ILBA - Chapter 1

So... I started another story. I know, I know, some people are going 'Again?!?!' but I really felt like I wanted more warm fuzzies. So I started writing one. With Issi as the main character. A different setting with some of the same characters at the start (Issi wouldn't be Issi without her family), but I'm planning to diverge pretty quick. Especially once she gets to school.

It has systems, and superpowers, and elementary school, but probably very little action. Issi has adventures! Not fights! I pumped out a couple chapters today, maybe you'll enjoy. Welcome to Issi's Little Big Adventures.

Note: CR probably isn't going away. I have a lot of ideas for it, I just didn't feel like writing it today.

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“Isabelle slow down and chew your food,” Jane berated me as I shoved another chicken nugget in my mouth. “There’s no point in rushing through your lunch.

“But… appointment!” I mumbled through my half filled mouth.

“Swallow your food before talking!” Jane replied. “Your appointment isn’t for half an hour. I’ve been watching the clock, we have plenty of time. Look at Lulu, she isn’t rushing.”

I turned towards my best friend, who had come to participate in this historic day. Her frizz auburn hair was poofed up into a tiny afro, and she was using two hands to slowly devour a single carrot slice. As soon as I turned towards her she sunk down, her neck disappearing into her oversized candy floss colored sweater. “What? I didn’t do it,” she mumbled.

“You’re just being a good girl,” I told her after swallowing my nuggets. “Just like always!”

Lulu relaxed a little, and sat up straight. “Thanks,” she mumbled.

“Aren’t you excited though? We get sorted today!” I squealed, as I grabbed a handful of fries. I didn’t stuff them ALL in my mouth at once, just most of them.

“I thought we were getting our first system today?” Lulu asked, as she cocked her head.

“Yus! System! I’m going to make hundreds of frogs with mine!” 

Jane sighed. “I know it’s exciting, just remember this is your first system, so you might not get exactly what you want. Instead you’ll be assigned a training power until you get used to it.”

“Hundreds of frogs,” I repeated as I took a sip of my drink. Lulu just giggled. “What powers do you want Lulu?” I asked. 

Lulu shrugged, and lowered the slice of apple she was about to nibble on. “Donno… maybe intuition, like my mom, so I could be an investigator, but I’m not picky. I just want the process to be over… going into the government building is scary,” she said with a shudder.

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you!” I declared patting her on the back. “And Jane too,” I added when I saw Jane raise an eyebrow.

“It’s nothing to be scared of. Everyone goes through this when they’re your age, and I’ll be right there with you. I know you’d rather have your mom, she and Evelyn are just busy today,” Jane said. “They’re going to try and make it for your initiation, but they can't guarantee it.”

Lulu just nodded as she nibbled her apple slice.

I finished up my nuggets about the same time Lulu finished her apples. I’m not quite sure how she did it, she always seemed to eat slowly, but finished just as fast as I did. We collected the wrappers onto our fast food tray then carried it over to the trash can, and disposed of it together. Our teamwork was on point, as usual.

Jane just laughed as she disposed of her own garbage then put away the trays on top of the bin. “Well done you two,” she said with a smile, “ready to go to the system administration bureau?”

I took Lulu’s hand and looked at her face. She looked hesitant, but nodded shyly, which caused me to break out into a giant smile. “Yus!” I declared.

“Fine. You know the rules, no letting go of my hand until we get there,” Jane declared as she reached down and took both our hands. We stepped out of the fast food restaurant and onto the main street. The road was busy, with plenty of cars zooming by, but the sidewalk was pretty empty. Jane led us through the central park, past the giant marble fountain, and past the mass of pigeons.

“Sorry pigeons, no time to chat today. Important business!” I whispered. Lulu nodded seriously, which caused Jane to break into giggles. 

On the other side of the park was the most important building in the entire town, according to Evelyn anyways, the System integration Bureau. It was fancy, white stone pillars out front, with a pair of stone lions guarding the bottom of the stairs.

