Hey everyone, this is the second part of the prologue, which means that I am now ready to reveal the full cast. Like last time, they'll be done via simple introductions but there is also some additional information about how the show will work prior. I hope you enjoy!
The Peralta Challenges logo faded into view over a background of Bennington Island in its entirety. As it was seen from the last time, the set of cabins and the Main Hall rested peacefully. A few yards to the right from the Main Hall was a retro-looking brick building with windows surrounding three of the four sides and a chimney spewing out steam from the fourth.
John's voice could be heard once again via voiceover. "Welcome back, I'm in the cafeteria," he announced, allowing the camera to zoom in on the designated building before flashing to reveal the insides of the location. Two long foldable lunch tables stretched across the burgundy tile floor vertically from the entrance. A set of stools were attached to each with John taking a seat on one set. He had a tray of food with him, stirring some noodles in a bowl.
The camera approached him right before he was about to take a bite. "Oh hello there," he greeted, lowering his fork. "Caught me in the middle of my lunch but that's okay. I've got some things to show you." He stood up from his seat and walked around the table, the camera following along.
John went towards a metal door in the corner of the cafeteria, opening it up to enter a large kitchen area. Sounds of clanging pots being put away could be heard. John looked back at the camera. "Ladies and gentlemen, meet my lovely and beautiful wife," he said as suddenly a taller woman with long brown wavy hair and pink pearl earrings stepped into view.
She wore a midnight blue turtleneck with a red beaded bracelet on her left wrist. She had on an apron, a toque and a pair of white pants with matching shoes. "Afternoon viewers, I'm Michelle," she said, her voice very sweet and warm. "I'm super excited for this upcoming season. I had a blast cooking for the kids last time and I can't wait to do it again."
"As someone who runs her own successful restaurant back in the city," John explained, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Making chow for a bunch of kids is nothing."
Michelle rolled her eyes playfully. "Business is still business," she said modestly. "But I do have this little guy to help me out this time." The camera panned over to reveal a small young boy with short brown spiked hair. He wore a pair of circular glasses as well.
"Ah yes," John said, pinching the boy's cheek. "Little Johnny decided to help out Mommy this time and not Daddy." The little boy giggled and went over to Michelle and wrapped his arms around her body.
"Bah," John grunted, sharing a smile with his wife. "Welp, you two keep up the good work. I got some other things to show for the viewers." He gave both of them a kiss goodbye and then turned to the camera. "Let's go."
The camera followed along with John as he made his way out of the cafeteria entirely. From there, he pointed towards a pair of brick rectangular buildings that were laid out thirty yards away to the right of the cafeteria. "The gym and pool respectively," he said, before cocking his head in their direction. "Come on, let's check them out."
Inside the gymnasium were brown shiny floors with lines of a basketball court taped accordingly. Two basketball hoops hung from each end as well as a set of bleachers spread out in the back. A big bin of various athletic equipment was tucked away in a corner next to a pile of blue rubber gym mats. John stepped over towards the center of the court.
"We've spruced things up around here as you can see," he said, observing the area around him. "As usual, the gymnasium will be used for challenges and recreation for our campers."
John put a hand to his chin. "Speaking of challenges," he remarked, growing a sly grin. "Let's meet the guy behind them all. Co-creator of the show and my best friend, Samson."
Once prompted, Samson entered the gym carrying a blue burlap sack. He was a muscular black man wearing a white tank top with gray sweatpants and brown boots. He plopped the bag down next to John's feet and gave him a fist bump. "Wanna see the new merch?" he asked, his voice having a Kenyan accent. He opened the sack and pulled out a green t-shirt. Decaled on it was a black silhouette of a duck with its wings out in flight. Samson showed it off to the camera. "Sneak peek at one of the teams this season."
"Ah yes, these look amazing," John replied, taking one of the shirts and placing it up against his chest. "Think it matches me quite well." He then handed the shirt back to Samson. "So, are all the challenges for this season set and ready?"
Samson nodded as he folded up the shirt and stuffed it back in the sack. "We got some exciting things coming," he affirmed, tying back up the sack and hoisting it over his shoulder. "See you around."
As Samson left the gym, John grinned at the camera. "Pool time?" he asked rhetorically before nodding his head. "Pool time." Afterwards, he led the way out of the gym through a different door that directly led to a dirt path. Down the path was the entrance to the pool building where the smell of chlorinated water was present.
Inside was a massive olympic sized pool filled with crystal clear water and a big bucket full of various swimming accessories being filled up by another man. He was similar in stature to John with a narrower nose and more muscular physique. He wore a tight black t-shirt with dark denim pants and brown boots as well. Attached to his hip was some sort of radio device. John whistled at the man, beckoning him over. "Zack, how are things here?" he asked.
