Once in her room, Solace put the bag on the bed while Alase put on her robe and slippers. "Now, you can open the boxes. Pretend they're presents for your birthday party."

"Birthday party?" Whore questioned the unfamiliar term as she put the robe and slippers back on. "What is that?"

"Never mind that right now. Just open them." she replied.

Whore took the boxes out of the bags and stared at them a moment, as if she was trying to figure out how to open them, but she was really just staring at the pretty designs on them. Opening one of the three biggest boxes, she stared again, awed at how the dark gray peasant dress looked even more beautiful when she saw it in person. "It feels so soft." she breathed, reaching out her hand slowly to touch the material, then snatched her hand back, realizing she hadn't been told she could touch them.

"Yes, and you'll wear it tonight for dinner to surprise Master Nooj. Now open the other packages." Solace ordered her, taking the first dress to hang it up in the closet. Whore thought the other two dresses were just as beautiful, but she felt the undergarments and sleep wear from the lingerie store were positively obscene. From the pictures she saw on the laptop, they were meant to interfere with her purpose as a fucking slave. "This is your underwear drawer." Solace told her as she put the panties and bras in the designated drawer before hanging up the sleep wear next to the dresses. "Now let's go back to the kitchen, the kettle's probably ready."

Taking two tins out of the cupboard once they were back in the kitchen, Solace put them on the island before getting two mugs to put next to them. "Do you want tea or cocoa?"

"Whatever you think is best for me, Mistress." Whore answered cautiously as she got back onto a stool in response to the gesture for her to do so, glad she wasn't facing the doors out to the terrace, looking outside was bad enough, but it was even worse with the awesome storm raging around them. She much preferred watching her Mistress.

"I think it's best you answer for yourself." Solace told her, and Whore shuddered at the tone of unmistakable warning. A choice meant there was a right choice and a wrong one. If she chose wrong…"There is no wrong answer, if that's what you're afraid of." Solace added when Alase didn't respond right away.

Whore was once again amazed that she could read her mind. "I…I want to drink whatever you are, Mistress." she said with a hesitant smile.

"Cocoa it is, then." Solace quickly grabbed the tea tin and put it back in the cupboard, hiding her frown from Alase so she wouldn't think she had done anything wrong. Sternly reminding herself that she was now incapable of any real independence, she tried to tell herself that it was enough that she could almost make a decision when forced to. "Did you drink cocoa a lot as a little girl?"

Whore stared blankly at Solace as she started putting some of the cocoa mix in the mugs, feeling inexplicably scared again when she couldn't think of an answer . "I…I don't…it…I…" she stuttered as her panic grew over being asked about her past again, causing her to start ranting. "I'm not supposed to know anything but what you teach me, aren't I? I don't remember because it's not important! I'm just a stupid slut, that's all I'm supposed to be!"

"Stop that!" Solace regretfully slapped Alase to stop her hysterical babbling. She had deliberately asked her a question that she knew could trigger her like it had on the drive here, but she wanted to be absolutely sure that the memory loss was psychological, not physical. It was hardly surprising that she had survived her captivity with dissociative amnesia. At least it meant she definitely relied on others for her own sense of identity, when Nooj got home they could start the process of turning her into Mercy. It was too bad they couldn't convince her to forget Arrass as well, but he was the reason for her current mental state, without him she would have no sense of self at all, even if that self was basically nothing but a combo punching bag and sex doll. "When did you become a stupid slut?" she asked carefully, reasonably sure that since Alase had brought it up, it wouldn't trigger her again.

"I must have always been one, that's why nobody wants me! Even Master Baralai rejected me, and he's all I ever wanted!" Whore's reply didn't even sound sincere to herself, and she hated herself even more. She knew she was supposed to want him, and she was trying to convince herself, but all she really wanted was to be back in the cottage with Arrass, and the thought that he was rejecting her too hurt worse than anything. "That's why I don't want to remember anything else!"

"Then don't." Solace said reassuringly as she handed her a steaming mug. "We will tell you what you need to know, I promise. Can you read?"

"I can read recipes, but I'm not allowed to read anything but instructions." Whore remembered that rule from having to learn how to cook at the cottage.

"Can you read this mug, then?" Solace held up hers so Alase could see the words on it.

"Don't kiss the cook with the same mouth you kiss your mother with." Whore's expression was puzzled as she read the words. "What…what does that mean?"

Solace chuckled and gently patted Alase's cheek. "It doesn't mean anything, it's just a joke. You know what jokes are, don't you?"

"I'm…not sure." she admitted, distracted by the warm sensation on her face where her Mistress had touched her, first with the violence she needed, then a confusingly light touch.

"Well, we'll talk about that later. I'm glad you can read, Master Nooj and I will make up a list of instructions for you to memorize." Solace took a sip of her cocoa. "And I'll give you some cookbooks to help you expand your repertoire. Speaking of food, what did you usually make for lunch? And dinner?"

"Sandwiches for lunch and steak for dinner." Whore promptly replied, feeling a little warm flutter inside as well over her Mistress saying she was glad she could read, she loved making her happy as much as she did Arrass.

Solace got ingredients for sandwiches out and laid them on the island counter in front of Alase. "So then you can make us lunch." Her phone rang suddenly, startling both of them. "Oh, it's Master Nooj. I'll take this in the dining room, you start on the sandwiches." she told her when she looked at the caller ID. "I'll be right back."