T h e . W o r l d . S t i l l . T u r n s (HrtofDrkns)

[EmmaliaChan]

Ava Bailey-Stevens
Her breath hitched, and every muscle in her body immediately tensed as the man slowly made a move to hug her, arms remaining stiff as stone as she tolerated the unwelcome embrace. Making no move to return the gesture, the girl awkwardly waited for him to be finished, her face showing confusion and discomfort. Paired with his drastic and sudden mood swing, the Penitata's mind was reeling as she tried to make sense of things. First he's scolding her, then he's apologizing... Though her mind was made up that his apology was falsified and merely an attempt to win her over, she said nothing of it, and relaxed only once he'd released her, and she could finally breathe freely again.

Allowing him to lead the way, her hand rested loosely in his, staying in place where he kept it but not returning the grip by clutching his much larger fingers. Not one for physical contact, it was the best she could do in regards to cooperation. Confusion from his temperament shift still lingered, though, and she was a bit worried he might change just as quickly again, so in order to play it safe, she tried her best not to make her nonexistent grip obvious.

His next words were regarding her own behavior, and a reiteration of things she already knew. Well, of course she was well behaved. It would be foolish not to be, and anyone with an iota of sense knew what happened when a Penny parent was displeased. Her plan was to keep herself as quiet and compliant as possible. "I'm sure I will, too." Ava responded, hooking her thumb on the pocket of her shorts as she plodded along beside him. Having been a very studious child, school had never been particularly difficult for her; besides, her true parents held her to high standards, expecting nothing but the best from their little girl, and Ava would prefer to keep her nose plugged into a book for an entire day to please them rather than waste time with frivolous pastimes and disappoint them. She recalled every time they'd praised her, and the beaming feeling of pride she'd gotten from it. It was a good feeling.




Leo Summers and Veronica Shepard
Another shrug was directed towards the Penny mother. "It's rare, but not unheard of to request a late entrance due to exogenous circumstances." Leo responded, giving a friendly wave of farewell as she bounced off to follow her husband and daughter. The pair seemed to be heading off without regard to her location, which was almost amusing. Now that his attention was no longer diverted, he moved it back to his fiancee and their adopted Penitata son.

He made a face at her 'grumpy' comment, furrowing his brows and frowning a bit, but he couldn't help but smile immediately afterward as she finished. The gentle teasing was done with love, he knew; besides, it wasn't as if she were the first person to say he had a permanent scowl glued to his face. Seeing him smile was like seeing a double rainbow; it didn't usually happen, but when it did, it was shocking and an obviously rare sight. The man's frown lines would be tiny face-canyons in a decade or so, no doubt.

"Shush. I'm upset that you'd think I'd get 'carried away', as if I enjoyed hurting you." The woman's soft frown only deepened. "And anyone who does get carried away deserves to be punished themselves." It sounded to her as if the boy had experienced such a situation before, and it very nearly caused her eyes to get misty. "If anyone ever goes over the limit with you, you tell me." Snuggling the little boy, she sighed. He was right; the government trusted Penitatas so little that even when they were telling the truth about abuse, it was very rarely looked into under the assumption it was a lie. It was something she hated about the system, that it was so easy for less-than-honest individuals to get away with abusing their wards.

Now that their meal was done and the crisis was over, she began to carry him out, Leo trailing behind after paying for the groups' meals. Veronica got the boy buckled into his seat before climbing into the passenger's side, both eager to get home and kick off her shoes but also dreading what she would have to do once they were there. An unspoken wave of emotion rolled through her and Leo as he got in the car, and she knew he wasn't looking forward to it, either.

Once they got home, she got out of the car and headed to the back, unbuckling the boy and happily scooping him out and doing a little twirl to playfully spin him around before pulling him into her arms. "Welcome home, Max~" Moseying up the walkway, she gave him plenty of time to look over the outside of the house before they got to the door; it wasn't giant, but it was moderate in size, definitely more than enough space for the three of them. The yard was well tended, with pale yellow flower bushes lining the sidewalk leading to the porch, and green grass that extended over to the house next door - the Stevens's house, to be specific! Their yard was conjoined, with a single large oak tree at the center and to the back, a swing attached to it. The couple had refrained from buying any sorts of playsets or such things for their half of the yard until they got to know what Max was interested in. Now that they knew he liked soccer, they'd likely try to keep it as open as possible.

Soon they were inside, stepping into a large conjoined living room and kitchen with an open floor plan. A half of a wall divided the two slightly, though there was a window in it. In front of it was a couch, set up to face a Holo TV that was housed in a large entertainment center made of a dark cherry wood, with a matching wooden coffee table in front of the sofa. Two tall house plants, looking a bit like mini palm trees, occupied the corners on opposite sides of the room, as well. The walls were painted in vertical stripes of silver and white, and the fluffy carpet was a soft gray color. A large window, covered by a heavy white one-piece curtain, overlooked the road. A few unpacked boxes remained in front of the entertainment center, two of which were labeled 'HOLOTAPES' and 'BOOKS'. It was obvious that the couple had moved in quite recently.

