Board 8 > Arria plays/reads Umineko blind, Kira cackles at her SPOILERS ARE OKAY #3

(+) Yeah! (+)

Ronove: I went to serve the tea and they were starting on the second twilight already
A: *throws hand up*
K: *cackle* They dont mess around
A: I feel like Im getting the short end of the stick here

Virgilia: try to find some part of this child in the game
I didnt remember that line, but I like it. Theres the obvious meaning of try to find some aspect of the game that feels like something Beato would have made. But also, and maybe its because Ive really been careful to watch Sayo lately, but it seems like Virgilia is almost asking try to find the person where Beato is hiding in (Sayo).

K: So weve done this before: any guesses to the first twilight?
A: No! Fuck you! Im not playing this game! Ive had no set up! No preparation! No foreplay! I wont make any predictions. This time you get the short end of the stick!
K: *cackles*

We see who is alive
Long emphasis on Natsuhi
A: This is fun. Eva and Natsuhi will be at each others throats

Eva: Why did you kill my son? My husband?
A: That didnt take long!
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Erika comes in and blames Natsuhi

Then we get the opening, Occultics no Majo, which is a lot less spoilery than other OPs, so I let Arria watch it lol

A: Props to Ryukishi for weirding me out. The creepy Bernkastel-lookalike is like a Mary Sue insert character in a fanfic. Its like when you want to read a fanfic because it has your favorite character in it, but the author has their shitty OC Miss Perfect everywhere. I bet thats how Battler is feeling right now! Like, big props to Ryukishi for pulling off that feeling! I know what hes going for with her.

After the opening:

Natsuhi: is Father okay?
A: hes been dead for years, you **** (Kira edit: this word is literally censored on GameFAQs because it has a meaning that nobody uses. Arria only intends to mean it as "you silly person")
K: I think this is a flashback to when it actually happened
A: Oh. Whoops.

Natsuhi: I am ready to assist you until our coffins are laid beside each other
A: Which is sooner than you know
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Eerieka posted...

K: *laugh* A spear you can only use while doing a hand stand!
A: That would be impressive
K: An impressive feat

Impressive feet as well do ho ho ho.
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That was the pun I was trying to make! I don't remember, but I think Arria either wasn't paying attention to me or maybe just rolled her eyes at how bad it was lol
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Oh lol. Wicked minds think alike.
Do you think the Arria would get the man from 17 years ago riddle?
I remember the part where Natsuhi says that she only told her favorite season to Shannon being an unusually straightforward hint.
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I'm trying to set up Arria to think the man from 19 years ago is either Battler or the baby who was born from Asumu. Well... maybe it's better to say that I'm laying some groundwork for her to consider those options. I don't want to steer her too close to the truth, but I don't necessarily want to lie either. It's a tough act to balance.

I don't remember Natsuhi saying that. Is it in the scene where she's on the phone? I could see Arria taking that as either "oh Natsuhi just doesn't remember who she told" or "it's just a red herring to make us suspect Shannon." Alternatively, the idea I had was that a card for every season was hidden somewhere in her room. The caller only told her where to look after she said "autumn", iirc, so I thought that he DIDN'T know.
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Yeah I'm pretty sure there's every card hidden in the room.

Ooh that might have been how the scene goes. It'll be interesting to see regardless.

