Snippet #1719305

"Hello?! Whos's there?" shouted the elderly woman to the door.
"It's me, Gyos,"
"Well come in, dear,"
"What? It's not locked. I've told you to lock your door, over and over. These are bad parts,"
"In all my years living here, I've never had a problem dearie, I think I know more about these parts than you!"
Sighing, defeated, Gyos walked in and took a seat at the kitchen. It smelled like cooking, but it looked like whatever was here had been eaten and cleaned up a while ago. Slightly disapointed, his demon sniffed at the table, using its three heads to maximize the smell. Rolling his eyes, Gyos pulled the demon to his side and patted his hackles; Osiris lay down, snuffling at the carpet instead.

Most homes in the slum are dirty and filled with junk, but Grandma Helio's home is homey and warm. She could have moved on, plenty of times before, she had the money and the means, but the old woman was too stubborn to give up the home she had fought for as a mother and grandmother, even though it had not been the welcoming abode it was now. Too many memories, she always said, too many friends. Oddly enough, you found good people in the slums. Not everyone was involved in criminal activity or cheated the welfare system. There were many people simply down on their luck, who had also decided not to move on. Some had been engulfed by the slums, living in apartments and condos, the slum swallowed them, expanding like all slums do. This particular apartment building had met this fate, but long before Gyos was born here, long before his mother had passed and left him with his grandmother. She pulled them out of poverty just like Gyos had, The Tamer League. That was one of the main reasons few people ever messed with her. She had lived in the slums her whole life, and had only been mugged once or twice, as a child. Her own demon was currently rolled up in front of the hearth; Sebastian was a dog-sized turtle, red and black. The shell looked like it was constructed when lava met water, black and crusted like obsidian. Its claws, oddly enough, were made of obsidian glass. Very sharp and nasty, perfect for their purpose. The shell itself was dangerous, for cracks ran along it, cracks which seemed with lava and steam when the turtle entered battle. He had once been a furious opponent in the arena, now he was content with a cozy place by the fire. Noticing Gyos and Osiris in the kitchen, it heaved itself from its warm spot and waddled over, clacking its jaw and breathing smoke.

Patting it on the head, Gyos addressed his grandmother, "So, Grandma? I think I'm done with the Beginner battling. I'm thinking I should enroll in the League Tournament. Its been good, but underground and community fights can only get you so far,"
"Well, you do what you need, dear. The League wasn't quite as big in my day as it is now. Back then, all the battles were usually impromptu you see?"
"Sure, yeah. I just came over to-"
"It's in the chest dear, you know which one,"
"Oh, how did you..."
Grandma Helio smiled knowingly. "Go look in the chest at the foot of my bed,"
The chest in question had been a source of mystery when Gyos was a child. Grandma Helio had only opened it on two occasions. Both of which were the only time they had been robbed. Both of which times, the thieves did not escape. Opening the chest, he stared in wonder at what seemed like a small dark blade. He knew what it really was. Taking it, he slid it into a jail-broken gauntlet. He had customized it very slightly, it was already special enough. He made a very strong mental note about the action he made putting it into the slot. With practice, he could reverse time in a small area around the blade, and pull it out in a split second, without having to move. The only problem was the massive distraction time bending posed. He figured eventually he would be able to do great things, but for now, it was weak and difficult. He had only done two amazing things with it, everything else a party trick or gag. He didn't do the gauntlet great justice, but he practiced every day, and made a point to use it every battle, even though it often lead to defeat.

Snapping out of the old reverie, he walked out of the apartment without a second word, she had said enough with the chest, and it was time to leave. Reversing time around the door, he closed it behind him without turning. Heh, that was pretty badass and smooth.

SLAM! SLAM! SLAM!

"Shit,"

Turning and running towards the door, he closed it manually; he had unintentionally set the door close to loop. A very fast, aggressive loop. Fumbling with the gauntlet, he stopped it, and closed the door on the demon turtle, now sputtering smoke and choking with a gurgly laughter. Doors from other apartments opened as tenants glared at him.

Well... so much for smooth.