Red

London is a cold place during the winter. I thought as I walked through the empty streets.
“Is this where you’ve been all night?” A familiar voice rang out.
Oh great...
“What do you want?” I stopped walking, waiting to see what he’d say.
“William’s been looking for you all night, Essie.” Grell sighed.
“I’ve been putting in overtime,” I protested, pushing my glasses up.
“You’re not supposed to though,” Grell smirked.
“What do you want?” I turned around to face Grell.
“William’s been worried all night long, it’s so cute to see brotherly love!” Grell sighed dreamily.
God he was weird.
“I had souls to collect.” I started.
“Hm, cute.” Grell stepped toward me, his long red hair was pulled up into a ponytail.
“Trying to flirt with my brother, I see.” I crossed my arms, Grell’s crush on my brother was amusing.
“Oh shush,” He blushed, loving the attention. “Now come along, you’re worrying William.”
Grell was never this proper around me. Us Reapers are much more modern than everyone else here in 1888.
“Fine.” I walked with Grell.
“So you were really looking for souls?” Grell asked, he was always curious.
“Yes.” I said.
“Hm, well then.” Grell huffed.
Grell looked me over, his golden eyes flashed. God I hate him... No, I hate his eyes. I hate all Reaper eyes. Reapers have golden eyes-- well, all of them do, except for me. For some reason I was born with cerulean eyes instead of golden eyes. Lucky for me, Reapers wear glasses, thus I wear black shades. Something I had to make myself since the crafters who make glasses couldn’t make these for me.
For a long time I had gotten made fun of for my eye color, but with the glasses people eventually forgot my eye color. I pushed the shades up, feeling worse about my eye color. It was still an insecurity.
“There you two are,” William appeared, pushing his glasses up with his scythe.
“Hey Will.” I said blankly, not looking at him.
“Esther, you need to get back to the dispatch at the end of the day,” William blocked my path.
“I can watch out for myself, thanks.” I jumped up and over him.
“I know you want to be independant but I can’t have you out in London at this hour,” He looked at me, not as a supervisor, but as a brother.
“God William, just pull out the guilt card?” I smirked.
“Esther, I know you’re having a hard time without mom or dad or grandpa, but you have to stop this. You’re going to get hurt one of these days.” He pulled my chin up so I was looking him in the eye.
Why did I have to be so short? Even Grell was taller than me, and he’s as red as a fire. Seriously.
“I’m not a child anymore, William.” I pushed his hand away.
“You act like it though,” He adjusted his glasses.
“Mature people don’t call others children,” I smirked.
William had raised me, so I was using what he taught me against him. At a young age my parents had been killed, for a long time we lived with our grandfather who recently died.
“Don’t argue.” He said sternly.
“You’re not my parent though, William,” I continued walking.
“But I take that role since neither of our parents are here,” He caught up to me.
“Oh stop fighting, you two!” Grell walked in between us, bothered by our pointless argument.
“Okay, okay, okay. I’m sorry,” William sighed.
“That’s nice,” I played with my dagger.
“Essie...” He rolled his eyes.
“Oh look at the time! I must be going, you know, souls to reap, people to stalk,” I shrugged, jumping up and acrobating my way to a roof.
“Esther!” William tried to make me stay.
“Oh William, let’s go back to the dispatch,” Grell grabbed William’s hand and sprinted along the street.
One of those moments where I overlook Grell’s insignificant babble and actually appreciate his existence was one of these moments. Quietly I walked along the rooftop of some home, none of the people here in London were aware of us unless they were apart of a specific underground society that was run by a specific thirteen year old earl.
Ciel Phantomhive sits in his study alone, trying to not get upset after his maid tripped down the stairs (Thus breaking the dishes she was carrying). I was waiting for Lord Earl Phantomhive’s butler to answer the door. For a long time this young man had been of some curiosity to me, and his connection with the underground world of London made him even more interesting to me.
“I’m sorry for making you wait, Esther,” Sebastian said to me.
Sebastian and I had known each other for a few years. Usually Reapers don’t become friends with races like Sebastian, but William didn’t like him, and I found it amusing to make William angry.
“It’s fine, Sebastian. Raising a boy in this situation can’t be easy,” I shrugged.
Ciel’s parents had been brutally murdered when he was just a little boy. He then became a test subject, quickly though he made a contract with Sebastian.
“Especially with this staff..” He sighed, leading me into the manor.
“What good does a blind maid do you?” I asked, noting the thick lenses that the maid was wearing.
“Oh she’s not blind, just quite farsighted.” Sebastian informed.
“Still..” I mumbled. “Why even try to give her glasses if they don’t do anything?”
“She also happens to be quite clumsy,” Sebastian told me, hearing my comment.
