Juvenalas Penitatas
Chapter 28 – Rilka Turns Ten

It was fast approaching eleven in the morning. Talek sat on the floor of Kost's bedroom, listening to the radio while the Wolfish boy lay on the bed on his front, smiling amiably. Ki’reth was perched next to Kost, the fox’s paws gently stroking his partner's cat-like tail. Today, at long last, they were going to make their music debut – a song they had recorded weeks earlier was finally going to be heard on the air. It was something they had every right to be proud of, but Talek couldn't help feel a little saddened by the moment: it had been Mr Hachi who pushed them to perform for Radio Northrock, Mr Hachi who up until recently had been believed dead on Earth, only to return so changed as to be someone else entirely. Either way, the beloved teacher had been lost.
“Are the girls listening downstairs or something?” Talek asked as he glanced at the room’s transparent internal wall, eager to be freed of his own souring internal monologue.
Kost gave a half shrug. “My guess is they're sneaking a dip into the pool.”
Turning back to his furred friends, Talek found a smirk playing across his reptilian lips. Ever since the pair had 'come out' as a couple they'd displayed a certain clinginess that was a stark contrast to the tough guy persona Kost had long cultivated. Seeing the gentle 'tail play' was a prime example. “Why do the girls get to swim and we don't? That hardly seems fair.”
“The universe is a profoundly unfair place,” Ki’reth answered, albeit light-heartedly.
Kost nodded in agreement. “Even I don't get to swim every day! The adults probably keep a tally or something to figure out who's due a treat and who's turn it is to be miserable.”
“We're not really ‘miserable’ though, are we?” Ki’reth asked.
“Well I am, the way you keep tugging on my tail.”
Ki'reth yanked his paws away, “if you didn't like it why not say something?”
“It kept you quiet!”
The 'domestic' made Talek chuckle, for despite the raised voices and light shoving there was no true malice to it. As the boys' spat settled down the girls were escorted in, and just in time; the guests, Rilka and Lusu, hair still damp in places, hadn't even sat down when the radio announcer began hyping up the imminent performance. It was a frontier song – country music for the space-faring age, as Mr Hachi had put it – with Kost taking the lead singing role but granting Talek and Bubbles backing vocals and their own short solo verses. All three felt confident that a song about wanting to get off planet and live in the farthest reaches of uncharted space would play well with a penitatas audience. Hearing his own voice over the radio made Talek wince, and judging by her own anxious expression, Bubbles felt much the same; but not Kost. That boy was grinning ear to ear, fingers working an invisible guitar in time to the tune he'd played days before.
Kost's father led with a slow, but sincere clap as the radio host moved on from their performance to the next session. “Well done, all three of you! You should be proud!” Those words finally made Kost squirm, the normally rambunctious youth turned sheepish by overt praise.
“It really was good!” Lusu added.
Rilka offered Talek a cuddle as reward. “Oooh! My boyfriend's a musician!” the lad snickered under the attention.
The gathered children became aware of the silence filling the room and matched it one by one, turning their attention back to the radio. A young Karrian's voice spoke in a sombre tone, “The following interview was recorded prior to Mr Hachi's departure to Earth, and the incident in Paris.”
The same voice, now more chipper, spoke up once more. “Good afternoon Northrock! Assuming we've lined up our segments correctly you will have just enjoyed a fantastic new song by some home grown talent! I am of course Lee, and I'm here with our music teacher, Mr Hachi, to talk about what went in to putting this little show together...”
Talek found Rilka shuffled up against him, clinging tight as they listened to Mr Hachi speak in his kind, grandfatherly fashion about his love of music, the natural talent of his pupils, and how important it was to provide creative outlets to penitatas. When Talek closed his eyes he could see the old Karrian, green scales turning to grey with age, yet so animated and full of glee as he talked about the healing power of music, and his plans for more such outreach activities.
When the short interview ended, a second silence followed. Then Lee, formal once more, closed out the segment. “Subsequent to this interview, Mr Hachi was mortally injured during a suspected  attempted murder of a penitatas. Thankfully, he was saved via medicalos rejuvenation, although he is not expected to return to Northrock. Mr Hachi, we at Radio Northrock wish you the very best with your new life, and wish to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your efforts. It was a joy to know you.”
“They talk about him like he's dead, but he's not!” Talek huffed. “He's just... different.”
Rilka let out a tired sigh. “We've lost him as a teacher, though. No more kind old grandpa cutting us slack, or trying to make Special Days a little more fun.”
“Whoever they replace him with as head of the Sea Foxes is going to make the House suck in comparison!” Ki'reth barked out his own misgivings.
A still-budding survival instinct made Talek glance towards the parents that still hovered off to one side, close enough to be part of the moment but distant enough to not be dictating the pace and flow of things. If either disapproved of the direction this conversation had taken they were making a good show of hiding it, though Alfred did give a soft interjection; “I'm sure if you give your new house master a chance you'll come to appreciate them just as much as you did Mr Hachi.”
As no penitatas parent could allow a teaching moment to pass unexploited, Tish added her own thoughts. “You should also remember to address Timothy Miller by his new, proper name. I'm sure he's not the sort to take offence, but good manners are the foundation of good behaviour.”
“I promise I'll be polite when I see him,” Kost answered on autopilot, and the other children followed with similar affirmations.
“Glad to hear it.” Alfred clapped his claws together and beamed at the children. “We'll give you peace and quiet until your parents come and pick you up, so you can go back to complaining about how much you hate the teacher you've not even met yet.”
With the adults departing to mischievous giggles, Talek's mind wandered to Timothy. More precisely, to the girl he felt sure was keeping him company. He would have dearly wished Isabelle to sit and listen to his debut song with him...

Isabelle couldn't help but smile at the heartfelt tribute to the man Timothy used to be. The boy was snuggled up beside her, his face creasing with the effort of holding back his emotions. A sniff escaped, followed by a subtle rubbing of his eye and a sharp clearing of the throat. “You okay there, Timmy?”
