- 2 days ago
Tear The Robe Of The Goddess Of Beauty Dramareel
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Short filmTranscript
00:02your chest is too conspicuous you look like you're inviting attention if you continue like
00:08this we should cancel this betrothal fine what i said fine cancel it i agree my name is aphrodite
00:16my body was shaped by the cosmos itself full hips a waist like a crescent moon a face that
00:23has made immortals drop their goblets mid-zip god of fire master of the forge the most celebrated
00:31craftsman on olympus pathologically convinced that my beauty was a problem to be solved third
00:38meeting he didn't even look up from his blueprint your chest is too conspicuous your laughter is too
00:43bright the way you move it's indecent i was literally just walking he sourced the strictest
00:50handmaidens of the forge iron-spined women whose entire purpose was chaining divine goddesses
00:57into something called decorum he called them my teachers i called them my wardens three years
01:03they drilled me i learned to dim my smile to walk without the sway of my hips to keep my
01:10eyes down
01:10cast three years of trying to become the wife the bestest wanted today he stood in my chambers with
01:18that familiar look you still look like yourself perhaps
01:26we should reconsider this betrothal he expected what he always got please give me one more chance
01:33instead i looked him dead in the eyes fine
01:39what i said fine cancel it i agree do you have any idea what you're saying after everything i've invested
01:46three years of handmaids the finest tutors the forge could provide i've learned that nothing i do will
01:51ever satisfy you so let's stop wasting each other's time no formal marriage contract never exchanged
01:56proper betrothal gifts walking away is clean and easy you will copy the tablets of divine decorm
02:0110 times before dawn if you won't eat or sleep until it's done that's your problem
02:10i'd spent years flinching at that voice years believing that if i tried harder i'd finally see a softness in
02:18him meant for me
02:19but there is a specific quiet liberation that arrives the moment you stop caring about someone's approval
02:29i wasted no time the moment hefestus stormed out i sent my fastest dove to find leto the titaness whose
02:37son apollo
02:38had been seeking a match for years she'd approached me twice before both times i'd deflected i was thinking
02:45clearly now leto's response arrived the next morning her son's celestial birth chart almost embarrassingly fast
02:53i suspected they were afraid i'd change my mind the paperwork was signed sealed and witnessed by three olympian magistrates
03:01before hefestus even heard the news i celebrated by burning every gray robe in my wardrobe
03:08i watched them curl and blacken without a single regret hefestus had controlled every stitch on my body for years
03:17once i'd gifted him an embroidered sash spent a week on it he handed it back like i'd offered him
03:25weak old fish
03:26that was the last gift i ever made him today i chose a dress the color of blooming peonies
03:32i pinned back my hair with the small shells on fine chain my mother had given me a gift from
03:39the aegean herself
03:40my lady
03:40you look radiant
03:42i smiled at my reflection
03:44really smiled
03:46the full force kind i'd been suppressing for three years
03:50then i walked out of the olympian palace
03:58aphrodite
04:01my shoulders tent by reflex three years of pavlovian conditioning will do that
04:07old instinct if hefestus catches you outside without permission there's a month of written
04:13apologies ahead hefestus was crossing the square toward me the look on his face was incandescent
04:19literally forge heat visible in his eyes from 30 feet away
04:24you are an unmarried goddess walking through a public space dressed like
04:28his gaze dropped over my dress with
04:29this is unacceptable go back inside and change immediately
04:33over his shoulder athena
04:35the goddess of wisdom
04:37also hefestus's cousin
04:39also the one who'd originally suggested he hire the handmaiden
04:55before he could answer
04:57athena stepped forward with her diplomatic smile
05:00the one that never reached her eyes
05:02aphrodite
05:04heppethus is only concerned for your reputation
05:06you misunderstand his intentions
05:08while she talked hefestus grabbed my arm
05:11he reached up and tore the shell pins from my hair
05:14smeared his hand across my cheek
05:16smudging my cosmetic
05:17disgusting
05:17can you not attempt once
05:19to look like a goddess of dignity
05:21rather than a tavern spectacle
05:23my hair fell loose
