Stop, Max!

**Stop, Max!** is a story about a man being stuck with a dog he rescued, who looks like a man himself.

It plays off in a reality where human-like dogs quite suddenly showed their heads a couple of decades earlier, which spawned a moral debate amongst people, uneager to treat them like the classic canines. After many incidents and lengthy research, it's made apparent their heightened intelligence is selective and they require human care like any pet does.

Hubert remains unconvinced and can't see the odd newcomers as mere animals, until he ends up winning the affection of an extraordinarily animalistic young man, who gives him unsolicited reminders of the facts.

The story was conceived on August 23, 2023, and Wiki exclusive artwork made public at Tumblr on September the 3rd.

## Story

> A man named Hubert visits a large flea and farmers' market on a sunny day off. Human-faced dogs accompany the visitors and merchants, ruining the image of this otherwise normal event.
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> He then spots a man in a cage, too small for him to even kneel in, with a warranted displeased look on his face and a paper sign that proclaims he's free of charge. The sight is hard to ignore, though the other market goers do exactly that.
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> Hubert feigns interest in order to obtain and then release the prisoner, but the farmer warns him he's not giving him away out of generosity. The dog is aggressive and should only be handled by professionals, but Hubert doesn't care to hear about the man's misadventures and lies to know his stuff. Admittedly, the farmer wants to rid himself of his bad purchase, so chooses to believe him.
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> *(Click "Expand" to read more)>*
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> The dog, introduced as "Max", is released and looks eager to inflict retaliation against his now ex-owner. Hubert advices him not to do anything foolish in public and to find solace in the fact they'll never have to see each other again, but he appears not to hear him, or care, and starts creeping up on his target. Hubert quickly buys a snack from a nearby stall to draw his attention with. The distraction works as intended, but as Max' fanged mouth snaps at the food in his hand, one of his fingers gets slit.
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> Hubert doesn't want the farmer to take notice of the accident after proclaiming to be a dog expert, so attaches the gifted collar and leash to Max' notably small waist -refusing to consider his neck- and drags him back to the parking lot. Max doesn't resist and follows him, enticed by the smell of blood.
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> When they arrive at his car, Hubert removes the collar and declares him free to go. Max just stares at him hungrily as he walks off to grab a first aid kit to treat his finger with. Hubert finds his eyes and refusal to leave distressing, but, though it's hard to determine whether his skinny frame is a sign of starvation or a feature of his breed, he guesses Max craves more food and retrieves a pack of cream crackers from the dashboard. It's thrown at his feet and destroyed within seconds.
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> The feral Max then catches wind of a Golden Retriever man happily holding a leg bone, a short distance away. His mannerisms are a perfect recreation of a normal dog's; and Hubert can see he's contemplating a chase. Hubert positions himself for the worst possible scenario and keeps a close eye on him, and as expected, he lifts off the second his clueless target stops to meet two small children. For their safety's sake alone, Hubert too draws a sprint and grabs a fistful of Max' hair.
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> The tunnel-visioned Max is caught by surprise, allowing Hubert to use all of his weight in the attack and force him onto the ground -adding a scolding to that for good measure. He yelps upon impact, making him flinch and get off again. The floored Max whines and growls some more, and Hubert looks around nervously, but no animal lover approaches to make a fuss about it. Despite the general public claiming otherwise, when push comes to shove, the level of acceptance and empathy for his kind is conditional; and Max' human appearance, height, and gender are evidentially not in his favour in a world that attributes a value to these characteristics.
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> While Hubert's off the hook for assaulting an "animal", he's personally more disturbed with himself to have already treated this adult man like a legitimate dog. With his behaviour being so identical to one and Max refusing to talk, he struggles to find a civilized way to connect with him.
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> He tries to take a charitable position by concluding a proper meal will fix everything. He orders Max to stay put and scurries off to look for something quick to buy.
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> He returns to find him still on the parking lot, but not necessarily happy to see him. He carries a greasy paper bag of premade fried fish, which is demandingly jumped and knocked out of his hands when the smell hits Max' nose. Hubert watches him scarf it down, whilst still holding onto a generously-sized leg bone, similar to the Golden Retriever's. Spectators passing by believe his dog just stole his food and give him their condolences, since the five-second rule is no longer applicable.
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> When Max finally picks up on the existence of the bone, it too is claimed with urgency and ungratefulness.
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> Hubert's hands now free, he deems his work done. He collects the trash from the ground, while Max enjoys his last snack for the day with better composure. Hubert bids him farewell, but is not acknowledged.
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> Even though it was the most stressful 10 minutes of his life and there's still that lingering worry that Max isn't done causing havoc in the area, he feels satisfied to have helped someone in need. Figuring that even wild animals know better than to stick around with crowds, he silences his worries and enters his car.
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> As he drives off, Max suddenly loses interest in his bone. He has a cautious, but also seemingly confused look on his face. Whenever Hubert stops to grant priority to the pedestrians going back and forth on the lot, he sees Max slowly stepping closer in his rear view mirror. He swings the door open to ask what he wants, but Max has already caught up with him to invite himself in. The tiny car cannot hold the lanky thing and Hubert becomes stuck in a tussle with his limbs. Finally, Max finds a suitable space and claims the back seat, where he begins shredding the decorative pillows.
