The Dragon

"Hey, I thought I saw your notebook out by the bed there."
Yeah, that's it.
"I wasn’t sure you were still writing."
I did take some time off. I was having trouble following through with the ideas.
"How so?"
I don’t know exactly, I struggled to find any direction. Maybe that Red Cross piece really took something out of me.
"Haha, very funny. Don’t try to joke your way out of this."
I don't need to joke my way out of it, I happen to be out of it. I’ve got about 6 things working their way onto paper.
"Oh? Inter-esting. Got any teasers for me?"
I'll tell you them right out if you want. Anything in particular of interest?
"Whatever happened to the Princess?"
And the Captain?
"Sure, yeah, what’s happened to them?"
They’re still around, in the margins of the notebooks, on the slim edges of the pages, in the strew that comes off when I tear the pages out of the spiral.
"Do they ever make in onto the lines? In ink?"
Oh sure, all the time. Maybe not on the lines exactly, but between them certainly, living stories parallel to the written ones, or in the minds of the characters.
"So you always know what they're doing?"
Well, that's kind of a tall order -- sometimes I do have my story to play, and I can't say I even always know what I'm doing -- sometimes that's enough for me to work on.
"And sometimes too much, I know, I'm not even going out there today. Keep the curtains drawn."
It's raining anyhow.
"Like a poem, I'm sure."
Shhh, it's early yet, let the sound of the rain send us back dozing...

"Hey, are you sleeping?"
About halfway, were you?
"Just coming up out of a short dream. How about you?"
Coming out of, or dropping in to. On a day like this, there's no need to distinguish.
"So then, how about P and C right now, do you know what they're doing?"
Right now? On a stolen Sunday with you? Yes, I think I know how it is with them right now.
"Would you tell it to me?"
Let me see, I'll try to picture it:

The Dragon, a short play for Sunday afternoon

Dramatis Personae:
The Captain: We've met him before and know him well
The Princess: We've met her before also, and know as much about her -- but she runs deeper than he
The Dragon: Making its first clear appearance to give P and C the opportunity to catch what often eludes them

Scene I
[We find the Captain waiting, leaning heavily on a column beside the throne. He's daydreaming, staring off into space, rehearsing something to say. The Princess hurries in, not quite together, frazzled.] ("Did you say frazzled? What's that supposed to mean? And 'not quite together'? What's the standard going to be?"
You've never had a moment when your portion of the world was too heavy? How does that leave you?
"I can handle it."
I know you can, but that doesn't mean I can't see it.)
P: I can't today, too busy.
C: [not quite listening, he starts with what he's been rehearsing...] I've been meaning to tell you,... What's that? Not today? Have I got the wrong day?
P: It's the correct day, but I’m afraid I can't all the same.
C: But, the report from beyond the walls...
P: We both know perfectly well if there was anything to say about anything beyond the walls you wouldn't wait for an assigned day. If there was anything that needed attention you would be tending to it, and if I needed you for anything you would always come. This is just an excuse for us to chat about our things. And today, I don’t have time for anything except Important Things proper.
C: I see, well no reason I should expect, that is, if you're busy, just, I thought this was important to you.
P: It is important to me that you be understanding. I like to think of you as understanding.
C: I understand
P: And you -- aren't you the one so driven by responsibility?
C: Maybe we're not thinking broadly enough about what we're responsible for. Not just what we need to get done, but the way that we do it.
P: I know that look. What are you up to? You’re planning something.
C: I do have important business to bring before you today. Something has gone awry in the dračí půda
P: [her eyes sparkle as she catches the idea, and she whistles for an attendant] Okay, you're on.
("Whoa, the Princess, she whistles for an attendant? Is that very Princess-y"
'Princess-y'? that’s good, I'll have to put that one in the story at least twice.
"Just answer the question."
You get that she's just a character? a representation of someone else with a similar outlook?
"Do I know this someone else?"
I think you'd find them recognizable... What are you doing?
"Peeking over your shoulder into the mirror to look at you looking at me. Did you know I can't whistle like that?"
Hmm,... how about...
[her eyes sparkle as she catches the idea and she blows a whistle for an attendant]
...but probably not a train whistle.
"You...")
C: [starting in mid-sentence as two attendants rush in] ...consequences could be severe if circumstances cannot be returned to their proper symmetry. We risk chaos and destruction if we don't move quickly. This is something that must be taken care of immediately, for it has the capacity to ruin anything else. It is a devious and pervasive threat to the effect and value of every other endeavor. I recommend we move quickly, but carefully. Direct conflict is not going to be effective, and a large force will only tip our hand...
P: You, Captain, have my every confidence, I place us entirely in your hands. [pointing to the first attendant] Prepare my horse.
C: [feigning surprise, with a wink to the audience] Your horse? Princess, you must stay in a safe place.
P: You have made it clear that no place is safe. You prepare yourself, and I will ride out to examine the threat myself -- I will return in one hour.
C: I would prefer to go with you, but you are right. One hour then.

