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[that first part reads suspiciously like you're trying to say something isn't my fault and therefore I will ignore it.]

Consider the sequence of events:
1. possession by a monster--the sphinx
2. the sphinx then collects these books, memories--reasons are unknown except, perhaps, that the sphinx became attached to the stories and, much like all other characters Han Suyeong has gotten in her head, has decided to go about things in a particular way
3. the storm likely begins in reaction to this which causes the sphinx to "protect" the memories
4. the sphinx's realm is built to shield both itself and those memories from the storm
Whether the sphinx is genuine in its intentions to protect Han Suyeong or not is irrelevant, because the one who stole those memories in the first place was the sphinx.
Han Suyeong has said that she doesn't really interact with the sphinx--not the way I do with the Outer God or others may interact with theirs.
Even you have your dragon speak up with its stories?
So, for certain, the cage is that barrier.
And sphinxes are creatures who speak in riddles and keep hold of secrets, so it follows that it wouldn't explain anything.
But if the sphinx reacted to the storm shaking the cage because it threatened me, then it follows that the storm is capable of dismantling the cage.
So I think, with all of this in mind... the storm is definitely Han Suyeong. Her stronger emotions--both positive and negative but mostly a reaction in response to knowing there is a threat.

Edited 2022-02-02 22:12 (UTC)

That is a technically accurate, yet woefully inadequate assessment of what that thing's story is doing.
If Han Suyeong never interacts with her monster, I've never envied her more in my life.

...I think you're correct about what the storm is.
But I think you've misread the monster.
And I mean besides when you misread it the first time.
Which I don't think actually mattered.
I think it was going to attack you one way or the other.

[it's going to be a moment while he processes this, recalls again the things that the sphinx said--or even what Han Suyeong said that time with the mistletoe. truths that wounded pretty deeply.

right.

of course.

it makes sense.]

Because I'm Kim Dokja.

[Worse. I'm THAT Kim Dokja--but he doesn't send that. too honest.]

It said that if it killed you, everything would be solved.

[Which, y'know.]

[Stop me if you've heard that one before!]

But the storm stopped it.
Han Suyeong didn't want it to hurt you.
At the end of the day, it thinks it is protecting Han Suyeong.
Or at least, one version of her.

[wow, this way belated ptsd response sure is a fun and joy no wonder it didn't process before!!!

Kim Dokja is typing... just kind of blinks for a long while.

then,]

Yeah, that makes sense.

Edited 2022-02-02 23:27 (UTC)

[Hm. That's weird. Sure hope I didn't cause some massive emotional problems.]

I want to speak to it.
How do we recreate the circumstances that led to you meeting it.

How should I know?
I'm not the one in charge of this place.
And I didn't dream anything on purpose.
This is a realm between dream and reality in the first place so it could just happen completely at random.

You're surprisingly useless when you don't have knowledge from that novel to fall back on.
At the end of the day, the only way we solve anything with Kim Dokja or Han Suyeong is by dealing with their monsters directly, so we need to figure out a way to communicate with them.

Kim Dokja is in complete denial, by the way. Even after I used Midday Tryst.

And you're unsurprisingly pessimistic about your progress.
I told you he's going to need concrete proof.
But I wouldn't say it's complete denial at this point.
If he even acknowledges a possibility of it, you're still making progress.
And I don't know if their monsters influence them in the same way.

It's hard to come up with proof more concrete than the Midday Tryst he created.

[Beat. There's a momentary pause between texts, where Yu Junghyeok is typing appears, then goes away, then appears again, before finally...]

There may be one way.
But it's impossible right now.
Maybe doubly impossible.

Do I need to loan out another volume of that story?
Because I haven't read anything that's said that you guys are very good at leaving things as being "impossible".

There's a story I can use that might do something.
But if I tried to use the story and it fell apart, he would just take it as more proof that he's a different Kim Dokja after all.
And right now, there's two reasons the story would likely immediately fall apart if I tried to use it.

[Companions in Life and Death, huh...]

Definitely a bigger risk than even that, with The Nothing involved.
But I don't think you have the wrong idea.
He is a Constellation, even if he doesn't believe that.

[a pause...]

There were these snowglobes early on that showed memories when people touched them.
This place does a lot of strange things like that.

Are there any left, or did they vanish like the effects of this last scenario?

I kept mine.
But I don't think you can view my memories with it anymore.
Probably.

Then why are you bringing it up.

Because you don't need to rush this.
Things like that can and will happen again, more than likely.
Like opportunities to get items back home?
And if all else fails, if you can think of something that might jar his memory from home, there's always the Suggestion Box.

Fine.
I'll focus on getting my stories working in the meantime.
Which means killing this monster.

Or MAYBE, in the theme of getting an idea of how to deal with monsters who are messing with things that aren't theirs, try COMMUNICATING with it?
Just a thought!
What's it doing with your stories?

The same thing it did in the dream. They start and then they break down and stop.

You try communicating with it if that's what you want. I'm going to find a way to cut its head off.

Would you hear me out if I said that was a bad idea when I do manage to communicate with it?

Have you already decided to get in my way after you manage to communicate with it?

How do you know you won't end up with a monster that will steal or eat or erase your stories the way The Nothing and the sphinx have with the others if you get rid of this one?
You're really going to trust me to handle a situation where all three of you don't remember anything?

[There's no response for a while.]

I want to be clear that this isn't me acknowledging that you're right.
Because you're not.
But there is a decent chance that if that happens, I'll immediately attempt to kill everybody in this prison.

[The man knows himself.]

Edited 2022-02-04 04:38 (UTC)

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