2025-10-10: Classic Gaming
- Log: 2025-10-10: Classic Gaming
- Cast: Eri Natsuhara, Fuuka Yamagishi
- Where: Akihabara Electric Town, Tokyo
- OOC Date: October 10, 2025
- IC Date: July 24, 2012
- Summary: Fuuka runs into Eri Natsuhara, and finds an adult with interests in common.
<Pose Tracker> Eri Natsuhara has posed.
In Akihabara Electric Town, there are numerous stores. Junichi's Secondhand Electronics is one such store, known for an electic mixture of different older electronics. It has game systems from an early era -- Gameboy Advances next to consoles from the 1990's -- and it has some older software, in cardboard boxes that have gotten faded by exposure to light.
And, standing before some of those older games -- they have fancy anime art, in a classic early 90's style -- is a woman in her mid-twenties. She has auburn hair, chin length and a little on the floofy side, and notably... she leans on a shiny red cane.
She is looking them over, while holding her phone in her other hand and writing with her thumb -- an app that lets her trace letters, and make them appear on her screen.
Eri Natsuhara looks focused, but she hums lightly as she does. "Hm, hm~" she murmurs. "What a great selection, I just need to get some pictures!"
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
Exams are on - but they've been going well enough so far, so Fuuka has decided to treat herself with a day out. And a 'day out' for Fuuka can mean a number of things... but today, that means taking a trip over to Akihabara. Akihabara possesses a draw for any with a love for technology or modern media. Fuuka Yamagishi is no exception for this... but she lives in Iwatodai City, so opportunities to visit are slim. Before she moved into the dorms, she could barely have imagined it, but now she has both enough freedom and enough spare cash to make irresponsible technology purchases.
And so today, she browses the shelves of Junichi's Secondhand Electronics. There's always forgotten treasures of some kind to be uncovered here, and the fancy covers are always a delight to browse through. She's a little absorbed in that at the moment...
...And it's that that leads her to nearly wander in front of Eri - but she pulls herself back at the last second, realising that someone else is at the same shelf.
"Oh, I'm sorry..." Fuuka apologises quickly.
<Pose Tracker> Eri Natsuhara has posed.
Eri blinks when a teenager steps in front of her. She shuffles a little, even; her right foot stepping backward, then her left much more stiffly and with effort. She blinks her one good eye -- then she smiles at Fuuka, and shakes her head.
Her right eye is covered by an eyepatch; the leather straps around her head vanish inside of her hair, though.
"It's okay," she says. She looks at the boxes with the colorful, vintage art -- if a little faded, now -- and then back at Fuuka. Then, she smiles, and straightens up a little. "You looked excited. Do you like older games like this?"
She puts her phone down, at her side, for the moment. Her story can wait.
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
Fuuka takes note of the eyepatch and the cane but she doesn't linger on them, instead focusing on Eri herself. Fuuka looks nervous and still just a little embarrassed at the near-miss - but when Eri smiles, she manages a small smile back.
"Oh, yes... I've always been interested in them, but until recently, I've only been able to look from afar." Fuuka replies. ...With the exception of emulation, but she's tactful enough not to bring that up in a random conversation with a stranger. "They're really something else up close, aren't they? You can feel the love what went into the presentation."
She pauses - and briefly wonders if that was maybe a bit too earnest. It's not strange for her to have an interest like that, is it...?
<Pose Tracker> Eri Natsuhara has posed.
"Did you get your hands on an older console?" Eri asks, with her head tilted. "Those things are a bear to get working right. Especially with modern TV's. I mean, getting them to display right on high definition..."
She laughs a little. "But, that just makes it worth it. They really went all out on the presentation. And figuring out how to make it work, with older technology, when there were more limits!"
She nods her head. "That makes it even more interesting to me, since they're working with limitations that are hard to imagine with the modern consoles," she says.
If it's strange, it appears this older woman is just as strange.
She adjusts her stance a little; Eri relaxes a bit, as she glances at some of the boxes.
