The store owner was surveying his latest creation, an experiment to imbue the costumes with more instinct to help his customers adapt to their new form. This latest creation was a definite failure however, as he had given it too much intelligence, so much he had a mind of its own. He realised he would have to get rid of it, he could not allow anyone to accidentally put it on.
To make sure he didn't make the same mistake he had last time, he decided it had to be gotten rid of more permanently, so he tied weights to it, before throwing it into the river. No one would ever find it in that murky water. No humans only swam there, and the costume would not work with fish. Unfortunately, he forgot the semblance of movement he had granted his creations, and it quickly worked loose of the bonds, floating down to the sea.
It was summer, and Max had taken time off work to travel down to his beach house, where he would spend the week just lazing around and swimming. His parents had been fairly wealthy, and when they died they had left him their beach house, though 'house' was an understatement: not only was the house very large, but they also owned their own private beach, set in a secluded cove, not too far from the reefs. And now it was all his to enjoy.
It was one such day that he felt he had to swim. He stood there on the beach, staring out into the crystal blue ocean. Pulling a strand of hair out of his face, he quickly ran into the ocean, diving as soon as it was deep enough. He kept on swimming out until he could see the multicoloured fish beneath him, and something else. Swimming down, he saw what looked like a large piece of some kind of green rubber. Grabbing it, he pulled it up with him, to get a better look at it. Treading water, he found it looked like some kind of very large rubber snakeskin, it was hard to tell, with a slit running down most of the middle. He also noticed what looked like two legs, as well as two large fins A costume he realised, but what was it doing here, and what exactly was it?
He noticed that his hand was inside one of the fins, but as he motioned to remove it, he noticed it seemed to be clinging to his hand in a strange manner. He tried to remove it, but it seemed stuck. All of a sudden he felt the costume seem to move of its own accord, as it rose up and began to adhere itself to his back, as the right arm was soon completely enveloped by the strange material. With his free hand, he tried to pull the costume off, but it wouldn't move, and soon he found that hand covered too.
>> Don't fight it << a voice seemed to well up from the back of his mind, but he ignored it. Soon the costume reached around his chest, completely covering it, he felt an odd feeling in both hands as if they were crushed. He watched with horror as the flesh and bone in both seemed to liquify inside the costume, before reforming and filling the fins. Struggling to remove the costume, he repeatedly found himself falling underwater, but thankfully is new fins now seemed to be giving him some support, as he tried to calm himself.
Using his new limbs to keep afloat, he felt an odd sensation in his skin, as scales started to form on his fins, soon spreading to cover most of his chest. He realised now that the costume seemed to be transforming him, becoming his new skin. Most of his body was being covered in deep green scales, whilst the underside remained a much lighter colour. The costume once again continued its advance as it pushed down his body. He felt a sort of stretching sensation as his body seemed to become longer and more serpentine, becoming more flexible. The rush of scales soon followed.
>> Relax, you'll like the changes. << No I won't! He said to replied to himself.
It passed under his shorts, quickly causing them to split and fall off, as it spread tendrils over his legs. The costume sealed up the legs front the foot up, and he could feel his feet changing as the fingers merged to become free, which soon filled the feet of the costume. Webbing formed between them as claws made their way out. He felt the lengthening sensation again, this time from the base of his spine, as the once limp tail began to feel up. Flesh and muscle grew in, and soon it was complete as he felt it the end spread out into what resembled the fluke of a whale.
As the scales finally completed their spread over his tail, he realised the only part of him still human was his head.
>>Not long, then you shall be complete!<< He didn't like the sound of that.
The costume spread up over his neck, which he felt elongate immensely until it was longer than his arms used to be. As the scales progressed, he felt something else, and realised flaps of skin seemed to be pulsating along his neck - he had gills! Finally, the costume made its way over his head. At first, he could see nothing but the inside of the costume, but as his head changed shape to match the draconic head of the costume, he could see again. Blocking part of his field of vision though was his new draconic jaw, which he now felt was full of sharp teeth with his forked tongue. His ears seemed to compress and shrink until all was left were two holes in the side of his head.
As the final touches, frills folded themselves up at either side of his head, as well as all along his spine. He didn't feel it, but his eyes changed from brown to a crystal blue, losing all white. New thoughts filled his mind, and he felt an unusual presence, the same voice he heard earlier, speaking to him.
<<Don't be alarmed... I'm sure you will grow to appreciate this.>>