Sissy That Walk- Chapter 2 (The Long Road To Fame)

Grace's POV (10 years ago)

Before entering university, Grace had been part of two bands, she was part of a band called Bloody Kitty, a heavy metal/grime style band with Carter when they were 13 years old, this lasted for a year. Then when Grace was 15 years old, she played in a band that she created called Bourbon (Carter was not part of this band, at the time of creation of Bourbon, Carter had been pursuing other artistic projects) named after her favourite alcoholic drink, during that band Grace recorded vocals for an EP titled Blue Horizon, although that EP was later destroyed by Bourbon. Grace also wrote and composed several songs for that band, the most notable song "Bourbon". That was perhaps one of her happiest times in life, Bourbon lasted for 3 years before dissolving. The band were a mix of pop rock and glam rock, this was when Grace started using metallic coloured inspired make up, predominately imitating David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust's days. The band dissolved simply because of musicial differences, Grace felt Bourbon was headed towards a more eletronic based band but still using drums, guitar and bass in their songs. She felt that it was no longer suitable to call Bourbon a rock band anymore and this was not what she had envisioned.

Grace loved David Bowie, she was in awe of this brightly, coloured rock star. She lived for his style and always played his music. She was gifted with her electronic guitar when she was 10. Her mother who was afraid her daughter would always have this shy demeanour and low self-esteem characteristic wanted to build up her daughter to become stronger. The electronic guitar went on to do just that. The moment, Grace started playing she had entered this new world and she felt like she belonged there. 

Luckily, for her she met Carter shortly, when they were entered into the same high school. Especially with him living so close together, the two hung out a lot and played music, they both liked David Bowie and Carter also liked X Japan and Prince. They didn't care for any other things except for making music. However, when they were 16 to 18 years old, they had to prepare for exams and prepare for university life. During that time, they drifted a little, both of them were working hard on submitting assignments and studying for exams and creating portfolios for their respective university's. Unbeknown to each other, both had enrolled in Hollywood's Art and Music University, a very prestigious university with an impressive alumni such as RuPaul, Britney Spears and Beyonce to name but a few.  In a twist of events,  they had both secured a place at Hollywood's prestigious school of Music & Arts.  It was going to be a journey like no other. 

Sissy That Walk- Chapter 2 (The Long Road To Fame)

Valentino's POV (10 years ago).

Valentino drew in a large gasp of air, as he tried to calm himself down. He needed to ace this ballet performance so he could grasp that scholarship. That was the missing part of the jigsaw. He was already accepted into the National School of Ballet, he was due to enrol in September, now it was June. 

"Valentino, what would you be performing today?" the teacher asked. 

"Nutcracker by Pyotr Tchaikovski," Valentino said as he bowed down to the teacher.

"Okay, ready when you are," the teacher instructed.

Valentino nodded in the direction of the pianist to indicate he was ready to dance, as the music started playing. He started dancing, his legs and arms moving fluidly towards the music. His head poised back, his back straight, as he spun, spun and spun. All he could think about was the scholarship.

As the music slowly faded out, signalling the end of the song. He bowed as he came to the end of the performance, his heart had never beat so fast. He felt like he couldn't breathe. 

His teacher handed him in a bottle of water, he sipped on the water. As his teacher who was also the examiner for this dance, gave him some basic feedback.

"You've got a certain flair about your dance, you really own it when you are up there. I believe you will have a successful career in ballet, if you carry on with it," his teacher said smiling. 

"Thank you, I just hope its enough to secure the scholarship," Valentino said.  He smiled a little, his eyes crinkling in the corners. 

As he left the dance room, he sighed a relief, there was a bittersweet feeling. He had entered ballet through the encouragement of his mother and sister, he was a mixed blood kid, he had Italian heritage from his mother's side alongside his father's Taiwanese side. His mother a beautiful ballet dancer had passed away before her time, she unexpectedly died aged 41, 3 years ago. She had graced the stages of many ballet and opera houses across Europe, Asia and America. 

Valentino lost his mother when he was 22, by then he had been dancing ballet for almost 10 years and he had participated in shows and competitions across Asia. After the loss of his mother, he was close to giving up, it was through the strength of his elder sister Giovanna that he had continued dancing and finishing his dance degree, something his mother would have wanted. 