Also...I remember this episode being the Natsuhi-bullying episode above all. Poor auntie.
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Yeah, this episode is all about Natsuhi bullying. :( Gonna be hard for both me and Arria.

~~~

A: I like how everyone is like oh hes grieving! Poor Krauss! Well give you time to sort things out! and hes over here thinking oh shit, I done fucked up. We gotta hide a body! Hes fucking embezzling. Like, I dont doubt that hes legitimately mourning his father, but I think hes more concerned about other things.

The game jokes about Krauss being possessed by Kinzos ghost
A: Worse than the Ghost of Christmas Past
Game: These crazy traits resembled Kinzo and meant Krauss was a true son and heir
A: I like how the game is like oh good, hes crazy enough to be the heir. We were worried hed be too sane.

Natsuhi looks sad
A: She looks like a child who expects to be punished.

Happy Maria plays (non lyrical version)
A: *laughs* This fucking song.
K: Haha, yeah. Too bad this is the wordless version)
A: I can hear the words in my head
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Man Krauss is fucking pathetic here
A: Aww. Krauss is the kind of person who IT (information technology, not the clown) people live in fear of. Hes the person who clicks all of the spam email.
(This led to a discussion about spam emails. Also I showed her one about a guy asking for 500 dollars in bitcoin after threatening to share your porn)
A: Krauss is the guy who falls for this shit! Hed be the one saying But Natsuhi! The Nigerian prince!

Natsuhi: I remember telling you what I thought when we got home!
A: *snort* I love Natsuhi

A: I need to step away. I dont know if I want to hug Natsuhi and cry or beat Krauss with a bat. Like, really? You stupid fuck.

Moon tourism
A: *dead serious* I thought you were kidding. I didnt realize this was ACTUALLY a thing. I thought when you and Popcorn Fairy were talking about it, it was sarcasm and you were actually talking about something less stupid.
A: Oh my god
A: Were saving on that line. First save of the nonsense.
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Eerieka posted...

A: *dead serious* I thought you were kidding. I didnt realize this was ACTUALLY a thing. I thought when you and Popcorn Fairy were talking about it, it was sarcasm and you were actually talking about something less stupid.

HAHAHAHA.
Truly a man born too early for people to fully appreciate his genius. He could've been our Elon Musk and call Bern 'pedo'.
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XD

"What other reason would a 1000 year old witch be in our kakera? (sus)"
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Natsuhis reaction is basically Arrias. How she gets so angry that it becomes indifferent pity. This has happened to Arria before so she can really related here.

Krauss says that their mansion is also collateral.
A: Krauss is a special type of dumb

Krauss: youre better off not knowing
A: Is this a throwaway line or something actually important to the plot
K: I think this whole scenes take-home message is that Krauss is dumb with money. Or Krauss is dumb, period. Since this chapter has a lot of Natsuhi, we need to understand her heart and mind
A: Oh I remember! I understood her heart and mind very well last Thanksgiving! (Referring to an incident where she got a headache due to relatives)

A: I feel like Natsuhi is a single mother of two

A: Also, this sad violin music is not helping!
(Im not sure what song this is since I never saved it. Too calm and soothing for my taste)
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Krauss: Lets solve the epitaph!
A: I like how shes thinking logically about this and hes like lets ask the witch!

Even the game mocks this idea
A: *laughs* It knows what were thinking.

A: At this point, you can hear Natsuhi filling out the divorce paperwork. Custody of my child goes to me because my husband is insane after the death of his father. I can imagine her lawyer like We have paperwork that shows Krauss is dumb enough to use money for moon tourism. I think the daughter would be safer in the custody of the mother, your honor. I get paid well, but Im not paid enough for this shit.

Krauss has an evil laugh
A: Thats also creepier than ahaha.wav given the context. Like, thats the baseline of creepy. You must be this creepy to ride the ride.

Krauss is going on a rant and stops with an ack!
A: Please say she just slapped him
Even better, she knocks him over
A: Natsuhi is making a good argument for why she should be my favorite character
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Eerieka posted...

Krauss is going on a rant and stops with an ack!
A: Please say she just slapped him
Even better, she knocks him over

Hahaha I don't remember this but it sounds amazing.
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She knocked him onto the bed, iirc, so it wasn't super crazy, but it was pretty awesome. Go Natsuhi!
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That was the end of the updates, but good timing because I'm hanging out with Arria tomorrow. We have a lot of other things to do though, so we may not read a lot. I hope to at least reach the proper introduction of Erika.
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Eerieka posted...

I hope to at least reach the proper introduction of Erika.

This is what I'm waiting for.

bump

Didnt get as far as I'd hoped, but I'll see her again in just 1 week, so more progress shall be made!
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Yay!
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Day 29 (7/21/18)

We start with Natsuhi telling Genji Give it to me
A: I would read that!
Both: *laughs*
A: Im pretty sure thats a trope the butler fucking the mistress
(in context, Natsuhi was asking Genji for a key, but on the screen we started with, it left it to our imagination)

The game makes it clear that Natsuhi takes the key, goes into the study, and then cries.
A: Shes very good about compartmentalizing. Like, props for doing that in that order.

Natsuhi imagined wanting Kinzo to pat her head
A: Honey you are living in fantasy land. The problem isnt that he cant come alive and cuddle you just that he would never cuddle you.
Natsuhi then says basically that
