"Dah." Cassy said, pacing around her room once more. "Well my parents won't be back for another two weeks min. And your parents wont mind if you stayed over like every weekday and went home for the weekend, right?"
Amber tapped her chin in thought, "I dunno, I doubt they'll let me stay over for two weeks solid."
Cassy sighed and scrunched up her eyes. "What'll we do then?"
Amber shrugged, "Hey you reckon that if we concentrated hard enough, we could turn our parents into members of the plastic people too?"
Cassy laughed, "No idea. But anyways, we'll focus on the matter at hand here."
Amber nodded.
"We need cash, and a lot of it."
Amber sighed, "We could always steal credit cards."
Cassy's eyes brightened, "Yeah. Yeah!" she looked excited and headed to the door of her room.
"Wait!" Amber cried. "We're not going to steal credit cards!"
Cassy paused, "Ok fine."
Now Amber started pacing Cassy's room. "How about we wish alive, like, some fake money. You know?"
Cassy gave her a weird look. "Yeah, sure. Because there's plenty of counterfeited money lying around in MY house and all."
Amber was getting impatient, "No, I meant, fake money, as in monopoly money."
Cassy's eyes grew big with understanding, "OH I get it now! Cool, alright I know I've got it somewhere here."
Cassy started to rummage around in her closest, the result a large torn and tattered rectangular shaped cardboard box taped around with sticky tape, otherwise known as the board game, Monopoly.
The two girls opened the box up and gathered all the colourful bits of
'money'. They stood around the pile and held hands.
"Ok now Gurlfren'." Cassy started. "We picture lots n lotsa dough."
"Please" Amber said, "Money, just money."
Amber squeezed her eyes shut and pictured a white room filled with $100 green notes. They were everywhere, littering the floor, stuck on the walls and ceiling and sloshed around in great mountains. In the middle of it all, Nicholas Tse lounging around on a plush sofa holding out handfuls of cash to her. Cassy squeezed her eyes shut and pictured a hot blond man in a white shirt and black pants. He was waving to her goodbye. He turned around and Cassy noticed a bulge in his back pocket. She greedily ran towards it and pulled out a big black wallet from the pocket. She opened it up and $100 dollar notes squished in together greeted her eyes. The girls sighed contentedly and opened their eyes, they smiled. The smell of notes wafted to their noses. Amber looked at Cassy and Cassy looked at Amber. Amber and Cassy looked at the enormous pile of $5, $10, $20, $50, $100 and $200 at their feet.
Cassy let out a sound of delirious joy. Amber just stared, eyes shining.
"Oh my god." The two girls said simultaneously. "Oh my god." They repeated.
Amber knelt slowly to the ground, her hands gently scooping up wads of notes. Cassy reached down and grabbed four one hundred dollar bills.
"I've never held this much money in my life, and called it mine!"
"Ours." Amber reprimanded.
Cassy shot a look at Amber, then shrugged. "And our FF-buddies, too."
Amber nodded, getting up, some notes clutched in her hand. She rummaged through Cassy's drawers, looking for some wallets and purses.
"Squall's actually pretty rich, I think." Cassy said, shoving the notes in her hand into her pocket. "Y'know, his SeeD salary."
Amber agreed, "I guess, but then that probably isn't really even that much by their standards." She showed Cassy her findings, two black purses, a pink Hello Kitty purse and a Rusty red velcro wallet.
Cassy grinned, she eyed Amber, "Let's go shopping!"
"Okay. This Sydney place isn't really that other dimension-ish." Observed Selphie as she looked around Cassy's street.
Irvine kicked at a stone lying in the middle of the road. "Yeah, well, it's like an alternate universe type thing."
The sounds of three male guys approaching made Irvine and Selphie look up. The three were carrying on like old buddies, laughing and slapping eachother on the back.
Seifer snickered loudly, "What an ass on that girl, too."
Squall laughed, "So that's why you were always in the library, Zell."
Zell blushed, "Hold on! N-No!" He stammered.
Seifer and Squall laughed again, they came to a halt in front of Irvine and Selphie. Irvine looked at Selphie, his facial expression read 'what-the-hell?'
