Theater of Flesh: Open Auditions

[KINKYCanada]

Another quick, dirty fuck for drugs. Cole was going to be so pissed at her. They had that same fight a million times always ending with her promising to stop with the drugs and to stop using her body as a debit card. Yet it didn't matter what it was she always went back to bad habits. She had fucked more men then most prostitutes that had been in the business for a great many years, and yet she never once caught any sti, or any ailment of any kind.

She grunted when he entered her. Cole was a large man too and she had been with a few freaks in her days but she couldn't deny that this geezer had it going on. Letting out grunts as he slammed her from behind. Clenching her kagels to make him cum faster Missy shut her eyes and thought of the magician Zach and how he might be a bit of fun or D himself, or maybe the acrobat or that sexy as hell strong man. She felt her orgasm coming and shutting her eye tight forced herself to get off even if this was one of the ugliest men alive. After she would have a smoke and maybe a line and this whole thing would be forgotten like so many other bad decisions.

KC

 

[Zagreus_D]

For Stella and Zach

The stage clean-up was nearly complete, or at least complete enough for now, complete enough to break from the drudgery and invite the troupe, old and new to share snippets of performance.

Mr. D looked around taking stock of the performers, both Zach and Stella stayed, at least for now, but that alone was a good sign. A great many performers would have stormed out after the somewhat insulting speech that D had given them, that they were still there, indicated that they both had a willingness to try something different, to compromise a bit, and explore outside of their comfort zones. Those were the qualities that made for long term members of the troupe, talent was valuable to D, but not nearly as valuable as flexibility.

A sudden urge struck D to reward the pair for accepting the challenge he had posed to them. He walked up to Stella and touched her lightly on the elbow. "Will you follow me a moment?" D walked past Zach next. "Would you join us a minute Zach?"

 

[Zagreus_D]

For Cole

"Hmm..." Maeve pondered Cole's question dreamily, as she savored the sensation of his cock grinding against her foot, then watched eagerly as Cole undid his pants.

She raised the edge of her skirt to reveal that she was wearing garters and true stockings, rather than pantyhose. She unclipped her stocking from the garter and slid the shear black fabric down her leg, moving her foot long enough to free the stocking entirely. "I'm sure you noticed that this is The Theater of Flesh. Our business is sex. The lines between work and play quite frequently get blurred, and the boss is just as guilty as the rest of us. There is only one hard and fast rule that we work and play by, every day, and that is this: Everything must be consensual. So tell me Cole, do you consent?"

Maeve leaned forward and gripped each of Cole's wrists. She used her stocking to bind his wrists together. Then lifted his arms above his head and tied off the stocking to the back of the chair, using the wooden slats to anchor him firmly in place. "But we probably should get your hotel booked first." She lifted his shirt over his head, where it bunched and tangled around his arms, further constricting Cole's range of movement. "Did you decide about the kitchenette?"

 

[Zagreus_D]

For Missy

Silenus didn't come quickly, but he made no effort to extend the affair longer than necessary. When he found his release, he let out a low shuddering groan. Then he pulled out, discarded the condom into a waste bin, zipped up his pants and moved out the door.

He figured to let the girl alone, and spare her any extra embarrassment or discomfort... Silenus had no delusions about his appeal, but he also had no self pity about it either.

He mumbled a quick, "Thankya," then disappeared. He walked up the spiral staircase to mount the catwalk above the stage, safely out of sight. He planned to stay out of the way until he was needed.

 

[authorminx]

Stella set down the broom and followed D quietly, not asking why. She already knew, just from their few interactions, that he expected to be obeyed. She suspected he rewarded loyalty, though.

She swore she heard vigorous fucking somewhere near. A groan. She smiled to herself. Well, an interesting group this was turning out to be.

 

[KINKYCanada]

For Maeve

Cole was unsure what all was happening in the office. He was aroused beyond bleif though and his cock couldn't get harder if he wanted it to, A very healthy and thick 8 inches begging to be touched and played with.

Missy had done everything imaginable with him, even things he swore he would take to the grave before ever speaking of them. Other things he thought he would hate and ended up loving. This included bondage, his pain threshold was almost not human, much like his aim, or the speed in which he could move when he needed to. All almost super human. He knew he wasn't normal he also knew that Missy wasn't normal. Born on the same day, same second in rooms next to each other. Then growing up they were opposites from each other, he was good, kind, caring and thoughtful of others. Missy was mean, cruel, tactless, and loved seeing people hurt or sad. Yet they were inseparable growing up.

