Chris sat patiently, waiting for the clinical nurse to return with her report on his physical. The exam room was your typical one you'd find at a clinic or hospital, generally the ones meant for annual checkups or urgent care visits. Sterile, stale, and with not much to look around the room if you're bored and don't have your phone on you. As a precaution prior to entering the building, all participants in this experimental process were required to turn in their personal belongings to security. Chris wasn't too annoyed with this, as he had exposure to high-security, government-run facilities from being a military brat; he was used to this sort of routine. He let out a sigh of boredom and turned his head towards the door as he heard the nurse return with a document in hand.

She closed the door behind her and sat down at the desk Chris was next to, laying the document in front of him.

"Okay, Christopher," she began, pulling a pen out of the drawer, "looks like the results from your physical screening turned out well. Health-wise, you have exactly what we're looking for in a test subject. However, personally, I am a little concerned about the minor depression issues you brought up. This process could worsen those or improve your mental health; we've seen both happen here."

The nurse slid the document and a pen closer to him, giving him a reassuring smile. "All we need now is for you to sign this waiver and you should be all set! Feel free to take some time to look it over if you wish."

He did just that. He grabbed the waiver and skimmed it a couple times over. Most of it was obvious with the warnings, side-effects, and terms & conditions. Most notably was the part about this change being permanent; that he expected and wanted. What did concern him, however, is how this change could drastically alter his lifestyle and how others treat him. AlterLab nor the US Government would take any responsibility for anything once he leaves the facility. Still, he did like the idea of no longer being human; he hoped by doing this he'd have a stronger connection to Mother Nature and the creatures that inhabit her.

He took another deep breath to try and calm the nerves, then signed and dated the waiver.

"Alright! Perfect!" The nurse exclaimed, snatching it from him as she got up. She then motioned for him to follow. "This way, please."

* * *

The experiment room was similar to a standard hospital room and looked as cozy as one could be. It was private, so Chris didn't have to worry about a crazy or nosy roommate during his stay. However, the bed wasn't a typical hospital bed. Rather, it was just a flat, metal table with some thick cushioning, two drawers on each side of it, and a slide-out step on the end. Chris looked at the nurse both curious and confused.

"What's with the table? I thought I'd be getting a bed?"

"This is your bed, Chris. Because of what you requested on your interview form, this would be the most ideal for your situation. I know it won't be the most comfortable right now in your current state, but I've helped plenty of patients who wanted to become chakats before. A normal hospital bed would not be comfortable for your new form in the slightest."

He shrugged. "Fair enough," he said as he used the pull-out step to hop on the bed. The memory foam underneath felt quite thick, as he didn't feel the hard metal of the table underneath at all.

"Oh! Almost forgot!" The nurse pulled open one of the drawers from the table and pulled out a hospital gown and a large, plastic bag. "Please change into this first before we begin. You can put your clothes in the bag." As soon as she set those down, she quickly left the room and shut the door behind her so he could change.

After about ten minutes or so, the nurse came back to find him all changed and ready to go. She snatched the bag away from him and shoved it in another drawer under the table, as if she was in a rush. Joining her was someone else he hadn't seen yet.

"Hello, Christopher," greeted the mystery man with a smile. He was roughly Chris' height, had fair skin with brown eyes and brown hair, smooth cheeks, a piercing in one ear and a moderately sized and well-kept beard. He wore a white lab coat that covered his whole body, leaving only his hands, head, and shoes visible. He also had a noticeable, gold necklace with the Theta-Delta symbol for a pendant. "I'm Dr. Jason N. Gatti. I'll be monitoring you throughout your stay here." He gave a quick nod and a smile.

"Hey, Doc," Chris replied back with a quick but awkward wave. He struggled to not grip the table so tight or wiggle his legs too much that he would bang against the drawers with his heels. He was nervous. Very nervous. He knew going into this would change his life forever. Now that he's about to start this process, all of the 'what if' thoughts darted through his mind. What worried him the most is if he would survive this or not, or, if he did survive, he would be a failed abomination.

Dr. Gatti pulled out a little brown glass bottle with a dropper for a cap. He held it up to show Chris for a moment before handing it to him. "You will be taking two drops of this twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evening, roughly eight hours apart. It is experimental, of course, so we're still trying to pinpoint the exact side effects, other than what you're desiring of course."

As the friendly, bearded doctor rattled off about safety precautions and what side effects they're unsure of yet, Chris examined the bottle. It wasn't anything too dissimilar than what he was familiar with from his chemistry classes, and the label was similar to what he'd see on his father's prescriptions. What did catch his eye, however, was a small, orange and black warning label that read "CAUTION: MUTAGENIC MATERIALS" and a monocolor graphic of a vial dripping onto a half human, half animal hand/paw hybrid. He also noticed the standard chemical hazard label one should find on every chemical container, and a long list of not-so-pleasant side effects.

He looked at the doctor, puzzled, confused, and starting to get scared. "I'm supposed to take this shit? Cuz, no offense, doc, but I'm reading this label and, uh...yeah, no. I do not feel comfortable taking this or going further with this experiment."

"You signed the waiver, Christopher." He shrugged and took the bottle back from him. "Many of the side effects aren't that common anyway, and we've eliminated most of them already. We just haven't gotten around to updating the labels yet." He checked his watch and muttered something unintelligible, then placed the bottle on a nearby table.

