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], "description": "", "description_bbcode_parsed": "", "writing": "The seemingly random nature of being a penitatas was something Talek still couldn't adjust to. The centre of his world was, and perhaps always would be, his bedroom that made up almost all of the house's middle floor; a room that served as sleeping area, play space, punishment room and bathroom all in one, with no form of privacy between each! As unsettling and alien as it had first been, the green-scaled lizard boy had accepted it in time, growing accustomed to being 'on display' when being washed or doing his business. He never accepted it, as such, but it stung far less than it once had.\nThe randomness was most recently expressed via the windows that formed the inner wall of the room, enabling the occupant to look out at the gently curving hallway. A push of a button would turn the inside of those windows to reflective mirrors, ensuring neither he nor his sister could be sure if they were being watched or not. After receiving their gift of a radio, and an 'unearned' hand-spanking the very next day, those 'panopticon' windows had been turned on, and left on. That was unheard of thus far in Talek's sentence; having them on all day wasn't that strange, but they'd always become windows once more the next morning. Instead, they were on for four days straight.\nWorse for Rilka, her 'unearned' spankings came thick and fast – on top of the spanking she got for the weekend, a thorough paddling and tail strapping was handed down on Tuesday the moment they got home from school. The feeling of being constantly watched was oppressive, and their newly earned radio was hardly ever on.\n“Did we do something wrong?” Talek asked pitifully during his Tuesday night bath, having begun to suffer under the strain.\nHis mother gave him an apologetic smile and tried to lighten the mood by plopping a mound of bubbles onto his snout. “Sometimes penitatas just have to get tough weeks. Please don't pry any further, okay?”\nThe panopticon was switched off when they returned home from school the next day, and the soft warbling of the radio was on to greet them. Both Rilka and Talek were kept home the day after, with Liki apologising to them both for having to be so rough. Their day home was free and easy, with no punishment in sight – Talek even got to sit and watch cartoons on the holo after lunch!\nThis oddity would have been just another unresolved mystery of penitatas life where it not for events that transpired much later. Events that would change their little lives forever.\n\nTwo weeks after the strangeness, Rilka and Talek were roused from their bed in the early hours of the morning. It was close to the winter solstice, with new year just a few weeks away, yet both could tell from the heaviness of their eyes that this was far too early for a penitatas to be out of bed!\n“Get yourselves tended to, nice and quick!” Shon urged as he half-lifted, half-dragged the rejuves from their beds.\n“Mom? Dad? What's going on?” Talek asked as he blinked sleep from his eyes. Both his parents wore formal robes, anachronistic pieces of attire reserved only for specific events, like weddings, funerals... or days in court!\nConfirming his fears, Liki turned her eyes towards Rilka's sleepy, cream-scaled snout. “You have a court hearing first thing this morning, cream-cake.”\nPure terror washed over the girl. “What? B-but my parole is years away! I... w-what did I do?” she stammered on the brink of tears, visibly shaking at her mother's soft words.\nLiki immediately granted the frightened child a firm hug. “It's okay, Rilka. It's not anything you did, not like you're thinking at least. Be brave, okay?”\nDespite her nod, the girl was anything but. Nor, in truth, was Talek especially courageous; he couldn't help but remember his last encounter with a judge, and how quickly he'd gone from headstrong teenager to bawling little boy. Both rejuves were allowed to use the potty, given a hasty, lukewarm bath, and then helped into robes of their own. All four Karrians, wrapped in silks of black and jade, made for the waiting hovercar that idled right outside the front door. Once all were aboard, the automated vehicle rose up and turned for the ocean where, once over the waves, it found an alarming burst of speed and raced off on a cross-continental flight.\nThe destination made Talek feel sick to his stomach. Newfounding. The smoothed, rounded structures of his former home were speckled across the countryside in tight little clusters linked via winding transit lines, with lush, tropical trees and sun-kissed grass parks throughout. Everything was clean, bright, and modern; far cry from the drab, backward town he now occupied.\nThe First Municipal Court was as intimidating as ever, with blue-uniformed security waiting patiently as the hovercar touched down. “Mr and Mrs Dafron?”\n“That's us,” Shon confirmed. “This is Rilka, and this is Talek,” he introduced both children, then rattled off an alpha-numeric identification code for each of them. The guard seemed satisfied with that.\n“I'll have to ask you all to step through the security scanners here. Simply walk through the silver arch.” Obeying raised no concerns, and all four were allowed to enter the courthouse proper.\nAs they walked, Liki kept a paw clasped firmly onto Rilka's. “Whatever happens, be honest. Just speak from the heart and tell the truth, okay?”\nThe little lizard girl simply whimpered in response, quiet tears rolling down her cheeks and leaving a trail along the tiled floor. Talek was likewise silent, at least outwardly; inside he was screaming in terror as his parents led him down the same corridor he had walked months ago, perhaps to – no, it was! The same courtroom where his fate had been sealed! A wail slipped out, prompting Shon to quickly lift him up and carry the terrified boy the rest of the way. Gripped tight to his father's chest, Talek was silenced almost instantly, though his breathing stayed ragged and his eyes remained tearful.\nShon carried his son to the benches at the side of the courtroom, settling the juvenalas down on a red cushioned seat while Liki tended to Rilka. The poor little lass was made to stand in the middle of the room as one of the security guards brought a restraining rod over. The thin metal pole was placed tip-down onto the floor, securing itself in place with an electric hum. Then, as Liki gently removed Rilka's robe, a pair of cuffs were fixed to her wrists and she was made to lift them behind her head. The connector plate clamped on with a hum, and the seemingly flimsy arrangement locked Rilka in place, naked and exposed.\nShon put a paw on Talek's shoulder and squeezed to draw the boy's attention. “You need to keep silent, understand? This might not be easy for you to see or hear, but it's important you don't say or do anything to interrupt!”\n\nThe judge entered, an ash-grey Karrian whose scales were scuffed and rough with age. The judge grunted audibly as he found his seat, little winces slipping in as he moved. Talek briefly wondered why he hadn't rejuvenated already. “Court is now in session, the right-honourable justice Haide residing!” the bailiff intoned.\nJudge Haide peered at the bound, whimpering child before him, studying her gently wriggling form as if reading text from her scales. “Please state your identity as per the court record.”\nRilka shivered as she closed her eyes and recalled the proper address. “My name is Rilka, age 9, serving 6x6-12, penitatas ID: C019-0683-1AE9-H. Formerly Rolk Quane.”\n“You have served three years of your first cycle,” it wasn't a question, but Rilka nodded anyway. “In attendance with you are your penitatas parents, Mr and Mrs Dafron, and their second charge. For the record, would the young man please identify himself?”\nTalek froze in shock at being addressed out of nowhere. “I... I'm Talek,” he whimpered.\nShon, a smile of pity on his snout, stood to address the judge. “The boy's name is Talek, serving 1x9-21, penitatas ID 0E0D-1101-B556-J. Formerly Talek Nodaro.”\nThe judge accepted the comments with a nod. “Off the record, young man, we prefer it if a penitatas memorises their personal identification. For official record, let it show the boy is in attendance as an observer and potential character witness if required.”\nEvery word sowed more doubt and confusion within Talek's mind. [i]A character witness?[/i] He began to wring his paws anxiously, his jaw trembling in fear at the idea he might say something foolish and land himself, or Rilka in serious trouble! Seeing his distress, Shon and Liki both took a paw to hold.\n“Miss Rilka,” Judge Haide continued, “I have a series of questions for you, and I would ask that you answer them truthfully. It is my duty to inform you that, as a lawfully convicted individual, you have forfeited your right to silence; failure to answer a question can and may be interpreted as an admission of guilt, and thus may result in punishments being levied against you. Likewise, knowingly providing false statements to the court will result in immediate repercussions upon the discovery of said falsehoods. I am informing you of this not as a threat, but so you understand your rights and obligations going forward. Do you understand what I have told you?”\n“Yes, your honour,” the girl replied, a clear tremble in her voice.\n“Good. Then would you be so kind as to describe the conditions under which you have lived this past three years? Prior to the arrival of your 'brother' in particular?”\nThe softly spoken question caught Rilka off guard. She pondered the request, casting shy glances toward her parents as her lips worked in silence, practising her words before releasing them. “My first three years have been hard, your honour. Often lonely as well. You see, I live right on the edge of town, far away from most other people. Before Talek came I was alone in my room an awful lot with only a tiny handful of toys and a couple of books to keep me occupied. I... I don't even know any of my neighbours.”\n“You might be surprised how few penitatas do, Miss Rilka,” the judge replied, smiling at her as he spoke. “I am curious why you chose to focus on loneliness. Care to elaborate?”\nThe lizard girl squirmed a little more in her binds. “Being alone is probably the worst part about being a Penny,” she replied, struggling to meet the judge's gaze. “Pain sucks, and there's a lot of it, but you almost always get a cuddle afterwards if it's your mom or dad laying on the lumps. School... there it's so much worse! But even then I can at least cry on a friend's shoulder. It's what comes after that's unbearable; when you're left alone. It... it eats you up inside. Sometimes I'd think about breaking the rules just so I'd get punished, because being over mom and dad's knees was better than being in my room all alone, with nothing to do but think how many more years I have to suffer...” a heartfelt tear slid down the little girl's snout as she fell silent, following the crease of her cheek and slipping across her lip.\n“Then you are grateful for the presence of Master Talek?”\n“Yes, your honour. Very much so!”\n“Describe your relationship with the juvenalas in question.”\nRilka paused, her eyes flicking to Talek as her lips tightened. “I... guess we've had a few rough patches, but now we're close friends. We get along, we rarely ever fight, we worry about each other.”\nA knowing smile spread over the judge's lips. “You seem rather guarded for a girl simply talking about a friend, Miss Rilka.”\nRilka looked ready to burst into tears as she writhed under the judge's gaze. “We... have been physical...” she whimpered.\nJudge Haide rolled his eyes. “I have to wonder whose judgement is more impaired – yours, or the official who put Talek in your household. Did it occur to you at any point that a man convicted of grooming and abusing a fifteen year old boy should, perhaps, avoid engaging in sexual activities with a juvenalas?”\nRilka's reply was simply to sob and whimper, though to her surprise it was Liki who stood up to speak for her. “Your honour, if I may? Risk assessments were conducted, and it was Talek himself who instigated their sexual relationship. As I recall, Rilka recognised that to do so herself was clearly overstepping a boundary. We permitted them to explore this facet of their relationship while under supervision, and with strict limits in place. These limits have been upheld by both of them.”\nHaide glanced from Rilka to Talek and back. “Master Talek, are you aware of Miss Rilka's conviction?”\n“Y-yes sir!”\n“And where you aware of them prior to beginning your relationship?”\nTalek shyly shook his head, fearful that his confession was tying the hangman's noose around Rilka's neck. “No, I wasn't. B-but she told me almost straight away! Before we had sex even!”\nSmiling, the judge raised his paw. “Try not to burst a blood vessel, Master Talek! So, it seems you were simply along for the ride, young lady. I suppose many a teenage boy would have done the same in his place, and certainly a fair few rejuves as well. I would like you now to expand on your experiences at school. You have already indicated it is worse than home, so please elaborate on that.”\nThe girl glanced around the room, almost as if she expected Mister Titus to step into view and punish her for speaking ill of him. “I have... I have the worst teacher in the whole world! Mister Titus is so hard on us! He spanks us for even the littlest mistakes, and he's so much worse than everyone else! H-he uses the w-worst straps an' paddles tha' hurtsomuch! An' he likes s-s-seeing us cryin' an' sc-c-aredtodeath!” tears and sobs overcame her, with the judge waiting patiently for her to calm before speaking again.\n“Perhaps it would be best if we received this information first hand. Is there a Tobias Titus present?”