"It's a broken robot."

The old Delilah would have kicked the cabinet. Fear held her impulses back. The Zoltar machine looked worse for wear. Something about it's shabby state cast it in a sinister light. The paint peeled away from Zoltar's face looked like scars and the streaks of rust like blood. Delilah felt a chill when she looked into that single, red eye. She felt the eye was staring back. Waiting.

"Hey, Suze? You believe in wishes?"

"You mean like if you see a shooting star?" Susan asked. "Or if an eyelash falls on your face and then you can take it off and make a wish?"

She was thinking out loud now and Delilah could tell that even this version of Susan still believed. It was still Susan alright. Still had the same personality as far as Delilah could tell. More confident, and perhaps more skilled in ways that Delilah didn't know. But she was still Susan. Even if Mom had turned into Mom-Thing.

"It depends what you mean by believe. And what you mean by wish." A voice said.

Delilah turned to see a boy sitting in the sand at the mouth of the cave. He looked rather nerdy, with huge bi-focals that magnified his eyes as if he was Mr. McGoo.

Delilah nodded. Susan was still the same scamp inside. It was a relief. "Yeah. Like that only--"

Then another voice piped up. She whipped around to face him, scowling deeply.

"Who're you? Where'd you come from?" she barked.

Delilah didn't believe for a second that this geek swam down here. Even if he looked like he was wearing swim goggles. She edged in front of her little sister. If Hogwash sent him here to bring her back, then she wasn't going without a fight.

"Oh no." Susan said, clutching to Delilah's waist and leg. "I thought we were the first ones to get here." The hands grabbed at Delilah's bathing suit, as Susan drew herself closer to Delilah.

The geek was wearing Hawaiian patterned trunks that came down below his skinny knees. He was thin-framed and of average height. Seeing the pallor of his skin, Delilah suddenly realized that her own skin was much tanner in comparison, as if she had spent many days at the beach. By contrast, this boy's skin was ghost-white.

"I'm Bradford. I swam all the way here and thought that I was the first one!" The boy countered in a joyful voice like he was happy to see that there was company, but that it didn't matter to him who was first.

"It doesn't matter to me who was first. I'm just really glad that someone else is here to see this cool place. I mean, it's incredible. It's like some kind of secret beach or pirates cove! Would you look at this place! It's great!" Bradford said.

"We sure don't have places like this where I'm from out in Kansas."


"What are your guys-es names?"

It didn't matter who was first?

She scoffed and rolled her eyes at Susan, as if to say Can you believe this guy? Then she pushed away her little sister's grubby hands.

Delilah eyed the scrawny boy from head to toe. All knobby knees and horsey teeth. She felt very cool by comparison. It was hard to believe that Bradford was in control of Mr. Clayton. Maybe he was the one that wasn't real.

She sauntered up to the dork, sizing him up. "I'm Delilah Gray." She flicked her wet hair over her shoulder. The damp tendrils dripped around her feet. "This is my sister, Susan. And this is our Mermaid Lagoon!" she added.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:43, Sun 07 Jan 2018.

Delilah Rolls Presence + Intimidation vs. Bradford's Resolve + Composure.

Whatever happened with racing Susan was in the past. Bradford wasn't there to see any of it. Delilah stepped forward with a smirk and planted her hand on her hip.

18:39, Today: Delilah Gray rolled 5 successes using 5d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((10(+8),10(+6),9,8,1)).

Best. Hairflip. EVER.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:42, Mon 08 Jan 2018.

21:55, Today: Bradford Stork failed (no successes) using 3d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((6,7,4)).

Bradford stammered backwards, tripping awkwardly and landing on his butt. He looked up at Delilah with fear on his face.

"It's yours!" He fumbled his words, with one hand, he held his palm towards Delilah as if waiting for the blow to come, hoping to convince her not to do it.

"Ya!" Susan said with savage glee, egging Delilah on. "He stumbled on the wrong spot to steal. Especially from us. Show 'em Delilah! Kick 'em while he's down!"

The old, familiar rush came over Delilah. The one thing that honestly felt reassuring in this new life: looking down on someone.