"Okay, so it's not quite time for you to take your first dose yet. I gotta get going here and attend to other patients. Susan here will take care of you in the meantime and get you your first dose when that's due." With a nod to both of them, Dr. Gatti swiftly left the room, white lab coat whipping behind him.

The whole time, Susan stood near the computer in the room and finished entering in the last few details onto Chris' profile.

"Alright, then," she began as she grabbed the bottle. "You're not supposed to take this until around five o' clock and it's...mmm about three quarters 'til." She then took the bottle and stored it in a secured cabinet mounted on the wall. "I'll come back around then to administer your first dose, okay?"

Chris let out a shuddered breath and nodded.

She let out an exhausted breath. "Well, let me or the nursing staff know if you need anything in the meantime. Take care." With that, she darted out of the room, practically slamming the heavy door behind her, making Chris jump.

"Jesus...."

Silence.

Nothing but the fluctuating volume of his heels quietly banging against the drawers beneath the bed as he thought about how to keep himself occupied. He understood why his phone was confiscated, but goddamn could he use some kind of distraction to kill time! He noticed there wasn't a TV in the room either, so that idea was a bust. The only thing he could think of that wouldn't seem awkward if someone were to come in, was to lay on his back on the table, hoping he'd fall asleep to get some rest.

And that's exactly what he did. He wasn't sure how long he dozed off, but he was suddenly woken up by a rapping at the heavy door. Susan entered the room once again, quickly closing the door behind her like before. He noticed she had a couple small, red stains on her scrubs and one part of her sleeve looked like a claw slashed through it. Her blond-streaked hair was disheveled as well, even if she did have it tied up in a messy bun.

"Whew," she breathed, flicking the hair out of her face. She immediately went for the secured cabinet to grab Chris' medication. "Sorry I'm late. My last patient was a bit of a doozy and I didn't have time to change."

"You're not late," Chris interjected, "You're right on time, actually."

"Really?" She asked, quickly checking her watch and then the clock on the wall. "Huh..." She shrugged. "Anyway, I was not expecting hir to suddenly change like that or be so...aggressive." She shuddered and took a moment to breathe before opening the bottle, filling up the attached dropper.

"Hir?" Chris asked, mulling the strange word in his mind. "Don't you mean 'her'?"

"Nope. 'Hir.' H-I-R." She walked over to Chris, dropper in hand. It had a dark yellow-green color and he could detect a foul odor that smelled like sulfur. The liquid inside didn't appear viscous, surprisingly.

"Huh...never heard of that pronoun being used to refer to someone before."

Susan chuckled. "You'll find out soon enough, assuming the experiment goes smoothly. Now, open your mouth and move your tongue out and up, please. I want to try and get under there but behind your teeth."

He did as instructed, anticipating the medicine to be the worst-tasting thing he's ever put in his mouth. But once Susan administered the first two drops below his tongue, holding him firmly in case he starts thrashing about, he was pleasantly surprised. It tasted tangy, yet cool, like lemon mixed with mint.

"Okay. Don't. Swallow," she urged. "We want to make sure the medication is fully absorbed into your bloodstream. If you were to swallow it, it can still work, just not as effectively."

He nodded, trying not to move the liquid around to swallow. "So now what?"

Susan capped the dropper bottle and placed it back in the cabinet. "Now we wait. Your next dose isn't until tomorrow morning. Until then, I and the rest of the nursing team will check up on you, run some simple tests, that kind of thing. Other than that," she said, rubbing her hands together anxiously, "Any questions before I head out?"

"Can I have my phone? Or can I have someone bring me something, anything to do while I'm waiting here?"

She scowled and sighed, though she fully understood his situation. This wasn't the first time a test subject requested personal devices or computers to cure boredom. "I'll see what I can do."

With that, she darted out of the room again and slammed the heavy door. Once again, Chris was left bored out of his mind until his next visitor.

He didn't feel anything after taking the medication, even after a quick, mental body scan. All there was was a strange aftertaste in his mouth. He wasn't sure what to expect from all this, but so far, this whole experience has been...curious.

* * *

The first night was uneventful. Chris had to remind the second and third shift nurses of his request to Susan the day before. Not their fault, though; they're busy and have other test subjects to attend to. A full night's sleep wasn't a guarantee either, as several times throughout the night, Chris got woken up by that heavy door opening and closing from the night shifters. What concerned him were the few times he'd hear distant screams from other rooms throughout the night, either sounding human or like a big cat; both sounded of pain, torment, and frustration. It made him want to stop this more and more...but he was locked in as soon as he signed that waiver.

He struggled to tune out the noises of the night and focus on his body, noting any changes that occurred, however minute.

The only side effects he noticed immediately after taking his first dose was needing to urinate often, and that his hair grew out down to his neck. While he was drinking a lot of water the first few hours after taking his first dose, he noticed he wasn't drinking it as much as the night crept on into the morning. In fact, when he woke up this morning, albeit groggy, he noticed his chest was noticeably bigger. He noticed he grew a pair of A-cup sized breasts overnight. While he also felt something bulging slightly around his midsection and just above his butt, he didn't think much of those for now; all he could tell was they felt bony, yet didn't feel uncomfortable or painful. He was too preoccupied with the fatty growths on his chest.

