Juvenalas Penitatas
Lesson 5 – Pushed Too Far

Morning came as it had so many times before, with a routine now firmly established. Talek was fully aware that he, like his sister, was meant to stay in bed until a parent came for them. That said, there were reasonable exceptions – one of which the boy took advantage of at every opportunity. Scampering across the open, privacy-free living space known as the Penny Room, the only thing between bed and bathroom was a half-height, transparent wall designed to keep any stray water splashes from landing on the dark wood floor beyond. He lifted the toilet lid and sat down for a 'tinkle', his mother having made the act of standing up to pee a crime punished most severely.
From the bed, watching with a grin on her face, Rilka's sing-song voice came drifting over, “Good girl, Talcum! Tinkling like a proper little lady!”
“Shut up!” he barked back, though he kept his voice low for fear of it carrying. He'd never much liked these little barbs at being called a girl. Though from Rilka, who used to be a boy herself, it was at least a little less frustrating. “Just because you don't have a dick any more doesn't mean I can't enjoy mine!”
“Well that's not true,” the cream-scaled lizard girl replied as her green 'brother' returned to the bed, “we both know if you enjoyed your little man, mom and dad will tan your hide a cute shade of cherry red!”
“Yeah? Well I get to finish a lot more than you do!” he shot back.
Rilka nuzzled against him, any and all spite forgotten. “Hush up, Talcum. Let's just enjoy the bed a little longer.”
He wasn't going to argue. The arrival of his mother and/or father would inevitably mean another day of ritual humiliation, forced bouts of boredom, and if he was unlucky some form of punishment. That would be bad enough if they were predictable about it, but for every slip-up that saw his bottom smacked with a hand or paddle, there was another with a far more 'inventive' twist. Hot sauce rubbed on his gums, ginger up his backside, or just dragged out of the house in bare scales and quite literally thrown into the ocean! Any and every excuse to make his life miserable was jumped upon... and yet all he endured was lesser than what Rilka got. How she took it all, and seemingly with higher spirits remained a mystery to the boy.
Time passed, and the snug, contented smile on Rilka's face began to fade, replaced with a worried frown. “They should have come woken us up by now,” she mumbled.
“I thought you didn't want them to come,” the boy replied.
“I wanted a lay in, but this is getting me fretting,” she dared to slip free of the sheets and padded over to the transparent door, straightening her pink pyjama top as she went. Her little paw pressed the door button and it sighed open without a sound. “Mom! Dad!” she called out into the empty corridor. No reply came. She called a second time, then a third. Not a sound .
“Should... we go downstairs and look for them?”
“I'm not making that mistake!” Rilka answered, the word 'again' hanging in the air. “I guess they want us to... stay put for some reason. I really hope it's a nice reason,” she added, little fingers working at the draw-strings of her pyjama bottoms as her body started to make its inevitable demands. Without any ceremony, and no interest in the vague pursuit of privacy Talek took, she let the garment fall round her ankles and took a seat on the throne.
To the gentle splash of a girl relieving herself, two adult voices sang out as Shon and Liki appeared from upstairs. “Happy birth-day to you! Happy birth-day to you! Happy birth-day dear cream-cake! Happy birth-day to you!” The girl turned her head away with an embarrassed little smile on her face, though Talek suspected it was the singing that caused her shame – the lass had long since grown used to having to relieve herself with a parental audience.
“You didn't tell me it was your birthday!” Talek called out as he hurried over to join the rest of the family.
“Well, it's not like you weren't going to find out,” the girl replied.
Shon gave his penitatas daughter a proud grin. “Nine years old already! Why, it seems only yesterday we had a little six-year-old right here on this very potty, kicking up an awful fuss about having to tinkle in front of me!” The adult Karrian reached in and thrust his wiggling fingers to Rilka's soft-scaled belly.
“Da-ddy!” the girl wailed, squirming under the unexpected tickling. It was mercifully brief, just enough to get a rise out of her and put what seemed a genuine smile on her face.
“I don't mean to be a buzzkill, but this seems a good time for your brother to get another lesson in what being a hard-time penitatas means,” Liki said, and those oblique words wiped all joy from the girl's face.
“Really? Do we have to do that right now?” she asked, pining for mercy that was so seldom offered.
“Depends on what you choose,” Shon replied. “It's your birthday, and they're your birthday stings. If you have a preference for how and when, now is the time to tell us.”
“I'm... thinking,” Rilka said. “I want to come up with a request you won't twist- to... mean... that I was rushing a very important decision.”
“That was a good save,” Liki chuckled.
The birthday girl took a breath to compose herself after the near miss. “I don't want to be spanked. Wait! No! Can I change that?”
“Sure, no rush,” Shon replied, though a subtle tap of his footclaw suggested otherwise.
“I don't want any tears,” she tried again. “I don't want to be made to cry at all today... and by 'today' I mean until this time tomorrow.”
The parents shared amused looks at one another. “She's a slippery little thing! How are we supposed to give her twenty birthday 'spanks' if they can't make her cry?”