\nThe door was opened once more, and the bone-white Roferian entered. His scarlet hair was slicked down smartly, with a dark red formal gown wrapped tightly around his lithe frame. The teacher stalked to his appointed place like a cat among mice, oozing calm authority and subtle power. Rilka wailed in terror at the sight of him.\n“Mr Titus, how long have you been Rilka's teacher?”\n“Since she joined Northrock Correctional Elementary almost three years ago,” Mister Titus replied smartly. “If I may pre-empt your question, you wish to know the nature of her discipline at school? In a word, harsh. This is especially true within my classroom, as I am cleared, by special permission of the Corrections Council, to issue punishments above and beyond standard age grades. Indeed, I am actively encouraged to inflict such punishments, and to do so regularly. I have brought a selection of examples, if exhibits may be called?”\nWith a wave of his claw, the judge indicated they were. A hellish blistering paddle and a variety of evil straps were brought out, along with a Fox Strap. Mister Titus began with that. “This strap is typical of what any penitatas might receive during a formal school event, either for poor behaviour or part of a 'special day' arrangement. During our last sports day, Rilka received forty strikes with this against the base of her tail. This was on the high-end for participating students who performed as well as she did. Typically, the sentence would be half that.”\nTalek saw Rilka's face twitch at the sight of the hefty strap. The young man's eyes followed Mister Titus' paws as he selected a paddle. “This is an age-nine blistering paddle, typically reserved for the most harsh of corrections, and perhaps the harshest form of corporal punishment her parents can inflict. This-” he held up a larger version to compare “-is an age-eleven blistering paddle, which I am permitted to use upon the girl. Of course, this is done with all proper care and attention given to the physical well-being of the penitatas. The goal is to hurt, not harm.”\n“What of the mental well-being, sir?” Haide asked.\nTitus paused. For the first time in her life, Rilka saw what appeared to be doubt on the Roferian's furred snout. “No child placed into my class is ever truly of a sound mental state,” he said at last. “It is widely accepted that the most severe of criminals must be broken before they can be remade into good, law-abiding citizens, and such breaking is the goal of my classroom.”\n“Has Rilka been 'broken', Mr Titus?”\nThe Roferian turned to study Rilka's tearful face. “No, your honour, she has not. Although I suspect she is fast approaching her limits.”\n“Then she has yet to show remorse for her crimes?” the judge pressed.\n“On the contrary, Rilka is one of the few penitatas in my class who has felt genuine remorse, and done so from the earliest of days.”\n“You are certain of that?”\nTitus met the judge's eye. “I am Roferian, your honour. We are, shall we say, a 'gifted' species. My assessment of the girl is that she is – at the risk of overstepping – incorrectly placed. I do not see that there is a need for special corrective measures to be applied to her; Rilka's conduct in school and general temperament are more indicative of a standard pupil.”\n“Your opinion is noted,” the judge said with a nod. “Ironic, that you speak so kindly of a girl that decries you as the 'worst teacher in the whole world', don't you think?”\nTitus smiled as he looked back at Rilka. “Not at all, your honour. I consider that a sign that I have been performing my duties as the Corrections Council demands.”\nMister Titus was dismissed and sat beside Shon as the judge reviewed his case notes. “Your views on school have been made clear, but I would like to hear more of your home. Specifically, your parents; do you consider them fair in their application of punishments and discipline?”\n“Not... not always,” Rilka whimpered. “I guess that all Pennys feel that way though. My friend at school calls it being 'punished for existing', because that's how it feels sometimes. I do... I do feel like they're too hard on me sometimes, especially with the... intimate stuff.”\n“Care to clarify that vague innuendo?”\nBlushing under the judge's stern gaze, Rilka answered, “I get some pretty 'sexual' punishments, like... stuffing things in my passage, or being edged over and over. I'm not... not allowed to have release either. Twice a year at most. I get pent up a lot, and I can't get any relief without earning a really horrible spanking!”\n“Humiliation and depravation are normal for all penitatas to some extent, especially ones guilty of your crimes. Besides, I have a suspicion that you might enjoy your predicament more than you let on.” the judge smiled, his eyes briefly flicking down to his screen as if to confirm his suspicions. “So, we have sexual frustration to add to the boredom and loneliness you spoke of before. Next I suppose you'll argue being punished at all is unfair?”\nThe jab was delivered softly, but it still drew a sniffle from the bound lizard girl. Her tail curled shyly around the thin metal bar keeping her restrained and exposed. “No Penny wants to be spanked,” she sighed. “I know why it happens, and I... I guess I do earn them. Is it really so bad that I don't want to be spanked so often, or so hard? I do try to accept it, I really do, but it's hard! It's tough to grin and bear it when you know that there's always going to be more, and that they only get worse as you get older!”\n“Surely you are aware that punishments become easier with good behaviour and time served?” the judge countered.\nOnce more, Rilka's gaze sought the floor. “I don't like to think about that far ahead. I know in a few years it'll start all over. But sometimes when I'm s'posed to be asleep I lie awake and think about what it'll be like down the line, like when Talek grows up. When I'm nine again he'll be fifteen... and he'll be fully grown long before I make parole. I... I don't want to lose this family. I don't want to be passed around to new parents, or lose my new brother. I'm s-scared of being alone again!”\n“It seems the more we speak, the more it sounds like you feel your entire sentence is unfair,” the judge noted, his voice having just a little more or a barb now.\nThe girl lifted her tear-stained snout and whimpered, “It... it's [i]not fair![/i] I don't...” she clenched her eyes shut and swallowed hard. “I know I deserve to be a Penny for what I did, but I don't deserve to be punished the way I am! T-the things that I've had to suffer are... they're too much! There are [i]murders[/i] who get less than me! I'm being punished like I'm the most evil person in the whole world a-and it's not f-fair!” she finally broke down, sagging in her binds as she bawled openly and shamelessly.\nTurning his focus from the sobbing child, judge Haide turned his focus to the bailiff. “Please inform the second witness that they are free to enter if they wish.” The bailiff nodded and left, returning soon after.\nRilka tried to composer herself, blinking rapidly and fiercely as she was unable to wipe her eyes. She turned to see a young, olive-scaled Karrian in his early twenties walk in, and a frightened yelp slipped from her maw. He was wearing a formal blue robe that was a little on the cheap side. The visitor looked at the trembling little girl and paused, as if struggling to recognise her, while Rilka became ever more distraught. The male quickly shook off the confusion and took his place, stood off to the side of Rilka.\n“Would you care to identify yourself for the court?” the judge prompted.\nThe man nodded. “My name is Dale Colfsal. I am Rolk's victim.”\nTalek felt his stomach lurch at the announcement. Aware of his anxiety, Shon tried to soothe the boy with a gentle touch to his back.\n“Have you been following the proceedings thus far?”\n“Yes, your honour,” Dale confirmed.\nNodding, judge Haide turned to focus on Rilka once more. “Over the past century, we have increasingly moved penitatas out of the public eye. At the same time, your rights to 'privacy' were expanded, but in your case a decision was made to suspend that right so that Mr Colfsal could be given knowledge of your living conditions. He has been able to witness punishments at your home and school, the former directly, the latter by approved surveillance. The resulting records of that surveillance have been duly destroyed. Mr Colfsal, you were invited to witness Rilka's punishments as part of the victim rehabilitation program, in the hope that seeing justice done would help grant you closure. Would you care to share your thoughts on Rilka's sentence thus far?”\nDale chose to speak to Rilka rather than the judge. “Rolk... I have to admit that being here is a lot more difficult than I thought. I remember being angry back when you were sentenced. I'm almost ashamed to admit I demanded the court give you the harshest possible sentence. After everything I've learned over the past month, I wish I could take that back. I don't know if I'm ready to forgive you, I don't know if I'll ever be ready to do that, but the idea of you suffering doesn't sit well with me either.” He glanced at the judge and added, “I worry that the court mistook vengeance for justice.”\nJudge Haide raised a wrinkled brow. “Quite the damning statement against my office, young man.”\nThe young Karrian's confidence faltered a little, “I suppose I never really knew what it meant to be a penitatas until now. That visit in my youth was nothing like what I've seen of late.”\n“Yes, things have become rather 'censored' in that regard,” the judge conceded. “I have always felt that the fate of penitatas should be seen by all, that they should be kept in wider society where all can see their welts and hear their sobs. Alas, I am in the minority these days... and perhaps Miss Rilka has suffered as a consequence.”\nDale turned his attentions back to Rilka. “Anything you'd like to say to me, after all these years?” he asked softly.\n“I...” Rilka wriggled in her humiliating binds, trying to clench her thighs together to find a hint of privacy as she looked her victim in the eye. “I did care about you, Dale! I know it probably seemed like I was just using you, but I swear I cared! Maybe... maybe I convinced myself you liked being with me, but when you made it obvious you wanted out, that you didn't want to speak to me anymore... I accepted that. I stayed away because I didn't want to hurt you, and if being apart made you happy that... was okay with me. It... it wasn't until much later I realised how you really felt.”\nAnger, surprise and sympathy raged behind Dale's eyes as he took in Rilka's words. “I won't lie, that was harder to hear than I expected,” his voice was low, barely audible to the onlookers. “There is a part of me that hates how you can ever claim to have cared about me. That same part finds the idea of you having a relationship with that lad equally vile. But-” he paused, letting out his growing frustrations with a long sigh, “-another part of me knows that hating you has done me no favours. I ended up turning that anger on myself, blaming myself for what happened between us, even hating the fact that I left. It is strange to hear people speak kindly of you, stranger still to realise that I felt sympathy for you as you described your life in Northrock. I said I'm not ready to forgive you, but I need to. I won't be able to forgive myself until I do. So for whatever it's worth, I truly hope the courts go easy on you soon. I don't like the idea of you going back to that life.”\nThe judge cleared his throat softly. “Is that a formal request for clemency, Mr Colfsal?”\n“I... I suppose it is,” Dale replied.\n“I will keep that in mind,” he said with a hint of a smile. “Would you care to take a seat? I believe I have heard all I need to hear.”\nDale nodded, pausing only to glance once more at Rilka before sitting down next to Mister Titus. The judge straightened his robes and fixed his eyes squarely on the miserable, cream-scaled girl before him. “Under normal circumstances, a review such as this would not take place until the end of your cycle. However, Mr Colfsal is entitled to his peace and closure, which is what we hoped to bring him here. I think the fact he feels such sympathy toward you and your plight speaks volumes to the man's character, and as leaving you as a 'Black P' penitatas will clearly weigh upon his conscience, I shall be taking unusual measures here today. Effective immediately, your sentence designation shall be reassigned from 'B1' to 'H3'. Special punishment days are to be reassessed accordingly; you'll still get your licks, but perhaps not so many as before! Special provisions concerning chastity are also lifted. In light of your new designation, a request shall be entered for you to be reassigned to a new classroom.”\nMister Titus smiled, “I believe Mr Kal's class has a vacany.” Rilka gave a soft gasp at that, telling Talek that was likely Lusu's class.\nThe judge focused on the little girl once more. “Miss Rilka, a word of warning; an easing of punishment is not exemption from punishment! You can still expect special days, unearned spankings, and a firm hand whenever you set a toe wrong! But, perhaps, you'll find those bruises cut a little less deep, and heal just a little bit faster. Court is adjourned. Bailiff, please release the defendant.”\nRilka's tears, once of misery and terror, were now expressions of joy. Dale crossed over to her as the binds were removed, offering her his paw to shake. “Do you time, Rilka. I suspect... and hope... this is the last time we ever see each other.”\n“Yeah... I wish you a good life, Dale. I promise I'll be better,” she added, accpting the offer.\nThe man smiled as they broke apart, casting a brief glance towards Talek. “You had 'chastity' provisions, did you? Well, I hope for his sake you really are a changed girl.” With that, Dale stepped out of the courtroom, and out of Rilka's life one last time.