One day Missy was high and got into a fight Cole came to her aid and she kissed him thanking him. From then on they were lovers and from then on she learned to be kind to certain people and he learned sex was fun to be explored to it's fullest.

"A kitchenette!" He breathed deeply wanting nothing more then to feel her, taste her, fuck her or be fucked by her. "I consent, god yes I consent!!!" He almost yelled. His perfectly formed and chiseled body was flexing against the resraints, not to truly break free but to show her how he wanted her.

KC

 

[KINKYCanada]

When Silenus was done and left, she was happy that she got if nothing else a small release from the power of his thrusts. She lit a smoke and pulled up her pants, pocketed the coke. Now she was to score some weed, which was her vice of choice and the one she used on a daily bases.

She decided to do a little more work and went to find someone who might help point her in the right direction. She went out to the stage and looking out at the sea of seats, she paced the stage and envisioned her and Cole up there performing through her muscle memory, with her eyes closed she went through the motions of aspects of her performance. Of course with this group the performance would be very different, sexually charged and deviant beyond anything she had done in front of an audience. She knew she was up for it. She loved shocking people and doing things out of the social norm or acceptable levels of decency, Cole would be the one who would need to work at it. He would need to overcome! Not his shyness but his ability to make people uncomfortable.

This had always made them fight. Then after a long fight where he would rationally explain why he felt the way he did with out ever uttering a single swear word or directing a single mean comment at her. While she let out a slew of curse words and called him an asshole, told him to swallow a gun, wished him harm, attacked every part of his being. They would fuck and make up often for days on end. This was now how she got him to do knew and very kinky things. She pegged him this way, gave him a golden shower, cuckolded him. This was where she would push his comfort level. Now they were members of the Theater of Flesh... Now things were going to really change for him.

When she was done she sat in the middle of the stage and just took it all in and finished her post sex smoke.

KC

 

[silvertongue217]

ZACH POV

"Of course" Zach said turning to the sound of Mr. D inviting him over. He put down the box he had been looking through and patted his hands moving back over to join the main group.

"I hope you dont mind" Zach said stopping to stand in front of the two "I was looking at what equipment you had I had to leave most of mine with my old Mentor unfortunately"

"So how can I help you?" He asked leaning back to regard his new boss and patron "are we all set to perform some magic?"

 

[Zagreus_D]

For Stella and Zach

Mr. D POV

D stopped walking and turned to face Zach and Stella, "I'm glad to hear that you are exploring the stock on hand. You will have an opportunity to put in requests for new acquisitions soon, but I always prefer using what we have on hand. Each performer has a small area at the back of the prop room to store anything they have laid personal claim to for their act, but most of this is just accumulation... the troupe has been operating for a very long time under various directors, various names, and my predecessor did not get rid of anything. Neither have I."

The lies rolled effortlessly off D's tongue. He had never had a predecessor, the troupe had always been his, but the truth was far harder to believe than the lies, and lying saved time. "You are welcomed to help yourself to anything you like, so long as it hasn't been claimed for someone else's act, and you can make alterations and adjustments as necessary. Once you claim it, it's yours, and I mean that truly. You can keep it. But I think you might both be particularly interested in these..."

D turned and led the pair to a dark corner of the backstage area, where three large wooden crates were stacked one on top of another. "I just had these delivered from storage. Everything in these boxes belonged to a magician, and side-show manager named 'The Great Orsino' who performed in the 1930's. I'm sure it will take quite a bit of effort to unpack and sort all of this, so I'm really giving you a chore more than a gift, but I imagine some of the pieces would be valuable to a collector, even if they aren't necessarily useful for your act. It's yours. My gift to both of you."

No sooner had D spoken the words then a sudden sense of foreboding gripped him. There had been a reason he left these boxes alone all these years. A reason. But he couldn't seem to remember what it was... He decided not to dwell on it. Trying to capture a memory only served to drive it further into obscurity. He decided to offer some sort of vague caution in lieu of whatever true trouble had been associated with Orsino's belongings. "Do be careful with this stuff though, equipment from that period was never really safe, and there may be broken springs or latches, not to mention asbestos and other possible chemical contaminants. I don't want either of you to lose a finger, or a lung."

 

[Zagreus_D]

For Cole

Maeve POV

Maeve smiled at Cole's enthusiasm. He was everything that she loved in a partner, sweet and eager, and willing to submit to both her gentlest caress and her cruelest torment. She wanted him badly, but her favorite game was playing cool, calm and collected.