"Well...these are new." He went to gently squeeze one of them, only to find that...something didn't feel right. He thought he'd find they were just sacks of fat on his chest, as he'd assume like on humans, but they felt...lighter? It's as if they had a different type of material beneath his skin that was less fatty tissue and something he could only describe as spongy. Yet they also felt like there was something else internal keeping them upright and tight against his body like he was wearing a sports bra.

When the morning nurse arrived, he promptly introduced himself as Jessy. After administering his first dose of the day, his second one overall, he asked Chris if there were any changes that occurred overnight. However, he didn't need an answer when he glanced down at Chris' chest, then smiled. After a bit of flirtatious complimenting, he went into vivid detail on that particular development and how chakats' breasts differ from humans', going into detail of all the anatomical differences between the two. Chris could tell immediately that Jessy was passionate about anatomy and physiology just like he was, if not more. Chris never read this energy from the other nurses, nor from Dr. Gatti.

"So, I'm not sure when you'll start producing milkwater or start lactating," Jessy explained in his friendly, flamboyant tone, "but it does look like you might start producing soon, which is good. Just keep an eye on it and let I or the other nurses know if something happens, okay?"

Chris nodded as the nurse added more to his profile on the computer. "I am curious about one thing though..."

"Sure!"

"What did you mean by 'milkwater'? Like I get I'm probably going to produce breast milk of some kind, but is there a difference there too?"

"Give me one...second here..." Jessy said as he quickly finished up and logged out of the computer. He leaned a bit against the counter behind him as he explained. "Basically you can think of milkwater similar to your body's way of producing its own 'power drink', so to speak. It's a modified form of your breast milk that you could say is similar to Gatorade, minus the artificial sweeteners and flavors. You'll be able to store this so you won't go thirsty or hungry so easily, even under heavy exertion."

"Interesting! Kinda like camels then?"

"Yes, but don't refer to yourself like that or call other chakats that. They're not too fond of that, I learned." He chuckled as he stood himself upright. "Soooo, anything else you want to ask or we good for now?"

"Mmm, not that I can think of, no," Chris replied.

"Well, you let me know when you need anything, okay?" Jessy gave him a dual finger guns gesture before leaving. Unlike two of the other nurses that came to see him, he didn't slam the heavy door behind him.

Chris let out a content sigh, playing with his new breasts a bit and getting a feel for them. He then remembered he wanted to ask Jessy about getting his stuff back from security but decided against it; it was pointless to keep asking that by now.

* * *

A few hours passed. It wasn't quite noon yet, but Chris already had an eventful morning after his second dose.

Everything seemed to grow in a pattern, especially his new limbs: short bursts of rapid, painful growth, then it stops, short bursts of pain, stop. The bony growths he felt in his midsection became little, cub-like snow leopard paws, with a thick coat of silvery-white fur to match. He felt his tailbone extend and his spin lengthen, quickly becoming a juvenile snow leopard tail. This too had a matching thick coat of fur surrounding it.

He groaned as he held his stomach, as if these new legs felt like they pulled his human tissue apart. It felt like several of his organs were trying to duplicate or shift elsewhere inside him too, albeit slowly and not so much to cause issues. He no longer could lay on his back at all, nor sit by this point, as the tail was just too uncomfortable to deal with. He hardly noticed how much longer and whiter his hair had become, as it now reached past his new breasts. In fact, he hadn't realized his breasts jumped two cup sizes were being covered by a thick coat of white fur, topped with a thicker tuft of fur that grew around his neck.

He figured he didn't need the gown anymore by this point, as it jutted out from his growths. He figured his hair was long enough to cover his now C cup sized breasts. But after he untied the gown and went to place it on the bed, he screamed when he saw his hands, or rather, paws. They were thick and fluffy, just like a snow leopard's, yet they kept the dexterity of human hands. The greyish-silver fur crept up his arm almost to his elbows, covering both his forearms and wrists.

He felt around his head and face, carefully licking the inside of his mouth to feel around if anything changed there too. So far nothing, as far as he could tell, save for his ears were now on top of his head and felt like that of a big cat's. He rushed to the bathroom to see what horror he's become.

Right as he was about to take a good look at himself in the mirror, he heard a knock at the door to the exam room. His ears flick towards the sound as someone opened it.

"Hi! Is everything alright?" Someone asked. Chris assumed it to be one of the nurses, as it wasn't a voice he recognized.

"Y-Yeah, just in the bathroom is all!" He called back.

"Oh! Sorry! Want me to come back—"

"No, No! Just finishing up!"

He washed his new paws as best as he could, just so the nurse won't get suspicious. He dried them off and opened the door, careful not to accidentally smack whoever this was.

He was about to greet his new visitor but gasped at who, or rather what, he saw.

