Upheaval: Day 7

Word Count: 42,022

Summary of Events:

As ordered by Mr. Chekov, Leon looked around for a hairdresser, but found — as he'd expected — that there were none open on Sundays, so he went to the theatre early to get a haircut from the hairstylist. He was then garbed as a clown for the night's performance and immediately assumed himself to be the puppet clown Petrushka from the early-1900s ballet. After his performance — where he, once again, was the only one to dance without falling — Leon was taken to see Mr. Chekov again . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

"You certainly have all the looseness of a rag doll," Mr. Chekov said.

Leon said nothing.

"We might have to revive Petrushka for you to dance it," Mr. Chekov said. "You certainly seemed to enjoy the role."

Still Leon said nothing; he wasn't really sure what he was supposed to say anyways.

"You overdid yourself, however," Mr. Chekov said.

"How?" Leon asked.

"You are to do exactly as I tell you," Mr. Chekov replied. "And I did not tell you to do a cartwheel. Your flopping about after the dance was over was also more than was necessary. I do not deny your excellence as Petrushka, but I saw enough of it in your dance. You overstepped your bounds."

"All of this is to say that I am disqualified then?" Leon asked.

"Нет," Mr. Chekov replied. "It means you have been warned."

"What of Yuri?" Leon asked.

"What of him?" Mr. Chekov asked.

"He drove me off the stage and took me to a different dressing room where he slapped me," Leon replied. "Was that because I overstepped my bounds?"

"Yuri is not a man of patience," Mr. Chekov replied. "Years of dancing for the humourless has made him humourless."

"What does that mean?" Leon asked.

"We teachers at the Bolshoi do not have patience for selfish antics such as you did onstage after the dance was over, and even during the dance in flopping about," Mr. Chekov replied. "He now has no tolerance for such selfish antics, having himself learned that they are unnecessary, frivolous, and, above all, incredibly selfish."

"I was dancing in the character," Leon protested.

"I did not tell you to dance as Petrushka," Mr. Chekov said. "I told you to dance in the costume of a clown."

"But I was dancing to music from Petrushka," Leon replied. "Just as I was dancing to the music of the Nutcracker while similarly arrayed last night, and as Prince Albrecht from Gisele the night before."

"Hm," Mr. Chekov said. "You are making suppositions. There was no intentionality in any of it. You will dance as a normal dancer whatever costume you happen to be in."

"Then why did you say I enjoyed the role of Petrushka?" Leon asked. "First you compliment me, then you condemn me. How am I to please you?"

"By departing," Mr. Chekov replied.

"I am not allowed to come back and dance?" Leon asked.

"You are allowed," Mr. Chekov replied. "In fact, to not return would result in immediate disqualification. I merely mean that you are to leave for tonight, that is what will please me."

"You are avoiding my question," Leon snapped.

"Good night Артемий," Mr. Chekov replied.

Pronunciation:

Petrushka: pehtrooshkah

Нет: kneeeht