\n\nRilka held herself together up until the hovercar lifted off, at which point she burst into mad, giddy squeals of joy. It fell to Liki to try and reign the girl in, softly reminding her that this wasn't a parole, and that she shouldn't get any big ideas about what this meant for her moving forward. If any of that went in was impossible to say. “Don't go expecting any special treatment when we get home, young lady! I know you're excited, and we're both glad you've gotten this easing of your sentence, but the last thing we want is for this to go to your head! So you're looking at an early bath and bed tonight, and we won't tolerate any fooling around between you two once it's lights out.”\nThe mention of 'fooling around' made Rilka's mind jump tracks. “Umm, how often will I get to climax now?”\n“As often as we think you deserve it,” Shon replied firmly.\nThe car touched down in the town centre rather than at home. Both penitatas aboard felt tired and hungry after such a long day, so when Uncle Wu's was mentioned their faces lit up instantly. Shon took both children by the paw and guided them through to their destination, the family drawing a few curious looks as they went. Uncle Wu was behind the counter when they arrived at the eatery, which was half full with lunchtime diners, but he hurried over the moment Shon led the way inside. “Oh my! Why the formal dress?”\n“I got my sentence reduced, Uncle Wu!” Rilka squeaked, unable to contain herself.\n“It was not 'reduced', but it was lessened in severity,” Shon corrected. “B1 to H3”.\nUncle Wu's eyes went wide in awe. The man clapped his claws together and cried, “Why, that's wonderful news! Congratulations, you lucky little scamp!”\n“We're just a little worried she's going to let this go to her head,” Shon continued, giving the girl a squeeze on the shoulder. She took the hint and reigned in her excitement by just a little.\n“Oh, I know all about that! Why, it seems like yesterday I had a young lady-” he paused, looking sheepish as a claw rose to block his gossiping snout, “Goodness me! You'd think I'd know better than to spill people's secrets! Come right this way, I'll get you a table and some menus! I'd recommend the special today.”\nThe special turned out to be pork steaks with sliced potatoes, served in an extra creamy sauce. They all decided to try it, and when their food arrived it came with an unexpected addition. “Got this lovely little gift from a friend; genuine French wine! A 2888 [i]Côtes du Rhône[/i]!” He placed it on the table and, to the amazement of the penitatas, put five wine glasses down on the table.\n“Dan! You can't give them alcohol!” Liki scolded as the host set about uncorking the bottle.\n“I'm not suggesting you get them drunk! Just a splash to toast with!”\n“There are rules about that sort of thing,” Shon responded in his best 'parent' voice.\nUncle Wu, however, was utterly unphased. “Believe you me, I know all the rules concerning what can be put into a Penny! Do you honestly think I'd do anything to get that poor lass in trouble, especially on a day like today?”\n“Even so-” Liki began, but Shon raised his paw to ask for quiet.\n“A little rope?” Shon asked. Liki considered the question, then sighed and nodded.\nUncle Wu, obviously delighted with his little game, poured three full glasses for the adults, and gave both rejuves a small splash of wine – just a mouthful for them to taste. “You're still a penitatas, don't forget that!” Wu told her as he poured. Once everyone had their proper amount he raised his glass in toast. “To my dear little niece, may those nasty spankings be a little less nasty from now on! [i]Salut![/i]”\nThe Karrians toasted, with Talek and Rilka both savouring their forbidden little treat. Talek had no real knowledge of wine, finding it warm and dry but just a tiny bit moreish. That was a bitter thing to suffer, for he doubted he'd taste another drop until reaching adulthood barring some truly exceptional circumstances. Any thoughts of wine were swiftly brushed aside by the food, which was delicious; everything perfectly cooked, and the portions large enough to leave a child's stomach full to bursting! Talek knew he should have stopped eating sooner, but the wonderful sauce made him want to force every mouthful down – Rilka clearly agreed as she was trying to scrape the last of the sauce up with her knife and fork, before resorting to wiping the plate with a finger and sucking it clean. In her haste, she sent a dollop of creamy sauce plunging into her lap.\nFed and happy, both rejuves were glad of their mother's suggestion to take a slow, lazy walk to let their lunch go down. The parents seemed to have no destination in mind, instead calmly taking their charges along a winding route that lazily took in the local sights, with frequent pauses to look through shopfront windows. The two rejuves were left untethered, Shon and Liki trusting them to keep up. “I'm hoping for a toy store!” Rilka whispered to Talek with a grin. Out the corner of his eye, he saw his parents exchange a glance and smile at one another.\nIt wasn't long at all before the digestive lethargy lifted, and Rilka's tail began to sway happily as she walked, adding a bouncing gait to her movement. They looped back to the sea-front, crossing the road to the path overlooking the beach. There were no cars using the road, but the Karrian parents checked regardless before waving their little ones across. Down below, a Karrian woman in her late teens or early twenties was playing fetch with her dog, while close by a small group of rejuves stood around talking in the shadow of the pier. “The boys under the pier,” Rilka sighed. “Must be nice to be able to goof off all day!”\n“Maybe we should let our little cream-cake 'goof off' for the afternoon,” Liki mused.\nShon smiled at the comment. “You mean let her sit on the beach and build sandcastles?”\n“If by 'let' you mean 'force', then yes. In her pretty, bare scales of course!”\nRilka glanced up at her parents, a shy blush forming on her snout. “You mean at home, right?”\n“Plenty of perfectly good sand right there,” Shon replied, pointing toward the boys.\nShe turned her head towards them, an unhappy curl to her scaled snout. Liki picked up on it instantly, chuckling softly as her paw stroked the girl's dark blue hair. “You are a funny little thing! You cry your eyes out at the idea of flashing your bits on demand, but you'll happily put on a show for Talek!”\n“T-that's different!” Rilka blurted out. “He's-”\n“You didn't know him at all when you first spread yourself,” Liki cut in. “You're a control freak, that's the problem! You get all upset if we tell you to use a diaper, but put one on you 'just in case' and you'll soak it without a second thought!”\nThe girl's blush deepened, her fingertips drawing shapes upon the cold metal of the safety railing as she lined up her thoughts. “Is it really so bad to want some control? I mean, you get why I'm protective of my... openings... right?”\nShon's quiet chuckle was almost lost in the growing wind. “That's a fair point. Maybe we need to do a little reconditioning, help you associate being helpless with something positive?”\nLiki's eyes lit up at the suggestion. “Ooh! I like that idea! Now, what would be 'positive' for our little Rilka?”\n“Getting home unmolested?” Rilka's tone had a playful edge to it, but there was also a genuine note of concern. That note grew as Liki turned to address her directly, putting on the 'kind but firm' tone she used when trying to soften the blow of impending discipline.\nLiki's claw touched the stain on Rilka's clothes. “You made a mess of your formal robe, and you were slovenly in Uncle Wu's – wiping a plate with your fingers? Why would you think that was an appropriate thing to do in public?”\n“I liked the food!” Rilka protested, but she and Talek alike both knew this was a situation she couldn't bargain her way out of. Nevertheless, as many penitatas had before her, she would try regardless. “I'm really sorry, momma! I promise I'll never make a mess again!”\n“Don't make promises you can't keep,” Shon said to her, likewise trying to be gentle.\nLiki gave the girl's hair a spot of gentle attention, trying to tease a few wind-caught strands back into place. “I have an idea. Why don't we let you pick your own punishment? You have a think about what's appropriate.”\n“You... you're really going to make me ask for my own spanking?” Rilka whined, her snout crinkling up in pained disgust.\n“Doesn't have to be a spanking, cream-cake. You don't like being controlled, so this is us giving you freedom to choose. So long as the punishment is fitting for a messy little hard-timer, one who should know better by now, we'll abide by it.”\n“That's not the kind of freedom I want!” Rilka whined.\n“Then we'll pick the punishment for you,” Shon answered her calmly. With a jerk of his thumb he added, “The Penny-Go-Round is just through there.”\n“I'll choose!” the girl squeaked in terror. “I'll pick a punishment!”\n“No need to rush, take your time and really think about it,” Liki responded, continuing to gently fuss the girl. The mother's touch became less about grooming and more about comfort, softly stroking the girl's head, shoulders and back, subtly pulling her into a cuddle by small degrees.\nRilka struggled to meet her mother's gaze as she fumbled with her unwelcome assignment. “I... I guess... I have to be nude?”\nLiki nodded. “Taking away clothes for making a mess of them sounds like a fitting punishment. But is being naked enough?”\n“We... we could walk home? It takes ages and it's cold out... you know I hate being cold!” the girl pleaded, almost tearing up under the ordeal.\n“You're right, you would feel awfully cold after such a long walk in bare scale. We'd have to make sure you get nice and warm when we get home! Now, how do we warm a sorry, shivering little girl back up?”\nThe girl squirmed under the soft, caring caresses, unsure of whether this was a trap or a genuine question. “Umm... maybe... let me sit by the fire?”\n“Maybe you need someone to cuddle with? I think snuggling up with Talek would warm you up nice and quick!”\n“Really?” Rilka's dared to smile in hope at he comment.\nNow it was Shon's turn to offer quiet comfort. As he knelt down to stroke the girl's back he smiled and spoke softly into her ear slit, “This is a big day for you, pet. We do want you to enjoy it. You can come up with the reward as well as the punishment.”\n“Is... is sex too much?” the girl asked with a blush to her cheeks.\n“Depends how much worse you plan to make the punishment,” Liki countered.\nWith a less than happy sigh, Rilka reigned in her thoughts. “Then, maybe... just claws? Mutual masturbation?”\n“Sound's fair,” Shon agreed. Both parents stepped back, a subtle hint to Rilka that discussion of punishment had ended. Reluctantly, she carefully untied the silken belt and slipped the robe off, handing it to her father. The girl shivered as she glanced down at her feet, and guessing at her thoughts her father added, “Keep your shoes and socks on. The last thing you want is to hurt your feet!”\nThat small mercy given, Rilka removed her thin tee-shirt, shorts, and panties. Unfortunately for her, Shon wasn't done adjusting the punishment she'd chosen for herself. “Paws behind your back,” he said, then took the belt from her robe and wrapped the fabric around her wrists to bind them firmly together just above her tail. “Now, we're going to make at least one stop on the way home; I think a collar, a leash and... yes, a muzzle! That will make sure the walk is good and humiliating!”\n“No! Dad!” Rilka protested\n“If I hear another word from you then you'll be going to school naked tomorrow as well!” he snapped, silencing the girl barring a low, wordless whimpering.\nLiki gave the child another quick cuddle, “we could also go to the sex shop and pick up a few little vibrators. Pop them inside you, set them nice and low, then leave them on all the way home. Not sure what you'd find worse; the shame of being edged by them, being forced to cum as you walk, or the fact they'll just keep buzzing away after your release.”\nThe scrunched, pleading look she gave in response was heartbreaking, but Rilka held her tongue. Liki turned her attention to Talek next, her eyes sliding down toward the boy's crotch. “Perhaps we should get your brother to join in. Just imagine him walking naked beside you, that pretty stiffy of his swinging in the breeze with a vibrator buzzing away... we already know you like seeing him spurt in public!”\nTalek gave a horrified whimper at the idea of sharing Rilka's punishment, but a guilty little smile slipped across Rilka's snout. Shon rounded on the boy, ruffling his hair as he whispered, “if you volunteer to share Rilka's punishment, I might just let you play with girls again. Besides, you've been pent up for, what, three weeks? Four? Those poor little balls must be aching! Now think about that long walk home, being pleasured all the way, being allowed to cum as many times as you like...” his father's voice dropped low and sultry as he leaned in to whisper, “and neither of you are going to school tomorrow.” Those seemingly innocent words send a shudder down the boy's spine, and made his cock pulse hungrily.\n\nThough Rilka had to walk around town in bare scale, the true humiliation was saved for the beach. The family walked a short way south, Shon carrying bags of 'toys' for the exhibition they had planned. It began with Talek being stripped and bound, just as his sister was, then each of them had a dog collar fixed around their necks. Each parent took a leash; Shon walking Talek, Liki walking Rilka. “Let's make sure you're both nice and hydrated,” Liki announced as she placed a bottle to Rilka's lips, forcing her to drink. Talek was given his own water, though both rejuves knew the goal wasn't to 'hydrate' at all; this punishment had become all about their parent's enjoyment. The last touch of their outfits were leather muzzles, which were bound tightly to their heads and prevented anything other than desperate whines and mumblings.