The First Penitatas - Bonds of Friendship and Family

The Birthing was a fortnight away, but it may as well have started as far as everyone else in the City was concerned. The happy, celebratory mood of the wider world served only to drive Skal further into his own misery, and under pressure sadness had a way of fusing into bitter anger. That anger came back in unexpected ways, serving to provide new fonts of suffering for the heartbroken boy. Sam was absent from school for the final week before it closed, and Skal found his gaze drawn inexorably to the empty seat she left behind. Udum was sympathetic, at least at first, but as the days went on he focused ever more attention on his inattentive pupil.
"Skal! Are you listening to me, or are you in a waking dream?" the teacher asked out of the blue. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of tinted sunglasses, but his voice and posture radiated disappointment.
"I am listening, sir!" Skal piped up with a touch more anger than was wise.
"Then repeat my last sentence," Udum ordered with a curl of the lip, clearly anticipating the boy's failure. Today, he'd been pacing the room with a rod in hand, and the slow, steady thwap it made as he struck his free palm was a ticking clock of doom to the ears of any Penitatas who was challenged.
Yet after a few moments to order his thoughts, Skal replied, "It is the privilege of mothers to be loved by their sons, and the burden of fathers to be feared and hated."
"Lucky guess," Udum growled, resuming his familiar march. "Who would care to explain what Vsar meant by this assertion? Hafn! We've not heard from you all day."
Hafn flinched at the sound of his own name, as he did every time Udum said it aloud. He wasn't the only Penny to react that way; by accident or design, Udum had weaponised the use of names to the point where even hearing a friend use it in class was unwelcome. The six-year-old Rejuve stared at the teacher's feet as he gave his shy answer, "I think, um, in the rest of the book he talks about how his sons want everything to be, well, fun. But he knows they have to be tough, so he's tough on them. And they hate him for it. Is that right?"
With theatrical slowness, Udum removed his sunglasses and brought the arm to his lip. "What book, Hafn?"
"Umm... Vsar's book? 'Letters to the Lords', I think?"
The Nightsider's jaw dropped. It was an obviously staged reaction, and one that drew a few quiet giggles from the braver members of the class. "Hafn, you've read Letters to Lords?"
Despite the soft tone of the teacher's voice, Hafn's gaze was drawn even further away, as though chasing some unseen mote of dust across the floor of the classroom. "I'm trying to read it now," he mumbled. His gaze only returned to the teacher when a loud clap echoed across the room.
"Magnificent!" Udum laughed. He resumed his lecturing patrol, his voice now uplifted and radiating joy as he espoused his teachings. "Our dear Hafn has grasped the fundamental truth of it! Vsar knew well the dissonance between our desire for safety and comfort, and the harsh realities of life. To suffer is to harden oneself against future suffering; to indulge in pleasures is to grow dependent upon them. Yet Vsar felt there was a place for both in life, and thus the need for a child to have two caregivers - one to provide comfort, the other to provide hardship. Of course, had Vsar sired any daughters then he would likely have been their source of comfort, for as it fell to him to teach a boy to be a man, so too should a mother teach a girl to be a woman. You can argue in your own time which sex has the raw deal on that arrangement."
With a sudden crack of the rod against his palm, Udum brought all eyes back to him. "Don't think I didn't spot the clock-watching! The lesson - and the discipline - ends when I say so!" the threat had its desired impact, and with a smug grin on his muzzle, Udum took up station in front of his desk. "Now then, before I dismiss you all for the Birthing, I want you all to at least try to get some reading done. We will conclude Letters to Lords upon our return, so like Hafn, aspire to read it yourselves. In fact, I shall make it essential; read this work, and prepare an essay on what it is to be a virtuous soul, in Vsar's estimation. We are also to receive royal visitations to our humble planet, so studying the history of the Dawn Kings, be they ancient or modern, would be an apt choice as well. There may be a quiz on such things when we resume. Finally, take some time to enjoy the holiday, for there is a time for comforts and pleasures, even for Penitatas such as yourselves. Dismissed!"
Where the other Penitatas raced away, Skal's departure was less enthusiastic. All he could think about was how much he wanted to spend time with Sam, to be with her, to comfort her in her time of need. Where normally he would have hurried through Darkside to the nearest transit hub, that day he welcomed the cold; it hurt his bare paws and muzzle, and it felt right to hurt. Walking uphill, following the road ramps that led back to the surface, the light and warmth of The City proper greeted him, along with the galling, inconsiderate sense of optimism that pervaded the world. He found himself walking beneath pastel-coloured bunting, passing homes and shop-fronts bedecked with the simple shapes that represented the cycles of life embodied by the Birthing: whirls, singular or plural; joined loops; a circle with a horizontal line struck through it. A vivid memory of a childhood long gone came to him, of plastering his face with cheap red fur paint and begging sweets off the neighbours. He smiled for just a heartbeat, but misery snatched the thought away. No-one was going to give him sweets, and he doubted he'd want them if they did.
It took an hour or so to reach home, and he arrived to find his master absent. That was hardly a surprise. Kas seemed preoccupied with personal study, forcing himself to do some form of book-keeping that he clearly despised. Skal left him to it, flopping onto the sofa and half-watching broadcasts. They had shows on the origins and meaning of the various traditions of the Birthing, discussions on which members of the ruling class were expecting children, and a few discussions on the coming of the Dawn King, Ank T'uoda. Skal didn't care about any of it, but at least if he stared at the screen it almost distracted him from himself.
Kadan arrived home later than expected, gripped by a sour mood, but he took the time to ask Skal how he felt. When the boy gave no reply, Kadan muttered something about food, and vanished into the kitchen. Soon after, the smell of cooking meat roused Skal from his torpor; a growling stomach had a way of shifting one's priorities.
"I want you to get an early night tonight," the captain had said after the three of them had eaten, "you need to be up bright and early to get to the Billet. I've arranged you to start taking lessons there."
Skal shot his master a hurt stare in reply. "What? Why? This is meant to be a holiday!"
"It's a holiday from your Penitatas school, but you've still got a lot to learn about the Guild. Seems to me you could do with the distraction."
