said, scratching his head as his mind flipped through the images of all the tricks he had seen in different movies, none of which suited their situation. "Being the prank master, I was hoping you'd have some ideas."

"I thought you didn't approve of me calling myself The Prankmaster?" Marcus asked since Tyson had said it more than once before.

"Well, I was wrong. You can call yourself whatever you like if you find a way for us to divert the guards' attention without being caught or shot," Tyson said honestly.

He was ready to call Marcus Your Highness if that would make the task that they were about to undertake any easier. Even if it meant doing something as ridiculous as setting pranks around the house.

"What is a prank?" Anastasia asked, trying to keep up with the two weird guys who had offered to help her.

"Wow, how can you not know what a prank is. A prank is... well, it's a prank," Marcus said, dumbfounded about how to explain it.

"Well, that explains...absolutely nothing!" Anastasia exclaimed, frustrated at these men and their strange ways.

"It's like a joke that you play on someone. It's usually a physical joke," Tyson tried to explain, unsure if he was making any sense.

Describing to someone from the past something from the future was far more challenging than the movies made it appear. Yet, Tyson was sure that he was, at least, doing a better job than Marcus, which wasn't saying much.

"Oh, so it's like tripping someone, so they fall down? Or throwing a snowball made of rocks during a snowball fight?" Anastasia asked.

"Ahem, I guess so..." Tyson said, unsure how to answer.

For him, those were neither jokes nor pranks. They were just mean actions. Still, he chose to say nothing as he was dealing with not only cultural differences but temporal ones, as well.

"Well, I am the Queen of Jokes," Anastasia said, flipping her hair dramatically and standing up a bit straighter.

"Oh, I thought you were the princess of Russia," Marcus said, puzzled.

"Oh, Marcus," Tyson said, barely subduing laughter that bubbled up his throat. "You are so clueless sometimes."

Anastasia, on the other hand, didn't hesitate to laugh heartily at Marcus's silliness. It wasn't often she met people like him, who made her laugh without trying to, and it started making his presence more bearable in her mind. Perhaps even a pleasant change from the dreary days that were behind her.

"What? What did I say?" Marcus asked, not too happy that they were laughing at him.

"She is the Queen of Jokes the same way you are the Prankmaster," Tyson explained patiently.

It made Anastasia wonder how anyone could have such an endless supply of patience when dealing with someone who seemed to refuse to think at all.

"Oh, I see now," Marcus said, grinning at Anastasia in the camaraderie of a shared skill.

"Then I guess it's up to the two of you," Tyson said, not liking the idea. Still, he knew that they had to use all their resources the best they could if they wanted to save anyone. "You tell me what needs to be done, and we'll plan and execute everything together."

"Well, will have to start with the classics," Marcus said, his eyes gleaming in delight. "The bucket over the door!"

"The mouse in the cupboard!" Anastasia exclaimed at the same time.