“Fine, fine!” the lad took a heavy breath to further settle himself. “I'll admit that was harder to hear than I was expecting.”
A gentle pair of paws came to rest upon his shoulders. Subtle pressure tilted him back until gravity took over and he fell against the mattress, coming to rest beside the warm, furred body of his former lover. The pair were nude, each sporting the tell-tale signs of physical exertion; subtle dampness of fur, and sheen of scale from sweating pores. The pair's scent lingered in the air, unremarked by either of them yet potent enough to be obvious should Isabelle's parents care to check in. Sex had not been the intent of the visit – in fact, both had agreed that their relationship, tender as it had been, was best left behind. They were now merely friends. Friends with benefits, as it turned out.
“What should we do with our day?” the young fox whispered into Timothy's ear while her free paw traced lazy circles on his stomach. Her other paw was now pinned under his head.
“I should get to know the other 'non-offender' children, I suppose? Aah, I finally get to stand under the pier and make lewd comments about unfortunate Pennys getting their licks in public!”
“Oh, you'd never do that!” Isabelle laughed back. It was a delightfully musical sound to Timmy's ear.
“I suppose not. Well, I'd not take any joy in seeing them suffer. Never did, for reasons I'm sure you share.”
Isabelle gave a nod of confirmation. “Plus, if you're going to be a teacher's assistant, you really ought to maintain a proper reputation. Imagine the scandal if the penitatas saw you getting up to something filthy or shameful in public!”
Timothy couldn't hold back his laughter. “Like a certain little fox, you mean?”
Blushing, Isabelle tried to squirm away, only her pinned arm prevented it. Timothy graciously lifted himself up with his elbows to let her go. “I'm still shocked at how much leeway I've been given. I can remember some of the things a few medicalos got up to over the years, but I can't believe-”
Timothy grinned as the girl's mind caught up with her mouth. “As a community, we are awfully good at keeping things hidden from penitatas, Miss Holdenthorpe.”
“That might be the understatement of the century.”
Something in her tone compelled Timothy to roll onto his side and look her in the eye. “Are you okay?” he asked, keeping his tone quiet, gentle, and sincere.
Isabelle went to answer, but paused. She considered her gut reaction for a while, then shrugged it off. “Yes. I didn't mean what I said that way, but I am a little more bitter than I ought to be. Part of me wishes you had gone through with that whole 'white knight' fantasy you had in your head! I know why you didn't though. I know you couldn't have helped me that way. Let's just chalk this up to childishness and move on, yeah?”
“Of course. Where would you like to 'move on' too?”
The dirty grin he loved so much came back to Isabelle's muzzle. “How about we come up with a few things to keep from the locals? I've been itching to try out the 'Sunday School' for a while. How would you feel about assisting a sex-ed class?”
A playful tongue poked from Timothy's lips. “I'd be delighted! You know how important educating others is to me!”
“Great! That's tomorrow sorted! What about today?”
With an ease he had long forgotten existed, Timothy flung himself up off the bed and onto his feet. The rapid, fluid motion came without a single twinge or creak of over-worked muscle. It was good to be young again! “How about we get a shower, get dressed, and pop out for a spot of lunch? It feels like I've not had a free Saturday in twenty years!”
“You can't have that much school work to prep!” Isabelle laughed back at his pronouncement.
“I really do! Did, rather. There's lesson plans, music work to grade and review, Radio Northrock spots to oversee, Department reports to file, town halls to attend... living here is a full time job for adults!”
“Then lets go be children!” Isabelle declared as she bounced out of bed much as he had. “Did you bring a clean change of clothes?”
Timothy blushed. “Ah. No. But I took them off before working up a sweat, so they should be fine.”
“Is that what we're calling it? Working up a sweat?”
A playful Karrian finger booped Isabelle's nose. “I'm getting in the shower first. Medicalos privilege.”
Isabelle returned the gesture with a tad more force. “I'm getting a shower first, since I'm the one with your mess trickling down her thigh!”
Throwing his claws up in surrender, Timothy stepped aside and allowed Isabelle, triumphant grin upon her face, to pass by. “I always did love it when you took charge,” he sighed behind her back.

Having bid their friends farewell, Talek and Rilka turned their thoughts to what the rest of their day might entail. Liki was quick to echo the praise Kost and Bubbles had received, announcing her pride in Talek's achievements. Rilka wasted no time before leaping on the opportunity she'd spied. “I think it'd be great to treat Talcum, seeing as he did such an amazing job!”
“Oh? And how might we do that?”
“A trip to Uncle Wu's?”
Both children felt a giddy flutter in their chests as their mother's grin widened. “Oh, alright! I suppose you've earned it!” the confirmation was met with as much enthusiasm as each child dared express before they fell in beside their mother, their thoughts and conversation immediately turning to what they were going to order when they arrived.
They followed the road that led towards school until the buildings turned from scattered islands of houses to fully urbanised streets. Liki turned them down a road of old fashioned, rectangular houses  that made up the bulk of Northrock's housing in the town proper. A gaggle of children played in the street under the supervision of two parents, one on either side of the road, who watched from their front gardens. A Karrian boy in the middle of the road had a red kickball raised above his head, ready to throw at the opposite curb. He lowered it when he caught sight of Liki and her children, clutching the ball tight to his chest and waiting in polite silence until the trio were safely clear of their game. Judging by the cries behind them that delayed throw was a game winner.
They zig-zagged north-west until more familiar buildings lined the road: rounded, three-floor structures much like the one they called home. These gave way to one of Northrock's many park spaces. Around the edge were benches where a parent could sit and spank a wayward child, and trees whose long, whippy branches made perfect switches. In the centre was a rectangle of soft, rubbery mesh from which jets of water leaped skyward in seemingly random patterns. An anxious little girl of seven was perched on a bench watching the fountain, sandwiched between her parents. It was obvious from her longing eyes and constant fidgeting that she wanted to rush over and play in the fountain; a longing no doubt made all the more urgent by two older rejuves who were hovering right on the edge of the water spouts.