Selphie shruged, "Um, guys." She looked at Squall, Seifer and Zell meaningfully. "I know we're not in our own world or anything, but do you really have to act so un-characteristically?"
The three young men looked at eachother. Seifer twisted his lips into a smirk and leaned to the side on his gunblade.
Zell shoved his two thumbs into his side pockets and started to whistle. Squall stood around looking deep in thought, a frown fixed to his forehead. They heard a laugh, Quistis was coming out of Cassy's house door and heading towards them. Rinoa right behind her. "You guys never do change, do you?"
Quistis opened up the cream coloured gate and stepped out, leaving it opened for Rinoa. Quistis stood next to Selphie, whispering in her ear about Zell and Seifer's behaviours.
Rinoa looked around suspiciously, "Everyone seems to be whispering about something that no one is letting me in on."
Zell, Squall and Seifer cracked up laughing. Even though Irvine didn't know what was going on, he grinned broadly anyway.
Rinoa looked as if she was steaming from the ears. "Stop it!"
This only resulted in more laughter from her comrades.
Rinoa glared at them. She hissed, "you better not be planning to kill me, since I'm a soceress and all."
Squall stopped laughing and his expression grew soft. He walked over to
Rinoa and gathered her in his arms. "Baby," He started, "We would never even think of that. We're just mucking is what we're doing, I would never let any harm come to you."
Rinoa looked pleased and kissed Squall on the cheek. "Good."
"Speaking of powers." Quistis started.
"Yeah." Zell continued, "Do we still have our magick?"
Seifer flexed his hands, "Tornado." He whispered.
A sudden gust of wind blew in from nowhere but everywhere at once, leaves and sticks caught in the drift. It gathered the group and swung them around and around high in the air. When the wind subsided, it dumped the group with a thud on the ground. There were collective moans from everyone but ofcourse, from Seifer. He stood there trying to take the smug expression threatening to explode across his face, but it came through and he looked more like Seifer than ever.
Zell got up, cursing. "why you little!" He balled up his fist and murmered quickly. "Firaga."
A large ball of flame, red and yellow searing heat trendils swallowed Seifer up and engulfed him in their feiry grasp. When the spell faded away Seifer emerged smiling, "Ele-Def" He replied to Zell's goggled eyed stare. This got Zell even more mad, he prepared to cast another spell.
"Guys!" Cassy shrieked, running out to them. "No no and NO!"
The FF8 people exhanged confused glances.
"What Cassy was trying to say what that No Spells or Weapons or Any Abnormal Behavious WHATSOEVER." Amber said, closing the gate behind her.
"What." Rinoa said, "You guys don't do spells, GFs, draws, limit breaks or whatever?"
Amber and Cassy shrugged and shook their heads. "Not even physical attacls."
Added Amber.
The group looked positively horrified.
"By the Hyne." Quistis said, "Then what can you do?"
"Shop?" Amber answered.
Irvine groaned, "you can't even do this?" Irvine waved his arms around,
"Thunder."
A small lighting storm brewed around a small tree.
"Not even." Chirped Cassy.
Again looks of horror and disbelief.
"Oh calm down folks." Amber said, taking Cassy's hand and leading the way out of the street. "We're going to the city now, to get you people
aqquainted with fair old Sydney, and." She added, "to get you guys some
streetworthy clothes."
"What's wrong with what we're wearing?" Selphie asked indigantly.
"Nothing." Cassy said, as they were walking, "But the mardi gra isn't until
next year."
"Mardi gra?" Irvine repeated.
"Yeah." Amber said, "It's where gay and lesbian people parade around in their homosexuality on an allocated night on Oxford street, in the city."
"Ohhh..." Selphie said, "But what is homosexuality?"
"It's when two guys..." Cassy started
"Get jiggy." Amber finished for her.
"What! What!" Zell said, with an edge of panic in his voice, "We need to get some new clothes NOW!"
"Yeah, well, that's why we're heading towards parra road." Cassy explained,
"We're gonna catch a bus and go to the city."
"Why don't you guys have names for your cities?" Rinoa asked, they carefully crossed a street together. "Like Deling City and stuff."
They stopped at a traffic light. "Well it's basically Sydney city, but since we live in Sydney, and there's only one city here, we call it the 'CT'."
Amber pressed the round silver button and the little man flashed green. They crossed again.
