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[ { "from": "system", "value": "I'll be your writing partner today. I will set the scene, and you will continue the story with 2 sentences, channeling the voice and techniques of Akahige Namban." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The mansion, when found, lay behind a rotting, crumbling wall. The gate was uncharacteristically open, showing a vista of desolation and lost grandeur." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Jiro stepped inside. The garden that met his eyes was full of melancholy and the signs of genteel decay." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It also contained a dead man, face down in the dirt, his blood pooling around him. Jiro explored cautiously. There were several more bodies." }, { "from": "human", "value": "One of them groaned and muttered something." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Jiro rolled him over." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His belly had been gashed, and his entrails were spilling out.\n\n\"Water... water,\" the ruffian begged." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You will die of it,\" Jiro cautioned." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The man laughed rackingly. \"What d'ye think I'm doin' now, eh? Get me some water. Sake is even better.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Jiro rooted in the mess, only some of it made by the attackers, whoever they were, the rest the result of the piggish habits of the inhabitants, and found a filthy bottle half full of some liquid that smelled alcoholic." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The wounded man grabbed at the bottle as Jiro knelt by him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The samurai jerked it out of reach." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What happened here?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The wounded man eyed the sake bottle hungrily, clutching at his stomach." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Bastard, I'm dying.\"\n\n\"What happened?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Yamabushi attacked us.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Why?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"A drink, you animal!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You'll die with the first swallow. Why?\"\n\n\"We've been competing with them for women and for territory.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"There was a woman here...\"\n\n\"Some woman, too!\" The man's eyes lit up in memory." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"They took her. She was a first-class bitch from the Gion area.\"\n\n\"Where did they take her?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"How should I know? They are heading south, that's all I know. I swear it. South. Maybe to Koya-san... The bottle—give me the bottle; that's all I know...\" The wounded bully was sobbing now." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 3 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Jiro handed him the bottle, and he gulped several times gratefully, then gave a great cry and expired. Jiro rose and headed south. The flies tended to their own, buzzing happily." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Expand the story by adding 4 sentences." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The high sound of the flute played with a manic energy came first to Jiro's consciousness." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He slid down a muddy slope, pausing for a second to adjust the strap of a sandal, when he became aware of the deeper beat of the drum." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Between the trees he could just about make out the sight of smoke. The wild skirling of the fue flute seemed to make the smoke dance.\n\nThe mountain trail was steep, and there were few travellers. He had been told at an earlier stop that the path would shorten his road considerably." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In fact, the effort was hardly worth it, though he had enjoyed the quiet of the mountain air.\n\nThe village became visible. It was a substantial one, a stopping place for pilgrims on their way to the sites farther south. The drum and flute were both heard clearly now." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Perhaps, thought Jiro, he would be able to receive some news here of Satsuki and her captors.\n\nThe main street of the town was crowded with merrymakers. The fair booths lined the sides of the main street and spilled over to some of the side alleys. Sellers of children's whirligigs, fried noodles, fish-shaped waffles stuffed with sweet bean jam, and sake competed for attention." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The shrine, where he called first, was decorated with long blue banners which hung limply in the heat." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A steady crowd of visitors streamed into the shrine grounds." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They rang the bell hanging from the front beam, clapped their hands and bowed to the kami inside, then received a drink from the attendant." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Jiro rang the bell and contributed his copper to the offertory box, then prayed for the success of his venture." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The smell from the booths was irresistible. He bought a grilled dried squid, then a bowl of wheat noodles in soup. Most of the townsmen gave the giant samurai a wide berth. Samurai were unpredictable and uncontrollable." }, { "from": "human", "value": "For the commoner, it was best to steer clear of strange ones." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Later, full and comfortable, he relaxed in the shade of one of the giant cryptomerias that shaded the grounds of the shrine." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The wild music continued." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The musicians ensconced in a wooden tower in a wide clearing before the shrine continued throughout the afternoon, fortified no doubt by the enormous quantities of rice wine they had been drinking.\n\nThe stream of visitors increased as the sun set and people finished their daily chores. A ripple of excitement ran through the crowd. Children and adults lined the entrance to the shrine, packed as close as they could get." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The shouting came closer. A tightly packed wild mob of almost naked men came into view. They carried an ornate mikoshi—an elaborately carved wooden shrine, decorated with a towering copper phoenix. The structure swayed and swung on its bearers' shoulders." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "At times it seemed to go round in circles as men armed with fans tried to control its movement. They were the only sober men of the lot. The porters shouted, \"Washoi! Washoi!\" as they came, dressed in nothing but loincloths and headbands." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The staggering edifice, towering over the heads of its porters, reached the shrine." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Above the head of the mob, Jiro could see another coming." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He smiled. He liked the sight of the mikoshi." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He had helped carry one not many years before." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The second mikoshi was smaller than the first." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It was also something of a surprise." }, { "from": "human", "value": "In the flickering light of the lanterns that now lit the scene, Jiro could see that some of the porters were women." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Unlike the near-naked men, they dressed in tight indigo-dyed pants, aprons, and coats favored by some workmen in winter. But they chanted and drank as lustily as their male counterparts.