“Oh, you bitches should have just killed me!!”

ASHE: The life-force that runs through all things, living and inanimate.
PRANA: the term refers to a cosmic energy believed to come from the sun and connecting the elements of the universe.

REPEL: An Onmyoji’s natural ability to use Prana to strengthen their body to superhuman levels. (e.g. Deflecting bullets etc.)

ONMYOJI: A person who fights ghosts/demons/old ones.<---cant really say any more than this.

IBEJI: In the Yoruba religion twins share one soul, so if one twin dies at a young age, the balance of the soul is thrown off or disturbed.

Veronica stormed across the room, her gaze locked on Granny.  Granny didn’t bother acknowledging Veronica’s presence. She just continued watching Bonanza on her beat up old television―rocking in her ancient chair―and smoking her Kool brand cigarettes. “Alright you old bitch; I’m done playing with you!” Veronica said, reaching for Granny’s arm.  Something felt wrong **Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz** Alarmed by the sound, Veronica jumped back several paces. 

“The fuck..” she thought. A flaming hula hoop blazed past Granny intent on making Veronica’s acquaintance. She barely had time to dodge it. She side stepped; assuming it would plow into the wall behind her. The hoop was pure silver and set ablaze with Ashé flames. The light blue flames were bright and blinding.  “How much Ashé is sealed in that thing?” Veronica thought, as it barreled towards an adjacent wall.

She sensed its force and assumed it would end up embedded in the wall, leaving her to finish her business with Granny, but she miscalculated. The flaming silver hoop ricocheted off the wall and rammed into her from behind. Toni stepped from the shadows eyes locked on Veronica’s well-formed figure. Granny paused during a commercial break and spoke. “If you bitches are going to fight, take that shit outside before my stories come on!” she spoke through her cigarette, eyes never leaving the television.

 “No need.” Toni said. “This fight is over.” Veronica was down on one knee, the hoop appearing to grind violently into her back. Her hair dangling in front of her face, masking her physiognomy. “I stopped it from splitting you in two. You are on hallowed ground, and you clearly need to learn a bit of respect.” Toni said. Her smugness irritated Granny, but the Cartwrights were back from commercial break so she lost interest in the entire ordeal. She had a bit of a crush on Hoss.

She motioned at her hoop, using it to pull Veronica towards her. Her heels screeched against the marble as the silver hoop dragged her across the floor.  Veronica stayed hunched down and slightly angled. The hula spun at a frightening speed, but Veronica never broke form; squatted down on one knee, hair draping her face. The foyer doors flung open, and in marched a curvy dame who bore a striking resemblance to Toni.

It wasn't until Charli entered the foyer that Toni realized she had made a terrible mistake. “TONI SHE HAS YOUR HOOP STUPID!!” Charli yelled. When the hoop initially ricocheted off the wall― before it could make contact―Veronica activated her Repel. She reached back and caught the hoop―which would have shredded a normal person’s arm and took a knee; feigning an impact that never occurred.  She then angled herself in such a way that it obstructed Toni’s view. All of this occurred in a veritable millisecond, with Toni none the wiser.

“How is she holding my hoop?!” Toni thought. She had allowed hubris to interfere with her primary job. Protecting Granny; especially during her tv shows!   She’d scoffed at the rumors regarding the strength of the notorious Veronica Dauterive, but this was something else. This was scary. She stopped the hoop from spinning, but it was too late. Veronica already had the damn thing and only a few feet separated the pair now.  Veronica stood swiftly―her hair falling back into place, revealing the most condescending, ‘fuck you’ smirk she had in her arsenal, and swung.

Time stopped for Toni. She centered herself and began considering her options. She couldn’t be harmed by her own hoop, but the resulting impact could easily send her barreling into Granny. She could duck, but there was no guarantee she wouldn’t release the hoop in Granny’s direction. “Why am I questioning myself? Am I nervous?” This perplexed Toni as she was normally cool headed.  Her training tempered her nerve response so well that she could side step bullets in such a way that she appeared to be dancing. “She is in your head! It’s probably her ability! Let’s switch!!” Charli’s voice boomed in her twin’s head.

Switching bodies was one of the many gifts bestowed upon the vessels of the Ibeji ―the sacred twins.  Veronica swung the hoop with the full intent of taking off Toni’s head. Toni’s eyes shut, then reopened her irises now a blinding blue. Veronica wavered, but not enough to refrain from slamming the flaming hoop into Charli skull. Charli, now in her sister’s body; didn’t as much as flinch. She absorbed the impact of the attack―transferred the force into energy, and redirected it at Veronica in one fluid motion. Veronica didn’t have time to react.