"Thanks," Valentino whispered into the air, he was sure that his mother could hear. He believed the years of success he had came through his mother. Valentino's father worked away from home, he was Rooms Division Manager of the Mandarin Oriental in Taiwan. He was a busy man. He didn't appear much in Giovanna and Valentino's life. Sometimes this made Valentino angry, he felt like his father had never really cared about them. Even during his mother's final days, it was Giovanna and Valentino taken care of her. When she passed away, Valentino took comfort that she was no longer suffering, but it made him guilty, his mother didn't get to see him graduate. She wouldn't see his final dance, when Valentino would perform in their last show before graduating, his mother's warm smile wouldn't be there to greet him anymore, he would never see her smile again and it completely broke Valentino. 

He grabbed his bag from his locker, he just put on a black hoodie and changed into black creepers and left to go home. He needed a good night's sleep, now his fate was no longer in his hands anymore. He had delivered as much as he could possibly do. 

Sissy That Walk- Chapter 1 (A rock band that is rated PG (part 2))

Sweat poured down each members faces, the lights were burning down on them like a thousand suns. For their first number, they were dressed in white button down shirts, black latex trousers, huge platform shoes that were bejeweled (all stones were applied by Prinxe) and a white coat like a doctor's jacket with a splash of red to resemble human blood on it.

The audience were filled with energy, as Valentino screamed into the microphone, his voice filling up the stadium, this was an open roof stadium and the members were praying for good weather. They had performed on wet stages before and it had resulted in injuries as several times the members notably Valentino and Carter had slipped off.  Valentino shook hands of adoring male and female fans, Prinxe smiled, Carter smiled and Grace smiled. Valentino knew how to charm the audience, his gentle, sweet smile and the wink of an eye, had fans melting.

"Are you ready !!!!!!!" Carter roared into Valentino's microphone as the audience were amped for his bassist and guitarist solo with Grace, their heavy playing brought up the mood of the audience. As they neared the end, Prinxe started playing her drums violently and head banging as she played her solo.

"Who the fuck are we???" Prinxe shouted at the audience.

"Kings and Queens of Rock 'N' Rock" the audience chimed as they waved their glow sticks. In Asia, Punk That Dinosaur were rock royalty, after the retirement of the likes of X Japan, Glay and Dir En Grey, there hadn't been a emergence of a new rock and roll band in Asia. They were a Taiwanese rock band, who started small but achieved stardom across the whole of Asia within a decade.

As Prinxe climbed down from her drum set, she grabbed a microphone from someone backstage and approached the audience for the closing of the show.

"Tonight, we want to thank each and everyone of you for your endless support and love, without you. We would be nothing, we hope you enjoyed tonight and everyone please drive safely and have a safe journey home," Prinxe said concluding the high-energy packed show..

The members all stood hand in hand to bow to the audience before retreating backstage.

"Wow," Carter said catching his breath, Carter was not the most talkative member of the band. He said he needed to save brain power on more important things like writing songs. Almost all their songs were single handedly created by Carter.

"That was awesome," Grace said grabbing a bottle of water as she was thirsty from all the sweating from all the performing. She had jumped, at one point even climbed onto Prinxe's lap and ran from each side of the stage a ton of times to ensure that her fans could see her. As she drank her water, she thought about the upcoming days, they were going to be busy, there schedule was jam packed.

Just tomorrow they would be promoting "Unicorn Acid" across China, they would be signing CDs of their album at music stores in Shenzhen, Wuhan, Dongguan, Taishan, Shanghai, Beijing, Yunnan and Xian, they would then then travel to South Korea and Japan and then to Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Macau and then lastly, at their beloved home town of Taiwan.

All four members were in deep in their thoughts, they didn't speak much for the rest of the night as they packed up their staff and travelled back to their hotel, exhausted barely described the staff and band members. As they showered and tumbled into their beds, before their minds had reached dream land, their alarms would start beeping at 7am ready for a new day. The statement "no rest for the wicked" seemed to be true to them, Prinxe thought.

Sissy That Walk- Chapter 1 (A rock band that is rated PG (part 1))

Chapter 1

Testing....1....2....3.....