"So what is Syndey?" Zell asked.
"Well.." Cassy explained, ignoring the sounds of traffic blaring in her ear.
"Sydney is what we call a city, in fact it's the capital city of New South Wales."
Squall tried to look intellectual. "I see."
Seifer smirked, "What are we having a geography lesson?"
Amber glared at him, "We're only trying to help you understand."
There was a long line of cars and traffic lights right ahead of them.
"And that's parramatta road." Cassy explain, "It's a highway. When we get to the city, the same street is then called George Street."
Rinoa looked dumbfounded, "why is everything so weird?"
"Nah it's not."
"Different." Quistis said.
Rinoa rolled her eyes.
"That's the second time today." Seifer said. "The wind changes and you'll get stuck like that."
Cassy laughed, Seifer gave her a pleased look.
The crossed to the other side and waited for a bus to come. Soon enough a 461 bus came into view. Cassy stood at the edge of the curb and stuck a hand out. The bus slid to a stop and the doors swung open. Amber led the group of people to the back of the bus as Cassy paid. The passengers sent stares in their direction.
"Um, two children to townhall. And um, eight adults." Cassy said, holding out a $20 note.
The busdriver eyed Cassy, "Return or single?"
"Single."
When Cassy's change was given, she hurried back to the others, tripping once. She plopped down next to Amber on a two-seater. Squall, Rinoa, Selphie, Irvine, Quistis and Zell were seated at the very back. Seifer sat alone in the two-seater across the aisle from Cassy and Amber.
"Hey." Whispered Amber softly, "I hope they aren't recognised by some FF-fanatic!"
Cassy lowered her voice too, "Reckon. What would we say?"
Amber shrugged.
After hushed conversations, 20mins later they approached large buildings and skyscrapers. There were people on the sidewalks bustling around busily, there were smartly dressed buisness people and casually dressed teenagers. The FF people stared out of the window. The woman in front of Amber whispered to the man next to her, "Strange bunch they are, one would think they've never seen the city before!"
Seifer had heard, "Oi, woman." He sneered, "isn't it a little rude to talk about people like that?"
The woman looked insulted and stuttered, "Well, goodness gracious me."
But before a conflict could start Amber and Cassy whisked them all out of the bus and onto the streets. The group stood at a side entrance of the QVB sticking out like a sore thumb.
"Eek." Amber said. "We gotta split up."
Cassy agreed. "Ok, we meet back here in about an hour and a half"
"That would be," Irvine said, looking up at the giant clock on the townhall, it struck 12 and the bells sounded. "1:30"
Cassy nodded, "anyways, Seifer, Irvine and...Quistis." She pointed to them and they stood by her, "you guys wanna come with me?"
Seifer smiled, "Ofcourse."
Irvine and Quistis shrugged indifferently.
Amber sighed quietly, she clenched her teeth and sent Cassy a look, she nodded her head gesturing to Selphie.
Cassy stifled a giggle. "Anyways, we're off."
Amber looked around at the group ensembled before her. Squall, Rinoa, Zell and Selphie. She nodded her head to the entrance, she could see Cassy walk with Seifer in front, with Irvine and Quistis following them.
"Zell." Amber said, walking towards him.
"Yes mam." Zell saluted with a grin on his voice.
"Uhh, what did I say about abnormal?" Amber asked nervously, glancing at the people around her.
"Oh." Zell said, "We salute all the time in Garden, back in our worl- I mean hometown." He then started to explain, "Garden is a military school founded by Cid and Edea Kramer. Garden teaches students to become SeeDs. SeeDs are-"
"Elite mercenaries dispatched around the world hired out to clients, blah, blah, blah." Amber finished.
The group started walking, "Uhh." Squall said un-easily, "HOW do you know all this?"
Amber shrugged, she was walking with Squall and Rinoa, Zell and Selphie were behind them. "I told you, Cassy and I will explain later."
Amber and Co were on the level 'The Grand Walk'. "We'll go downstairs." She said quickly.
They turned right at the entrance and went down some winding stairs, soon they were at the level where the train station was. Amber led the way and they walked around browsing. They passed a shop, 'Lisa Ho'. Selphie screamed when she saw a yellow mini stressed modeled by a manniquin in the window display.