Standing near the computer to check his records, was one of the most beautiful creatures he's seen. Right away he knew they were a chakat, given how they appeared to be a lynx of some kind but in a taur-like form. They only wore a white lab coat that was cropped and had a pair of small saddlebags strapped around their larger, feral-like torso. Chris could easily see their tan fur with a white-ish underbelly, speckled with black markings all along that thick coat. Right away, he could tell they were a breed built for the snow and cold when he noticed their large, fluffy paws. Their pointy, tufted ears were prominent, along with their small cheek tufts. Gently swaying behind them was a short but stocky, black tail. Despite them appearing much larger than Chris in terms of length, they didn't appear to be taller than him.

His visitor turned their top torso to a near 180° when they heard him. They were expressionless, though appeared to be slightly annoyed. But once they gave Chris a good once-over, they flicked a smile at him.

"Looks like you've had a fun day, huh?"

He let out a nervous chuckle, gingerly rubbing his paws together. "I-I guess so," he replied. He then realized he was naked and hastily covered up his breasts and genitals with the gown. "Oh fuck, sorry! I-I just thought—"

"Oh, don't worry about it, Shir," they reassured him while logging off the computer. "I'm only wearing this as a formality for my human coworkers and employer...and I like having extra pockets just in case," they said, gesturing to the lab coat they wore. "You'll find us chakats prefer living life in the nude, unashamed of our bodies."

Slowly lowering the gown, Chris flashed them a smile back. "Well that's a relief," he said, folding it up as nice as he could and placing it back on the bed. "Will I need to worry about any other, uh, human doctors or nurses though?"

"Not at all, Shir. In fact, I'll be the one taking care of you from now on." With a grin, they sat on the tiled linoleum floor on their haunches. It was here Chris got a better view of their breasts, which appeared roughly the same size as his own. They seemed to bulge out of that buttoned up lab coat like they were about to burst out, as if they both were in a cheesy porno.

They continued. "I'm Chakat Snowtree, my pronouns are 'shi/hir,' though I won't mind if you accidentally use 'she/her' or 'they/them.' I'm the lead care provider for our test subjects for this little experiment." Shi let out a reassuring sigh and smiled. "It's just...so wonderful knowing some of your humans want to be a part of our culture in every way! The world could use more chakats." Shi giggled.

"I'm honored." He smiled back, shaking front paws with hir. When he did, though, he noticed his mouth felt...different, yet Snowtree didn't seem to give any reaction to his appearance ever since shi entered the room. Was he already going through another change?

"So, Chris, as you weren't born of a mated pair, have you picked out a new name for yourself yet?"

He shook his head, roughly itching his cheek but trying to play it casual. "Really? You have to change now while I'm having a conversation with this lovely creature?"

Shi continued, not once acknowledging his bad acting. "Okay, that's alright," shi said, waving a paw dismissively. "It'll come with time the further along you get on with your transformation."

He nodded. "I'll think of something once this is done and over with." He hoped shi understood his sarcasm.

Shi giggled and stood on all fours. "Well, I should get going and check on our other test subjects. Got one in particular who's having a rough time with it...I have a feeling shi won't fully transform..."

"If you don't mind me asking...what happens to anyone who gets stuck in this 'in-between' state I'm in now?"

Shi sighed, suddenly feeling somber as shi began to leave. "That's classified..."

* * *

It was around the time for Chris to take his third dose later that afternoon, and there were already a number of smaller changes that occurred throughout the day. His fur filled out more, his new paws in his midsection grew larger, his feet slowly turned into large, stompy, fluffy snow leopard paws, and his face began to take a more feline shape. At least these changes were more gradual and not sudden bursts of agony this time. However, he was not looking forward to what this third dose will bring him.

Snowtree let out a sigh of content after giving it to him, admiring him up and down before putting the medicine bottle away. "I know you look strange still, but you're doing great, Shir!" Shi complimented, padding to the computer to update his record. "I'd say this could be the last dose you need! Then you'll be a fully-fledged chakat in no time!"

Chris smiled and...purred? No wonder it felt like there was some annoying lump in his throat; hopefully that feeling goes away the more he changes and adapts.

"Awwww! You can already purr?" Snowtree cooed. "You're definitely well on your way for sure."

As shi took his vitals, shi couldn't resist petting and combing through his new fur. Shi even rubbed a paw through his chest fuff and gently massaged his breasts — shi forgot to ask for permission, but shi could sense he didn't mind. Shi knew he enjoyed all the attention shi's been giving him since being under hir care.

Once shi finished another round of vitals, shi updated his file and logged off the computer.

"Before I go, would you like me to get you something to drink? Or are you okay with just water?" Shi asked.

"I would like something to eat...I'm starving! I don't remember the last time I ate at all..." He replied, holding his stomach with a paw and both his middle paws.

Shi grimaced, hissing a little. "Yeaaaah, sorry, we still can't allow you to eat solid food just yet. There's a chance it could screw up your digestive system during the process. We've had a few incidents where some test subjects violently vomited after being given just half of a saltine cracker, so uh..."

"Ugh...duly noted..."

Shi nodded. "The research team is still figuring out why, but we've been playing it safe ever since: no food during the transformation process. Period."

"Understood..."

They both casually chatted for a while. Snowtree shared what it's like being a chakat and all the little nuances that come with it with their differing anatomy. Shi wanted to be sure Chris was prepared for when he finishes his transformation, though he appeared to be adjusting well. As they conversed, shi was able to connect with his mind more and more. Using hir empathic ability, shi shared hir worries about this last phase of the process to Chris. There's still some major changes that need to occur, and it's not going to get any prettier until it's over with.