"I don't want to be distracted! I don't want to be part of the Guild either!" he snapped, stamping his foot and thrusting himself forward in a display of childish indignance. "I don't want anything to do with them, or you! I'm sick of it! Why couldn't you just leave me alone for one week? Why do you have to go out of your way to make me miserable?"
With a feral growl, Kadan stepped forward and grabbed Skal by the scruff before the boy could flinch away. With little effort he hauled the kicking, thrashing youth off his feet and dumped Skal over the back of the sofa. The Penny's efforts to stop his pants from being pulled down amounted to nothing, and with one arm Kadan kept him pinned on his uncomfortable perch and gripped his tail tight. With the other, he began to swat the boy's rear, delivering slow, but forceful blows that echoed loudly in the tiny living space, and swiftly set his rear alight.
"You - are - out - of line!" Kadan snarled as each swat was delivered onto the boy's furred rump. By the fourth swat, Skal was crying in frantic, disjointed sobs that were as much from his own inner turmoil as the spanking. His master sensed as much, easing off after the sixth swat and giving the boy time to centre himself.  "Kas! Bring the switch out here!"
Skal gave an audible whimper at the announcement. From the sounds coming out of the bedroom, Kas had been listening closely to events in the living room, and he appeared with an urgency that spoke of self preservation. Although Skal didn't see it, Kas at least appeared sorrowful as he offered the tool. "Anything you want to say, Skal?" Kadan asked as he cracked the switch against his left palm.
"I-I-I'm s-sorry!" Skal whimpered, bracing himself for what was to come. Yet instead of the switch's bite, he was met with silence; a calm that went on long enough that his own fear and pain began to ebb. "I... I'm sorry I yelled at you?" he offered, and the sudden, searing stroke across his rear told him that was the wrong answer. Caught off-guard, the Penitatas barely made a sound at the first blow of the switch, but the second brought from him a loud, shameful howl. Three more followed in a tight, swift grouping, overlapping each other so their burn bled together, then a fourth snapped across his thighs. It was relentless, random and more harsh than anything he'd endured in weeks. Skal writhed and kicked, bawled and begged openly, until the cruel bite of the switch left him broken and all he could do was drop down against the seat and wail.
Finally subdued to the point of helplessness, the switching ended. Kadan gave the boy time and space to cry out the worst of it, only approaching when the boy dared to raise his head. With care, he was lifted back to the floor, and Kadan knelt down to look into the boys reddened, teary eyes. "It's alright, it's done." Kadan placed a paw upon the boy's shoulder, another on his back. Skal flinched back from the touch and turned away, but after a minute's sobbing he accepted the offered comfort, and leaned against Kadan's chest. "I get that you're angry, but getting pissed at me won't help you."
For several minutes, Skal had no reply. The pain did its work, with only tears and shuddering hiccups coming from the well-thrashed rejuve. Slowly but surely, the boy centred himself, and when at last felt ready he pulled away from Kadan's grip. "I know what you wanted me to say now," he sighed. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I feel so... helpless. I... I've lost everyone and everything I've ever cared about, except for her," he paused to grip at the lifering tucked under his shirt, "I don't know what I'd do if Sam doesn't make it. I... I don't. I really don't."
A fresh sob came to the surface, which was met with another hug until it passed. "Better out than in, lad." Kadan said calmly. "You've got more than you know, but I get it; your mind's not in the right place yet. Whatever happens, I'll get you through it."
When Skal felt ready, he drew away and shyly pulled his pants back up, giving a brief, hurt glance towards Kas, who had stayed to watch the whole thing. Kadan tapped the Penny's muzzle to bring back his attention. "Do you want to sleep in your room tonight?" Skal paused, considering the offer, but ultimately shook his head. Kadan smiled at that. "Well, you can't hate me that much if you're willing to share my bed. Come on, I'll tuck you in."
 Although Skal would never admit it, Kadan had been right. The physical pain of the spanking seemed to give him an outlet for his emotional angst, and his days in the Billet passed more smoothly than he imagined. The lessons were more dull than hard, but the physical exercise was intense to the point of cruel; they pushed him to the point of exhaustion, so that each day he fell asleep in the back of the car and woke up in bed or on the sofa, aching all over. That too, he came to realise, was likely Kadan's doing - he was too run down to be sad.
Pushed hard and overworked, the fateful day of Sam's treatment caught Skal unawares. He would have likely forgotten about it altogether if it weren't for Kadan dragging him from their bed at some ungodly hour and forcing him from the apartment. There was a Guild car waiting for them. Skipping breakfast, and almost leaving Kas behind when he took too long to get ready, Kadan drove them to a familiar street, one Skal normally longed to visit. Today, however, the sight of the up-market houses drove a fresh spike of dread into the boy's already wounded heart.
"Be brave for her," Kadan said kindly as he helped Skal out of the vehicle. "Don't let her see how you really feel."
Skal nodded, took a deep breath, and somehow found a way to force a smile. Another breath, held and slowly released allowed his heart to slow to almost normal. After a third, he felt ready. That confidence almost shattered when Sam stepped from her home and saw him. From the look on her face, his presence was a surprise.
"Skal!" Sam ran over and gripped him tight, uncaring for what her mother might have thought about the display. She even dared to kiss him. "Thanks for being here!"
"Don't worry about it," Skal whispered back. Anything more than a whisper would have broken him. "Just wanted to see you off. You'll be fine."
"I know..." Sam replied, convincing no-one.
She held him for longer than expected, but nowhere close to long enough. A hire car was waiting, and at the urging of her mother, Sam broke away. She hopped into the back of the vehicle and pressed her muzzle to the glass pane, watching Skal forlornly as the car pulled away and out of sight. The moment she vanished, Skal's resolve broke and a shuddering sob escaped him.
"So... so what happens now?" he asked, leaking tears as he stared along the road.
"Now you and Kas go to Vices, to meet your friends," Kadan replied, giving the boy a pat on the shoulder. "I'm keeping you busy today. Don't worry, I think you'll like what's in store."