Amber rolled her eyes, groan she thought.
Amber tapped her chin in thought, "I dunno, I doubt they'll let me stay over for two weeks solid."
Cassy sighed and scrunched up her eyes. "What'll we do then?"
Amber shrugged, "Hey you reckon that if we concentrated hard enough, we could turn our parents into members of the plastic people too?"
Cassy laughed, "No idea. But anyways, we'll focus on the matter at hand here."
Amber nodded.
"We need cash, and a lot of it."
Amber sighed, "We could always steal credit cards."
Cassy's eyes brightened, "Yeah. Yeah!" she looked excited and headed to the door of her room.
"Wait!" Amber cried. "We're not going to steal credit cards!"
Cassy paused, "Ok fine."
Now Amber started pacing Cassy's room. "How about we wish alive, like, some fake money. You know?"
Cassy gave her a weird look. "Yeah, sure. Because there's plenty of counterfeited money lying around in MY house and all."
Amber was getting impatient, "No, I meant, fake money, as in monopoly money."
Cassy's eyes grew big with understanding, "OH I get it now! Cool, alright I know I've got it somewhere here."
Cassy started to rummage around in her closest, the result a large torn and tattered rectangular shaped cardboard box taped around with sticky tape, otherwise known as the board game, Monopoly.
The two girls opened the box up and gathered all the colourful bits of
'money'. They stood around the pile and held hands.
"Ok now Gurlfren'." Cassy started. "We picture lots n lotsa dough."
"Please" Amber said, "Money, just money."
Amber squeezed her eyes shut and pictured a white room filled with $100 green notes. They were everywhere, littering the floor, stuck on the walls and ceiling and sloshed around in great mountains. In the middle of it all, Nicholas Tse lounging around on a plush sofa holding out handfuls of cash to her. Cassy squeezed her eyes shut and pictured a hot blond man in a white shirt and black pants. He was waving to her goodbye. He turned around and Cassy noticed a bulge in his back pocket. She greedily ran towards it and pulled out a big black wallet from the pocket. She opened it up and $100 dollar notes squished in together greeted her eyes. The girls sighed contentedly and opened their eyes, they smiled. The smell of notes wafted to their noses. Amber looked at Cassy and Cassy looked at Amber. Amber and Cassy looked at the enormous pile of $5, $10, $20, $50, $100 and $200 at their feet.
Cassy let out a sound of delirious joy. Amber just stared, eyes shining.
"Oh my god." The two girls said simultaneously. "Oh my god." They repeated.
Amber knelt slowly to the ground, her hands gently scooping up wads of notes. Cassy reached down and grabbed four one hundred dollar bills.
"I've never held this much money in my life, and called it mine!"
"Ours." Amber reprimanded.
Cassy shot a look at Amber, then shrugged. "And our FF-buddies, too."
Amber nodded, getting up, some notes clutched in her hand. She rummaged through Cassy's drawers, looking for some wallets and purses.
"Squall's actually pretty rich, I think." Cassy said, shoving the notes in her hand into her pocket. "Y'know, his SeeD salary."
Amber agreed, "I guess, but then that probably isn't really even that much by their standards." She showed Cassy her findings, two black purses, a pink Hello Kitty purse and a Rusty red velcro wallet.
Cassy grinned, she eyed Amber, "Let's go shopping!"
"Okay. This Sydney place isn't really that other dimension-ish." Observed Selphie as she looked around Cassy's street.
Irvine kicked at a stone lying in the middle of the road. "Yeah, well, it's like an alternate universe type thing."
The sounds of three male guys approaching made Irvine and Selphie look up. The three were carrying on like old buddies, laughing and slapping eachother on the back.
Seifer snickered loudly, "What an ass on that girl, too."
Squall laughed, "So that's why you were always in the library, Zell."
Zell blushed, "Hold on! N-No!" He stammered.
Seifer and Squall laughed again, they came to a halt in front of Irvine and Selphie. Irvine looked at Selphie, his facial expression read 'what-the-hell?'
Selphie shruged, "Um, guys." She looked at Squall, Seifer and Zell meaningfully. "I know we're not in our own world or anything, but do you really have to act so un-characteristically?"