Talek stopped to stare at the duo. Isabelle and Timothy clung to one another, laughing and squealing with delight as they goaded one another to try and 'catch' a water jet. Timothy stepped forward and made a hoop out of his arms, angling his body so the water would fly through without striking him. Isabelle whooped and clapped as Timothy scurried back to the safety of the paving flags. Though Talek couldn't hear what was said between them it was clear he wanted Isabelle to have a go. She watched one spout fly straight up into the air and hurried to get under it, forming a hoop just as it fell, only to be let down by her footwork. The jet struck her right shoe and sprayed water up her pants. Her cry of alarm was drowned out by the furious laughter from Timothy, who playfully fled her as she shouted threats of dunking his head.
“Talek!” the boy snapped around at his mother's cry, heart leaping into his throat as he realised she and Rilka had walked on without him.
“Sorry! I got distracted!” he blurted out as he scurried back to his mother's side.
“I can see that.” Her words fell into place like lead slabs, making the boy wince and shrink away. “The benches are back that way.”
“Y-you're going to spank me?”
“Yes I am! You might be a Soft Timer, Talek, but the rules still apply! When we're out together you are to stay by my side, not go off doing your own thing!”
“But I-” the boy's protests died in his throat under Liki's glare. With a firm thrust of her claw she aimed her son towards the nearest bench, letting her parental scowl do the talking. Though he made a series of huffs and whimpers, Talek obeyed; he marched in a sullen slouch to the spanking bench and let his trousers and underwear fall around his ankles before easing into place on the tall, sculpted bench. The curved surface naturally placed his rear up high, with his upper torso hanging off the far side. Directly under his head, almost as if to mock him, was a drain cap. The boy flinched, teeth bared in miserable anticipation as he heard a branch torn free of the nearest tree; the prolonged, messy ripple of cracks and splits told him it was a live branch, fresh and whippy in the swing.
“Here it comes,” Liki offered the calm warning before letting fly with the switch. The branch tore the air as it swung, a fierce whooshing sound ending in a pistol crack as bark met Karrian backside. As the crimson mark began to form, Talek’s head snapped back, teeth grit and eyes clenched shut. A long, anguished hiss escaped his throat as he fought the urge to cry with all he had. The switch struck again, painting a diagonal line of searing red over his green scales and making him bark out a yelp of pain. Liki followed up with a straight smack over his puckered ring that finally set him sobbing, and the sobs grew into frantic wails with two more fierce, stinging smacks.
Content the sting was felt, Liki settled into a steady, measured pace of punishment - the irregular pace and jaunty angles of her initial smacks became an ordered and predictable effort to turn his rear a uniform shade of rose. Talek's reaction, however, was anything but uniform; the branch had an irregular shape that, through subtle variations in Loki's grip or wrist position, changed the nature of the pain remarkably. Some smacks were deep, bruising thuds, others vile stings drawn across his whole rear. As an extra bit of malice there was some subtle bulge or burr that Liki had missed in preparing the branch, and every third or fourth swat it bit a deep, agony laden dimple into his tender rear.
After what felt like an eternity, the lashing ceased. Bawling openly, utterly distraught due to pain and humiliation, Talek barely registered his mother's claws upon his shoulders until a firm tug eased him upright. He flung himself into his mother's waiting arms for a much needed cuddle.
“It's alright, we're all done now,” Liki cooed to her blubbering boy. “You may be a soft timer, but you're still a penitatas. The rules haven't changed. You just needed a reminder, that's all.”
Liki turned her focus to the audience, much to Talek's dismay. Speaking in a calm tone, in the manner of someone for whom a crying child was just a fact of life, she called out, “Isabelle! Timothy! How are you both?”
“We're well, thank you,” Timothy replied with perfect politeness.
“I was going to take my pair for lunch. Would you care to join us? I'm sure after this morning, Talek would appreciate having some friends around.”
“We could eat, right?” Isabelle asked. Talek guessed Timothy had nodded or given a thumb's up, because she immediately continued, “then we'd love to come along!”
The growing group waited for Talek to settle before moving on. Although he had been a penitatas for over a year, it still felt awkward to have an audience as he pulled his pants back up and tried to move on as though nothing had happened. Isabelle, as was her way, fell in beside him to offer her hard-earned advice: “No need to dwell on it, we've all been there!”
“Not all of us,” Talek mumbled back. His low comment seemed to amuse Timothy no end.
“I'm sure Isabelle has mentioned me before, Talek. Does 'Captain Greyscale' not ring a bell?”
It did, and it was clear to all it did by how wide-eyed Talek had become. “Oh. That was you?”
“Oh yes, a long while ago.” Talek let the matter drop out of sheer embarrassment born from the “I told you this” glare he was receiving from Isabelle.

By the time the group reached Uncle Wu's, Talek's spirits had lifted considerably. Rilka was already planning her order before they'd seen a menu, while Liki organised the seating to ensure Talek was sat on the softest, most padded seat available. Rilka settled in next to him, while Isabelle and Timothy took the opposite end of the table. Liki was sat at the head, able to oversee all children equally.
As always, Uncle Wu was his bubbly, energetic self, attending to the table with a mischievous way that made the children feel like ordering their meals was somehow getting one over on the system. Yet with meals picked and time to kill the table descended into small talk, and that let Talek's envy fester. He fixated on Isabelle’s paws and how they so casually came to rest upon Timothy's arm, and how they rubbed shoulders while recalling some past scandalous exploits. In the corner of his vision he caught Rilka lean forward, eyes wide in rapt attention as Timothy let slip some factoid or other about his past. Talek wasn't listening by that point. Venom dripped from every syllable as he snarled at Isabelle, “Are you sure you're not back together?”
