A short stay in Spain [Airi, Mirja]

Airi looked around in wonder as she made her way down the ancient cobbled street she'd been dropped off on. She just caught the taxi pulling away in the corner of her eye before it sped around the corner and out of view, leaving her to her own devices. Spain was like nothing she'd ever seen before, and she couldn't help but walk at a slow pace as she admired all of the old buildings she passed by. There was something different about these types of buildings. They had so much more character than the bland, drab skyscrapers she'd become accustomed to. Of course with the passing of time some modern building had been built here as well, but they didn't catch Airi's attention the same way. It made the whole place seem alive, and Airi found herself smiling as she continued to wander aimlessly, letting her hand scrape against the stone wall of the building she was currently walking past.

She'd left home months ago, but in that time she'd made no progress towards accomplishing her goal, the very reason she'd left in the first place. This had been eating at Airi recently, but with the change of pace and scenery she was able to relax for a while. She'd build up the courage to approach the vanguard after her time in Spain. She could feel it. She'd always been a brave girl, but she was so invested in joining the vanguard she truly didn't know what she would do if she were to be turned away. As she continued to wander all traces of those negative thoughts vanished from her mind, and Airi began to look around, unsure of where her feet had taken her.

As she did so, Airi found that the area she was in now was much more populated than the street she'd been dropped off on. She was standing at the end of a different road at the moment, studying the plaza that sprawled out in front of her. People filled the center, chatting and generally having a good time. To her left Airi could see several small cafes and restaurants, as well as a few clothing shops. To the right were slightly more upscale stores selling a variety of jewelry and other precious things. Some of the people she saw seemed to be simply making their way through the plaza, and they moved much faster than the others. On the opposite side of the plaza though was the thing that had really caught her eye. A large stone building loomed over the entirety of the plaza, spired towers adorning both sides. The entrance was a gargantuan pointed arch whose equally sized double doors were currently flung wide open, and Airi didn't think she could resist taking a look inside. She wasn't quite sure how she'd gotten here, but it didn't matter much. She'd had no idea where she'd been in the first place, so it wasn't like she could get any more lost.

Taking her first steps into the plaza Airi began making her way towards the building that had caught her interest. She had a bit of a harder time than she'd imagined, as the crowd didn't seem to want to let her by. In the end she just had to be more assertive though, and once she was moving it became easier. It didn't take her long to reach the building, but she didn't enter yet. Instead she stood frozen in place, looking up at the towers that rose far above her head. For some reason she felt hesitant now that she was so close.