She loved nothing more than to work her boy toys into a frothing frenzy while appearing all the while as if she could walk away without them ever provoking the slightest need or desire in her. What very few ever came to understand was that what she needed, what she desired from them, was the illusion of power, and control.

She loved men, loved them so much that she was willing to turn herself inside out to give them even a fleeting moment of pleasure. The game of control allowed her to give them exactly what they wanted, but it was also her armor. It saved her from ever facing the broken heart that lingered long after each chancy rendezvous. This way, her lovers remembered her like a goddess from a dream, instead of seeing her as nothing more than a pathetic girl starved for their affection. She hadn't understood that about herself until she met D, and in truth she hated her employer just a little for bringing her face to face with the true nature of her game. Still it did nothing to sour the pleasure, in fact it made it just that much sweeter, knowing that she was capable of loving each of them, and then letting them go in turn. Each affair eased some of her hurt and anger, and brought her a greater level of calm and acceptance.

She picked up the phone on her desk and calmly dialed the hotel, smiling inwardly as she watched Cole squirm against the weak restraints that he could most assuredly escape with any genuine effort. As the phone rang she undressed for him, putting on a sensual show, removing her other stocking and then her jacket. By the time the receptionist answered she was unbuttoning her blouse, never taking her eyes off of Cole.

"Hi Cathy. This is Maeve, with the theater..." She shed the blouse, letting it drop to the ground.

"Yes, me again..." She stood up and slid her panties down her long legs and kicked them aside.

"Do you have any of the suites with the kitchenette still available..." Maeve pulled a condom out of the top desk drawer, rolled her chair aside, and kneeled before her captive.

"Two left?" She opened the condom and slid it over Cole's erect penis while the woman on the other end of the phone chatted away. Then she straddled Cole's legs and guided his cock into her dripping pussy. She always got very wet. Just watching Cole strain against his restraints was enough to make her flood with lust. She eased herself down onto his lengthy shaft, forcing herself not to gasp with pleasure as he filled her.

"No... that's fine... You know what, go ahead and book both of them for me." She shifted her hips in a rolling undulation, releasing a slight gasp despite all her efforts, and pressing a finger to Cole's lips, to discourage him from moaning out loud.

"Reserve one of those for Cole... I'm sorry sweetie, what is your last name again?" She asked Cole the question with distant professionalism, nothing in her tone would give away that the man she was speaking to was currently inside of her, causing her to tremble and quake with the sheer size of his cock.

 

[authorminx]

Stella listened attentively as D explained the equipment. She felt that she’d heard the name Orsino before, perhaps Peter had mentioned him. This brought an unwelcome memory of her happy past: late night dinners after shows with her old troupe. Laughing, getting too drunk, sometimes the haze of weed or opium. Her family, really. A feeling that she knew she would never get back. She shook off the nostalgia as best she could.

Her eyes ran over the spread and her heart started to beat a little faster. A gold mine. Tricks she hadn’t seen for years…antique cups and balls, their sides carved with symbols that looked vaguely familiar; a selection of hats that did various tricks or hid flourishes; and was that a cabinet that could be used to perform the trick that Peter called the Bifurcated Woman? She had never seen one outside of his. Stella picked up a fine blazer, velvet, running her hands over it. Secret pockets sewn in, everywhere, it was a true work of art.

She looked up at D, her eyes grateful. “Thank you. This is an amazing collection and a very generous gift.”

 

[silvertongue217]

"I shall echo her sentiments" Zach said running his eyes over what his boss had shown him and turning.

"These our excellent and to come from such a famous magician as well! I studied Orsino quite a bit when I was still learning the trade the things he could do on stage once he got going..... well there is a reason his work was so highly imitated back in the day" Zach said turning to the trunks with glee.

He shoved his Cane into the wood, with a simple flick of a hidden button it looked as if it was standing upright on its own wobbling slightly. He came over to the trunk running his hand over it and blowing off the dust before he opened it. His eyes danced at every thing hidden and nestled inside.

"What treasures!" Zach breathed reaching in and touching some of the ornate equipment "I cant wait to-"

Before he could finish some thing caught his eyes. It was a puzzle box, intricate in its finishing and carvings. He felt drawn to it and picked it up turning it over and over in his hands as he studied it.

"This is older than Orsinos time" He murmured standing up. He began to fiddle with the puzzle trying out different combinations. Soon he became lost in it and walked off leaving the glorious treasures that Mr. D offered him as solving the puzzle box took over in his mind.

