Aeon Life Theater

EXT. PARK - DAY

A young man lays asleep under a big tree. Arms behind his head, short-brimmed fedora shading his eyes, EROS, mid-20's, the handsome young God of Love, enjoys the quiet peaceful morning when it's interrupted by his cell phone's DING-DING.

ZEPHYRUS (V.O.)

Once upon a time, there lived a young god...

He slightly lifts his hat to crack an eye at the phone next to him. Putting the hat back down, he goes back to dreaming.

EXT. STUDIO - DAY

A beautiful young woman sighs deeply. PSYCHE, a 24 y/o bored young influencer, stands on a step stool as a COSTUMER buzzes around her measuring and tugging at her dress.

ZEPHYRUS (V.O.)

...and a beautiful young maiden.

Psyche frowns as she looks around for an escape.

INT. APHRODITE'S OFFICE - DAY

The Goddess of Love herself, APHRODITE, 30's, sits at her desk sorting through headshots and reports. Elegant, beautiful, and sharp, she is the Queen of her domain.

A gust of WIND blows in sending several papers flying.

ZEPHYRUS (V.O.)

Two souls destined for true love. They just didn't know it yet. A tale as old as--

Aphrodite looks up as ZEPHYRUS, a mid-20's friendly young man and god of the west wind, enters the room with a fresh stack of folders.

ZEPHYRUS

--Not that I was implying that you're old, ma'am.

She glares at him with the evil eye.

ZEPHYRUS

My Lady!

APHRODITE

What do you want, Zephyrus?

ZEPHYRUS

The new requests you asked for.

He hands her the stack of folders.

APHRODITE

Thank you. You may go now.

ZEPHYRUS

(bowing and exiting)

My Lady.

APHRODITE

Wait.

(He freezes)

Find out what my son is doing. He hasn't answered my calls.

ZEPHYRUS

Of course.

He leaves as she opens up the new stack of folders. The first one she opens shows the headshot and a report of Psyche.

EXT. PARK - LATER

Eros' phone DING-DINGS again from on top of the backpack next to him when a sudden WIND blows across him.

DING-DING. DING-DING.

Suddenly, a shadow looms over him.

ZEPHYRUS

You really should answer your phone. Could be important.

EROS

It'd be a waste of a beautiful day.

Zeph plops down next to Eros.

EROS

The sun is perfect. There's a nice breeze. Why ruin it with work that can wait till tomorrow? Just tell my mom I'm busy.

ZEPHYRUS

Dude. She'll kill me. Come on, one job. Let's go. Come on. Just one. Do it for me, your best friend. And then you can go back to your nap.

He doesn't move, so Zeph reaches over & picks up Eros' phone.

ZEPHYRUS

If you don't get up, I'm gonna text all your little girlfriends and boyfriends and tell 'em you've got weird diseases.

(no response)

I'm gonna do it.

(no response)

Okay. Don't say I didn't warn you. Let's see... recent texts.

(confused)

Dude. Where are all your texts? These are just job requests.

EROS

And you.

ZEPHYRUS

And your mom. We don't count.

(gasp)

Are you single?

Eros smiles.

ZEPHYRUS

(baffled)

Why?

EROS

Why what?

ZEPHYRUS

But you... you're...

EROS

What can I say? Dating, sex, love, all of it... I got bored. Enjoying the sun on my face is so much bet--

ZEPHYRUS

You're such an idiot.

EROS

Hey!

ZEPHYRUS

How can you, of all people, think love is boring? When did you become such a cynic and stop believing?

EROS

I still believe in it.

ZEPHYRUS

What? It's just "not for you." Is that it?

EROS

You know Zeph, you're a lot smarter than Apollo says you are.

ZEPHYRUS

That's because he's a bigger idiot than you are. Is this why you haven't been working much lately?

EROS

(shrug)

After watching all those people fall in love with each other and watching all those idiot gods chase after doomed romances--

ZEPHYRUS

--like Apollo--

EROS

--and Narcissus--

ZEPHYRUS

(sad day)

And Orpheus...

EROS

Exactly. At least he had true love. After everything, I realized that I've just never felt that way about anyone. I mean, don't get me wrong, I've had plenty of fun, but there's never been any one that I can actually be myself with.

(off Zeph's reaction)

Other than you, Zeph. But sorry, I just don't feel that way about you.

ZEPHYRUS

You wish you could have this.

(tsk)

What is this world coming to?

EROS

Hm?

ZEPHYRUS

The God of Love... has never been in love.

INT. STUDIO - DAY

Psyche leans back in her chair as a REPORTER eagerly leans forward in his.

REPORTER

You're a super popular icon, your brand has reached millions of followers, and your adoring public can't get enough of that gorgeous face. What's it like being called the new "Goddess of Love & Beauty"?

ZEPHYRUS (V.O.)

As you can see, Psyche was a famous and highly sought after young woman, sadly she had terrible luck with men. The worst, in fact.

