The props department prided themselves on professionalism.
They had survived actors slamming doors too hard, props going missing, and one celebrity who insisted every sword be sanitized with lavender oil.
But nothing—
nothing—
prepared them for Aria Lane.
And today, they broke.
It Starts With a Simple Task
The team was preparing a table of fake food for a dinner scene.
fake roasted chicken
fake dumplings
fake stir-fry
fake fruit
fake glossy sauce
All perfectly crafted.
All perfectly safe.
Unless Aria Lane was on set.
She entered the room calmly.
The props crew collectively tensed.
One whispered,
"She's here."
Another whispered back,
"Hide everything edible."
A third muttered,
"It's all fake. We're doomed."
Aria Approaches the Table
She inspected it with a serious expression.
"These look… good."
The head prop artist laughed nervously.
"T-Thank you, Miss Lane. Please don't touch—"
Aria poked a dumpling.
The artist almost screamed.
"That took me NINE HOURS TO MAKE."
Aria blinked.
"Oh."
She reached for the glossy stir-fry.
"NOOOO—"
The props team moved with military precision, snatching the bowl away.
Aria blinked again.
"I was only looking."
"You were LOOKING with your HANDS," a prop tech cried.
Mason Walks In at the Worst Time
Director Mason entered the room, took one look at Aria near the prop food, and went pale.
"NO.
NO.
NO—
HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?!"
Aria pointed to the open door.
"It wasn't locked."
Mason turned to the crew.
"WHY WAS THE DOOR NOT LOCKED?!"
Props Department Head:
"She moves silently! We didn't hear her!"
Lighting Tech from across the hall yelled:
"She teleports!"
Daniel peeked in.
"Oh no. Oh no. She found the props food—Mason, do something!"
The Breaking Point
One brave prop artist placed himself between Aria and the table.
"Miss Lane, please understand—this food is fake. Very fake. Extremely fake. Toxic fake."
Aria nodded.
"I understand."
Everyone exhaled.
Then Aria looked at a fake apple and whispered:
"…Not even a small bite?"
Props Department (in unison):
"NO!!"
Aria blinked.
"That was a joke."
Props Department:
"WE DON'T KNOW WITH YOU!"
Julian Arrives (and Doesn't Help)
Julian entered the room, saw Aria surrounded by terrified prop workers, and subtly smiled.
"What's going on?"
Daniel hissed,
"She tried to eat the fake food."
Julian looked at Aria.
"You know it's plastic, right?"
Aria nodded.
"I wasn't going to eat it."
Julian raised an eyebrow.
She added softly:
"…Probably."
Daniel groaned into his hands.
Props Department… Gives Up
The department head inhaled deeply.
"Okay. Team. New plan."
Everyone turned to him.
He spoke like a man on the verge of surrender.
"We're no longer making edible-looking props."
Another artist gasped.
"But realism! Our artistry—"
"SHE'S EATING OUR ARTISTRY."
The room went silent.
The head continued:
"From now on…
the food props will look ugly."
A junior prop tech squeaked,
"But—"
"UGLY!" the department head shouted.
"BORING!
UNAPPETIZING!
DISGUSTING!
Miss Lane-proof!"
Daniel nodded vigorously.
"Yes. This is smart. Make them look like alien fungus."
Mason clasped his hands together.
"Finally. A logical solution."
Julian murmured, amused,
"But the movie will look strange."
Mason pointed at him, eyes wild.
"STRANGE IS BETTER THAN HER EATING HALF THE SET!"
Aria's Reaction
Aria stared at the prop team with calm eyes.
"I wasn't going to eat everything."
"Everything?!" Daniel squeaked.
"Aria—please—don't say that out loud!"
Aria folded her hands.
"I just noticed the fake chicken looked good."
Props Department Head nearly collapsed.
"It LOOKED good because we did our JOB!"
Aria nodded politely.
"You did it well."
The props team froze.
Then several of them teared up.
She said it so sincerely.
So gently.
So honestly.
The head prop artist sniffled.
"…I'm still making them ugly."
Aria nodded again.
"That's okay."
Aftermath
Within 20 minutes, the props team had:
removed all realistic fake food
replaced it with hilariously unappetizing substitutes
filed a formal request:
"Miss Lane is not allowed near prop food without supervision."
Mason signed it instantly.
Daniel signed it twice.
Julian did not sign it.
When asked why, he simply said:
"…She'll still find a way."
Aria, standing right beside him, nodded.
"Yes."
Everyone screamed.