PERCEPTION IS REALITY

…to another area of the Paycom Arena, far away from whatever corner Paxton Ray and Foster Nackedy are huddling, The Anglo Luchador walks down the hallway with a spring in his step. Clad in khaki shorts, sneakers, his lucha mask, and a custom t-shirt, half in Sooner crimson and half in Cowboy orange with #SaveBedlam written in white block letters across the chest, he seems to be in better spirits for a man coming off the pay-per-view arc he just had. He passes Gary the Rumor Mills intern.

TAL: Hey Gary! Stop taking rumors from my kids!

Gary pays him no heed. He smiles and waves at several anonymous production assistants, who smile and wave back. He shoots finger guns at the concession workers lugging boxes of frozen chikky nuggies to their destinations. He’s in a really good mood for some reason. Finally, he happens upon one of PRIME’s newest signees, the man known simply as Wrestling’s Worst Nightmare, Arthur Pleasant.

TAL: Hey! You! Artie P! I just wanted to say welcome to PRIME there, buddy! Glad you decided to sign here with the best wrestling company in the multiverse!

Arthur Pleasant: What did you just call me?

The Luchador looks a bit perplexed.

TAL: Do you not like that name?

Pleasant’s glare at the former Intense Champion deepens.

TAL: Okay, okay, I can call you something different. I’m trying not to open the box of Oops! All Enemies. You know Coral doesn’t let me live that down. Ever.

Still no answer from Wrestling’s Worst Nightmare.

TAL: You know, Coral Avalon? Yay high, on the skinny side, always looks like he’s got an annoyed look on his face? No?

Pleasant brushes him off.

Arthur Pleasant: Let me ask you this, friend; when you look into my face, what is it you see?

The brow on his lucha mask furrows as he is caught ever so slightly off-guard by the deep philosophical question posed to him in the hallway of a newly built basketball arena in the middle of Oklahoma.

TAL: Uh, something tells me if I say “The Cult of Personality,” you’re going to glower at me and we’re back at square one so I’ll just say, uh, the new guy.

Pleasant chuckles a bit at the glib answer.

Arthur Pleasant: Interesting. Seems like you’re completely devoid, possibly incapable of serious conversation. But that doesn’t really scratch my itch here. I wanted to know the perception of a man needing to hide his true face behind a mask. Again, I must ask, though; what is it you see when you look into my face?

There’s a moment of unsettled silence between them. However, Arthur laughs again.

Arthur Pleasant: Remember, friend. Perception is reality.

He pivots on his heel and turns to walk away. The Luchador cocks his head to the side and goes “hmph” to himself.

TAL: Strange guy. Something REALLY off-putting about him. Ah, probably just post-pay-per-view scaries. Oh well, at least I don’t have to wrestle that arm-breaking socialite in the main event tonight. I should probably go find Adam Ellis and give him a pep talk. Or not. His wife is packing heat. Don’t really wanna risk sneaking up on her and getting Second Amendmented.

The camera lingers on the Luchador walking away before cutting to the ring for the next match on the show, a veritable clash of godlike figures.