Zack turned around and nodded, heading over towards the host and giving him a handshake. "Just one final inspection before the kids get here," he explained. "How wild do you think they'll be this time?"
John chuckled a little and patted him on the shoulder. "Nothing my little bro couldn't handle," he assured.
Suddenly, Zack received a transmission from someone on his radio. "Head Chief, are we still on for the meeting?" asked a voice.
Zack pulled out his radio from his hip and spoke through it. "This is Head Chief," he said. "The security meeting will still be at 3. Inspection in the pool area is just complete. I'll see you soon."
"Guess you'll be on your way," John suggested.
Zack adjusted his pants and nodded. "Indeed," he affirmed, patting his older brother on the shoulder before heading out. "Can't wait for the season."
John looked back at the camera with a smile. "Neither can I," he added. "Alright, I've shown you around a bit. Let's cut back to the Main Hall where we can do the rest of my business at my office."
The camera soon flashed to reveal the insides of the Main Hall. From the entrance, a long scarlet rug spanned vertically. The center of it had the Peralta Challenges logo on it. Also at the center, were a set of lounge chairs, resting underneath a sparkly chandelier. The wall of windows on the left side had a great view of both the cabins and the lake shore, while the right side contained many doors that led to other rooms.
Starting from the main entrance, there was the confessional booth, the security room, the voting room and Samson's office. Finally at the far right corner, there was John's office which the host led the camera into. He turned on the lights, showing that the office was quite cozy. John sat by the desk in the far right corner of the room, booting up his computer while the camera placed itself on the seat across from him.
"It's been a busy couple of days, whew," John remarked as he clicked through some things. "But boy, am I so glad we're getting this show on the road soon." He then pulled out a familiar document from under his desk. "Which means it is finally time to show you the other nine campers we've selected."
He slid the document over, allowing the camera to focus directly on the names listed below:
Preston Smokevin
Vela Luz
Tyson Tysons
Celia Ruiz
Kai Summers
Aditi Seyyal
Sienna Valencia
Neda Atashnak
Felix Spade
After sliding it back, John rested his arms on his desk with his hands clasped together. "Much like the previous nine," he said. "We asked each of them to record a small introduction for us to show you. So enjoy!"
As the camera faded away from his office to a black screen, John's voice continued to speak via a voiceover. "First up, we have Preston Smokevin, the Culinarian!" he introduced. "An aspiring chef who hopes to show a bit of his talent during his time here."
A video of a young Vietnamese man wearing a short-sleeved, light blue button-up shirt standing by a table of sorts appeared. Underneath his button-up was a short-sleeved, white tank-top and along with all of that, he wore a pair of dark blue slacks with blue and white Nike sneakers. His eyes were a deep brown while his short faded black hair was spiked up a little at the front.
At the table he stood at, he had a silver pot placed over a portable burner. Steam rose from the pot while he held a carrot in one hand and chopped it with the other. He was both quick and efficient with his chopping and shortly after, a quick swift of the minced vegetables dumped everything into the pot.
"Now let me tell you something about cooking," Preston said, taking a club of celery to his chopping board. "It takes a lot of patience and a lot of creativity to make the perfect dish. Something that I've been secretly studying for practically all of my life."
He slid the chopped celery into the pot and then stared at the camera reflectively. "My parents don't want me to be a chef," he confessed bluntly. "They don't see it as a viable option for work."
He pulls out a small bunch of cilantro, chopping it quickly. It seemed he had the rhythm of such nailed down expertly. With this, he couldn't help but smirk at the camera. "Which of course is foolish," he said, wiping the chopped remains of the herb into his pot. "And I'm here to prove this to them by hopefully coming onto this show and really leaving my mark with my craft."
He checked his pot for a second before pointing his knife directly at the camera. "You better at least have one cooking challenge for me, John," he requested, slipping a swift wink before he took a gander at his watch. "Right, okay, so I think I only have, like, fifteen minutes before they get back."
After realizing that things needed to be quickened, he placed down his knife and smiled at the camera one final time. "I've got to go unfortunately," he said. "But you'll be seeing me soon. Thanks for accepting me. Peace." Then the camera faded to black.
"Well, he certainly has the gall to tell me what challenges I must do," John remarked. "Bah, we'll see what goes down when we get to that point. For now, we're moving on to our next camper. This is Vela Luz, the Candler!"
Outside of a pleasant house, a make-shift stand was set up with a few people checking it out. Behind the stand stood a Hispanic lady with her light brown hair twisted into pigtails. She wore an orange crop top with black vertical stripes, short black pants with orange vertical stripes, and black shoes with orange shoelaces. She held a small maroon candle in her hand, showing it off to some onlookers.