05:25my face stung
05:26my eyes burned
05:27i let the tears come
05:28not because i was defeated
05:33the next morning hefestus arrived with athena at his side
05:37i hadn't slept well
05:38my lip was still tender
05:40i was standing in my atrium in yesterday's second best robe
05:43when they walked in like they owned the floor
05:47starting today
05:48athena will serve as your instructor
05:51she will teach you what the handmaidens could not
05:54i stared at him
05:55hephysectus
05:57we
05:57are not
05:59betrothed
06:01anymore
06:01that hasn't been formalized with my
06:04do your ears work
06:06i've said this three times now
06:09to his face
06:10and somehow it keeps not reaching his brain
06:14is there a structural issue
06:16athena's expression flickered
06:17then with no warning whatsoever
06:20she picked up the ceremonial ivory ruler from my writing table
06:24wives defer to their lords
06:25that is cosmic law
06:27you will not speak to him this way
06:29i stood completely still for three seconds
06:32my lips split
06:34hot blood on my tongue
06:35the pain bloomed white bright
06:37i reached out and grabbed the ruler
06:39cathestis caught my wrist before i could finish the swing
06:42let her go
06:43a firm male voice echoed through the door
06:47she is correcting you
06:49and you deserve it
06:50you do not raise your hand against your teacher
06:53this man
06:53who had spent three years convincing me that my beauty was shameful
06:58get out
07:02aphrodite
07:03get
07:04out
07:09my lip took three days to heal
07:12hephaestus sent six more handmaidens
07:15i sent them all back
07:16on the third day
07:18leto's dove arrived with a note
07:20apollo is home
07:22come to the feast of return tonight
07:24the feast of return gleamed across every hall of her celestial estate
07:29my mother had commissioned a dress threaded with actual starlight
07:33so that every step sent shimmers cascading down my legs
07:37hephaestus found me within ten minutes
07:39his face did that thing
07:41the flash of raw unwilling want
07:44instantly crushed under a scowl
07:46what are you doing here
07:49being invited
07:51you're drawing attention
07:53stay next to me
07:54don't wander
07:56don't talk to anyone
07:58when i give the signal you leave through the east passage
08:01i didn't answer
08:02i sat down
08:03i smiled at the people across from me
08:06for twenty minutes hephaestus deflected every god and minor deity who tried to speak with me
08:11i watched athena watching him watch me
08:14the whole tableau was so depressing it almost made me laugh
08:18then hephaestus grabbed my wrist
08:20again
08:23now east passage
08:27no
08:27you are still my intendant
08:30are you sure about that hephaestus
08:32are you sure about that hephaestus
08:34the laugh in it was unmistakable
08:37easy
08:38warm
08:39we both turned
08:41he was still in his gold and white campaign armor
08:45dust from the sky road still on his boots
08:48his eyes
08:49gods
08:50they were like looking directly at noon
08:53apollo
08:54better looking than i'd expected
08:56and i had expected quite a lot
08:59he looked at me first
09:00then at hephaestus's grip on my wrist
09:04you might not have
09:06but her betrothed is no longer you
09:08you're talking nonsense
09:10our family's bronze
09:12apollo reached into his breastplate and produced a document the olympian betrothal contract my seal his seal three magistrate signatures
09:23hephaestus's whole face went the color of cold ash
09:28what is this
09:29it's exactly what it looks like
09:33that was a threat aphrodite
09:35i never actually intended to cancel
09:38you knew that
09:38you said the words
09:39i took them seriously
09:40he switched targets
09:42faced apollo fully
09:43whatever you've agreed to i will buy it back
09:46name your terms
09:47the forge will compensate you generously
09:50apollo glanced at the contract
09:53glanced at me
09:54do you want to dissolve this this
09:56entirely addressed to me
09:58not rhetorical
10:00an actual question
10:01i shook my head
10:03apollo said
10:04folding the contract back into his breastplate
10:07then
10:08i think we're done here
10:10now if you'll excuse us
10:11i'd like to take my fiancee back
10:14hephaestus grabbed me
10:16you've lost your mind
10:20you don't even know him
10:23you're willing to throw away everything we
10:25apollo's hand came down on hephaestus's forearm
10:28light
10:29deliberate
10:30absolutely
10:31immovable
10:32take your hand off her
10:34before hephaestus could respond
10:37leto materialized from the crowd
10:42aphrodite
10:42all my friends have been desperate to meet you
10:45come come
10:46i won't hear any arguments
10:47she swept me into the heart of the feast
