Tales of Graces f: DAY ONE

[sincere]

Oh my god okay so Tales of Graces go.

We had to go out and it took for-fucking-ever. I've already played what I choose to pretend was an hour of TOG because otherwise we won't get to play Downpour.

Comments

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First thing: The opening video!

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Asbel VALIANTLY PROTECTS THE CUTE GIRLS

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We start the game with... tinies!

Tiny blue-haired boy is Hubert. Tiny brunet boy is Asbel. Asbel wants to go on an adventure! To see -- flowers! Hubert is nervous because Dad will be mad since it's dangerous.

"You think I believe a word he says?" Asbel says dismissively. Obviously since their Dad would lie to them about that hill being dangerous, I assume that... he is a pirate who steals only flowers so Asbel thinks he's just protecting his loot.

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We're supposed to believe Asbel is eleven. Aww. So tiny and not eleven.

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Hubert: Shouldn't we invite Cheria too?
Asbel: No!
Hubert: Why?
Asbel: She's sick! It'd be too hard on her.

Tiny female friend is sick! Sick as in with the flu, or sick as in Ill Girl?

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Then... I get control of the tinies?!

omg they have little menu portraits

OMG THEY HAVE ADORABLE STATUS IMAGES

Asbel is "Little Rascal" and Hubert is "Prudent Sibling".

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We are immediately attacked by hornet monsters. Uh-oh! Dad was right! Asbel has a real sword; Hubert is dual-wielding sticks. I wish you looked just a little less nerdy, Hubert. I think I like you.

Victory pose!
Asbel: Yeah! We're the toughest kids in town!
Hubert: But we shouldn't be out here... ;;;

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omg, their equipment.

Asbel
Aston's Sword: A rusty sword discovered in Lhant manor. It may be worn out, but it still looks pretty cool.
Casual Parka: A parka that was bought for Asbel by his parents. (He picked it out, though!)
Little Rascal: Rebellious and carefree, this lively 11-year-old goes wherever his curiosity takes him.

Hubert
Lefty & Righty: Short wooden swords used for practice. Two times the sword equals two times the power, right?
Casual Jacket: Hubert's favorite jacket. It was chosen by his mother, Kerri.
Prudent Sibling: It's hardly surprising the younger brother of a little rascal would turn out so serious.

I'm dying of adorable.

[sincere]

VOICED SKITS

VOICED SKITS

VOICED SKITS

Good work, Namco-Bandai!

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On that note. Asbel bullies Hubert into drinking from the spring next to them... to test it and see if it's good to drink. Hubert has the fiercest pout! I want to hug him.

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It is very pretty up on top of the hill... [gasp]

But someone is over there in the nearby animated sequence!

It's... a girl! A purple-haired loli. They shout questions at her until she sits up and stares at them mutely.

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Wait, she does have a voice! She says she was sleeping here but she heard Asbel's voice. He gets all tsunblushy and mumbles about how she shouldn't sleep out in the open like this.

Loli is distracted by a butterfly and drifts off after it -- almost right off a cliff. The boys save her and fuss.

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"Hey? What's your name?"

"........................"

"Oh, okay, that was rude, I should introduce myself first. I'm Asbel Lhant and this is my little brother Hubert. Now you can tell me your name."

"My name...? What was it... My name..."

Your name is Presea, honey.

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Okay, Presea doesn't remember her name or where she came from. Hubert concludes she has amnesia. She is busy staring blankly at flowers and butterflies but allows herself to be led off.

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Her equipment is not cute. :(

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So we leave Lhant Hill and head off to the WORLLD MAP AHHHH-- Wait, this isn't the world map.

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A Guard: MASTER ASBEL GO BACK TO THE FUCKING CASTLE. The castle is to the EAST. Okay? THE EAST. NOT THE WEST. The west is BAD. DON'T GO THERE.

[rainfall]

ADHD runs in Asbel's family. It's on the "spunky adventurer" gene.

[sincere]

Okay, we can change lead characters immediately.

And -- shit. Different characters have different reactions to some of our interactable things, like signs. Asbel sees the sign warning us to avoid Lhant Hill and cackles, Hubert reads it and sighs, and Presea reads it and thinks about the pretty flowers.

Shiiiit. Game why are you giving me so many things! DON'T YOU KNOW I ONLY HAVE AN HOUR.

