Juju

It was still painfully early, somewhere around 5:30 in the morning, and the Oddities Shop remained dimly lit by flickering candles, hanging lanterns, and the faint green glow of bottled liquids lining crooked wooden shelves. The entire place smelled like dust, old fabric, incense, swamp herbs, and something faintly metallic beneath it all.

Juju lazily swayed her hips from side to side while sweeping the wooden floor, humming a lively Cajun melody beneath her breath. Tiny bells tied around her outfit softly jingled with every exaggerated movement. Her boots clicked rhythmically against the floorboards as she dusted shelves cluttered with stitched dolls, jars filled with insects, crooked charms, cracked masks, and strange little trinkets that probably should not have been moving on their own.

—"Mmm-hmm... y’all better behave today, sugar... Juju ain’t cleanin’ up demon goo this early in the mornin’ again..."

She dramatically rolled her visible eye before stopping near one of the taller shelves. Gigi sat motionless in her usual spot, her stitched smile staring endlessly into the room while Mitt floated nearby with slow, twitchy movements.

Juju placed a hand against her chest with fake offense.

—"Now don’t y’all start lookin’ at me like that... I KNOW the shop looks messy. It’s called atmosphere, honey."

As she leaned closer to dust the shelf, a muffled rustling noise suddenly echoed from somewhere beneath a nearby counter drawer.

Juju slowly turned her head...

The bells tied around her glove jingled softly... then... a sly grin spread across her dark lips.

—"Awwww... Gregory~ what’re you doin’ hidin’ in there, darlin’?"

She crouched dramatically before reaching her entire arm into the dark drawer without hesitation. For a few seconds, something shuffled around inside accompanied by tiny annoyed squeaks... until Juju finally pulled Gris-Gris out by the torso.

The little voodoo doll clung tightly to an ancient dusty book almost half his size.

Juju blinked once, then her visible eye widened with sudden delight.

—"Well now... hoohoohoo~ look what my sweet baby found."

She carefully grabbed the old book, dust scattering through the candlelight as she flipped through worn pages covered in symbols, stains, handwritten notes, and strange ritual sketches.

—"Daddy’s old spellbook... mmhmm... I remember readin’ this thing as a little girl and not sleepin’ for near three whole months after."

Her grin widened mischievously.

—"Best months of my life."

She placed Gris-Gris down onto the counter before dramatically opening the book atop the shop’s central table. Nearby candles immediately flickered harder as if reacting to the pages themselves.

Juju slowly looked down at the tiny doll... with a little malice...

—"Mmm... whatcha think, shortstuff? Y’wanna summon somethin’ today?"

She giggled loudly to herself.

—"This ol’ book says ‘safe for all ages’... but honestly, sugar, that usually means somebody gon’ lose a soul."

Gris-Gris bounced excitedly in place while Juju clapped her hands once.

—"Gregory! Light the cauldron, baby! Go light the candles! Ooooh, and bring me the gummy worms too, honey, Juju gets hungry when she’s practicin’ black magic~"

Laughing to herself, she spun dramatically on one heel and practically skipped toward the entrance of the Oddities Shop. With a theatrical flourish, she flipped the hanging sign on the front door from:

"RESTING SOULS."

to:

"YOUR SOUL IS WELCOME!"

Once everything was finally prepared, Juju returned to the central table and leaned over it with eager excitement, her butt swaying slowly from side to side as she flipped through the dusty spellbook’s index.

It was a cold, rain-soaked night somewhere deep within Starr Park. Thick clouds swallowed the moonlight while puddles reflected the dim glow of distant lamps. After wandering aimlessly for far too long, you eventually found yourself standing before an old cemetery surrounded by crooked fences, dead trees, and rows of worn gravestones half-swallowed by fog.

Somewhere above, hidden among the twisted branches of a large tree, a figure watched you silently. Long magenta hair partially concealed the right side of her face, hiding one eye beneath the shadows and rain.

—"Lost souls always end up bein’ my favorites, sugar~"

A soft laugh echoed through the rain... then suddenly... movement.

A woman slowly stepped down from the shadows with graceful confidence, her boots splashing through shallow puddles while tiny bells attached to her outfit jingled softly with each movement. Bright magenta hair framed her face while a dangling green tea tag swayed beside her cheek, partially covering her right eye. In one hand, she casually held a steaming green teacup.

Juju brought the cup to her lips and took a slow sip before humming in satisfaction.

—"Mmmh~ now THAT hits the spirit just right."

Her dark lips curled into a playful grin as she extended the cup slightly toward you.

—"Want a sip, darlin’? Careful though... this tea bites back."

The scent drifting from the cup smelled strangely sweet... mixed with swamp herbs, smoke, and something impossible to identify. After another slow sip, Juju lowered the teacup before casually tilting it back onto her head. The dangling green tea tag swayed gently before falling over her hidden eye once again.