Shi recommended that he lay on his side on the floor tonight, due to how much his body shape will change. After putting in a request to replace the bed with a floor mattress, shi left the room, looking back at Chris appearing confident and happy, yet sad and worried. Shi shared her true feelings with him through hir Talent, not once needing to speak.

He wasn't sure why shi looked at him like that, yet, when shi did, he felt a slight migraine and...something else. No, not something...someone, as if they were communicating to him through the mind. Still, given this is a government lab facility, it wouldn't surprise him if there's some things shi wished to tell him but can't.

* * *

When the maintenance person arrived, they didn't flinch or feel scared around him when they came to swap his bed. He tried to stay out of their way as best as he could, but it was here he noticed how...big he's getting. Not fat or beefy, just...big. He looked behind him and saw his butt crept further and further behind him. He swore it began to flatten on the top the more it grew, but it was hard to tell.

"Oh boy...this is gonna take some getting used to..." He muttered to himself.

"Hmm?" The maintenance person asked, stopping what they were doing for a moment.

"U-uh, nothing! Nothing. I'm just talking to myself. Probably going crazy too, haha."

They shrugged and continued to release the wheel brakes of the bed to remove it.

He hoped they bought it. To be fair, he was surprised his mental stability didn't tank during all this; not once has he shown signs of memory loss or loss of cognitive ability. Still...he's got one more night to get through, it sounds like. By whatever deities and spirits or forces that guide the universe, he prayed this last bit of the process won't be too terrible.

By the time the maintenance person prepared his new bed, it was early evening. Chris decided to give the new mattress a try, laying down on his side like Snowtree suggested. Though he soon found out he was stuck on whatever side he chose because of how much his backside stuck out. He hadn't realized that his legs also moved further back at the hips, and it felt like his intestines and abs were being stretched downward. The two little legs in his midsection weren't so little anymore, and he noticed those too began to shift down his torso as well. He tried not to scream from the agony; this was just part of the process and the torment will pass.

Chris barely slept at all that night.

* * *

On the morning of his third night at the research facility, waking up groggy from a sleepless night and seeing the stains of his recent vomiting a couple hours earlier, he was now a fully realized chakat. He opened his feline maw wide, letting his tongue loll out for a moment as he yawned. He scratched at the fur on his upper torso with his now silver-colored arms as he sat up on his haunches, then scratched at his lower torso and neck with his large hind leg.

Right away, he felt that all-too-familiar sensation of needing to use the bathroom first thing in the morning. However, it was where he felt it that confused him. Due to chakats' vaguely similar yet drastically different internal anatomy, his bladder and intestines shifted further down into his lower torso. Even if he only needed to do number one, getting to the bathroom would prove challenging, let alone using it.

He took in a deep breath, let it out, tried not to get distracted by his voluminous breasts, and began to rise to a standing position.

Immediately his front legs felt just like his human ones, which made it easy to get his front half off the mattress. But he ended up dragging his rear end off the mattress as he took his first couple steps, letting it plop on the linoleum floor.

"Okay...so far so good..."

He tried to concentrate on his rear legs to get them to push his back half up.

"Okay, now...step...forwa—OW!"

Right as he put one of his rear legs down, it slipped under him and he fell to the floor. Getting back up was the easy part, as he was close to the counter top and one of the handrails attached to the wall. Using the handrail as a guide, he slowly took his first few steps until Snowtree opened the door, startling him and making him fall again.

"Shir! I sensed you were distraught! Are you oka—"

Chris gave a goofy, awkward grin at the lynx-like chakat. "Oh, h-hey, S-Snowtree," he groaned as he hoisted himself back to fully standing.

"Ope! Hang on! Hang on!" Snowtree immediately positioned hirself right next to him, steadying his upper torso and pressing hir lower torso against his to keep him upright.

"Let me guess, trying to make it to the toilet?"

He nodded, blushing through his thick, fluffy cheeks. "Gods, I feel like such an old person right now...or I guess a newborn cub."

Shi nodded in return. Using hir body to guide him, they both slowly stepped closer towards the bathroom. Chris allowed hir to help him use the toilet, to which she guided him how chakats typically use human restrooms for their needs. Once he finished and shi helped him wash up, they did the same thing upon leaving. Though when the small entryway opened up to the main exam room, shi let him take a couple steps without hir assistance and sit on the mattress.

Shi rested a paw on his shoulder and smiled. "How're you feeling after taking your first few steps?"

He took a moment to catch his breath, noting how achy his larger legs felt after that. "Strange...very, very strange..."

"It will come with time and practice," shi reassured him. "Speaking of! Let me see what your schedule is looking like," shi said, once again looking through his records.

Shi turned the monitor to face him a bit more and Chris tried to scoot himself closer. On it, was a simple calendar chock full of colored bars that Chris assumed are all his appointments for the next few weeks.

"Oh wow..."

Snowtree chuckled. "So, basically, you'll be going through a lot of rigorous tests, exams, labs, and physical therapy. We can schedule you for any psychiatric therapy if you feel the need for that, but I have a feeling you might not be needing that," shi said with a wink. Shi made a mental note that Chris still hasn't figured out hir empathic ability yet.