On the other side of the little indoor window was the sink. The kitchen appliances - sink included - were all stainless steel, and the cabinets were made of the same colored wood as the table and entertainment center in the den. A chrome 'gooseneck' style faucet with a detaching sprayer stood prominently at the back of the sink. The painted walls matched those of the living room, complementing the open floor plan as it all connected smoothly. The floor, however, was composed of black and white tiles instead of the soft carpet. There was a window on this side, as well, overlooking the yard; thick vertical blinds currently hid it from view, however.

A door attached to the kitchen led into a tiny hallway, with stairs going up and another door leading to a closet. At the top of the stairs was another small hallway, with three doors on the left and two on the right.

The first door on the left was a bathroom; somewhat small, but with plenty of shelves and storage space, with a bathtub and shower combination accented by an opaque colorless shower curtain. It was simple, with white walls and mint green tiles covering a horizontal strip in the center of the walls, and white tiles on the floor. At the top of the walls were moulding carved to look like little sailboats out on the open sea.

The second door on the left was a bedroom; it was Max's, and the walls were a light cerulean color. The ceiling had been painted to look like the night sky, with glow-in-the-dark stars of all sizes randomly placed everywhere on it, and the carpet was a pale gray not unlike that of the living room. A small bed covered in a navy blue duvet was in the far corner, and a white child's desk was adjacent to it, underneath a gray-curtained and blind-covered window overlooking the road. The houses across the street were visible from there, but not the large yard they shared with the Stevens family, or the Stevens' house. The school desk was white, with three symmetrical drawers with chrome handles on either side of the opening for a person to sit. Two small bookshelves were connected to the top, as well as four little storage cubbies. On the opposite side of the room, across from the desk, was a decent sized closet already stocked with some clothes for their son. Beside the door to the closet was a white toy chest that matched his desk, though the handle was black instead of chrome, containing a few generic toys they thought he could enjoy until they got him other things he might be interested in. It was obvious they'd purposely left plenty of room for customization.

The third door on the left was Leo's office; the far wall was lined with a bookshelf that contained rows upon rows of various scholarly text books of mostly medical subjects. The floor looked like coffee with plenty of cream, and had a far rougher texture than most of the house's carpeting. He had a large black computer placed upon a cherry-wood desk, and a tiny bamboo plant adorned the opposite corner of his desk. Standing next to the desk was a tall floor lamp with a swiveling top, the lampshade a deep maroon color. A comfortable-looking one-armed sofa was perpendicular to his desk, and behind that was a fake fireplace.

The first door on the right was an empty room with white walls and carpetless hardwood floor, not currently being used for anything but storage for a few towers of boxes. Veronica had plans to perhaps turn it into an office for herself, a gym they could all use, a playroom for Max, or maybe a simple guest bedroom. Leo still hadn't given her an answer as to what they should use it for, however, so it was in a bit of a limbo.

The second door on the right, and the last room, was Veronica and Leo's bedroom. The room was roughly square in shape, painted a rich and passionate orange color with brown accents in the form of intricately carved wooden moulding. On the right wall was a large wrought-iron canopy bed with thin poles at the four corners that made their way up into spiraled spheres that held transparent orange balls inside. Hanging down from the canopy were sheer burgundy curtains with swirly silver designs covering them. The bed was covered by layered orange and brown duvets, with throw pillows that matched the curtains on top of normal pillows with brown and orange cases, and a tan dust ruffle completed the pattern. Mounted on the wall was a Holo TV, and there were plants like those in the living room in the corners of this room, as well. Two windows overlooked both the street and the yard, matching burgundy curtains covering both. An on-suite bathroom and a large closet were through adjacent doors on one wall of the room, the bathroom matching the room in color scheme and the closet being large and walk-in style.

Once they had showed Max around - and explained to him that he wasn't allowed in Leo's office without permission or when they weren't in there, though it wouldn't be much of a problem as they kept the room locked most of the time (there wasn't much to see, either, but Leo didn't want him messing with or messing up his computer) - Veronica gave the boy a little pat on the head. "Why don't you go get used to your room and play for a bit while I get a few things ready to start dinner? Your father and I will be up in a little while." It was more the woman mentally preparing herself than anything else, but either way she needed the space. The blue-eyed woman didn't bother telling him why they would be up, knowing the boy would be well aware and also not wanting to dangle punishments over his head. Besides, he could probably use a moment or two to himself, as well, to become accustomed to having a new set of parents after having different Penny parents during his first cycle.