\n“Tail up, little man!” Shon announced, and the boy yelped as a small, round bullet was shoved into his back passage. The matching squeak of surprise from Rilka told him she was sharing his fate. As a second bullet slid into Rilka's front, Shon took a pink bullet attached to an elastic ring and fastened it to the base of Talek's cock, stroking the boy's length while whispering lewd promises of all-night sex sessions with Rilka. The physical and verbal attention got the lad fully stiff, and with a few loops of the elastic round his shaft the vibrator was secure. Both toys sprang to life, one softly massaging his back passage, the other tickling his balls and base of the cock. He turned as a low, shuddering moan slipped from Rilka's bound lips, the sound making his cock bounce as he watched her hips tremble. Sure enough, a matching low, slow drone of vibrators rang out from between her thighs.\n“From here on out, the only thing you two can do wrong is stand still,” Liki chuckled. “Come on, girls! Walkies!”\nA tug upon their leashes signalled the start of their long, humiliating walk. The unfamiliar sensation of a sex toy in his rear gave Talek an awkward gait, one that wasn't helped by the teasing little nub under his cock. He tried not to think about the sensations and focus on walking, putting one foot in front of the other despite the cold, and the teasing, and the existential dread that someone was going to wander up the beach and see him like this!\nThe boy's eyes were drawn back to Rilka. The girl's eyes were creased, her pale face reddened in shame and gaze turned downward. But, Talek realised, she wasn't staring at the floor; from the slight angle of her snout, it was clear she was staring at his erection. For the briefest of moments she glanced up, looking him square in the eye. Talek got the brief impression she was smiling before her eyes turned back to the swollen tip of his cock, and the overt attention made a lustful shiver run through the boy. A shameful bubble of pre formed on the tip of his cock, clinging there for a few steps before gliding down his head and breaking off to fall into the sand. A happy little sigh slipped from Rilka's bound maw.\nStep by dreadful step, the bullets did their work. For Rilka, the duo were cruel beyond imagining, rumbling away on low and not quite touching the right places to give her real satisfaction. She clenched and wriggled as she walked, trying to shift the toys inside her to find better purchase. The sight of her brother's throbbing cock was a pleasant tease that helped her get into the right mindset; with each little squirt of precum he dribbled out, Rilka imagined how his eventual climax would look. She pictured an impossibly long, thick strand of semen arcing across the sands, pure white in stark contrast to the stormy greys of the beach. “I want him to come inside me!” she cried out, but the words became meaningless grunts through her bound lips.\nTen minutes passed. Ten minutes of slow, cruel edging, of being made hot and huffy but given nothing close to release. The head of Talek's cock had a wet, slippery sheen from the excitement coaxed from him, while a trio of shameful trickles wove down Rilka's thighs. It was then the pair finally had to face their fears as another family came up from the opposite direction; two tall, brown scaled Karrians holding a very young penitatas between them. The boy was five, but he wore a short, pink dress that failed to hide the thick diaper beneath. His pained expression suggested that babyish attire hid a thoroughly punished backside.\n“Oh my!” the mother cried as they passed, and despite the whines of protest from the children, Liki and Shon stopped to speak to them.\n“Our little tykes rather like making a spectacle of themselves in public, so we thought we'd help them out!” Shon laughed, dragging Talek front and centre while Rilka was likewise steered into view.\n“We know all about that!” the male replied, and took both pride and delight in describing the hell they'd put their naughty son through that morning.\nTalek clenched his eyes tight shut, trying his best to pretend he was anywhere else. A shameful tear rolled down his cheek, his guts knotting up at how utterly exposed he was. He prayed in desperation that he could hold himself together, for the idea of blowing his load now... he'd die of shame!\nNext to him, Rilka struggled with her own thoughts, but hers took a rather different track. “The only thing I can do wrong is stand still... I guess this doesn't count. Maybe... maybe I should test that?”\nHer gaze softened and unfocused. Rilka stared off at nothing, trying to relax despite the instinct to clench and squirm under the buzzing of the toys. The woman happened to glance her way and Rilka turned towards her, looking through her in her quest for calm. She managed to get herself centred and relaxed. Rilka's gaze didn't move, but the woman's did.\nTalek's eyes opened at the soft, trickling sound. All six Karrians turned towards Rilka, staring down at her crotch as she calmly, quietly pissed into the sand. Or tried to, at least; she didn't bother to widen her stance, leaving a good portion to splash against her thighs and run down her leg. Liki placed her paws upon Rilka's shoulders, giving the girl a gentle squeeze, and went right back to 'grown up talk', not even hinting at what had just happened. “You're not even going to mention it?” Rilka gasped into her gag, her loins now aflame. She tried to signal to her mother her need, flicking her claws in their binds, but Liki ignored this just as she had the pissing.\nThe strangers moved on, and Liki let out a pleasured shudder, “Ooh, I'm going to give our little cream-cake a nice, long tongue bath when we get home! The little minx was clawing at me as well. I think she wants her toys turned up!”\nShon grinned wickedly. “If she can't climax as she is, she doesn't need it badly enough!”\nTheir walk resumed, with Rilka huffier than ever, eagerly rubbing her thighs together as she walked in pursuit of ever more stimulation. Her frustration was mirrored by Talek, for with each step the pressure in his loins built up, but release was never close enough to be achieved. They walked for several minutes more, becoming ever more vocal in their desperation for release. A constant stream of pre was trickling down his length now, his head twitching hungrily at every passing gust of wind in the hope it might bring him release.\nWithout warning, Shon halted. He turned to Talek and calmly walked behind him, wrapping an arm tightly around the boy's chest. “You are truly desperate, aren't you? Do you need a little help?”\nTalek nodded frantically, hungry huffs escaping his muzzled snout. With a little chuckle, Shon reached around and gently grasped the boy's length, holding it ever-so carefully. “Just imagine your friend Ki'reth is here with you, hugging his warm, furry body against you... pressing his long, hard member against your tailhole, pushing his way inside of you...”\nThe boy let out a shamed little whimper, but he was too desperate not to give in. He began to hump his father's paw, blushing in shame as soft, sultry words whispered into his ear. “That's it, imagine how good it feels to be mounted by that pretty Aspatrian boy. Picture that big, hard cock thrusting into you, harder and harder, until he fills your ass with his hot cum...”\nTalek yelped into the muzzle as he finally peaked, shooting a long, thin stream of watery spunk across the sand. Shon kept his paw in place until the boy stopped humping, then he calmly took the watery mess in his paw and wiped it on Talek's chest. Then he gently tilted the boy's head towards Rilka, who was shivering beside him. “Did that little show get you off, cream-cake?”\nThe girl nodded, grinning under her own muzzle. “Well then, let's move on! Plenty more beach to go!”\n\nBy the time they reached home, both penitatas were exhausted. The strain of being overstimulated left them both tired, sweating and, in Talek's case, sticky. While it had originally been a mild threat, the prospect of an early bath now sounded heavenly to the pair as their parents finally switched off the vibrating toys and helped them out of their restraints.\n“So, who's the lucky one that gets the first bath?” Liki asked playfully as she planted a foot on the first step of the stairs.\n“I'd like to be first,” Talek said. “But I'd like dad to bath me if that's okay?”\n“I'll take him up to our bathroom, you tend to Rilka in theirs,” Shon responded, gently pushing Talek from behind. The pair went up to the normally forbidden floor and the boy was guided through the first door into a world of minty-greens and seashell pinks. The tub was opaque, with nozzles for water jets that could massage a weary bather. Shon treated Talek to them once he was settled into the warm, soapy water.\n“Something tells me you have something you'd like to say,” Shon noted casually as he gently rubbled the boy's white-speckled stomach with a soapy cloth.\nTalek struggled to meet his father's eye. “I... I don't like what you put me through,” he answered weakly. “I feel like you were... taking advantage of me.”\nShon cocked his head at the boy's comments. “You volunteered for this, Talek.”\nThe boy's brow furrowed. “You made us walk naked with those toys on!”\n“We made [i]Rilka[/i] do that. [i]You[/i] volunteered.” Shon corrected. “Oh, I know why you volunteered; you might be the only rejuve in Northrock hornier than she is! You could have said no, but you didn't. You chose this.”\nThe boy turned away. “It's not like I had any real choice!” he pouted.\n“You had two choices, Talek. You could have chosen to say no, and carry on under the restrictions I gave you earlier. Deny it all you want, but you are the one to blame for you walking home nude with a stiffy!”\nSquirming as his father scrubbed his armpits, Talek fought to find some argument he could cling to. “I just don't think it was fair,” he whined, “I think you were using us for your own fun!”\nShon gave a soft chuckle. “It would be more accurate to say Rilka was using us for hers! We knew what she was after! In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if she hasn't begged Liki to give her a little 'massage' before getting in the bath. Yes, we enjoyed your little display, but you got plenty out of it too. You both did.”\nA soft whimper slipped from Talek's lips, “but why'd you have to whisper that stuff in my ear? You know I don't like boys!”\n“You like my paw well enough,” his father answered with a grin, reaching under the water to softly massage the boy's sac. “I've pushed you the way I have for two reasons: first, if you really don't like boys as much as you claim, then you'll hold off on sexual activity until you're truly desperate. I think that's what you've been doing lately, and I'm proud of you for doing so well. Second, it pushes you into trying something new, which might lead to an unexpected discovery about yourself.” He could see Talek was not swayed, and with a gentle sigh he tried a different tack. “If you really aren't comfortable with the 'sexual' side of your life here, we can fix that. Just say the word, and there'll be no more attention paid to your boyhood... good or bad. That'll mean giving up on playing with others, and it means no crawling to me begging for a handjob. Is that what you want?”\n“No...” the boy whimpered, squeezing his legs closed and trying to curl his tail as he became acutely aware of his genitals.\nAnother sigh slid from Shon's maw. “Don't worry about any of that for now, okay? You've had a long day, so you and Rilka are going to curl up for a nap.”\nAs soon as the boy was dried, Shon carried him downstairs to the Penny Room. Rilka was being helped into a pair of pink pyjamas, the soft blush upon her snout suggesting that she'd received some special attention in Talek's absence. As the boy was helped into his own sleepwear, Shon reiterated his promises. “You two are going to have a quiet afternoon with an early bedtime. Tomorrow, we'll keep you home. There'll be plenty of time for 'fun' then, so lets keep our paws to ourselves for the rest of the day, understand?”\n“Dad?” Rilka's soft voice drew all eyes to her. “I... don't want to skip school tomorrow.”\n“Really? I don't think I've ever heard a Penny [i]ask[/i] to go to school before!” Liki responded with a grin.\n“Well, it's not that I want to go to class... but I want to see Lusu. I want to tell her the good news, and see the look on her face when she finds out we're together at last!”\nA warm, fatherly smile spread over Shon's snout at the girl's words. “I'm sure we can arrange for Lusu to skip school as well. It's been ages since we've had her over.”\nRilka's eyes lit up at the announcement, which prompted her mother to reign her back in, though not unkindly. “Having friends over is a privilege, remember. That means doing as you're told tonight.”\nThe words took only a little edge off Rilka's beaming grin. “Yes, mom!” she answered, wriggling down under the sheets. Talek followed soon after, cuddling up next to Rilka and using her chest as a pillow. Their parents drew the curtains closed and left them to rest, each struggling to do so for their own reasons; Rilka giddy at the ease and greater fun her new, lighter sentence offered, while Talek's anxieties squirmed in his head. The day's ordeal had left him scared, confused and angry, with no clear outlet for his pent up emotions. His one small mercy was that he at least held himself together until Rilka fell asleep before he started to cry.", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "The seemingly random nature of being a penitatas was something Talek still couldn't adjust to. The centre of his world was, and perhaps always would be, his bedroom that made up almost all of the house's middle floor; a room that served as sleeping area, play space, punishment room and bathroom all in one, with no form of privacy between each! As unsettling and alien as it had first been, the green-scaled lizard boy had accepted it in time, growing accustomed to being 'on display' when being washed or doing his business. He never accepted it, as such, but it stung far less than it once had.