The doctor's surgery was in Prospects, although it looked abandoned from the outside. Eve and her daughter walked past it twice by mistake, before eventually locating the side door that granted access to a dark, sparsely decorated waiting area. The Human woman and her Kyyreni daughter sat together on the skeletal metal chairs in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Sam had been forced to go without food or water since the previous afternoon, and without meaning to, Eve had put herself through the same fasting; nerves had a way of killing appetites.
They only had a few minutes wait before the inner door opened to reveal a large, hunchbacked creature. It appeared to be mechanical; vaguely humanoid, but with four arms and a smooth, oval head, featureless save for three yellow lenses of irregular sizes. The machine walked towards them, stopping just out of arm's reach. "Eve Doland?" it asked.
"Yes, that's us. That's me. We're here to see Doctor Brunnel?"
"And so you have," the doctor replied. "Has the girl fasted as I requested?"
"Yes she has," Eve confirmed. The doctor accepted this with a nod.
"Good. Come through, child."
Sam paused to give her mother a tight hug, one that she broke only under protest. With a few final words of encouragement from Eve, and a returned promise to be brave, Sam followed the doctor deeper into the facility, through a narrow corridor and into what appeared to be a viewing area. Through the translucent plastic barrier, Sam could see tightly packed with machines and instruments of indiscernible function. "A-hem," the doctor said to snap her attention from the room, and she sheepishly walked through the doorway he gestured to. "Remove all articles of clothing and stand in the cylinder for decontamination."
"A-are you Human?" Sam asked as she shyly removed her garments. The decontamination chamber looked like a shower cubicle, but with multiple nozzles along the walls and at varying heights.
"I was," the doctor replied, "now I am more. Commencing decontamination."
Sam jumped at the sudden blast of cool liquid spray that hit her from every direction. It was not overly unpleasant, but the doctor soon began barking instructions on how she was to stand, and many of the poses left her exposed and embarrassed. At last, she was permitted to step out of the shower, only to be ordered to stand under a different machine that slowly, gently dried her. "How come you look like that?" she asked, finding silence unwelcome, "Are you, like, a brain in a jar in there?"
The three yellow lenses stared at her for far too long before the doctor replied, "Yes. I am a brain in a jar. Any other inane questions?" The girl's head drooped, ears and tail becoming heavy at the scolding. "Good. Walk along the white line to your right. Stop at the end."
The shaking blonde Kyyreni girl did as she was ordered. The line painted on the floor led her through an airlock arrangement of doors laden with keep out signs to a preparation room, occupied by little save the occasional storage unit and a medical bed, which she was told to lie on. As the bed was raised and the doctor began to shave a small square of fur off the inside of her left elbow, Sam stammered out a question. "If this doesn't work, what happens to me then?"
"Other options will be considered," the mechanical surgeon replied. Sam clenched her eyes shut and tried not to cry, gritting her teeth as she felt the stinging scratch of a cannula being inserted, and the strange, yet unpleasantly familiar coldness of saline. "I am ready to sedate you now. Count down from ten for me."
"Ten..." was all Sam managed before she was out cold. The doctor worked on in silence, calmly and methodically prepping her for surgery. Once he was finished to his own satisfaction, he turned towards the viewing area and gazed at the Kyyreni watching him through the glass. If he still had lips, he would have sneered at the creature. Alas, the ability to properly show his contempt had been sacrificed in pursuit of immortality.
"Are we prepared for the King?" the visitor asked.
"You will have what you paid for, so long as your end of the bargain is upheld. No doubt you came here to deliver your assurances on the matter."
There was a subtle pause from the viewing area. Brunnel let them squirm, watching their discomfort through the internal security cameras as they weighed their possible responses. With cruel slowness, he raised one of his limbs and gestured to a nearby screen, which by his will flickered into life to display scrolling lines of code. "Or, perhaps, you were planning to inform me that your 'experts' had stumbled into a honey pot, meaning you could not provide me with access to the Silverman satellite network."
"Other arrangements will be made," the Kyyreni replied with a cold sneer.
"For your sake, your backup plan had best succeed. My assistants will escort you out." With that, a pair of armed androids stepped into the viewing area, and stared at the visitor with cold, unliving eyes. The hint was taken, and the doctor was left to his work. Satisfied, he cast an unfeeling eye back to his patient, his project, studying her unconscious form. After weighing the options, he activated the remote guidance on the surgical bed and willed it towards the operating room. Payment or no, his curiosity demanded he continue, if only to see if it could be done...

The cryptic plans of which Kadan had spoken turned out to be a thorough scrubbing. The two boys met with Ros and Hafn before setting out almost immediately to the neighbouring District for an appointment at an up-market public baths. Ros and Kas both seemed delighted by the prospect, loudly declaring how good it was going to feel to be pampered. Skal and Hafn were less optimistic, albeit for entirely separate reasons. When Kas coaxed the boy on the subject, Ros answered on his behalf, "we're getting full-body dye jobs for the Birthing."
Kas cackled at the news, "Really? You two are going to be pretty little nature spirits?"
"I don't see why we have to!" Hafn snorted. "It's not like I believe that stupid stuff, but we weren't given a choice."
Ros grinned at his companion's sulking and added, "Mistress was going to dye him blue because of how much he whined about it." The revelation made Kas laugh aloud again, and even drew a smirk from Skal. "He eventually whined enough that she agreed on green."
"Well that's almost a manly colour," Kas replied. "What colour are you getting, Ros?"
"Pink," he answered with a smile.
Kas eyed the boy up and down, imagining how he'd look after the dye. "Mmm... yeah, I could go with that."
They soon arrived at a palatial structure lined with faux-marble pillars and intricate patterns carved into the wall panels. Signs worked into the pillars directed men to the ground floor entrance, while women were led to one of several stairwells giving access to the upper floor. Foot traffic was light, but it was clear the moment they entered there were other clients inside as muffled voices wafted over them, carried along with the scents of disinfectant and washing products. The boys registered their arrival, received an orange wristband each, and hurried through to the changing area. Once undressed, with their belongings securely stowed in lockers, they stepped into the shower arches for a spray of chemical-laced water. In reality, the sharp-smelling spray was more than enough to clean them, at least of anything bacterial, but it was the experience to follow that customers truly came for. Pausing only to give their feet a quick scrub as was expected of them, the boys headed for the sudatory to sweat.