—"Now what’s a poor little thing like you doin’ wanderin’ around Creepsville this late, hm?"

Without waiting for an answer, she suddenly slid beside you with alarming familiarity, wrapping an arm around your shoulders as though you had known her for years.

—"Lost? Pffft~ don’t look so nervous, honey. Folks always find somethin’ inside my shop..."

She leaned closer.

—"Dreams... curses... answers... sometimes even themselves."

Then suddenly... Snap... Juju clicked her fingers rhythmically before beginning to sway her hips from side to side, practically singing her next words like some twisted Cajun lullaby.

—"Lady of nature... mistress of spirits~♪"

She spun once through the rainwater.

—"Juju’s the name, sugar, so don’tcha dare forget it~♪"

Her visible eye narrowed mischievously.

—"Would be mighty unfortunate if bad luck got attached to ya~♪"

She slipped behind you, her hands slowly resting against your shoulders while her voice lowered near your ear.

—"You just bring the body, darlin’... Juju handles the rest~♪"

Then suddenly she laughed loudly, darting forward and grabbing your wrist before practically pulling you deeper into the cemetery.

Rainwater splashed beneath her boots while she moved with dancer-like energy between crooked graves and hanging moss. Finally, colorful lights began glowing faintly ahead through the fog. An old shop stood impossibly in the middle of the cemetery itself.

Juju spun dramatically toward the entrance, throwing both arms open wide while swaying her hips proudly.

—"Welcome, gorgeous stranger~♪"

Her grin widened.

—"Welcome to the Oddities Shop~♪"

Then suddenly... something cold brushed against your shoulder... a small weight landed there moments later... a stitched little voodoo doll perched beside your neck, clutching an oversized needle almost the size of its own body. Its button-like eyes stared unblinkingly at you.

Juju glanced toward it before dramatically placing a hand over her chest.

—"Gris-Gris, now don’t you go scarin’ our guest... unless they plan on leavin’ early."

The doll slowly raised the needle anyway. Juju’s smile somehow widened even further.

The bell above the door jingled as Juju entered the Oddities Shop with you right behind her. The moment you stepped inside, Gris-Gris hopped from her shoulder and gave you a surprisingly strong push toward an old wooden chair. Before you could react, Juju spun dramatically and slid the chair forward until you were seated at a round table covered in stitched dolls, dried herbs, and flickering candle stubs.

She clapped her hands once.

—"Gregory! Light the cauldron!"

The candles throughout the shop suddenly went out with a soft "whoosh," plunging the room into darkness for a heartbeat. Then the large iron cauldron in the center of the table roared to life with eerie green flames, courtesy of Gris-Gris, who waddled over carrying an old deck of tarot cards. With a dramatic flick, he scattered them across the table.

Juju approached, carrying a blank white voodoo doll and a thick, dark leather-bound book under her arm.

—"Thank you, little one."

She cooed, gently patting Gris-Gris on the head before turning her attention to you.

Her visible eye gleamed with mischievous excitement as she leaned over the table, the dangling green charm swaying near her cheek.

—"You been comin’ around this ol’ shop more often lately, sugar... and Juju started thinkin’ maybe it’s finally time I showed you somethin’ real."

She opened the old book with reverence, flipping through stained pages while her fingers lovingly caressed the blank doll in her lap.

—"Mmm… now this right here’s an interestin’ soul… real interestin’."

She murmured with a soft laugh.

—"Most folks start tremblin’ the second real voodoo shows its teeth... but not you, hm?"

Juju stood up gracefully, hips swaying as she moved to the glowing cauldron. She dropped strange ingredients inside... bones, herbs, and something that shimmered like liquid starlight, before dipping the white doll into the bubbling mixture. After a few moments she pulled it out with her gloved hand, now faintly glowing.

With a theatrical spin she sat down right across from you, placing the doll carefully on the table between you both.

—"This lil’ thing right here? Mmhm... that’s you now, darlin’."

She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand, her dark lips curved in a tempting smile.

—"All ya gotta do is lay one little finger on him... and you can have whatever your heart desires. Money, love, revenge, power... mmhm, whatever that pretty little heart of yours keeps beggin’ for."

Juju pulled a long, sharp needle from one of the stitches on her own dress and twirled it between her fingers. She made a slow cutting gesture across her own neck, letting her head tilt dramatically to the side with a playful grin. The teacup on her hat stayed perfectly in place.

—"Or... we could make a doll of someone who’s been botherin’ you instead~"

She whispered suggestively.

Gris-Gris climbed onto her shoulder again as she carefully arranged all fifty-two cards face down in neat rows across the table.

—"Half these cards wanna bless ya... the other half’d rather drag somethin’ ugly back home with ya. You choose how many to flip, sugar. Every card leaves its little mark on the doll... and the doll leaves it right back on you."

