Tales of Fridays resumes

We decided that Symphonia is next, but first, we're finishing off Abyss.

The first portion of gameplay was us trying to figure out where we left off.  We'd been using a guide on GameFAQs, so basically it involved pausing and scrolling down the FAQ until we found where we were.  You really need a guide for the Tales games, if you don't have one, there's so much of the game you'll miss out on.

Our Fridays follow a distinct pattern: the first part is story, and the second part is side quests.  The side quests are basically everything you'd miss out on, and they get you so much stuff.  Anything from artes to weapons and items useful elsewhere in the game.  So we went through the story part.  Ion died, Anise was a spy (not by choice, but through blackmail), and Mohs is a dick.  We fought some regular enemies with enough health to be bosses, and FINALLY GOT THE FUCKING FLIGHT STONE THAT LETS US GO THROUGH THE STORMS.  Also, Mieu Fire 2, which is necessary for the aforementioned flight stone.  There was a bit more story, but then it became sidequest time.  We ground items for Din to get a specific doll for Anise (the Artificial Life Form one that gives her X-BUSTER, Honya's busy grinding a red chamber on that), then got a few costume titles, including the two remaining titles for Natalia that affect search point drops, Star of Malkuth and Adventurous Princess.  This happened in Nam Coband Isle (or... Namco Bandai Isle), filled with references to old Namco arcade games.  We lol'd.

Next time is more story (I dunno what, we've got something to do in Baticul I think).

I'm still playing Natalia, still mostly as a healer with party buffs and a couple of attacks.  I have no clue who I'll be playing in Symphonia, if I even play anyone.  There was talk of a dedicated healer and getting me drunk so I could heal people, we'll have to see what comes of that.  I heal people well enough sober with Natalia...

Also, CAINE house needs a new projector.  The bulb on the existing one has, as the projector irreversably bitches at us, "has reached the end of its usable life", even though it still works so we can see the message.  I guess technically all that needs to happen is replacing the bulb, but the projector's kind of shitty, so I guess maybe get a better one and leave it at that.