Persona: All the World's a Stage

Writing the Script

Saturday, the 4th of June

It was another restless night. Minutes of flopping around on the bed, trying to find a position fit for making one drowsy, minutes of staring at the bedside clock's digital display and watching as slowly, 3:27 AM turned to 3:28 AM, and minutes of waiting for the sun to finally rise and for one to have a reason for being awake. 

And that was exactly what Naoya Toudou was doing. There was no reason for him to be awake. He had a "job" to get to in the morning. He had a dog to feed, and bills to pay. He couldn't afford to be restless. Being restless meant he would be tired, and being tired meant a worse performance. 

But apparently his mind decided thinking about how hard it would be to build a toaster was more important than paying the bills.

He flopped over once more and tried to close his eyes. Take a deep breath and just focus on nothing. Count to 1000. 

He got to 56 before he opened his eyes again. This time, it wasn't simply because he just wasn't tired(although that was the truth), but it was because his phone told him he'd been sent a text. 

Very few people he knew would be up at this hour, and Mark and Elly were respectful enough to wait until their time zones aligned.

So either it was a spam texter, a misdial, or something urgent. He got out of bed, stretched, and opened up his phone. One swipe, two taps, and three rereads before he fully understood what he just read.

Kei Nanjo, Today at 3:30 AM
Greetings, my former classmates and associates, 

Apologies for the early morning message. I am sorry to have sent this at such an impractical time, however, the news I bring is urgent. It cannot be discussed over text for security reasons, but in two day's time I expect to see you all at Peace Diner in Mikage-Cho for a light lunch at noon. The cost of food and travel will be covered so long as you show up. 

I look forward to seeing you all there. 

It wasn't the text itself that was throwing him off, or the weird level of secrecy Nanjo used. No, it was the fact that Kei Nanjo, a man who prided himself on timing, sent a message asking for a meeting in two days at 3 AM in the morning. 

This wasn't just uncharacteristic, this was concerning. Nanjo almost never had something he deemed urgent enough to send past regular working hours, let alone when people are supposed to be asleep. 

You, Today at 3:33 AM
Hey Nanjo, you okay? Is it something big?

He waited for a text back, but knew that Nanjo would take a while to type it out in his usual paragraph fashion. He turned off his phone, stumbled to his kitchen, and got himself a glass of water in the meanwhile.

The apartment was so quiet. Even his dog, Hikaru, was asleep. Crickets chirped outside, but other than that, nothing. It was so weird to hear after living in the city for so long. But, the countryside had a job offer and who was he to deny it? 

He shook his head, breaking his train of thought. Nanjo. That's what he'd been on before. 

He took a gulp of water, swallowed, and returned to check for a message. 

Kei Nanjo, Today at 3:38 AM 
Ah, sorry if I worried or woke you. No, its nothing incredibly urgent, but it does require our attention relatively soon. I'll see you in two days. 

Kei Nanjo, Today at 3:38 AM
Don't forget your sword and gun. You'll need it.