ORIGIN

Calazeth found that he didn't really have a ton of time to play, between making a home, looking for food, getting lost, and finding his way home again. He'd settled in a little cave at the base of Ursa Minor that was warm and cozy, but the landscape of Ursa was so unfortunately similar all around that he frequently got lost while out foraging. It had become a nearly daily occurrence that he liked to think he was getting more and more familiar with the area. And it was only until today, nearly a cycle after hatching, that they recognized some of the rocks and the trails through the snow and made it back to the entrance of their cave before they'd wandered so far they'd become utterly exhausted. They stepped into their cave for a moment, proud of himself for his accomplishment, set his leftovers down, before he turned back out. Now, how to spend the rest of the day...

A concept came to him. He didn't have anymore work to do. He was full, he had food for later, and he had a good amount of energy left. He could actually enjoy his time. All the work looking for food had paid off - he had time to kill.

A paw came up out of the snow, kicking it over. He'd always really seen snow as something to be pushed through, hindering a walk, but as he tossed a bit into the air, he really was able to see how pretty it is. It sparkled and drifted slowly in front of him, eyes following each flake as they fell to the ground. Another kick and another puff of snow.

A moment later, the creature was kicking and jumping and bouncing around in the snow, kicking up drifts and diving into the banks, tossing snow all over the place and generally acting incredibly silly, overcome with the utter joy of playing in the snow for the first time.