The Next Big Thing

[Myria Graziano]

Myria Graziano didn’t bother covering the wide loud yawn. Given that the clock read somewhere past 2am, she figured manners could be tossed by the wayside. The fact she’d spent most of the day in front of cameras or in wardrobe and makeup trailers, not to mention running, working out and sparring had more than worn her out.

The editor to her left, apparently disagreeing with Myria’s stance on yawning and manners, rolled his eyes. He was used to these hours.
“Maybe you should go nap or something,” he said snidely, turning back to face the bank of video screens.

“Oh shut up. And hurry up,” she shot back. They’d been in this room for the last seven hours, ever since the shoot had ended. Taking today’s new footage and compositing it with some from years past was slow exacting work. At least, it was when this editor, Ron Mylod, was in charge. Despite desperately wanting to grow bored with the process, Myria forced herself to remain engaged. Timing, cuts, fades, effects…each detail required exacting attention. This was too important to screw up.

After another half-hour, Ron leaned back in his chair, tapped a few final commands and turned to Myria.

“Ok, it’s rendering. Call your people and we’ll see what they think.”

Myria nodded as she pulled out her phone. She stood and exited the bay, grateful to have an excuse to get out of there. Having spent the last several hours in a dark room lit only by the video monitors, she squinted as she stepped into the hallway outside the editing suite. Ignoring the rumbling in her stomach, she dialed the number for Jennie Andre, the Senior Vice President of Public Relations for Wrecking Crew Enterprises. Jennie wanted to sign off on this thing before submitting the corresponding press releases and scheduling a media conference.

“Yeah?” Jennie sounded like she was not only awake but impatient and annoyed she hadn’t received this call sooner.

“Yo, hey, it’s Myria. Dude says he’s done. By the time you get down here, it should be ready for us to watch.”

“See you in a bit, then.”

Jennie hung up, Myria thought, rather abruptly. Not that she blamed the woman for being cranky given the hour.

She turned back toward the door of the editing suite and grimaced, not relishing stepping back in there. Deciding she needed to go on a mission to find semi-fresh coffee, Myria started down the corridor, intent on locating a kitchenette or break room. If there was enough time, maybe she would grab that quick nap after all.

[Myria Graziano]

“No,” Jennie said, her lips pursed. “I’m not approving this.”

Myria sighed and slouched down on the editing suite’s couch. Leaning her head back, she crossed her arms and closed her eyes.

“You freakin’ work it out with him, then. I’m goin’ to sleep.”

Jennie shot a glare toward the youngest Graziano but didn’t comment. Despite her protest and tired as she was, Myria kept her ears open as she wanted to hear the impending argument between Jennie and Ron.

It wasn’t so much of an argument as a healthy debate that happened to last another three hours. This shot was no good, this segment too long, these images too old, this color too muted, that font too unreadable. Fifteen minutes in, Myria gave up on her fake-nap and sat forward, pitching her own thoughts and ideas alongside Jennie’s and Ron’s.

After watching the final product, the one given the thumbs up by Jennie as well as appropriate Silver Mark Brewing Company representatives, Myria Graziano smiled.

Especially with Ria’s meltdown, The Wrecking Crew needed something big. Something outside the dueling rings.

This was it.

[Myria Graziano]

After a quick fade-in from white, an aerial camera shot zooms in on a packed Kitsune Stadium. Spectators, most decked out in Wrecking Crew gear, scream and cheer as they eagerly watch the dueling within the stadium. The camera rushes toward a specific section of the stadium known as the Scrap Heap, where WRC’s most rabid and loyal fans congregate. The cheering grows louder as the camera surges closer, the image fading out just before the camera plows into the crowd.

Dramatic orchestral music backed by a vocal choir replaces the cheers as a narrator with a deep booming voice sets the stage for each shot.

