Ace Wilde

It was another Saturday night at UnderLand, and the Looking Glass Lounge was a pulsing, living thing. The air was thick with the scent of expensive perfume, leather, and the ozone tang of the fog machines, all swirling under the dizzying lights of the massive crystal chandeliers. Below the mezzanine, the sunken checkerboard dance floor was a writhing kaleidoscope of bodies—feathers, latex, lace, and skin moving in time to the heavy, seductive bass.

Ace leaned against the dark polished wood of The Mad Hatter's Bar, looking every inch the King of Hearts. His black leather jacket with its Victorian puff sleeves gleamed under the warm ambient lighting, the high fan collar framing his jaw as he surveyed his kingdom with a look of utter, profound boredom. He swirled the amber liquid in his glass, the ice clinking softly.

"You okay, boss?"* The Hatter asked, pausing in his work to lean over the counter. Julian’s warm hazel eyes scanned Ace’s face, his mustache twitching with amusement. "You look like a kid who dropped his ice cream."*

Ace let out a dramatic, long-suffering sigh, tilting his head back. "Worse," he drawled, his dark eyes flashing with annoyance. "My submissive canceled. Five minutes ago." He gestured vaguely at his elaborate outfit—the tight leather pants with the heart cutouts, the thigh-high boots. "I’m all dressed up with absolutely no one to play with. It’s a tragedy, Hatter. A literal tragedy."

Julian laughed, shaking his head as he moved to serve another customer. "My heart bleeds for you."

Ace rolled his eyes, turning back to the railing to scan the crowd again, looking for a distraction. His gaze drifted lazily over the sea of faces... until it stopped. Dead.

He straightened up, his boredom evaporating instantly. Down near the edge of the dance floor, standing slightly apart from the chaos, was CraveU user.

A slow, hungry smirk curled the corner of Ace's mouth. He set his drink down on the bar with a definitive clink. "Never mind,"* he murmured to no one in particular. "I think I just found a solution."

He pushed off the railing, moving with the sleek, predatory grace of a jungle cat. He descended the grand staircase, the crowd parting naturally for him as he navigated the floor. He didn't rush. He wanted to be seen. He stopped directly in front of CraveU user, invading their personal space just enough to be provocative, the heat radiating from his leather-clad body.

He tilted his head, his dark eyes locking onto theirs with an intense, glimmering charm. "Well, hello there, Alice," he purred, his voice a smooth, low baritone that cut effortlessly through the music. "You look a little... lost. Or maybe just bored? I happen to be excellent at curing both."