Shon gave his snout a conspiratorial tap. “Oh, I know a way, and she's in the perfect place to receive it! You just keep those pants down and those legs nice and wide, Rilka. I'll be back with the first 'spank' in a moment!”
When Shon returned, his green scaled fingers were closed around a tube of cream. Talek was only just beginning to recognise such things by their distinctive grey colouring and double-trimmed labels; it was a 'Correctional' product, and the Karrian clearly had no wish for his daughter to fret about the contents as he announced it as soon as he returned. “I have a tube of 'itchy cream' for you! Let's give your nether regions a good massage! This should be no problem for a big, tough girl like you.”
Rilka put on a brave smile as the punitive cream was applied. Shon parted her lower lips and massaged the tender pink flesh within, much as he had done when edging her. Satisfied, he gave the finger an extra coat and slipped it under her tail, earning an unhappy wince as the digit was forced up her anal passage. “Would you rather it be in the front?” Shon asked, earning an urgent shake of the head. “Thought so. Okay, that should keep you wriggling for at least ten minutes. You can have a little dance while your mother and I get some warm clothes picked out.”
“Where are we going?” the lizard girl asked, her tone of voice daring to be hopeful.
Liki smiled kindly and said, “We thought you'd like to go out for breakfast. How does Uncle Wu's sound?” The girl stopped her wriggling and flung her arms around Liki's waist, hugging her tightly in gratitude.

The trip to Uncle Wu's was via the beach. It was a pleasant day outside the house, but the moment they stepped in view of the ocean the wind strength grew dramatically. With the sea to their left, the family walked high up the beach, keeping to the firmer sands where possible. This not only kept them away from the shifting little dunes and scratchy grasses that grew there, but also avoided the worst of the detritus brought in by the tides.
Twenty or so minutes after they left, Shon called a halt. “Time for a top up!” he announced. Rilka glanced about the beach to see if anyone else was present before lowering her pants and holding her shirt up and out the way. There were some houses nearby, their rooftops and upper floors visible over the nearest windbreak, but none of the occupants were wandering the shore yet, which the girl was glad of. Talek, upon seeing his sister's bare parts, and the little quiver of her hips as the brisk wind blew over her scales felt glad he had thick, baggy trousers on and still pulled up. The creamy lizard took her itchy massage without protest, though there was a crease to her eyes and a little wriggle in her step as they set off again, with the penitatas allowed to pull her pants back up almost immediately.
“Are you doing okay?” Talek asked quietly, unsure if he was even allowed to speak as they walked the beach.
“Mhmm. It's unpleasant, but we've both had a lot worse!”
The refresh happened about halfway to their destination, and by the time new buildings rose up ahead on the shoreline the little lass was walking properly again. A large sea wall had been built with stairways leading up to a road above. A few children played in the shadow of a long pier, running and shouting freely despite the rather bleak surrounds, and not a parent in sight to chastise them. Shon and Liki led their charges towards the nearest steps, but three youths caught sight and began to whisper conspiratorially. They jogged over, slowing as they drew within speaking distance and each held a paw lazily on their front to show the marks, one taking off a glove to show his letter. The boys had 'V's, and the girl had an 'M'. These were respectively, voluntaras: Karrians who had chosen to become children once more; and medicalos: a Karrian who had suffered some terrible misfortune, and whose life had been saved by emergency rejuvenation.
“Do what they do,” Rilka hissed, taking off her left glove and showing her paw before slipping the warm cotton back in place. Talek's 'JP' drew a puzzled glance from the girl, but the boys only took their eyes of Rilka long enough to speak to the parents.
“Hello, sir! Ma'am!” the leader said.
“Hello boys. What can we do for you.”
“We were just... wondering who was with you,” he answered coyly.
Shon gave a knowing snort. “You were hoping she'd have her pants round her ankles.” The boy's dirty grin confirmed the suspicion. “Well, it just so happens that-”
“Daddy no!” Rilka gasped, earning a warning pat on the rear from Liki. It wasn't hard, in keeping with the promise earlier, but the meaning was clear. A pained whine escaped her maw. “Daddy... you promised...”
He studied the girl's scrunched up face, seemingly weighing whether or not his plan would break their pact. “Birthday good-will only goes so far,” he said at last. “Stand against the wall. I want your tail held as high as you can while you take your itchy cream.”
Obviously unhappy, the birthday girl obeyed. A little whimper slipped out as her pants hit the sand, and a pained grunt followed when her father began to massage the horrid itchy formula into her private little nook. The boys wolf-whistled and laughed appreciatively, making the girl's snout scrunch up. A little blub followed when father's itchy finger forced its way into her back passage, and she blinked a matched pair of tears away.
“Okay, let's get you decent again,” father said as he wiped the rest of the cream from his finger with a tissue. “But a very good girl knows what she ought to do right now, doesn't she?”
Though the comment drew a miserable gasp from her lips, Rilka tottered back from the wall and awkwardly turned around. Upper garments held clear so her mound was on full display. “M-my name is R-Rilka. I'm age n-nine, and d-daddy put itchy c-cream up my b-bottom and on my c-c-cunny b-because I'm a n-naughty girl!”