Shi continued, pulling the monitor back to its original position, then gave Chris hir full attention. "Once that's all done and we feel you're ready to be released, we'll put you in the Chakat Adoption Program. Simply put, you'll be matched with a chakat family. You'll be able to flourish to your fullest potential in your new body, and learn everything there is to know about our culture and species."

He listened intently but felt overwhelmed. Everything was happening so fast. Three days ago he was a human. Now he's a big, fluffy, beautiful chakat with the shimmering, spotty silver coat of a snow leopard. Yet, despite his new beauty, it's been hard to get used to his breasts, new limbs, different anatomy both inside and out, and his hormones were all over the place. Now he's got to go through all these exams while stumbling about the facility like a newborn kitten. He worried if he'll have any reliable assistance getting around until he can move on his own four paws efficiently and naturally.

"Any questions?" Snowtree asked.

He thought for a moment. "Not right now but...I'm sure I will soon enough," he chuckled.

Shi clapped hir front paws reassuringly. "Well, feel free to let me or any of the staff know and we'll try to answer the best we can." Shi looked at the monitor to look at his schedule. "Aaaand you have your first PT session at noon, so you have some time to relax before then!" Shi beamed at him, letting hir eyes close for a moment as a sign of trust.

Chris felt himself blush, though he was sure it wouldn't show through his thick, white and silver cheek fur. "Actually, I do have one question though..."

"Sure!"

He let out a frustrated sigh. "Can I eat yet? I'm starving!"

Immediately shi pulled out a small menu from her lab coat pocket and handed it to him, though he had a hard time grasping it at first. Shi then pulled out a notepad and a pen from another pocket, ready to take his order like shi was a waitress. "What can I get ya?"

He ended up ordering everything on the menu, and would eat it all without hesitation.

* * *

The next two weeks at the facility were a grueling regiment of what Snowtree showed him earlier. He endured daily blood draws, daily physical evaluations, physical therapy every other day to help him learn how his new body moved, and several intrusive gynecological and urological examinations. The only remotely relaxing examinations were when they checked his vitals and the only two cranial nerve examinations. Despite all these pesky human nurses and interns poking and prodding at him, he did meet several other chakats during his physical therapy sessions, though he wasn't sure if they were test subjects like him or staff. Still, Snowtree said he was lucky he didn't have to stay longer, as he was one of the few who had mostly promising results. Shi soon felt comfortable enough to put him up for adoption and release him.

Even though he was picked right away by a chakat family, there was the long, tedious process of going through and signing paperwork. It was quite the stack: a general release form, an agreement for confidentiality of his time at the facility, a form for legally changing his name, if he wished, and another form for legally changing his race, species, and gender.

"Can I change my name later? Like, once I leave here and live with my new family?" Shi asked Snowtree as they sat in hir office, the desk separating them. Now that shi's got large breasts to cover up from the human public, Chris opted for hir simple, grey zip-up hoodie shi wore upon arrival. Like Snowtree, shi too had a pair of small saddlebags strapped tight around hir lower torso. Now shi had places to put hir belongings security took from hir when shi can retrieve them.

Snowtree thought for a moment. "Hmmm, how should I explain this...? See, us chakats don't necessarily have this legal name identity...thing humans have. It's unnecessarily complex, really. No, us chakats get a name at birth that generally reflects our personality or appearance, and we don't use human-sounding names. For example, my parents noticed that my brown fur reminded them of trees and, well, I'm one of the lynx breeds, as you can tell." Shi waved one of hir upper paws to gesture at her body before continuing. "If you so choose, you can change your name at any time, but it's a one-time deal. That's it."

Chris nodded and smiled, almost feeling a little purr coming on. "That's pretty cool!"

Snowtree giggled. "Now, the proper way to address a chakat is by simply stating our species name, followed by our actual name. So, you would properly refer to me as 'Chakat Snowtree,' and I would introduce myself in the same manner. But you know by now I'm fairly lax with formalities."

Shi nodded again in response. "Noted."

"As for you, however, you would only get the one-time name change. Technically, you were already given a name at birth, even if you were a human, but you do have one advantage..."

"That is...?"

Shi leaned in close, hir white-colored breasts squished against the desk as hir cleavage became more prominent in that lab coat. Chris also got a better look at hir facial features, how hir cheek tufts rounded out hir face beautifully, hir pretty, golden-yellow eyes...it all nearly made hir lean in closer herself.

Shi knew it would be too rash, but Chris wanted to kiss her right then and there, if only as a token of gratitude. And yet, shi could also detect...something coming from Snowtree. It felt like some aura or energy, but more emotional, as if they were forming a bond right here, right now in hir office.

Snowtree smiled. "You get to experience being a chakat for the first time and have the opportunity to change your name. Us naturally-born chakats don't get the chance."

Chris just giggled as shi felt a little warm in the cheeks. Shi couldn't lean herself back up. Shi didn't want to lean back up. Shi could stare into those golden eyes all day if shi could.

"And I sense there's something else you want to ask me? Or rather...give me?" Shi teased.

Shi hesitated and stammered, scratching at hir sliver, spotty cheek nervously.

