text: So idk if this is really that good or not. I just like stories like this they're so creative and it's interesting seeing a different perspective of humanity from someone else. I wanted to kind of explore what it would really mean to switch species so rapidly especially one so drastic going from a dog to a human. I sort of got inspired by family guy cuz you know talking dog so there might be a few references to it but not anything big. I also used the surgery from flowers for algernon to explain why Brian adjusted to the human world so quickly. But anyway without further ado here's the story if you like please comment or upvote if not tell me what I can do better and I'll do my best to fix it. BRIAN This wasn’t what he imagined when he discovered he had become a human. No this was not at all what he thought being human would be like. He still remembered that day how could he not it was the day he had in essence been born. He used to be a dog before the transformation well not quite a dog yet back then he was around 17 months in dog years but in human years in his late teens. When he stepped out of the small room where he had been transformed in he was surprised to see how young he was. Why in dog years he was just a few months away from becoming a dog and therefore taking over the responsibility of pack leader. It was a great honor to be a pack leader passed down from generation to generation their duty was to protect their family and home guarding it with their life and making sure everything was running smoothly. The closest thing he could compare it to in human terms would be a kind of chief like the ones who in the past before cities and towns developed who would watch over his people making important decisions and keeping his people safe. His father pack leader or rather the formal pack leader he should say was in his opinion terrible at his job and was a disgrace to the position. He wouldn’t help anyone else on the farm preferring to spend his days drinking weird-smelling water that he stole from the farmer and abandoning his duty to at least stay near the farm to hunt in the woods ten miles from any sign of civilization. He clenched his teeth at the memory of his father and wished for the millionth time that he could go back and dethrone him leaving the spot open for one of his brothers to take. He didn’t want to be pack leader at least no anymore. The human world for all it’s faults had opened his eyes and let him discover exactly how beautiful and exciting it really was. It made him smile sometimes at just how far he had come from the small puppy that was blind to anything but the farm and never even thought of leaving it to explore what else was out there to a human that was what many saw as an educated, handsome and polite young man. He had done a great many things in his nine years as a human. The man who invented the machine and in a sense created Brian had after two days to see if any accidental side effects or problems with changing a dog to a human elected to do an experimental surgery on him would increase his intelligence and make it so his brain would pick up on things quickly thereby making it so by the time he was ready to reverse the surgery and put him back to a normal human state he would have already learned enough about being human to function normally in society without anything that would point to him changing species at any time in his life. When he awoke from the second surgery two weeks later it was like he was a whole new person. Well not entirely a new person rather it was like he had suddenly gained a ton of new skills in such a short time that to the untrained eye it would seem like he was a new person. But he wasn’t he still had the same personality and traits he had as a dog just adjusted to fit his new human form. He was still just as loyal and protective as he was before only now it was a little bit dulled and confined to a select few people that he privately thought of as family considering his actual family had probably died off long ago. It wasn’t like he would know he hadn’t been back to the farm since his transformation not really seeing the point if they couldn’t understand him. In the back of his mind however he had a small lingering fear that the farm would be too different now after so much time had past all the animals being traded in for new ones the barn having new hay inside and perhaps a fresh coat of paint if the farmers grandkids decided to once they’ve inherited it after his passing. He was perfectly happy holding on to the memory of his past life not wanting it to be tainted by the new reality of the place. Deciding he was done with reminiscing on his past and that he'd really ought to pay attention to his present after all he had been invited to the opening of this gallery it would be a waste if he didn’t at least observe the pieces and strike up a conversation with some of the other patrons. He looked down at his glass of wine swirling it around in a lazy manner. He hated the stuff too bitter and fruity for his taste but it was served at events like these and he didn’t really care enough to ask for something different. He quickly scanned the room trying to find someone that might not mind his sad attempts at making small talk. That was one thing that he had never gotten rid of. He knew no matter how much he tried no matter how many classes he took and how many books he read he would never fully pass as a human. Even though he tried with educating himself (having to sacrifice his monthly check from Stewie the man who created him as what he called compensation for the trauma of swapping species without consent he didn’t really understand why he still sent him the money considering the fact that he clearly wasn’t traumatized by the ordeal and had even thanked the man quite a few times for bringing him into this strange new world but regardless