The three young men looked at eachother. Seifer twisted his lips into a smirk and leaned to the side on his gunblade.
Zell shoved his two thumbs into his side pockets and started to whistle. Squall stood around looking deep in thought, a frown fixed to his forehead. They heard a laugh, Quistis was coming out of Cassy's house door and heading towards them. Rinoa right behind her. "You guys never do change, do you?"
Quistis opened up the cream coloured gate and stepped out, leaving it opened for Rinoa. Quistis stood next to Selphie, whispering in her ear about Zell and Seifer's behaviours.
Rinoa looked around suspiciously, "Everyone seems to be whispering about something that no one is letting me in on."
Zell, Squall and Seifer cracked up laughing. Even though Irvine didn't know what was going on, he grinned broadly anyway.
Rinoa looked as if she was steaming from the ears. "Stop it!"
This only resulted in more laughter from her comrades.
Rinoa glared at them. She hissed, "you better not be planning to kill me, since I'm a soceress and all."
Squall stopped laughing and his expression grew soft. He walked over to
Rinoa and gathered her in his arms. "Baby," He started, "We would never even think of that. We're just mucking is what we're doing, I would never let any harm come to you."
Rinoa looked pleased and kissed Squall on the cheek. "Good."
"Speaking of powers." Quistis started.
"Yeah." Zell continued, "Do we still have our magick?"
Seifer flexed his hands, "Tornado." He whispered.
A sudden gust of wind blew in from nowhere but everywhere at once, leaves and sticks caught in the drift. It gathered the group and swung them around and around high in the air. When the wind subsided, it dumped the group with a thud on the ground. There were collective moans from everyone but ofcourse, from Seifer. He stood there trying to take the smug expression threatening to explode across his face, but it came through and he looked more like Seifer than ever.
Zell got up, cursing. "why you little!" He balled up his fist and murmered quickly. "Firaga."
A large ball of flame, red and yellow searing heat trendils swallowed Seifer up and engulfed him in their feiry grasp. When the spell faded away Seifer emerged smiling, "Ele-Def" He replied to Zell's goggled eyed stare. This got Zell even more mad, he prepared to cast another spell.
"Guys!" Cassy shrieked, running out to them. "No no and NO!"
The FF8 people exhanged confused glances.
"What Cassy was trying to say what that No Spells or Weapons or Any Abnormal Behavious WHATSOEVER." Amber said, closing the gate behind her.
"What." Rinoa said, "You guys don't do spells, GFs, draws, limit breaks or whatever?"
Amber and Cassy shrugged and shook their heads. "Not even physical attacls."
Added Amber.
The group looked positively horrified.
"By the Hyne." Quistis said, "Then what can you do?"
"Shop?" Amber answered.
Irvine groaned, "you can't even do this?" Irvine waved his arms around,
"Thunder."
A small lighting storm brewed around a small tree.
"Not even." Chirped Cassy.
Again looks of horror and disbelief.
"Oh calm down folks." Amber said, taking Cassy's hand and leading the way out of the street. "We're going to the city now, to get you people
aqquainted with fair old Sydney, and." She added, "to get you guys some
streetworthy clothes."
"What's wrong with what we're wearing?" Selphie asked indigantly.
"Nothing." Cassy said, as they were walking, "But the mardi gra isn't until
next year."
"Mardi gra?" Irvine repeated.
"Yeah." Amber said, "It's where gay and lesbian people parade around in their homosexuality on an allocated night on Oxford street, in the city."
"Ohhh..." Selphie said, "But what is homosexuality?"
"It's when two guys..." Cassy started
"Get jiggy." Amber finished for her.
"What! What!" Zell said, with an edge of panic in his voice, "We need to get some new clothes NOW!"
"Yeah, well, that's why we're heading towards parra road." Cassy explained,
"We're gonna catch a bus and go to the city."
"Why don't you guys have names for your cities?" Rinoa asked, they carefully crossed a street together. "Like Deling City and stuff."
They stopped at a traffic light. "Well it's basically Sydney city, but since we live in Sydney, and there's only one city here, we call it the 'CT'."
Amber pressed the round silver button and the little man flashed green. They crossed again.
"So what is Syndey?" Zell asked.