The randomness was most recently expressed via the windows that formed the inner wall of the room, enabling the occupant to look out at the gently curving hallway. A push of a button would turn the inside of those windows to reflective mirrors, ensuring neither he nor his sister could be sure if they were being watched or not. After receiving their gift of a radio, and an 'unearned' hand-spanking the very next day, those 'panopticon' windows had been turned on, and left on. That was unheard of thus far in Talek's sentence; having them on all day wasn't that strange, but they'd always become windows once more the next morning. Instead, they were on for four days straight.
Worse for Rilka, her 'unearned' spankings came thick and fast – on top of the spanking she got for the weekend, a thorough paddling and tail strapping was handed down on Tuesday the moment they got home from school. The feeling of being constantly watched was oppressive, and their newly earned radio was hardly ever on.
“Did we do something wrong?” Talek asked pitifully during his Tuesday night bath, having begun to suffer under the strain.
His mother gave him an apologetic smile and tried to lighten the mood by plopping a mound of bubbles onto his snout. “Sometimes penitatas just have to get tough weeks. Please don't pry any further, okay?”
The panopticon was switched off when they returned home from school the next day, and the soft warbling of the radio was on to greet them. Both Rilka and Talek were kept home the day after, with Liki apologising to them both for having to be so rough. Their day home was free and easy, with no punishment in sight – Talek even got to sit and watch cartoons on the holo after lunch!
This oddity would have been just another unresolved mystery of penitatas life where it not for events that transpired much later. Events that would change their little lives forever.

Two weeks after the strangeness, Rilka and Talek were roused from their bed in the early hours of the morning. It was close to the winter solstice, with new year just a few weeks away, yet both could tell from the heaviness of their eyes that this was far too early for a penitatas to be out of bed!
“Get yourselves tended to, nice and quick!” Shon urged as he half-lifted, half-dragged the rejuves from their beds.
“Mom? Dad? What's going on?” Talek asked as he blinked sleep from his eyes. Both his parents wore formal robes, anachronistic pieces of attire reserved only for specific events, like weddings, funerals... or days in court!
Confirming his fears, Liki turned her eyes towards Rilka's sleepy, cream-scaled snout. “You have a court hearing first thing this morning, cream-cake.”
Pure terror washed over the girl. “What? B-but my parole is years away! I... w-what did I do?” she stammered on the brink of tears, visibly shaking at her mother's soft words.
Liki immediately granted the frightened child a firm hug. “It's okay, Rilka. It's not anything you did, not like you're thinking at least. Be brave, okay?”
Despite her nod, the girl was anything but. Nor, in truth, was Talek especially courageous; he couldn't help but remember his last encounter with a judge, and how quickly he'd gone from headstrong teenager to bawling little boy. Both rejuves were allowed to use the potty, given a hasty, lukewarm bath, and then helped into robes of their own. All four Karrians, wrapped in silks of black and jade, made for the waiting hovercar that idled right outside the front door. Once all were aboard, the automated vehicle rose up and turned for the ocean where, once over the waves, it found an alarming burst of speed and raced off on a cross-continental flight.
The destination made Talek feel sick to his stomach. Newfounding. The smoothed, rounded structures of his former home were speckled across the countryside in tight little clusters linked via winding transit lines, with lush, tropical trees and sun-kissed grass parks throughout. Everything was clean, bright, and modern; far cry from the drab, backward town he now occupied.
The First Municipal Court was as intimidating as ever, with blue-uniformed security waiting patiently as the hovercar touched down. “Mr and Mrs Dafron?”
“That's us,” Shon confirmed. “This is Rilka, and this is Talek,” he introduced both children, then rattled off an alpha-numeric identification code for each of them. The guard seemed satisfied with that.
“I'll have to ask you all to step through the security scanners here. Simply walk through the silver arch.” Obeying raised no concerns, and all four were allowed to enter the courthouse proper.
As they walked, Liki kept a paw clasped firmly onto Rilka's. “Whatever happens, be honest. Just speak from the heart and tell the truth, okay?”
The little lizard girl simply whimpered in response, quiet tears rolling down her cheeks and leaving a trail along the tiled floor. Talek was likewise silent, at least outwardly; inside he was screaming in terror as his parents led him down the same corridor he had walked months ago, perhaps to – no, it was! The same courtroom where his fate had been sealed! A wail slipped out, prompting Shon to quickly lift him up and carry the terrified boy the rest of the way. Gripped tight to his father's chest, Talek was silenced almost instantly, though his breathing stayed ragged and his eyes remained tearful.
Shon carried his son to the benches at the side of the courtroom, settling the juvenalas down on a red cushioned seat while Liki tended to Rilka. The poor little lass was made to stand in the middle of the room as one of the security guards brought a restraining rod over. The thin metal pole was placed tip-down onto the floor, securing itself in place with an electric hum. Then, as Liki gently removed Rilka's robe, a pair of cuffs were fixed to her wrists and she was made to lift them behind her head. The connector plate clamped on with a hum, and the seemingly flimsy arrangement locked Rilka in place, naked and exposed.
Shon put a paw on Talek's shoulder and squeezed to draw the boy's attention. “You need to keep silent, understand? This might not be easy for you to see or hear, but it's important you don't say or do anything to interrupt!”

The judge entered, an ash-grey Karrian whose scales were scuffed and rough with age. The judge grunted audibly as he found his seat, little winces slipping in as he moved. Talek briefly wondered why he hadn't rejuvenated already. “Court is now in session, the right-honourable justice Haide residing!” the bailiff intoned.
Judge Haide peered at the bound, whimpering child before him, studying her gently wriggling form as if reading text from her scales. “Please state your identity as per the court record.”
Rilka shivered as she closed her eyes and recalled the proper address. “My name is Rilka, age 9, serving 6x6-12, penitatas ID: C019-0683-1AE9-H. Formerly Rolk Quane.”
“You have served three years of your first cycle,” it wasn't a question, but Rilka nodded anyway. “In attendance with you are your penitatas parents, Mr and Mrs Dafron, and their second charge. For the record, would the young man please identify himself?”
Talek froze in shock at being addressed out of nowhere. “I... I'm Talek,” he whimpered.
Shon, a smile of pity on his snout, stood to address the judge. “The boy's name is Talek, serving 1x9-21, penitatas ID 0E0D-1101-B556-J. Formerly Talek Nodaro.”
The judge accepted the comments with a nod. “Off the record, young man, we prefer it if a penitatas memorises their personal identification. For official record, let it show the boy is in attendance as an observer and potential character witness if required.”
Every word sowed more doubt and confusion within Talek's mind. A character witness? He began to wring his paws anxiously, his jaw trembling in fear at the idea he might say something foolish and land himself, or Rilka in serious trouble! Seeing his distress, Shon and Liki both took a paw to hold.
“Miss Rilka,” Judge Haide continued, “I have a series of questions for you, and I would ask that you answer them truthfully. It is my duty to inform you that, as a lawfully convicted individual, you have forfeited your right to silence; failure to answer a question can and may be interpreted as an admission of guilt, and thus may result in punishments being levied against you. Likewise, knowingly providing false statements to the court will result in immediate repercussions upon the discovery of said falsehoods. I am informing you of this not as a threat, but so you understand your rights and obligations going forward. Do you understand what I have told you?”
“Yes, your honour,” the girl replied, a clear tremble in her voice.
“Good. Then would you be so kind as to describe the conditions under which you have lived this past three years? Prior to the arrival of your 'brother' in particular?”
The softly spoken question caught Rilka off guard. She pondered the request, casting shy glances toward her parents as her lips worked in silence, practising her words before releasing them. “My first three years have been hard, your honour. Often lonely as well. You see, I live right on the edge of town, far away from most other people. Before Talek came I was alone in my room an awful lot with only a tiny handful of toys and a couple of books to keep me occupied. I... I don't even know any of my neighbours.”
“You might be surprised how few penitatas do, Miss Rilka,” the judge replied, smiling at her as he spoke. “I am curious why you chose to focus on loneliness. Care to elaborate?”
The lizard girl squirmed a little more in her binds. “Being alone is probably the worst part about being a Penny,” she replied, struggling to meet the judge's gaze. “Pain sucks, and there's a lot of it, but you almost always get a cuddle afterwards if it's your mom or dad laying on the lumps. School... there it's so much worse! But even then I can at least cry on a friend's shoulder. It's what comes after that's unbearable; when you're left alone. It... it eats you up inside. Sometimes I'd think about breaking the rules just so I'd get punished, because being over mom and dad's knees was better than being in my room all alone, with nothing to do but think how many more years I have to suffer...” a heartfelt tear slid down the little girl's snout as she fell silent, following the crease of her cheek and slipping across her lip.
“Then you are grateful for the presence of Master Talek?”
“Yes, your honour. Very much so!”
“Describe your relationship with the juvenalas in question.”
Rilka paused, her eyes flicking to Talek as her lips tightened. “I... guess we've had a few rough patches, but now we're close friends. We get along, we rarely ever fight, we worry about each other.”
A knowing smile spread over the judge's lips. “You seem rather guarded for a girl simply talking about a friend, Miss Rilka.”
Rilka looked ready to burst into tears as she writhed under the judge's gaze. “We... have been physical...” she whimpered.
Judge Haide rolled his eyes. “I have to wonder whose judgement is more impaired – yours, or the official who put Talek in your household. Did it occur to you at any point that a man convicted of grooming and abusing a fifteen year old boy should, perhaps, avoid engaging in sexual activities with a juvenalas?”
Rilka's reply was simply to sob and whimper, though to her surprise it was Liki who stood up to speak for her. “Your honour, if I may? Risk assessments were conducted, and it was Talek himself who instigated their sexual relationship. As I recall, Rilka recognised that to do so herself was clearly overstepping a boundary. We permitted them to explore this facet of their relationship while under supervision, and with strict limits in place. These limits have been upheld by both of them.”
Haide glanced from Rilka to Talek and back. “Master Talek, are you aware of Miss Rilka's conviction?”
“Y-yes sir!”
“And where you aware of them prior to beginning your relationship?”
Talek shyly shook his head, fearful that his confession was tying the hangman's noose around Rilka's neck. “No, I wasn't. B-but she told me almost straight away! Before we had sex even!”
Smiling, the judge raised his paw. “Try not to burst a blood vessel, Master Talek! So, it seems you were simply along for the ride, young lady. I suppose many a teenage boy would have done the same in his place, and certainly a fair few rejuves as well. I would like you now to expand on your experiences at school. You have already indicated it is worse than home, so please elaborate on that.”
The girl glanced around the room, almost as if she expected Mister Titus to step into view and punish her for speaking ill of him. “I have... I have the worst teacher in the whole world! Mister Titus is so hard on us! He spanks us for even the littlest mistakes, and he's so much worse than everyone else! H-he uses the w-worst straps an' paddles tha' hurtsomuch! An' he likes s-s-seeing us cryin' an' sc-c-aredtodeath!” tears and sobs overcame her, with the judge waiting patiently for her to calm before speaking again.
“Perhaps it would be best if we received this information first hand. Is there a Tobias Titus present?”