[walking_forward]

When I first saw this I thought, the dog just talked to me! And gave me a Gel! )_) Yuri would be so jealous (well probably not since he seems to get Repede just fine).

As a animal lover, I adore Graces all the more for just that.

[sincere]

Cheria is super mad that we left her behind. Asbel is terrified that she's going to punch him right in the nose, but Cheria runs about twenty feet and then stops, panting desperately.

Asbel hurries up to her and fusses. Don't run you're sick.

Cheria: ;;;; You went to Lhant Hill didn't you
Asbel: Who? Hill what? Lhant? Never heard of my last name before.
Cheria: YOU PROMISED YOU'D TAKE ME WHEN YOU WENT THERE.
Asbel: But then you would get sick and I'd have to carry you back again!
Hubert: And you always get mad when he does that!
Cheria: Because I like BECAUSE HE'S SO BAD AT IT.

But she's already panting and exhausted so Asbel stoops down to offer his back and she gets all flustered and demurs. Too adorable for words.

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Presea is still hanging back by the entrance to the town. Why? Because Cheria told us "STOP RIGHT THERE" when she first entranced.

Wooooords?

P.S. in case anyone is not familiar with Tales of Symphonia, this girl is not really named Presea. I picked another monotone expressionless clueless quasi-amnesiac loli from the Tales of series and pretended that was her name. Because I'm clever.

You may replace "Presea" with "Anya" for similar functionality.

[sincere]

I'm waiting for Cheria to name Presea, but she's not yet. Instead we're going to see if Cheria's grandfather recognizes our mystery loli.

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AHHHH A CHICKEN JUST GAVE ME ADVICE ON HOW TO WALK SLOWLY

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AHHHHH WHY IS THIS DOG TALKING TO ME

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wtf is a "valkine"

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wtf is this person doing with pork in their closet

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Okay the butler welcomes us back. The butler is Frederic, Cheria's grandfather!

Freddy doesn't want his peasant granddaughter hanging out with noble souls like Master Asbel or Master Hubert, but she insists on disobeying him.

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He also doesn't recognize Presea, so we decide to ask around town a little.

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SKIT! Cheria fusses over Presea, who is nonchalant, and Cheria interprets this as "I don't need your pity, bitch!" and withers. Poor thing. Presea probably just doesn't know words.

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We're hungry! Let's pick some apples! Hubert strains valiantly, but is too three feet tall for it. Asbel derides him and then strains and jumps, but is also three feet tall.

A nearby adult gets us apples.

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...and then gives us a Discovery Book for the next time we break out of the manor and go someplace we're not supposed to against the will of our parents!

......yeah, he's a role model.

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VICTORY!

Hubert: That was so scary ;;
Presea: I wasn't scared...
Hubert: ...sob ;;;;;;;;

[rainfall]

fdslkfjsklj I spasm over this. Poor bb.

[sincere]

Things are getting a little complicated a little fast right now, with weird artes systems and synthesis systems. Let's see how much of it sticks.

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And animal taming systems? Maybe? idk

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OH HI MOM

Kerri is super made-up and pretty and serene. Dad wants to see them, and Mom tries to make them not hate him, but Asbel is sick of hearing about how his dad MEANS WELL and all, bleh.

Lady Kerri is worried about Asbel being so thoughtless, running around with Cheria when she's sick, and she forbids the boys from playing with them. All the children are traumatized and Asbel is like "YOU'RE JUST AS BAD AS DAD YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO I'LL PLAY WITH WHOEVER I WANT"

But Cheria's protests are interrupted by coughing, so off she is swept and the boys worry worry worry.

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SKIT! Family is a word that means people who are important to you, Presea. Is your family important to you, Asbel? ...uh, well. They probably hate me. :(

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Dad's name is Aston and he's kind of hot too. His greeting is "YOU SURE TOOK YOUR TIME, ASBEL."

We explain our amnesia loli to him, but he is just like "Let's give her to the police and let them deal with it." More importantly, an important rich kid from the capital is coming to visit and we have to be super awesome to him, so Asbel is naturally not allowed to talk to him.

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Presea: I want to be with Asbel. :|
Asbel: What? Really?
Aston: Asbel, what is this about...
Presea: I want to be with Asbel. :|

Asbel promises to feed her and take her for walks every day and Aston is super annoyed that he is a headstrong arrogant brat.

Asbel storms out with his brother and his loli. Just as planned, right, Dad?

[sincere]

Okay now it's time to switch games GO GO GO.