A: Uh-huh. Also, theres no way this can smell good. Thats something media glosses over. People shit themselves after death.
K: Id imagine Nanjo would clean him up just for medical purposes? And Genji probably HAS been cleaning Kinzos shit for at least 10 years.
A: Good point

Natsuhi is jump-scared by the voices in her head.
A: And you think I have problems! Ive never been scared by the voices in my head!
Kinzo appears
A: Oh yeah, you are hallucinating, girl.
Natsuhi admits as much
A: Step one to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Congratulations.
---

As I was typing I heard Kinzo say kawaii
K: What did Kinzo just call cute?
A: Talking about how cute it is that theyre freaking out. *old man hand shake* Back in my day, we didnt have women crying over corpses!

The game says Kinzo became depressed, but then had a mystical moment of enlightenment.
A: I dont think gradually becoming more and more suicidal is being enlightened. Its not enlightenment, its a mental health issue. Seek help.
K: Well its good that youre questioning that. Think about this as another magic vs. reality mystery. What is really happening to Kinzo? What was his mystical experience?
A: Trying to kill himself and failing? Or it just said he was in the war. Maybe he survived when everyone else died.
The next scene shows Beatrices portrait
A: Or he found his wife.
Both of us holding up quotation fingers: Wife
A: So maybe this is where he got with his mistress Beatrice

A: So let me see if I understand this. He met Beatrice who he fell in love with. From the magical side of the plot, shes a witch who enraptured him or whatever, but in reality he just fell head over heels in love. Then he had a daughter with her who was the other Beatrice we saw in Kuwadorian.
K: Yes, thats right
A: He is fucking deranged
Kinzo: I was given the power of gold and madness.
A: And he admits it! What is this? The chapter of admitting our mental issues?
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Eerieka posted...

And he admits it! What is this? The chapter of admitting our mental issues?

Wasn't Kinzo always pretty upfront with his madness?

Yeah, but I think it struck Arria as funny there because Natsuhi had also just admitted that she was hallucinating.
---

More talk about the war
A: This was World War 2, correct?
K: Yeah
A: And Kinzo is obsessed with the west
K: Keep in mind when they say West they just mean
A: Not Japan?
K: Yeah, pretty much. Not Asia. Mostly America and Europe.
A: Hmm *thinking*
(I think shes about to hit on something)
A: Didnt you say Beatrices name is pronounced in an Italian way?
K: Yeah. Like Beatriche (I suck at pronouncing it)
A: Alright
(She didnt outright say it, but I think she gets the idea that Beatrice was an Italian woman).

Kinzo has a line about how Headship is not inherited by blood, but by spirit and conviction
A: I have to wonder if a small fragment of Natsuhis soul wants her to be the head. I mean, shes mad at her husband right now
K: She doesnt think he has what it takes to be the Head
A: This is an interesting dynamic
Kinzo: If that spirit lived in someone other than Krauss, theyd make a splendid new Head!
A: *waves her arms* What did I just say?
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Eerieka posted...

A: Didnt you say Beatrices name is pronounced in an Italian way?
K: Yeah. Like Beatriche (I suck at pronouncing it)

Funny story. I had no clue Beatrice was pronounced different. So I went through the whole thing assuming they were all pronouncing Beatrice wrong in some weird engrish way. Until I got to the part where she was Italian. Then I checked to see if they pronounced it different. Then I had this like life changing revelation and I was shook. Like that was one if the most mind blowing parts of Umineko.

XD Nice. I didn't know about the Italian pronunciation until the anime came out and I thought it was strange they said her name like that. I don't know when or where I learned that it was the Italian pronunciation, probably from someone else asking on /a/. Both Arria and I use the English pronunciation because we find the Italian way to be difficult.
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Arria went camping a while ago and saw some butterflies, so when Beatrice appears, since shes been on a butterfly kick, she wonders about the deeper meaning. She saw that swallowtails are a thing in Japan and wondered if there were any myths about them. Were both familiar with them as Hell Butterflies in Bleach, and I knew they were used in a lot of imagery for Jigoku Shoujo, so they seem to have a connection to death/hell, but all we found were short little folktales with butterflies representing the soul.

Also, Far is playing *squee* I fucking love this song.

K: Keep in mind this conversation is all happening in Natsuhis head
A: God I know. I have to read it like three times and each time it has a different implication
A: So shes literally calling herself weak here. And saying she should revere her husband if he shows any sort of strength. But if he doesnt show any strength, fuck him.

Kinzo mentions the One-Winged Eagle again
A: And it comes back to this, and the fact Natsuhi cant wear it and it pisses her off.

A: I feel like Beatrice is whatever anyone needs her to be at the time
K: True.
---

A: So the one-winged eagle insignia thats supposed to be on Kinzos finger this whole time? Has it just been with these chuckle-nuts for the last two years?
K: Chuckle-nuts? Also yeah, its, well, its not been on Kinzos finger.
(Im pretty sure I know whos had it recently, but I cant say it out loud. I felt this was the easiest way to say its been with someone without saying who. For that matter, Im not sure Krauss or Natsuhi ever wore it either.)

Scene change to Natsuhi and Krauss with the servants
A: I love how Genji takes everything in stride. Like, nothing really fazes him

Natsuhi goes on about how Father is alive. Krauss is confused, the servants get it.
A: I also like how the servants catch on quicker than he does.

Natsuhi: Kumasawa, be quiet! Father is sleeping
A: I love that Natsuhi has totally given herself into this lie. Like, WHOLE-HEARTEDLY

Beatrice has a sprite of her arms spread out which Arria hadnt seen. I thought it was in the previous version, but maybe not