Normally Lulu would have been put off by the stony guardians, but she was distracted by the pair of women standing at the top of the stairs. “Mummy!” she cried as she scrambled up the stairs.

“Hey kiddo, were you good for your aunty Jane?” the woman asked. 

“Your kid is ALWAYS the good one Angaline,” Jane snorted. Lulu’s mom was short, slim, had the same auburn hair as Lulu and was always friendly. I’d say those were her most defining features, but the truth was her most defining feature was the realistic mechanical squirrels running around her feet.

Normally I’d stop and pet every single one of them, but I rushed up to the other person. “Teddy! Did you come to see me?” 

“Of course pipsqueak, who else would I be here to see,” she snorted. Teddy and Jane had raised me, and my siblings. She was so short that she barely had to bend down to look me in the eye, not that anyone brought that up. Her power to make Teddy bears appear out of nowhere marked her as one of the strongest people in town. That, and they usually brought up the fact that she always wore a bear hoodie first. “Happy system day!” Teddy said, pulling one hand out from behind her back and presenting me with a frog plushy. 

“Froggy!” I cried, as I picked up the oversized frog and clutched it tightly.

“Really? Is that why you were late today?” Jane asked as Teddy passed a squirrel shaped plushy over to Lulu.

“Of course not! We had very important business to handle this morning,” Teddy said defensively. “We almost finished it too!”

“You dumped it on Sharron didn’t you,” Jane replied flatly. “That’s why she’s not here.”

“We promised to take lots of pictures, and wait for her before celebrating,” Angaline said as she cuddled with Lulu. “This is an important day.”

“You two are terrible,” Jane said with a sigh. “No point in worrying about it now, we have an appointment to keep. She stepped forward and opened the door, before shooing everyone through.

The atrium was massive. My feet made tiny ‘tic tac’ sounds as we crossed towards the long desk on the far side. There were a couple other families lined up at the other receptionists, but I didn’t really get a good look at them before Jane shuffled me up to an empty kiosk. “Appointment for initialization for Isabelle Sophia Claire and Lucille Annibelle Dupont,” she told the receptionist.

“Ahhhh… and these must be the little ladies,” the receptionist replied. She looked like a kindly grandma, but Lulu still hid her face in her mother’s shoulder. 

“That’s us!” I declared proudly.

“You’re a spirited one,” she replied with a smile. She tapped a couple keys on her computer, clicked her mouse a couple times, then nodded and gestured to a door at the side. “This way please.”

She led us down a narrow, well lit corridor, until we came to a room about half way down. She scanned the card hanging around her neck at the sensor, then pushed the door open. “I’m sure most of you know the procedure, do you require assistance today?”

“We’re good thanks,” Teddy replied with an easy smile. 

“Then I wish the young ladies luck. The results will be automatically recorded by the system, so just make sure you turn out the lights on the way out,” the woman explained. She gave me a small wave, before heading back down the hallway.

“Alright squirts, time to get systemized,” Teddy declared as she led everyone into the room.

Despite all my expectations, the room was fairly plain. It had several chairs arranged around the outside, black foam on the walls, and a single small pedestal with a black stone tablet sitting at the back of the room. I glanced over Jane in confusion.

“You expected something bigger?” she asked with a smile. “Initialization is easy, you just lay your hand on the tablet until the system assigns you a training profession. You’ll know when it’s done because a blue box will appear before your eyes,” she explained.

“That’s it?” I asked suspiciously.

“That’s it. Easy.”

While the others took a seat in the various chairs around the room, I cautiously approached the pedestal. It was just at the right height for me to touch, but I hesitated and looked back. Lulu was watching me intently, and I was the brave one, so I gathered all my courage and touched the slate.

Nothing happened. I shifted from one foot to the other, waiting, and just when I just about to take my hand away a strange floating blue box appeared before me.

[Congratulations Isabella Sophia Claire - You have been accepted by the system.

You have been assigned the following class: Stuffy Shuffler.

Good Luck with your new profession.]

I just stared at the box for a minute before letting out a confused, “What?”