"Did your master give you a hard time?" Ros asked as the boys settled on the hot, damp benches of the steam room, noting how Skal winced and grunted as he tried to get comfortable.
"Not in the way you think," he replied as he flicked his tail into a gap between the slats to lie more comfortably. "I've been training with the Guild, and they pushed me hard. Everything hurts. Even muscles I didn't know I had are aching."
"Cheer up, you'll feel much better soon enough," Kas countered. The Medicalos took a moment to slide a toggle on the door to indicate the room was full, then closed the hatch on the door's window closed. "May as well enjoy a little privacy, eh?"
"Planning on taking advantage of someone?" Skal asked, noting the familiar, seedy look in Kas' eye.
"Depends who wants to be taken advantage of." Ros couldn't help but notice he'd become the subject of attention, and blushed as he quickly hurried over to the heater to add more water. "I bet the last thing you want is for someone to tell your mistress you'd been causing trouble today."
"Ignore him, he just likes winding people up," Skal cut in, making Kas pout. The Medicalos seemed to take the hint, however, and he parked himself on the opposite side of the room to Hafn and Ros, leaving Skal between him and the Pennys. Even so, he continued to make eyes at Ros, who became increasingly giggly at the lewd looks he received.
Wishing to be distracted, and curious either way, Hafn dared broach the topic they'd all avoided up until then. "So... what's the news on Sam?"
Skal flinched, toes balling up at the mention of his girlfriend. "She's probably in surgery right now."
"Well if it's any help, she won't remember any of it. You get given a sedative and then the next thing you wake up in a recovery room. Well, I say 'wake up', but it took me most of a day to come around properly. I'd blink, and half an hour had passed. Blink again, another half hour." The boy ran a finger through his fur, tracing the surgical scar on his side. "Just saying, you might not get to see her today, and she'd probably not be with it if you did, so don't fret if there's no news."
"Right. I just... I hate the waiting, that's all. I can't do anything for her."
"Best thing you can do is enjoy yourself. She wouldn't want you to shut down like that," Kas offered, shuffling closer to the melancholic rejuve. There was a sudden twitch in the boy's eyes as a thought struck him, and with a wicked grin that the three rejuves were becoming increasingly familiar with, Kas turned his attention back to Ros. "I just remembered something! I heard a rumour about what you three did at the Winter Hall."
The sudden stillness from Skal and Ros was all the confession Kas needed. He almost jumped from his seat in delight. "Hah! I knew it! So who sucked who off?"
"Hey!" Skal snapped, sitting bolt upright to confront the Medicalos. But Ros, it seemed, had no such shyness. With a giggle and a series of hand gestures, he conveyed his submissive role in that night's events.
With a lick of his lips, and a shameless parting of his own legs, Kas mocked, "I knew you were a little slut the moment I laid eyes on you. You can act all shy over there, but we all know you're dying for a cock in that muzzle. Or maybe you want it somewhere else?"
"Oh no, I wasn't the one offering up his tailhole!" Ros shot back, causing an eruption of laughter in the sauna, and a cry of horror from Skal.
"Woah! Hey! We're just having fun!" Kas said quickly as he rose from his seat to block Skal's attempt to storm out of the steam room. "Come on, Skal, we're all friends here. Besides, it's not like you don't have stories about me, right?"
"Oh, now those I want to hear!" Hafn shouted in reply. "Spill! Spill! Spill!"
"No, I'm good," Skal answered, shutting down the chant. The confession had blindsided him, and served to still the surge of anger at Kas' apparent betrayal. He looked the Medicalos in the eye and held his gaze, wondering just what Kas would have done if Skal had revealed his sexual inadequacies. Instead, he decided to take a play from the boy's own book and turned to the others, "I've got something really nasty I want to try on him, and I need a lot of dirt to force him into it."
With a laugh and a theatrical groan, Hafn replied, "Oh Gods, save me from these disgusting gays!"
"Careful there, nothing excites me more than forcing a straight boy to suck," Kas said, rubbing the tip of his member with a thumb. He then turned his eye to Ros, cupped his crotch and asked, "what about you? What gets you excited?"
A red glow of embarrassment formed beneath the damp fur of Ros' face, and he folded himself up to shield his privates from view. Yet his shyness only seemed to spur Kas on, and he showed no shame at the tip of pink flesh standing clear of his sheath. "I bet you don't get much privacy at home, or play partners. You want this, and you don't know when you'll have the chance again." In response, Ros glanced to Skal and Hafn as though asking their permission, which Hafn gave with a half-huff, half-chuckle and a quick flick of the head.
With a shy bite of his lip, Ros rose from his seat and crossed to Kas, pressing himself against the boy's sweat-soaked chest, then moving himself closer so their sheaths and sacs rolled gently against each other. Their eyes met, and while Kas saw only the same shy, yet needly look, Ros saw something else entirely; a sheen of fear. With a smile, he leaned in, resting his muzzle on Kas' shoulder, allowing the older boy to savour his scent. "I've known plenty of men like you," he whispered so only Kas would hear. "You act aggressive because you're afraid of being seen as weak, because you're ashamed of what it might mean if you submit to another man. I only sleep with honest men."
Kas took a trembling breath, gritting his teeth as he weighed his choices. He pulled away enough to meat Ros' eye once more, lustful confidence replaced by shame. "That's not it. I just... I got scared because... the mind's willing, but..." he closed his eyes and turned away, jaw clenched at the confession.
With a tender stroke of the bashful boy's muzzle, Ros brought Kas' attention back to him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. I... let me try something. If it's not what you enjoy, then there's no shame in that. Right?" Kas gave a timid nod as he tried to fake confidence, and with a tender caress of his chest, Ros steered the Medicalos back to the bench.
Once Kas was settled, Ros knelt between his legs and gently ran his fingers down the boy's stomach, teasing around the tip of his sheath before tracing the lay of his fur around his sac. His fingers moved in slow, ticklish motions, making Kas giggle and squirm at the touch. He repeated the gesture, pressing more firmly this time, and his partner's reaction was better composed. Watching every twitch and clench, Ros massaged Kas' sac with one hand, while with the other he gently tickled the tip of his member, coaxing it out of the sheath little by little.