"Made with the finest beeswax, all scented with an exquisite cinnamon flavor," Vela pitched as she pulled out a lighter from her pocket. She flicked the fire on and lit the candle gently, letting it rest on the stand. Its soft, warm glow comforted her as she continued with her sale. "I have five of these all made and ready. Only ten dollars each."
"These are certainly well-made," the customer said, as she lifted up the candle to observe the flame. She carefully propped it down and pulled out a twenty dollar bill from her purse. "I'll take two."
After the transaction was made, Vela then beckoned over the camera with a finger and it zoomed in on her as a response. "Welcome to my local candle shop," she greeted with a warm smile. "I've been quite fond of candle-making ever since I was a little girl as it's been a tradition amongst my family to do so."
Vela then clenched her fist determinedly. "And like a candle, I can be quite competitive and fiery," she explained with a smug look before switching to a more easy-going demeanor. "But also like a candle, I can be quite calm and patient. Like the glow of the fire, I bring warmness wherever I go."
She giggled a little before pulling out a large green candle with red wax in the middle. "But enough of the candle metaphors," she said playfully. "I've got some more business to take care of. I hope to see you all very soon." She ended things off with a sweet smile before going back to her selling as the camera faded to black.
"I can just tell that she'll light the world on fire," John punned, very obviously grinning to himself even if you couldn't see him. "So let's move on to our third camper, Tyson Tysons. Yes, that's his actual name and he's the Star Athlete!"
The camera cut to a big grassy field with birds tweeting obliviously until they were disrupted by a brown-haired Caucasian man with a short ponytail. He entered the scene on a mountain bike and he zoomed his way before popping a wheelie. He waved towards the camera as he did before losing his balance. He instinctively bailed off the bike by landing on his feet, brushing off some imaginary dust from his orange sports jersey. He also wore orange tracksuit bottoms with matching basketball shoes.
"What's up, dudes!" he greeted with a lot of unbridled enthusiasm. "I'm someone who plays pretty much every sport. From football to lacrosse, I'm always getting out there and always trying to improve myself."
Off-screen, someone had tossed him a football in which he caught with ease. He casually tossed the ball up in the air before chucking it back with such force. "Yeah, I got that arm," he chuckled to himself before beaming at the camera. "But hey dudes, it's gonna be super awesome to be a part of this show. I've always wanted to try something like this so I'm super stoked to get accepted. I hope to meet a lot of cool people and just have a really fun time."
The ball was passed back to him and he caught it with just one hand, even garnering the shock of his buddies who were helping him record. Tyson laughed as he twirled the football on his finger. "My buddies can always make my day," he said with a wholesome smile. "I'm gonna miss you dudes while I'm gone."
After chucking the football back, he glanced at the camera with a thumbs up. "Later, peeps," he farewelled before he hopped back on his bike and sped off, the camera fading to black shortly after.
"He seems like the dudeliest dude to ever dude," John remarked jokingly. "This next camper hails from New York City. Meet Celia Ruiz, the Moody Rebel!"
The camera faded in on a Mexican girl standing in front of the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline. She had on a scarlet-tinted leather biker jacket over a white crop top with ripped light-washed jeans and black boots to match. Resting up on her head was a pair of sunglasses that would typically cover her determined brown eyes. Her lips formed into a snappy smirk, one that exuded a lot of confidence.
"I had no doubts that I would be picked," Celia said, brushing back some of her long black wavy hair. She was standing on some bikeway that led up to the Brooklyn Bridge. "I'm out here biking one last time in my home city before I pack up and go."
Suddenly, she pulled out a bike and hopped on it, glancing back at the camera. "What? No helmet?" she asked mockingly. "Ha, I don't care about that. I just cruise anyway, so no need to get all uptight."
As she pedaled forward, the camera followed her on the side. Celia lowered her sunglasses over her eyes and smirked at the camera. "You see out here, I make my own rules," she explained. "I don't deal well with being told what to do. But I'm not an idiot either. When there's money involved, I'll listen."
She cackled to herself as she made it her way up to the bikeway on the Bridge. "Only a little tho," she added. "It's still my way mostly. Now excuse me… I have a few construction sites to vandalize before I have to go." She then sped off, leaving the camera behind as the camera faded to black.
"I wonder how much trouble she will cause here?" John remarked to himself before chucking. "Well, it's my brother's problem, not mine. Anyways, our next camper is quite special. Meet Kai Summers, the Charismatic Royal!"