A: I LOVE that sprite. Oooh, her sleeves are gorgeous.
This reminds me, I think the sprite patch we used in the last game didn't have all the sprites, because I would sometimes watch a video from the PS3 version and it would have different poses that weren't in the version I read with Arria. I also remember in Ep 4, in the "past Rosa and Maria" scenes, we had Rosa and Maria in the outfits we usually see, but in another video I've seen them in more casual clothes. Anyway, it looks like we got all the sprites this time around, so maybe Arria will see some new ones.
---

Beatrice just said that she wont follow requests, but shell obey orders. EXACTLY what Shannon said *thinking emoji*

A: Beatrice is like the Virgin Mary in toast. Like, crazy people see Mary in toast because they want to see it. The sane person know the crazy people are crazy and just see toast. The inability of those sane people to believe is the magic destroying toxin.

We flash back/forward to the family conference of last year

Natsuhi and Kinzo are talking to Kanon and talking about how he did a good job with the flowers. I dont suppose Sayo/Yasu has revealed himself yet

A: I love that the underlying lesson of Umineko is dont be a **** when someone is dying. *shrug*

Beatrice appears, sitting on an arbor. I LOVE the imagery of that. I shared my thoughts with Arria
A: I want to have an arbor! Im getting the garden set up to have one
(We had talked about this before, so I knew about her plan)
K: Yeah but doesnt it make you want to have an arbor so Beatrice might sit on it one day?
A: Yes. Although if I saw Beatrice on my arbor, I would be questioning where I went wrong in my life.
---

Kinzo asks for Marco Polo tea
A: I wonder if this is real, and how obnoxious it would be to get our hands on it
(I also wonder if its a jab at the real life Marco Polo. Yaknow, a guy who traveled from Italy to the Orient. Sounds like an allusion to the Italian Beatrice.)
A: *looks it up* its not as hard to get as I thought!

Kinzo: Ill stay out of this farce
A: Ah Kinzo. Your opinion on your family pleases me.

Natsuhi: I would become a witch or a demon to protect my husbands honor
A; Shes crazy as fuck, but I love her.
A: This reminds me of a conversation I had the other day. Basically, the story of Abraham and Isaac. If God came down to me and told me to sacrifice someone I loved, Id tell him to fuck off. Theres the door! I would become a demon to protect my family.

Beatrice mentions Dimbula tea while I was typing the above
A; God damn it
K: What? Do you have to look up another tea
A: Yesss You never know what could be a clue in this damn thing!
A; Apparently its a floral tea. As in a tea with a floral scent, not a tea made from flower
Then Patis
A: God damn it Beatrice!
A: its fish sauce?
A: Oh, this does not look like at all! (she found a picture of bagoong, fermented krill and salt)
A: I mean, Id still try it.
K: Me too. I dont think Id like it, but Id give it a shot.
K: It's apparenlty a south-east Asian thing. Wonder if Raka has tried it.
Hey Raka (or anyone else reading), you ever eat patis?
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I've heard of it but never had it. We're big on sauces made of seafood though.

Also funnily enough there is a clue in the food mentioned, I think we've passed that in Episode 4? Some kind of Taiwanese nut?
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The areca nut scene is coming up! I had about the same thought process going into it, thinking "well Arria might pick up on something here!" But she didn't.

Oh yeah, Arria and I were originally planning on meeting today to read more, but it didn't work out with our work schedules so now we're scheduled for Monday the 6th.
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Game: And then there were none left in the rose garden
A: Thats a sad sentence
K: Probably a reference to the Agatha Christie story, too

Bern and Lambda pop up and Bern suggests we pee if we need to
K: Good idea. Ive been holding it in too long
A: Dont let Bern affect the real world. Shes creepy enough as she is!

Lambda makes fun of Battler
A: *laughs* I love these crazy people.

Lambda makes a TON of references to Higurashi
A: What is this pukupuku poyopoyo thing? A reference to something?
K: Basically everything BUT that is a reference to Higurashi. I think thats just Ryukishi asking himself whats the dumbest name I can come up with?
A: He succeeded.

Lambda brings up Kanon.
A: Hes furniture. He was just the chair in the pavilion
Battler: Hes a servant and is in on the lie
A: Thats a polite way of putting it
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Bern mentions tea
A: What would you do if you saw Bern at a teahouse?
K: Walk away? Do a 360 and moonwalk out?
(I dont think Arria has heard that one. She nearly choked on her nuts. Err, peanuts.)

She thinks about where Lambda and Bern would be on a D&D style alignment chart. Basically she thinks theyre both in the evil position.
K: We need to finish the story before we make any sort of rash judgments
A: Fair
(I can agree that Bern is evil, but Lambda is probably chaotic neutral)

Bern mentions Knoxs Commandment #4
A: Alright, go back to google
K: No need. Umineko will go in depth about the Knox rules. I know these by heart at this point
K: I will say this, though Umineko has changed the way I read mysteries, for better or worse. If I read a story that doesnt follow the rules, I get mad. At least, if they follow the rules in spirit. Not necessarily to the letter.

Arria gets really into these Knox rules. We dont learn ALL of them, but I shes interested in learning more. I think shell like Dlanor lol

Battler: Im tired of talking gibberish with you
A: Its not gibberish! Its interesting stuff!
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Eerieka posted...

Lambda is probably chaotic neutral

A fair assessment. I think she fits well enough.

Dlanor is next EP right? She's a pretty interesting character.
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Dlanor is ep 5 actually, but sorta closer to the middle-endish, so it'll still be a while

And Arria had to cancel our plans again because her workplace is being obnoxious and not telling her what her freaking schedule is. -_- No idea when we'll read some more seacats.