 

[Zagreus_D]

Mr. D POV

Hearing Orsino praised by his two new affiliates brought forward an itch of old rage. Whatever talent the man had possessed, he was a greedy bastard, spending nearly all of his earnings on improving his own act, while allowing the "freaks" in his side-show to very nearly starve. He was a cruel, brutish bully, who treated his employees like slaves until one of them finally murdered him. But of course history would not recall those details, as far as anyone knew Orsino had retired at the peak of his career. Mr. D himself had gone to extraordinary lengths to cover up the murder, and spread rumors of Orsino's romantic retirement to become the husband of an exotic eastern princess.

D was surprised at how fresh his anger was toward one so long dead. He was not the sort to hold that kind of grudge, well not anymore. He was about to chalk his anger up as an incidental invocation of his younger self, from a time when he had been less forgiving, and far more vicious, but then he caught the glimpse of the box in Zach's hands. That's mine! Orsino must have stolen it! Rage and more rage. The urge to rush forward and wrestle the object away from Zach rose up, accompanied by a wave of nausea.

D kept his feet planted to the spot. He did not move. What is it? I know that box. Why? He pressed his mind to recall what he knew of the object, but the memory stood behind a locked door. The was not a case of usual foggy forgetfulness, where details became lost in time. His emotional attachment to the box was undeniably clear, but every associated detail was completely blocked. D could only draw one conclusion, the box had been amazingly important to him, but D's younger, more vicious self had made a deliberate choice to forget it.

Zach wandered away, and by force of will, D let him go. Whatever secret that box held would be found soon enough, and for better or for worse it belonged to Zach now.

D stepped closer to Stella. He needed something to distract him, to prevent him from obsessing over lost memories. "You should try it on," D said, referring to the blazer that had caught Stella's eye. He took hold of Stella's jacket in order to help remove it.

 

[authorminx]

Stella felt a frisson when D slipped off her jacket. The velvet of the blazer rasped against the pads of her fingers. It felt charged with possibility.

"I think I must," she said, in a whispy reply to D.

A voice in her head, insistent, Ditch the shirt, too, dove. Not a voice she recognized, but one she instinctively obeyed. She didn't know why she did it; it just seemed the thing to do. Her blouse swept over her head, revealing a white lace bra, a stark contrast to the black of the blazer. Her breasts swelled out of the lace, pushing against the delicate material.

"I hope it fits," she said, canting a half-smile at Mr. D.

 

[Zagreus_D]

Mr. D POV

D smiled back as Stella slipped into the fine garment. It fit her like a glove, as if it had been tailored to her exact dimensions. D didn't drop his smile, but the smile grew suddenly hollow, as he considered the implications.

Stella was not a tiny woman, but she was slender and small. Orsino had been a large man, considerably more robust than the artist renderings of his day would lead you to believe, and D had seen him wear this jacket. This same jacket had fit Orsino like a glove as well. D had no doubt that there was more to this jacket than a fine fit. There was magic in it, and this was not the sort of magic that came without cost. He had intended to gift Stella and Zach with something harmless, and valuable, but instead he may have cursed each of them. He felt obligated to at least attempt to prepare Stella for whatever the jacket might demand.

"You perform magic Stella, but do you believe in real magic?"

 

[authorminx]

When Stella slid into the jacket and buttoned the front, something odd happened. It seemed to adjust to her, she swore she could feel it, the velvet shrinking in to fit her exactly. The lapels pulled in to swaddle her chest, artfully letting the bra show. The bottom of the blazer flared and contoured exactly to her hips, fit to her small waist. She nearly gasped.

Then D asked the question. The one she was always afraid to answer.

Her voice came out small, more trembly than she wished. "Yes. I think. Things...happen to me sometimes. Or I make them happen."

Stella shifted nervously, horrified. She had never said these words to anyone else for fear that she'd be labeled hysterical. She had not meant to say them now, but there they were.

 

[silvertongue217]

The puzzle box was like a black hole sucking him in until nothing else seemed to matter. Zach was an obsessive man by nature and was unashamedly addicted to mysteries and puzzles. That combined with the fact that Zach some how KNEW there was some thing in the box, some thing that he wanted only served to drive him to figure this thing out.

And as fast as possible

So he wondered tinkering and messing with the puzzle as he tried to figure it out. He wasnt aware of time passing until he looked up and realized he was on the rood of the building. It was a small area little more than a platform really but it had a nice view of the surrounding area. He found a small chair some one had discarded and after checking to make sure it could still hold any weight he plopped down on it.

