Upheaval: Day 14

Word Count: 84,038

Summary of Events:

At the theatre, Leon got into his costume and warmed up before joining his fellow competitors to be given the rules of the elimination round: they would be divided into pairs based on how long they'd stayed on their feet, and whoever stayed on their feet longer over the course of two dances — or completed a dance when the other failed to do so on both their attempts — won; the process being repeated until only two dancers remained. Leon actually ended up falling, and falling on his sore shoulder, during his first dance, which led to concern that he might not be able to do his second dance, but some painkillers and ice allowed him to dance again . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

He inhaled a deep breath, then let it out and walked to centre stage, where he rolled his shoulders a few times — feeling no pain on either side — before staring straight ahead and waiting, completely relaxed.

As the lights rose the music started and Leon started into motion according to Mr. Chekov's commands.

No thoughts of falling came into his mind. This was a new dance, a new song, he wasn't at all sore from any of the bruises he'd gotten this morning; he almost wished he could've felt this good in ballet class this afternoon aside from the part where he'd danced the pas de deux with Penelope.

The music carried him across the stage; he danced with lightness of foot, yet portraying a character with a heavy heart that he was sure a man who was set to marry a woman he didn't love because he couldn't marry the one whom he really loved would have.

He danced as if he were doing a dance of longing for his beloved sylph, a dance of agony that he was being forced to marry someone other than her, maybe even a dance of grief to have seen her suffer so torturously before the poisoned cloak had taken her away from him permanently.

Admittedly, he was dancing like he was pretending to be happy, but wasn't really happy at all; as he was sure a person was supposed to be happy on their wedding day, but, when they weren't marrying the one they loved, they couldn't be truly happy as they ought without forcing themselves to be that way.

The end of the song came softly, and Leon moved quietly into an end pose that included him covering his face with his hands to portray the anguish of the character he was more than certain he was dressed as.

Again the applause was thunderous and Leon gave reverence to the crowd before walking off the stage and listening as Mr. Chekov called out Jedda to take a final bow upon having been officially eliminated from the competition after a valiant effort.

Applause anticipating her appearance died out in an awkward fashion, with murmuring coming into its place. Leon turned to see the stage illuminated, but empty.

Mr. Chekov tried again and everyone applauded again, but Jedda still did not appear.

Leon felt badly. She had put up a good contest against him in this elimination round, he hoped that she wasn't sore about it, but, considering how Jane, Laurel, and Ariel's mom had reacted to their respective eliminations, Leon couldn't really say he was all that surprised; some people just weren't good at losing, and it appeared that Jedda might be one of them. 

Mr. Chekov apologised to the audience and promised that they would find Jedda and send her out on stage to be recognised.

Quietly, Leon left the wings and started back for his dressing room. He'd survived to dance another night; he was pretty sure that he could go get out of his costume now.