\n\nThe audience greeted the appearance of this mikoshi with cheers. Jiro gathered by eavesdropping that having women carry a mikoshi was a unique local custom." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Crowded together under the thick carrying pole, they presented an unusual and piquant view. Jiro laughed with the other spectators. His size allowed him to see over the heads of the crowd, and he could appreciate the sight of young women enjoying heavy labor and drinking. One of them caught his eye." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She was smiling like the rest, sweat running down her brow. Her coat was open, displaying the bare tops of heavy breasts. Her body, sandwiched between those of two plumper girls, was full and ripe, and Jiro could imagine the feel of the thighs that now rubbed against heavy blue cloth. Something stirred between his legs as he looked on." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The sweat on the high-cheeked faces reminded him of sweat brought on by other circumstances. He shrugged in annoyance. The women he knew were far off, he had not sufficient money to pay for companionship, and in any case, he was busy. The thickening of his prick subsided." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He strolled, vaguely dissatisfied, through the throngs of merrymakers. Lurid green or red glares, the product of small fireworks set off at intervals, lit the scene. Near a small outbuilding by the side of the main shrine building, he saw a laughing group of people. The young men who had carried the larger mikoshi were crouched or sprawled in a circle, drinking from large clay bottles and eating festival fare." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Jiro turned away. More movement caught his eye. In the light of several lanterns, the carriers of the other mikoshi sprawled on the ground. Their high voices identified them as women. The one who had grinned earlier at Jiro was among them." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He passed between them and the light with a deliberate tread." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The shadow of his massive figure and erect topknot caused the girl to look up. Her hair was held by a twisted piece of cloth that fell almost to her eyes and rode high over the long hair she had tied behind. It gave her a rakish, almost piratical appearance. She grinned at him again, and he moved on into the dark." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The girl rose and stretched mightily. \"Well, me for a bath and bed.\"\n\n\"So early, Osachi? There's still plenty to drink—and to look at,\" her companions joshed her.\n\n\"Ha! Just like you,\" one of the men said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You dance and sing all day, with nothing left for the evening...\"\n\nEveryone laughed, and Osachi waved at them and walked off into the dark. She watched dancers around the drum tower, pinched a piece of fried octopus from an acquaintance's booth, and made her way slowly through the crowd. She angled off to one side, casually noting the tall samurai who no doubt had headed in that direction to relieve himself." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The passage between some tall cryptomerias was dark, but it was the shortest route to her home.\n\nSuddenly a tall figure loomed out of the dark at her. She squeaked, then covered her mouth with a hand.\n\n\"Did I frighten you, miss? I hadn't intended to do so.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The tall samurai stood before her. She looked him up and down carefully. Behind her the light of the fires and lanterns etched his strong face. His hair was curiously soft, even worn in the unshaven pate of a masterless samurai." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His hands were large and looked as if he had known physical labor—odd for a samurai." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What do you intend to do with me?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Since he seemed to be standing there quite harmlessly, the question seemed odd.\n\nHe smiled at the meaning behind the words. \"There's a small building deeper in the shadows.\" He turned and moved off into the dark." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Slowly she followed him, her heart pounding and her hands clasped before her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He stood before the old shed, used formerly as a minor shrine. He bent and kissed her. For a moment her lips resisted and her body stiffened; then she melted into his arms. He raised her into the air and deposited her on the old soft tatami, then lay down beside her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His hands slipped into her coat and around her to untie the blue apron." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Thick strong fingers found first one and then the other of her nipples, and she groaned slightly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her own hands sought a way into his split hakama trousers, and she mewed her frustration. It was the first time she had tried a samurai, and the intricacies of his dress defeated her. Inside the rough cloth she could feel the iron-hard bar of an enormous cock.\n\nHe pushed her hands impatiently aside and rapidly slipped out of his trousers, robe, and loincloth." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His cock jutted aggressively forward as he leaned over her to untie her tight pants of rough indigo-dyed cloth. The massive tool swung before her face, and she captured it with her mouth. It was almost too big to fit into her mouth, but he jerked forward, and a length of his shaft scraped past her teeth. The tip tasted salty and musky on her tongue, and she sucked hungrily, her cheeks expanding with the effort." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She was conscious of her pants being torn off her and of the samurai's face being thrust between her legs. His unshaven cheeks scraped the insides of her thighs, and she wondered momentarily how he could bear the sweaty smell.\n\nOvertaken by his lust, Jiro sniffed at the rich, sweaty female smell of the girl. He pushed forward, his tongue reaching for the inviting hole." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It brought back memories of his first time with Okiku, the first time with a woman. He could not remember who had raped whom, at that time, but the rich, earthy smells of a sweating woman in heat always brought out a slavering beast in him. He lapped at the fleshy lips for a long time. Her hips squirmed incessantly, as if trying coyly to reject his tongue's advances." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His hands gripped the woman's buttocks, and he forced his tongue deeply into her. His nose did duty for both of them, rubbing silkily against the oiled pearl of her clitoris and raising a pleasurable haze in his brain as the musky, earthy smell hit his membranes.\n\nJiro's cock was being sucked inexpertly by the struggling girl, and he restrained himself, knowing that it took much practice to take his entire engine in. At last the needs of the moment overtook him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He withdrew from between her thighs and pulled back from her mouth." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her eyes gleamed in the dark, and he realized that she was as ready as he." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He lay flat on her, uncaring of the floor. His cock, wet and hard as a sword from the sword-sharpener's pond, poised for a second before her dripping cunt; then he drove forward.\n\nOsachi met the samurai's stabbing thrust with a clenching of her inner muscles and a shaking of her body. Well before he had sheathed himself fully in her, she had begun a movement of her hips." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her ass came up from the floor to meet the onslaught." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The little wooden building creaked as their combined weight came down.