The question brought a heavy silence to the table. “We're not,” she answered, “but I don't see why my relationship status is your concern.”
“Isabelle, Timothy?” Both rejuves turned to Liki upon hearing her names. Her face was hard as stone. “Would you two please give us a few minutes?”
The smoldering embers of Talek’s jealousy had no hope of surviving in the face of the avalanche of existential terror that gripped the boy watching his guests step outside. He tried to meet his mother's gaze, but the glare of her disapproval made him look away. The silence went on, and on, seemingly forever, compelling him to fill it. “I didn't -”
“Rilka, do you have something you want to say?”
Turning to face his ‘sister’, Talek was met with a glare of cold fury. “You do seem awfully concerned about Isabelle’s relationships. It's almost like you're a jilted lover!”
“I-”
“Did I miss something, Talek? Is she your girlfriend, or am I?”
“You are-”
“Then why do you care who she is sleeping with?”
Liki raised a claw to ward off the girl's fury. “Rilka, give him a chance to answer. Go on.”
Barely able to look up from the table, Talek gave his fumbling excuse. “I do care about you, Rilka. You're my first real girlfriend. You… took my virginity.”
“I remember it being forced upon me,” she shot back, though her tone had softened a fraction.
Blushing, Talek pressed on. “You mean more to me than anyone or anything else in the world. I know it's, well, greedy… but I like that I sometimes get to have something special with Isabelle too. I'm scared that's going to end now.”
“Rilka, is it that you feel we've not been fair to you in allowing for ‘special' friendships?” Liki's question surprised both rejuves. “Is there some other boy you wish you could be intimate with?”
Now it was Rilka’s turn to blush. “Not exactly. It's more… I guess I'd like to know that I could, if the right boy came along.”
“If your doe eyed look is any indication, I'd say he has!” Liki laughed, though her tone grew serious once more as the moment passed. “Let me take a moment to remind you both of something important: since we allowed your relationship to blossom we have given you both exceptional leeway in exploring your feelings and desires for one another. There are few, if any penitatas here in Northrock that have been permitted to enjoy another’s body as you both have. Some would argue that asking for even more is shameless greed. Do you both understand what I'm telling you?”
Talek nodded. “I should be glad I was allowed to ‘play’ with Isabelle at all.”
“Isabelle, and Rilka.” Liki confirmed.
“But you're not shutting us down on this, are you?”
A filthy smirk worthy of Rilka herself crossed Liki’s lips. “I'm keeping the option on the table, assuming you're a good girl.”
“Well, my birthday is right around the corner...” the lustful tone that crept into her words sent a quiver of excitement down Talek's spine.
“You would need quite the punishment to justify a play-date.” Rilka was not deterred, for her mother's tone was light and open.
The cream-scaled girl flicked a glance towards Talek, subtle hunger glinting in her eyes. “What if the play-date was the punishment? What if... I was helpless, and used by another?”
Liki couldn't help but chuckle. “Oh, like a certain boy once did? Hmm... it's hard to call that a punishment when you get to choose your partner. Would you find the scenario as fun if you were made available to the public? If multiple boys could use you, and you had no way to know who it was?”
Rilka's focus shifted back to Liki, the girl now stiff and anxious at the implication. “I'm... no. I don't think I want that.”
Yet Liki's grin hadn't shifted. “How much do you trust us, Rilka? Your father and I?”
“I guess... a lot?”
“You don't sound sure. I know what you want, Rilka, but we can't give it to you directly. We have to at least put on the facade of punishment. You won't know who the boys are, but we will.”
The girl swallowed, a dry tongue seeking to moisten equally dry lips. “So I would have to go into this knowing it could be... bad. But hoping it won't be?”
“This won't be like the 'Pink' you volunteered for, Rilka. We're not required to be that harsh to you.”
“What would you do, Talcum?”
A blush formed on Talek's snout. “I'd say yes.”
Smirking, Rilka threw a soft jab against his arm. “You just want me to say yes so Isabelle can keep you occupied!”
“Rilka?” Liki's tone suggested that even her playful contact was inching towards transgression.
“Sorry. I... okay. I accept. I really hope I don't regret it, but I accept!”
“Wonderful! Now, if we're all settled, can I trust you two to sit in silence for thirty seconds while I bring our guests back in?”

As the party stepped back out onto the street, their stomachs pleasantly full of good food, Timothy casually turned towards Liki. “Mrs Doland, could I have a quiet word with Talek?”
“What about?”
“Just wanted to impart a little advice, one rejuve to another.”
Liki chewed over the request for a spell before shrugging. “Alright. Bring him straight home when you're done. Rilka, come along. We have a birthday party to plan. Isabelle, you're welcome to join us.”
The two boys watched the ladies walk away. Timothy steered Talek eastward before bringing up his promised advice. “Just so you know, Isabelle and I aren't back together. We're not looking to rekindle that old flame.”
“You seem awfully close, though?”
The accusatory question made Timothy chuckle. “You know better than most the perks of being her friend! The poolside cuddles, for example, or Mister Titus’ classroom.”
Shameful heat radiated from Talek's face. “You know about that?”
“Oh yes! Not that I'm passing judgement on you; both girls involved had a wonderful time, and we do have to make sure medicalos enjoy their new childhoods.”
Rilka's face loomed in his imagination. “Is that what you wanted to talk about? You want to ‘enjoy’ something? Or someone?”
Timothy's pace faltered. “Nothing of the sort! I just wanted to clear the air a little. That and try to help give you proper context to your current, and hopefully near future situation.”
Talek accepted this with a quiet nod. He'd picked a less than direct route home, veering more towards school than any southward road. Timothy made no comment about their direction of travel. “You're still young, Talek. Linear time-wise, you must be, what? Eighteen?”