"Now lets see what we have here" He murmured turning his eyes back to the puzzle. He was close! He knew it, could sense it in the air like electricity.

His fingers sped up trying and matching the tiles with more ease than he had before. Soon the final piece was clicking into place and Zachs heart felt like it was stopping as he felt the box click and unlock in his hands.

Yet it did not open

 

[Zagreus_D]

For Stella

Mr. D POV

"Good," D responded with a nod, matter of factly, no trace of irony. "This is yours. I couldn't take this back from you if I wanted to, but..." He ran his hands down over the sleeves, and took Stella's hands into his. "...and I hope you will heed me closely when I say this. It's a dangerous gift. It is a magical gift. All life is magical in it's own way, no surprises there, and any object can become empowered over time, just through purpose, and association, and powerful feelings, but there is a rare art in which magic is ripped from its natural source and forced into a more powerful configuration. It's a twisted process, and the items produced through such means are twisted too. This jacket will do things for you, I can't tell you what, but I assume you will find out soon. Use it sparingly. Use it wisely. Be mindful of the results. This kind of magic always exacts a price for everything it offers, and sometimes you don't realize the nature of the cost until it is too late. If it causes you problems, please come to me. I may be able to help you get rid of it, at the very least I can help you contain it. Are you following what I'm saying to you?"

 

[Cherrybomb400]

Ivy had started to work... she really did, however there was something inside of her that was naturally curious. She wanted to explore, there was something calling her, something that needed to be found and she was eager to answer. So after everyone seemed to be properly distracted, Ivy had backed into the curtains and started exploring.

Everything was so old and looked like it was ready to fall apart, no wonder Mr. D needed their help. If they tried to preform today the stage would probably break from under them! The ladders and the catwalk looked like it was fairly sturdy. Looking up she saw people walking around and replacing ropes and lights. Everyone was working quickly.

Her ears were still ringing, she was going the wrong way, wherever it was that she was meant to be going. She turned around, making sure that no one would take notice of her. Strange, sometimes it felt like all she had to do was to think it and she was invisible- either that or people really didn't pay her any mind.

As Ivy continued her search she found the kitchen, which looked ancient. Was that a wood burning stove? Ivy cocked her head to the side. It had to just be for show. She would have to look later, for now the calling was just getting louder and louder and she had to follow it, whatever it was. Eventually she found herself in a new room... a very colorful and bright room! There was a bed and clothes, trinkets... and whatever it was that was calling her it had to be here because the ringing stopped.

After the ringing stopped, Ivy came to her senses a bit. What was she doing here? Why had she come here? She was very confused and starting to worry that she found herself in a place she was not meant to be.

 

[authorminx]

The jacket felt like a caress. Her hands, in D's, felt small and hot covered by his long, elegant fingers. She listened to his hypnotic warning, each word filling her with a sense of foreboding.

But she also knew what her first act at Theatre of Flesh would be, in a flash of inspiration.

"I'm following. I can feel both the danger and the power flowing through it. Scary and exciting. A bit of a rush, isn't it Mr. D? I'm sure you know the feeling well."

Stella peered at him, his hazel eyes sparking some strange déjà vu.

"I tease. But yes, I understand what you're saying and I promise to be careful. If something happens, I will run to you like a damsel in distress. Which, sir, is not my finest role."

She gave him a saucy smile, lips curling, hoping to portray a sense of confidence she did not feel. It did not make any sense, but the jacket felt...alive. She could almost hear it whisper.

Stella took a breath. Imagining things, she thought, chalking it up to stress. So much upheaval, so much running, so very solitary.

"Now," she said brightly. "I ought to sort my lodgings and prepare for the little talent show I'm sure is coming."

 

[Zagreus_D]

For Stella

Mr. D POV

"No," D said, tightening his grasp on her hands, and pulling her back toward him before she could get away. "I don't think that you do follow. There is nothing weak about getting help with these things. Damsel is the wrong metaphor, you would be more like an addict who has found the power to seek intervention, or the parent of a murderous child who is wise enough to set aside their complicated feelings of guilt and failure, and hand the problem over to someone who can actually deal with it."

D shook his head, struggling to find a way to help her understand the stakes. There was nothing at all shameful about fear and caution, not when facing a genuine danger.

