It was creepy, but since you seem in full control now you can't think of a cooler thing in the world! At least not right now as you stand in the
form of a real, breathing, anthromorphic tiger! One more test, to be sure: you liquefy the wrist of one hand and can pull it off like a glove
(albeit it hurts to lose your retractable claws). It crosses your mind the costume might have only let you do that to make you more comfortable,
but who cares?!
"Oh, I'm keeping this!" you exclaim, putting your paw back on and heading out of the changing rooms, remembering your clothes just as you come get
to the door. Ah, but who needs clothes on a warm day when you have fur? They aren't expensive enough to care if they get lost or stolen; they can
stay here until you're ready to leave. Oh, but you do turn back and dig your wallet out of your pants - can't buy anything without money! Hmm... The
tail is all costume, right? No real flesh? You liquefy it again, put your wallet inside, and let the tail reform around it, thicker than before. The
wallet's fully hidden, but you can get to it easy.
Walking out of the changing rooms, you spot the guy who gave it to you, now fully dressed, and looking like he's in a hurry somewhere.
"Excuse me?" you call (or gently roar), running up to him with an animalistic gait. "You know where I can pay for this?"
"Pay for it?"
"I guess it must have been too creepy for you, but I'll take it!"
The guy grins. "Good thing you like it so much, that'll help you. Uh, the cashier's that way. Good luck, mate!" He walks away (not so hurried now
for some reason) and you hurry over to the cashier.
"How much?" you demand of the young woman working there. She looks at you funny. "C'mon, the suit - how much?"
"Oh, you must be new; I thought you were Steve. Hold on, I'll check..." she types something into the computer, glances up at you like to check which
breed you're wearing or something, clicks something else, waits a moment, and reports "$1,249,321.59. And that's assuming you're buying it not as a
'suit' but as a skin-graph; it cost extra to make it self sustaining enough to not need a host."
You gulp. "A host?"
"Biotechnology. If I new enough to really explain it I wouldn't be at liberty to, but basically it needs functioning organs to live. It can survive
a couple of minutes without guts - long enough to change from one host to another - but it wont let you go without the promise of a new host."
The news is so shocking it makes you sit down on the floor. "Over a million, and I won't even be able to take it off... I'll have to show up at work
like this. Can that get me fired?"
"Kitten, you ARE at work, unless you have the million plus." You look up at her. "I know, it's not fair, but I don't write the rules; that 'suit'
cost too much for the owners to just let it walk out of here."
You just sit there another few moments. An escape attempt crosses your mind, but where would you run? Anyway, what exactly are you running from?
"What's my job?"
"Basically: have fun. You didn't sign any contracts, after all, and it's not like you can get fired. Mingle with the guests and animals, make 'em
happy. In return we'll feed and house you, but of course you'll be sleeping with the tigers. If you want a promotion from random extra to payed
employee," she turns briefly, pulls out a guest map, and circles a building, "go here and ask how you can help. Typical zoo/park jobs, you know.
Food-service, parking, acting, teaching, animal feeding, janitorial, etc..."
You think a little. "How much to make it self sustaining?"
She gives you a blank stare. "On top of buying it? 'Cause they won't bother making it self sustaining as long as they have someone in it."
"Sure, on top."
"You don't think you can work your way out of this, do you?"
"I still kinda want the suit, I just don't think I want to live here forever."
She grins and beckons you closer. "There's one way to buy it without money," she whispers. "Trade for something of equal or greater value. Hint1: if
you were to have a child right now, it would have tiger-skin and human limbs no matter what the mother was like, unless she was a host too; then it
would depend halfway in what kind of 'suit' she was hosting. Hint2: tigresses take about 100 days to do what a woman can in 9 months. Don't make me
repeat hint3, even though I didn't call it that when I said it, and hint#4 should be obvious."