The boys were pitching tents when Liki announced, “Alright, you've had your fun! Scarper off!” They knew better than to risk the wroth of a Penny Parent. The girl stayed behind, making an odd crossed-fingers symbol that Talek didn't understand. Rilka nodded, and the medicalos sounded quite genuine, even a little sympathetic when she said, “I hope you have a nice birthday,” before joining her male friends.
Rilka was made decent again, but the promise was technically broken. She wanted Liki, her father taking no offence, and got a brief seaside cuddle as she huffed and whined out her public shame.

Any ill-will was long gone when they entered Uncle Wu's, which was a restaurant just a few minutes walk from the stairs up to the road, with the phrase Wu's Family Diner displayed in age-worn letters on a bright red awning. The diner faced away from the beach, on the seaward side of a public square dominated by a ring of benches, over which an unlucky boy was knelt. The white scales of his rear were turning red under an energetic application of a strap, and his wails echoed off the surrounding buildings.
Inside was mercifully quiet. Uncle Wu's beaming face greeted them from a picture on the wall, the middle-aged Karrian proudly holding aloft a spatula like it were some ceremonial sceptre. The man himself, with an extra wrinkle and a few more grey hairs, greeted the family on arrival. “Aha! Lovely to see you all again! And who is this strapping lad with you?”
“This is Talek, our new son. He's a 'juvenalas penitatas', living with us to see what will become of him if he doesn't fix his errant ways,” Liki announced smoothly.
Wu gave a friendly little wave to the boy, “Welcome, Talek! Come, sit wherever you like!”
Rilka's subtle tug saw them pick a window seat. Uncle Wu followed with a black tablet in hand and a kindly expression on his face. “Wait just a moment... this wouldn't be a birthday breakfast, would it?”
“Yes it is, Uncle Wu!” Rilka announced cheerily.
The Karrian folded his arms, his expression becoming stern and disapproving. “Oh no, we don't do birthdays here! Especially not for little ladies like you!”
Nobody else at the table seemed at all phased by how cross the man had become. Indeed, it only seemed to encourage Rilka even more. “Pleeeeeeease?” she bounced in her chair as she made the childish plea, and it was nothing to do with any below-the-belt itching.
With a sigh of defeat and a throwing up of hands, Uncle Wu surrendered. “Oh, very well! Just this once! What will it be?”
“Shon and I will have the Full Alqurain with a pot of black caff. Talek will have the Penny Standard with apple juice, and Rilka... can order her own.”
“I want pancakes!” she announced, then hastily checked her enthusiasm, “I mean, I would like pancakes, please. With ice-cream if I'm allowed?”
“Pancakes with vanilla ice-cream, and a cream soda, please,” Liki confirmed the order.
Uncle Wu accepted it all with a nod. He glanced briefly at the mother, wiggling his brow in a manner that drew a little smile from her. “O-kay, two full Alqurain, two Penny Standards.”
“No! I ordered pancakes!” Rilka corrected, and while her tone was rude it seemed all the adults enjoyed it.
“Right, one Penny Standard and pancakes for the birthday girl. Coming right up!”
“It seems like Uncle Wu knows you all pretty well,” Talek said as he watched the man leave.
Liki nodded. “We've known him ever since we first arrived in Northrock. He tries to get to know all the penitatas who are centred here; he wants his restaurant to be a place where they can be a little calmer, a little more childish.”
“But all the rules still apply here,” Shon cut in. “We won't spank either of you in here, but there are benches right outside!”
When it arrived, the 'Penny Standard' turned out to be a bowl of porridge. Even breakfast at home was more exciting! “Sorry, lad. Them's the breaks when you're wearing those letters!” he leaned in and added with a wink, “I put some honey in to make it sweeter. Don't tell your parents!”
Rilka's breakfast came last, and was held at the edge of the table while Uncle Wu rather sheepishly spoke to the parents. “I have no idea how this happened, but the only pancakes I have are chocolate ones with chocolate chips! I know it's not what you ordered, but it's really all I have!”
The hunger in Rilka's eyes was obvious. She looked ready to burst into tears when she saw her mother's scowl at the mix-up, which turned to instant glee when Liki relented. “Very well, if it really is all you have.”
Even if his own food (which did indeed have a honeyed taste) was nowhere near as exciting as hers, it was nice to see Rilka's glee. If nothing else, Talek mused, it meant he'd be getting the same treats when his birthday came around... and he could stand to have an itchy butt-hole if it meant lots of chocolate for breakfast!

They left Uncle Wu's with plates cleaned, and with approval from their parents, Rilka was even allowed to share a mouthful of her chocolate pancakes. Liki and Rilka made a detour to the ladies room on the way out, taking the punishment cream with them. Suitably buoyed by this late-morning treat, despite the renewed itch in her pants, the question arose of where to head next. “Maybe our little ones would like a go on the Penny-Go-Round?” Shon suggested.