A video of a man with light tan skin and shaggy dirty blonde hair adjusting the collar of his white dress shirt while looking in the mirror began. He wore a pair of maroon suit pants and black dress shoes. He observed his big clean smile in his reflection before directing it towards the camera. "Greetings and salutations," his voice boisterous and charismatic. "It will be my honor to partake in this show."
He went over to his bed and picked up the matching maroon top. He wrapped the suit jacket around his body. "And so forth, I am getting myself all ready for my venture out west," he explained. "As you may know, I am a man of royalty from the country of Spain. Which begs the question, why do I want to put myself in this situation when I don't really need to?"
Kai sighed and looked off to the side. "Well, I am not much of a person that enjoys the royal life," he confessed. "With my father being as overbearing as he can be, I just want a place where I can truly explore who I am. The money, the fame? Doesn't matter."
He then turned back to the camera with a big smile. "But the opportunity, however," he added. "Now that is truly the chance of a lifetime. And that's why I am so honored to be able to partake in this show."
He went over to his closet and pulled out a suitcase before waving at the camera. "Adios, mis amigos," he farewelled. "I look forward to coming to America soon." He dragged the suitcase off-screen as the camera faded to black.
"Now how's this for a headline; Up and Coming Reality Show Blessed with the Presence of Royalty," John remarked. "Meh, we'll work on it. Besides, our next camper is sure to also leave quite the impression. Meet Aditi Seyyal, the Energetic Wanderer!"
In a stormy dark night, a small delicate woman with chestnut brown shaggy hair trudged through a decrepit rundown building. She wore a dark green hooded parka, unbuttoned and lined with black fur. It was drenched with the rain but it protected her black long-sleeved t-shirt that resided underneath it. "Apparently this building has been abandoned for twenty years," she remarked to herself, paying the camera that was following her no mind.
Her legs were thin but seemed to be quite muscular. A pair of slim, dark brown cargo pants kept them protected from the rain while a leathery brown belt hugged her waist. Aditi eyed around some rotting planks, tapping her chin. "Makes me wonder about how everything was like prior to being abandoned," she pondered. "Thousands of students used to come here everyday to learn, I've heard. But it seems now, all that remains is this empty skeleton."
She stepped onward, her feet covered with a pair of dark green muddy hiking boots. On her back was a large dark green backpack that seemed to be filled to the brim with survival kits and everything else a wayward traveler may need. "It's both sad but also humbling," she continued, brushing her hand against a vintage style chalkboard. Mold was present amongst the corners. "Wonder where the students are now?"
A glimmer from her silver necklace reflected off nearby rain drops. Attached to it was a platinum-coated ring with an emerald gemstone lodged in the center. "Apologies for taking a bit to introduce myself," she said, finally turning to the camera with a smile. "I figured to check off one last thing in my exploration list before I head off to Milwaukee."
She raised her eyebrows in intrigue. "Don't think I've ever been there," she confessed. "Hopefully I'll have time to check the city out before the season starts. Heck, might just get there a little earlier than usual to ensure that."
A flash of lighting with a loud clap of thunder arrived, quickly garnering her attention. "Storm seems to be getting rougher," she remarked. "Guess I should wrap things up over here." She waved farewell at the camera. "Goodbye everyone. Safe travels." She then hoisted her hood up over her head and made her frantic exit, the camera fading to black afterwards.
"Just as long as she doesn't go snooping around in my office, she can explore whatever she wants," John explained. "With our next camper, we have a bit of an e-celebrity… or used to be one. Meet Sienna Valencia, the Former YouTuber!"
The camera cut to a plump Caucasian woman with long blonde hair, hanging upside down from a set of monkey bars. She wore a white t-shirt with a brown vest layered over it and blue jeans with a black belt, yellow socks, and black sandals to top things off. "Heyyy," she greeted goofily, her voice with a bit of an Italian accent. "I'm Sienna and what's this? Why am I upside down?"
She giggled and covered her face. "I just wanted to surprise all of you," she said before suddenly growing concerned. Seconds later she fell off the bars, hitting the ground with a thud. She managed to pick herself up, relatively unharmed and brushed off some dirt from her outfit. She blushed a little in embarrassment before giggling again. "That coulda been a disaster. Just imagine; I injure myself right before I go on the show. With my luck, I wouldn't be surprised."
She scratched behind her ear in awkward silence. "Well…" she trailed off. "Guess I'll go get finished packing. Byeeee!" She then skipped her way to off-camera, allowing the introduction to end.
"Well that was certainly an… intro," John quipped dryly. "Anyways, our penultimate camper is someone that has lived in three different countries and is currently about to live in her fourth. Meet Neda Atashnak, the Secret Superfan!"
