Inside to outside: red, then blue, next yellow, and finally green. There had to be an equal number of the letter blocks on each side, and they had to be aligned just so- with letters A through M on the left, N through Z on the right. The letter blocks would never be used to spell something out, because then the colors would mix, and most likely not create an adequate pattern, and this led to displeasure. This specific ritual was done once daily at approximately ten in the morning before any other toys were touched. After the blocks but still before playing with anything else, and routinely, in between playing with each item, small hands were to be washed, while singing the alphabet through to "next time won't you sing with me"- no longer, no shorter.

The boy known as Death's son had a specific routine even in play- one of the many rules his father had to explain to each nanny before she began her likely brief employment for the family. Rumors flew about the father-son pair, and somehow, the previous nanny always managed to warn the present one of the secrets passed down- as if babysitting Death the Kid entered you into some almighty sorority.

"I heard that once, Kid threw one of his symmetry fits for three days straight. Three days. Oh, you haven't experienced a symmetry fit yet? Trust me- when it happens you'll know. What's it like? You know how when babies get their teeth- they can't stop crying? It's kind of like that- except ten times worse. Anyway, when Lord Death finally found out why, he knocked down his entire mansion and rebuilt it from scratch so that it would be perfectly symmetrical. Just so Kid would stop crying!"

"Well sure- He's the son of Death. His dad is a giant skeleton- of course he's part demon. Have you seen those eyes? Trust me- when that boy gets mad, you'll notice the eyes. And his hair! Like I swear it's perfectly black, but when he starts to lose it, it's like he's going white already. I mean, I have this friend who has this theory: Lord Death has been around for thousands of years right? So she thinks Kid ages slower than the rest of us- so he's like a 50 years old stuck in a 3 year old body. That's why he's so fussy!"

"No, Lord Death never takes off his robe. At least I've never seen it happen. I don't think Kid has either- I have a friend who used to babysit for him, and once Kid drew a picture of himself and his dad, and he was still in his mask and robe! I have no idea why he has it on all the time. I mean, he can't really be a giant skeleton- how did he even get Kid in the first place? That being said- where's Kid's mom? Is Kid even Lord Death's son? I dunno! I try not to think about it, seems a little too fishy for me..."

With each nanny, the tales became more numerous, but they all agreed on one thing- every night when Lord Death returned home at 7 sharp, Kid became a whole new child. Namely, he smiled. Rather than pace by the door like most anxious children, Kid would sit in the middle of the landing between the dual staircases in the entryway (primarily because of symmetry) and wait patiently. Or rather- he looked patient. He wouldn't tap his toes or fuss or sigh loudly, but instead, he kept his eyes fixated on the front door, as though he was in some sort of trance. And when Lord Death burst through the door, Kid would stand up and descend down the left staircase and fly into his father's arms with a look of sheer glee on his face. For a three year old, Kid's vocabulary was incredible, but he spoke minimally- most nannies found this trait frustrating. But Lord Death had a magnificent ability to make his son both smile and talk with abandon. The two would celebrate their reunion at the door for a solid 5 minutes before Lord Death would notice the nanny off to the side, and remind her that payment was on Friday, and that she may leave. And Lord Death paid far beyond typical parents, but for most nannies, the pay wasn't enough to last the job for more than 4 months. The longest was supposedly 9 months, but when she finally did decide to leave, she left Death City for good, apparently because just being in the city was still "too much". But regardless, there would still be some nanny leaving Gallows Manor at 7:05 PM, just to return at 6:30 AM and start the whole cycle again: vegging out until Kid wakes up, getting breakfast, getting dressed, playtime (starting with the blocks), and so on and so forth.

And regardless of whatever kind of day Lord Death had, and whatever kind of day Kid had, good or bad, stressful or easy (although arguable every day seemed to be stressful for Death the Kid), they ended it with each other gladly- an intriguing sight to whomever would watch the family named Death...

Of course eventually, a permanent nanny was found in an elderly Indian woman named Mira. Mira, like Kid, spoke little, and unlike Kid, had an unending source of patience. Patience through each asymmetry-induced tantrum and every ritual Kid needed tending to- hand washing, light switching, ordering and reordering of whatever was closest, especially the letter blocks, et cetera. In the rare moments she did speak to him, however, she read to him- something that ended the tears and frustration for just a little while. And occasionally she would take him outside (a rarity- if Kid could control his gaze and not look down to notice the asymmetrical rocks lining the paths), up to Shibusen, to visit the boy's father at work. The first time however, happened to be the woman's 9 month anniversary since she had taken up work as Kid's nanny. Lord Death, thought the visit was about something different entirely.

Kid sat on the floor, intrigued by the red-haired man and his finger games.

"So, is everything going alright?" Lord Death asked, in his usual chipper tone.

"Fine," Mira replied briskly.

A brief silence passed between the two.

"Really? Are you sure? Nothing wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You have no complaints? Kid not giving you too much trouble?"

"I have no intention of quitting. There was good weather today, so I decided to take Kid out to visit his favorite person."

"Oh... excellent," a wave of relief washed over Lord Death.

"Although, I have one thing to say."

"Yes? And that is?"

"Kid. He is lonely. Because of his obsession."

Lord Death did not reply.

"He has great fear. It makes him obsess. Since he is the only one with obsession that he knows, he feels lonely."

"...what is he afraid of?" Lord Death once knew someone who was afraid of death- who was afraid of a lot of things really. But Kid was not like that person at all. He was not like anyone at all. He did not fear monsters under his bed and asked far more intelligent questions than they could. Lord Death looked at his son and saw nothing but promise and potential- a perfect shinigami in the making. He saw the one thing he had grown to truly care about on this world- the one thing that convinced him to continue his unending work when the motivation was dwindling.

Mira turned to Lord Death, looking him square in the eye, and responded firmly.

"Death."

And after 7 years of care-taking for Death the Kid, Mira passed away soundly, her soul taking charge and flying to Lord Death himself to take care of.