As usual, Rilka's anxious tone filled in the blanks for Talek. “But I... I was a good girl, wasn't I? You never spanked me for being playful in Uncle Wu's before!”
Shon's stern mask slipped, “Oh, I'm only teasing you! Not that I'm keeping score, but I think a certain little lady did give herself extra birthday punishment. That's the kind of behaviour that deserves a reward.”
“I agree,” Liki said. “Plus, we haven't bought her any presents.”
Shon scratched his chin thoughtfully. “You two, go over to those benches and face them. You don't have to bend over or bare yourselves; your mother and I need to discuss something and we want it to be a surprise.”
The two did as they were told, with Rilka's emotional gauge tricky to read at this point. “How screwed are we, do you think?”
The girl shrugged. “Not sure... last birthday I had to go to the shop over the way and get new 'toys' – paddles, straps, all that nasty stuff! My birthday wish had been that they let me play with my toys all day, and they bargained me down to all afternoon... so dad tested the paddle, and mom tested the tail strap! Nine from each. It should have been ten this year but-” she glanced down at her crotch and grinned. “I'm still not convinced I've won this time.”
“If it works, I know what I'll ask for on my birthday!”
“Nah, they won't give you birthday spankings! Even if they did, this was probably a trick that'd only work once. Treats are special, Talcum. They never, ever let them become routine.”
“They... let play time become routine,” he countered with a blush.
His sister giggled at the comment, biting her lower lip. “Mmm... pretty sure that's because they want us to go too far and make you spunk all over the sheets, or some place even worse! Then it would stop being a treat really quick!”
Their parents soon returned, with Shon taking point. “Alright, birthday girl! We've made up our mind! We'll all have a little stroll along the pier, and you can enjoy the sea air while your loins cool off. Seeing as you volunteered to be humiliated, and as it is your birthday, we're even going to treat you to a Super Slurp. Once you've gulped down your treat, we'll go present shopping and get you home.”
“And we agreed that there's no more itchy cream while we're out. Whether or not you get more at home remains to be seen. You're a little too stoic in my opinion, so I'm not convinced it's going to count as a proper birthday punishment.”
“I... could squirm more?” Rilka offered, to the amusement of both parents.
“On the subject of squirming, I think we might just have to let Talek take a turn,” the casual comment went through the nine year old's stomach boy like a ball of hot lead.
“What? No! Dad, please! I've been really good all day!”
“But what about the last four years, hmm? Were you 'really good' then?” Shon countered, playing 'bad cop' so his mother could swoop in with a little more sympathy.
“You still have so much to learn about being a penitatas, Talek. We try and show you, through Rilka, as much as its fair to do. But there's no substitute for experience, is there? So we'll get your pants down and you can swing free in the breeze for a minute, then I'll give your privates a rub with the itchy cream. If anyone comes to speak with you, I'll expect you to face them and introduce yourself properly, like Rilka did. Tell them your name, your age, and your punishment – which will be itchy cream all over your little boy bits!”
Shameful blubs escaped the boy's snout. “M-om, please don't m-make me take my pants down in public!”
He heard his father step up behind him, kneeling down to put those strong hands of his on the lad's hips. “Are you stiff? Is that why you're crying?” the boy nodded shamefully. “Well... think about what Rilka said when you were stood by the bench. We let you two fool around for a reason. Be brave for me, little man, and we might have treats for you as well. Okay?”
“K'” he whined, hiding his eyes behind his paws as he cried softly against those hated 'JP' letters found there. The buttons on his pants popped open – at the waist and above the tail – and then he felt the breeze upon his thighs. His stoic silence broke with a yelp when his feet were lifted up and the pants wriggled over his shoes, and again when the underwear followed.
“Here comes your cream,” Liki announced, rubbing the cold stuff carefully along his shaft. The motions of her paw combined with the delayed tingle of the cream were an unwanted source of pleasure, making the boy fully hard by the time the scratching sensation began. For good measure, the rest was worked into his sac. That alone was more than enough to get him wriggling, but of course it wasn't over – a scaly digit poked around under his tail, and forced its way inside to spread the itchiness all over his inner passage! The roughness, shame and internal torment drew a long, unabashed howl from the boy, catching more than a few stares from passers-by.
“Okay, Talek. Let's take a walk now.” Both parents took a paw and led the boy between them, with Rilka trailing close behind. He was led blindly, eyes clenched shut in shame and ugly, broken sobs slipping out as his itching erection twitched and bounced in the chilly, stiff sea wind.
The walk of shame seemed to go on forever. When they reached the seafront again, Liki wiped her son's eyes and said to him, “Talek, look around.  Look, Talek! Do you see how almost everyone here is a parent and child? What does that mean?”
“Dunno!” the boy blurted out in teary agony.
Liki sighed, obviously disappointed. She glanced about until sighting someone coming towards them on the opposite side of the road, and halted their progression with a wave. Leading her bawling little boy over she introduced herself. “Hello there! I think we've seen each other around the school haven't we? I'm Rilka's mother, Liki!”
“Oh, of course!” the other Karrian woman replied, her brown scaled face lighting up in recollection. The boy next to her was the same shade of brown. He met Talek's eye only briefly, then quite deliberately looked up and away.