After scooting the boy off to his room and shutting the door behind him, she sighed. Leo, meanwhile, began to slip into his study, and rather than 'getting dinner prepped' as she'd said was on her schedule, she slipped inside the cozy little office. When the bespectacled man sat down at his desk chair, Veronica plopped herself sideways in his lap, gently hugging his neck as she rested her head against his shoulder. With a dissatisfied groan, she quietly asked, "Do we really have to do this?" The man slipped his arms around her waist and nodded. "You want the Kensington treatment reversed, don't you? And to have kids of our own someday?" Her blue eyes peered up at him sadly. Of course she did. She wanted to get married and have children with Leo, to make little Kinderns with perpetually grumpy faces and big blue eyes. "Yes. But... But he's so little. So sweet. Criminal or not, I... I don't want to hurt him..."

The doctor took a moment to respond, letting a quiet breath out of his nose. He could feel the hesitation and dismay radiating from his fiancee. "I know, Dove. I know."

[Hrtofdrkns]

The little boy stared wide-eyed, his head twisting around as he tried to see everything at once.

"It's big!" Max said. To him it seemed like a castle. In his first life he had lived in a two-bedroom home, and then for his first cycle he had lived in an apartment building set aside for penny families. So to have all of this space seemed downright extravagant. He could already imagine himself playing soccer out in the big backyard he could see through the window.

Once his Mommy said she was going to "start dinner" Max nodded that he understood. He had been a penitatas long enough to know when he had a spanking coming up, but wasn't that concerned. The way he saw it, if you can't stop it then why worry about it? He instead took the time to look around his new bedroom, wondering if Ava had a room like his.

At the thought of the girl Max frowned a little. He'd hoped his room would have had a window so he could see into her bedroom next door, so he could watch her spankings. Of course this would have meant she got to see his two, but to Max that little detail was unimportant. He was a penitatas, and he got spanked. Everyone who saw him knew this, so why be ashamed of it?

****

Mike sighed to himself as Ava froze at his hug. He had half-way expected her to resist, like most of his other penitatas had. At least some show of emotion would have been preferable to just freezing up. He made a mental note to contact a friend of his who specialized in penny psychology.

Once they were home Sarah and Mike took Ava out of her car seat to show her around. The Stevens' had been living in their home for about a decade now, having just finished with their second penitatas in this lifetime (They had had six in total their last lifetime). The home was built in a Spanish Renaissance style, made too look like it was built out of clay brick covered in white plaster from the outside. Inside on the first level the floor was made from polished red-brick with white alternating, though carpet covered it in the living room. There the holotv hung, along with a leather chair and matching couch. A computer sat on a wooden desk in the corner, and Mike explained that Ava would be allowed to use it. Under supervision of course. Across from the living room was the dinning room and kitchen, elevated a step above the hallway, with polished wooden floorboards and a second door that led to the garage.

Near the front door a staircase led up to the second floor, which was built into a T-shape with the stairs at the bottom of the T. On the left arm was Mike and Sarah's room. Ava was not allowed inside without permission, but if she had a nightmare and wanted to sleep with her parents then that was okay. The room consisted of a large bed, another holotv, a bookcase, and a walk-in closet/dresser, all with plush red carpeting.

Across the hallway, still on the left arm of the T, was the study. It was here that Mike and Sarah took care of their investments and business. Ava was told that this room was absolutely off-limits without permission, and setting foot inside without being asked was enough to earn an immediate spanking from both parents.

On the right arm of the T was the bathroom, a supply closet next to that, and across from those two was Ava's room.

"I'm afraid it's rather plain right now, we weren't sure what kind of things you like and Corrections contacted us on short notice." Sarah told her daughter. The room wasn't much beyond a girl's penny bed (restraints and delta-inducer incuded), a school desk with supplies laid out, a bookcase (currently empty), a pink toybox (likewise), a dresser with a few changes of clothes, a straight-backed wooden chair, and light-eggshell carpeting. On one wall was a window facing the back yard, and from the other hung Ava's paddle. It was painted pink, with AVA'S VERY OWN PADDLE written across it in bold letters.

"We'll go shopping tomorrow, pick up some things to personalize your new room." Sarah reassured Ava. She knelt and hugged the little girl. "Welcome home sweetie. We hope you'll have a good cycle with us."

[EmmaliaChan]

Ava Bailey-Stevens
The tour went along boringly, and she followed in silence, listening to what she was told with little interest; their study wasn't particularly interesting beyond the books inside, but she could manage to restrain herself from reading them, and nuclear war would happen before she would ever want to share a bed with her abusive jailers. The shrine to their perversions hung on her bedroom wall in the form of a paddle, the idol god which they so worshiped and believed was the solver of all problems. It made her nauseous.