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> Hubert can't get him to stop or leave, but as the moment opens up an opportunity he shouldn't let slide, he decides to drop him off at a suitable location himself. His owner claimed he had joined a wolf pack after his last escape from home -of all things- and to reunite him with the foster family he was happy with sounded like the least cruel thing to do. Even if he wasn't onboard with dumping a man in the wilderness. Sounded like a tall tale when he first heard it, considering Max looks like something wolves would avoid or eat, but after getting acquainted with him, perhaps there was some truth to it.
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> His pillows don't survive the trip, but at the very least protect his throat from getting chewed on instead, and they quickly arrive at the nearest forest. The moment the door is opened, Max jumps out and determinedly marks his territory around the place, embarrassing the already mentally exhausted Hubert and giving him a good incentive to leave.
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> In the car mirror, he again sees Max confused to see him go, but Hubert doesn't want to be stuck with a man for a dog and makes sure not to let go of the gas this time.
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> Back home, he continues his day as normal, but late in the evening, can't help but feel some concern for Max. He drives back to make sure he's at the very least not standing around in the same spot, and though the driveway is empty, the soft light of the lanterns reveal red stains in the dirt. He finds Max sitting behind a nearby tree, with his skinny left leg ripped open like paper. He's conscious and doesn't act in pain, but won't stand up or respond to Hubert's voice, either. The wound's dampness makes it look like it happened recently, but the mystery solves itself when the culprit shows its head in response to the sound of Hubert's running car.
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> A brown bear approaches in an unhurried pace, and Hubert wishes not to change its good mood by panicking. He calmly, but swiftly picks Max up and carries him to the car. Max snarls at him and makes some threatening movements towards his face, but threats are all they are.
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> He's brought to the hospital, but refused aid for being a dog. Hubert is displeased and thinks that to be irrelevant, since he has a human body, but the staff clarify his insides are still that of a dog and they don't have the right medicine nor space to house animals among people. Hubert sees there's no point in arguing with them and is forced to turn around with his now feverish patient.
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> Finally, a vet is willing to open their doors and binds Max' leg in a plaster cast, but not without giving Hubert a hefty bill for the trouble.
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> Now that Max can't move properly, he becomes dependant on Hubert's care and has no choice but to tolerate his presence. It's hard and unpleasant work Hubert only trusts upon himself, as he knows no one else will treat him like a human being, and less people will have the courage to share a room with someone like Max.
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> The weeks of interaction soften his character. Max becomes more agreeable and trusting the more he's exposed to basic kindness and his caretaker's warm cooked meals. When his leg has healed up, he's grown quite attached, yet Hubert remains unwilling to keep him. With Max being a dog at heart who doesn't particularly benefit from being treated like a person, Hubert knows he'll never be a suitable master for someone like him, as he cannot accept this truth. Seeing how much he enjoys being a pet, though, the best next course of action he can think of is to give the reformed wolfman up to a motivated owner. It beats dumping him in the woods.
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> At the vet's, the assistant offers to take him off his hands and call the pound for him, which he accepts with gratefulness. Max is leashed to a bolted ring in the waiting room's wall, which already dials up his anxiety, and Hubert says his goodbye without trying to give it more thought.
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> Outside, the shrieks of a dog seemingly getting skinned alive fill the neighbourhood. Max grieves Hubert's departure with a relentless volume.
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> Hubert turns the car key, but hesitates. Besides it being human nature to feel bothered by the sounds of a creature in distress, there's also worry he'll undo Max' progress by turning his back on him a third time. If he becomes a dog that cannot trust ever again, it would forever deprave him of his wish to have a human family.
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> With that, Hubert shuts off the engine and goes back inside. A whimpering Max greets him at the door and embraces him tightly, his tail wagging with a force that makes the both of them shake. He briefly bites his neck to express displeasure, making Hubert flinch slightly, but to silence his cries, he lies he never planned on leaving.
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> Max' affection for Hubert grows immensely, though there's no improvement in his character outside of that. His aggressiveness is still a worrisome fact. He knows to keep his teeth to himself, but growls at whatever comes too close for comfort, and Hubert has to remain nearby in order to keep him distracted from those he considers his enemy.
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> He's continuously pounced and licked by this unfortunately-shaped dog and cannot stop the daily assault on his body. The suddenness of it all makes him wonder if it's his love for him as a friend, or puberty acting up, since Max' age is not known to him. Since he's unpredictable and seldom listens to commands, he figures professional help is in order and signs him up for puppy training, but the other dogs are too bold and friendly for Max' liking and the first minutes of training end up in disaster. Students and teachers are viciously attacked, even with Hubert present.
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> They talk it over with him and attribute it to trauma, which their school is not equipped to deal with. They send the two away to look for more suited resources.
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> Hubert takes their remarks seriously and tries asking Max about his past life, but it's like asking a real animal: pointless. Not trusting his own capabilities to help him, he follows up on the puppy trainers' suggestion and drops him off at an institution for troubled humanoid dogs. As always, Max hates to be left behind and Hubert's attempts to comfort him are not understood, but this time, he knows he has to turn around if he wishes to give Max any chance at getting better.