As a technician tapped the microphone for the 100th time or at least, that's how it felt to Prinxe, who was notoriously known for being impatient, the technician was checking for any sound defects. Prinxe was slumped across a velvet sofa, a prop for their stage performance. They were performing in Hong Kong tonight, they were doing their final rehearsal before dinner and then preparation for their show. Valentino was sat across from Prinxe, he was reading a magazine, he had closed his eyes briefly wanting a quick nap before their final rehearsal. He had felt exhausted, he didn't know if it was a sign of old age or he was unfit. 

"I can't believe time passed so quickly," Grace said, she was making notes (as she always did especially back in their Indie days).

"Yeah, 10 years just like that," Carter said snapping his fingers to indicate that time had passed in a blink of an eye. 

"Well, we are promoting our fifth studio album" Prinxe chimed in. 

The band were doing their annual tour which was always held at around winter time, despite protests from Grace, as all the other three members favoured winter over summer. However, this time around, they were promoting their fifth album "Unicorn Acid". An album that comprised elements of dance, heavy metal and house music into it. The theme of the album was take the audience onto a fantasy, acid trip without the use of drugs, as there mantra was "a rock band that is rated PG". 

Carter sipped on his fifth cup of coffee, however his expression still remained somewhat sleepy and out of it. Prinxe always wondered if Carter ever felt awake during day time, she secretly thought he was a vampire in disguise. 

"Right, ladies and gentlemen please return to the stage to practise once more," their manager Jackson instructed.

The four members reattached their microphones, and walked towards the stage. The stage had a long platform that ran across half the stage with a large podium in the middle of the audience. It was going to be wild, whenever Valentino, Carter and Grace would be standing there, they would be dealing with fans throwing themselves literally at them. Punk That Dinosaur's fans were known for being crazy, some fans would even climb up onto the stage in hopes of hugging the band members. Security would be tight tonight.

Prinxe sat down by her drum set, she picked up the two drum sticks, there were covered in suede, this was to protect her hands from blistering. She put her ear phones in, and as the first track started playing, the electronic music rung threw her ears and she tilted her head back and raised her arms up as she was getting ready to hit that first beat. 

As soon as the drums started, Grace and Carter knew it was their time, in sync to harmonise with the drums, the two of them head banged simultaneously as they played alongside the songs. Sweat pouring down their faces. Valentino picked up the microphone held it to his soft lips and he started singing, Valentino had a very distinctive deep bass to his voice, he was able to jump octaves smoothly meaning that their songs were very hard to sing. 

That night they would be playing a total of 15 songs including their past hits "Tooth Decay", "Moments of Blood", "Sharing Needles", "Drug Addict", "Dancer Boy" and "Lost for You" compiled with their new songs "Unicorn Acid", "Days of Psychedelia" and "V for Versace" amongst others. Between their songs, the members would chat with the audience and also display some of their unique talents. 

Valentino would be dancing ballet during his solo, his ballet costume was especially created by Prada for him, it was black with thousands of Swarovski crystals adorning the bodice, the tutu had chains and leather attached onto it. His shoes also black would match with the rock theme, he was dancing to the Sugar Plum Fairy, a classic ballet dance, a rock version of course.  

Meanwhile, Prinxe would be parading her new collection of costumes, she always made a collection of costumes that were sold at their concert. There were only ever 100 pieces of each garment ever made, she would make a floor length "cape" (coat), a t-shirt and skirt which was usually compiled of ten layers of material usually netting but at times silk and velvet were used too. They were never reproduced and therefore, a rarity and a must-have amongst die-hard fans. Following the trippy theme of the concert, the clothes used tie-dye colours, chains and had patches sewn all on all over the clothes. 

As for Carter and Grace this was usually their cue to retreat backstage and take a break, they would usually help to set out the costumes for when Valentino and Prinxe had finished and for them to change into. Carter also like to sleep during these parts and Grace would monitor the performances of her two band members to see where they could improve for next time. 

 As the curtain drew up, the band members hearts were beating, time to shine........

Sissy That Walk- Prinxe's POV

Prinxe's POV

Ever since I was born, I was known for my Avant-Garde style fashion, I loved glitter, colour and sparkly things. I loved colourful fashion and being different. I liked different textures and materials and how they could completely change the look of an outfit. At university, I had just recently successfully created a collection of pop art and medical themed clothes for my capsule collection as my final exam. The use of bandages, red colour to resemble blood and famous cartoons like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Disney Princesses were used for that collection. 