Snowtree smirked. "Go ahead, cutie~ It's rare I get any affection at this stressful job~"

Shi let out a quiet breath and let her eyes close a little, leaning in further to give the pretty kitty in front of hir a quick smooch on the lips. Shi yelped when Snowtree grabbed hir head to keep hir in place, deepening the kiss without any hesitation and knocking damn near everything off the desk as shi climbed over it somewhat.

Needless to say, it was Chris' first time getting laid as a chakat by a chakat, but it certainly won't be the last. And shi enjoyed every second of it, even if the neighboring offices or any passersby heard them.

* * *

A few months passed. Chris got to know hir new chakat family exceptionally well within that time. They taught hir everything there is to know about their culture, their home planet of Chakona and the similarities and differences to Earth, and more about living as a quadruped in a biped society. They even told hir shi was basically rescued from the research facility upon hir adoption, saying that it was created by the government, and all the chakat employees were lynx-like breeds, thus considered part of a sub-species called Chakamil. They claimed shi would've most likely been used as a meat shield had shi not been put up for adoption. They wouldn't dare tell hir what would've become of hir had the transformation not been a success. Despite these fear-mongering conspiracies (according to hir), shi found her new family a delight to be around nonetheless.

Yet none of them struck a chord with hir quite like their only offspring, Daystar.

Not only was shi similar to hir parents, in that shi was a mountain lion breed, but hir fur appeared to be a brighter shade of gold rather than tan. Shi also appeared to have kept hir hair cut short, much to her parents' and fellow chakat's disapproval. Chris never asked why, nor felt it to be hir business how Daystar wishes to express hirself. Shi also noticed Daystar had a white dot with six, thin points on hir lower left shoulder, assuming it to be a birthmark. Again, shi never asked about it, as it wasn't hir business.

The two quickly became friends, and eventually lovers, after Daystar began inviting Chris on hir geological research expeditions. They mostly stuck to local regions, as that was Daystar's main focus of study, though they did travel far now and again. It all depended on what their team's focus was and where their research took them.

But there was one, fateful week that brought their budding relationship to a head. And it was in one of the worst places for a geologist to work in.

"Remind me again why we're way up here in Yukon?" Chris asked Daystar, huffing and puffing as hir giant snow leopard paws trudged through the packed, frozen snow. "And in the middle of winter no less?" Even though shi only wore a vest, saddlebags, and had hir long, white hair tied up in a ponytail, hir and Daystar each towed a sled containing all of their tools, equipment, and basic supplies strapped in tight.

Daystar stopped in hir tracks, huffing and puffing as well as they both trudged through the snow up the shallow incline. Shi wasn't as naturally equipped to handle the harsh conditions of the arctic, as shi needed an insulating jacket, hat, and shawl to protect hirself from the biting cold. "Because...I kept procrastinating...on this project..." Shi panted, giving them a moment to rest. "And this climate is why..." Shi indicated the surrounding area with her finger.

Chris trotted up next to hir, holding hir mate close in hopes to keep her warm and comforted. "You want me to pull your sled for a bit, dear?"

Daystar held hir mate in return. "You sure? That's a lot of weight to pull..."

"I don't mind. Besides, you should save your energy for yourself."

Shi thought for a moment before responding. "Okay, hun."

They shared a quick kiss and got to work. It took both of them to untether the sled from Daystar and tie it to the back of Chris' sled. They had to fight with the deep, frozen snow, the length of the sleds, bitter cold, and now with the wind picking up and blowing around any loose snow. Once everything was secured again, they continued forward, albeit slower now.

The further they traveled, the more their surroundings became mountainous and less forested. Yet with how much snow they trudged through, they weren't sure if the ground beneath them was frozen soil or hard rock. They also noticed how much the wind picked up, as indicated by more snow blowing off the trees and whipping Chris' ponytail around. They could both sense the worry and fear in each other, though Chris sensed regret in Daystar; what that regret was, shi wasn't sure, but had an idea what it might be.

They traveled further up the hill, which became steeper and steeper the further along they hiked. The wind picked up more too, piercing through Daystar's thick layers covering hir body. Knowing hir mate couldn't take much more of this brutal cold, Chris kept an eye out for anything nearby they could utilize as a temporary shelter until the weather died down. While they did have sunlight, shi knew they wouldn't have much left, given their current latitude. Noticing what appeared to be a cave a few yards ahead of them, shi called back to hir mate.

"Daystar! Up ahead!" Shi yelled, pointing to the cave in the distance.

Daystar squinted, barely able to see what shi was pointing to. "What is it?" She yelled back.

"Think that's a cave or something! We can take shelter there until this all blows over!"

"Good! Anything to get us out of this shit!"

"Keep close, okay!"

While it wasn't far, their small detour took longer than it should have, given the harsher terrain. Daystar tried to keep close behind the two sleds so they wouldn't flip over or disconnect.

When they made it to the cave, Chris noticed it was just as cold as it was outside, but at least they didn't have to deal with that gosh darn wind. Shi made sure the sleds and hir mate made it in before disconnecting the harness. Shi took a moment to stretch and massage her sore lower torso, but Daystar quickly snuggled up to hir, shivering and clinging onto hir.

"H-H-How the h-h-hell are you s-s-still warm?" Shi asked, nuzzling deep and soaking in hir mate's body heat.

