By the time Aria finished stealing—
borrowing—
a granola bar from the catering table, the stunt team had already surrounded her.
Not aggressively.
Not suspiciously.
No—
Like predators who had just discovered a smaller, cuter predator and immediately wanted to claim it.
Marcus, the head coordinator, clapped his hands once.
"Alright, everyone," he said loudly.
"Meeting. Topic: Aria Lane."
The entire stunt department formed a circle around her like she was a shrine.
Aria blinked.
"…Hello."
Marcus pointed at her dramatically.
"You.
Are joining our family."
Aria froze.
"My… what?"
"The stunt family!" one of the stuntwomen said, practically sparkling. "We adopt talented rookies."
Another guy nudged her shoulder.
"And you? You're not a rookie. You're a mini-boss."
A third piped up:
"No—she's DLC content."
"Secret final boss."
"Patch 2.0 upgrade."
Director Mason passed by at that moment and yelled,
"STOP CALLING HER A BOSS, SHE'S ONE OF THE LEADS!"
"Exactly," Marcus replied. "She leads us to greatness."
Mason walked away muttering about needing medication.
They Test Her Without Asking
A stuntman named Theo stepped forward with a grin.
"Can you dodge a punch?"
Marcus facepalmed.
"Theo, we JUST did that test—"
But Aria nodded.
"Yes."
Theo threw a slow punch.
She ducked.
He threw a medium punch.
She sidestepped.
He threw a fast punch.
She caught his wrist gently, guided it, and twisted him into a harmless spin that ended with Theo lying on his back, staring at the ceiling.
He whispered:
"…Marry me."
Marcus dragged him away by the ankle.
"Stand up, idiot."
Then They Test Her Reflexes Again
A stuntwoman tossed Aria a foam ball without warning.
Aria caught it without looking.
Another threw one from behind.
Caught.
Someone bounced one off the floor.
Caught.
Someone tossed one under her leg.
Caught.
Director Mason, watching from afar, shrieked:
"STOP THROWING THINGS AT HER BEFORE SHE KILLS YOU BY ACCIDENT!"
Marcus nodded thoughtfully.
"Her peripheral perception is off the charts."
One stuntman muttered,
"She must've trained martial arts since birth."
Julian, walking by, murmur-laughed softly.
"…Something like that."
Aria shot him a look.
He said nothing else.
They Feed Her… As Tribute
A stuntwoman approached Aria timidly with a protein bar.
"For you."
Aria accepted it politely.
"Thank you."
Then another stunt guy rushed in with a bottle of sports drink.
"Hydration."
Another offered her jerky.
"For strength."
Another handed her a banana.
"Potassium."
Another, shaking slightly, extended an entire lunchbox.
"I—I made extra."
Daniel walked in at that exact moment, took in the scene, and nearly had a stroke.
"WHAT—WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING?!"
Marcus replied casually.
"Feeding the queen."
Aria nodded.
"That's me."
Daniel slapped his forehead.
"No. No it's not."
The stunt team stared.
Marcus: "We have decided it is."
Aria shrugged.
"…Okay."
Daniel wailed.
"WHY DOES SHE LISTEN TO YOU PEOPLE BUT NOT ME—"
Julian Joins the Circle (Softly)
Julian walked over, hands in pockets, expression warm but curious.
"You settling in?"
Aria held up the pile of snacks she'd accumulated.
"They're giving me food."
Julian bit back a smile.
"That means they like you."
Aria blinked.
"…Really?"
"Really."
She looked down at the snacks again, like she'd just discovered a hidden rule of human interaction.
"Oh," she said softly.
"That's… nice."
Julian's eyes softened even more.
Daniel saw this and immediately stepped between them like a screaming referee.
"NO!
NO BONDING!
NO EYE SPARKLES!
WE STILL HAVE A MOVIE TO SHOOT!"
Julian smirked.
Aria opened another snack.
Marcus whispered to Theo,
"They're definitely protagonists."
The Stunt Team Makes It Official
Marcus clapped loudly.
"Alright, people! WHICH CHAPTER OF THE STUNT FAMILY RULEBOOK SHOULD WE TEACH HER FIRST?"
Theo raised his hand.
"Chapter 1: We share snacks."
Aria nodded seriously.
"I like this rule."
Another stuntwoman added:
"Chapter 2: If anyone bullies one of us, we bury them—professionally, legally, but emotionally permanently."
Aria blinked.
"That rule is also okay."
Marcus asked, "Chapter 3?"
Julian answered for her, amused:
"She follows no rules."
Aria tilted her head.
"…I follow some."
Daniel: "NAME ONE."
Aria: "Snack rule."
Marcus wiped an emotional tear.
"We've raised her well."
Daniel screamed into the sky.
Final Verdict
By the end of the hour:
The stunt team considered Aria their mascot,
Marcus considered her his secret weapon,
Theo considered her his future wife,
And Director Mason considered early retirement.
Aria, holding five new snacks, smiled genuinely for the first time that day.
"I like this team," she said softly.
Julian replied quietly,
"They like you too."
And for once…
Aria didn't deny it.