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The Perfect April Fool's Prank


by mutantbobo

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The first of April is an infamous time of the year. Absolutely NO ONE should be trusted, with pranks and jokes rife throughout the Neopets community and beyond. Why, even TNT has gotten their hands dirty in the past few years...

Has someone tricked you before? Hungry for revenge? Or simply looking for that perfect prank to play on your friends on this both wonderful and awful day? Here are some tips to crafting that infallible, undetectable, absolutely jaw-dropping prank to make them the April Fool! :D (Also, how some pointers on how you can avoid becoming the said April Fool instead...)

1. Never make reference to April 1st!

By all means possible, avoid highlighting suspicion when you tell your friend the prank. NEVER EVER mention the date when you are talking to him/her. Pretend that it's just another ordinary day! This is far harder than it seems, so make sure that you practice beforehand!

2. Create something that's believable yet ridiculous!

It sounds like an oxymoron, but never spin up a tale that's too out-of-this-world! It's bound to raise suspicions on the part of your friend... Make sure that your prank is something that could possibly happen some day in the distant future, etc. the discovery of a new Neopet species, instead of something far, far less probable e.g. Lutaris becoming non-limited edition Neopets. If something seems too unlikely, your friend is bound to find it fishy and doubt you! Once again, make sure that you practice beforehand and don't give yourself away when pulling an April Fool's prank on your friend.

3. Appear serious

Try your best not to smile or laugh when telling your friend your far-fetched joke. It is important to look as sincere and serious as possible so as not to raise any alarm about your impending mischief. Try to make it seem like you are sharing some important news with your friend that he or she absolutely needs to know.

4. *Dramatic pause*

The best joke does not have to be told; rather, the listener learns the punch line on his/her own. After convincing your friend of your April Fool's prank, leave them be! Keep at a safe distance while you witness your friend discover their own foolishness and gullibility in trusting your devious words!

5. Record it for future generations!

If you are feeling particularly evil, keep a recording device like a camcorder on hand to record your friend's foolishness on tape! That way, you can always remind your friend of that moment of priceless stupidity when they believed your words. >:)

6. Laugh it off!

Most importantly, make sure that you don't laugh at your friend on this day. Rather, laugh with them! Make sure that neither side doesn't take it too seriously! After all, Aprils Fool's Day is a day where we all play harmless and silly pranks on one another, all for the sake of having fun and celebrating friendship. Don't feel sore at having been tricked by your friend, laugh with him/her and enjoy the fact that he/she went through great lengths to play an innocent trick on you. Likewise, don't rub it in too hard after having successfully tricked your friend. Wish him/her a happy April Fools Day and thank him/her for having been such a trustworthy and listening friend for the past year or more!

Moving on, some tips on how to avoid becoming the April Fool yourself...

1. By all means possible, mark down the day and remember it by heart!

On the first of April when you wake up from bed, there should be notes and reminders everywhere that today is that day. Stick post-it notes all over your bed, notebook and calendar! Put hourly reminders within your handphone or computer. Simply put, do anything which would remind yourself that today is April Fool's Day! By all means, you should remain vigilant and aware on the 1st of April for anything out of the ordinary, and remain calm enough to doubt it should it occur.

2. BE SCEPTICAL

While being a sceptical person every day of the week is an awful way to live your life, it is acceptable to be a little more cynical than usual on the first of April. Remember that your friends are out to trick you on this day! If something your friend tells you seems to good to be true, you have every reason to doubt his/her words... Probe further and ask for more details! ! If you notice your friend stuttering or thinking of an appropriate response, it is more than likely that it is an April Fool's joke in action!

3a. Question your friend

If you notice that your friend is caught pondering about how to answer your questions, it is likely that he/she is playing a joke on you. Take advantage of their confusion and uncertainty! Keep bombarding them with more questions than they can handle, and force a breakdown where they admit that they were trying to pull an April Fool's prank on you.

"We can create Lutaris now? Why would TNT ever allow such a thing?"

"Well..."

"I remember Lutaris being non-transferable between accounts. Has this been changed?"

"Erm..."

"What in the world would happen to the prices of Lutari morphing potions?! I can't believe this happened!"

"...X.x..."

3b. Counter-prank your friend, heheh.

If your friend is fairly gullible, you might just be able to pull of an April Fool's joke on him/her in the midst of their attempt to prank you! While questioning your friend and taking advantage of their anxiety of coming up with false answers to your questions, casually highlight something untrue which leads to your April Fool's prank. (By the way, did you notice that TNT recently retired Meepits altogether?...) By diverting their attention of their prank, you might just have sidestepped becoming the April Fool yourself, and passed the honours right over to your friend!

4. Take it easy

Should all of the above measures fail, and you find yourself labelled the April Fool, don't take it too harshly! Remember that first and foremost April Fool's Day is a day meant for harmless fun between friends. All the pranks that have been you or your friends have played are completely harmless. Instead, appreciate the fact that your friends went through all these lengths to try and deceive you—it shows how much they value you as an important friend! NEVER EVER throw a fit or sulk that your friends have managed to prank you, instead, congratulate them, and assure them that you will be the one pranking them instead next year... *shifty eyes*

To all the readers of the Neopian Times, Happy April Fool's Day!!!!

 
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