Omake Prologue: Enter the...Yggdrasil?

[RyderHakubi]

"Heh, I'm probably not supposed to say things like that... But, I'm new to this whole 'being a goddess' thing.  Especially one as almost sickeningly cute as Skuld..." Ryder remarked as she looked over Bell.

"Unlike you, who just radiates beauty.  Ask Morisato if you don't believe me..."

[Bean Bandit]

Bean twitched, glancing at the direction Keichii had left. "Not exactly the kinda thing a guy likes to be told..." he sighed. "I'm starting to get the picture...and I don't think I like it...I'm not gonna see my own reflection in the mirror, am I?" he wondered.

"Hmm...And the way you're talking, you must not be the 'original' Skuld..."

[RyderHakubi]

Ryder blinked a little and said, "Wait a tic... you're a guy too?"

Two Lost Souls... Arg! Even in another universe I have Damn Yankees in my head!

[Bean Bandit]

Bean nodded. "Yep." he agreed, then blinked. "Wait...'too'? You're a guy?" A smirk tugged at the edges of his lips.

[RyderHakubi]

Ryder twitched at Bell's smirk that seemed out of place on her face... "Yeah, I'm a guy... what about it?  At least I'm not the ultra-fem one of the trio."

[Bean Bandit]

Bean smirked, and winced, putting a hand to his head. "That just looks wrong..." he commented on her smirk. "Anyway, Give it time, and you could be...Gah, my head hurts." Seeing his hand, and surprised briefly, he examined it.

"This is so not good...So, if you're not Skuld, who are you?"

[RyderHakubi]

"Well... I don't think I should be giving that out to strangers.  After all, you could have been a serial killer in your past life." Ryder replied looking down at Bell.

"Tell me yours... I need to know who exactly is in that body before I decide anything."

[Bean Bandit]

Bean frowned. "'That' body?" he asked softly. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter...everyone who knows me calls me Bean..."

[RyderHakubi]

Ryder blinked as something registered... a-gain...

"Hold up... Bean... as Bean Bandit?" she said with that hint of surprise in her voice.  Not that it wasn't obvious in her eyes...

[Bean Bandit]

Bean blinked. "Uh...Yeah." he replied. "That's me...Do I know you?"

[RyderHakubi]

Continuing her line of questioning, Ryder asked, "So, you're Bean Bandit.  Friendly Cop of Soulriders, right?"

[Bean Bandit]

Bean nodded. "Okay, now I'm positive you mean me...Yeah, that's me..." he agreed slowly.

[RyderHakubi]

Ryder's eyes flashed, and with a bit of a sadistic grin on her face, she lunged at Bell, shouting, "Imouto-chan!!!"

[Bean Bandit]

"Eep!" Bean's eyes doubled in size as 'Skuld' came at him, and he fell backwards slightly, to the floor, raising his arms to ward off the incoming twelve year-old. "What the...! Oro...Wait...RYDER? Ack!"

His expression was caught halfway between shock and amusement...

[RyderHakubi]

Of course... Bean's flailing arms managed to grab something.  It wasn't much of something, but it was... and Ryder's face turned a little red.

"You sick perv... How could you grab your big sister like that?" Ryder said with a grin that destroyed any hope of that line being taken seriously.