Again she froze from an embrace as the fussock hugged her, her arms rigid against her torso; it was even more appalling from the female of the pair, mostly because she hated her even more than she hated Mike. At least the man almost seemed to have a sliver of decency, as demonstrated by his minor instances of protecting her from harm. The other subhuman cretin, though? Ava noticed her sadistic remarks, as well as her eagerness to beat her, and already despised her.

At least things were peaceful for the moment, but the seven-year-old doubted things would remain that way for long. In fact, she was sure her luck was quickly depleting, and her trademark frown deepened on her childlike face. An impending sense of doom was lingering over her head, and she dreaded it more and more with every passing second.



Leo Summers and Veronica Shepard
The dainty brunette was soon off of Leo's lap and readjusting her clothes. Seeing as there was no reason to rush, procrastination's number one fan decided she would, indeed, head downstairs to begin preparations for dinner. It was a bit early just yet, but food prep could take some time... And it wasn't like it was a bad thing to eat a little bit early. So, so she could get away with it easily! She wasn't procrastinating, exactly - no, she was just, uh... Being proactive.

Leo fully understood his fiance's hesitation, and busied himself with work-related things in his study while she went about her business. Knowing he would be called upon when the time came that he was needed, he worried little about his surroundings, delving into his work wholeheartedly. More than anything, he enjoyed his work as a doctor, and unlike many his 'paper' work (more accurately described as 'computer document work') was his 'relaxation' time. His unrefined social skills mattered little when he was in front of a screen.

Meanwhile, Veronica set about making the preparations to cook a chicken and lemon risotto; fond of cooking, mostly to pass the time since Leo didn't allow her to work, she didn't use the instant meals available and instead used fresh ingredients to cook their meals. The idea of having to punish Max was still weighing heavily on her mind, but she tried to push it out and concentrate on her cooking. She knew she should just get it over with, but gosh, it was proving to be much harder than she'd expected...

[Hrtofdrkns]

Sarah stroked Ava's hair and smiled in what she hoped was a sign of reassurance. "Well then, we all know what's coming, so lets get it out of the way." She moved to sit on the bed, while Mike took the chair.

"Ava, bring Mommy your paddle." She instructed after a few moments. "It's time for your welcome home spankings. Once I'm done with you you will be allowed a few minutes in the corner to recover, then it will be Daddy's turn. Now be a good girl and this will be your only spanking today."

The Stevens' may have been strict, as all penny parents are supposed to be, but they considered themselves to be fair. They always warned and made clear the consequences of misbehavior, so no penny of theirs could claim she didn't know. If the child obeyed, they would not spank her more then the law required. If she acted out, then they would give her exactly what was deserved. This system, simple as it appeared, had led to glowing reports from the review board for each of their previous girls, including a few that had been declared all but hopeless cases beforehand.

Of course, for such a system to work the child had to regret her actions. Often this was the hardest part, and might take a long time to achieve.

"One more thing Ava." Mike added as she went to fetch her paddle. "When we put you in the corner afterwards I want you to think about your crime and ask yourself if it was worth it."

****

Max meanwhile was waiting up in his room, still looking around. After exploring every corner of the room (and under the bed, never knew what one could find there), he opened the blinds to look out the window, across the front yard and to the houses opposite.

Wonder who lives there? he though. Of course he knew it was penny families, this being a P-rated neighborhood. But what he was really curious about was who the penitatas were. He wondered if they were nice, or like Ava. He wondered how old they were, and what cycle they were in.

And most of all, he wondered about their stories. Even before becoming a penitatas Max had had an interest in their stories. He had always struggled to understand just why someone would break the law when the consequences could be seen multiple times a day in most places. Of course he hadn't considered back then that more then a few penitatas hadn't planned out their crimes, and had acted in the heat of passion or anger. He had spoken to more then a few penitatas as a man, and was fascinated by how their minds worked. Some tried to justify their crimes (mostly the newer ones, still in their first year) while others seemed full of regret. None had ever expected to be caught though, each thinking him or herself too smart for that.

The line of thinking eventually sent him back to Ava. He wondered what her story was. Something about creating life she had said. Illegal genetic experiments maybe? Or unauthorized cloning? The boy laughed lightly at that, thinking how odd it was to live next door to a real live mad scientist. That had to be a first.

But still, he wondered just what it was that made her so bitter. Not that new penitatas were expected to be thrilled by the circumstances they found themselves in, but most hadn't given up on living as Ava seemed to have.