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> A quiet, but notably boring month later, Hubert already receives a phone call from the institute and is asked to come over. They share with him the conclusion that Max cannot be reprogrammed and has to be put down. He doesm't accept this verdict and wants them to try harder, but the director insists he's a lethal danger to humans and animals, and no training will relieve him from his pent-up aggression. They can't determine whether he's born like this or past abuse is to blame, but she doubts it matters at this point.
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> The claim he's unsalvageable baffles Hubert, who managed to earn Max' friendship within weeks. He tells her this and asks if there's anything he can do to make him relax more. She mentions drugs and castration, but adds that it's unlikely to solve the core issue. He finds both options immoral and thus rejects them.
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> He asks if they already have a warrant out for his disposal, but she states that not to be something they do without informing the owner first. Upon hearing that, Hubert demands to have Max returned to him.
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> They arrive at his room, where the door is visibly getting kicked in from the other side. The staff suggests not to release him until he's tired himself out, but Hubert doesn't want to wait around in a facility that wants him killed.
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> Max is on a rampage and snarls with vitriol while the lock of his room is being fiddled with. As the door opens and Hubert enters, his face shifts. Max moans familiar whimpers and angrily -but with relief- bites and shakes Hubert's neck as punishment for being left behind. It alarms the staff, but Hubert ask them not to approach. When Max releases him, no blood is visible.
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> It's an unrecognizable version of the beast that terrorized them this long unfruitful month -much like how he was the first time he showed up. The director still advices to put him down, but Hubert has nothing to say to her casual ghastliness and walks off. Tired of wasting money, tired of abandoning someone in need of love and stability, he vows not to bother anymore and accept Max for who he is.
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> Back home, life resumes as normal, though Max' behaviour grows more severe. Hubert can seldom pass by him without getting slobbered or wrapped up in his limbs like a rat by a starving snake. Whenever he sits down, it's to be expected that the cheese string snack shows up to try and nest himself on top of him. Max becomes angry when others are given attention or Hubert is touched, regardless of context. It reminded him a bit of some of his exes.. just less extreme, lol.
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> Though he's made up his mind and won't subject him to any more training institutes or abandonment, he knows that to do nothing is foolish. He deduces Max needs a life that doesn't revolve around others, and more friends, preferably ones that better understand him.
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> Since Max is hostile and socially distant, he expects the best first step is to make use of the fact he's unfixed and find him an unfixed girlfriend. While this means he'll have another awkward roommate to feed, he entertains the possibility their independency could be increased by building them a miniature home in his garden. They're well-meant plans, but ones Max doesn't subscribe to, as none of the dogs they visit interest him. Seeing dog pounds casually caging up "humans" upsets Hubert as well, and so, their journey comes to a sad, early end.
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> One night on the couch, he attempts to ask Max why he's so fond of him, but like every other time he starts a conversation, he doesn't offer a spoken response, just warm smiles, wagging tails, and a lack of personal space. Not being able to connect with him on an intelligent level begins to upset him somewhat, and his disappointed face conveys as much. Max notices how he's not being pet and gives his master a contemplative stare.
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> A good few seconds pass, until a voice never heard before starts speaking. It's only the first word of a still unknown sentence, but upon hearing it, Hubert urges Max to keep on going in careful excitement. Max sees his smile, a first time, and feels quite motivated to obey.
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> His sentences are short and not complex, but still well-expressed. At the same time, the compliments Max gives Hubert paint a dreary look into the life he's lived prior. He expresses not getting kicked and being fed as factors that make him special in his eyes. Hubert replies that that's basic courtesy, which Max' expression doesn't seem to buy.
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> Now that he's talking, Hubert attempts to ask him about his past again, but it's a question he just doesn't seem to understand. He keeps dumbing it down and being more specific, until Max is finally able to answer a question; that of who his mother is. Though he struggles to recall anything, he eventually replies it was just the two of them for a little while, and remembers her faintly calling him "Valensia" as he was being taken away. Hubert decides not to force any more difficult questions on him and expresses they should change his name to that. Max says nothing. It's unlikely he cares either way.
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> Hubert adds he shouldn't be put on a pedestal because others treated him badly, but Max either doesn't understand the remark or doesn't take it seriously, as he offers no response and just lovingly places his head upon his chest with the intent to nap. A bit rude whilst they're in the middle of something, but alright.
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> Hubert decides to bring an end to the conversation as well and rubs Valensia's hairy head. The tip of his tail wags passionately in response.
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> To caress a tall skinny man like he's a lady friend will forever not be strange, but, this is not for himself, but for Valensia, who is just a dog. And despite everything, Hubert had to admit that he could relate to the addictiveness of being genuinely loved for the first time.
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> There was still alot of work to do, but it didn't feel so hopeless now.
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## Characters

