Snippet #1199836

Jellybean Town, Bearclaw Island
Downtown
Entertainment Shack


The Entertainment Shack is the Jellybean Town's main spot for, well...entertainment. Rows upon rows of chairs and tables are set in front of a large stage, curtains covering it. Waiters and waitresses swarm the rows of seats, serving food and beverages. At the moment, a rock star band was playing a loud and catchy song, the lead singer screaming his head off. People were cheering, wolf-whistling and banging their hands on the tables where they sat.
Behind the large purple curtains, a green-haired head peeked out, gray eyes blinking. Then it quickly withdrew.

"There sure are a lot of people," Boneka said, gulping. Though she was already used to crowds, she wasn't exactly sure if she was ready for one this big. She couldn't help but feel a little bit nervous. Then suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Calm down," came the voice of Mr. Bumi--the owner of the shack. Boneka glanced up at him. He was a large and tall man with a mustache and beard that covered nearly all his face. He was a nice guy, though Boneka only knew him for a couple days when they arranged the performance. His eyes were gentle as he patted her shoulder. "All those people didn't come here to see you all nervous and spazzy. They came here to see you, Boneka the Puppeteer! They came here to see you perform your amazing performance!"

"Or they might see me vomit..." Boneka muttered under her breath. Though Mr. Bumi's words of comfort did make her feel a bit calmer. She nodded to him. "Alright. I can do this."

Mr. Bumi smiled. "You got 30 minutes before the band finishes their songs...and then the stage is all yours. Good luck." His hand dropped and he walked away.

Boneka watched him leave. She nodded again, this time to herself. Then she ran to get to her performing position, trying to stop her heart from banging against her chest. Her ears tuned out the loud rock song and the cheer of the crowd, only to be replaced by her own thoughts. "Haku-san..." she whispered. "This is for you."