[Dr. Paine]

smol bump

[Eiloh]

reserve aaaa

[Dr. Paine]

-prods this up but the last message was wrong shep can't math-

[nice]

_______________________________________________________________________

I was following the pack

_______________________________________________________________________

Username:

gizcow

_______________________________________________________________________

all swallowed in their coats,

_______________________________________________________________________

Mako name:

Templeton

_______________________________________________________________________

with scarves of red, tied round their throats,

_______________________________________________________________________

Gender:

Male

_______________________________________________________________________

to keep their little heads from falling in the snow,

_______________________________________________________________________

Favorite winter memory:

The memories washed over him like a strong, unforgiving wave, covering him in emotions, drowning him. If this is what drowning feels like, he thought silently, I wouldn't mind it. And he meant that. These memories, that actually felt real, rarely came back.

The memory wasn't that vivid, as usual. But it was there, seeing it replay in his mind, he didn't want to let it go. These memories made him feel real.

• • •

Templeton quite liked the weather during the winter, the beautiful snow that covered the world around him in a shivering blanket. Snowflakes blew around him and clung to him, instantly melting against his fur. He stopped to look around and bask in the sight, forgetting for a second that Alix was with him.

Alix, on the other hand, hated the freezing weather. He could tolerate the cold, but not nasty snow. Though, he still went with Templeton on these little journeys, of course. They had this connection that no one else could understand.

Alix huffed, causing a little puff of white air to blow from his mouth and nose. He had a red blanket wrapped tightly around him, hoping to shield most of the snow away. They walked through the snow, having a small chat about what the river would be like, who would be brave enough to walk on it, or even prance on it.

A large gust of wind suddenly hit, throwing them down. They ducked, hoping that it wouldn't somehow pull them off the ground.

It seemed to calm down after a few seconds, so they stood back up cautiously. Templeton began to laugh nervously, until he noticed that Alix's blanket was nowhere to be seen. Alix spotted it high up in a tree, out of reach.

Templeton peered up at it, then moved closer to the tree. "I could get it down. Give me a boost." Alix shook his head, refusing to put his friend in some sort of danger. Templeton groaned in frustration. "If I fall, I'll land safely on this nice, soft snow." He patted it to give emphasis. "Alix, give me a boost and I will get your blanket."

Alix sighed. He crawled under his friend, then lifted, hoisting Templeton higher.

Templeton grunted, reaching for the blanket. He swatted at it until he finally caught one of his claws in it, then began to pull. Alix had lost his footing and slipped, sending Templeton tumbling. He tried to pull the blanket down with him, but it ripped against the tree trunk, leaving only a strip.

Alix shook his head. "No more of that. I can get another blanket; you can't get another neck if you happen to break it."

Templeton laughed, staring down at the strip of the bright red fabric. Alix watched him eye it, then said gently, "I want you to have that."

Templeton looked up at his friend, and a tear fell down his cheek for some reason.

And then the memory faded.

(499/500)

_______________________________________________________________________

and I turned 'round,

_______________________________________________________________________

Deepest fear:

He jolted awake and took a shaky breath, peering through the darkness. He sat still for a few minutes, gulping in air. It took him a while to realize that he wasn't in the dream itself, at this moment, but what he couldn't wrap his mind around was if the dream was a real memory, or just, a dream. He struggled with this almost every night, having these realistic dreams that seem to be from his past. Sometimes they are, sometimes they aren't. He can't seem to trust his dreams, his own mind.

The dream faded quickly, disappearing quickly. Not completely, though. He remembered bits and pieces; him and another Mako eating some sweet fruit, and walking together through some thick snow. They were happy. This particular Mako appeared in many of his dreams, so Templeton figured he was real. But where was this mako that seemed so important to him?

Templeton cried silently. He hated himself. He felt useless, wishing he could talk to that Mako that always popped in his dreams and memories, ask him what happened. He glanced down at the red fabric around his neck. It seemed to comfort him when he had these breakdowns, which he had quite frequently. He lifted it to his face and wiped his tears. The scarf made his heart feel warm, a feeling he didn't come across that often. He pulled on it, securing it tightly around his neck.

Templeton is afraid that someday, he will forget himself completely. There are still some things that he remembers, the things that seem unforgettable. His name, his age. But at the same time, those things seem faded, foggy in his mind, and he is sure that one day he will wake up and not know who he is. There are many things that seem unforgettable, but when they're finally forgotten, they're gone forever, dissolved in the black hole of memories.

He doesn't want to forget, but it's simply impossible. Someday, him and his mind will fade to dust, and he will forget who he is, and what it's like to be civil. He will become a wild animal, untamed, broken inside. His eyes will be black, empty and merciless. His face will show no emotion except for the hatred he feels, but he won't know why he feels that. His scarf will be tattered and dirty, just like him. Templeton doesn't want this day to come, but it seems near.

He doesn't want to forget. He doesn't want to be forgotten; but it seems too late for that.

(426/500)

_______________________________________________________________________

and there you go...