“Seventeen.”
“Close enough. I vaguely recall being that young. I certainly recall how important certain things appeared to me then. Sex, for example. Being a virgin at twenty was a source of private shame for me. Can't for the life of me think why now!”
“You get to sleep with Isabelle now,” Talek poked the sore spot once again.
“Well that's what I want to clear up for you. I realise it might be hard to grasp for someone as young as yourself, still grappling with the complexities of love and lust and all that, but sex doesn't need to be something hoarded, nor jealously guarded. Yes, Isabelle and I are intimate on occasion, but that's not a basis for a relationship. It's simply that we both have needs, and enjoy satisfying them with one another. Should Isabelle become more interested in another boy's affection I'd take no issue. Well, so long as I have at least one working claw!” Timothy laughed aloud at his own joke. Talek, begrudgingly, offered half a smile. “You are in a rough patch right now my lad, but it'll pass. Sooner than you think, in fact. Two years of soft time – less than that now – and then you're wearing the most coveted letters in town! Then you'll be free to hang out with Isabelle, or whoever else you fancy, and if urges arise...”
Talek glanced at the young man beside him. There was a twinkle in his eye that was unmistakably Mr Hachi's. “I'll try to remember that, sir.”
Timothy raised a claw and tapped the 'M' displayed there. “As long as I wear these letters you only call me 'sir' if I'm actively participating in something official. Here and now, I'm 'Master Timothy' to the adults, and just plain ol' Timothy to you. Or Timmy, if you prefer.”
Grinning, Talek turned his thoughts to the future. “When I'm paroled, I'm going to insist everyone address me by my full name: Talek Nodaro! I want my surname back!”
A sympathetic sigh answered the proclamation. “I know exactly what you mean! It always felt so... un-personing the way they robbed us of surnames. We just have a single name, like we're a pet!”
“Or, you know, 'Talek Doland' wouldn't be so bad.”
Timothy nodded along. “True, but we don't even get that. Hah! Listen to me, saying 'we' as if I'm still a Penny!”
“Do you mind if I ask what you actually did? I know stories about Captain Greyscale, but which ones are true?”
Again, the older boy's pace slowed a bit. “Let me pass on that, Talek. Sooner or later I'll have to set the record straight, but for now I'd prefer to leave it be.”
“Okay.”
The pair wove their way to the inland road and followed it south. Farmer's fields dominated the land beyond, filled with ripening grain stalks of a hardy local corn that swayed gently in the coastal breeze. Talek had wondered about the farms many times, having walked past them more times than he could count. It seemed he had a chance to learn. “Are those farms part of Northrock?”
“Not exactly,” Timothy replied. “The ‘correctional community’ ends at the start of their land, so any penitatas caught over there is in for a world of hurt! They have to keep an eye out for runaways and permit us to set up security measures on their property, but otherwise it's a regular rural plot. That said, with proper permissions, penitatas could be allowed to visit the farms, much as you're allowed to visit the old camp for sports day.”
“So Camp Northrock isn't part of the town?”
Timothy let out a playful laugh. “Nope! It's classified as a tourist attraction now! Ah, but perhaps I should avoid discussing the functions that place serves these days,” he added with a playful wistfulness.
“Why? Isn't it abandoned.”
“Hmm?” Timothy seemed not to hear the question, though Talek suspected that was deliberate. “Back to the subject of girls, if I may? I got the distinct impression I'd taken Rilka's fancy. Like I said before I'm not looking to actively pursue her, but just as Isabelle has done you 'favours' when she can I'd like to know whether such offers are acceptable.”
“So now you're asking my permission to sleep with Rilka?”
“I want to know if it would upset you if I did.”
Talek considered the question a while. “I guess it would, a little. But if it's what she wants then I... I know I should be okay with it. But I think it'd still bother me.”
“Ah, if only the heart was easy to understand! This is all likely moot regardless, but I'll keep what you said in mind if it should ever arise. Don't go thinking of me as competition now, Talek! Trust me when I say that, whatever little crush she might have on other boys, Rilka is head over heels for you. You have nothing to fear in that regard.”
By the time the boys reached the Doland household, Talek's mood was much improved. Their chatter had shifted to more neutral and approachable topics than romantic challenges, making the soft-timer feel more at ease. When Timothy escorted his charge inside, Rilka was perched on the sofa with a look of mischief in her eyes. Liki swooped in on the boys and suggested, in the manner that all penitatas knew was no suggestion at all, that Talek go and sit with his sister while Liki “had a word” with Timothy.
“That will be about my birthday,” Rilka said with a playful little giggle.
“Yeah, Timothy and I were talking on the way back. He knows you like him.”
Rilka seemed shocked by the words. “I don't like him! Well I do, but not-”
“Not in the way you like me?”
She grinned at that. “Precisely. He's just a bit of fun. A fine, handsome bit of fun. But he's no Talcum!” to proove her words, she threw her arms around Talek and squeezed tight.
“You just want me to be okay with you sleeping with half the school!” he laughed, trying to sound more comfortable with the idea than he felt.
“You just want to bang a fox again!” she shot back. “Go for her, Talek. If my birthday plays out the way I'm expecting, I'll be more than happy for her to keep you busy!”

///

Rilka's birthday began with the pair rushed through their morning needs, so rushed in fact that Rilka wasn't even permitted to dress before being ushered out by their father and down to the breakfast table. Liki wore a grin that promised a memorable day, though for good or ill was yet to be determined. While the cream-scaled girl appeared outwardly calm and composed, idly commenting about how good it felt to finally hit the big One-Oh, there was no denying the subtle tremble in her claw as she tried, and several times failed to scoop cereal into her mouth.