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
Eri asks if she's gotten her hands on an older console, and Fuuka shakes her head.
"No, not yet. But I was hoping I might be able to find one. I have a little more time to spend on it now..." She explains. It's only a little bit of a lie - she only has that time now because she doesn't have her parents looking over her shoulder all the time. She nods, though, as Eri talks about the difficulty in getting them to work right, and enthuses about how it's difficult to get them to work right, but how it makes it worth it.
She... really knows her stuff, doesn't she...? It's impressive, honestly, that she can be so open about it...
"Yes... it's only data, but the signals are so vastly different that it makes it difficult to find something capable of converting them into the right format." Fuuka agrees, about the difficulty in getting an older console to work right. "But, you're right... It's incredible. They had so much less to work with, but they were able to accomplish so much. It's fascinating to read about all they did to pull every bit of performance out of what they had."
<Pose Tracker> Eri Natsuhara has posed.
"That's important," Eri says. "This is a a good store for that, though. The prices are pretty good -- and Junichi will usually cut you a deal. Though, sometimes, you have to haggle. And--" She leans forward and winks with her one eye, conspiratorially.
"--you might have to needle him a little," she says. She backs up, then she laughs.
"It's okay, though. Once you have the converters and some practice, it gets to be second nature. And then you can see all sorts of amazing stuff," she says. "I didn't play some of these when they came out." She taps an MSX-era box, with one finger. "This one was before I got into electronics, but now I really like those smaller consoles. What they did to get performance out of it... and the ideas that didn't catch on, but were interesting anyways."
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
"Yes, I've heard a lot of good things about this place... That's why I decided to come here." Fuuka replies with a nod. Haggling! And... She laughs, just a bit sheepishly, before admitting, "I'm... not very good at needling."
Eri offers her assurance, though, and Fuuka smiles.
"...Admittedly, I'm kind of looking forward to that. It's been a while since I've had any kind of big hardware project..." She admits. Figuring out how to actually make it all work is half the fun, in her mind - puzzling out a new system and making it work for her.
Her attention is drawn to the MSX-era box Eri taps.
"That one was before my time, too..." Fuuka comments. ...Literally - that box is probably older than she is. "...But I do find it very intriguing. It's a little inspiring. I think there's a lot to be taken from even the things that didn't work out."
Last connect was from c-69-138-215-77.hsd1.md.comcast.net on Fri Oct 10 15:33:44 2025.
<Pose Tracker> Eri Natsuhara has posed.
"I'm a little too good at it," Eri says with a laugh and a puff of air from her lips, blowing up some of her auburn hair. "I guess it comes with being a journalist, though."
She looks at Fuuka, then, and she tilts her head to the side. She gets a curious look on her face. "I love a good hardware project," she says. "But they do take up time. And space. But... nothing makes me feel quite as accomplished as really getting into the guts of something!"
Eri beams, before she looks back at Fuuka -- and she smiles, before she nods. "Mm-hm. That's how people learn, right?" she asks. "So... what system do you think you'll start with?"
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
That gets a small laugh out of Fuuka.
"I suppose that would be helpful..." She comments. "Are you, um... with any particular publication, or do you freelance?"
Fuuka sees that curious look. She nods her agreement as she says hardware projects take up time and space... and a genuine smile crosses her face.
"Mm-hm. When you look at something and can understand how it all fits together, and that moment when it all 'clicks' and watching it work for the first time... It's amazing, isn't it?" Fuuka agrees. It's rare for her to meet people who can really understand the sentiment, so it's difficult to express it... but it feels like Eri understands.
"Yes. Exactly." Fuuka agrees... and then considers for a moment longer. "I'm not sure yet... I do have a budget to consider, but maybe something with some good RPGs..."
<Pose Tracker> Eri Natsuhara has posed.
"I'm with the Akihabara Almost Daily," Eri says. It comes out -- indeed -- almost daily. The occasional skipped day is part of her charm. She extends a hand. "Eri Natsuhara. Owner, editor, and reporter!"