The door was opened once more, and the bone-white Roferian entered. His scarlet hair was slicked down smartly, with a dark red formal gown wrapped tightly around his lithe frame. The teacher stalked to his appointed place like a cat among mice, oozing calm authority and subtle power. Rilka wailed in terror at the sight of him.
“Mr Titus, how long have you been Rilka's teacher?”
“Since she joined Northrock Correctional Elementary almost three years ago,” Mister Titus replied smartly. “If I may pre-empt your question, you wish to know the nature of her discipline at school? In a word, harsh. This is especially true within my classroom, as I am cleared, by special permission of the Corrections Council, to issue punishments above and beyond standard age grades. Indeed, I am actively encouraged to inflict such punishments, and to do so regularly. I have brought a selection of examples, if exhibits may be called?”
With a wave of his claw, the judge indicated they were. A hellish blistering paddle and a variety of evil straps were brought out, along with a Fox Strap. Mister Titus began with that. “This strap is typical of what any penitatas might receive during a formal school event, either for poor behaviour or part of a 'special day' arrangement. During our last sports day, Rilka received forty strikes with this against the base of her tail. This was on the high-end for participating students who performed as well as she did. Typically, the sentence would be half that.”
Talek saw Rilka's face twitch at the sight of the hefty strap. The young man's eyes followed Mister Titus' paws as he selected a paddle. “This is an age-nine blistering paddle, typically reserved for the most harsh of corrections, and perhaps the harshest form of corporal punishment her parents can inflict. This-” he held up a larger version to compare “-is an age-eleven blistering paddle, which I am permitted to use upon the girl. Of course, this is done with all proper care and attention given to the physical well-being of the penitatas. The goal is to hurt, not harm.”
“What of the mental well-being, sir?” Haide asked.
Titus paused. For the first time in her life, Rilka saw what appeared to be doubt on the Roferian's furred snout. “No child placed into my class is ever truly of a sound mental state,” he said at last. “It is widely accepted that the most severe of criminals must be broken before they can be remade into good, law-abiding citizens, and such breaking is the goal of my classroom.”
“Has Rilka been 'broken', Mr Titus?”
The Roferian turned to study Rilka's tearful face. “No, your honour, she has not. Although I suspect she is fast approaching her limits.”
“Then she has yet to show remorse for her crimes?” the judge pressed.
“On the contrary, Rilka is one of the few penitatas in my class who has felt genuine remorse, and done so from the earliest of days.”
“You are certain of that?”
Titus met the judge's eye. “I am Roferian, your honour. We are, shall we say, a 'gifted' species. My assessment of the girl is that she is – at the risk of overstepping – incorrectly placed. I do not see that there is a need for special corrective measures to be applied to her; Rilka's conduct in school and general temperament are more indicative of a standard pupil.”
“Your opinion is noted,” the judge said with a nod. “Ironic, that you speak so kindly of a girl that decries you as the 'worst teacher in the whole world', don't you think?”
Titus smiled as he looked back at Rilka. “Not at all, your honour. I consider that a sign that I have been performing my duties as the Corrections Council demands.”
Mister Titus was dismissed and sat beside Shon as the judge reviewed his case notes. “Your views on school have been made clear, but I would like to hear more of your home. Specifically, your parents; do you consider them fair in their application of punishments and discipline?”
“Not... not always,” Rilka whimpered. “I guess that all Pennys feel that way though. My friend at school calls it being 'punished for existing', because that's how it feels sometimes. I do... I do feel like they're too hard on me sometimes, especially with the... intimate stuff.”
“Care to clarify that vague innuendo?”
Blushing under the judge's stern gaze, Rilka answered, “I get some pretty 'sexual' punishments, like... stuffing things in my passage, or being edged over and over. I'm not... not allowed to have release either. Twice a year at most. I get pent up a lot, and I can't get any relief without earning a really horrible spanking!”
“Humiliation and depravation are normal for all penitatas to some extent, especially ones guilty of your crimes. Besides, I have a suspicion that you might enjoy your predicament more than you let on.” the judge smiled, his eyes briefly flicking down to his screen as if to confirm his suspicions. “So, we have sexual frustration to add to the boredom and loneliness you spoke of before. Next I suppose you'll argue being punished at all is unfair?”
The jab was delivered softly, but it still drew a sniffle from the bound lizard girl. Her tail curled shyly around the thin metal bar keeping her restrained and exposed. “No Penny wants to be spanked,” she sighed. “I know why it happens, and I... I guess I do earn them. Is it really so bad that I don't want to be spanked so often, or so hard? I do try to accept it, I really do, but it's hard! It's tough to grin and bear it when you know that there's always going to be more, and that they only get worse as you get older!”
“Surely you are aware that punishments become easier with good behaviour and time served?” the judge countered.
Once more, Rilka's gaze sought the floor. “I don't like to think about that far ahead. I know in a few years it'll start all over. But sometimes when I'm s'posed to be asleep I lie awake and think about what it'll be like down the line, like when Talek grows up. When I'm nine again he'll be fifteen... and he'll be fully grown long before I make parole. I... I don't want to lose this family. I don't want to be passed around to new parents, or lose my new brother. I'm s-scared of being alone again!”
“It seems the more we speak, the more it sounds like you feel your entire sentence is unfair,” the judge noted, his voice having just a little more or a barb now.
The girl lifted her tear-stained snout and whimpered, “It... it's not fair! I don't...” she clenched her eyes shut and swallowed hard. “I know I deserve to be a Penny for what I did, but I don't deserve to be punished the way I am! T-the things that I've had to suffer are... they're too much! There are murders who get less than me! I'm being punished like I'm the most evil person in the whole world a-and it's not f-fair!” she finally broke down, sagging in her binds as she bawled openly and shamelessly.
Turning his focus from the sobbing child, judge Haide turned his focus to the bailiff. “Please inform the second witness that they are free to enter if they wish.” The bailiff nodded and left, returning soon after.
Rilka tried to composer herself, blinking rapidly and fiercely as she was unable to wipe her eyes. She turned to see a young, olive-scaled Karrian in his early twenties walk in, and a frightened yelp slipped from her maw. He was wearing a formal blue robe that was a little on the cheap side. The visitor looked at the trembling little girl and paused, as if struggling to recognise her, while Rilka became ever more distraught. The male quickly shook off the confusion and took his place, stood off to the side of Rilka.
“Would you care to identify yourself for the court?” the judge prompted.
The man nodded. “My name is Dale Colfsal. I am Rolk's victim.”
Talek felt his stomach lurch at the announcement. Aware of his anxiety, Shon tried to soothe the boy with a gentle touch to his back.
“Have you been following the proceedings thus far?”
“Yes, your honour,” Dale confirmed.
Nodding, judge Haide turned to focus on Rilka once more. “Over the past century, we have increasingly moved penitatas out of the public eye. At the same time, your rights to 'privacy' were expanded, but in your case a decision was made to suspend that right so that Mr Colfsal could be given knowledge of your living conditions. He has been able to witness punishments at your home and school, the former directly, the latter by approved surveillance. The resulting records of that surveillance have been duly destroyed. Mr Colfsal, you were invited to witness Rilka's punishments as part of the victim rehabilitation program, in the hope that seeing justice done would help grant you closure. Would you care to share your thoughts on Rilka's sentence thus far?”
Dale chose to speak to Rilka rather than the judge. “Rolk... I have to admit that being here is a lot more difficult than I thought. I remember being angry back when you were sentenced. I'm almost ashamed to admit I demanded the court give you the harshest possible sentence. After everything I've learned over the past month, I wish I could take that back. I don't know if I'm ready to forgive you, I don't know if I'll ever be ready to do that, but the idea of you suffering doesn't sit well with me either.” He glanced at the judge and added, “I worry that the court mistook vengeance for justice.”
Judge Haide raised a wrinkled brow. “Quite the damning statement against my office, young man.”
The young Karrian's confidence faltered a little, “I suppose I never really knew what it meant to be a penitatas until now. That visit in my youth was nothing like what I've seen of late.”
“Yes, things have become rather 'censored' in that regard,” the judge conceded. “I have always felt that the fate of penitatas should be seen by all, that they should be kept in wider society where all can see their welts and hear their sobs. Alas, I am in the minority these days... and perhaps Miss Rilka has suffered as a consequence.”
Dale turned his attentions back to Rilka. “Anything you'd like to say to me, after all these years?” he asked softly.
“I...” Rilka wriggled in her humiliating binds, trying to clench her thighs together to find a hint of privacy as she looked her victim in the eye. “I did care about you, Dale! I know it probably seemed like I was just using you, but I swear I cared! Maybe... maybe I convinced myself you liked being with me, but when you made it obvious you wanted out, that you didn't want to speak to me anymore... I accepted that. I stayed away because I didn't want to hurt you, and if being apart made you happy that... was okay with me. It... it wasn't until much later I realised how you really felt.”
Anger, surprise and sympathy raged behind Dale's eyes as he took in Rilka's words. “I won't lie, that was harder to hear than I expected,” his voice was low, barely audible to the onlookers. “There is a part of me that hates how you can ever claim to have cared about me. That same part finds the idea of you having a relationship with that lad equally vile. But-” he paused, letting out his growing frustrations with a long sigh, “-another part of me knows that hating you has done me no favours. I ended up turning that anger on myself, blaming myself for what happened between us, even hating the fact that I left. It is strange to hear people speak kindly of you, stranger still to realise that I felt sympathy for you as you described your life in Northrock. I said I'm not ready to forgive you, but I need to. I won't be able to forgive myself until I do. So for whatever it's worth, I truly hope the courts go easy on you soon. I don't like the idea of you going back to that life.”
The judge cleared his throat softly. “Is that a formal request for clemency, Mr Colfsal?”
“I... I suppose it is,” Dale replied.
“I will keep that in mind,” he said with a hint of a smile. “Would you care to take a seat? I believe I have heard all I need to hear.”
Dale nodded, pausing only to glance once more at Rilka before sitting down next to Mister Titus. The judge straightened his robes and fixed his eyes squarely on the miserable, cream-scaled girl before him. “Under normal circumstances, a review such as this would not take place until the end of your cycle. However, Mr Colfsal is entitled to his peace and closure, which is what we hoped to bring him here. I think the fact he feels such sympathy toward you and your plight speaks volumes to the man's character, and as leaving you as a 'Black P' penitatas will clearly weigh upon his conscience, I shall be taking unusual measures here today. Effective immediately, your sentence designation shall be reassigned from 'B1' to 'H3'. Special punishment days are to be reassessed accordingly; you'll still get your licks, but perhaps not so many as before! Special provisions concerning chastity are also lifted. In light of your new designation, a request shall be entered for you to be reassigned to a new classroom.”
Mister Titus smiled, “I believe Mr Kal's class has a vacany.” Rilka gave a soft gasp at that, telling Talek that was likely Lusu's class.
The judge focused on the little girl once more. “Miss Rilka, a word of warning; an easing of punishment is not exemption from punishment! You can still expect special days, unearned spankings, and a firm hand whenever you set a toe wrong! But, perhaps, you'll find those bruises cut a little less deep, and heal just a little bit faster. Court is adjourned. Bailiff, please release the defendant.”
Rilka's tears, once of misery and terror, were now expressions of joy. Dale crossed over to her as the binds were removed, offering her his paw to shake. “Do you time, Rilka. I suspect... and hope... this is the last time we ever see each other.”
“Yeah... I wish you a good life, Dale. I promise I'll be better,” she added, accpting the offer.
The man smiled as they broke apart, casting a brief glance towards Talek. “You had 'chastity' provisions, did you? Well, I hope for his sake you really are a changed girl.” With that, Dale stepped out of the courtroom, and out of Rilka's life one last time.

Rilka held herself together up until the hovercar lifted off, at which point she burst into mad, giddy squeals of joy. It fell to Liki to try and reign the girl in, softly reminding her that this wasn't a parole, and that she shouldn't get any big ideas about what this meant for her moving forward. If any of that went in was impossible to say. “Don't go expecting any special treatment when we get home, young lady! I know you're excited, and we're both glad you've gotten this easing of your sentence, but the last thing we want is for this to go to your head! So you're looking at an early bath and bed tonight, and we won't tolerate any fooling around between you two once it's lights out.”