Once fed, Rilka was shipped back to the bedroom, while Talek was left waiting on the sofa for his friends to arrive. First at the door were Isabelle and Timothy, who came bearing presents. They had only just set the bright boxes down on the dining room table when the doorbell signalled the arrival of Kost and Bubbles. A few minutes passed before Lusu joined the growing crowd, and a few minutes more saw Ki'reth fill out their close-knit social circle. Their parents did not linger, merely issuing warnings that perfect behaviour was expected, and leaving them to Liki's care.
Rubbing her claws with giddy anticipation, Liki summoned all the visiting children to gather round and pay attention. “Welcome everyone! I know some of you have been told what we have planned for Rilka's birthday, but for the others let me explain this clearly: we are providing a -” she performed air quotes with her fingers “-'pink punishment' for Rilka. By now, she should be properly secured upstairs. When you're ready, you boys are to go up and use her. I know my girl can put on a tough act, but she likes to be handled with care in the bedroom so it's slow and steady, alright?”
The reaction to this revelation was curious to behold from Talek's perspective. Bubbles seemed confused by the event; Kost's brow furrowed with the effort of picking apart the innuendos. Ki'reth, faster on the uptake, had developed a shy blush as the tip of his member poked clear of his sheath. Lusu seemed to have forgotten how to breathe. “When you say 'secured', what do you mean?” the cookie-coloured girl asked.
“I mean that Rilka will be bound to the bed with her legs wide apart, with blindfold and earmuffs to deprive her of senses. We don't want her to know who's taking advantage.”
“C-can we go up now?” the gathered boys had to fight back fits of laughter at Lusu's shameless hunger. A wave of Liki's claw sent the girl scampering upstairs, and various chuckles and chortles were unleashed when she was safely out of earshot.
“It's adorable that she thinks she's kept her feelings for Rilka hidden all this time!” Isabelle snickered.
Kost jerked a thumb towards his Aspatrian boyfriend. “Even Ki hides his feelings better, and he doesn't wear pants!”
“Is it bad that I want to go up and watch?” Talek asked, feeling a hot blush formed as he croaked out his thoughts.
Liki put a finger to her lips. “So long as you're quiet, go right ahead.”

The gathered rejuves crept upstairs and into the curved hallway of the house's middle floor. To their left, clearly visible through the glass inner wall, Rilka was bound as promised. Her legs tucked up and pulled apart by rope, her privates were on full display for all the world to see. The only modesty came from Lusu, who knelt down to bring her lips against her friend's exposed slit. Talek eased the door open and tiptoed closer, his shorts growing tight as Rilka's soft, lustful moans began to fill the air.
Her eyes closed, Lusu braced herself against the bed and let her tongue caress Rilka's slit in long, loving strokes. She paused to listen to each gasp, squeak, and moan that her tongue drew from the bound lizard girl before providing another tender lick. Sometimes licking faster, other times focusing on her opening, or the pink curl of flesh that hid her clitoral nub. A knowing smile formed on Lusu's snout as she guessed how best to please her friend, and with care she kissed the hidden clitoris. Her lips sealed over the nub as she began to suckle, drawing sharp, loud moans from Rilka in response. As before, she listened and adapted, using teeth and tongue to create the perfect amount of friction as she sucked upon Rilka's pleasure spot. The speed at which Rilka was brought to orgasm put Talek to shame, though the sight of Rilka shivering and twitching, coupled by her open moans of bliss were quickly drawing him to full arousal. She would endure several such orgasms in rapid succession; Lusu was clearly making up for lost time. The onslaught of pleasure only ceased when Shon, who had been stood by the bed holding Rilka's hand, stepped in and gently pulled the lustful girl back. “Let's give her a few minutes before we continue, okay?” he whispered to the assembled, excited rejuves.
Ki'reth was next to indulge. Rilka's slit had a glistening sheen from Lusu's saliva and the girl's own excitement. Shameful beads of fluid formed at the base of her cunny, pooling until they overspilled and trickled across her twitching back door. The fox boy gently eased the tip of his cock into place, gave Rilka a moment to calm herself, then gently pushed his way inside. Hungry twitches urged him deeper, drawing trembling yiffs of excitement as he almost hilted himself inside Rilka's warm, moist cunny. Shon offered a whispered instruction: “cum inside her.”
Nodding slowly, Ki'reth eased himself back until only the tip of his vulpine cock was still inside of the bound girl. Then he re-entered, faster than before, careful to judge her reaction. After four long strokes he felt confident he'd found her preferred speed, and savoured the lustful moans that once more filled the air. Leaving her mouth unbound was a delight for all involved. Far from the gentle flower Liki had made her sound, the hungry clenching and shameless moans made Ki'reth think she wanted rougher handling. But he was a gentleman, and the curl of her toes was proof enough she was happy with his work. His own breathing grew sharp and ragged, his thrusts less orderly, and Shon reacted in an unexpected way; he leaned down to Rilka and pulled hear earmuff aside. “He's going to get you pregnant!”
Rilka clenched down hard. Ki'reth had to grap his own muzzle to stop a yelp escaping as his cock was squeezed tight right on the brink of climax. The resulting orgasm was explosive, shooting his thick load deep into her womb. The force of it almost made the boy's legs buckle. He didn't need to keep humping; Rilka's twitching and squirming through her own forced orgasm was doing a wonderful job of milking his cock dry.
Kost approached the task of 'raping' his friend with much less caution than Ki'reth had. The spunk dribbling from her reddened cunny offered a little extra lubricant, allowing the wolfish boy to slide in to the knot on his first thrust. He barely gave Rilka time to adjust before pushing on, fully knotting himself inside of her and letting out an awkward little barking yelp. The confused sound from Rilka – half gasp, half laugh – made it clear what had happened; Kost had blown his load on the second stroke. Unlike Ki'reth, that didn't stop him; with only a few seconds pause, Kost went back to work, pounding pussy like a man possessed. He became so eager that Shon had to whisper him to ease off a little, and the gasps and grunts from Rilka became less sharp in tone when he did so. A dozen thrusts after his first, Kost climaxed a second time, at least judging by the arc of his back and shuddering yelps from his maw. Talek reckoned the boy had peaked half a dozen times before he stopped humping and gingerly extracted himself. His cock had turned from a rosy, pinkish red to a bruised scarlet from the effort. Rilka looked equally well used, and was given another break before the 'punishment' resumed.