It is, of course, a paper that covers electronics, computers, games, and lifestyle in Akihabara. Something of a smaller paper, but it has made a name for itself in the right hobby circles.
"It is. The first time I made something work... I won't forget that," she says, fondly. Then, she glances above the boxes -- at the consoles, with price tags next to them.
"In that case... I'd suggest either the SNES or the MSX. The MSX is more complicated, but it had some really amazing games. And the SNES is the golden age of RPG's, according to a lot of people."
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
The Akihabara Almost Daily - there's a flash of recognition on Fuuka's face, which is confirmed when Eri introduces herself.
"Oh, it's nice to meet you, Natsuhara-san." Fuuka replies with a small. "I'm Fuuka Yamagishi. I think... I may actually be one of your subscribers."
She's been following it ever since her work got shared in some of the circles she runs in. It's been something of an inspiration.
The first time she made something work, though...
"I feel the same way - and all the little mistakes leading up to it." Fuuka agrees. Her smile is nostalgic, tinged with a bit of sadness as she thinks back to the days when she used to help her father assemble audio equipment. She doesn't dwell on it for long, though, as she considers Eri's suggestion.
Right now, something complicated is actually a little more appealing...
"I think I'll try the MSX, then..." She decides with a nod.
<Pose Tracker> Eri Natsuhara has posed.
"It's a pleasure, Yamagishi-kun! And I hope you like our work," Eri says, with another wink. She is something of a reclusive figure -- though with the cane and the eye patch, the reason might be obvious. She still looks proud, for a second. After all...
She reached someone Fuuka's age. That is a nice thought, after everything.
"Oh, yes," she says. "The mistakes are just a good story to tell! Static electricity," she adds, with a sigh. And a knowing sigh. Then, she looks at the shelves -- and she brightens up at the mention of the MSX.
"I think you'll have fun with it!" she says. "I recommend getting Zs III, too. It's a classic for a reason, and it's a great first game. You'll have to let me know how it goes, too, all right?"
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
"I do. I'm always looking forward to the next issue." Fuuka confirms with a nod. She certainly can't blame her for being reclusive. She's often that way, herself. In that way, they're alike - and it's just a little refreshing to know there's an adult who's interested in the same kind of things she is.
Static electricity... There's an embarrassed yet knowing laugh.
"Yes..." She agrees. It's the bane of everyone who works in electronics, waiting for them to let down their guard even the slightest amount.
She nods as Eri assures her she'll have fun with the MSX - and then a thoughtful expression crosses her face as she makes a game recommendation.
"Zs III... I've heard a lot about the series." Fuuka considers - and then, she nods. "Okay. I'll make that my first. I'll be sure to tell you how it goes."
<Pose Tracker> Eri Natsuhara has posed.
"I'm so glad," Eri says, with a smile. Then, she waves around the store with her free hand. "I'm actually doing a special on this. It'll be in our next issue. Or... maybe the one after, depending how that goes."
She looks pleased when Fuuka likes her recommendation. Eri grins. "I'm looking forward to it!" she says. "And I should probably leave you to it, too." She reaches into her pocket, pulling out her smartphone.
"I need to get a few photographs of the place," she says. "But send me an email about how things went, will you? And maybe we can get coffee sometime and talk shop some more."
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
Oh, she's doing a special on the store...! Interest shines clear on Fuuka's face. Things make a lot of sense, now.
"Oh, really? Then I can't wait to see it." Fuuka replies. She nods, then, stepping away to give her space for taking pictures.
"Yes, of course." She replies. "I'd be happy to!"
Coffee and talking shop, hm?
"That sounds fun... I'm looking forward to it." Fuuka replies. She doesn't have a lot of people she can talk shop with face to face - it's a very different experience from doing so online.
"Alright, I'm going to go look for that... Take care, Natsuhara-san - it was nice meeting you!"
And with that she sets off, with a new mission.