Skull is nineteen and acts like he's thirteen, with dark purple hair and colour matched lipstick with eyeliner. In a time where people dress in layers upon layers of lace and ruffles to fluff themselves up like peacocks, Skull stands out for his plain but vibrant purple clothes. This is not a good thing.

The only part Skull got to pick was the colour, because Mammon won't buy him anything other than plain shirts and slacks. Skull had to beg for riding boots because Mammon is that frugal despite usually being the richest person in whatever town they move to.

Skull is Mammon's son, born because Mammon thought it would be prudent to secure the inheritance before the…accident. Mammon's spouse had a brother who would have definitely protested the money going to a newly widowed Mammon, but as Skull was the rightful heir, the brother could do nothing about it.

Skull very quickly becomes a part of Mammon's schemes. Mammon can't fake soft, mushy love so instead they wave Skull around as proof they have a heart because isn't the boy adorable, I made him myself.

Baby Skull is taught to cry crocodile tears and act cute. With this extra boost, Mammon leisurely makes their way through several marriages, which all meet abrupt ends when Mammon's spouses have terribly unfortunate accidents. Along with riches and mansions, Mammon also acquires two handsome stepsons.

Colonnello is older than Skull by a year and was the first stepson to join them. He's a tall and muscular young man with bright blue eyes and golden hair. Mammon's spouse this time actually dies entirely on accident during a border skirmish, which was a nice surprise for Mammon.

Unfortunately, Mammon then has to fight to keep Colonnello from running off and joining the army like his now dead parent. Instead, Mammon keeps the blond firmly at home, where the son can bait young ladies into showering him with presents.

Mammon holds Colonnello's short leash with an iron grip, lying in wait for a truly rich one to come along before they're willing to sign away the stepson's life.

Then Mammon meets yet another spouse, not as rich as they're used to but with a son even more handsome than Colonnello; Reborn is all darkness with sharp edges and a wicked smirk. Mammon is getting old even if they're still as cunning as ever, but with children Mammon can continue to gather riches without much effort.

Skull doesn't know what happened exactly, but as he was packing up the old house with Colonnello and Mammon, some bad people visited Mammon's new spouse. Only Reborn walked away from that.

Reborn attracts even more people than Colonnello, and unlike the blond, he can play along. The family is showered in gifts every day, from men and women hoping to attract Reborn's attention.

Skull sits on the kitchen floor, a bucket of soapy water and a rag off to the side while he flicks small bits of cheese at the mice that run around him. He used to have a brush but he sort of broke it and Mammon won't fork out the money to get another so Skull's hands hurt if he cleans for too long. Thus, a lunch break for his pets.

"You know rats give you the plague, right?"

Skull's head whips around to find his two stepbrothers standing in the doorway. Colonnello, the one that spoke, has his hands tucked into his pockets. Reborn beside him has his arm crossed over his chest, leaning against the doorframe.

"They're mice," Skull protests.

"Is that supposed to be better?" Colonnello scoffs.

Reborn leans over to stage whisper; "Actually, fleas on the rats carried the plague, not the rats themselves."

Colonnello corrects himself; "You know the mice will give you fleas who then give you the plague, right?"

Reborn looks down at Skull, clearly derisive. "Why are you even playing with them? Honestly, for your sake, go outside. Find friends. I don't want you snapping and murdering us all in our sleep."

Skull huffs, tossing the small handful of cheese he has left. "I've tried, but everyone in this city only talks about you two and I'd rather get the plague than sit through that bullshit."

"Well I'd rather you not give me the plague so try harder," Colonnello points out.

"Whatever!" Skull cries. "There's no plague! I wash them." He snatches up the rag where it hangs over the bucket's side.

Reborn blinks. "You...wash the mice."

Skull scrubs the floor madly.

"Now I just feel bad," Colonnello says to Reborn. "You think Mam should know that their son is a freak?"

"Poor Mammy," Reborn muses. "Having to raise that thing."

Skull throws the rag down. "Mice are cute, damn it!"

"Fuck you, I'm cuter," Colonnello laughs.

"The most adorable," Reborn agrees with an exaggerated flutter of his eyelashes.

Colonnello puffs up. "Come," he says in a ridiculously deep voice. "Swoon into my arms."

Reborn sighs, back of a hand to his forehead, and pretends to faint. Colonnello catches him and swings him up into a princess carry before they leave the room laughing.

Skull grumbles and starts scrubbing the floor again.

"Missed a spot," Reborn hums from where he's stretched out on a chaise lounge, hands behind his head and hat over his eyes.

Skull wobbles on the backrest of a chair as he tries to dust the top part of the massive curtains. "You can't even see right now! Take your damn hat off and try again."

"Half a meter to the left, about a head above you," Reborn orders, hat still covering his face.

Skull looks around and finds it. "Fuck you."

"Happy to be of service."

Skull starts beating at the curtains again. "You could help."

"I could," Reborn agrees.

Skull turns to look at him. "Are you…going to?"

"No, dumbass."

Skull sighs and goes back to swiping -and occasionally whacking- the curtains with a feather duster. "Is there nothing else you could be doing?"

"I'm watching you so you don't mess up again," Reborn says.

"Are you hiding from Bianchi?"

Reborn pushes his hat off his eyes to glare and Skull can feel it burning into the back of his head. "No. I'm-"

"I don't blame you," Skull continues. "She's scary and her cooking is worse than mine."

Reborn sits up, the glare only getting fiercer. "I am not scared of her, I'm just…it's hot outside and I don't want to burn."

Skull laughs, loud and grating. Reborn grabs a vase off a nearby pedestal and hauls back, ready to throw it.

Mammon's hand grabs Reborn's wrist and snatches the vase away to put it back down. "Not only do I find you throwing my things around, but you also let Skull dust the curtains?"

Skull turns with wide eyes. "Wait, Reborn told me that you said I had to-"

"Get down," Mammon barks. "I don't want you ripping my shit up again. Do you know how much this fabric costs?!"

Skull pouts. "I didn't mean it! Colonnello poked me with a broom and I grabbed the curtains when I fell!"

Reborn clicks his tongue. "Snitches get stitches, Skull."

Mammon scowls at their oldest son. "Get over there and clean like I told you to."

Reborn huffs and stands, straightening his suit jacket with a tug. "Just a hire a damn maid, Mammy."

"Don't call me Mammy," they retort instinctively. "And why waste money when I have three perfectly good slaves? Skull, get back to cleaning the stairs – and stop feeding the damn mice, I don't want the fucking plague."

"They don't have the plague!" Skull wails.

Colonnello opens the doors and almost gets bowled over back into the grass when Skull throws himself at the blond. Colonnello quickly twists and pushes Skull behind him before marching into the house. This wouldn't be the first time someone has tried to steal Mammon's wealth.

"Are they still here?" Colonnello demands, peering around the lobby.

"I don't know!" Skull squeaks. "I was watching the spider until you got home but I had to pee and when I came back it was gone! It was huge!"

Colonnello slowly turns. "You flipped out over a spider?"

"Fucking huge, Nello. It might be pregnant! Spider. Babies. Everywhere."

"I'm not an expert," Colonnello begins. "But in my opinion, the spider has probably gone off to hunt down your mice."

Skull gasps, horrified, and runs off to one of the mouse holes around the place.

Colonnello rolls his eyes and heads up to his room, but not before calling out; "If you're lucky the spider will die of the plague."

"There's no fucking plague!"