FOUR TDL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS…

Shots of the conference championship banners which hang in Kitsune Stadium

TDL CUP WINNERS, SEASON 523…

A photograph of the Cup winning squad

#1 BEST TDL CAREER WINNING PERCENTAGE WITH 53 DUELS FOUGHT…

Shots of a young Maria Graziano raising up her TDL MVP Award

AN UNDEFEATED 5-0 IFL SEASON. RANKED #1 IN IRON FIST PDPB…

Footage of an older Maria from IFL’s first season, knocking down five different fighters in quick succession

MULTI-TIME OPAL HOLDERS…

Images of Ria Graziano with all five opals, followed by Chris Graziano and Ticallion Carter with their opals, including FireStar, IceDancer and MoonBeryl

BARONIES…

A map of Rhydin appears and checkmarks appear next to the baronial manors for each of WRC’s Baronial titles won, meaning some have multiple checkmarks

OVERLORD’S CROWNS…

Shots of Ticallion Carter and Chris Graziano during their reigns

WINNERS OF GRANTS & WARLORDS’ TOURNAMENTS…

Images of Jay Capistrano winning the Overlord’s Grant, Chris and Tical coming out on top of WLTs

DIAMOND CHAMPION ONE…

A shot of Ria Graziano’s Diamond portrait in the Outback

TWO…

Several quick shots of Bode Bojangles beating noted duelers Tareth Thorn, Kheldar Drasinia, Anubis Karos, Matt Simon and Xerzes Maureen from DQ XXXII

THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT…

A montage of Kheldar Drasinia’s DQ victories, including a shutout and back to back Diamond Quests where Kheld didn’t lose a single match in either tournament

NINE TIMES!

A shot of Myria Graziano, in the recent Hydra Cup competition, defeating Xanth van Bokkelen in the finals of DQ LXX

AND ALL THIS…

A recent photo of the entire WRC roster, Maria Graziano, Chris Graziano, Tony Graziano, Myria Graziano, Ria Graziano, Kheldar Drasinia, Ticallion Carter, Jay Capistrano and Fionna Helston al-Amat, each of them standing in a fighting position either with or without weapons in hand, took the entirety of the screen

…ON THEIR OWN.

A two-second pause as the camera slowly panned in closer and closer to the picture before the narrator continues

SO IMAGINE WHAT’LL HAPPEN…

Cutaway to a video montage of Myria Graziano with all the pertinent breathing and grunting and equipment noises: Myria on a brisk training run, lifting weights, striking a hefty punching bag, attacking dummy-targets with the New Haven rapier and finally sparring with a live opponent whom she knocks down with a leg-sweep. After giving her partner a short nod, the camera pans back as Myria, her face dripping with sweat, approaches a weight-bench where her gym bag rests. A brushed silver bottle with striking blue writing sits next to the bag. Myria reaches to grab hold of the bottle, twists off the cap and takes several long swallows.

…NOW.

Myria slams the bottle down next to the bag then turns toward the camera, smiling as she walks closer and closer. When she’s a few feet away, her smile vanishes as she cries out with an attack-yell and kicks right toward the lens. The shot immediately cuts away to a black background where a silver bottle with vivid blue lettering draws the viewer’s full attention.

The letters read, “Silver Mark: Blue” as the deep-voiced narrator booms: SILVER MARK: BLUE. YOU. AT YOUR VERY BEST.

The words“Wrecking Crew: Approved”, also in deep blue, fade onscreen and remain for several seconds before a final card with gold text on a black background appears as the narrator emphatically states:

AVAILABLE TODAY THROUGHOUT RHYDIN!!

[Myria Graziano]

The following commercial began broadcast during prime-time hours on February 25th.

The scene begins sharply with an aerial view of Rhydin. The camera swoops over Battlefield Park, continues south to Seaside and then zooms east toward the Old Market District. The camera passes over the Marketplace where several of the usual stalls are missing, making room for a small carnival. The center of the Marketplace and outlying areas are packed full. Families and groups of schoolchildren enjoy themselves, walking and running amongst carnival booths, clowns, rides and games. Passing over the Marketplace, the camera continues its journey to the northeast. It approaches the upper floors of the Town Hall where it glides to a halt outside one of the windows.