“Well, Talek here is... a special penny. This is his first time out and about, so he's struggling with what being punished in public means. Little lad's had a nice dose of itchy cream and he feels like the whole world is staring.” she explained over the boy's audible misery, gently twisting his paw so they could both see the 'JP' markings. “Being sixteen and having your manhood out like this is hurting him terribly, as you can see.”
The two brown Karrians locked eyes. The mother said, “How would you like to do a good deed for this poor lad?” Her son gave a nod, though his expression clearly said 'no'. That was all she needed. “What was your name dear? Talek?”
“Y-yes m'm!” he squeaked between huffs and gulps.
“Nice to meet you, Talek. Can I have the cream please?”
Her son grimaced at the announcement, but made no protest when his own pants were taken off and folded over his mother's arm. While she worked at his member, dry at first just to get him 'stiff' before the cream went on, the boy raised his paws next to his blushing snout and said, “My name is Ido, I'm ten years old, and on my second cycle. I'm... getting made to be stiff and ha-ah! Have itchy cream put on my penis and sac to help a new penitatas... learn how to take his punishment like a good boy.”
The shameful act drew Talek's crying to a halt, leaving him to watch in quiet, if miserable curiosity as another boy, a total stranger at that, was punished because of him. Once the deed was done, Ido gave a brave smile to the younger boy. “See? It's... not so bad. Much nicer on a warm day though!”
Talek laughed at the bad joke, which helped ease some of the tension. “Some of the 'good kids' will stare, especially if they're into boys, but other penitatas won't look too much. Sooner or later we're all bare and howling down the place. I just put on a brave smile and try to take it like a man.”
“'snot easy tho-” Talek whimpered.
“But easier now you're not alone, right?” Talek had to nod in agreement to that.
Shon stepped up to offer his paw to the young man, which he accepted and shook. “Thank you, Ido. That was very kind of you.”
“Happy to help a fellow penny, sir,” the young man beamed.

The shared shame did its trick. Though he was still unhappy, especially whenever someone glanced down at his stiffy, it didn't 'hurt' nearly as much now, and the strong sea air did help to soothe his front at least – though it did nothing for the internal scratching! The youths were steered to the rail at the end of the pier and allowed to look out over the storm-grey waters, watching heavy clouds roll by. The boy's length bounced with each roar of wind, the itchy tingle running up and down his meat in time with the churning waves. Rilka sidled over as her brother gazed off into the middle distance.
“Don't turn around, but mom and dad are off buying us treats!” she whispered.
“Nice,” the comment had little conviction to it.
“Oh... you're really sensitive right now, huh?” Talek nodded. “Well... put both your paws up where everyone can see. Step up on the lip so you're getting the most from the breeze... and think of how it felt to be inside me. Close your eyes and remember it, how warm and tight I am. We're back on our bedroom floor, rocking together, me gently milking you to cum...”
Talek did as Rilka urged. He repeated her words silently to himself, lips moving to frame the words. He imagined it was Rilka's breath, not the cold sea air caressing him down below, that the itch was just the blissful tingle of her cunny closing around him. “R-Rilka... you're pussy feels so good...”
Rilka leaned over him, moaning softly into his ear slit in time with his public thrusting. The teasing wind, creamy itch and feminine gasps in his ear caused a tension build at the base of his shaft. He focused all his imagination into that joyous night, reliving the moment when her gentle coaxing had milked out a slow, glorious climax through sensual rocking. “I'm fucking your pussy, I'm fucking your pussy!” he told himself in whispered gasps, and with a full-body shudder he just managed to slip over the threshold. His cock spasmed urgently, and a single fat bubble of spunk blossomed from the tip before oozing over, dangling on a thread of fluid, then with a twitch fell plunging into the water below.
He was still in a post-orgasmic daze when a paw grabbed his shoulder and span him around. His eyes snapped open in alarm as his father's voice roared out, “Everyone! Could I have your attention, please? Would you all give a round of applause for the little penny boy here, who apparently likes being put on display so much he came in front of you all!”
A dozen Karrians of various sizes put their hands together as requested, and while the rejuves were clearly clapping under duress, most of the parents did a much better job of delivering the request levels of shame and guilt, calling out at the boy and applauding thunderously until, red faced and sobbing in unbearable shame, Talek sought to hide behind his father. This was allowed, and after a few moments became a deliberate hug as the shamed little man bawled out his humiliation, tears soaking his snout. “We'll have a friendly talk about that when we get home, alright? Let's get you back in your pants and you can have a treat with Rilka...”
The comments brought the boy no comfort. “Wan' wan' wan' go hoo-ooo-ome!” the boy wailed into his father's jacket, utterly shattered by the shame of the ordeal.
Gentle paws rubbed his back as he cried out his humiliation. “Talek, it's alright. If you really, really want to go home you can. I'll call a cab and we'll get you back home and in a nice, warm bath. Just say the word and we'll go... but I would like you to stay out with us, son. You won't have to suffer any more nasty surprises, and Rilka will be worried about you if you vanish all of a sudden. Can you put a brave face on for her, please? We've got a Super Slurp for you as a treat.”