\n\nThe floorboards were moistened by their juices. She extracted every bit of pleasure she could from the body covering her. He was a stranger, well built, and she would never see him again." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She satisfied every curiosity and whim she could in the silent dark, something she could not do with the local lads for fear of being too forward. Her hands roved over his back and down to his ass. She slipped hands between his buns and fingered his hairy asshole. Osachi squeezed his scrotum, feeling the two eggs inside as they slapped against her rump." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They were wet with juice, the hair plastered against the silky skin." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He slapped her breasts with breathless annoyance when her squeezes became too rough.\n\nShe laughed inwardly at men's fragility and continued her explorations, her mind almost detached from the volcano of pleasure that was churning her slit. She tested the length of his shaft as it emerged from her tight hole. The hairs meshed in a sopping mass, and she tightened her cunt once again." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 5 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "There was a tremour from the bag and a rapid contraction that she could feel with the back of her hand. The man's weight descended on her, stuck to the hollow of her thighs like a leech. She felt waves of pressure shoot up the fleshy hose and inundate her insides. Gratefully she surrendered to the sensation.\n\nThey writhed for a long moment, their hips joined, his tongue forcing its way into her willing mouth." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Hey can you write like Akahige Namban and use whatever i write as a jumping off point?" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Jiro and Tatsunoyama had drunk deeply, enjoying one another's company." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Jiro found the wrestler odd." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He combined a formal mien with an assumption of equality that roused the samurai in Jiro's makeup." }, { "from": "human", "value": "At the same time that he was a humorous and considerate companion, he could be entirely oblivious of admiring glances and the outstretched hands of wrestling fans." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He responded only rarely to any of the messages that the room maid brought from time to time." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When he did respond, it was usually by scrawling his name on a plaque presented for the purpose by some admirer, or more rarely by pressing his hand into an ink stone loaded with red ink and imprinting his palm on a sheet of paper." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His apprentice would take the paper reverently and rush off to present it to the delighted follower of the sport." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "At length they went off to the bath." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The bathroom was spacious, with a cedar-lined tub and well-appointed fittings." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They talked leisurely while Tatsunoyama's apprentice scrubbed their backs and they rinsed with the sulfury-smelling waters." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They watched the crowd of humanity that had come for a late-night soak." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Some of the women, Jiro decided, were quite pleasantly shaped." }, { "from": "human", "value": "None, of course, like his own Okiku and Rosamund, but pleasing nonetheless." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "There was a group of several women pilgrims who had monopolized one corner of the huge sunken tub." }, { "from": "human", "value": "In another corner an elderly samurai dozed, cold towel folded on his head." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Two men, local farmers by their accents and hairdos, talked of crops." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A father and two young sons scrubbed themselves in another corner." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Someone sang softly in the candlelit steamy gloom." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They lowered themselves into the tub, each covertly examining the other." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The wrestler saw a large, heavily muscled samurai with peculiarly sallow skin and light, almost greyish eyes." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Jiro was taller than the wrestler." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His wrists were thicker than a samurai's should be." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Jiro's father, Tatsunoyama knew, had been a foreigner." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As the Shogun's admiral and shipwright, he had trained his second son in his own craft, owning it no shame for his youngest son, who could never inherit his position, to learn a trade." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Miura Anjin's son Jiro had not, however, become a shipwright like his English father." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Instead, he taught letters to young children and foreign knowledge to whoever would hear." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Jiro saw a massive mountain of fat descending into the steaming pool beside him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Under the fat, however, his warrior's eye saw layers of muscle and brawn." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "And the wrestler's hands, he knew from report, could crush a man's head like a melon." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Both massive bodies subsided beneath the hot waters with a sigh, causing a small tidal wave in the crowded pool. Some of the pilgrims in the far corner who had been chatting animatedly glanced at the two massive bodies, whose maleness was inadequately hidden by tiny towels, then returned to their conversations." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Write 3 sentences like Akahige Namban would, using user's text as beginning" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Jiro awoke with the sensation of a threat. He oriented himself in the dark, opening his eyes to mere slits. Closer to the window he could make out the massive snoring bulk that was his host." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Another, slightly higher sound intruded on his senses." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Slowly and silently he drew the short sword that rested beneath his pillow. A mat frame creaked. A figure loomed over him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Twisting to one side, he threw his quilt over the assailant and rolled away." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His foot struck a wooden pillar, and he rolled toward the attacker. The figure gave a muffled cry and fell back, crashing over the wrestler's massive form.\n\nThe snoring stopped abruptly." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Another muffled scream and a figure seemed to launch itself in the air, over Tatsunoyama's recumbent bulk, to the area where Jiro had been before." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "There was a resounding slap, and the leaping figure crashed to the ground. There was the sound of continuing struggle for a short while from Tatsunoyama's bedding, then silence. Jiro, his senses alert, probed for any more attackers." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Tatsunoyama lay sensibly still, one of the bundles beside him inert, the other struggling feebly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Jiro's acute senses, trained by Okiku, who had been a professional assassin, told him of no other threat. Leisurely he lit a lamp.\n\n\"Let us examine your prizes, Tatsunoyama-zeki.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He had a feeling that he knew who the prizes were." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lady One was lying at full length on the matting. There was a growing purple bruise on one temple. She was dressed in tight-fitting black clothes, black turban, and a black gauze mask." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Beside her outstretched hand lay a long stiletto-like pin. Its tip glittered stickily. Jiro moved it carefully aside." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He did not know the type, but the sticky substance on the blade seemed to indicate poison." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He examined the girl with caution." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She seemed stunned, not dead.\n\n\"Well, not too badly damaged, I imagine,\" Jiro said conversationally while he bound her with his sword cord, released from the scabbard.\n\n\"Let's look at the other one,\" Tatsunoyama said with the same tone of indifference." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I suppose they were for you? I can't imagine them as supporters of mine on a surprise visit.\"\n\n\"I am terribly sorry for the inconvenience. They were indeed aiming at me.\" He explained the circumstances while they removed Lady Two's weapon—a straight-edged dagger—and uncovered her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She glared at Jiro and made a move to leap at him with bared teeth." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Stop that!\" Tatsunoyama ordered, shaking her. Her teeth rattled in her head as her neck snapped back and forth with the power of his movement. She looked at his face and seemed to recognize him for the first time." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You're the wrestler. We deeply apologize for this intrusion. It is a matter of revenge, you see. You must let us go.\"\n\nThe fat man laughed. \"What do I care for your revenges? You disturbed my sleep! I hate that!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He emphasized each statement with a shake." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her head shook back and forth like a puppet's. \"You must never do that again! Do you understand?\"\n\nShe nodded in agreement." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her twin moaned and stirred.\n\n\"Besides, you disturbed my guest. That is not done. If you want to challenge him, do it outside!\" She nodded again, and he released her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She shot forward like a striking snake, snatching for the dagger that Jiro held negligently before him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Fast as she was, the fat man was faster. There was a meaty slap, and his massive palm smacked into her back. His other hand swept her legs from under her, and he pinned her to the ground." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Impassively he said, \"You apparently were not listening. I said not to do that!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "This time he emphasized each word with a slap on her squirming buttocks. She cried out but continued to struggle. His impassivity did not change, nor did the tempo of his hand coming down on her roughly clothed bum." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Stop that!\" Lady One had recovered from her blow and was writhing in her bonds." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Leave my sister alone!\"\n\n\"When she learns to obey me,\" Tatsunoyama said imperturbably.\n\n\"Never! I'll kill him!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "came the muffled retort. Lady One increased her struggles, but Jiro knew his knots too well. He looked on with interest as she tried to extricate herself." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Tatsunoyama hauled himself to a sitting position." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He groped behind him and found a small raku-ware sake container, which he drained. His other hand kept Lady Two pinned on the floor. She still struggled furiously." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Might as well be comfortable,\" said the wrestler." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He hauled Lady Two onto his crossed knees. \"You will do what I say. You will refrain from misbehaving. Until then I will punish you.\" He raised his meaty hand again and brought it down on the girl's inflamed buttocks." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She struggled furiously for a while as his blows rained down steadily.\n\nJiro looked down at her. She glared back. \"Do you enjoy being beaten?\" he asked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I know a woman who does,\" he added for Tatsunoyama's benefit." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"She gets excited that way.\" He refrained from describing Rosamund's other talents and attributes.\n\n\"Is that so?\" wondered Tatsunoyama, surprised for once." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I find that very odd. Pain is not after all pleasant—though sometimes it is necessary.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His hand did not pause for a moment.\n\n\"No, I don't!\"\n\n\"You don't what?\" Tatsunoyama inquired." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Enjoy being beaten. Stop, please—oh stop, please!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Tatsunoyama stayed his hand. \"You will obey? Stop fighting?\"\n\n\"Yes, yes, of course, I will have to kill him another time.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He released his hand, but again she tried to lunge forward at Jiro." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Tatsunoyama's hands clamped on her body." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You are forcing me to exercise when I should be asleep. Now I must relax again. I assure you, you will obey me in the end. I was an apprentice for many years before I fought my way through the curtain into the ranks of the champions. I have trained as an apprentice, and that is hard, and as a champion, and that is harder. I assure you I can train you. But first I must relax. I do not like to be annoyed.\" His moon face was suffused with a frown.\n\nHe pulled at the rough fabric of her blue-dyed workman's pants." }, { "from": "human", "value": "There was a ripping sound, and the fabric parted." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her buttocks glowed rose with the force of his blows. She shivered involuntarily as the cold night air met her overheated sensitive skin. Holding her down with one hand, Tatsunoyama shrugged out of his light sleeping yukata robe." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The enormous dome of his belly overshadowed the stout, fat prick that banged against the overhang." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His balls hung down from a forest of curls between his legs, though the insides of his thighs were rubbed bald from the rough hemp loincloth he wore while fighting. He slapped apart her legs after ripping the leggings down, and knelt between them. She looked behind her fearfully." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Have no fear. I will not let my weight down on you—unless you struggle and provided you say, 'I will obey,' by the time I am ready to finish with you.\"\n\nShe squirmed around fearfully, but he held her down by neck and hip. He squatted down between her thighs and lowered himself." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Jiro marvelled at the man's flexibility." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His joints, notwithstanding their massiveness, were as flexible as a baby's. The tip of the cock massaged the back of the girl's ass for a moment. He pushed forward slowly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She felt the mass of his belly on her overheated buns and shied away. He probed remorselessly, and the tip of his pole found the tiny button of her ass. Not knowing the size of his tool but knowing that his entry was inevitable, she raised her buttocks to facilitate entry into her cunt." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her heated mounds touched the arch of his belly, and she quivered again. Fear of being smothered under the mound of flesh and muscle, rather than of the coming act, made her frame tremble. He eased forward again, saying, \"You will obey me! Do not try to escape.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "She nodded wordlessly as the tip of his machine probed the outer fringes of her cunt." }, { "from": "human", "value": "To his surprise, he found it moist." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Enjoying and using the slickness, he eased forward, parting the fat lips of her sex." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They both let out their breaths in an audible sigh as he slid his length up her slick channel.\n\nTo her surprise the pressure of his belly on her ass was not unbearable. The skin still stung, but she was not crushed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She elevated her buttocks to facilitate his entry, and he moved obligingly back and down." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Then he pulled out of her entirely. She aided his movement by a bucking motion of her hips, and again he drove forward. He released her nape, but she made no move to escape as his cock shuttled in and out of her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Jiro observed with delight and amazement as Tatsunoyama's massive frame hovered over the girl's slight body with the lightness of thistledown." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "With amazing agility the fat man moved his hips in wide circles and plunged himself deeply into the woman before him. She responded with a dreamy smile and an occasional grunt, more of pleasure than from the feel of Tatsunoyama's weight.\n\nTheir climax approached. Tatsunoyama moved faster, and the girl moved with him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She rose to her elbows now." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "One of her hands molded her dangling breasts. With the other she reached beneath her and lightly supported Tatsunoyama's dangling scrotum. Fearful for his friend, Jiro readied the dagger to stop any suspicious move, but the girl seemed sincerely intent on protecting the man's jewels." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Will you obey me?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Tatsunoyama asked in his hoarse voice.\n\nAs if in a faraway dream, Lady Two answered, \"Yes. Yes, I will.\"\n\n\"You'll do what I say,\" emphasized Tatsunoyama." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You will leave Master Jiro alone!\"\n\n\"Yes, yes, of course,\" she answered dreamily. Then she turned her face to him and made a bowing motion to the floor." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Tatsunoyama surged up behind her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He pulled her to him and ground her buttocks into the hollow under his belly. His buttock muscles pumped, and she squealed as wave after wave of pleasure overtook her. His massive ass muscles pumped his own liquid into her at the same time, spraying her insides and overflowing onto the sleeping pad." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lady One looked on from her bonds, her eyes glaring fearfully." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Tatsunoyama released Lady Two and let her gently down onto the mat.\n\n\"And you?\" he asked Lady One conversationally. His dripping prick seemed to threaten her from under its protecting ledge." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It had lost much of its stiffness but appeared still serviceable." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Sister! Do what he says!\" Lady Two hissed from the floor.\n\n\"But our master!\" agonized the other." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We are masterless now, don't you see? How can two strolling players have a master? No one can expect us to be masterless for long...\"\n\n\"I will bring you under my wing,\" croaked Tatsunoyama. \"After all,\" he smiled, \"in some ways we are alike. We both display to the crowds as a living. In years to come sumo will become more of a spectacle, now that the old masters are gone and we rarely kill in the ring. And this thing that you do, these performances, no doubt they, too will become popular as entertainment even in the cities. What do you call this acting without masks?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I don't know,\" answered Lady One while licking her lips." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"It has no name, but it is more popular than the No plays or the sarugaku...\"\n\n\"Sister... !\" pleaded the other twin.\n\n\"Very well. We will do your will.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "She smiled at him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I rather liked you from the moment I saw you. But you have to prove yourself to me,\" she added fiercely. \"The master could.\" She rolled over on her back and spread her legs.\n\nJiro, excluded from the conversation by the twin's enmity, bit his lips." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He remembered that he had deflowered both twins almost simultaneously when he was a captive of their deceased lord." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His balls ached from the desire to stab himself again into that sweet cleft he knew was hidden under the rough fabric.\n\n\"No,\" Tatsunoyama smiled in his turn. \"That is not the way I care to do it. You will do it my way.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He laid himself comfortably on his back." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Release her!\" he ordered Lady Two.\n\nShe divested herself of the remains of her pants and moved to obey. She squatted with her back to him, and Jiro could see the length of the crack between her rosy buns and the tangled, spermy end of the beard hanging below." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He would have liked to step forward and introduce himself into the inviting opening, but a warning glance from Tatsunoyama restrained him. His massive fists clenched painfully. Lady Two untied her sister and rubbed her limbs briskly to restore circulation." }, { "from": "human", "value": "With several swift motions she removed her sister's clothing as well." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The two were perfect twins, differing now only in that one was slightly wetter and rosier than the other. They rose and stood side by side for a moment.\n\nTatsunoyama admired their stance and composure, then motioned to his prick, hidden from his eyes by the mound of his belly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lady Two knelt swiftly by his side. Her pink tongue slipped out and licked the semi-hard rod with a quick flip. Another followed, and another, until she was laving the length of the rod with her tongue." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She sucked and nibbled at the member until it stiffened anew. Holding it with her fist, she turned to her sister. The slim figure of Lady One straddled the mound of muscle." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She poised there for a moment, like a child riding a tortoise, then slid down until her open crack hovered over the waiting impaler." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lady Two bent behind her, and her tongue licked out. The hairy crack was moistened rapidly, and Lady One stuck herself gradually onto the waiting tool. Tatsunoyama looked on approvingly as she began rapidly bobbing up and down his stiff pole." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The slick coated length appeared and disappeared, now hidden by her bush, now pulling at the lips that let it go reluctantly." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Jiro eased himself out of the room into the dimly lit corridor." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It was obvious he was not invited to the party. The only thing to do, he decided, was to take a bath. He would have the bathhouse to himself, and the heat would at least soothe his tension." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He walked through the silent corridors and down to the steaming room." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Stripping off his yukata, he could not help but think of the scene he had abandoned above. His massive cock reared its head futilely for the second time that night. He tried to ignore the pressure and marched determinedly to the pool's edge, pausing while he decided whether to be polite and wash or whether to simply plunge in." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Saaa... !\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The drawn-out sound startled him out of his contemplation. He turned his head. Six pairs of eyes looked him over thoughtfully." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In his confusion, he fell more than slid into the bath, almost babbling apologies before he remembered his rank and status. The six women pilgrims he had seen before resumed a low-voiced conversation. He tried to relax and ignore them." }, { "from": "human", "value": "In the heat, his painful erection would not go away." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Neither would the women. He could not masturbate, considering the circumstances. He examined them out of the corner of his eyes." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They were not young, but not, he noticed, particularly old either." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Two of them were out of the tub, and their chunky, muscular bodies gleamed with water and health. A farmwife pilgrim association, he surmised. The government had inveighed against the pilgrimage practice, because it took time away from the serious business of work, but it was the people's sole relaxation sometimes, and many indulged in it when they could." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Times were peaceful now that the Age of Wars was over, and people tried to relax more." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "One of the women got out of the tub and passed behind Jiro. She splashed herself with cold water from a barrel near the wall, then dipped the bucket again. This time the bucket slipped, and Jiro felt the splash of cold water send currents down his back." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Oh, I'm terribly sorry! I really wasn't careful... Allow me to apologize.\" The female voice was very near.\n\nJiro turned his head." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She was standing near him, bending over solicitously." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her breasts, with a pair of tiny nipples, swung suggestively before his face. She had a pleasant, flat face, and there was a hint of mischief in her tone.\n\n\"Are you all right, mister?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He nodded, and she took that as an invitation to sit beside him on the tub rim." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She was quite unself-conscious, and he noticed that her legs were spread comfortably. Tiny outer lips barely covered long inner folds in her cunt, he saw.\n\n\"We're from Nara and on our way to visit the sites near Mount Koya\", she said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Are you a pilgrim too?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"No,\" he answered, struggling to maintain his composure. \"I am looking for someone, a friend.\" He described Satsuki.\n\n\"We haven't seen anyone of that description,\" she cooed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Girls, this gentleman is looking for a friend.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She repeated Jiro's story. There was a general agreement to her denial, and some sentences Jiro could not hear clearly. One thing he thought he did hear was, \"She's a lucky girl, though, if that's the way he's looking for her!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The words were drowned in a burst of laughter. Jiro did not know how to react. He was about to rise and stalk off, when the woman beside him leaned forward again." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You must be very sore from your journey,\" she said solicitously." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Please let me rub it for you.\" She rubbed the muscles in his neck slowly. While doing so she had to lean forward, and Jiro was conscious of two tiny glowing spots that dragged along the skin of his back." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She rubbed harder, and his shoulders relaxed, though the relaxation was not apparent underwater." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Suddenly he was conscious of another figure near him. A voice sounded by his left ear. \"I see you need help, Mitsuko.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "A pair of plump, work-strengthened hands was added to the first." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Another figure splashed to join them. He opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by expectant females' faces. Before he could recover, they seemed to have reached a decision, based on nothing more than a brief exchange of glances." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Two firm hands dived underneath and grasped his prick.\n\n\"It's lovely!\"\n\n\"Such a big one!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Six pairs of hands hauled him gently to his feet and laid him on a nearby wooden bench." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His cock stood erect along his belly, ready for action. The pilgrims admired their catch for a moment. Jiro's cock was indeed impressive, and they relished the sight." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Looks like there's enough for all,\" Mitsuko breathed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Now don't disappoint us, lovey. There's six of us, you know!\" She swung a strong leg over him and settled herself on top of his erection. She posed there for a moment, then let herself down with a deep breath of satisfaction." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Good, in't?\" asked one of the others." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Mitsuko's only answer was a beatific smile as she began bouncing up and down the length of the magnificent maleness lodged in her juicy hole.\n\nJiro supported her with his hands, enjoying the sensation he knew would lead to his release. He was not worried about the other five." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He needed release now, and he intended to get it." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He arched his back and plunged up to meet her downthrust. He was barely conscious of a whispered conversation beside them. Only a fragment reached his ears: \"... but men don't do that!... well, I've never tried it. My old man won't do it to me.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He'll do it. He's ours.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I've got to...\"\n\n\"Nonsense, no man would!\"\n\nThe dim light in the bathroom was suddenly blotted out." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Jiro, lost in his approaching pleasure, was barely conscious of it when a warm, moist, earth-smelling cushion fringed with hair enveloped his face." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Instinctively, recognizing the smell and textures, he sent his tongue out and into the proffered hole. There was a faintly heard squeal of delight. \"Sweet Jizo! He's doing it, he's doing it! How wonderful!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The redolent cunt was mashed against his lips as he continued tonguing it, running his tongue the length of the slit, nipping delicately at the prominent clitoris." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The pressure in his balls grew and grew, and he shoved up with all his strength.