With a shrug the boy took out one of the pencils in his new desk and a sheet of paper, starting to practice his handwriting. It was slow going, but the letters were recognizable. If Ava wanted to be miserable, then that was none of his business. He wasn't finished living yet, and had a lot of work to do to get ready for his release after this cycle (he hoped). First thing, he wanted to work to regain his skills and abilities.

[EmmaliaChan]

Ava Bailey-Stevens
She had visibly cringed as her hair was stroked, the nauseous feeling in her stomach quickly intensifying. Apparently a seeress, the impending doom she sensed quickly came to fruition. Though, Ava figured it wasn't all that much of a stretch for a prediction - of course they would be eager; punishing her was how they got their jollies, after all. She knew it would be a waste of time to request the punishment be skipped, or for leniency, so she barely hesitated as the wretch ordered her to perform the heavily degrading task of fetching her own implement. Oh well; at least they weren't using their hands. Hating to be touched, especially by strangers, and most especially by people she didn't like, the nearly-haphephobic girl loathed the idea of them being so physical, especially with such a private part of her anatomy.

Her 'father' spoke, but his words were lost on her. Ava had already thought about this, as she stood in the cell punching the unpenetrable forcefield walls until her knuckles were bloody. Was trying to clone a child worth it? Yes. Was getting caught worth it? No. It wasn't even as if she could've attempted to hide the embryo while it was growing, but certainly there was something she'd overlooked. Confidence was what hadn't been worth it -- confidence that things would be as they always were and that no outsiders would've come into her lab. If she believed in fate or karma, she would've thought it must've been intervening.

Bringing the paddle over to the bed, she set it next to the woman. Knowing what would be requested of her next, she took a step back, not wanting to be simply dragged over the woman's lap before she got a chance to make a small request. Ava didn't want to have to lay over their knees to be punished; it was too close, too intimate, more so since she didn't know them. Physical body-to-body touch was something she avoided as much as possible; the only people she'd ever willingly hugged were her parents - her real ones, of course, not the pair masquerading for the sake of their fantasies - and two or three close friends.

With a little sigh, as she was worried her request might be seen as - or perhaps claimed to be, for the sake of them having an excuse to punish her more - disobedience, she gestured to the bed beside Sarah. "Can I just... Bend over the bed, instead of your lap...?" Refraining for giving the reason, knowing they would likely touch her more to 'get her used to it' (because she knew that with most Penny Parents, behavior that was 'different' would be met with interminable attempts to stamp out any remnants of individuality), she punctuated the appeal by nullifying her step backward and moving closer to the bed, then leaning over and putting her hands on it.




Leo Summers and Veronica Shepard
Soon the first stages of dinner was on the stove, and Veronica huffed. There wasn't much more she could do to procrastinate - er, be proactive. Here and there she'd scrub at little scuffs on the counters and cabinets in the kitchen, knowing full well she was putting off the inevitable and not really caring. They had time, and she needed to use some of it to brace herself mentally. Already she adored the little boy Corrections had placed in her and her fiance's care, and hitting him seemed so cruel... Couldn't she just... Stick him in the corner or something...?

But she knew the laws. She had no idea how they would know if she did or didn't follow them, but just the same, she wasn't willing to risk it. Her grumpy little Kindern baby depended on it, and after all she and Leo had to go through to get a Penitatas Parent license, the last thing she wanted was to be marked as an unfit parent and banned from ever being able to have a child of her own.

Turning down the heat on the food to make it cook a little more slowly, her soft hands roughly ran up her face from her rounded chin to her fluffy bangs in a gesture of her exasperation, blue eyes peeking out from between her spread fingers for a moment before she lowered her hands. Wellp, time to get this over with... Putting it off was handy, but with a deep breath and an adjustment of posture, the fussy woman again adjusted her clothes so they were neat and in place, further readying herself.

Retrieving Leo from his study with a series of light knocks, using the same cheerful rhythm she always did, she leaned against the wall outside his office door. Though, she wasn't particularly patient, bouncing on her feet and tapping her fingers against her crossed arms. It wasn't impatience for her significant other to exit, but more impatience with nothing and everything all at the same time. A moment later, the door opened, a frowning Leo peeking out and noticing her antsy movements. With a few seconds of silent contemplation, he swept forward and gave her a reassuring peck on the lips before taking her hand and leading her to Max's room.

With a quick knock, he opened the door to Max's room as he released Veronica's hand. Taking the lead, as he knew his fiance was still quite hesitant, he entered the room and shut the door behind them. The brunette psychologist stood fidgeting beside the door, hands clasped in front of her stomach, looking more as if she were the one about to get punished rather than Max. The youngest Summers boy moved to the white desk in the room, reaching around the blonde boy sitting there and opening the drawer as he spoke to his new son. "Sorry, but it's time to welcome you home." Taking out a flat backed brush, he stepped over to the bed and sat down on it, watching as Veronica knelt on the floor beside it, face flushed red with her discomfort. Her intention was to hold Max's hands to try to comfort him while he was spanked, wanting to do anything she could to try to make the cute little blondie as comfortable as possible.

