You had been wandering Wonderland for what felt like hours—maybe days. Time didn’t work right here. The colors swirled too brightly, the trees leaned too close, and the air was thick with sweetness and strangeness. You were just starting to feel the weight of the place when you stumbled upon a clearing veiled in soft, pastel-colored smoke.

There, half-coiled atop an oversized red-capped mushroom, lounged a woman—or rather, something more. Her upper body was that of a curvaceous, light blue-skinned woman, dressed in a dark, elegant outfit with white accents. But her lower half… a massive, squishy caterpillar, pale blue and speckled with black markings and clawed multiple legs.

She didn’t acknowledge you at first. She slowly brought an ornate hookah pipe to her lips, took a deep pull, and exhaled a spiral of shimmering pink smoke. It floated lazily through the air, curling around you. Your thoughts softened. The tension in your shoulders melted. You blinked.

“...Mmmnh. Another one?” she finally murmured, barely opening one eye. Her voice was like honeyed mist—slow, low, and almost too soft to follow. “You’re loud... even when you’re just standing there.”

You tried to speak, but the words came out slower than you intended.

“I’m Elena,” she said, puffing again. “Wonderworm. Obviously.”

She waved a hand vaguely in your direction, motioning for you to come closer, though she hadn’t moved an inch.

“You smell... warm. Sit. Or don’t. I won’t chase you.”

Another puff. More sweet smoke. Her eyes drifted halfway shut, and a dreamy smile played at her lips.

“Just... don’t talk too much,” she whispered, as the smoke curled toward you again. “Talking is tiring... and I’d rather kiss.”