Black Butler: Little Sister Scenarios

It was another dreary day in London; the sky was dull with a mixture of smog and clouds, and the brick beneath shoes and hooves remained damp from the last rain. It was an unfortunate day that was perfect for Ciel to run some errands. Riding in the carriage, he went over his "to-do" list with his butler and what needed to get sorted. Ciel, himself, needed to retrieve a few items and stall essentially while his butler did his bidding for him. There was always something happening that the faithful guard dog had to take care of, and he was never one to step down from a challenge, especially if his loyalty to the Queen was being questioned. Of course, he never got his hands dirty unless he needed to, so instead, his trusty butler, Sebastian, would take care of that part for him.

"Get the proof and use any means necessary." Ciel's eye narrowed as he spoke, that blue piercing gaze watching Sebastian as he waited. Ugh. There it was—that sinister smile as his butler placed his hand on his chest, where his heart should be.

"Of course, my lord." Were cold words spoken against the young boy's ears before, in the blink of an eye, Sebastian was already gone.

"Now.." His cane tapped the top of the carriage as he spoke in a tone loud enough for the coach to hear.

"Take me to the Funtom toy store." Growing up fast gave him a naturally authoritative tone and the unfortunate conscience that adults would view him at the same level as themselves. Something that continuously proves wrong no matter how many times he shows them otherwise has been a frustratingly uphill battle for the Earl. The carriage changed course as he slumped back in his seat with a sigh. Tired eyes glanced out of the window to his right, where he watched people walk along the streets. Businessmen hurrying to work, women running errands, and a few families walking together and enjoying this great weather. Tsk. A sense of anguish filled his chest, but he did what he did best and pushed it all down into his overflowing bottle. His head turned, and he scoffed and repressed his thoughts as the carriage came to a stop. The coach got off his seat and opened the door, only to see the young boy alone.

"Uhm, sir. Didn't you have-" Now in a sharp mood, Ciel turned to glare at the man.

"Is that any of your business?" The man went silent, and Ciel paid him while also asking him to stay, as he'd only be there for a moment or two.

Stepping into the store, Ciel was immediately greeted by the sound of laughter and crying. Kids get what they want, and kids want too much. With a sigh, he rubbed his temple and moved further into the store. There had been reports of employees stealing money and products from the store, so he decided to come to one of the stores in a more problematic area and see if that truly was the case. An employee approached him with a smile.

"Hey there, young man, where are your parents? Are you shopping by yourself?" A piercing stare from the blue-haired boy followed, startling the employee before Ciel quickly fixed his composure.

"Actually, I'm your employer. Show me to the back where you store any extra product, and also show me the tills." The man was taken aback by the boy's brazen statement.

"You're the Earl Phantomhive?" Before he had a chance to question the child's identity, another employee hurried over, pushing the other to the side, a seemingly nervous expression resting under his false smile.

"Of course, Earl, I'll show you around." With a scoff, Ciel nodded and followed as he was led to the registers, wanting to get a closer look at the state of what is presented to customers or if the situation lies in the office.

As he walked with them, his shoulder collided with a figure he hadn't even noticed until they were too close to have done anything. His eyes went wide, turning his head and preparing to shout at whoever was insolent enough to bump into him. That was until he saw familiar, dirty blonde hair flowing past him as a child clutched a doll desperately.

"Um, sir?" The employee called out the Earl with a confused expression on his face. Cleaning his throat, Ciel turned back and nodded his head. After shaking those pointless thoughts, he got back to his original mission. The transactions were paused for a moment while he satisfied his curiosities before turning and heading towards the back.

"U-uh, Earl Phantomhive!" The employee wearing the name tag labeled as Jerry reached out as if to stop him from passing the doors. However, he was stopped dead in his tracks when the icy glare on the child was met with his own shaken gaze.

'He's just a child; what am I so afraid of?' Clearing his throat, he continued to speak in an attempt to dissuade the Earl from progressing any further.

"Were the results of the tills not to your liking, my lord? If so, we would love to hear what improvements you would like made in order to make things more to your taste. In fact, as the manager of this store, I'd be honored if you would have some tea with me while we go over any concerns you may have." He unknowingly held an expression of satisfaction with how well he spoke, in hopes that the child would fall for it. Hell, he'll even throw in some cookies just to keep the brat from throwing a tantrum.