Shi giggled and decided to give Daystar a moment to warm up before setting up camp for the night. "I'm a snow leopard breed, remember?"

* * *

"Okay, just sent out a signal for help," Daystar said while padding back towards the fire. Shi held what appeared to be a small, but futuristic-looking device that Chris assumed to be some sort of radio. "Dunno how good this thing is in this climate, but I've heard it can work anywhere, even in the deep ocean." Shi flopped down belly-up in front of hir mate, both of them now completely naked, as chakats prefer to be. Even Chris had hir long hair down and fall over one shoulder.

"That's pretty cool!" Chris replied, gently petting hir mate's long tummy. "Ya'll have some interesting tech!"

"Mmhmm~" Shi cooed, letting hir eyes close from the pets. "Chakats have always been a technologically advanced species."

Chris beamed at hir, then noticed Daystar began purring, triggering hir to do the same. Between the two of them, they drowned out the howling wind outside, which was now a full-on blizzard.

Shi kept petting hir mate for a few moments, noticing how hir yellow-golden fur shimmered and hir golden eyes twinkled in the firelight. Shi caressed hir cheek and leaned down, giving her a deep, loving kiss. Yet as she did so, shi noticed hir loins ached and craved for...something. And this wasn't hir just getting horny to do a quicky and get it over with. No...this was a different feeling entirely, and hir mate smelled it immediately.

"Hun? are you in heat?" Daystar asked, breaking the kiss.

"Oh...is...is that what this feeling is?" Shi asked, looking back at hir hind legs. Shi was still sheathed, but she could smell this 'heat' too.

Shi nodded and smiled. "Up to you if you want to let it run its course or take advantage of it."

Chris thought for a moment, though shi knew Daystar could sense hir feelings and, most likely, already knew what hir response would be. "I...I want to take advantage of it...Not only that, but I want to start a life with you...I want to start a family with you, Chakat Daystar." Shi struggled to hold back tears, mainly so shi doesn't accidentally stain hir mate's fur with hir tears.

Daystar began tearing up as well, patting hir mate on the shoulder. "Let me get on all fours, hun."

Chris shuffled hirself so shi could roll hirself over. Shi held hir paws and looked deep into hir tear-filled eyes. "So...what you're saying is, you want to be life partners?"

Shi nodded.

After a quick but deep kiss and a tight embrace, Daystar positioned hirself behind her mate. Unlike Snowtree, Daystar was more gentle and loving, careful not to go too hard if Chris didn't want hir to. Still, that didn't stop hir from biting and clawing at hir mate when their lovemaking got intense. The echoes of their growls and moans filled the cave and drowned out the storm outside; whatever critters resided in the cave would most likely hear them too.

But Daystar didn't stop after their initial lovemaking. In fact, Chris wanted hir to go as much as shi could. They quite literally went at it all night and well after the fire died down to glowing embers, barely staying alive in the cold. All thanks to that naturally high stamina common in all chakats.

* * *

The blizzard eventually calmed to a gentle but heavy snowfall by the time morning broke. But as snow accumulated, it slowly crept inside the cave, closing its mouth little by little. If there was any rescue party on their way, they would need to dig out the two chakats trapped inside. Chris and Daystar could ration their supplies for only a couple more days; after that, they'd have to forage or hunt. Though with how resilient a chakat's stomach was, they could really eat just about anything, so long as there's some nutritional value. Regardless, they rationalized they should get a head start on finding any sort of food, just in case.

When they figured it stopped snowing outside, or at least died down enough, they gathered whatever digging tools they had and began moving snow away from the entrance. At least, enough for them to squeeze their bodies through. The more they used this improvised entryway for their hunts and scavenging trips, the more packed down the snow got, though that wasn't too much of an issue for their cat-like paws and nimbleness.

On one clear night, under a full moon, while resting after another one of their trips and answering any questions Chris may have about being a chakat, Daystar noticed something peculiar about hir life mate's fur. Shi glanced over at the cave entrance and, despite the mound of snow covering half the mouth of the cave, plenty of moonlight shone into the cave. It's as if whatever moon deity blessed hir life mate as the light seemed to make Chris' silver fur shimmer.

"Dear! Look!" Daystar exclaimed, pointing at what shi saw. "Look at your fur!"

Chris was absentmindedly chomping on a piece of fresh game when shi heard hir. "Hmm?" She asked, mouth full and wondering what hir life mate was going on about. "Wat is et ear?"

Shi giggled at how oblivious shi was. "Your fur, dear. It's shining under the moonlight!"

Shi swallowed and set her half-eaten meat on the ground, taking a good look for hirself. Even shi was entranced at what shi saw. Not only did all this remind her of the few times she saw Daystar's fur shimmer in the firelight, but a part of her felt a sort of ethereal energy radiating down on them. Shi too felt like shi was being blessed by the moon at this moment.

"Wow...I look beautiful..." Shi murmured, taking a few moments to admire hir fur.

Daystar let hir take hir time. Shi couldn't help but smile seeing hir life mate so entranced with hirself.

Chris looked up and smiled. "I want to change my name."

"Yeah?" Daystar replied, smiling. "To what, dear?"

"Silvermoon. Chakat Silvermoon."