Whilst I was doing well at university and had my own circle of friends, I didn't have much of a future. A fashion designer wasn't exactly what Asian parents wanted for their kids. I had no idea what I was going to do once I landed back in Taipei. My best friend had a friend who was looking to recruit people for his band. I was an amateur drummer since I had only been drumming for a few years but drummers were often highly scouted. Drummers were hard to find. So maybe I could speak to my best friend, she was already part of the band as the guitarist, maybe she could put a good word for me. 

I was stood at the university campus, so submerged in my thoughts, I almost didn't hear someone slap my shoulder. It was Grace, she was looking as beautiful as she always was. She had long black hair and it was pulled back into a ponytail, her brown eyes were twinkling. She was always in a good mood. As per usual, she was dressed head to toe in red, red shirt, red pleather jacket, red jeans which were never ripped. She liked her clothes intact. She didn't almost didn't give off that rock star feeling until she performed. I was so different to her, I wore a white long top that went to my knees, colourful Cobalt blue tights, Jeremy Scott pink poodle sneakers, a huge leather belt that cinched in my non-existing waist, I mean who was I kidding? and a huge fake pearl necklace that matched my gold leather jacket. Whilst Grace had a natural make up free face during her off duty days, I always wore highlighter as if I was shining for the gods, plum lipstick and heavy eyeshadow finished my dramatic rock star look. A few people stared at us as we chatted on the pavement. 

"I heard your friend, Carter is recruiting for people for his band?" I said pausing a little. 

"Are you interested ?, I mean we could do with a drummer and I don't know any drummers besides you," Grace said pointing a finger at me. I could tell she eyeing up, my weird combination of clothes and accessories.

"I'm just stuck on what I should do when I graduate, no fashion company has responded to me about my request for an internship," I said deflated. 

"Leave it with me, I'll talk with Carter," Grace said reassuringly. 

Sissy That Walk- Grace's POV

Grace's POV

I had one final exam to complete and then I was free. My next step was to join Acid Blossom as their guitarist, I had worked in previous bands before but that was a just a bit of fun. Those bands were mostly pop rock and nothing heavy.

I had played in a few gigs and I had some experience in performing, but I was still feeling nervous. Was I really ready for performing or should I proceed with my application for working in a music label as an apprentice musician. But that job was like being a roadie. Whilst there was nothing wrong with being a roadie. I wanted to be the star. I was a pretty famous guitarist back at university and was well known for my distinctive style of guitar playing and I enjoyed incorporating elements of Blues and Jazz into my music.

I sighed, I had kinda promised Carter, I would be the guitarist. If I dropped out now, it would seem kinda mean and I didn't want that. Carter and I went back, we were friends since high school and we lived only a couple streets apart. He had always been a gifted songwriter, that's kind off the reason we worked so well together. He was also the lyricist and I had composed some melodies for his songs. However, neither of us could sing. We had tried to search for bands in our neighbourhood growing up, but the bands always ended up in arguments and the bands would disband a few months later. 

The reason for this was cause Carter had a strong vision on what type of band he wanted to create. He didn't like people trampling on his idea and he felt that a lot of people in our home didn't understand. Here we were graduating university from Hollywood, a land of dreams and hopes. However, soon we needed to go back home to Taipei. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, I liked the rhythm of the bus as it weaved slowly through traffic as I drowned myself in my thoughts.

Sissy That Walk- Carter's POV

Carter's POV

There's nothing to watch on television, I thought. I was sprawled across my bed. Bored. I had enough of practising my bass and there was so much song writing, a genius could do. I had written enough songs to create an album or at least one song which was good enough to be recorded. Except there was a slight problem, I was still in need of a vocalist. I had one person in mind.

3 weeks ago

"C'mon you have the best voice for this song?" I begged.

"No, I haven't got time to be in a studio recording your music, does it even count towards a grade?" Valentino retorted back.

"Well, no." I replied, slightly annoyed.

"Then no, I can't. I have to practise this routine until I can do it with my eyes close," Valentino said shrugging his shoulders.

"Help a friend out here," I said, almost whining. This was not my usual self, I never begged. But I really needed Valentino's help.

"Fine, I'll do it one condition," Valentino said, sensing a hint of desperation in my voice.

"Fine, you got yourself a deal," I said shaking his hand.

2 weeks later.