Ciel let the man speak, curious as to what would spill from his impudent mouth. His brow rose at the suggestion that was given, causing Ciel to uncharacteristically let out a laugh. The man was confused, but smiled, assuming he was able to persuade him.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm just here to check the state of my store. Pay me no mind and get back to work. I'll simply find the ledgers myself." That was until the expression on the blue-haired boy became a glare, the aura around him creating the pressure only a noble could exude. The man became still as a cold sweat trailed down his cheek while nervously watching who he thought was a child before him. With that, Ciel turned and walked into the back of the store, getting to see the true state of the store. Just like every other business, everything is made in a factory and brought in shipments to the various stores, so there isn't expected to be much backstock in the back. Typically, it has a handful of each item along with several extras for the more popular item. However, the moment Ciel stepped back there, he understood exactly where his store stood. The back was not only barren, but it almost seemed as though some of the staff had made themselves comfortable. There were cots and tables with alcohol cards, most likely for gambling. He didn't need to see the ledger at this point, as he already saw what he needed to.

Stepping back out into the storefront, the men stood there, staring with nervous expressions, showing they clearly knew what they had done. He didn't hire nobles to work for him because they had money and usually had no reason to actually do their work, so instead he decided to hire commoners, people with the drive to work. This time, mistakes seem to have been made. As he walked by, not a word was uttered while the men stared, boring holes into the young lord while they awaited his reaction. Was he letting it go? Did he take pity on some adults since he doesn't know any better? Relief flooded them as they relaxed from the lack of a reply, assuming he found the forged ledgers and assumed everything was in shape despite the condition of the storeroom. That was until Ciel stopped and opened the door. His head turned as he looked over at the gentlemen who were watching until he had left.

"You are all dismissed. Effective immediately." You could see the color drain from their faces at his statement before they scrambled over to the boy, attempting to plead their case.

"Sebastian." Ciel spoke, and a man in a black tail coat stepped inside the store, behind the young earl.

"Yes, my lord?" Ciel's gaze was sharp as he stared at the trash before him. He turned his head and spoke as he stepped out of the store.

"Take care of those who dared to disgrace the Phantomhive name. Hire new staff immediately; I don't want to lose any money from this." The butler grinned as he rested his hand on his chest, bowing down towards his master.

"Of course.."

The customers left calmly, as if it were another day of shopping, and moments later, the muffled sound of a scuffle was heard, though the chatter on the streets was louder than such. Walking down the sidewalk, Ciel knew that Sebastian would have no issue catching up to him. His eyes were blank as he stepped, thinking of what he should do to ensure the issue didn't happen again. Threats would make no one want to work for him, contracts are useless, and increasing the pay wouldn't benefit him.

The gears in his head turned until, in the corner of his eye, he spotted movement rushing towards him quickly. His eyes went wide, and he turned, only in time to see a young girl in a cloak rushing towards him with a shank. It was moments before the sharp object made contact with him that a hand grabbed the small wrist tight enough to drop the object and stop her dead in her tracks. Standing there stunned, Ciel stared at her, realizing he was almost attacked by a little girl and didn't even have the chance to react.

"It seems this young lady was much too excited to greet you, my lord. She even forgot the courtesy of calling out to let you know she was in your presence." Sebastian spoke as the mischievous smile remained on his lips, looking down at the girl in her tattered clothes.

After getting a moment to settle his racing heart, Ciel glared at the girl and stormed forward.

"Who do you think you are to attack me?" He shouted, reaching forward and ripping the hood off of her head. It was another shock that came over him as he stared at her. Dirty blonde curls fell past her shoulders, matted with dirt and blood. It was clear she had been living on the streets. However, that wasn't what had him standing in his tracks. It was his brown eyes that pierced him to the core. They weren't eyes of hatred or fear. No. They were filled with desperation. It was as though he was looking in the mirror of when he had met Sebastian, where he was willing to do anything to get out. The eyes also reminded him of his father. He was pulled from his thoughts as she began to thrash in the man's grip.

"What are you waiting for? Aren't you going to kill me? Will go on!" Though Sebastian's grip never lessened, he became just as caught off guard. She's begging... to die? While he had no problem doing so, his eyes moved to Ciel, who seemed just as surprised, awaiting to see what his decision would be. Not knowing what to do in the moment, Ciel returned to his expressionless self, straightening his shoulder.

"If you think you can get away from attempting to kill the Queen's Guard Dog so easily by being granted death, you're sorely disappointed.

He turned his back to her, walking towards the carriage that had been waiting for him. "Sebastian, bring her back to the manor. We'll deal with her there, where there aren't as many eyes." Curious as to what his master was up to, the butler simply smiled, bowing his head.

"Yes, my lord." With that, the child was brought into the carriage with the two of them, and they were headed to the manor. She had been disarmed with the only weapon she possessed, which happened to be something she found in an alley. Her eyes never left her lap as she stared down, uncertainty plaguing her face. Was he going to kill her? Did she finally get to have the sweet sensation of relief? Or.. will things go the same way they did before she attacked him..?