10:50like a river carrying a leaf
10:52hephaestus was left standing there holding empty air
10:55i watched the looks he received shift from polite to complicated to something closer to pity
11:02he sat alone at the far end of a table with wine he wasn't drinking staring at the place i
11:08was no longer standing he found me near the east colonnade when i was preparing to leave
11:14tell me what he offered you a title resources
11:32i was afraid if every god on olympius can see what i see when i look at you i thought
11:42if i could just contain it if i could keep you from being noticed
11:46you weren't protecting me
11:47you were ashamed of me
11:50no
11:50you hit my mouth through athena's hand
11:53you called me disgusting in a public square
11:56you tried to make me invisible for three years and called it love
12:01i'm going home
12:02don't follow me
12:04he tried anyway
12:06showed up at my parents three hours after apollo had already arrived with formal betrothal gifts
12:12i want to record for posterity what freedom feels like
12:17it feels like choosing a citrine and gold hairpin at a market stall
12:21apollo standing next to you in a crowded divine market
12:25this one
12:25definitely this one
12:27he slid it into my hair with both hands studying the effect with the focused attention
12:32of someone who considered this genuinely important work
12:36perfect
12:37you should always wear that color near your face
12:40i was still deciding how to respond when the air behind us turned cold
12:47afridia
12:48vestus was 10 feet away face a thunderhead
12:52a public market with him like this
12:56have you you know
12:57he's my fiance
12:59we're shopping
13:03it's a normal thing people in love do
13:05the word love landed on him like a blow
13:08he lunged
13:09i ducked behind apollo so fast
13:12apollo stepped forward
13:13simply was in the way
13:15the way a wall is in the way
13:18hephasis
13:19what exactly do you want here
13:21what i want is for you to step aside
13:23and let me speak to my
13:24you're what
13:27she is going to be my wife
13:29whether or not you have some piece of parchment
13:32you're confused
13:34that's not how any of this works
13:36aphrodite is my betrothed
13:38she has made her choice
13:39i'm not a generous man when it comes to people
13:42who don't understand the word no
13:46leave her alone
13:48you took advantage of her
13:50you caught her at a vulnerable moment
13:55so according to you
13:56she's confused
13:58because she rejected you
13:59and you loved her by hitting her mouth
14:02and calling her disgusting
14:03hephaestus went very still
14:06i would actually like to thank you
14:08if you treated her well
14:10she wouldn't have been available
14:11so
14:12genuinely
14:13thank you
14:14hephaestus looked like he'd been struck by lightning
14:17i bit back a smile
14:19withdraw the betrothal
14:21tell him you made a mistake
14:24i will change
14:27i can change
14:28i thought about the gray robes
14:31the ivory ruler
14:32the shell pins torn from my hair
14:34why me though
14:35if athena is everything you wanted
14:38patient
14:39composed
14:39follows every rule of decor
14:41why are you here
14:44because you don't actually want a proper olympian wife
14:47you want my face
14:48and her compliance
14:53that's not love
14:55that's a commission
14:56the morning of the wedding preparations
14:59chitin
15:00threaded with tiny stars
15:01my mother had woven
15:02from actual skycloth
15:05he looked at me in the wedding chitin
15:07something in his face broke
15:11aphrodite
15:12i've spent three weeks thinking
15:16about everything
15:19about what i did
15:20i kept you covered because i was afraid
15:23afraid of what other gods would do when they saw you
15:26afraid you'd leave
15:27i thought
15:29if i could just make you smaller
15:31you'd be safe
15:32and you'd stay
15:35i know it was wrong
15:37i know i hurt you
15:38but i swear
15:40if you give me one more chance
15:42i will prove to you
15:43that i can be everything
15:45he is to you
15:45i'd waited a long time
15:47to hear hefestus say
15:49he was wrong
15:53it's too late
15:54it's too late
15:56no
15:56it's not
15:57i'll go to apollo myself
15:58i'll explain
15:59hefestus
15:59i gave you chances
16:01not one
16:02not two
16:02years of chances
16:04i bent myself to shapes
16:05i didn't recognize
16:06to make you see me as worthy
16:07and not once did you look at me
16:09and said you're enough
16:10i'm not punishing you
16:13i'm just done
16:16i don't think he'd cried in front of anyone in his entire immortal life
16:21i left him there
16:23the wedding procession was forming
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