The boy shuffled his snout enough to glance at his sister, a big drink in her paws and an anxious look on her face. Upon meeting his gaze, she padded over and confessed, “Talc... I'm really sorry I messed with your head like that. I didn't... know you'd actually 'pop', and I definitely didn't know dad would embarrass you over it! Please forgive me?”
For a long time all the boy could do was stand and huff. He desperately wanted to be home, but as his gaze wandered about he realised nobody seemed to pay him any attention, save his family. The show was over, and he was just an ordinary boy again.
“I want to go...” he began, but his eye was drawn to the sign behind his mother. It was one he'd seen elsewhere in town but given no mind to until now. CORRECTIONAL ENVIRONMENT – NO UNSANCTIONED RECORDING! His mind conjured life back home, before becoming juvenalas; a life where everything seemed to be captured on cameras and uploaded to the ColNet. 
He realised then, in a strange moment of quiet clarity, that he had never seen anything like what he'd witnessed, and endured, here at Northrock. If he'd seen a girl with her pants round her ankles he'd have his padd out and recording straight away! But the voluntaras hadn't, nor had anyone who clapped and laughed and pointed at his shame.
The unfamiliar notion bubbled in his brain. Would... nobody know?
“Everything okay, champ?” Shon asked softly, noting the growing silence in the boy.
With a timid nod, Talek swallowed down a last blub and tried again to speak. “I'm okay now, I think.”
“That's my brave man!” Liki praised as she offered a big, tasty drink. Icy, slushy fruit juice was a bit of an odd choice in cold weather, but treats were treats – Talek had cottoned onto that much at least!”
Still smiling, and keeping his tone light, Shon gave a quick glance to Rilka. “What was that you said about messing with his head, cream-cake?”
“I... told him to imagine having sex with me.” the girl dropped her snout and with a beetroot face mumbled, “I... wanted to see if he could get off. I wanted a show.”
Her father placed his paws upon his hips. “I seem to recall giving Talek a lecture not that long ago, when you were both suffering with ginger and I had you play a 'penny game'. Remember?”
The girl nodded. “Yes, daddy. You thought Talek was selfish for not seeing how much I was hurting and making me lose, knowing I'd suffer for it.”
“Then why did you think it was acceptable to make Talek suffer for your own amusement?” The girl gave no verbal answer, instead wilting shamefully before her parent.
With a shake of his head, Shon turned his focus back to Talek. He kept his tone friendly and calm as he addressed the boy again. “The last thing we want to do is push you beyond your limits. The goal isn't to break you; break bad habits, yes, but not to crush your spirit altogether. It's a tricky line to walk. Sometimes we do get it wrong, especially early on in a sentence when we're still trying to get to know your boundaries and have to be hard on you all the time. This requires a bit of honesty on your part as well, Talek. If you start faking and acting hard done by to shirk punishment, we're likely to stop believing you when it genuinely hurts too much. This isn't me telling you off, alright? This is me trying to tell my son an important lesson, and hoping he learns it the easy way.”
The lecture over, that seemed to be the end of the matter. The two rejuves were allowed to enjoy their drinks in peace and before long it was a belly full of icy liquid, not itchy cream on the genitals that was the cause of their wriggling. The two were eager to be moving on to the warm interior of a shop again – and no shop could be better than a toy shop!

Watching Rilka pick her birthday gifts was an enjoyable adventure in and of itself. Perhaps because of her 'real' sex, she favoured more boyish toys that Talek would be equally happy to play with. The first thing that caught her eye was a remote controlled sand buggy, which Liki said she would “add to the list” in a tone that made it clear this was not getting purchased. The second time the phrase was used it was in reference to a Star Fury action set – a spaceship belonging to the villains of the franchise, the Crimson Falcons, and two action figures to crew it. This, Talek hoped, might actually be bought.
It seemed like Rilka added half the store to her list, picking everything from a plushy snake to a mountain bike to her wish-list before her mother settled on what she viewed as a reasonable selection: a puzzle cube that twisted and split into a bizarre mess and had to be rearranged; a painting set; a set of building blocks that were 'ages 6+'... and the Crimson Falcon spaceship set! The girl was making victory laps around her mother on the way out, quite oblivious to the fact that Shon was nowhere to be found. The father reappeared minutes later from a different store, and allowed the two rejuves to peak into his bag before he added the newly purchased presents. Two of Rilka's puzzle books! “One each,” he explained. “We'll not have any fights over such things again!”
By now, Rilka was back in full-on giddy little girl mode, and upon being told it was time to go home she would have ran there at full speed if Liki didn't have a tight grip on the lass.
As the shops and pier faded into the distance behind them, Talek found himself wondering if the walk itself was meant to be a form of torment itself. Allowed to walk freely behind their parents once clear and on the sand again, Rilka's eyes were fixed permanently on Shon's backpack, the girl obviously eager to rip open the bag and play with the contents. It wasn't long, however, before her expression shifted. Talek knew why himself; they had been treated to some awfully big drinks.