The party guests were given a light lunch of sandwiches and similar finger food. The birthday cake was a simple sponge affair with vanilla frosting; far from indulgent, but perfectly serviceable for a penitatas birthday party. It was left untouched until Rilka made her appearance. The girl was led downstairs still in bare scale with her arms tied behind her back. Shon flashed a smile as he steered her over to the table. “You might have to give her a hand with her lunch, Talek.” The words made a shy smile play across the girl's snout.
“I thought you'd be keeping who took part a secret,” Rilka said as she was parked in a seat next to Talek.
“I don't know what you mean.” Liki's tone was full of playful innocence.
“I know you took part. I can tell by the shape of your cock!” The pronouncement was aimed at Ki'reth, who blushed at being revealed. “Can't be many other boys with knots in town, so Kost must have been the second boy.”
“Plenty of time for us to bring in a few dozen strangers!” Liki's voice strained with the effort not to laugh at her own statement. Rilka rolled her eyes, but was careful to do so while looking away from her parents.
“The part I'm trying to figure out is who gave me the warm-up. No offence, Talcum, but they were better at it than you!” Her gaze drifted towards Timothy, who was smiling with polite innocence, but in doing so her eyes crossed the deeply blushing face of Lusu. Rilka's sultry smirk vanished, the blood draining from her face. “Wait, it was you?”
“I... I wanted to.” Lusu whispered.
“Oh. I mean, I know you like girls and all, but I... I never really... I always thought our banter was just... that.”
“At the risk of being rude, Miss Rilka, I think everyone at this table bar you knew how Lusu felt. Along with at least half the school faculty.” Timothy's frank comment made Rilka squirm in her chair.
Lusu looked to be on the verge of tears as she met Rilka's gaze again. “Look, I know you're into boys, and I'm sorry if I crossed a line! But I-” she halted her apology as Rilka squirmed free of her chair. The bound, nude girl rounded the table to stand before Lusu, who looked positively terrified. There was just the briefest flash of a smirk before Rilka leaned in, clumsily due to her bound arms, and planted a kiss on Lusu's snout.
“You're my best friend, you dummy! If you needed me so bad you should have said! I'm never going to leave you hanging!”
Before Lusu could respond, a parental claw came to rest on Rilka's shoulder. Shon gently turned her back towards the table. “On that note, I want you to hurry up and eat your food! Your punishment day isn't over yet! I don't see any need to keep up the masquerade, so instead I'll make a simple demand; I want to see Rilka used until everyone's had their fill. Come on little lady, eat.”

Once force-fed by her father, Rilka was told to stand in the corner while her food settled. This bought time for Shon and Liki to place a few towels on the furniture; a clear sign to all present what they expected the post-lunch 'party games' to consist of. As Rilka was led back to her circle of friends, Timothy once more took the lead. “I guess it's my turn to punish the birthday girl,” he spoke as if resigned to some awful task, but the erection that popped out as he removed his pants suggested otherwise. “Come on, bend over the couch!”
Rilka needed no encouragement. She had a giddy hunger in her eyes as she approached Timothy, her gaze aimed firmly at his boyhood. She was bent over, her privates given a lick of saliva and a finger massage to get her in the mood, and then she received the cock she'd hungered for. Thoughtful and careful, Timothy eased into a steady, relaxed pace of measured thrusts, each drawing shaking whimpers from the girl. Yet her lustful murmurs ceased when, to her confusion, Timothy turned to Isabelle and began to ask her about her plans for the afternoon. She turned, casting a quizzical glare at the boy who so nonchalantly chatted as he fucked her. “Are you really-” Rilka began, but Isabelle's paws closed tight around her snout.
“Hush! Fleshlights don't talk!” the fox girl hissed into her ear, drawing a hot blush to Rilka's cheeks. Timothy let out a dirty chuckle before, quite insistently, returning to his small-talk. Being used so casually, Rilka buried her head against the sofa's cushions and tried to blot out the banter so as to better lose herself in the physical sensations of Timothy's steady thrusting. The efforts of the two boys and one girl prior had left her tired and overly sensitive, but even so she found herself unable to hold back the gasps and soft moans the steady thrusting drew from her lips. She clenched and squeezed down on Timothy's cock as another well-earned orgasm overcame her, and Rilka struggled to deny that being objectified went some way to bringing her to climax. Timothy, his job well done, dropped the act and focused on finishing up. Isabelle was ready with a towel to clean the pair up as he pulled free, a generous flow of seed dribbling out in the wake of his exit.
“I hope we didn't overstep there, Rilka, but we are supposed to be punishing you,” Timothy offered his awkward apology as Rilka was eased upright.
She gave a half shrug, as though trying to wave away the comment with her arms still tied behind her back. “It's fine. More than fine, actually. I think you might have awoken a new kink in me!”
“I guess it's my turn to take advantage of that?” Talek asked with a hungry look in his eyes.
“Oh no, I'm tagging out! Isabelle?”
Before Talek could get a word out, the snow-white fox gripped him firmly by the paw and tugged him towards the stairs. “Rilka might want an audience, but I want you all to myself!”

The last rays of light had vanished some time before, and the birthday guests long, long before that. Two Karrian children snuggled up together in a bed that still smelled strongly of the sweat and genital fluids of half a dozen rejuves, though neither minded at all. Talek slept with a wide, goofish grin upon his muzzle, letting out long, nasal hums as he dreamed, or perhaps relived the pleasantries of the day. Rilka watched him for a time, enjoying the moment, before wriggling free of his limp embrace and creeping out into the hall.