“So she hasn’t had any previous experience?” I assumed.
“You never fail to read the things I don’t say,” Sebastian smirked.
“It’s a habit,” I smiled.
“Well, please do excuse my Young Master’s capricious attitude at the moment,” Sebastian sighed, turning the attention back to why I came here in the first place.
“I have to deal with Grell, don’t I?” I pointed out.
Although the two never seem alike they really are the same. Both came and do have instant mood changes, Grell tends to be more platonic though.
“Very true,” Sebastian smirked and knocked on Ciel’s study door.
“Come in,” Ciel’s monotone voice rang out.
“Young Master, Esther Spears has come to discuss business,” Sebastian opened the door, leading me in.
“I’m surprised that William didn’t tag along to make sure you stay safe,” Ciel taunted.
Even at his high ranking he was still a child.
“My brother has no need to protect me, and remember that at any moment I have no problem taking your soul,” I pulled out my dagger and pointed it at him, completely serious.
“Just a dagger? All the others have some sort of insane machine they made themselves,” Ciel said, sounding somewhat surprised.
“I wanted something that I wouldn’t get questioned for carrying around, unlike Grell’s free use of his chainsaw..” I sighed.
“He calls it a chainsaw? How charming,” Ciel laughed fakily. “What business do we have together?”
“Well, that’s just it. See, you’re in the underground world of London, you’re the queen’s watchdog. And when there’s a threat to her majesty, you get rid of it, correct?” I asked
“Correct,” Ciel had no idea where I was going.
“You’ve been killing the souls that I need to collect, so I’ll ask you politely to stop killing them.” I smiled as nicely as it could, it killed me to ask him for help but I had to.
“Well, maybe you should be collecting these souls earlier.” Ciel crossed his legs, not in a negotiating mood.
“I have to collect them at a specific time at a specific date and I can’t just let you change that,” I looked at him.
“Any threat to the queen I eliminate, that’s how this works. A--” He started.
“Stop. You can’t keep doing this, this is my job. You have the Funtom company, but all I have is collecting souls. Stay in what you know.” I bent down to his level, looking him in the eye.
“But--” He started again, somewhat fearful this time.
“That eyepatch you wear is so cute. I’d hate to see it discarded because of an accident.” I walked out of the room, negotiating in the way Reapers negotiated.

“Oh William!” Grell shattered the silence.
“What is it now, Grell?” William looked at him, already bored with their conversation.
“I was just wondering if you wanted to go out after work,” he plopped down on William’s desk.
“No.” William didn’t even look up.
“Please?” He begged.
“No.” He looked up at Grell, not wanting to play this game.
“C’mon, Will. I’m sure someone who works as hard as you would be entitled to a break-- even if it is with Grell.” I chimed in.
“If I go out with you now will you stop bothering me later?” He pushed his glasses up.
“Yes! We just have to go now!” Grell grabbed William’s hand and pulled him out of the dispatch.
“Finally,” I smirked.
Quickly I pulled the door to his office shut and ran out. Over the past few weeks I had been forming a plan. And when I went and visited Earl Phantomhive, I knew my plan had to be carried out. It was hard to keep it from Sebastian, but if he knew then he’d stop me. This plan took a long time, first just letters to his fiance, Lizzie, so I could start wedging myself into his life. Then I wrote letters to him, explaining that my father was interested in doing business with him, but not wanting to seem too eager about it.
After a while he had become interested in the idea of doing business with my father. And then I told him that I was planning on making a trip to dear London, and that I hoped he would let me stay with him. Now, weeks later, my said visit to the fabulous London was underway and I was supposed to arrive at his manor in two hours.
The hardest part of this whole thing would be tricking Sebastian. He’d be able to spot me miles away. And now I had to act like I was a whole other person. So far I had described my family like Lizzie’s. I’m pretty sure he expected pink frills and curly hair. But as a reaper, the idea of wearing pink made me sick. And leaving William made me feel even worse. Although he’s overprotective, he’s my only family.
I reached our home and wrote him a note, somehow leaving the note made it feel less bad. Carefully I folded it and left it in sight. Quickly I changed into one of the gowns that I had picked out for this, I pulled my trunk together and pulled it outside where the Undertaker was waiting for me.
“Are you ready?” He giggled.
“Yes,” I sighed, pulling the trunk up into the carriage.
“You look so cute,” He smirked, helping me get into the carriage.
“Shut up,” I sighed, not wanting to be a joke of his.
“I’m so surprised that you’re actually going through with this.” He pulled his bangs up, looking at me.
“I need to, it’s not an option anymore,” I sighed, fixing the heavy skirt.
“You started the process, there must be a way to stop it,” he shrugged, closing the door.