"So what is it? What’s the danger?"
Well, at some point in every Princess saga there has to be a Dragon.
"Right, I remember from the cast list. So the Dragon is the conflict, rising up and bringing asymmetry and dissonance? Then they have to bring everything back into concordance?"
I'm not sure that's exactly what the Dragon's role is. It's close to that. Maybe it'll become clearer when I try to tell that part of the story.
"I was reminded by an asymmetry here, an inequality I think we should deal with."
I like it when you take the stories personally.
"Why would you think they’re any less personal for me than they are for you? Stop leaning heavily on that column for a while and take a break."
I’m going to make some coffee, do you want any?
"Not right now, and neither do you. Stop finding work to do and relax for a bit. Pretend you're not a morning person."
Well I don't know how that goes. What do the not-morning people do at this time of the day?
"First of all, they don't think of this as a time of the day. Day doesn’t start until much later. And you don't do anything, you just are. Just drift. Relax. Let your eyes close and let your dreams have you."
Hmmm, I'm starting to see what you mean.
"Shhh, there's no talking..."

I'm sitting by the open window quietly sipping coffee and watching the rain come down, letting the mist wash my face, breathing deeply, and listening to the tapping on the leaves.
"You should come and relax before you get into trouble."
Trouble?
"It's against the rules to try and sneak off without permission."
I didn't sneak off, I just went to make some coffee while you were sleeping. It did occur to me that I oughtta try to get some more sleep too, busy work week ahead, but went with coffee instead. When I got back, I didn't want to bother you there.
"How is it that you can be so very wrong about some things?"
Too much thinking, I'm pretty sure. You want some coffee? I also brought you some water.
"Water's good, thanks. Whatcha thinking about now?"
I've been wondering about whether it matters what happened on the Princess' ride, or if we have to go through the Captain's pretending to be surprised and concerned when she doesn’t return after an hour. I was also noticing that you got the Sunday puzzle finished. Did you decide on what your reward would be? Looks like at least 150 letters total.
"I have decided on the reward, but I’m not quite finished, there’s still a few blank sections."
Looks all done to me...
"Huh, so it does. How do you suppose these letters got here in the answers I was having trouble with?"
They must've just come to you.
"Yeah, that’s funny how the rest of the puzzle's done with a regular ballpoint, but the mystery letters all seem to have been filled in with a splotchier pen."
Hmmm, I hadn't noticed that.
"We'll have to submit that to the rules committee for a decision."
I'm willing to grant you the victory right now.
"Uh-huh. How about jumping ahead in the story? I know the next part: of course she does not return in an hour, of course he pretends he didn't know all along that's what would happen, of course he thunders out the gate on his way to "rescue" her, fully aware she doesn't need saving. And then?"
Well, he rides to the meeting place.
"What meeting place?"
There are places that are special to them. Places where they have found each other before.
"I know one."
This one is past the vineyards, upstream, approachable only on foot, at the spill pool of a small waterfall that’s been cutting this little nook out of the mountain forever...