[Hrtofdrkns]

"Thank you Ava." Sarah praised when the little girl fetched her paddle. She was already doing well, recognizing her parent's authority to punish her. Many new penitatas had to learn the hard way that their parents held all the cards in this relationship, just like in the case of a kindern and his or her parents. And while it was true that other rejuves usually required an adjustment period to get used to the idea that they were no longer independent, for penitatas (who tended to have strong personalities) the adjustment period was usually difficult.

Sarah was just about to reach over and pull Ava's shorts down when the child took a step back. However, instead of immediately grabbing her Sarah decided to listen to what she had to say. When the little girl asked if she could bend over the bed Sarah raised an eyebrow, looking over at her husband who shrugged in response.

"And why do you want to bend over the bed for your spankings?" Sarah asked. "Usually that position is for special punishment days, so we can get a really good swing." She reached out and put her hand on Ava's shoulder. "Is there a reason you want to do that, or are you trying to stall?"

****

Max looked up as he heard the door open, putting his pencil back in it's holder. He studied their faces for a moment, trying to judge just how bad it was going to be for him. Daddy looked pretty neutral about it, but Mommy looked like she was going to be the one getting her bare bottom spanked.

When Daddy said it was time Max nodded, standing up and walking to stand in front of his father like a good boy. He stood with his hands at his sides, waiting for his father to pull his shorts and underwear down and set him over his lap. Most adults liked to undress their penitatas themselves before spanking them, to make the punishment more embarrassing for them. And while Max wasn't all that embarrassed about it anymore, having gotten used to it over the years of his first cycle, he still understood the significance. Having his parents undress him for a spanking was a reminder that he wasn't an adult, had no right to privacy unless they chose to give him some, and that he was completely under their authority.

"I'm sorry Mommy. I'm sorry Daddy." The little boy said, sniffling a little. "I killed him. I took him away from his family. I should have just walked away, let the police handle it. But I was too proud, too angry. I didn't think." He raised his head, looking into Leo's eyes while finishing the lines he had been taught to say before his more important spankings (mostly special days, and any other days his parents last cycle had told him were important). "Please give me a spanking on my bare bottom, so I will learn to control my temper and not hurt anyone ever again."

[EmmaliaChan]

Ava Bailey-Stevens
The little girl sighed quietly as she was questioned, not moving from her position bent over the bed, subconsciously showing her determination to be punished that way in the statue-like stillness of her stance. "I'm not stalling. I'd much prefer to get this over with quickly." Ava quickly denied, not wanting the pair to think that was her reasoning, as it would entirely remove her chances of getting them to cooperate. "I have a reason, I just..."

She hesitated. There wasn't anything she could tell them, at least not without bringing up memories she'd worked so long and so hard to repress. At the very thought of doing so, her fingers clenched the bed coverings and she softly closed her eyes to prevent any possibility of tears shedding. If she simply explained that so much physical contact was something she'd prefer to avoid, they'd just tell her that she 'needed to get used to it'. If she told them she didn't want to, she'd be beaten for 'being disobedient'. The tiny scientist cared little for whether or not it'd hurt worse to stand up, or if it would require more self control to stay still; pain was something her profession had made her very familiar with, and she could easily bear a great deal of pain because of it. But what she couldn't bear was the idea of being over their lap. That... That was too much.

"I'm just not ready to talk about it." And by not ready, she meant she would never be ready. There was no way Ava could ever talk to the pair about her past, about things that had shaped her into who she was. They were monsters, only there to hurt her, existing solely to cause her pain... They were wretched, and she couldn't stand them. She knew about Pennies, about the beatings they took for no other reason than their parents were in bad moods. She knew it likely mattered little how well she behaved, they would punish her until she welted and bruised just because they found it fun or gratifying in some way. The worst part? There was nothing she could do about it.

"Please." Her voice was soft. It was awkward, saying 'please' and requesting her spanking be a certain way. Participating in her punishment the way she was only made it sink in more that it was inevitable, that her control had been taken away, and that she was, essentially, a prisoner on house arrest. Ava just hoped it would be fine for them, too, enough so that they'd agree; truthfully, she would be fine with any other position to being placed over their knee, but not being knowledgeable in such things, she couldn't offer any alternative. Her own past experience with being spanked was limited almost solely to her childhood as a Kindern before she'd had her study ethic drilled into her head. Back then, it was not only rare, but had only been over her parents' lap with them using their hand over her clothes. Just the same, 'back then' was before she'd had a chance to have other experiences imprinted on her.