The camera hovers in a wide shot of Fionna Helston al-Amat’s gubernatorial office. A wooden executive desk, stained dark, behind which stands a credenza of matching wood, is located in the northern half of the office. The credenza holds books, a picture frame and a few personal gifts and mementos from dignitaries Fio met during her terms as Governor. A large conference table in the southwest corner sits directly across from a group of four leather chairs and a coffee table stationed near the windows.

The Governor sits in one of these chairs. Dressed in a sharp business suit, charcoal gray with a lighter gray blouse underneath, Fionna taps her left temple with a pen while reading over a folder-full of reports. With her brown highlighted hair straightened and pulled into a long ponytail, she looks like she belongs in that office.

The camera closes in on Fionna’s face as she looks up from the report and turns her attention out the window. With a sudden gasp, she tosses the folder on to the coffee table and leaps to her feet. The angle of the shot changes to show her rushing to the window and then zooms in on the object of her attention – the Marketplace.

The crowd of people, apparently in a panic, flees in all directions, away from a large creature. The camera cuts to the Marketplace where panicked screams and terrified wails pierce the air. Quick-cuts show countless pairs of running feet, booths overturning and people diving for cover under anything that might provide a modicum of shelter. The camera then settles on the root cause of the alarm: a giant cat-like beast.



With ears pinned back, the beast’s roar overpowers all the screams as it rears back on its hind legs and swipes at a soothsayer’s booth, knocking it into little more than kindling. Fearsome and magnificent, the beast looks every bit as powerful and deadly as one could imagine.

The camera cuts back to Fionna who purses her lips in anger; with narrowed eyes she unlatches and opens the window. Lifting a large bullhorn, she yells through the device. Her words quickly reach the Marketplace, where the camera returns.

“Citizens! Take courage! Remember who you are and what you stand for!”

As the beast whips around toward the direction of that voice, a group of people daringly rush toward several of the food carts and booths. They reach into coolers begin throwing Silver Mark: Blue bottles to everyone nearby. Bottles are snatched out of the air or tossed to neighbors. Caps untwist and the crowd drinks as the beast roars again. With renewed confidence, the crowd emerges from hiding places and advances as one. They close in on the creature, encircling it. The beast howls in rage at the crowd’s defiance; it rears back and prepares to charge as the crowd responds with their own menacing yell. The screen flashes a brilliant white as all sound cuts away, leaving only silence.

The camera fades back in, showing the crowd pointing and laughing. With no trace of terror or fear, they clap each other on the back and the carnival resumes. As they disperse, the camera shows a harmless playful kitten where the beast once stood. The kitten pounces and begins to bat a bottle-cap as children kneel down and begin to pet it gently. The kitten leans back on its haunches, eagerly awaiting the love.



Cut back to Fionna. She’s still looking out of the office window with her back to the camera but she’s dressed quite differently than before. Her hair, now wavy, spills past her shoulders. She has on a pair of sneakers and form-fitting silver exercise shorts with blue striping on each side. Instead of blouse and jacket, she wears a Wrecking Crew style Not My Overlord shirt which, as she slowly turns around toward the camera, is knotted at the bottom to hint at but not fully expose her midriff. She grins before taking a long drink from a Silver Mark: Blue bottle. Setting the bottle on the coffee table, she grabs the report folder she’d browsed earlier and jogs out the door of her office with a light laugh.

The camera remains on the bottle as the booming voice of the first commercial’s narrator speaks. Blue text appears on the side of the screen next to the bottle, repeating the words.

“Silver Mark: Blue. When you’re at your best, you’ve got nothing to fear.”

The office background fades away to black, leaving the bright silver bottle and the words onscreen for a few more seconds before they fade away and are replaced with the following, as the narrator speaks:

Join Wrecking Crew, Team Beat Down and other Rhydin businesses and institutions in supporting the Rhydin Shield Association, an organization devoted to helping victims in Old Temple and throughout Rhydin. Please buy a Not My Overlord T-Shirt or send in your direct donations today!