“Mom, dad,” Rilka called out, making her parents halt and turn. “I need to pee.”
“Me too!” Talek added.
Shon and Liki's grin made the boy squirm. It was there time to embarrass our children smiles. “Alright, Talek. Whip it out!”
“Umm... you want me to do it here?”
“We'll go a little ways over here,” Shon nodded to the surf. “Fish tinkle in it all the time, so yours won't do any harm.”
The boy did as ordered, the tide tickling his shoes as he opened up his pants and flicked his little lizard out. He noticed Rilka step up beside him with a playful grin, but Shon's stern voice cut in. “What do you think you're doing, young lady?”
“I need to pee too, remember?” she replied a little rudely.
“Wait your turn. Go ahead, Talek.”
With only a quick glance around to confirm nobody else was walking by, Talek let the stream go. His parents made no comment, and Rilka's grin suggested she was having fun at his expense, as usual. The long, pale stream splashed into the greyish water for quite a long time before petering out, and a contented little sigh escaped his lips as he shook out the last few drops. He even threw in a pleased little wiggle of the tail for good measure before tucking his little lizard away.
“Good boy. Your turn, cream-cake!”
Again, Rilka went to unbutton herself, and again she was admonished. This time was Liki, “Nobody said you were allowed to drop your pants, young lady!”
The lizard girl gawped at the revelation, which Shon jumped upon, though not unkindly. “Come on, cream-cake! I know full well you're not shy about wetting!”
“I don't mind if I can get changed straight away!” the girl replied. “Do you have clean pants for me?”
“Nope! You're walking in your wetness all the way home. Now, hurry it up!”
Rilka's little sigh of defeat quickly became a louder, more distinctive sound of liquid hitting fabric. The ripe scent of her release mixed with the salty air as the damp patch blossomed on her crotch and flooded down her left leg, the pale fluid's rate of release far beyond what her underwear or pants could absorb. It pooled in her shoe, seeped through her layers of clothes and began to dribble out into the sand in erratic spurts.
With another sigh, and a long look at the mess she'd made, the now very soggy lizard put on her best 'but it's my birthday' voice and asked, “Please tell me you've got spare pants hidden somewhere?”
“They're hiding in your wardrobe where they always are,” Liki replied, holding out a paw for Rilka to take. “Come on now. You can enjoy the feeling of squishing and squelching in your own mess all the way home.”
Unable to challenge her mother, Rilka suddenly turned the focus to Talek. Narrow eyed and venomous she spat, “you'd better not be getting stiff over this!”
“I-I'm not!” he blurted out over his parent's mocking laughter, thankful that the earlier spurt had let him stay nice and soft.
Half an hour later, the wind had turned Rilka's warm tinkle into a freezing cold clammy patch that she was eager to be rid of, huffing and puffing impatiently as they reached the front door. Alas, rather than being allowed to hurry in and clean up, Liki had other plans. “You are going to come upstairs to our bathroom, cream-cake. I'll get you washed and changed, but we're also going to have to do so something to check your behaviour... and I'm sorry to say I can't keep the 'no tears' promise on this one.”
“Mom,” came the trembling answer of a girl who was tired, uncomfortable, and who wanted nothing more than to sit in a warm bath.
“I know, but you made your poor brother utterly miserable today, so that cannot stand.”
An accusing digit thrust straight at Shon. “It was dad! He's the one that made Talcum cry! And he's fine now anyway!”
“He punished his son for climaxing in public, which is what a penny parent should do! It was your teasing that caused that! My patience is spent, Rilka. You can cooperate and take your punishment, or you can take it and get punished for resisting! Your choice!”
The lizard's head, shoulders and tail all sagged in one unhappy motion. “Yes, momma,” she whined, slipping into the more childish choice of words as was typical for an unhappy penitatas.
“Shon, put some music on for me, and get Talek back downstairs as quick as you can,” Liki added.
The father nodded his green scaled head. “Talek, get undressed and go sit on the rug. I'll bring down some pyjamas for you and light the fire to keep you nice and toasty.”

Talek had no idea what was happening upstairs, only that it was going on for a long time. Shon tried to distract him with a cartoon on the holo, but when it ended his sister was still nowhere to be seen. When at last she came down, her mother staying behind for some reason, Rilka's expression was absolutely wretched. She was dressed in lime green pyjamas, with the tell-tale crinkly band of potty training pants visible just above the waistband of her bottoms. Her dark blue hair clung to a few stray drops of moisture, and the twin scents of soap and shampoo wafted strongly off her body. “Are you okay?” Talek asked.
Rilka knelt down in front of him and forced a smile that was utterly lifeless. “I'm fine,” she lied. Her breath also smelled of soap. With no further comment she crawled around him, dropped herself on the thick, shaggy rug in front of the fire, and with a stifled hiccup seemed to try and nap while Shon and Liki kept close, busying themselves with chores on the ground floor or reading from their PADDs.