I was sat in Valentino's home stoning his leotard, whilst he was in my studio recording my song. I didn't know if I should be happy or slightly, annoyed. That I was doing such a tedious job, I knew Valentino hated stoning the sequins onto his leotard. Every time, he had a performance, I would hear him whining and whining about it. I should have seen this coming. I was thinking as geniuses do, if I should recruit Valentino as a permanent member of Acid Blossom (which was later changed to Punk That Dinosaur).

Sissy That Walk - Valentino's POV

Valentino's POV:

It was a sunny day and sweat was pouring down my face, I had been dancing for the last 5 hours. I had been spinning around and around in circles, and I was starting to feel dizzy. Perhaps, I should get something to eat or quench my thirst.

I changed out of my ballet costume and changed into my red shirt, ripped jeans and black cowboy boots. I put my earrings back into my ear, as I caught my reflection in my mirror. I smiled. It had been a long time since I felt this good, I was going to graduate soon and I had been accepted into the National School of Ballet in Shanghai. I was heading for stardom or was I?

My friend from high school, Carter had been pestering me to finalise his lineup of his new rock band. The problem with Carter was he had the changed the lineup of his rock band so many times and he was still undecided on the musical direction of his band. Carter was talented for sure, his lyrics were like liquid gold, they somehow blended in together and would really captivate his audience, but he had too many ideas and many of them were unfinished. Was I really ready to sacrifice my dream? 

I pushed that thought back into my mind. I mentally shut a door on that thought. I wasn't ready to deal with more drama. I needed to focus on my final dance exam. This exam would make or break it, it would decide if I would enter National School of Ballet with a scholarship or not, if I didn't have the scholarship. I could have trouble funding my fees and never mind transportation costs.

As I looked up, I noticed a group of girls looking at me, the same group that had been outside my practise room. I wondered what they wanted...

Sissy That Walk (new fan fiction)

Hi, long time I haven't posted on here but by request. I'm suddenly writing fan fiction again and therefore, posting on this blog. This is only my third time writing fan fiction. Also because of my absence due to my personal life,  I have decided I will make this a fan fiction blog. Since, Ive entered university and graduated. I don't have time to document my life and some parts I want to remain private. So I decided to write fan fiction instead. Of course, all real names have been changed for privacy reasons. Let's get into the introduction of the characters and plot summary.

Sissy That Walk

Plot:

Punk That Dinosaur, a new and upcoming rock band are taking Asia by storm, known for their flamboyant costumes, medical themes and energetic performances, they have sold out 55,000 seat Tokyo Dome, a whopping 10 times. They are set for world wide domination, however when they are preparing for their America and Europe debut, their vocalist Valentino reveals that he's been in love with their bassist Carter for the last year, who is already in a long term relationship with his girlfriend and their socially awkward drummer Prinxe is threatening to leave the band. It leaves their guitarist Grace trying to hold everything and everyone together but as their debut tour comes closer, it seems unlikely that the four piece will appear together to perform. Could this be the end, before it even started? Will Punk That Dinosaur fade into oblivion before they reached the stars?

Characters:

Valentino a 25 year old ballet dance major turned rock vocalist of Punk That Dinosaur. He is known for being charming and sweet-talking,  known for his handsome looks, and the most popular member of the band, he has the most fans and was widely speculated to be a model before he became a vocalist. He has never had many long term relationships despite this, he is sure that he can find his love one day.

Carter a 25 year old engineering student who only pursed engineering to satisfy his family, his heart has always been in music and he has played the bass for over 15 years. He is witty and humorous, he is also the song writer of the group and all lyrics are credited under Carter. He also occasionally composes the melody for some of their heavier songs. 

Grace, a 25 year old music major and the guitarist of Punk That Dinosaur who was friends with Carter since back in high school, she was recruited by Carter to form the final lineup of Punk That Dinosaur. She is also essentially the manager of the group, as during their Indie days, she was in in charge of their schedule, she was the one who dealt with logistics of the group before they hit it big. She is hard-working and independent.  

Prinxe, a 25 year old fashion student major, she is Grace's best friend and is the drummer of the band, she is credited with the creative side of the band. She creates all the bands costumes, selects the theme of each album and oversees all other creative elements. She is socially awkward especially in the company of large groups of people (besides fans). However, she is known for having the most interaction with fans over social media. She is kind and warm-hearted.