Somehow, Kylian meandered his way to the eastern outskirts of Capital City where land was plenty and cheap. It was the perfect place for the entertainment industry, a place where big personalities could be loud without disturbing the rest of civilization. On one of these lots was a sound stage where Kylian had it on good information that Viviane Fox, one-time physics researcher turned famous fashion model, spent her days. Sound Stage 19 to be exact. Now, if only Kylian could get past the gates of Sommet Studios, he might be able to find his way to Sound Stage 19 and see Viviane again. In his haste, Kylian had to pause his quest to consider the obstacle in front of him.

Why am I here? How am I supposed to get past the guard? I didn’t think this through very well.

Plan or no plan, Kylian decided to wing it to get past the guard. As he approached the guard booth, the guard inside saw him coming, but averted his eyes and pretended like he did not see Kylian hoping he would just go away on his own.

“Excuse me! Um, Mr. Guard?” Kylian tried to get the guard’s reluctant attention.

Unable to ignore Kylian any longer, an annoyed guard acknowledged Kylian’s forced presence. “Yes? What can I do for you?”

“Well, you see, I’m trying to visit a friend of mine in Sound Stage 19 and I was wondering if you could tell me how to get there?”

“Are they expecting you?”

Thinking fast, Kylian fibbed. “Why yes!” he lied, “Yes, they are. Indeed!”

The guard became suspicious. “Do you have a lot pass?”

“Do I need one?”

“Yes, of course you need one!” bellowed the guard. “We can’t just let anyone off the street wander into the studio lot.”

“No! Of course not! Heaven forbid that should happen!” agreed Kylian. “So, if you could give me one then there won’t be a problem, right?”

“I suppose I could.” The guard was not expecting agreement from Kylian. “But only if you have permission to be here.”

“Oh, but I do! Remember I said I was here to visit a friend of mine who’s working in Sound Stage 19. My friend has given me permission to visit, so how about you give me a lot pass and those directions I was asking for?”

The guard became discombobulated from Kylian’s circuitous talk. He struggled to make sense of it.

“Now wait a minute. Who are you here to visit?”

“Viviane Fox.”

“The supermodel?”

“Is that what she’s known as here?” Kylian feigned ignorance. “Why, back in the day, we used to conduct scientific research together at Renard University. We all knew her as a scientist back then.”

“I don’t know nothing about that,” replied the guard, “but if you’re here to visit Viviane Fox, I’m going to have to call over there and ask her to vouch for you. What’s your name?”

“Kylian Bouche.”

The guard picked up a tablet inside his booth and called over to Sound Stage 19. Kylian’s heart swelled in anticipation! He knew that Viviane could not have forgotten about him and that, once she heard his name, she would easily grant permission for him to come and visit her. He felt so close that could smell the clean scent of her hair in the air. The guard finished his call and turned to Kylian.

“OK, they’re sending someone over to get you. Wait here.”

Kylain could not believe that he had talked his way onto the studio lot! Once inside, he would be on his way to Sound Stage 19 where he would get to see Viviane for the first time in over a month. It was very much like meeting a celebrity. Before long, someone showed up at the gate. It was not Viviane. It was her manager. He did not appear happy to have been pulled away.

“What’s going on up here?” he asked the guard.

“This guy says he knows Viviane Fox. Wants to pay her a visit. Says he’s an old friend.”

Viviane’s manager looked at Kylian’s smiling teeth, but was not impressed. “What’s your name?”

“Kylian Bouche, sir.”

“We don’t know any ‘Kylian Bouche.’” Viviane’s manager grew impatient. “Viviane’s never mentioned you before. I’m sorry, but Viviane is now a very busy woman and can’t be bothered by random fans.”

Uh oh! Kylian was not expecting this turn of events. He tried to talk his way out of this predicament.

“What do you mean ‘never heard of Kylian Bouche’? Surely if you ask her she’ll remember me! We go way back to her days at the University’s National Laboratory when she was working as a physicist. Did you ask her about me?”

“No, I didn’t ask her about you. But I’m sorry, she’s busy with rehearsals and can’t take any visitors right now, so go away and stop bothering her.”

Viviane’s manager turned away to leave.

Arrgh! There goes my chance! The realization killed Kylian, not literally, but figuratively of course.

The guard noticed the lifeless, dejected Kylian standing there with the weight of his arms dragging him down decided he did not like him hanging around anymore.

“Come on, buddy, move along. Nobody wants you here.”

Kylian sulked off having failed to meet up with Viviane. He returned to his world of quantum mechanics and left behind the entertainment world of imagination and whimsy where the seemingly impossible happened all the time.