he was happy enough with the money it paid for his education and what was left of it was more than enough for rent and basic necessities.) Dressing the part in many different types of clothes something he was still a little confused over (why did humans have to have so many different clothes seriously this one was for fancy events, this one was for dancing, this one was for outside and don’t even get him started on the gender thing. Why did it matter what was in their pants what did that have to do with the drapes of cloth they wore over their strange bipedal frame. It was too much of a headache for him to unravel the mystery of human clothing customs so he pawned off the responsibility to Stewie who luckily had a hobby of designing and shopping for outfits.) He kept his body in good shape as well wanting to make sure this body he had been gifted with would last as long as possible. (He actually didn’t mind this one playing sports was fun and reminded him of running through the forest and hunting a particularly clever squirrel or if he was lucky a rabbit.) He was pulled out of his thoughts by someone calling out his name. “Brian! I didn’t know you were here. I’m so glad you came. Are you enjoying the wine?” Brian smiled politely and felt himself beginning to relax. It was Tony one of the few people he called a friend and the only one he could actually have a conversation with without worrying if they thought him weird. “Hey Tony I just got here an hour ago where’ve you been I was starting to think I'd have to talk to these stuck up blue bloods that wouldn’t know Hemingway from Dickinson.” At this Tony laughed “Ah Brian you haven’t changed a bit. Oh I heard about your play a passing fancy good God man how do you do it I mean a five-star review from the New York theatre league, a sold-out house for weeks, and I heard even Oprah was talking about it on her show.” Brian rolled his eyes. “Oh really Oprah's shilling it now wow what a big accomplishment I’ve really made it now soon the seat'll be packed with wine drunk stay-at-home moms that follow the words of Oprah and Doctor Phil like they were Gospel.” Tony slung his arm around Brian's shoulder “Ah come on don’t be like that. Enjoy your success for once stop being so trapped in that big brain of yours and focus on the good parts of your work. I swear you get so caught up in the details and mistakes that aren’t there you can’t see what’s right in front of you. If I had half your talent I'd be filthy rich living it up in Hollywood going to parties every day of the week.” Brian chuckled softly as to not draw anymore attention to themselves even though Tony had a habit of stealing the show no matter where he went. Maybe that was why he was so drawn to him that tranquil spring day they met in advanced philosophy all those years ago only a year after he had first transformed. “Well some of us are more happy without millions of eyes on us and being surrounded by adoring fans that just want you for the money and your reputation. Besides I have enough money I’m not really inclined to get trapped in the capitalist system of greed and keeping up with the Joneses.” Tony let out a loud hyena sounding laugh clearly not caring if people stared and gossiped about them afterwards. “Oh Brian so shy and noble its one of the things I love about you but seriously man live in the moment for once you don’t have to run everything through an extreme moral and ethical test before you try it. Just have fun for once enjoy what you have and don’t dwell on what could have been. At least let me take you out to lunch and celebrate my treat I’ll even let you pick as long as it’s not that nasty burger place I swear I don’t know why you love that place so much they stuff their burgers to the brim with meat and then drown the thing in their secret sauce which is just cheesy barbecue sauce.” Brian shoved him playfully. “Hey they’re not that bad besides I know you like their fries and they have the best pies.” Tony smiled glad to see his friend finally lighten up a little bit too much time in that head of his would drive anyone crazy. “Ok ok I admit it they do have good fries and those pies are heaven but I still say the burgers are shit. Come on we can go after this boring things over. I thought this place was supposed to have good art and new pieces from talented newbies all I’m seeing is the same old paintings and statues I’ve seen millions of times in every art gallery in history. Seriously would it kill them to do something original for once I thought that was one of the most important parts of art doing something new and unique not just repeat what someone else did.” As Brian stood there listening to his friends mildly drunk rant about the sad state of the art industry and how it was a great injustice that they were removing all creative arts classes in schools replacing them with more test prep lessons and STEM courses he felt relaxed, happy almost. No wait definitely happy he could feel his foot tapping on the tile floor making quick taps that sounded like small pebbles hitting a glass windowpane. Foot tapping had been translated from tail wagging in the shift from dog to human. When he was sitting down his leg would shake instead rocking the whole table if he were sitting at one. Tony teased him saying he felt like an earthquake was happening every time he was happy. But Brian knew he didn’t mind just like he didn’t mind the long tangents he went into sometimes about whatever had caught his eye or more often than not his wrath. He grinned as he listened to Tony making some obviously well rehearsed but no less eloquent and captivating points about how important art was to the world and how more people needed to understand just how valuable it really was. Maybe even though it wasn’t what he expected being human would be like he got the feeling that this was where he was supposed to be.