"You look so tender already," Ros whispered as he leaned in to give the swelling tip a long, lustful lick. "Tell me if it gets too much."
Kas nodded in reply, breathing heavily as Ros guided his hardening cock into his muzzle. He worked the swelling length with care, alternating between the soft pleasure of his mouth and tongue, and the sharp touch of his teeth to keep Kas constantly off-balance. As the Medicalos seemed to find a rhythm, Ros pulled back and returned to gently massaging his balls, giving the shaft only light kisses. "W-why did you stop?" Kas whispered.
"Because I'm not a whore, Kas. I'm not trying to make you blow your load as soon as possible," Ros replied with a smile. The Penny rose, revealing his own swollen boyhood. He settled himself in his partner's lap, rubbing his erection against Kas' own, causing their sweat and pre-cum to blend together and run down each other's lengths. "I want you to feel good. I want you to feel special."
To his surprise, Ros felt a hand close around his sac. He gave a light giggle of excitement as he realised Kas was returning the attention he'd just received, and a moment later the two boys' lips met in an impromptu kiss. Spurred on by the affection, Ros began to tease at Kas' length, working his hand up and down in a slow, sensual rhythm. Kas began to mirror the gesture, stroking in time with Ros' own movements. It did not take long before a lustful whimper escaped Kas' muzzle, and Ros felt the boy's knot come free and swell to his touch. "I want to fuck you so bad right now!" Kas gasped aloud, and to his surprise and delight, Ros rose and positioned himself on all fours on the bench, tail raised and waiting.
With a hungry, lustful growl, Kas pressed his aching boyhood against Ros' tailhole. He gave the boy a moment to prepare before pressing against him, and both rejuves gasped as Kas' tip slipped inside his partner. He worked his way deeper with slow, careful movements, edging himself against the warm hole that drew him deeper with every drawn-out thrust. "That's good," Ros gasped upon taking in half of Kas' length, which was more than enough for the Medicalos. With increasingly desperate huffs, he began to thrust, building speed and confidence as he leaned over Ros and bit down on his shoulder in a feral act of dominance. His hands pinned Ros' own, and his growls and thrusts synced with the submissive boy's huffs of pleasure.
Pinned in place, Ros felt Kas' body clench. With a teasing grin he whispered, "You have permission to cum, pet," and as soon as the words left his lips, Kas let out a loud whine as his whole body spasmed. Ros couldn't help but purr with pleasure as he felt Kas empty his load inside, delighting in the shameless, primal sounds the Medicalos made as he finally peaked. As the boy's toes uncurled, he seemed to remember they had an audience present, and with a shyness that had not been present before, Kas carefully extracted himself. Both boys turned to find themselves met with applause and theatric whoops from Skal and Hafn, causing all four of the youths to burst out laughing.
"I'm no expert, but aren't you supposed to return the favour now?" Hafn asked Kas, referring Ros' obvious arousal. With a shy chuckle and a sideways glance down at the boy's throbbing erection, Kas awkwardly reached down to tease at his play-partner's member. Ros leaned into him, helping to guide Kas' uncertain movements to bring about a sudden climax. At the instant he peaked, Ros moved his paw to catch the splurt of seed in his palm, cradling his boyhood as the orgasm faded before lapping up the mess to a mix of laughter and disgusted groans.
The boys lingered in the steam long enough for their respective states of arousal to fade. At last, breathless and sweating, the four stepped out into the soothing cool of the common area. They walked slowly towards the cold pool, stopping to drink from the water fountains and allowing themselves to acclimate to room temperature before heading to the long bath. It was a long, narrow pool with steps at each short end, and channels of varying depths to offer differing experiences. Two other patrons were already there; one man stood in the waist-deep water, the other swimming in the deeper channel. Kas led the way, easing himself down into the shallowest section of the water, which came up to his shoulders as he reached the bottom. Ros followed cautiously, inching into the chilly water until Hafn lunged at him from behind and shoved him. "Bastard!" Ros shrieked as he surfaced, gasping in shock at the sudden, icy chill.
"You were taking too long!" Hafn shot back with a grin, which swiftly vanished from his muzzle at a sharp bark from a member of staff and disapproving scowls from the other bathers. Chastised, he shuffled into the water and huffed his way after Kas and Ros, who were both headed for the far side. Last of all came Skal, who plunged himself into the deepest channel. He savoured the invigorating surge as the shocking cold enveloped him, and he wasted no time in swimming hard for the far side. He stayed under, holding himself beneath the surface until his lungs burned and he was forced to surface in a spray of droplets. He turned as he idled, finding he'd managed to make it a third of the way along the pool, and grinned at the achievement before water-crawling the rest of the way. He'd never learned to swim properly, leaving him with a crude technique, but he enjoyed himself and didn't struggle to reach the far side long before his friends.
Before long, the four boys were reunited on the far side of the pool where they paused to scrub their fur. The pool had a gentle currant, drawing the water and any detritus to the exit steps, which doubled as grilled filters. It was never wise to look too closely at what might be caught in them, especially if the pool was busy. Teeth chattering, but feeling rejuvenated, the boys filed out and went towards a row of alcoves against the wall, placed there so patrons could shake off excess water before heading to their final destination; either the public warm pool, or a private bath. The boys had the latter, and with the assistance of a young Dawnsider they were steered into a quiet room dominated by a six-person bath. With the memory of the cold pool still tingling in their skin, the water seemed almost painfully hot, but yelps of discomfort soon gave way to quiet sighs of pleasure as they each settled against the grooved sides and allowed heat and bubbles to work its magic.
"Which of you are getting the dyes?" the staff member asked, noting Ros' hand-gestures in reply. "Alright, we'll start with you two then."