PSYCHE

It's...

INT. APHRODITE'S OFFICE - DAY

Aphrodite angrily stares at Psyche's photo.

She furiously scribbles out a quick note and seals it in an envelope along with Psyche's headshot and report.

ZEPHYRUS (V.O.)

It was as if the Goddess of Love herself had placed a curse on the young maiden.

EXT. PARK - EVENING

Happily waking up from his nap, Eros sits up and stretches when a strong WIND blows past him.

EROS

That was quick. What'd my mom want this time?

He looks up and sees Zephyrus standing there, holding a sealed envelope.

ZEPHYRUS

So... you know how jealous your mom can get sometimes when humans find a new "goddess of love" to idolize, right?

INT. STUDIO - CONTINUOUS

Psyche takes a moment to carefully consider her response.

PSYCHE

It's.. been a blessing and a curse.

REPORTER

Oh?

PSYCHE

I'm thankful for being able to reach all my followers and hopefully, change their lives for the better. Their stories of love and loss constantly humble me and impress me.

EXT. PARK - CONTINUOUS

Zeph hands Eros the envelope. As he opens it, he sees Psyche's photo--

THUMP-THUMP.

EROS

Whoa...

INT. STUDIO - CONTINUOUS

A small smile plays across her face.

PSYCHE

But I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss those carefree days where I could just be me. Just getting lost in the romance of life.

EXT. PARK - CONTINUOUS

Zephyrus notices the immediate change in Eros and it piques his curiosity. He leans over Eros' shoulder to look.

ZEPHYRUS

Wow. Pretty.

EROS

(playing it off)

It's just a girl.

PSYCHE (V.O.)

I'm no goddess of love, I'm just a girl hoping to find it for myself.

ZEPHYRUS

Are you blushing?

EROS

Shut up!

Eros' whole demeanor drops as he reads the scribbled note.

INT. STUDIO - CONTINUOUS

She finally sits comfortably.

PSYCHE

If I could share one piece of advice, it'd be this: while romantic love might break your heart, true love... true love will bring it to life. And that's worth everything.

EXT. PARK - CONTINUOUS

Eros hands the note up to his friend.

ZEPHYRUS

(reading)

"Make her fall in love with a monster." What the hell does that mean?

Gathering his stuff, Eros stands up and grabs the note.

EROS

(irritated)

It means that some days, I hate my job.

INT. PSYCHE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Psyche enters her apartment and tosses her keys down next to her purse.

She undoes her hair, letting it fall freely and kicks off her heels as she looks through the mail. Turning on the lights as she goes, she gets comfortable.

EXT. PSYCHE'S APARTMENT - LATER

Eros and Zephyrus watch Psyche through the window from across the street.

ZEPHYRUS

So, what's the plan here?

EROS

Sneak in, flash her--

ZEPHYRUS

Dude!

EROS

With the camera, idiot.

ZEPHYRUS

Right. With the love arrow... flashy... thingy--

EROS

The "Eros Flash Modifier," yes. So much easier than shooting people with arrows.

ZEPHYRUS

Right. Can't walk around with a bow and arrow these days, unless you're a superhero.

EROS

Uh, yeah. With this camera, I just add the "eros" modifier and when I take that person's photo, they fall in love with the next living thing they see.

Rifling through Eros' camera bag as he's talking.

ZEPHYRUS

What are these, then? Extras?

He holds up several different flash modifiers.

EROS

Careful! Those are very powerful magics that even I'm not immune to. Just stop touching things.

ZEPHYRUS

This one says "agape." Dang! I didn't know you could magic true love.

EROS

You can't. It just jump starts it. The souls have to already be fated to match.

ZEPHYRUS

(to himself)

Interesting.

EROS

Huh?

ZEPHYRUS

Nothing! So it's like 1 AM. Doesn't she need to be awake for this to work?

EROS

Nope. Magic.

ZEPHYRUS

Uh huh. So, "next living thing"? What if it's a super attractive delivery man or something?

EROS

It's not. According to this report, the next person she'll see is the intern picking her up in the morning for a photo shoot.

ZEPHYRUS

Think that'll satisfy your mom's request for a "monster"?

EROS

If she wants a monster, she'll have to create one herself. Not like there's a minotaur running around.

The lights in Psyche's apartment turn off.

EROS

Come on, let's go.

INT. PSYCHE'S APARTMENT - MOMENTS LATER

Eros carefully enters the dark apartment. Seeing a few family photos on the counter, he picks one up. Psyche looks so happy with her sisters that he can't help but smile.

Setting the photo back down, he soberly makes his way towards her bedroom.

Carefully pushing the door open, he silently approaches when he accidentally TRIPS on something and falls forward.

He freezes, waiting. Psyche turns over, but stays asleep.

Phew! Eros stands back up and goes to her side, gently sitting on the edge of the bed next to her.

