A bit of a comic, a touch of an oddball, and always willing to have a good time. Dilly is an extrovert. She is a loyal friend and a staunch ally. People have called her their ‘yes girl’ because they rarely if ever have heard her turn down a request or an adventure. She’s occasionally a little out of the loop on things going on as she lives in her own bubble - and a bit helpless when it comes to things not within her sphere of interest. She is always happy to listen though and to put her spin on things.
portrayed by Chloe Bennet; penned by Sara.
full biography / background
triggering / sensitive content warning: car accident, death, sibling death.
They didn’t have a lot of money growing up. They didn’t have much of anything more than a two bedroom house, a used car, and a vegetable garden. Delilah, known affectionately as Dilly by all those she loved, felt it like a heavy hand on her shoulder. A hand that, in a different life, might have belonged to her father. He followed a wayward wind south when Dilly’s little brother was barely two. That’s how her mother put it, and for all Dilly cares he’s still chasing that wind. Her family downsized after that, any financial comfort that she knew was a memory bleached by time.
And yet, it was a happy childhood. She lived in her older sister Darcie’s hand-me-downs and she cut out grocery store coupons on Sunday morning while watching cartoons. She slept in the renovated attic of their little home with her older sister and the two bonded tightly. She thrived as the slightly overlooked middle child. She didn’t feel the need to be as practical or hardworking as Darcie, and she wasn’t coddled like her little brother. She was a goofy kid, a bit mischievous and with a strong moral compass. She didn’t enjoy her education, though she was able to struggle through on passing grades. She loved a good hike, and a night out during the summer. Sometimes she liked a good risk too. Her mother wouldn’t call her rebellious, but there was a night or two that ended in some unsanctioned fun.
Dilly was always good with her hands. Whether she was doodling, painting, or gardening she was most at peace when her hands were occupied. Pottery was something she stumbled into during her late teens. It was a challenge learning how to work clay, and it tested her patience at times, but the result was often something that made her heart sing. She scraped together enough money to take classes and worked with connections to get a mentorship by a potter an hour north.
After high school, she stayed home. She loved Merrock, she loved the community, and she didn’t want to make a life chasing wind like her father. So she put down roots. She worked every odd job under the sun and she saved up money. At the busiest seasons she’d hold down three jobs at a time and stumble back to bed exhausted. She didn’t have a passion for anything but pottery, and year and year she grew closer to her goal of opening a shop. Her family grew more stable too, more streams of income and savings to anchor them in the world. Vacations became an option for the first time. At twenty-six, she moved into her own apartment and three years later she bought a small space in the hideaway market to open Earth & Stone. Her shop sold handmade pieces and she hosted classes two nights a week to teach others.
Dilly’s love life was chaotic. Girlfriends came and went and then returned like a bad case of the hiccups. Her sister’s was not so much. But then, Darcie was a single mother and she raised her son with precision. She could wrangle any problem into submission with her Type A personality, motherhood included. Darcie’s son was two the summer Dilly got a little too drunk after a bad break-up. A friend called Dilly’s brother to come pick her up, but it was Darcie that got in the car that night. And it was Darcie who totaled her car. It was Darcie they laid to rest.
It was a sundering that could have taken Dilly too. But her mother wouldn’t let it happen. Dilly moved back to her childhood home and her nephew came with her. As a happy toddler, little August saved them both from the grief and the guilt. Dilly built herself back up piece by piece and has taken over large chunks of the responsibility of raising August. She splits her time between her shop and her nephew, she adopted a chinchilla for him. She does not date. She’s found a new normal and a new type of happiness.
Merrock would like to welcome Delilah Moore (Chloe Bennet), penned by Sara. Make sure your account is submitted in 48 hours, and take a look at our welcome brochure. Can't wait to see you around town! xx