Ros was first for the pampering. He was steered to a raised step on one side of the bath, putting him mostly out of the water so that a thick, sweetly scented lather could be rubbed into his fur. The groomer worked with practiced care, providing not only a thorough cleansing of the fur and skin beneath, but also a basic massage technique that left Ros in a pleasured daze. With a smirk, Skal couldn't help but notice how similar the sounds he made were to his sexual gasps and moans from earlier. Working from top to bottom, Ros was finally encouraged to leave the water altogether so his lower areas could be cleansed, and afterwards he stood by the bath and waited while Hafn received the same luxury treatment. "You must be Rejuves", the washer said as he helped Hafn out of the water and began massaging soap into the boy's tail.
"Why do you say that?" Hafn asked, willing his tail to keep still in the groomer's grip.
"Because no real child behaves this well," he answered with a chuckle.
When it was Kas' turn, Ros was allowed to return to the water and rinse himself off, which he did with care so as not to splash. Finally, with all four boys lathered, worked and rinsed, they enjoyed a few minutes of peaceful bubble massage before Hafn and Ros were called away for their trim and dye.
"And then there were two," Kas sighed, taking the opportunity to dunk his head under the water and dislodge some stubborn shampoo. "Those two are going to be here for ages. Think we should get a trim while we're here? Maybe a full on massage?"
Skal let his eyes drift closed and sighed, "yeah, that sounds good."
"Well look at that! Mister Grumpy smiled!" Kas laughed, remarking on the sharp change in his companion since the morning.
"Shut up," Skal shot back without much conviction. It was true; being clean and pampered had been a wonderful relief. The little show in the steam room hadn't hurt his mood either. Cracking open his left eye a fraction he said, "Think we should get fur dye? Maybe just a muzzle streak or something?"
"Gods, no! First of all, I don't buy into that nature spirit gibberish. Second, it's against Guild regs."
"But if it wasn't against Guild regs?" Skal pressed.
Kas shrugged. "Maybe. A scar-line dye might look cool."
Skal's happy smile split into a grin of mischief. "Well, you are on medical leave. Get a quick job that'll wear off in a week."
With a feigned gasp of shock Kas replied, "Gods! You Penitatas are a terrible influence!" before hoisting himself out of the steaming, suds-laden water. "Well? If you want that fur dye we can't hang around in the bath all day! Get a move on!"

At the Sinking Light, Ivaka kept herself busy behind the bar. There were only a few customers in at present, mostly Lifters. She liked Lifters; they rarely caused trouble, and they drank like a men who never saw the bill, because they didn't. The women of the Lifter Guild, the ones who had to balance the books and square the debts, were nowhere near as free-spirited with the 'free' spirits. There were two women in the party this time, sat apart from the men and enjoying a small bottle of common wine between them to go with their meal. Sat between them, boxed in at their alcove table, was a Dawnsider girl who picked at her food like it was poisoned. A Penitatas, no doubt; Ivaka was getting a good eye for them, and they were becoming something of a status symbol. All slaves were, to some degree or another, but while alien slaves like the Aspatrians were highly prized for their exotic nature, it had taken a long time for people to begin viewing Penitatas the same way.
The manager shrugged off the thought and focused on the sole man at the bar. He was an unkempt Dawnsider, and by some standards he was a prize example of the species. He was broad and muscular; it was not the killer's physique of Enforcers or nobility, but the bulk of a man who exerted his body every day of a long life. His face was likewise roughened by age and work, like an old mallet, and he had about the same degree of social sophistication. Ivaka had given him a free drink, and he'd chosen a heavy black stout that he drank at a pace you could set a watch by. When the empty glass clinked against the bar top, you could practically hear the work whistle signaling the end of his break.
"Thanks for coming, by the way. Same again?" Ivaka said as she took the glass and added it to the wash tray.
"Will that one be free as well?" the man asked in reply. Ivaka kept the flicker of displeasure off her muzzle, and despite her gut reaction poured a second complimentary stout.
"I'm sure your son will be overjoyed to see you," she added as she began to wipe down the taps, more for something to do than anything.
With a scoff, the man replied, "I doubt that." He then began to mechanically empty his pint glass once more. "Where is he anyway?"
"He should be along soon, assuming they weren't delayed," Ivaka replied, casting an eye to the door. It wasn't only her boys she was waiting on. The Birthing had many customs, some of which varied by cultures. Those who were culturally Dawnsiders saw it as another excuse to get drunk, be obnoxiously loud and do as little work as possible. That, and Shepherd themselves if they felt a burden to their families. The concept of ritual suicide was distasteful to Ivaka, who followed a very different approach; for her, the Birthing was a time of welcoming and healing. In the spirit of healing, Nightsiders settled grudges, and so Ivaka had tracked down her boys' families and invited them to come to the Sinking Light. She'd hoped for two families. Instead, she got one father.
With a welcome jingle, the door swung open to reveal four brightly coloured boys. Ros led the way, the bulk of his fur a childish pink that blended into white around his face, chest and neck. Hafn, much less proud of his new appearance, slunk in behind. The unhappy boy looked as though he'd been rolled in turf, ranging from earthy greens to minty hues. Behind came their friends, trimmed nicely and sporting bold red facial marks that ran from the nose, around the eyes and disappeared into the thicker fur atop their heads. The shaggy brute at the bar must have caught her stare, as he placed his glass down and swiveled to see the visitors. Across the room, two pairs of eyes met, and Hafn slammed to a halt as though he'd run into a wall.
Hafn's father rose from the chair and walked slowly towards his cowering child. Ivaka followed a safe distance behind, with one eye on the reunion and the other on the rest of the patrons, lest there be a scene. Hafn shrunk before his advancing parent so much that Ivaka thought he was going to curl up on the floor, and when the looming father stopped she slipped to his side and urgently suggested, "perhaps you'd like to talk with him in private? You can use my office."
"No, I think here'll do just fine," the man growled. It was the low, dangerous tone of long-boiling anger. "Well, boy? What's the excuse this time? I know you've got one, you always do."
"F-father, I'm s-sorry!" Hafn stammered, but before he could say more he was shut down by a sharply barked retort that drew the eye of every other patron in the Sinking Light.
"That word means nothing coming out of your muzzle! You've said it time and again, but you never changed because of it! Now look where you are, someone's property, a slave to pay back the debt you owe to society. What about the debt to your family, Hafn? Who's going to pay me back for the hours I spent working my hands to the bone for you? Who pays your mother back for all the time she spent trying to do right by you, only for you to throw it back in her face?"