### Hubert

Hubert is Valensia's reluctant owner. He's a middle-aged man who's witnessed the coming of the humanoid dogs as a child, the unending political discourse around them, and eventually, society's acceptance.

He thinks the keeping of humanoid dogs is cruel and it doesn't matter to him if dog and owner look happy with each other. He'd prefer if they embraced their human side more and worked towards a life of nonsubservient independence, and as such, was a proponent of a declined bill that planned to make them eligible for assisted housing. Despite all test subjects failing to thrive in this controlled setting, he still believes in it and planned to give Valensia his own space.

He's not the only one who thinks they're more intelligent than is claimed, but with real-life examples proving him wrong and most of the world embracing the creatures as normal pets, he lacks the confidence to try and make a difference.

Valensia makes Hubert uncomfortable and he didn't intent on keeping him, but was guilted into it. As he acts more like a dog than his peers do, Hubert goes through a constant moral struggle where he wishes to put him on equal footing, but notices it to be pointless effort and sometimes even hurt Valensia. He finds it difficult to give him what he needs without crossing his own boundaries, but despite the many annoyances, Hubert's intentions are genuine and he's protective over him.

With there being no records of his origin and past whereabouts, experts aren't sure whether to attribute any of Valensia's behaviour to nature or nurture, though Hubert chooses not to concern himself with the answer and discards the urgent requests to terminate him.

