[There's a sigh emanating from the other end of the vine.] ...I'm talking into a plant. Great. Wish I could say this was the weirdest thing that ever happened to me, but what the fuck ever.

May as well just make myself comfortable until I wake up or the cavalry gets here. Whichever comes first. You guys have fun with your whole hippie commune thing you got going here.

[There's one more annoyed grunt, and the distinct sound of a flower being crushed before cutting out. She's not in the most talkative mood, clearly.]

[The vine has suddenly decided to tune in to its newest arrival!

... a redhead that seems to be sleeping comfortably on the ground. So comfortably that she is actually snoring and... is that drool on the side of her mouth? Yes. Yes it is.

Wait, it looks like she’s finally going to wake up!]

Don’t you worry anymore! I, Hong Meiling, will not let anything happen to this land I love!

[Or it could be that she’s decided to talk in her sleep.]

As long as I remain on guard, no harm will befall Gensokyo and its residents.

[What is she even dreaming about? Must be something pretty exciting, given how she’s raising her fist in the air. Fortunately, she wakes up before embarrassing herself any further.

She sits up, eyes half open, looking positively groggy.]

... Huh?

[Meiling finally begins to realize that something isn’t quite right.]

This isn’t the mansion. [An astounding observation.] Where is...?

Mistress? Lady Sakuya?

Where did you all go?!

[Looking more and more worried now.]

I-I wasn’t sleeping or slacking off! Honest!

[... right.]

Why am I wearing this dress?

[ooc: tags will be slower than normal for me but I shall get to them as soon as I can!]

[Hello, Gardeners. It's not so unusual seeing a new person on the Vine, is it? It's usually the first stop on one's "figure out what even the fuck" tour, after all. What's probably less common is seeing a new person that... doesn't really seem confused. At all.

Rather? This one just seems irritable as hell.

She stares uncompromisingly into the recording node... frond... thing, holds up her greeting scroll, and says only two words... although, has a response so brief ever sounded so exasperated? I wonder.]

I decline.