"Su-zie," she sang in an overly sweet tone. "We're not gonna kick Bradford. He came here to play with us."

She stood over the boy, drumming her fingers on her hip. "Get up," she commanded.

Bradford stood up, magnified eyes darting between Susan and Delilah.

"Golly!" He said relieved. "This place is all yours. I thought for a second you were going to hit me." He said, relieved.

Then his smile came back. It was genuine, honest and naive. "Boy, oh boy. I've learned my lesson." Bradford said, shaking his head, hands no longer warding off Delilah at all, but simply by his side.

"Relax, Bradley. I said we're gonna play, so let's play. Pirates."

Delilah gave Bradford a playful punch to his chest. She slowly circled him clockwise, leaving enough space for Susan to hem him in from the other side and circle the other way.

"G--ahh!" Bradford squealed as the punch landed. His oversized eyes followed Delilah one way, and Susan the other way, head on a swivel. His hands fidgeted, fingers moving in awkward motion as he attempted to brace himself or push himself up. He seemed hardly reassured.

"Arrrr Matey!" Susan said, picking up an old piece of wood that stuck out of the beach and would make for a good pirate sword.

OOC: Delilah Rolls Composure + Wits + 1

23:48, Today: Delilah Gray rolled 2 successes using 4d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((10(+6),3,8,6)).

"I'm the captain. And you guys are my crew. And we're on the hunt for buried treasure. But if any of you try to double-cross me, KRRRK!" Delilah drew her thumb across her throat. Her eyes were on Bradford. Satisfied that he was cowed, she draped the wet scarf over one shoulder, like an elaborate sash.

OOC: Delilah gets +1 to next degeneration roll

"OK!" Bradford said, standing up and saluting his best skipper salute. "I'm th' best right hand lubber that any Corsair could ask fer. Let's sail th' seven seas" 

Delilah liked the sound of that. She spread her feet in a wide stance and planted her fists on her hips. She squinted into the distance, surveying the beach. She was a captain making a decision, after all. Her gaze fell on the old Zoltar machine and she shut her eyes and only opened them when she thought it was out of her line of sight. She needed to talk to Bradford, but she had to get Susie out of earshot first. Not that there was much of a hurry. This was the best time she'd had in, well, it felt like forever.

"Onwards!" she bellowed and stabbed her fist down the beach.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:08, Thu 11 Jan 2018.

"Yes Capem'!" Bradford yelled, eager to get on with the playing.

"Ahoy!" Susan yelled, eager and by Delilah's side. She was hard to keep at bay, always following in Delilahs' footsteps.

"This way!"

Delilah picked up a stick to whack at the lush greenery. It didn't matter if the vegetation was in her way or not. She swung heartily to break a trail. After everything she'd seen and suffered, it felt good to thrash something. Even if it was just a plant.

"We gotta find a safe spot to bury our treasure."

"Cap'n, I be knowin' o' a great place t' hide th' booty. Follow me and I'll show ye both a place I be knowin' o'. Yaaarrrrr! I've been t' this island many times in th' past, and I've seen wondrous hidin' places fer such thin's!"

Bradford signaled to follow him deeper into the bush. He was totally lost in the world of pretend Pirates now, all previous transgressions forgotten. He eagerly jumped ahead to clear away some bushes with his bare hands, to allow both Susan and Delilah a path to follow.

OOC: Delilah decides:

-to follow Bradford, or

-not to Follow Bradford

Delilah stopped savaging the bushes and wiped her brow. She raised her trailblazer loftily and nodded towards Bradford.

"Lead on, Black-heart Bill."

She even had to give him a pirate name. Being a pirate queen was hard work.

"I'm Black heart Bill, th' most fiercest Corsair navigator in th' land. There ain't a Corsair this side o' th' sea that knows th' land like I do, avast. I've been here thousands o' times. In me dreams, and in th' dreams.............For th' great master has shown me th' way. It be he who has given me th' almighty key t' understandin' th' lost, dark, arts. Steps three: Spend lots of time with your dummy!"

Bradford cleared through the brush hacking away with a stick at some leaves to make the path more secure for Delilah and Susan.