He's been married and divorced an embarrassing amount of times. His partners were career-focused, would shift their interest to other men, or possessed an insatiable need for attention -all matters Hubert had no control over, but was called responsible for by his exes. While he didn't recognize himself in their complaints and considered them hurtful attempts to rid themselves of accountability and him, they became a subconscious part of him; and he tries to steer clear from repeating his supposed mistakes, even though the motivation to find love or even establish a relationship has greatly dwindled over the years. He did not want to connect with Valensia, yet couldn't leave him behind.

Hubert has short sandy-blond hair, a beard, thick eyebrows, green eyes, and is relatively fit, though somewhat pudgy around the stomach. He mainly wears 70s and 80s clothing, with a preference for pants with patterns and thick woolly sweaters, if the weather allows for it.

### Valensia

Valensia, called "Max" for most of his life, is a humanoid dog. As a mutt, it's hard to discern his breed, though experts guess there to be a hint of Shepherd and Borzoi in his blood, based on certain physical traits. His age is uncertain.

He was cautious of Hubert, whose attempts of treating him like a normal person exposed him to a level of patience and respect he'd never received before, turning his distrust into smothering affection. This shift from one extreme emotion to another always baffled Hubert, and Valensia would eventually share his reasons for liking him and coincidentally reveal some things about his past -a topic he normally can't/doesn't talk about.

He's not enjoyed any type of affection throughout his life and was primarily used to play the part of an outdoors guard dog. He was raised by people who lean on the strong opposite side of the debate; where it's believed that a dog can never be human, and therefore, Valensia's kind shouldn't get special treatment over regular dogs. This group typically questions that humanoid dogs truly understand the mannerisms and language they copy from humans, which science has confirmed in some way.

Having that said, Valensia wasn't taught to speak, never granted a full set of clothes -if any- or given a basic level of care that humanoid dogs require.

He was born on the grounds of a sighthound breeding facility, from a separated, sickly mother. He managed to stay unnoticed for 3 human years by hiding inside a damaged wall on her request, since he was her only company.

While he was an unintended birth by default, a few other off-looking pups were also discovered, revealing that wild dogs had managed to break in unnoticed and approach the females. All unwanted additions were tied in a sack and beaten. Valensia was the only survivor to free himself.

His then second owner found him roaming about, mistaking him for a Shepherd and putting him to early use as guard dog for his farm. He gave him away after witnessing his growth spurt; as few can handle or feel safe around humanoid dogs that tower over them. Valensia's stunted social development earned him the uncharitable label of a problem case that had to be abused in order to make him submissive. It fed his misconduct, resulting into repeated abandonment in the form of getting sold off to a new owner.

Despite his overall act and life of neglect, he's intelligent and was able to teach himself English through listening to others, which his mother was able to do as well. He understands it fairly well, nevertheless, his vocabulary is minimal, making his sentences short, though grammatically correct.

Valensia officially starts speaking after Hubert wishes for it, but even with his help, his speech patterns hardly improve and many conversations reach a dead end. Humanoid dogs in general struggle to grasp the concept of words that come with their own concepts, like math terms, or answering matters that require them to dig deep inside their feelings or think back about a time that's long passed.

The primary use of his "dog voice" also makes his vocal cords hurt when using his "human voice", as both sound nothing alike and the latter is more complex.

Valensia is tall and lanky, with a featheriness to him that makes it not impossible for a person with good grip and above average strength to hold him down. His flexibility and strong jaws don't make many want to try.

He has light-brown eyes, fangs, sharp black nails on his hands and feet, a large pointy nose, small pointed dog ears, a slender tail that forms thick curls near the tip, and bulky black hair with a fluffy brown undercoat and a snipped undercut. As kept humanoid dogs are commonly well-groomed, his haircut looks like a rush job that was performed out of necessity.

During the first weeks under Hubert's care, he's given a basic set of clothes designed for humanoid dogs. These tend to be simple, fitting, stain-proof tops with mid to short sleeves and velcro pants with a pleated slit at the front and back for the dog to go to the bathroom unassisted and leave their tail out. Footwear tends to be toeless leathery bands with sole rubbers, meant to replicate pads.

Further in time, Hubert buys him normal sweaters and blouses that rarely stay clean.