The mention of 'fooling around' made Rilka's mind jump tracks. “Umm, how often will I get to climax now?”
“As often as we think you deserve it,” Shon replied firmly.
The car touched down in the town centre rather than at home. Both penitatas aboard felt tired and hungry after such a long day, so when Uncle Wu's was mentioned their faces lit up instantly. Shon took both children by the paw and guided them through to their destination, the family drawing a few curious looks as they went. Uncle Wu was behind the counter when they arrived at the eatery, which was half full with lunchtime diners, but he hurried over the moment Shon led the way inside. “Oh my! Why the formal dress?”
“I got my sentence reduced, Uncle Wu!” Rilka squeaked, unable to contain herself.
“It was not 'reduced', but it was lessened in severity,” Shon corrected. “B1 to H3”.
Uncle Wu's eyes went wide in awe. The man clapped his claws together and cried, “Why, that's wonderful news! Congratulations, you lucky little scamp!”
“We're just a little worried she's going to let this go to her head,” Shon continued, giving the girl a squeeze on the shoulder. She took the hint and reigned in her excitement by just a little.
“Oh, I know all about that! Why, it seems like yesterday I had a young lady-” he paused, looking sheepish as a claw rose to block his gossiping snout, “Goodness me! You'd think I'd know better than to spill people's secrets! Come right this way, I'll get you a table and some menus! I'd recommend the special today.”
The special turned out to be pork steaks with sliced potatoes, served in an extra creamy sauce. They all decided to try it, and when their food arrived it came with an unexpected addition. “Got this lovely little gift from a friend; genuine French wine! A 2888 Côtes du Rhône!” He placed it on the table and, to the amazement of the penitatas, put five wine glasses down on the table.
“Dan! You can't give them alcohol!” Liki scolded as the host set about uncorking the bottle.
“I'm not suggesting you get them drunk! Just a splash to toast with!”
“There are rules about that sort of thing,” Shon responded in his best 'parent' voice.
Uncle Wu, however, was utterly unphased. “Believe you me, I know all the rules concerning what can be put into a Penny! Do you honestly think I'd do anything to get that poor lass in trouble, especially on a day like today?”
“Even so-” Liki began, but Shon raised his paw to ask for quiet.
“A little rope?” Shon asked. Liki considered the question, then sighed and nodded.
Uncle Wu, obviously delighted with his little game, poured three full glasses for the adults, and gave both rejuves a small splash of wine – just a mouthful for them to taste. “You're still a penitatas, don't forget that!” Wu told her as he poured. Once everyone had their proper amount he raised his glass in toast. “To my dear little niece, may those nasty spankings be a little less nasty from now on! Salut!”
The Karrians toasted, with Talek and Rilka both savouring their forbidden little treat. Talek had no real knowledge of wine, finding it warm and dry but just a tiny bit moreish. That was a bitter thing to suffer, for he doubted he'd taste another drop until reaching adulthood barring some truly exceptional circumstances. Any thoughts of wine were swiftly brushed aside by the food, which was delicious; everything perfectly cooked, and the portions large enough to leave a child's stomach full to bursting! Talek knew he should have stopped eating sooner, but the wonderful sauce made him want to force every mouthful down – Rilka clearly agreed as she was trying to scrape the last of the sauce up with her knife and fork, before resorting to wiping the plate with a finger and sucking it clean. In her haste, she sent a dollop of creamy sauce plunging into her lap.
Fed and happy, both rejuves were glad of their mother's suggestion to take a slow, lazy walk to let their lunch go down. The parents seemed to have no destination in mind, instead calmly taking their charges along a winding route that lazily took in the local sights, with frequent pauses to look through shopfront windows. The two rejuves were left untethered, Shon and Liki trusting them to keep up. “I'm hoping for a toy store!” Rilka whispered to Talek with a grin. Out the corner of his eye, he saw his parents exchange a glance and smile at one another.
It wasn't long at all before the digestive lethargy lifted, and Rilka's tail began to sway happily as she walked, adding a bouncing gait to her movement. They looped back to the sea-front, crossing the road to the path overlooking the beach. There were no cars using the road, but the Karrian parents checked regardless before waving their little ones across. Down below, a Karrian woman in her late teens or early twenties was playing fetch with her dog, while close by a small group of rejuves stood around talking in the shadow of the pier. “The boys under the pier,” Rilka sighed. “Must be nice to be able to goof off all day!”
“Maybe we should let our little cream-cake 'goof off' for the afternoon,” Liki mused.
Shon smiled at the comment. “You mean let her sit on the beach and build sandcastles?”
“If by 'let' you mean 'force', then yes. In her pretty, bare scales of course!”
Rilka glanced up at her parents, a shy blush forming on her snout. “You mean at home, right?”
“Plenty of perfectly good sand right there,” Shon replied, pointing toward the boys.
She turned her head towards them, an unhappy curl to her scaled snout. Liki picked up on it instantly, chuckling softly as her paw stroked the girl's dark blue hair. “You are a funny little thing! You cry your eyes out at the idea of flashing your bits on demand, but you'll happily put on a show for Talek!”
“T-that's different!” Rilka blurted out. “He's-”
“You didn't know him at all when you first spread yourself,” Liki cut in. “You're a control freak, that's the problem! You get all upset if we tell you to use a diaper, but put one on you 'just in case' and you'll soak it without a second thought!”
The girl's blush deepened, her fingertips drawing shapes upon the cold metal of the safety railing as she lined up her thoughts. “Is it really so bad to want some control? I mean, you get why I'm protective of my... openings... right?”
Shon's quiet chuckle was almost lost in the growing wind. “That's a fair point. Maybe we need to do a little reconditioning, help you associate being helpless with something positive?”
Liki's eyes lit up at the suggestion. “Ooh! I like that idea! Now, what would be 'positive' for our little Rilka?”
“Getting home unmolested?” Rilka's tone had a playful edge to it, but there was also a genuine note of concern. That note grew as Liki turned to address her directly, putting on the 'kind but firm' tone she used when trying to soften the blow of impending discipline.
Liki's claw touched the stain on Rilka's clothes. “You made a mess of your formal robe, and you were slovenly in Uncle Wu's – wiping a plate with your fingers? Why would you think that was an appropriate thing to do in public?”
“I liked the food!” Rilka protested, but she and Talek alike both knew this was a situation she couldn't bargain her way out of. Nevertheless, as many penitatas had before her, she would try regardless. “I'm really sorry, momma! I promise I'll never make a mess again!”
“Don't make promises you can't keep,” Shon said to her, likewise trying to be gentle.
Liki gave the girl's hair a spot of gentle attention, trying to tease a few wind-caught strands back into place. “I have an idea. Why don't we let you pick your own punishment? You have a think about what's appropriate.”
“You... you're really going to make me ask for my own spanking?” Rilka whined, her snout crinkling up in pained disgust.
“Doesn't have to be a spanking, cream-cake. You don't like being controlled, so this is us giving you freedom to choose. So long as the punishment is fitting for a messy little hard-timer, one who should know better by now, we'll abide by it.”
“That's not the kind of freedom I want!” Rilka whined.
“Then we'll pick the punishment for you,” Shon answered her calmly. With a jerk of his thumb he added, “The Penny-Go-Round is just through there.”
“I'll choose!” the girl squeaked in terror. “I'll pick a punishment!”
“No need to rush, take your time and really think about it,” Liki responded, continuing to gently fuss the girl. The mother's touch became less about grooming and more about comfort, softly stroking the girl's head, shoulders and back, subtly pulling her into a cuddle by small degrees.
Rilka struggled to meet her mother's gaze as she fumbled with her unwelcome assignment. “I... I guess... I have to be nude?”
Liki nodded. “Taking away clothes for making a mess of them sounds like a fitting punishment. But is being naked enough?”
“We... we could walk home? It takes ages and it's cold out... you know I hate being cold!” the girl pleaded, almost tearing up under the ordeal.
“You're right, you would feel awfully cold after such a long walk in bare scale. We'd have to make sure you get nice and warm when we get home!  Now, how do we warm a sorry, shivering little girl back up?”
The girl squirmed under the soft, caring caresses, unsure of whether this was a trap or a genuine question. “Umm... maybe... let me sit by the fire?”
“Maybe you need someone to cuddle with? I think snuggling up with Talek would warm you up nice and quick!”
“Really?” Rilka's dared to smile in hope at he comment.
Now it was Shon's turn to offer quiet comfort. As he knelt down to stroke the girl's back he smiled and spoke softly into her ear slit, “This is a big day for you, pet. We do want you to enjoy it. You can come up with the reward as well as the punishment.”
“Is... is sex too much?” the girl asked with a blush to her cheeks.
“Depends how much worse you plan to make the punishment,” Liki countered.
With a less than happy sigh, Rilka reigned in her thoughts. “Then, maybe... just claws? Mutual masturbation?”
“Sound's fair,” Shon agreed. Both parents stepped back, a subtle hint to Rilka that discussion of punishment had ended. Reluctantly, she carefully untied the silken belt and slipped the robe off, handing it to her father. The girl shivered as she glanced down at her feet, and guessing at her thoughts her father added, “Keep your shoes and socks on. The last thing you want is to hurt your feet!”
That small mercy given, Rilka removed her thin tee-shirt, shorts, and panties. Unfortunately for her, Shon wasn't done adjusting the punishment she'd chosen for herself. “Paws behind your back,” he said, then took the belt from her robe and wrapped the fabric around her wrists to bind them firmly together just above her tail. “Now, we're going to make at least one stop on the way home; I think a collar, a leash and... yes, a muzzle! That will make sure the walk is good and humiliating!”
“No! Dad!” Rilka protested
“If I hear another word from you then you'll be going to school naked tomorrow as well!” he snapped, silencing the girl barring a low, wordless whimpering.
Liki gave the child another quick cuddle, “we could also go to the sex shop and pick up a few little vibrators. Pop them inside you, set them nice and low, then leave them on all the way home. Not sure what you'd find worse; the shame of being edged by them, being forced to cum as you walk, or the fact they'll just keep buzzing away after your release.”
The scrunched, pleading look she gave in response was heartbreaking, but Rilka held her tongue. Liki turned her attention to Talek next, her eyes sliding down toward the boy's crotch. “Perhaps we should get your brother to join in. Just imagine him walking naked beside you, that pretty stiffy of his swinging in the breeze with a vibrator buzzing away... we already know you like seeing him spurt in public!”
Talek gave a horrified whimper at the idea of sharing Rilka's punishment, but a guilty little smile slipped across Rilka's snout. Shon rounded on the boy, ruffling his hair as he whispered, “if you volunteer to share Rilka's punishment, I might just let you play with girls again. Besides, you've been pent up for, what, three weeks? Four? Those poor little balls must be aching! Now think about that long walk home, being pleasured all the way, being allowed to cum as many times as you like...” his father's voice dropped low and sultry as he leaned in to whisper, “and neither of you are going to school tomorrow.” Those seemingly innocent words send a shudder down the boy's spine, and made his cock pulse hungrily.

Though Rilka had to walk around town in bare scale, the true humiliation was saved for the beach. The family walked a short way south, Shon carrying bags of 'toys' for the exhibition they had planned. It began with Talek being stripped and bound, just as his sister was, then each of them had a dog collar fixed around their necks. Each parent took a leash; Shon walking Talek, Liki walking Rilka. “Let's make sure you're both nice and hydrated,” Liki announced as she placed a bottle to Rilka's lips, forcing her to drink. Talek was given his own water, though both rejuves knew the goal wasn't to 'hydrate' at all; this punishment had become all about their parent's enjoyment. The last touch of their outfits were leather muzzles, which were bound tightly to their heads and prevented anything other than desperate whines and mumblings.