"I didn't!" Hafn wailed as tears pooled in his eyes and began to stain his freshly-dyed muzzle. "I tried, I really did! It wasn't-"
"Enough!" the roar brought a deathly silence to the entire room. In the corner of her eye, Ivaka noted the two women whispering to the Penny between them, and how the girl winced in sympathy at the harsh display. Hafn's father took a deep breath to calm himself, but it served only to replace his loud fury with a more quiet rage. "The one thing I'm glad of is your outsides finally match your insides. You're a child, Hafn, and you never stopped being a child. Well, maybe this woman can finally make a man out of you, because we won't try again. I came here today because, unlike you, I am an honourable man, and so I'm doing the honourable thing and telling you to your face to never darken my door again."
Hafn's eyes grew wide with shock at the cold instruction. "Dad!" he gasped as his father pushed past him, clutching at the man's leg, only to be shoved away.
"I'm not your dad, not anymore." He turned his harsh, hardened eyes towards Ivaka and added, "Thanks for the drinks."
Then he left, without so much as a final glance towards the shaking child he left behind. Hafn sobbed in silence, paralysed by the sudden abandonment. Then, suddenly, he turned with a shriek and ran like Hell was on his heels, slamming through the staff door and thundering towards his room. He left behind a stilled audience, all of whom glanced about in confusion as to how to move on from the theatre they'd witnessed. It was Ivaka who broke the spell, turning sharply towards the three remaining rejuves and barking, "Well? You're his friends, aren't you? Get the Hell after him!"
The trio hurried upstairs to find the Pennys' bedroom door open, framing Hafn on the bed. The boy was face down into his pillow, bawling his heart out and crying out muffled, incoherent phrases. Seeing his friend destroyed, Skal was at a loss for what to do. "Hey..." he mumbled from the doorway, but he had nothing more to give. Any words of comfort he considered felt cheap and hollow, even cruel. He felt helpless, and he hated himself for self-pity when his friend needed him. Wordlessly, Ros squeezed by and perched on the edge of the bed, placing a gentle paw on Hafn's shoulder. The pink Penitatas calmly smiled a sad, sympathetic smile as he waited for Hafn to come around on his own.
Slowly, red eyed and shaking, Hafn pulled himself into a sitting position and looked around at the small audience he'd amassed. With an anguished smile he stammered, "on t-the bright s-side... I- I won't ha-ave to look at his s-s-stupid ugly f-face again!" The boys laughed, but only because they knew they were supposed to. Hafn's own chuckling brought with it a fresh burst of tears, but it at least gave his friends and opening to approach and talk to him.
Soon after, the sound of footsteps on the stairs brought the boys' attention to Ivaka. The Nightsider gently eased Skal and Kas out of the way so she could sit with her Penny charges. "You two don't need to worry about working tonight," she said softly, running a paw over Hafn's head. "You can spend some time with your friends, maybe go somewhere? Or if you'd rather stay here, you're welcome to sit downstairs. We'll have a band in later."
"I think... I want to stay up here," Hafn sniffled, wiping his face with his sleeve. Ivaka gave him another pat on the head and carefully removed herself from the room, though she lingered at the stairs a while before departing.
At her absence, Kas tapped Skal's shoulder and showed him the screen of his communicator. "Seems Sam is awake at last. We could go see her? You two go to school with her, right?"
"You go," Hafn said to Skal with a sniffle. "Tell her we're glad she's okay."
"You're sure? Skal asked.
Ros grinned at him in reply, "you worry about her, I'll worry about this one."
"Okay," Skal answered, crossing to give Hafn a supporting touch upon the shoulder. "You look after yourself. I... I wish that stuff downstairs hadn't happened."
Hafn forced a laugh in reply, "yeah, me too. Go on, Skal. Go save your girlfriend or whatever."

Visiting Sam took longer than Skal had hoped, mostly because he had to wait for Kadan to be free to take him, partly because finding the place was a challenge. Most doctors were easy to find, proudly displaying their Guild associations and right to practice for all the world to see. This 'expert' was quite the opposite. On the ride over, Kadan explained what little he knew of the man. "I dealt with him briefly, this Brunnel... thing. He claimed to be human, but you wouldn't know to look at him. He was on the way out of the Rejuve project when I came in, something about the Lord Vaskal not wanting too many aliens involved. I would have thought he'd have left by now."
Once they were finally inside, there was nothing comforting about the cold, clinical place... save for Sam's smile. Led to a viewing station by an android nurse, Skal's face lit up at the sight of her, despite the anxiety brought on by the medical machines surrounding her. The blonde Dawnsider youth had both arms in restrictive casts that started just above each elbow and left nothing, not even fingertips exposed. Tubes fed into her nostrils, and bags of clear fluid slowly dripped their contents into her neck and beneath the sheets at thigh level. But her eyes shone with joy at Skal's arrival, and she gave as close to a welcoming wave as her condition allowed.
"It's not as bad as it looks, or so the doctor said," Sam said via intercom. "My left arm needed major surgery, and he had to take tissue grafts from my right, or something like that. I don't really remember, I was still out of it at the time."
"I'm glad you're okay," Skal answered, his voice crackling with emotion. "Is all that stuff painful?"
"No. Some of it itches a bit, but we've both had worse, I'm sure," she answered with a sly bite of her lip. "Mum was just here, asking me all kinds of questions about that kiss I gave you. I have a bad feeling about what's going to happen when I get home."
Skal put a comforting paw to the glass. "Don't worry about that. I'm here for you, and I always will be."
Sam nodded, the brief worry fading as her usual chipper smile returned, "Yeah, let's not talk about my hide. I'd much rather talk about your face! What did you do to yourself?" Prompted, Skal explained his choice of facial markings, and with a few choice edits, the events of his day with Hafn and Ros. "That's awful," Sam said after hearing of Hafn's father. "I can't believe anyone would do that to their own kid! I guess we're lucky to have people who look out for us."
