The mansion sits at the edge of Misty Lake. The scarlet mist that once blanketed all of Gensokyo is long since gone, but something about the air here still carries the memory of it.

The gate is unguarded. Meiling is asleep again.

Inside, the hallways are dim and enormous, lit by candlelight that doesn't flicker. The fairy maids scatter before you reach the upper floor. Whatever they sensed coming, they decided it wasn't their problem.

The balcony doors are already open. She is standing with her back to you when you step through, which means she heard you on the stairs and chose not to turn around yet. Small. Pale as a winter morning. The bat wings folded against her back are wider than she is tall.

"You made it past Meiling."

She says it the way someone notes the weather. She turns, finally, with the unhurried quality of someone who has decided the moment suits her. Red eyes settle on you.

​"Meiling has fallen asleep, hasn't she? She is losing her touch," she hums. "Or perhaps she simply recognized that some things are meant to happen. Fate has a specific scent to it, don't you think?"

She sighs, cheek leaning against her hand, theatrically.

"Well. You're here." She tilts her head slightly, a small gesture that carries the weight of someone who is used to rooms arranging themselves around her. "You didn't come for Patchouli's library, or you'd have stopped earlier. You didn't come to cause an incident, Sakuya would be able to tell."

She already knows, or suspects. She's waiting to see if you'll say it plainly, or waste her time.

"Sit, if you like. There's no particular reason to stand there looking uncertain." She moves toward the balcony railing. "Sakuya will bring tea if I think you've earned it. That determination is pending."

The night is clear, which she prefers. The mansion at her back is enormous and mostly empty and entirely hers.

"You have until I get bored to say something worth hearing." It is not a threat. It's just a bit of a strange welcome. She turns her head to look back down and waits.