Tales of Tribulation

4

They sit at the cafeteria tables, Ciel eating his chocolate, staring Sebastian dead in the eyes. He rubs the back of his neck... this is more confrontation than he was expecting. He tries to think of her front he put up around Ciel earlier, but that was just his butler personality. Shit, now his entire shitty self is gonna be exposed. "Well?" Ciel asks, sounding unimpressed. He's disappointed, but it's like a 'oh, that's what you consider adequate?!' Kind of disappointment. The song of the disaffected wealthy youth. "I assume there's a reason you wanted to sit with me?"

"Why, you wanna return to those deserving pariahs," Sebastian nods in the direction of Ciel's old table, his lunchtime 'friend group' where Alois is glomping the chair. Ciel winces at their cringe behaviour, it's even worse when looking in.

"No," He admits. "Honestly, I'd rather be alone,"

"Being alone is bullshit," Sebastian scoffs, taking out some tobacco from the pack stuffed in the pouch of his backpack. He rolls it between his fingers. "That loner shit isn't going to get you anywhere. You, Ciel Phantomhive have a thing for power and authority. What, you wanna rule all alone over an empty domain? You wanna have power over nobody?"

"What are you getting at?"

Sebastian smirks. "The King must make sacrifices to win. But if the king ends up all alone, it's vulnerable no matter what,"

"That doesn't make sense," Ciel snorts, amused by this servant's stupidity. "It's a draw if there are only two kings left,"

"Ah, but the other player," he points to himself. "Has the Bishop - Vincent, the Rook - Agni, the Queen - Grell, duh - and the pawn - Adrian. I can get a checkmate - while the King remains powerless. You don't like being powerless, do you Ciel?"

The Year 9 remains silent. Did his entire philosophy just get dismantled by an underclass brat? A servant no less!

"I know you don't. So, convert me. Make me your piece - your Queen, possibly. And use me to your advantage," Sebastian's voice falls sultry, and he licks his lips, staring down at Ciel with newfound confidence. Smooth... he praises himself. "For if the King falls, his game is over,"

Ciel laughs into his chocolate bar. "Okay, okay, that was amusing," he admits with a smirk. "I know all about you by the way. My brother's been friends with you since primary, I know all about you,"

"Do you?" Sebastian shakes his head. "Go ahead, impress me with your knowledge,"

"Very well," Ciel smirks cruelly. This is his time to shine, and he isn't holding back. He can be as ruthless as he wants. If Sebastian can't handle it then he's not worth his time. "Your Daddy is a drunk who beats you, and your dearest Mummy is a junkie. Those scars, I bet you say they're self harm? Nope, your mother put cigarettes out on you when you were a baby, you don't have the ambition to self-harm cause you're just another degenerate product of underclass culture. Am I wrong?"

Sebastian leans back in his seat, cigarette-burn-exposed arms giving Ciel a slow clap. Clap. Clap. Drawn out. "Impressive. But you forgot one important thing, you aren't Mr Perfect?"

"How So?"

"Like you say, I've been friends with Vincent since primary and who doesn't shit on their little brother when they have the chance," he grins. "Your grades are so bad he's asked me, the underclass brat, to tutor you. There - does that sting, Ciel Phantomhive?"

Ciel's face turns bright red. Bitch. Sure, he's never been as smart as Vincent. He's making a D average and only set to do 7 GCSEs next year, Vincent did 14 and got 10 A*s. But... Shit, he doesn't have a retort. So he does the only thing he can think of, and slaps Sebastian hard, making his ring cut the taller boy's cheekbone. "Mmmm," Sebastian swipes the blood onto his thumb, sucking on it. "Kinky,"