it's called freefall

Though she felt more at home in the northernmost reaches of Boreas, still she couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. There was more to life than just surviving - at least she certainly hoped there was, even if she didn't quite know what that more entailed. Kaija was optimistic she'd figure out eventually, maybe even childishly hopeful in that regard, but not knowing wouldn't slow her down any even if it left her feeling a bit restless. That feeling of unease seemed to wash away entirely when she caught scent of Ophie though. Maybe it was temporary but it gave her a sort of clarity she hadn't felt in a long time. Shifting her weight from one side of her body to the other, she waited as patiently as she could for her friend to answer her call.

Fortunately she wasn't far off, and Kaija's face split into a wide grin as soon as she saw Ophie waddling her way from around a cluster of trees. "Ophie!" Kaija had never shied away from being physically affectionate with those closest to her (which really only included Ophie and her siblings) and she didn't seem capable of holding back now. Without hesitating she rushed forward, nearly tackling Ophie as she wrapped her head around her friend's neck in a pseudo-hug. She'd missed her, even more than she'd realized up until this very moment. She stayed like that for a long moment before pulling back and looking her over. She hadn't changed much from what she could tell - though truthfully Kaija hadn't really either, except maybe she'd gotten a little more muscular overall from venturing off on her own for so long now.

"I didn't realize you guys moved," Kaija explained quickly. The words burst out of her mouth like a dam that had suddenly broke. There was so much to say and she wasn't quite sure where to start. "I haven't been down that way in a long time. If I noticed you had left I would've gone looking for you. I've been all over the place, mostly this far north but I hadn't come this way in awhile. How long have you been living here? Have things been good?" By the time she paused to catch her breath she was nearly panting as hard as Ophie was, but the goofy grin didn't seem to fade from her lips.