\n\nA fountain of creamy sperm shot out from his balls just as the two women on top of him forced themselves down in a last frantic attempt to move before they also came. The three thrashed on the bench like a tangle of eels, the woman on Jiro's face almost falling off in the intensity of her pleasure." }, { "from": "human", "value": "At length Mitsuko and her partner rose from his recumbent form." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Oh, no,\" said one disappointed woman, a plump figure with full breasts and a pleasantly curved belly. \"He's done for. Look at him, Mitsuko. You've milked him dry.\"\n\n\"Milked him, but not dry. Look at his lovely tool.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The object in question was as stiff as ever, though coated thickly with a frothy residue." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Its my turn now!\" announced one woman unceremoniously. She threw a leg over Jiro's hips and drew him into her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He thrust up deeply, intent on her pleasure as well as his own." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I'll follow Omurasaki!\" announced the plump one. Before Jiro could react, he found himself imprisoned between two plump thighs. Full, clean cunt with fat lips pressed against his mouth." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He moved his head in meek protest, but the movement of his nose brought on pleasurable squealings, and he renewed his tongue work again." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He raised his hands to feel her plump buttocks, but apparently others had a different idea. He found his hands seized and straddled. The callused sides of his palms were rubbed roughly against hungry lips, readying them and pacifying them until the real thing were to arrive." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The juice in his balls rose again." }, { "from": "human", "value": "This time, before he could explode he found a soft yet firm hand squeezing hard at the base of his cock." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He tried to protest, but the force of two bodies on his hand and one on his face limited his opposition. The slick sensation on his prick continued. He was conscious of a clenching and rocking as his rider finished, and a new, slightly tighter cunt was on him, and a lighter body was riding him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His tongue tired, but not before his rider rocked to completion." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His face was wiped with a cool towel, and a new rider replaced the one on his face.\n\nSeveral times he almost reached a climax, only to be frustrated by the firm grip at the base of his cock. At last, barely conscious, dipping into a dream of sensation, he felt himself elevated beyond the caress of flesh." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He was a tower of strength, set to serve the demanding mouths about him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His power bore him through cavern after cavern until he felt a blaze explode within him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He knew this time that the holding hand would not suffice, and the hand knew it as well. Massive grunting sounds emerged from his mouth and translated themselves into sawing motions of his tongue, which could no longer feel the weariness of the hour. The power grew and grew." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He was vaguely conscious of his hips arching high, of a body riding his, their only connecting point the strength of his maleness and the complimentary female cavern." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The explosion came. It rushed from the base of his spine, gathering power as it swept everything before it. He poised at the top of his arch, his body supported by shoulders and heels alone, his cock high in the air. Soft, irresistible, wet pressure pounded on him from above as his juices spurted from him in an unending jet, forced out by his internal power, all visible muscles motionless." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He collapsed back on the bench." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Coming to, he found himself alone in the bathroom. The candles had guttered down. His head was pillowed on a towel." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Folded neatly in it were six amulets. He shook himself and rinsed off slowly in the hot water, then in cold, then in the pool again. Wearily he headed back to Tatsunoyama's suite." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The wrestler was on his back again, snoring. On each side of him snuggled a smaller bundle. One of the twins opened an eye." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She saw Jiro's face by the light of the candle, ignored him, and snuggled up again to her massive lover." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 1 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Ignoring her in turn, Jiro fell into an exhausted sleep." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "expand on the story like Akahige Namban would" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Two groups stood in a clearing on the bank of the cool Yoshino River." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A tall, thin man with a strong hawk nose and brooding eyes looked on as the men argued." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In the background, women with unbound hair stood watch over the quarrel. Satsuki knelt by a small camellia bush, watching its buds, then raised her eyes with a wistful look to Yoshino Hill, which rose above them. Midori, kneeling beside her on her goza mat, rested a hand on Satsuki's arm.\n\n\"Please do not worry, Elder Sister. Our leader, Daisangyoja, will not bow down to these...\" She indicated the opposing group, far smaller than their own, by a toss of her shapely chin.\n\nSatsuki turned her head curiously. \"Oh, of course,\" she said indifferently. \"I was actually sighing because of our loss.\"\n\nMidori looked at her with troubled eyes. \"Loss?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Yes. We will not get to see the hundred thousand cherry trees bloom.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "She indicated the wooded hillside with a sweep of her full sleeve." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Midori was perplexed. \"The argument does not concern you?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Of course not, my dear. The men will settle it among themselves, and we will do whatever is necessary. Come, we must think of this camellia. Will its blossoms complement the scene, do you think?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Midori bit her lip. Osatsuki was so strange; her actions were incomprehensible. Undoubtedly though, the men would settle the affair, and she knew she could trust Daisangyoja, their leader.\n\nThe two groups of men were fingering their sword hilts nervously. Tsuneyoshi, who was slightly to the rear, dried his hands on the deerskin that hung behind him and served him as a seat in the wilds. He did not care to fight other yamabushi, but Master Daisangyoja was right. He had led them here, and his awe-inspiring words brought proof that salvation was near at hand. The poor, deluded fools of the Tozan-ha sect who opposed him here would see their error when the time came for him to perform his miraculous prayers." }, { "from": "human", "value": "In the meantime though, lesser leaders shouted and argued precedence on the route to the holy mountains." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The Tozan-ha could not stop them, nor could any priest, nor warrior, nor any man. Daisangyoja was the heir of En-no-Gyoja, founder of the yamabushi and initiator of mountain pilgrimage. Daisangyoja's spells were so powerful that all demons fled before them. He was capable of the most awesome austerities and his prowess as a leader was unquestionable. Why then did the misled ascetics of the Tozan-ha refuse to accept his innovations and his leadership? It was a puzzle to Tsuneyoshi.