[The Princess sits on a large stone at the edge of the pool, watching her reflection waver in the ripples. The sound of the waterfall overwhelms any other ambient noises. She's resting her head on her fingertips. In the pool, the image of the Captain appears next to hers. She smiles and lifts her head, offering the hand to the Captain. He takes it and they walk together away toward the back of the pool, approaching the waterfall. It is too loud to speak without yelling. They pause at the edge of the falls. The Princess has a question on her face, is about to say something. The Captain puts his finger up to his lips and steps behind the falls, leading her by the hand. She offers no resistance and follows.]

"That’s going to be a whole scene? It can’t be more than 3 minutes. And almost nothing happens."
Hmmm, I guess I was more focused on the story than on the Mise-en-scène. I’ll have to rely on somebody to help me let this scene continue on the same stage. Maybe have the entrance on one side of the stage and let the rest of the scene proceed across it...
"Well, that could help you communicate a transition..."
I'll let you work on that, if it can't work out, I guess I'll just have the two of them shrug their shoulders and go on back to the beginning.
"Okay, okay, stop pretending to be dramatic and tell me what happens next."

[Behind the waterfall is the entrance to a cave. They step into it, emerging cold, wet, shivering.]

"Speaking of which, I think the window's been open too long in here."
I'll get it.
"No, don't bother, just pull the comforter up over. You can tell the rest of this story to me in the dark."
There you go.

[He lets go of her hand at the entrance, and leaves to arrange something. She waits for a moment and follows him into the dark. The sound of the waterfall recedes as they enter the cave. We lose sight of them as they leave the light at the entrance. There's a spark, and we see that they’ve found each other in the dark. The Captain is kneeling over something, and the Princess stands tentatively with a hand on his shoulder. Another spark shows him still at work, and her more at ease, hand between his shoulders. The third spark catches tinder, which lets off a small light. She lifts a torch off the wall and catches it in his flame.]

P: It is warm in here. Comfortable.
C: Feels about body temperature.
P: And there’s a fullness in the air...
C: Like breath.
P: How long have you known about this place?
C: Only as long as I’ve known you.
P: It seems familiar, I knew we'd be here somehow. All the times we’d been at the waterfall, how come we never found our way here before?
C: I don't know, I don't think I ever really saw the waterfall until I saw you looking at it.
P: Well, let's look more. You can take this now.
[She hands him the torch and he leads her into the next chamber. Fierce eyes open onto them as they enter. He hands the torch back and steps forward as the light reveals the Dragon. He looks it right in the eyes -- there's a deadly seriousness in the way they regard each other -- they've met before. The Captain maintains his gaze, removes his hand from the hilt of his sword and slowly turns his arms out.]
C: Not today.
[The Dragon gives an overconfident snort, letting the Captain knows that when that day comes, neither of them will be holding anything back. The Captain then steps aside and gestures an introduction of the Dragon to the Princess. The Dragon's gaze softens, and he drops his head to bow to her. As the Dragon moves aside to welcome her and withdraws to leave the space to them, the cave lights up with the riches of its treasure.]
P: This place is certainly cluttered.
C: Let's see if I can make something of it. [He gets to work throwing some of it aside to clear a space to sit.] I believe this is what we were wanting today.
P: Exactly. Now sit here beside me, and share your treasure. What did you have to tell me this week?
C: Well, let me think a second. I have a few stories...

"So. No big showdown with the Dragon?"
No, it's not ever the Dragon that is the problem, though it is often mistaken for it. The conflict comes from the rest of the world pulling on them. The Dragon is a guardian, and it guards a place where no guardedness is needed.
"Why so many tales of going out to battle Dragons then."
It's always easier to tell yourself that the conflicts are external, and the Dragon is a ready scapegoat, since it always appears to stop you if you come with a misunderstanding of what treasure is. It requires you to approach it with a reverence for how its power and repose are informed by an understanding of when each are to be displayed. It is temperance that is the password.
"The Dragon is here. I was going to tell you."
Here now, under the comforter? I'd think it’d seem more crowded?
"The Dragon is always here between us, waiting to be recognized. It welcomes us into what we have together, where we can get our inspiration, power, and confidence."
I do treasure this time together.
"Tell me another story?"
Of course,... I might nap a little bit first.
"Then, maybe I’ll tell you one..."