"Well.." Cassy explained, ignoring the sounds of traffic blaring in her ear.
"Sydney is what we call a city, in fact it's the capital city of New South Wales."
Squall tried to look intellectual. "I see."
Seifer smirked, "What are we having a geography lesson?"
Amber glared at him, "We're only trying to help you understand."
There was a long line of cars and traffic lights right ahead of them.
"And that's parramatta road." Cassy explain, "It's a highway. When we get to the city, the same street is then called George Street."
Rinoa looked dumbfounded, "why is everything so weird?"
"Nah it's not."
"Different." Quistis said.
Rinoa rolled her eyes.
"That's the second time today." Seifer said. "The wind changes and you'll get stuck like that."
Cassy laughed, Seifer gave her a pleased look.
The crossed to the other side and waited for a bus to come. Soon enough a 461 bus came into view. Cassy stood at the edge of the curb and stuck a hand out. The bus slid to a stop and the doors swung open. Amber led the group of people to the back of the bus as Cassy paid. The passengers sent stares in their direction.
"Um, two children to townhall. And um, eight adults." Cassy said, holding out a $20 note.
The busdriver eyed Cassy, "Return or single?"
"Single."
When Cassy's change was given, she hurried back to the others, tripping once. She plopped down next to Amber on a two-seater. Squall, Rinoa, Selphie, Irvine, Quistis and Zell were seated at the very back. Seifer sat alone in the two-seater across the aisle from Cassy and Amber.
"Hey." Whispered Amber softly, "I hope they aren't recognised by some FF-fanatic!"
Cassy lowered her voice too, "Reckon. What would we say?"
Amber shrugged.
After hushed conversations, 20mins later they approached large buildings and skyscrapers. There were people on the sidewalks bustling around busily, there were smartly dressed buisness people and casually dressed teenagers. The FF people stared out of the window. The woman in front of Amber whispered to the man next to her, "Strange bunch they are, one would think they've never seen the city before!"
Seifer had heard, "Oi, woman." He sneered, "isn't it a little rude to talk about people like that?"
The woman looked insulted and stuttered, "Well, goodness gracious me."
But before a conflict could start Amber and Cassy whisked them all out of the bus and onto the streets. The group stood at a side entrance of the QVB sticking out like a sore thumb.
"Eek." Amber said. "We gotta split up."
Cassy agreed. "Ok, we meet back here in about an hour and a half"
"That would be," Irvine said, looking up at the giant clock on the townhall, it struck 12 and the bells sounded. "1:30"
Cassy nodded, "anyways, Seifer, Irvine and...Quistis." She pointed to them and they stood by her, "you guys wanna come with me?"
Seifer smiled, "Ofcourse."
Irvine and Quistis shrugged indifferently.
Amber sighed quietly, she clenched her teeth and sent Cassy a look, she nodded her head gesturing to Selphie.
Cassy stifled a giggle. "Anyways, we're off."
Amber looked around at the group ensembled before her. Squall, Rinoa, Zell and Selphie. She nodded her head to the entrance, she could see Cassy walk with Seifer in front, with Irvine and Quistis following them.
"Zell." Amber said, walking towards him.
"Yes mam." Zell saluted with a grin on his voice.
"Uhh, what did I say about abnormal?" Amber asked nervously, glancing at the people around her.
"Oh." Zell said, "We salute all the time in Garden, back in our worl- I mean hometown." He then started to explain, "Garden is a military school founded by Cid and Edea Kramer. Garden teaches students to become SeeDs. SeeDs are-"
"Elite mercenaries dispatched around the world hired out to clients, blah, blah, blah." Amber finished.
The group started walking, "Uhh." Squall said un-easily, "HOW do you know all this?"
Amber shrugged, she was walking with Squall and Rinoa, Zell and Selphie were behind them. "I told you, Cassy and I will explain later."
Amber and Co were on the level 'The Grand Walk'. "We'll go downstairs." She said quickly.
They turned right at the entrance and went down some winding stairs, soon they were at the level where the train station was. Amber led the way and they walked around browsing. They passed a shop, 'Lisa Ho'. Selphie screamed when she saw a yellow mini stressed modeled by a manniquin in the window display.
Amber rolled her eyes, groan she thought.