Delicately, he brushes strands of hair out of her face, letting his fingers linger for a moment.

EROS

(whisper)

Forgive me...

He holds the camera up and points it at her face.

But.. for some reason he just can't bring himself to press the button.

EROS

You know, in all my years, I've never questioned the job. I really believed in what I was doing. I guess I still do. Maybe Zeph was right. Though, for a god of the west wind, he can be a little flighty. So tell me. Please? What is it about you... why can't I bring myself to press this button?

Just then, Psyche starts to wake up.

He looks over to her when--

THUMP-THUMP. His heart beats loudly and his breath catches in his throat.

She stirs and stretches.

Crap! Eros stands up and begins to panic.

Psyche sits up and rubs her eyes, but finds she is alone.

EXT. PARK - MORNING

Wearing big sunglasses and a floppy hat, Psyche purchases a hot tea from a coffee cart.

Sipping her tea as she goes, Psyche walks through the park and takes a seat on a bench.

She breathes in the clean air & smiles as the sun warms her.

A WIND blows past her.

ZEPHYRUS

Beautiful day.

The voice startles her and she looks around until she finally sees Zephyrus standing with his back to her.

PSYCHE

Yes, it is. Even better since I'm playing hooky today.

ZEPHYRUS

Oh?

PSYCHE

Sometimes you just need to take a breath... and ignore what everyone else wants you to do. #self care

ZEPHYRUS

I couldn't agree more. Actually, I've got a friend just like you.

PSYCHE

Oh?

ZEPHYRUS

He gets lost in his work at times, so I have to give him a little nudge. Help him get out of his own way. You know how it is.

PSYCHE

You sound like an excellent friend.

ZEPHYRUS

Oh, I am. But right now... he's sulking over there.

He nods to a big tree across the park.

PSYCHE

Why?

She looks to the tree and sees Eros asleep on the grass.

ZEPHYRUS

Not really sure. Either something happened on the job last night or... it's about a girl. Or both.

PSYCHE

Both? What's he do--?

ZEPHYRUS

Thing is, his heart may be a little broken. I don't think he even believes in love anymore.

PSYCHE

What happened?

ZEPHYRUS

Apparently, he got "bored."

PSYCHE

Well, that's a silly reason.

ZEPHYRUS

I know, right?

PSYCHE

(sipping on her tea)

I wish my love life was boring.

ZEPHYRUS

(gossip time)

Bragging are we? Are you that inundated with suitors?

PSYCHE

I wish. Quite the opposite actually.

ZEPHYRUS

A beautiful woman like yourself? I don't believe that.

PSYCHE

Oh, believe it. 20 million followers and not a single date.

ZEPHYRUS

Wait, you're not...

Taking off her sunglasses, she looks over and gives a signature pose.

PSYCHE

It's me. The new Goddess of Love, according to my publicist. Fated to be in love with love, I suppose.

ZEPHYRUS

Funny you should say that...

A sly smile slips out.

EXT. PARK - MOMENTS LATER

To-go tea cup in one hand, the other holding on to her hat -- apparently the WIND has picked up a little -- Psyche walks over to where Eros lays asleep on the ground, hat covering the majority of his face.

PSYCHE

Um, excuse me?

Eros doesn't wake up.

PSYCHE

Excuse me, sir?

Nothing.

Kneeling down next to him, she precariously leans over and carefully lifts his hat, revealing his handsomely perfect sleeping face.

THUMP-THUMP. Her breath catches in her throat when--

A strong WIND suddenly knocks her over, causing her to SPILL her hot tea on his chest.

Eros wakes up with a start, bumping into Psyche's forehead and knocking her on to the ground.

EROS

Ow. Hot, hot, hot!

PSYCHE^

Oww.

Psyche rubs her head as Eros tries to pull the wet part of his shirt off his skin.

EROS

Are you okay?--

PSYCHE^

I'm so sorry! I didn't mean--

Eros looks up and the two lock eyes.

EROS

... it's you.

PSYCHE

I'm so sorry. I came over here because your friend...

She points to where Zephyrus was, but he's now vanished.

PSYCHE

Where'd he go? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to spill my drink on you! I just, you were asleep and I was leaning over & then the wind--

EROS

--wait. The wind?

Eros sits back and relaxes as a smile slowly spreads.

PSYCHE

Are you sure okay?

EROS

Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry but, we've been set up.

PSYCHE

What?

EROS

(extending a hand)

I'm Eros. It's nice to meet you.

PSYCHE

(smiling)

I'm Psyche.

Suddenly, the camera FLASHES, capturing them both.

The two look up in confusion and see Zephyrus standing there. As he lowers the camera, he shrugs innocently.

ZEPHYRUS

What? I'm a romantic.

As he holds the camera by his side, we notice that the "agape" (true love) flash modifier is attached.

Eros looks back to Psyche and smiles.

EROS

Psyche, do you believe in love?