_______________________________________________________________________

Extra:

History

It was one of those days where the sun was shining through the clouds, yet the temperature was freezing and everything was covered in snow that was about half a foot deep. The sun didn't shine bright enough to melt the snow, but it made everything sparkle, causing the world to look even more beautiful. Branches of the naked trees remained frozen and slick, though there were still a few squirrels and birds tiptoeing on the shiny surfaces curiously. None of them had seen the sun shine in a while, they were so used to the blizzards and hail that crashed into them. The sun warmly welcomed them outside. It seemed to try its hardest to melt the snow for the creatures of these woods, but it just wasn't enough.

Templeton didn't want the snow to melt, though. It was one of his favorite things to do; to come outside and enjoy the chilling feeling of the snow beneath his paws, the sun shining perfectly enough to make everything sparkle like in a fantasy, the giddy joy of kicking the snow and licking it like a child. Everything about it was beautiful. He appreciated the beautiful things in life, clung to them and refused to let them go.

He stepped through the snow easily, while his best friend Alix had trouble, being how small he was. Alix had to do a little leap every time he stepped, grunting each time. Templeton watched his friend, amused. "You know, I can carry you if you'd like."

Alix rolled his eyes and hopped through the snow, ignoring Templeton. They walked in the woods almost every day, so it wasn't really something new. Templeton insisted that they appreciate the simple beauty, though Alix didn't really care about those things. But he still went with Templeton, mostly because they did pretty much everything together, and they were about inseparable.

Templeton peered up at the sky, observing the clouds and sun. He deeply hoped that the snow wouldn't melt, glaring at the sun, maybe trying to scare it off. When the snow melt, the grass was dry and rough, and it hurt his paws. He was used to the soft snow, yeah it was cold and it made his paws numb, but it was comforting. He felt selfish for wishing for the snow to stay, since Alix hated it, but he couldn't push the thoughts away.

Templeton looked down at his scarf, a smile playing at his lips. He tugged on the end, securing it tighter around his neck, and nudged Alix. "You know, strawberry season is coming up." Alix's eyes widened, while both of their stomach's growled. Templeton loved strawberries just as much as his friend, but he dreaded that the summer was peeking around the corner. They spent their summers together, feasting on the juicy fruits, while they chatted about random things. The summers were beautiful, too. Mostly because they spent them together.

Templeton pranced through the snow, a sudden joy taking over his body. Alix stared at him, with a goofy grin on his face. He joined his friend in his prancing, their yelps and calls echoing through the woods. They danced.

• • •

Templeton and Alix began to head home. They were exhausted, and it was getting late. But Templeton had a bit of energy and mischief left running through his body. The sun was almost down now, but he wasn't ready for the day to end.

He glanced at his friend with a smug grin. "Wanna check out the river?" he asked playfully.

Alix looked at Templeton nervously. "What do you mean..? We need to get home. The temperature will be dropping pretty soon."

Templeton shooed the thoughts away. "It'll be fine. I want to go there before it all melts. Come on, you don't have to walk on it with me."

Alix looked at his friend, shocked. "You're actually going to walk on it? You know how dangerous that is at this time?"

Templeton grinned, trying to look dangerous, but ended up looking like a dork. "Danger is my middle name. Well, I don't have a middle name, but I can make that my middle name." He took off running towards the direction of the river. Alix sighed irritatedly, and ran after his friend to catch up, though it was impossible with his short legs.

The river was still covered in ice. It was miles long, and pretty deep. Templeton smiled, taking in the pretty sight of the setting sun glowing on the frozen river.

He began to step out. Alix held his breath, then called out, "Templeton, please! You're going to get hurt."

Templeton ignored him, and put his full weight on the ice. He walked out a few feet, slipping a bit, then looked back at Alix. "See? It's fine."

He began to run. He loved sliding on the ice, running faster, feeling free.

Suddenly, Templeton hit a crack in the ice. His foot caught on it, causing him to flip over and fall back down on the ice, hard. He heard a crack, then blacked out.

• • •

He woke up freezing and confused, and drenched in water. A face stared down at him, calling his name, a foggy face, going in and out of focus. Templeton blinked, and his eyes were almost frozen shut. He shivered hard, his whole body shaking.

The face's voice got louder, giving Templeton a headache. This was another Mako. Though Templeton had no idea who, and why they were here with him. And why he was soaked, and almost frozen to death.

Templeton gasped, not even realizing he was barely breathing. The Mako staring down at him licked his face, probably trying to warm him. Templeton choked out, "Who.. Who are-"

He passed out again.

(960/1000)

[Dr. Paine]

WHOOP sorry it got busy around Shep's house I totally lost track of the day

CLOSED FOR JUDGING

[Relicarn]

Good luck everyone!!

[Dr. Paine]

Alright, this one was a really tough call, and came down between Azael and gizcow's forms! Both of them were extremely engaging and had great characterization

But in the end, I am awarding this Mako to gizcow! Templeton's story was extremely interesting, and I felt pretty hard for the poor guy being so afraid of forgetting things/being forgotten D:

Enjoy! And to everyone else, best of luck on your future Makos

[Eiloh]

congrats aaaa

[Relicarn]

Congrats gizcow
You can have the art I did as soon as I put my sig on it ^-^

[nice]

hhhhh thank you so much! I had a lot of fun writing my story and reading everyone else's, and I'm surprised I won because everyone else's were so good ;v;

ahhh I'm so excited to own Templeton and spoil him qq but yeah I just woke up and this already made my day. thank you Commander Shepard <3 and thank you for the congrats!