Downstairs, the holo chattered. Rilka eased down the steps, placing her feet with care where she was confident the boards wouldn't creak. Even so, she failed to make it down before her mother's voice called out, “Rilka? What are you doing out of bed?”
She startled, but rallied swiftly. The only way out was through, and she wouldn't succeed without honesty. “I wanted to talk to dad. It's important to me. Something that can't wait until morning.”
Shon raised an eyebrow, but beckoned her over. “What's so urgent?”
She stepped softly across the living room to stand before her parent, her breathing deep and shaking as she would when marching toward a punishment. “Before you say anything, please hear me all the way out?” she asked, seeing her father readying to scold her. “The last time I offered myself to you it ended badly. It hurt, physically and... and mentally. I know it hurt you as well.”
Shon's expression softened at her words. He opened his arms in silent offer of a hug, which Rilka accepted. “Did we push you too far tonight?”
“It's not that, dad. I've learned to like you, both of you, in ways I never thought I would. I think of you like parents. I know, even though you have to punish me, that you care about me. I know how much worse things could have been for me given my crime, and given the nature of my sentence for the first few years. I also know you both want to have your fun with me – it's not like you've done much to hide it!” Her tone was light, and the smile she flashed at Liki reassured both parents.
Shon ran his fingers through Rilka's hair as he considered the unspoken request. “We've been here before, Rilka. You said yourself it didn't end well for you last time.”
“This time it wouldn't have to be a punishment, would it?” She saw the hardening in her father's eyes. “I know, I know! You've probably got a ten minute speech lined up about rules and regulations about why you can't or won't or shouldn't. You're probably going to tell me there's some law against it because it might be considered manipulation or something like that. Can we... can we just skip all that and get to the part where we both get what we want, and are happier for it?”
A strong, kind arm wrapped around Rilka's back and pulled her into a firm embrace. “Okay.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Liki rose from her chair and walked over, pausing to ruffle Rilka's hair before announcing, “I'll go get you some lube.” The words made Rilka blush.
A probing claw curled between her thighs to caress the well-used slit of pink lurking there. Shon grinned at the trembling gasp his touch drew from Rilka's throat. “I'm confident I can get you nice and moist, but given I'm a little larger than what you're used to I don't think the extra slipperiness will hurt.”
Rilka wriggled in her father's grip, laughing playfully at both his words and his touch. “S-so how do you want to do this?”
“I want you to take the lead. Go at whatever pace you like, and don't push yourself to do something you don't want to just because you think I'll like it.”
“You've become a lot nicer since you stopped edging me,” she giggled in reply.
Her father beamed at the comment. “I won't lie, I did enjoy how pent up and frustrated you used to be, how you used to beg for a climax.”
“Daddy, please! I'll do anything!” Rilka whimpered, falling into character to her father's delight.
When Liki reappeared, Shon ceased his ministrations to unbutton his pants and ease them down. Rilka stepped out of his grip and watched with feral hunger in her eyes as Liki's claw massaged a healthy amount of lube over her husband's hardened cock. “Well? Up you get!” she called out to Rilka, smirking at how quickly the girl had gone from assertive to sheepish now the moment of truth had arrived.
Taking a deep breath, Rilka climbed back into Shon't lap. She raised her hips and tail high, allowing Liki to steer Shon's cock into place. The girl's eyes slid closed as she felt the tip of her father's cock slip across her cunny, head bumping up against her tail-hole, then back down, smearing the lube as it went. When she felt him in place, Rilka eased herself down just enough to envelop his tip, eyelids fluttering at he pleasant feeling of penetration. “Ready?” she whispered. Shon stroked her cheek in response.
She slid down further, inching his cock inside of her. The thick, twitching member stretched her wider than she was used to, but it slid into place with ease. Her eyes flickered open in surprise when she felt his head press against the entrance to her womb, and a deep maroon blush filled her cheeks. “I didn't think I'd take it all the way in,” she confessed.
“Well I'm very glad you did,” Shon answered playfully. His claws gripped her sides, but only to steady her, not to force her up or down. His arms stayed loose to let her move as she wished. Bracing on his broad shoulders, Rilka eased herself up, letting her father's cock slide halfway out before she lowered herself again. On the second stroke she rocked her hips to shift the angle of entry, which made Shon sigh with pleasure and sent shivers of excitement down her spine. Beaming at the feeling of control that simple sound had given her, she began to move faster, letting just a little more of him slide out before filling herself with his cock once more. Three more strokes, and Shon ceased any pretence of hiding his pleasure; he moaned and gasped openly, whispering breathless words of encouragement to Rilka as she settled into her motions.
She knew his climax was near when she felt the hungry pulsing of his cock, and the subtle, shallow humping as he tried to squeeze just a little further inside of her. “Daddy! Get me pregnant!” she gasped, recalling the teasing she'd received earlier that day, and as she slid down onto his cock once more a burst of seed flooded into her womb. Her body trembled at the sensation, toes curling as her father gasped and grunted, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing tight as his cock pulsed more and more seed into her. Then, at last, he fell still.
“Thank you, Rilka,” he whispered into her ear.
“You're welcome.”
“We'll save 'the talk' for tomorrow, okay?”
The girl sighed, but accepted her fate with a nod. “Okay.”
Liki eased her up and off her father's lap. “I'll take you to our bathroom to get cleaned up, so we don't disturb Talek.”
“You're staying home tomorrow as well,” Shon added. “You need a proper rest after today.”
Rilka's face lit up at the announcement. “All the cock I can handle and a day off school? This really is the best birthday ever!”
Liki laughed as she scooted the little lizard girl towards the stairs, while Shon sat basking in the afterglow of their coupling, lube and sexual fluids quietly drying on his crotch. Rilka knew he was thinking the same thing she was: bring on her next birthday!