Leo Summers and Veronica Shepard
The little boy didn't hesitate to approach, standing in front of him and delivering the '4 Step' speech he'd become familiar with over time. He had mixed feelings about the necessity of the 4 Steps, but it did serve to tell him that the boy did, indeed, understand that what he'd done wasn't exactly stellar. Leo silently wondered if the boy had been more rebellious during his first cycle, and a little less willing to admit that his pride had gotten in the way. Seeing him so submissive and repenting made it hard to believe Max was a criminal.

Giving the boy a reassuring, affectionate pat on the head, Leo gently responded, "Apologizing to me won't do anything. Someday you'll have to face his family as an adult and give them your apology." Not wanting to entirely annul the blonde Penitata's 4 Step, he added, "But it's good you recognize the consequences of your actions not only for you, but for others involved, and that your temper needs to be kept in check." Rather than baring him immediately, he carefully picked Max up from under his arms and placed him facedown over his lap. Leo's left-handedness might have made the position unusual for Max, as he was facing the opposite way he typically would.

However, Veronica was there to try and ease the discomfort, offering her hands to the boy to hold if he wished with a sad expression on her face. It was obvious she didn't want to see him hurt, and some part of her was grateful Leo took the lead; it'd give her an excuse to be somewhat gentler with the boy, since when it was her turn he'd already have been punished. The blue-eyed psychologist tried to keep in mind that it was meant to be punishment for him being a criminal, but it wasn't easy. That adorable little face just made it too hard!

And then it started, the brush in Leo's hand meeting the Penitata's covered backside without bouncing, avoiding his sitspots entirely. The swats weren't particularly hard, and were slow in pace; Leo knew, though, that not allowing the brush to bounce would cause, instead of a surface sting, a slightly deeper soreness of the muscle. It was why he avoided Max's undercurve, not wanting it to be painful for the boy to sit beyond a sting. It was difficult to hurt the Penitata, but doing it this way meant that any building sting would be more bearable; it made sense as a 'warmup'. After six of these firm swats, they became more normal, bouncing off each time and keeping the slow pace for ten more swats.











[[OoC; It must be the Apocalypse; I actually tried my hand at writing a little bit of spanking fluff, just for you! ;P]]

[Hrtofdrkns]

Sarah patted Ava on the back, looking back at Mike. "I see. Well...I suppose if it makes this easier on you..."

The Stevens weren't monsters by any means. They knew that Ava was just as human as them, and even as a penitatas there was no reason to be cruel to her. One day she would be free, and they wanted her to leave their care better then when she entered.

Mike knelt on Ava's other side, gently standing the grumpy little girl up. "Just one thing we need from you first though. Can you give us a smile first? Just to show that you can?"

****

Max didn't say anything when Leo talked about apologizing to the family of the man he had killed, only looking sad for a moment. In truth he had apologized as an adult at his sentencing. It had not gone well.

The boy gasped a little as he was picked up and put over his new daddy's lap, expecting to have his bottom bared first. When the man started to spank him with the brush he yelped, kicking a little. His shorts weren't that much protection over his bare bottom.

[EmmaliaChan]

Ava Bailey-Stevens
The little girl's tiny body visibly untensed as Sarah agreed, an audible sigh of relief rushing out from her lungs. After a moment, a set of firm hands stood her up and turned her to face them. Mike had done so, and requested she... smile? Why? They were about to hurt her, repeatedly hit her with that blasted paddle, the same paddle ripe with their perversions in the form of her name emblazoned onto it. It was even pink... Ugh. She hated the color. Ava didn't mind red, or white, but mix the two and they were atrocious.

Her confusion showed plainly on her features. 'Hey, how about you smile because you're about to be beaten?' Yeah, brilliant. She supposed this was part of the conditioning they did, Step 1 of the process to turn Penitatas into obedient mush. First, make them want the punishments, make them think they're the solution to any problem. Sad? A spanking will solve that. Guilty? Obviously you need a spanking. Tired? A spanking will wake you up. Hungry? Spanking. In pain? Spanking. They would present it as the conclusion to any problem she ever had, in an attempt to make her think she was somehow becoming 'better'.

It wouldn't fool her.

Just the same, she knew if she disobeyed, he'd only make things harder on her. It wasn't as if she was afraid of pain, but she certainly didn't enjoy it... And the last thing she wanted was blisters or welts - though, if they wanted to, she knew they'd find any reason they could to give her them. They were heartless sadists, no doubt, just like everyone else who supported the Penitatas system. She'd seen enough over time to know they were all the same, and she'd never been blessed with the gift of good luck, so why should they be any different than the others? It appeared as if they put on a facade of kindness, but ever the skeptic, she didn't believe it. If she didn't listen, they'd hurt her more... So, she tried to smile.