And that was mostly that. The android doctor emerged shortly after, insisting his patient be allowed to rest, and after a drawn out goodbye Skal was headed for home once more. "I'll have a word with her mother," Kadan said awkwardly. "You know, just to make sure she's not going to keep you two apart. Sam's going to need a friend."
"Thanks," Skal replied with a smile.
"I... have something else in mind for you two," he added. "The Lord Governor wants us to put on a show for some dignitaries, and I think you and Sam would be perfect. All you have to do is trot out in front of some off-world nobles, maybe tell them how the Penitatas system has turned your life around, that sort of thing. You'd get to meet some pretty important people. What do you say?"
Skal grinned, "sound's great!"
"Good. Glad you're on-board. You weren't getting a choice, either way," Kadan added with a toothy grin.

Finally confident that she could slip away without the Sinking Light burning down, Ivaka crept into the bedroom of her Penitatas boys. The room was stuffy, with soiled clothes, used plates and empty glasses littering the floor. The boys had stuffed themselves with meat pastries, sampled a variety of sweet drinks and even mixed a shot of weak spirit into one for good measure. Ros had come down to enjoy a little music at one point, but Hafn had kept himself hidden. Sniffing with disapproval at the stagnating mix of sweat, sweetness and spices, Ivaka crossed to open the wall vents and get some clean air circulating. Turning back towards the bed, she caught the wet glint of open eyes watching her. "Didn't think you were still awake," she whispered to Hafn.
"Sorry," he mumbled in reply, prompting her to kneel down by the bed so they were at eye level.
"I wasn't telling you off. You two would normally still be working at this hour. I guess an early night will do you both some good," she added. When Hafn seemed unmoved by her comment, she turned to scoop up some of the plates and noted the book at the bedside. It was a proper book; a work of paper, leather and ink, rather than the more common digital version. Real books were important things, and when Hafn had asked about getting such a serious work as ancient philosophy, Ivaka felt it was worth spending a little more to make it special. "How's your book? Finished it yet?"
Hafn's head rubbed against the pillow in a vague nod. "Ros is reading it now. Udum was really impressed with me when he found out I was reading it. He sang my praises to the whole class, and said they all had to read it to keep up with me."
"You never told me that," she answered, surprised.
A smile crept into Hafn's muzzle as he added, "we all have to write an essay on it as well. It's complicated stuff though."
"Have you started that essay yet?" Ivaka asked, and Hafn shrank back. The smile faded, the slight rise of his ears flattened, and he burrowed deeper under the covers as his eyes flicked away. She placed a paw in the boy's own and asked him, "Hey, what's wrong?"
Hafn looked back at his mistress, expecting anger or scolding. His eyes studied her face, taking in the dark fur that ranged from cloudy grey to borderline black, and the oversized green-grey eyes. Those eyes were soft, even worried. "It's hard," he mumbled.
"Okay, then I'll help you." Ivaka released his paw and picked up the book, carefully opening it and glancing at the chapter headings. "I'll have a look at this tonight and read what I can. Tomorrow, we'll sit down and work on it together. If Ros needs help, I'll lend him a hand separately, so I know you two aren't copying each other."
"R-really?" Hafn whispered with a shakiness to his breath. Ivaka paused to stroke the boy's head softly.
"Hafn," she whispered back, "I know I can be hard on you, but that's because you have a talent for trouble. Also, let's be honest, you're lazy. But if you need help, you should ask for it; you could save yourself a lot of misery by just admitting when you're struggling. Nobody's going to punish you for that."
"My father would," Hafn sulked, squeezing his eyes shut and rubbing them with his knuckle.
"Well your father isn't here, and it sounds like he won't be again." Ivaka sighed, cursing herself for ever inviting the families over. Ros' family hadn't shown up at all, and she wondered if that was better or worse. She had certainly noticed the sorrowful glances around the bar when the Penny made his appearance. With that memory etched into her mind, she firmed up her voice and added, "Hafn, listen: family is more than blood. Family are the people who are with you through the good and bad, who keep you on the right path and who are there to pick you up when you fall. I know you don't like me all that much, but I hope you know I'm not heartless. I care about you both, just like I care about everyone who works for me. The Sinking Light is a family, of a sort. But I think you need more than what I've given you, don't you? You need a shoulder to cry on, not just a hand to smack your backside."
"Are... are you saying Lyy can stay over?" Hafn asked, his ears perking up once more.
Ivaka couldn't help but laugh as she shook her head, "No, Hafn, I'm not talking about your 'girl' friend. I'm saying you need a mother figure in your life, and I'm willing to try and be that mother to you, if you want me to. It can be as open or as secret as you like. If you're not comfortable with calling me 'mother' in front of the others, I understand that and I'll let you decide what you're comfortable with. Well? Say something."
Hafn shuffled from under his covers, revealing the full-body colouring he'd received, and threw his arms around Ivaka's neck. He shook and shuddered against her, almost crying as she held him as if he were her own. "Well, seems I was right," she said quietly, letting the boy take his time to settle back onto the bed.
"I... I would like you to be my mother," Hafn confessed, clearly anxious, but smiling nonetheless.
Ivaka nodded, "okay. Worry about the details later, alright? Go on, back into bed. Homework first thing."
Hafn did as he was told, snuggling back into the warm recess he'd made in the mattress and pulling the covers tight around himself. Ivaka ruffled his headfur, gathered the plates and tucked his book under her arm. The boy lay in contented silence and listened to her disappear back downstairs. A minute later, his ears twitched as Ros shuffled close in behind. "So we have a new mom? That makes us brothers, I guess?"
"I swear, if you're about to tell me you're into incest, I will beat your faggoty arse!" Hafn laughed as he rolled over and smacked Ros with his pillow. The two play-fought briefly, only to quickly still themselves as the stairs gave a warning creak. Grinning ear to ear, Ros snuggled against him, and Hafn shifted to let the smaller boy's head rest on his chest, as he liked to. The steady thump of Hafn's heartbeat lulled Ros back to sleep. Downstairs, the half-heard sound of music eased its way through the floor, but Hafn lingered awake a while longer, musing on what it meant to be both slave and adopted son to Ivaka. That, he soon realised, was a problem for later; for now, he had Ros' drooling to worry about.