Atok's Journal Entry 7 The Vudu Shop

It was late, and I scrolled through discord chats and jumped into YouTube rabbit holes. When I slipped into this brief teaser.

Unlike the teaser, I continued toward the build in my mind and opened the shop door. The shop was tiny; there was no one at the old-fashioned front desk. A silent monitor was hanging from the ceiling with a dusty screen, and there was a long hallway to the right of it. There was a dingy red rug on the floor like it had been there for decades. It was well worn. Despite the sparse lighting, I could see thousands of Vudu dolls on the shop's walls, all behind plexiglass partitions. Their eyes, accessories, coloring, and hairstyles were all divergent from each other, but at the same time, they seemed similar, like they were all of the same tribe, they were numbered. A prominent notice was plastered to the front desk cabinet: 44ADA- Mint Oct. 2021- Secondary Kiosk open soon.

As I slowly turned to view the room, I felt the Vudu's were all watching me. In the back right corner was a machine; it looked like a cross between a vending machine, a claw machine, and an ATM. It was dusty. I wiped the main screen, and it sputtered to life. And played the following:

I slid my debit card into the chip reader and followed the conversion protocol. It took USD money, converted it to ADA, and showed me a picture of dolls in that range. I looked around for a rarity chart but didn't see one. However, this guy caught my attention. Number 5749. I clicked to accept the transaction, and the video above played again, only it finalized its image to be my selection.

With my eyesight and the dusty screen, he reminded me of a chicken. As instantly as he was dubbed Chicken Man Baguette, #5749's story was clear.

You can see the resemblance to a chicken partially due to his completely white form, orange anklets, and part due to his lips and black "comb." He's carrying a baguette that introduces his occupation or family; my mind was filled with vision.

Chicken man provides a Vudu of bravery to the holder. He started his baguette shop in Vuduverse before anyone else had built a shop. People ask why a baguette shop? As a younger chicken man, he ate a lot of wheat seed. He grew up learning from his mother, Little Red Hen, all about what it takes to be a part of a community. More importantly, we "reap what we sow," and we share in the profits if we help with the work.

He grew up knowing it takes effort to create great things and bravery. Hard work is what he is all about. From around the Vuduverse, people respect Chicken Man's work ethic. Even when they try to stay carb light, that bread smells too warm and fresh to ignore. He brings the smell of home baking into the streets, and few can resist stopping into the shop and buying one of his fantastic products. After all, Bread is Life.

After completing the first transaction, I heard a sound like an electric spark coming from the machine, but then its screen went black again. Despite the disconcerting light changes in the dark shop, I was less afraid than I usually would feel. I smelled freshly baked bread in the air.

I was intrigued. How long had this shop been here? Who was running it? What kept the neon flashing? I rummaged around in the file cabinet behind the desk. I found a folder in it with "founders" on the outside. Inside were two photos:

Written on the backside were the words: VUDUDADDY and VUDUMOMMA. I found a "roadmap" and a few logs about projects and dreams, but not how this place worked. One note said, "Build a Community," another said, "Release White Magic." Up against the back wall, behind the desk, were examples of the dolls' clothing in human sizes. Most notably, a T-shirt saying CURSE OF THE EAST.

I wasn't sure how I could purchase any of the outfits. Maybe I couldn't, but that seemed a strange lack of merchandising. It seemed the only thing I could do was use the kiosk. I walked back over to the machine. It was like a run-down slot machine from Vegas, but it was delightful.

Next: The Baguette Family

VuduBrigada Project Links:

Official Vudu Website: https://vudubrigada.io/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VuduBrigada

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vudubrigada

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVyRq8c3iu2pA1J2Yl5vJuA

Creators:

Ruggero Lupo Mengoni: https://twitter.com/ruggeromengoni

Yasmine Saliba: https://twitter.com/yasminethehuman

Team:

Omelettes (Minter): https://twitter.com/omelette_dev

Spee577 (American - Mod): https://twitter.com/Spee577