A petite Iranian woman was seen jogging down a street with the camera following her along closely. She wore just a simple baggy baby pink shirt that slightly revealed her left shoulder and a pair of tight black leggings with some clean white running shoes. She was jamming to some music while she ran, humming along to the pop tunes. She stopped after a bit to eye over at the camera. "Hi everybody!" she greeted cheerfully with a wave as her long single braid of black hair waved along through the wind. "I'm Neda!"
She stopped at an intersection, jogging in place until it was her turn to continue. "I'm such a big fan of reality TV shows," she explained. "And now that I'm going to be in one, I really want to train myself physically. I don't wanna be the first boot after all."
She turned right down another sidewalk, feeling great about everything. "Oh, I'm honestly so excited," she clamored, her eyes filled with awe. "I'm gonna have so much fun and meet so many new people. I already have a great strategy for this show too. Oh, I hope I win it all."
She came to a stop by a park bench by the roadside, taking a seat on it accordingly. The camera now faced her directly as she laid her small hands on her lap. "Whew, I need a rest," she said, breathing in and out slowly. "I lived in Iran, Turkey and currently Canada but now I'm gonna live in the USA for a whole summer. This will be awesome. I hope to make my family proud."
She stood up and stretched her back before nodding her head. "Okay, back to jogging," she said, setting off quickly. "See ya everyone, love you all!" She waved goodbye as she sprinted off back to her home.
"She seems quite excited, which is great to see," John remarked. "Lastly, our final camper is none other than Felix Spade, the Poker Fanatic."
"Read 'em and weep, fellas," said the voice of a young Latino man wearing a green t-shirt that had the Ace of Spades insignia plastered on the front. He also wore some blue jeans held up with a black belt and moss green sneakers. He laid down a pair of cards, two Aces. His fellow tablemates flopped their arms and groaned in frustration, while Felix flicked his lips up with a smirk.
"You always win out, I don't get it," said one of the others as he crossed his arms in annoyance. "What kind of cheating luck do you have?"
Felix took the deck of cards and shuffled them in his hand. "It's not luck, amigo," he replied, dealing out everyone's hand. "I'm just good at reading your tells."
"Ey, let's see you up the ante then, wise guy" said a burly man's voice. "If I win this next round, I get your spot in the Peralta Challenges. If I lose, I'll give you a hundred bucks… cash!"
Felix bit his lip in thought as he brushed back his messy black fade. The tips of his hairs were dyed green, matching his shirt. The other guys at the table stared in awe at such a bet but Felix kept cool and nodded his head. "Deal," he said, getting everyone else to freak out in excitement.
The burly man grimaced as he pushed forth all of his poker chips. "Well then, I'm all in," he said menacingly.
"I fold," said the guy next to him. "Oh man, I just gotta see how this goes down."
Everyone else folded as well, everyone but Felix, of course, who called the bet without hesitation. After the community cards were all revealed (a queen of hearts, a queen of spades, a seven of hearts, a three of hearts and an ace of diamonds), the burly man laid down his hand, showing a king of hearts and an eight of hearts. "Flush, baby," he said with a proud grin.
Felix smirked and laid his hand out. "Full house," he replied. Indeed, he had a queen of clubs and the ace of spades. Everyone at the table gasped in disbelief as the burly man grew flustered.
Felix smirked once again, enjoying the sweet taste of victory. "Now that was luck," he said, finishing off his introduction with an iconic zinger.
"Well, well, well," John said, rubbing his chin as things returned back to his office. "So our full cast is finally revealed and I couldn't be anymore excited to get this show on the road. Next time, we'll be back with the very first episode of the Peralta Challenge, season two!" He ended things off with a wink as the camera faded to black for the final time.
Alright, that's it. We have our full cast of 18 campers. Thanks to everyone who sent in apps and apologies to those I didn't accept. As of now, I will be working on the first episode of this soon. Also, don't be afraid to give any constructive criticism on how I'm writing your characters. Follow, fav and review too, if you like.
Here's the full cast and their respective authors:
Yana - SinWriter7
Clifford - Jade's One of a Kind
Edgar - lordgemini
Jaz - Nobody245
Kyla - TDNerd
Gerald - Tech-Star
Bo - Mr. Ruff
Rae - 37KarsOnMars
Miriam - MorbidGinger
Preston - P R O J E C T - D R A M A
Vela - BaseballCapClyde
Tyson - KadachiNova
Celia - The Feline Overlord
Kai - Space Zodiac
Aditi - Epifanio Therion
Sienna - DaringDF1827
Neda - AZW330
Felix - NovusVisum
With that said and done, stay hydrated and have a wonderful day :)