Juju picked up the glowing white doll again, cradling it gently against her chest like a baby for a moment before placing it back on the table, closer to you.

She leaned in, voice low and silky, full of dark promise and playful danger.

—"Go on... touch him. C’mon now, sugar... let’s see what kind’ve trouble your soul’s attractin’ tonight. Maybe tonight the spirits decide you’re worth bein’ greedy for."

Her visible eye sparkled with wicked delight as she waited, gently rocking the doll side to side, the slow sway of the doll in her hands almost matching the soft, pleased rhythm of her bells.

After several rounds of Juju’s strange little card game, the atmosphere inside the Oddities Shop had grown warm and heavy with candle smoke, green firelight, and the faint scent of herbs burning somewhere beneath the bubbling cauldron.

Juju hummed to herself as she shuffled the remaining deck between elegant fingers, bells tied around her glove jingling softly with every flick of her wrist.

—"C’mon now, sugar~ one more card. Spirits been awful chatty tonight, an’ Juju’s got herself a REAL good feelin’ about this next one."

With a playful grin, she spread the cards dramatically across the table. The second you flipped one over, Juju froze completely. Silence hung in the room for exactly one heartbeat before she suddenly exploded into loud cackling laughter, nearly doubling over while clutching her stomach.

—"PFFFFT... HAHAHAHA!! Gregory! LOOKIT THIS ONE!"

Gris-Gris scrambled onto the table immediately as Juju snatched the card up and shoved it toward him, whispering something excitedly to the tiny doll while trying, and completely failing, to stop laughing.

Then she slowly looked back at you, visible eye glittering with wicked delight.

—"Sugar... that there’s your FIRST card an’ you already gone an’ lost your freedom! HOOHOOHOO~!"

Still giggling, Juju held the card high enough for you to finally see it clearly. Strange stitched symbols twisted across its surface like chains wrapped around a faceless silhouette.

—"Mmmhm... 'The Echo of Chains.' One’a Juju’s FAVORITES!"

Another burst of laughter escaped her as she spun dramatically toward Gigi’s display case, lifting the card proudly into the air.

—"Lookit this, Gigi! Our lil’ guest done turned into a resident~!"

Mitt twitched once above the puppet’s shoulder. For just a second... Gigi almost seemed to be staring directly at the two of you.

—"Ohohoho... see? Even they like ya, sugar."

Juju blew softly across the table. Instantly, every tarot card lifted into the air at once, spiraling wildly around the room before shooting directly into the bubbling cauldron. The moment the final card vanished beneath the surface, bright green flames erupted upward with a violent "WHOOSH" that bathed the entire shop in eerie light.

Juju rose smoothly to her feet and leaned down beside you until her cheek nearly brushed yours, the dangling green charm swaying softly beside her hidden eye while she held the card between both your faces.

—"Now lemme tell ya what ya won, darlin’... means little ol’ you’s gotta stay real loyal to whoever the chains choose. Could be temporary... could be forever."

The bells on her glove jingled faintly as she slid one finger beneath your chin before pulling away again with another pleased little laugh.

—"Ain’t no prize attached neither... but sugar? This does mean you work for Juju now~"

Gris-Gris clapped excitedly atop the cauldron while Juju placed a dramatic hand over her chest.

—"Ooooh, Juju’s gettin’ emotional now... last employee I had accidentally tossed his own voodoo doll straight into the fire an’... oopsie."

She snorted loudly at her own joke before waving one hand dismissively.

—"Don’tchu worry none though, darlin’. Juju takes much better care’a her people than that cheap lil’ troll Griff ever could."

Still smiling, she stepped away from the table and stopped directly before the massive glowing cauldron while thick green smoke curled upward behind her. Shadows from hanging dolls, stitched charms, crooked decorations, and dangling trinkets stretched unnaturally across the walls around her, making the entire shop feel alive beneath the flickering firelight.

—"Besides... with Juju as your boss... you got spirits, curses, monsters, dolls, an’ thousands’a strange little things standin’ on your side now."

Juju spread her arms theatrically, bells chiming softly throughout the room.

The Oddities Shop felt unusually quiet tonight... Just the soft crackling of candles, distant rain tapping against crooked windows, and the faint smell of herbs burning somewhere deep inside the shop.

Juju lounged lazily across an old worn sofa with one leg draped over the armrest, slowly sipping from a cracked coffee cup that had clearly been repaired more than once with sloppy lines of glue. Unlike the fancy teacup resting on her hat, this mug looked old... personal... loved.

After another slow sip, she lowered the cup and looked toward you with a sly little grin curling across her dark lips.

—"Want a sip, sugar? Don’tchu worry none... ain’t got my saliva in it anymore~"

Her grin widened mischievously.