~~~

Battler mopes over Beatrice some more
A: You definitely have some mixed feelings for that poor girl

Back to the family conference of last year

Gohda is going on about what a pleasure it was to serve everyone.
A: Suck up

A: Have you ever watched Rat Race?
K: Nope
A: It makes me think of this family. Its a trash comedy, but it becomes infinitely better if you imagine the family as these fuckers. The old wealthy guy reminds me of Kinzo.

Some bantz with Natsuhi, Kanon, and Kumasawa
A: I like the playfulness here. Its a strange change from how Natsuhi usually acts around these two.
---

Now Hope is playing. Aww yess.

Then Natsuhi eats patis
A: Did we look up the right thing? This sounds totally different!
K: I dunno. Maybe this curry has the fish sauce in it?
A: These dumplings sound good. Id eat them!

Beatrice talks about tea some more
A: This is her thing and I love it. I like tea too!

Flashback to Natsuhi and Krauss in Taiwan
Arria immediately has to look up areca nuts
A: This section is really testing out google-fu

Krauss: Father likes areca nuts!
(And Arria misses it. To be fair, did too on my first readthrough)
(Also to be fair, I dont think theyve said that theyre in Taiwan. I think youd just have to know where areca nuts are popular.)
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Krauss mopes over Natsuhi not liking his nuts (pun intended)
A: Awww, Krauss had a soft side, too.

Natsuhi and Beatrice talk some more about being birds in cages
A: I do like the conversation between these two
Reminds me again of Tyltyl and Myltyl or whatever their names were

Its getting late and Arria is getting tired. Well stop it here.

~~~

And that's all I have, and it's gonna be a week before Arria and I hang out. D: I'll keep the topic bumped until then.
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RIP Seacats

And just like the characters, it shall be revived and enter the golden land... next week!
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Bump
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Bemp.
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Thanks for bumping, Raka
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Thursday seems so far away.
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Is it Thursday yet?
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bump
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tomorrow!
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Reading right now! Arria is trying to solve the epitaph again despite what I've said about it being impossible unless you know Japanese...
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And Chinese.

And English. But I assume that's no problem.