But, her attempt to do as she was told was pathetic, to say the least. Her halfhearted smile looked more like a pained grimace; it could easily be attributed to its insincerity, as well as the fact that smiling wasn't something she did often. Ava, preferring to be busy and miserable than idle and happy, had been a workaholic who pushed herself too hard to find time for enjoyment. The first time she'd smiled in quite a long time had been when when her cloning attempt was successful, when finally she believed she'd have a child of her own. After just a few weeks of pure, unadulterated elysium, it had all been taken away in an instant when they stormed in and arrested her, confiscating her precious little embryo in the process. There was nothing for her to smile about anymore.

At the thought, her trademarked poker face - which she'd reverted to almost immediately after her failed attempt to smile - nearly slipped up into a true frown, but she held it in place. Truthfully, she wished they would just get this all over with, no more games, no more talking. Putting off the inevitable seemed foolish; procrastination certainly wasn't her favorite pastime.



Leo Summers and Veronica Shepard
Veronica got to her feet as the offer to hold the boy's hands was ignored, dejectedly sat on the bed next to Leo. Her hands remained folded in her lap, a frown plaintively on her face as she awkwardly looked at the floor; she wasn't so sure she had the mental fortitude for all this, especially as Max began to yelp in pain.

Leo remained focused on the situation at hand, though, taking it seriously as it was now his new 'job'. Just the same, the bespectactled doctor was surprised that his early 'warm up' smacks were already earning a reaction from the boy; even if he was just a child, he was certainly used to being punished in such a way. Beyond that, his swats weren't very hard, and they were over clothing. He supposed Max's pain tolerance must be exceptionally low, and decided to take that into account for future reference, mentally noting not to use much physical strength against the boy.

After a total of twenty-five swats, he lowered the boy's shorts and landed ten more of medium strength over his underwear, five on each side. He likely would've given several more, but he could hear Veronica getting sniffly beside him. Leo was beginning to doubt her capability of going through with Penitatas parenting; though he understood how much she wanted a child of their own, the he doubted the blue-eyed pacifist had even gone so far as to squish a bug. She just didn't have the constitution to physically punish a child. No doubt he'd have to speak with her later. Persuasion was the only technique he could come up with to ease her mind, and remind her of the reason they'd done this in the first place. It was a difficult thing to imagine, but the boy was a violent criminal, and it wasn't as if they were hitting him for nothing. He was a murderer, and his outbursts continued to overtake him, as had been seen that afternoon when he flipped at the Stevens' daughter for no apparent reason.

Lowering the boy's underwear, he decided to begin the finalé. Since he was already at thirty-five, making it an even fifty seemed the logical way to do things, he thought. Raising the brush, he landed another nine, the same bouncing, stinging swats from before, all on the boy's sit spots. Pausing to give Max's back a reassuring pat, Leo softly said, "Just six more. Brace yourself."

[Hrtofdrkns]

Mike smiled back at her. "That's my girl." He said. Even if Ava thought them monsters her new parents were among the best of penny parents. They were fair, kind, and generous, requiring only that their penitatas put some effort into their rehabilitation. And even if Ava would not, or could not, appreciate that, if she hated them with every fiber of her being, if had the situation been reversed she would have gladly beaten them bloody and laughed at them, they still cared for her.

Sarah grabbed the little girl by the shoulders and stood her facing her mother. "Well then, lets get this over with." she said. She reached down and hooked her fingers into Ava's shorts, pulling them down to her ankles and exposing her panties. Once that was done she repeated the motions and soon the underwear was at the little girl's feet as well.

"Spankings will always be given on your bare bottom." Sarah told her as she bent the child over the bed, her naked behind up in the air. Before starting Sarah placed her hand on Ava's bare bottom, feeling how soft and bouncy it was. This was partially to judge how hard to swing the paddle, and partially to embarrass the girl a little so as to make this first spanking stand out in her mind.

****

Max had cried all throughout his spanking. Even over his clothes it hurt since he was only a five-year old little boy and Leo was a grown man. And beyond that the rejuvenation had made Max exactly as he was when he was a five-year old kindern. As far as his body and brain were concerned, this was his first spanking ever.

When his underwear was pulled down the boy sobbed harder and looked over his shoulder, seeing his red little bottom and his daddy's stern face, and the hairbrush that he was sure hurt more then anything ever. He was about to plead for mercy when the brush fell, smacking his bare bottom and leaving a dark red oval across both cheeks that made the little boy howl in pain. The next eight produced a similar reaction, and then the sobbing little boy was told to brace himself for more.

With some effort, Max raised his red little bottom up off of his father's thigh, lowering his head and offering it to the rough discipline of the hairbrush.