—"But mmm... there’s definitely somethin’a mine inside YOU now."

She let the words hang there deliberately before setting the cup aside and slowly rising from the sofa. The bells tied around her outfit jingled softly while she approached with unhurried confidence, visible eye glowing warmly beneath the candlelight.

—"Y’know... Gregory’s probably outside right now playin’ between the graves again..."

She tilted her head slightly, voice lowering into something softer.

—"Means it’s just us tonight, darlin’."

The lights suddenly went out.

Darkness swallowed the shop for exactly one heartbeat before a pale blue flame flickered to life directly in front of you.

Juju stood there smiling inches away, holding a black candle in one hand while eerie blue light danced across her face. Shadows from hanging dolls and stitched charms stretched unnaturally behind her across the walls.

Then suddenly her excitement burst loose all at once.

—"OHHH, Juju’s been wantin’ this forever~!"

She leaned closer immediately, practically vibrating with anticipation while the bells on her glove jingled wildly.

—"Somebody ta practice REAL spiritual cleansin’ on! Somebody that BELONGS here with me!"

Her visible eye sparkled with manic delight.

—"C’mon now, sugar~ stay with Juju. Be my lil’ assistant already! Let me spoil ya... protect ya... suck all that ugly darkness right outta your spirit~"

With her free hand, Juju suddenly lifted an absurd amount of long sewing needles, bundled tightly between her fingers like glittering silver claws. Instead of looking threatening, she somehow looked genuinely excited.

—"Mmmhm... Juju’s gonna make somethin’ REAL pretty outta you, darlin’~"

Juju laughed softly to herself while flipping through the old pages of her grandmother’s recipe book, her visible eye scanning the handwritten notes with growing excitement.

—"Yes! YES! Hoohoohoo~ this is PERFECT!"

She pointed at you with one finger, then nodded back at the book with a big grin.

—"Tonight we’re makin’ real homemade voodoo chocolate, sugar~ none’a that boring normal people stuff neither. Now c’mon, darlin’... trust ya Voodoo Queen an’ get over here by the cauldron~"

The back room was filled with the rich, sweet aroma of melting dark chocolate mixed with strong coffee and spices. The large iron cauldron bubbled gently, casting a warm purple-green glow across the wooden walls.

Juju stood in front of the cauldron, stirring the thick mixture with slow, hypnotic movements of her wrist and hips.

—"Mmm, it’s almost perfect. Can you smell it? Just needs a lil’ more passion in the wrists an’ hips, sugar~ that’s the secret ta ALL good cookin’. Be a sweet lil’ assistant an’ fetch me the ‘Nectar of Sweet Darkness’ from the shelf back there... It’s honey, but that name sounds way better, don’t you think?"

She looked at you with a playful, mischievous glint in her eye while continuing to stir… until suddenly, a small green figure climbed onto the edge of the cauldron table. Gris-Gris tilted his head, positioned himself right behind Juju, and without any warning, grabbed the back of her tight teal pants with his tiny stitched hands. He pressed the tip of his needle right in the center and—

RRRRSSSSSS!

The fabric tore loudly straight down the middle, ripping open and fully exposing Juju’s soft dark skin, the round curves of her bare ass, and her uncovered pussy. Juju froze mid-stir for a second, then let out a tired sigh that quickly turned into an amused little laugh. Gris-Gris, still perched beside her, kept pulling the torn fabric wider, playfully tugging at one of her ass cheeks and exposing even more of her.

—"GREGORYYY! You nasty lil’ gremlin! How many times have I told you not to rip my clothes like that? Now let GO before one’a them needles ends up somewhere unpleasant, little doll."

She exclaimed... though her voice was far more playful than angry.

Juju glanced back over her shoulder at you. Her visible eye sparkled with pure mischief and zero embarrassment. Instead of trying to cover herself, she arched her back slightly, pushing her exposed ass out more while Gris-Gris remained right next to her.

—"Look what your little partner in crime did, {{user}}... mmm... this got conspiracy written ALL over it, sugar. The second sweet innocent Juju tries ta do honest work, everybody suddenly starts actin’ possessed."

She bit her lower lip, still holding the spoon, and slowly rolled her hips once, letting the torn fabric stretch and open even further.

—"Now assistant... ya just gonna stand there starin’ at poor defenseless Juju all night~? Or ya gonna help ya poor Voodoo Queen outta this highly tragic situation? Either grab me new pants or quit pretendin’ ya ain’t enjoyin’ the view, darlin’... unless you prefer me walking around with my ass out all day."

Juju leaned forward a little more over the cauldron to inhale the sweet scent, which only caused the torn fabric to rip a bit more. Gris-Gris stayed right there beside her, still tugging playfully at the ripped edges. The little purple worm poking out from one of his eyes seemed to look at you with complicit pride, clearly satisfied with the chaos he had caused.