She stayed there until their late lunch arrived, rising only reluctantly to eat her ham sandwiches. As soon as they were gone she fell back down again.
“Do you want to play with your new presents?” Shon asked her, giving more attention to her lethargy now.
“No,” she whispered. From where he sat, Talek could see her eyes were open, staring into the fire.
Both parents shared a concerned look. “Come and have a cuddle, cream-cake!” Liki called.
“No!” the girl whined, a little louder, and curled up a touch.
“Come to me then,” Shon offered. “Rilka, come on. Come to one of us.”
Her only reply was a burst of blubs and tears. The adults once more shared a concerned look, with clear anxiety on their reptilian features. “I think I pushed her too far,” Liki said, worry making her voice wobble.
“We can fix that,” Shon announced. He rose from his chair and wandered over, quietly scooting Talek out of the way so he could lift the prone girl, who wailed and squirmed in his grip. “Hey! Hush now! Come on, cuddles make everything better!”
Against her will, Rilka was dragged back to the sofa, planted against her father's chest, and held tightly. He seemed not to mind how she wriggled, and even turned a blind eye to a few feeble blows directed at his arms, chest and face. The more she fought, the more pained and wild her crying and carrying on became, until the fight died and she fell down in a mewling heap upon his chest.
“You are staying home from school tomorrow,” Shon announced. “You need a day to rest and heal.”
“I'm so sorry, love!” Liki added. She glanced at Talek as if to confirm he was still there and framed her apology carefully. “We won't ever punish you that hard that way again. No matter what. You have our word on that.”
“No! You lie!” she wailed into her father's chest, which earned her a gentle pat on the head.
“I know, pet. Trust has been broken and that's not an easy thing to fix. We've been through this before, haven't we? Do you remember?”
She howled at the memory of a distant trauma from her early days as a penitatas, but the fierceness of her emotional turmoil seemed to be sapping her strength away too quickly to allow a full-blown fit again.
“This will be hard to hear now, the way you feel, but we really do care about you. We love you, but we have a duty to perform. That duty puts us at odds with one another. We wish you didn't have to suffer, but you do. We didn't do our job properly today, and we have to make that right.”
“Let me go...” the child whined, with no strength left to resist the tight hug pinning her in place.
“No matter what, you should always feel safe here. Do you feel safe?”
Rilka's jaw trembled as she took several troubled, snorting breaths through her nostrils. Her face scrunched again, and Shon cleared his throat loudly. “Is there anything I can do for you, pet?”
“...I wet,” she mumbled, and without further comment her father helped her onto her footpaws once more.
“Are you okay with being changed here?”
“My room, please,” still broken in tone, but calmer, Rilka accepted her father's paw and was led away. Her absence bought Liki enough time to switch on the holo and queue up a movie, leaving it on the title screen until the girl returned. Sad as she was, little Rilka's face lit up at what she saw. “Star Fury: Battle For Andromeda?”
“I think a movie would make a great treat for a birthday girl!” Liki beamed. “I might even make some popcorn!”
“What else does a movie need, pet?” Shon prompted.
Rilka span so quick she nearly fell down the remaining stairs, her voice finding more strength. “Can we have our duvet?”
“What a nice idea – cuddling under a warm duvet as a family! Go on, find your spot!”
Rilka shot towards Talek like a bullet from a gun, running at a pace she would normally never be allowed to move. Her paw closed around his wrist and dragged him forcefully to the sofa, where they parked firmly in the middle. The red bedsheet was laid out over the four as everyone got comfortable, Rilka sat between Shon and Talek, and all four close enough together that cuddling was mandatory. A bowl of popcorn to share was put in front of the rejuves, but despite this niceness, Rilka gave her mother the stink-eye. “I'm still mad at you,” she growled.
“I know, and you're allowed to be,” Liki answered in a diplomatic tone. Then, as if trying to change that, she passed along a can of cream soda.
“Still hate you,” Rilka told her as the can was taken, but the crack in her voice suggested forgiveness was closer than the girl wanted her mother to believe.
Losing herself in the movie did wonders for Rilka's mood. When it was over, she finally took her father up on the offer of testing out her presents, and while no more soda was allowed, she begged as much fruit juice and warm milk as she could out of her parents. After dinner, her parents surprised her with a birthday cake – though before that, as Liki cleared the plates away, Rilka made a giggly announcement of her own. “Da-ddy! I tinkled!”
“Now I know you're well enough for school!” Shon shot back, instantly making Rilka's face twist into a look of horror.
“N-no! It was-” she tried to protest, but Shon quickly shot her down.
“Calm down, pet! I'm just teasing! Do you want to be changed?”
This time, she was happy for her father to wipe her crotch and slip on fresh pants right there at the table, in full view of Talek. She smiled at him the whole time – a genuine smile at that. He got his sister back for the rest of the evening, playing with their action figures on the living room floor, re-enacting scenes from the movie they'd watched earlier.

Whatever hell the penitatas child had been put through upstairs, the memory of it was being driven away one “pew!” and “pow!” at a time, while their parents sat and watched with smiles upon their faces.