The blast of Ashé was so devastating that the walls surrounding them began to crumple. The room was filled with dust and smoke billowed throughout the foyer. Toni’s hoop hit the ground with a loud clank, its flames extinguished. It was far too heavy for Charli to handle. “How much does this thing weigh?” Charli said from her sister’s body. Toni had leaped from the doorway, landing behind her beloved twin and was now fussing over Granny, who was miraculously unscathed and shooing her away.

 “This one? 1.5 tons.” Toni said. “Oh, a light weight one eh?” Charli replied. “Yeah, I mostly use it for dancing.” Their tone was as casual as a discussion about shoes. The smoke began to clear and Veronica was livid. The attack, while strong enough to destroy most modern tanks, appeared to have done little more than piss Veronica off. She stood in front of them, mottled and smoldering. “I―…” Veronica began. 

The twins didn't give her a chance to speak, they knew better. This bitch should be dead right now, so play time was over. They couldn’t take any more chances. Toni grabbed her hoop which burst into flames, much brighter than before. She swung it at her sister who caught the impact with her right hand and transferred the energy into another blast of Ashé. This blast was a far cry from the last, but it gave Toni enough time to grab her extra hoops. 

The impact pushed Veronica back a fair distance, but she recovered and began storming towards them again. Then, one of her heels broke and she stumbled. The twins laughed. Charli pointed up. Veronica’s eyes darted from her opponents to the mirrored ceiling of the foyer and time flat-lined. She was in shambles.  Her hair was fried and mottled, but that wasn’t the worst part. Her earrings, a pair of Cartier ‘Paris Nouvelle Vague’; were missing.  “Look behind you.” Charli said, fighting a laugh.  Veronica turned,  a shimmer of pink gold catching her eye. Both earrings were molded together in a nebulous golden blob, with all 14 diamonds protruding at random points. “Get some new ones. What did they cost? $50?” Toni said. Charli laughed.

Veronica was not amused. She knew the girls were prodding her, and normally she’d be able to keep her cool; but these earrings were special. Not the price-tag either; albeit these babies did cost $10,000. The real value wasn’t the craftsmanship, or material, it was what she had sealed into them. She faced her opponents, her pace slow and deliberate. She exhaled; grasping for composure. She found a bit, along with her voice. “I don’t know what you heard about me, but I don’t care much for material possessions.” She lied. “I like those earrings, but I can just as well have a benchman repair―..”
**Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz**

Another flaming hoop whizzed past Veronica’s head. Her eyes followed, but her body was still shaken from taking what she assumed was the full brunt of one of her own monstrous blows―redirected by the blue eyed twin, and the second blast hadn’t helped. She had no doubt where it was headed. She closed her eyes and awaited the inevitable. The earrings―if you could call them that now―shattered, along with the remainder of the wall. The situation was almost comical. Almost. The twins, who initially intended to goad Veronica with their snickering, began to genuinely laugh. Their temperament was short lived as Veronica’s eyes sprang open, her murderous intent now palpable. “Oh, you bitches should have just killed me!!” Veronica’s voice boomed so fiercely that they felt her sentiment in their chests. “What the fuck is that?” Charli asked. 

Ashé and Prana were pouring out of Veronica, a torrent of blue and red lightning swirling around her body. Toni stood on one leg, flaming hoops spinning on her appendages, and flung one at Veronica. The two ton hoop was violently reflected back at Toni. She tried to catch it, but this proved to be a mistake. The hoop deflected her hand with a meaty thunk, causing her arm to go numb, and her body to twist. The pain was excruciating it took all she had to not drop her other hoops. Charli was horrified. She wanted to act, but she was buried under the weight of Veronica’s visible rage. She was a statue. Veronica glowered at them a moment more, kicked off her battered heels and resumed her trek to Granny. She was out for blood.

Granny finally acknowledged her. She flicked the television off and took a final drag off her square; thumping the butt at Charli― who was still mesmerized by Veronica’s spectacular display. “You girls are an embarrassment. You let an amateur beat you?” Granny said. She was half way out of her chair when Veronica appeared directly in front of her. “Wow, she really is fast…” Granny thought to herself. Veronica reached for the greying fille and abruptly; passed out. 

She regained consciousness a few hours later. Her eyes parted and the world spun into view. She was staring at the mirrored ceiling of the foyer again. Granny warped into sight from her peripheral―striking a match on her hand to light another smoke. “Don’t beat yourself up baby. I got the fastest jab in the universe.” Granny said. Her concern seemed genuine. Veronica groaned. Her stomach, her entire core throbbed and pulsated. She felt as if she had died inside.

PARIS NOUVELLE VAGUE