“Tail up, little man!” Shon announced, and the boy yelped as a small, round bullet was shoved into his back passage. The matching squeak of surprise from Rilka told him she was sharing his fate. As a second bullet slid into Rilka's front, Shon took a pink bullet attached to an elastic ring and fastened it to the base of Talek's cock, stroking the boy's length while whispering lewd promises of all-night sex sessions with Rilka. The physical and verbal attention got the lad fully stiff, and with a few loops of the elastic round his shaft the vibrator was secure. Both toys sprang to life, one softly massaging his back passage, the other tickling his balls and base of the cock. He turned as a low, shuddering moan slipped from Rilka's bound lips, the sound making his cock bounce as he watched her hips tremble. Sure enough, a matching low, slow drone of vibrators rang out from between her thighs.
“From here on out, the only thing you two can do wrong is stand still,” Liki chuckled. “Come on, girls! Walkies!”
A tug upon their leashes signalled the start of their long, humiliating walk. The unfamiliar sensation of a sex toy in his rear gave Talek an awkward gait, one that wasn't helped by the teasing little nub under his cock. He tried not to think about the sensations and focus on walking, putting one foot in front of the other despite the cold, and the teasing, and the existential dread that someone was going to wander up the beach and see him like this!
The boy's eyes were drawn back to Rilka. The girl's eyes were creased, her pale face reddened in shame and gaze turned downward. But, Talek realised, she wasn't staring at the floor; from the slight angle of her snout, it was clear she was staring at his erection. For the briefest of moments she glanced up, looking him square in the eye. Talek got the brief impression she was smiling before her eyes turned back to the swollen tip of his cock, and the overt attention made a lustful shiver run through the boy. A shameful bubble of pre formed on the tip of his cock, clinging there for a few steps before gliding down his head and breaking off to fall into the sand. A happy little sigh slipped from Rilka's bound maw.
Step by dreadful step, the bullets did their work. For Rilka, the duo were cruel beyond imagining, rumbling away on low and not quite touching the right places to give her real satisfaction. She clenched and wriggled as she walked, trying to shift the toys inside her to find better purchase. The sight of her brother's throbbing cock was a pleasant tease that helped her get into the right mindset; with each little squirt of precum he dribbled out, Rilka imagined how his eventual climax would look. She pictured an impossibly long, thick strand of semen arcing across the sands, pure white in stark contrast to the stormy greys of the beach. “I want him to come inside me!” she cried out, but the words became meaningless grunts through her bound lips.
Ten minutes passed. Ten minutes of slow, cruel edging, of being made hot and huffy but given nothing close to release. The head of Talek's cock had a wet, slippery sheen from the excitement coaxed from him, while a trio of shameful trickles wove down Rilka's thighs. It was then the pair finally had to face their fears as another family came up from the opposite direction; two tall, brown scaled Karrians holding a very young penitatas between them. The boy was five, but he wore a short, pink dress that failed to hide the thick diaper beneath. His pained expression suggested that babyish attire hid a thoroughly punished backside.
“Oh my!” the mother cried as they passed, and despite the whines of protest from the children, Liki and Shon stopped to speak to them.
“Our little tykes rather like making a spectacle of themselves in public, so we thought we'd help them out!” Shon laughed, dragging Talek front and centre while Rilka was likewise steered into view.
“We know all about that!” the male replied, and took both pride and delight in describing the hell they'd put their naughty son through that morning.
Talek clenched his eyes tight shut, trying his best to pretend he was anywhere else. A shameful tear rolled down his cheek, his guts knotting up at how utterly exposed he was. He prayed in desperation that he could hold himself together, for the idea of blowing his load now... he'd die of shame!
Next to him, Rilka struggled with her own thoughts, but hers took a rather different track. “The only thing I can do wrong is stand still... I guess this doesn't count. Maybe... maybe I should test that?”
Her gaze softened and unfocused. Rilka stared off at nothing, trying to relax despite the instinct to clench and squirm under the buzzing of the toys. The woman happened to glance her way and Rilka turned towards her, looking through her in her quest for calm. She managed to get herself centred and relaxed. Rilka's gaze didn't move, but the woman's did.
Talek's eyes opened at the soft, trickling sound. All six Karrians turned towards Rilka, staring down at her crotch as she calmly, quietly pissed into the sand. Or tried to, at least; she didn't bother to widen her stance, leaving a good portion to splash against her thighs and run down her leg. Liki placed her paws upon Rilka's shoulders, giving the girl a gentle squeeze, and went right back to 'grown up talk', not even hinting at what had just happened. “You're not even going to mention it?” Rilka gasped into her gag, her loins now aflame. She tried to signal to her mother her need, flicking her claws in their binds, but Liki ignored this just as she had the pissing.
The strangers moved on, and Liki let out a pleasured shudder, “Ooh, I'm going to give our little cream-cake a nice, long tongue bath when we get home! The little minx was clawing at me as well. I think she wants her toys turned up!”
Shon grinned wickedly. “If she can't climax as she is, she doesn't need it badly enough!”
Their walk resumed, with Rilka huffier than ever, eagerly rubbing her thighs together as she walked in pursuit of ever more stimulation. Her frustration was mirrored by Talek, for with each step the pressure in his loins built up, but release was never close enough to be achieved. They walked for several minutes more, becoming ever more vocal in their desperation for release. A constant stream of pre was trickling down his length now, his head twitching hungrily at every passing gust of wind in the hope it might bring him release.
Without warning, Shon halted. He turned to Talek and calmly walked behind him, wrapping an arm tightly around the boy's chest. “You are truly desperate, aren't you? Do you need a little help?”
Talek nodded frantically, hungry huffs escaping his muzzled snout. With a little chuckle, Shon reached around and gently grasped the boy's length, holding it ever-so carefully. “Just imagine your friend Ki'reth is here with you, hugging his warm, furry body against you... pressing his long, hard member against your tailhole, pushing his way inside of you...”
The boy let out a shamed little whimper, but he was too desperate not to give in. He began to hump his father's paw, blushing in shame as soft, sultry words whispered into his ear. “That's it, imagine how good it feels to be mounted by that pretty Aspatrian boy. Picture that big, hard cock thrusting into you, harder and harder, until he fills your ass with his hot cum...”
Talek yelped into the muzzle as he finally peaked, shooting a long, thin stream of watery spunk across the sand. Shon kept his paw in place until the boy stopped humping, then he calmly took the watery mess in his paw and wiped it on Talek's chest. Then he gently tilted the boy's head towards Rilka, who was shivering beside him. “Did that little show get you off, cream-cake?”
The girl nodded, grinning under her own muzzle. “Well then, let's move on! Plenty more beach to go!”

By the time they reached home, both penitatas were exhausted. The strain of being overstimulated left them both tired, sweating and, in Talek's case, sticky. While it had originally been a mild threat, the prospect of an early bath now sounded heavenly to the pair as their parents finally switched off the vibrating toys and helped them out of their restraints.
“So, who's the lucky one that gets the first bath?” Liki asked playfully as she planted a foot on the first step of the stairs.
“I'd like to be first,” Talek said. “But I'd like dad to bath me if that's okay?”
“I'll take him up to our bathroom, you tend to Rilka in theirs,” Shon responded, gently pushing Talek from behind. The pair went up to the normally forbidden floor and the boy was guided through the first door into a world of minty-greens and seashell pinks. The tub was opaque, with nozzles for water jets that could massage a weary bather. Shon treated Talek to them once he was settled into the warm, soapy water.
“Something tells me you have something you'd like to say,” Shon noted casually as he gently rubbled the boy's white-speckled stomach with a soapy cloth.
Talek struggled to meet his father's eye. “I... I don't like what you put me through,” he answered weakly. “I feel like you were... taking advantage of me.”
Shon cocked his head at the boy's comments. “You volunteered for this, Talek.”
The boy's brow furrowed. “You made us walk naked with those toys on!”
“We made Rilka do that. You volunteered.” Shon corrected. “Oh, I know why you volunteered; you might be the only rejuve in Northrock hornier than she is! You could have said no, but you didn't. You chose this.”
The boy turned away. “It's not like I had any real choice!” he pouted.
“You had two choices, Talek. You could have chosen to say no, and carry on under the restrictions I gave you earlier. Deny it all you want, but you are the one to blame for you walking home nude with a stiffy!”
Squirming as his father scrubbed his armpits, Talek fought to find some argument he could cling to. “I just don't think it was fair,” he whined, “I think you were using us for your own fun!”
Shon gave a soft chuckle. “It would be more accurate to say Rilka was using us for hers! We knew what she was after! In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if she hasn't begged Liki to give her a little 'massage' before getting in the bath. Yes, we enjoyed your little display, but you got plenty out of it too. You both did.”
A soft whimper slipped from Talek's lips, “but why'd you have to whisper that stuff in my ear? You know I don't like boys!”
“You like my paw well enough,” his father answered with a grin, reaching under the water to softly massage the boy's sac. “I've pushed you the way I have for two reasons: first, if you really don't like boys as much as you claim, then you'll hold off on sexual activity until you're truly desperate. I think that's what you've been doing lately, and I'm proud of you for doing so well. Second, it pushes you into trying something new, which might lead to an unexpected discovery about yourself.” He could see Talek was not swayed, and with a gentle sigh he tried a different tack. “If you really aren't comfortable with the 'sexual' side of your life here, we can fix that. Just say the word, and there'll be no more attention paid to your boyhood... good or bad. That'll mean giving up on playing with others, and it means no crawling to me begging for a handjob. Is that what you want?”
“No...” the boy whimpered, squeezing his legs closed and trying to curl his tail as he became acutely aware of his genitals.
Another sigh slid from Shon's maw. “Don't worry about any of that for now, okay? You've had a long day, so you and Rilka are going to curl up for a nap.”
As soon as the boy was dried, Shon carried him downstairs to the Penny Room. Rilka was being helped into a pair of pink pyjamas, the soft blush upon her snout suggesting that she'd received some special attention in Talek's absence. As the boy was helped into his own sleepwear, Shon reiterated his promises. “You two are going to have a quiet afternoon with an early bedtime. Tomorrow, we'll keep you home. There'll be plenty of time for 'fun' then, so lets keep our paws to ourselves for the rest of the day, understand?”
“Dad?” Rilka's soft voice drew all eyes to her. “I... don't want to skip school tomorrow.”
“Really? I don't think I've ever heard a Penny ask to go to school before!” Liki responded with a grin.
“Well, it's not that I want to go to class... but I want to see Lusu. I want to tell her the good news, and see the look on her face when she finds out we're together at last!”
A warm, fatherly smile spread over Shon's snout at the girl's words. “I'm sure we can arrange for Lusu to skip school as well. It's been ages since we've had her over.”
Rilka's eyes lit up at the announcement, which prompted her mother to reign her back in, though not unkindly. “Having friends over is a privilege, remember. That means doing as you're told tonight.”
The words took only a little edge off Rilka's beaming grin. “Yes, mom!” she answered, wriggling down under the sheets. Talek followed soon after, cuddling up next to Rilka and using her chest as a pillow. Their parents drew the curtains closed and left them to rest, each struggling to do so for their own reasons; Rilka giddy at the ease and greater fun her new, lighter sentence offered, while Talek's anxieties squirmed in his head. The day's ordeal had left him scared, confused and angry, with no clear outlet for his pent up emotions. His one small mercy was that he at least held himself together until Rilka fell asleep before he started to cry.", "pools_count": 1, "title": "Juvenalas Penitatas Lesson 9 - the Reckoning", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "text/rtf", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "2", "rating_name": "Adult", "ratings": [ { "content_tag_id": "4", "name": "Sexual Themes", "description": "Erotic imagery, sexual activity or arousal", "rating_id": "2" } ], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "t", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "0", "views": "383" }