It always amazed D, this human habit of swirling fear and anxiety around ideas of loss and failure, while they haphazardly gambled with their sanity and selfhood. It seemed to D that despite his warning, Stella was still more afraid of losing face or seeming weak than she was of the possibility of having her sanity stripped away a piece at a time, or having her soul twisted into something monstrous beyond all recognition. This could only be because she did not understand. He could argue all day long, attempting to force her to see past her usual fears and recognize the genuine danger, but all that she was likely to see was that he was upset, and trying to tell her what to do, and Stella was the least of his problems. He still had to figure out how to deal with Zach, when the very idea of approaching him filled D with sensible dread.

Some glimmer of a hope took hold in D. "Stella, there's something else. You aren't the only one who found something dangerous today. Did you see the box that Zach picked up? It may be more dangerous than this jacket. No. What I mean to say is this... the box that Zach has found terrifies me. It terrifies me in a way that your jacket does not. That box is not something that I can deal with on my own, and I feel certain, completely certain, that Zach won't be able to deal with it either. But I think that you might. Will you help me?"

 

[authorminx]

Stella had no idea what to make of this man. It seemed to her that he was always having some sort of tantrum. If he knew the gifts were so dangerous, why had he given them in the first place?

She saw his mind shift gears; really, it was as if she could see it. A new appeal, a different tack, this time asking for her help.

It occurred to her suddenly that perhaps she had stumbled into a trap. There was the remote possibility that she had waltzed into a den of people associated with whoever was after her. Maybe she was still being followed, maybe the Theatre of Flesh was working with them.

Even if that wasn't the case, she didn't trust this Mr. D.

"I'll help you, of course. Though I don't really understand how. I've never been any good at puzzle boxes. Labyrinths, I'm a whiz. Puzzle boxes, alas no."

 

[haremfaery]

For Seth (if we want to continue with this)

Korey cocked her head and looked at Mr. Cute Butt. "Mr. D is totally on the level--a weird level, I'll grant you, but he would never con his employees. I was a sorry case and he and Maeve took care of me until I was old enough to join the troupe. I trust him completely. You should, too. Do you have specific concerns? Do you need a loan? He's a soft touch for people in trouble. He can work something out for you, I'm sure. Although it's Maeve who takes care of all the administrative stuff. But she wouldn't turn down heling you either." Eespecially with that cute butt.

She finished with the umbrella stand. "What was it you do again? I mean your act. I'm an aerialist. I hang from silks, mess around with a big hoop, that sort of thing. Now that he's acquired this theatre, I'm sure we'll be here for awhile. The man is a miracle worker."

"And where are my manners? I'm Korey."

 

[haremfaery]

For Zach with the puzzle box on the roof

... Instead, the puzzle box hissed and a light white mist spilled out of it. Not as thick as smoke, but like smoke, it licked out of the box in dancing swirling tendrils becoming taller and more opaque until it was a column as tall as a man. Or rather a woman, because the form pinched in at the waist and became more defined as it seemed to struggle to take shape.

Finally, within seconds, or minutes or hours, the mist resolved into a very real and very exotic woman. She looked like she had stepped out of a story book.

As she took in her surroundings and the man before her, a fleeting expression of disappointment crossed her face then she knelt in obeisance before him.

"You have summoned me, my master. What is your desire?"

She was somewhat disoriented, but it didn't show. She had been in her vessel for some 80 years and while she noted the passage of time it was a dreamlike experience seen through a prism, facets here and there, but never the whole. She knew things would settle into place once more now that she had a new master and she would adjust to the world again.

 

[Zagreus_D]

Mr. D POV

"Oh god no! Don't help him to open it," D said, with a nervous laugh. "I'm sure he won't need it. I wouldn't be surprised if he's already opened it," and a slight shiver went through him. "What I mean is for you to be there for Zach. Pay attention to what he's doing and how he's behaving. I know you don't know him well. I don't either, but you and I may be his only anchors into normal life, and I don't know how the contents of that box is likely to effect me. I might become, well... very unhelpful. If you can talk to him, give him the same basic warning I gave you. He may not believe in magic yet, which makes things more complicated. Just be a friend to him. I will try to talk to him too, if I'm able."

D released her hands. "Thank you Stella, really. For what it's worth, I'm sorry. If I had realized what was in those boxes, I never would have given them to you. I would have kept them locked away, but I feel sure the items you each found wanted you to have them. It may not have been preventable. Not that any of that will make me feel better if you or Zach do come to real harm over it, but your choices are your own. And my choices... well they've always been on the dark side of fucked."