\n\nThe hawk-faced man, who had stood silently while the argument waxed, stamped his ring-topped stave on the ground once. The dispute ended as if cut by a knife." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Even the Tozan-ha opponents, impressed by Daisangyoja's mien, stood waiting. He strode forward." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I am Daisangyoja, the Supreme Vision of all ascetics. I am before you. Please see me as I am now. In days to come I will be transformed. Before your very eyes.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "His voice was melodious, powerful, almost hypnotic." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Men and women listened to him. Even though his words were arrogant, his tone was such that no one could doubt his power or sincerity.\n\n\"I and my people will go up to the mountains. We will prepare ourselves by the usual methods. In addition I will perform another magic—one not performed since the olden days. Doing so I will be transformed, and so will those with me. I will eat pine needles and I will be reborn in this life. Come with me into the mountains.\" He turned and strode to the river, shedding his clothing as he walked. His own people followed unhesitatingly. A small number of the Tozan-ha members followed hesitant suit. Some of the Tozan-ha hurried off, possibly to inform their fellows. The vast majority stood its ground." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Midori tugged at Satsuki's sleeve." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Come, we must bathe,\" she said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We are not permitted on the mountain, but even those of us who are left behind must be cleansed.\" The yamabushi and their few women, the men in their white loincloths, the women in red petticoats, marched into the chilled waters. Satsui felt her nipples pucker with the cold. The water was not freezing, merely colder than she liked. She dipped the ritual three times, the rocks in the riverbed making her footing uneven and threatening her poise. She looked at her broodingly for a long time. She bowed gracefully. Beside her Midori drew in an audible breath, but the master ignored her. His hooded eyes seemed to look deep into Satsuki's soul." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "There was something inhuman about his gaze. She felt he was not interested in her, in her sex, in anything she had to offer. He was examining her for some quality she might possibly have, but he had no interest in her as a person.\n\nThey emerged dripping from the water into the hot afternoon sun. Tsuneyoshi was at her elbow. He bowed and approached Daisangyoja.\n\n\"This is your new woman? The one you told me about?\" asked the master.\n\nTsuneyoshi indicated assent." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Daisangyoja looked at her one last time." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I will try her and see. Perhaps she is the one we are waiting for. If not... we will have to wait again.\" He strode off without another word." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "im ur writing buddy. i set scene, u do 5 sentences like Akahige Namban" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A fire was lit, and samples of the pure grains were burned. Charms were read over Satsuki's supine body, and mystic signs were traced on her skin in sanctified ink. The droning of the chants, the conch blasts, and the jangle of instruments lulled Satsuki into a trance. As the fire died down in its brass bowl, Hasegae drew Satsuki's legs apart. He inserted himself slowly and smoothly into her moist channel while chanting the appropriate verses." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He rolled them onto their sides. His hands loosely caressed her breasts and back, then dipped lower to her ass, spreading her cheeks like the two halves of a peach.\n\nChanting too, Tsuneyoshi laid himself behind her. He inserted his prick into the flexible ring of her ass. Slowly, still chanting, he eased his way into her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She felt the hardness of the two pricks in her as they nestled into the channels of her flesh." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Gently, softly, she enclosed them within herself, squeezing them as lightly as she could.\n\nTwo pairs of hands now stroked her body. Rising higher, they found her throat and lightly fingered her mouth. She opened her soft lips, and Daisangyoja's prick was gently inserted into the warm waiting cavern. It slid forward, resting on her relaxed tongue." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She breathed easily through her nose while laving the full morsel of flesh with the moisture of her mouth." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 3 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Daisangyoja touched the top of her head approvingly.\n\nThe doors were closed, and they lay that way dreamily through the night, Satsuki slowly urging her men towards a climax by tiny motions of her body, by minute shiftings and clenchings of herself. As the rooster crowed the dawn she was inundated by streams of come from all three men, who were shaken in turn by her climax." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Job: User writes start, you add ~five sentences sentences. Style: Akahige Namban" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The sylvan atmosphere and the lengthy climb made Jiro less cautious than was his wont. He had not drunk any water in some hours. His breakfast had been bracken shoots, some wild berries, and a single delicious pine mushroom. The sound of a stream penetrated his consciousness. A ridge of rocks barred the path, and he started to clamber over it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His attackers, fortunately, were less cautious than they should have been." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The first yamabushi leapt with a yell from the heights of a rock that bordered the path. Jiro pulled back from the sword blade that stabbed at his side. He twisted desperately, and a stone rolled out from under his foot. He slipped to the ground, and the sword hissed over his head. His rolling body tripped the second yamabushi, and they both slid down the path." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Jiro recovered first. He rose to his feet, and his great sword arced from its scabbard." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He paused to collect his wits, his head still ringing from its contact with the stones of the path." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He cut down, but the yamabushi managed to roll away. The other man advanced from above, his sword ready. Jiro slid forward and thrust with both hands. The yamabushi parried effortlessly, but Jiro's move was a feint. He slipped sideways, reversed his sword, and thrust under his left armpit." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The second yama-bushi, who had silently rushed him from behind, grunted as the long blade stuck into his abdomen. Jiro released the long sword and drew the short blade from his sash. The yamabushi yelled and charged, expecting his longer blade to give him an advantage. The other yamabushi grunted in agony and slid forward onto the sword, which hit the ground and drove itself further into his body.\n\nThe charging yamabushi's blade whistled down." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Jiro's hand, held stiff and flat, rose parallel to the blade and deflected it. He cut at the yamabushi's torso, and his blade stuck into the man's hip. The mountain man checked his charge. He made a convulsive leap backwards and rose through the air, to land on a jutting rock. Well out of reach he panted heavily as Jiro retrieved his long katana blade." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His panting changed to a scream of agony as Jiro's short blade grew from his belly." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The yamabushi looked down in horror at the hilt of the short sword protruding from his belly and toppled forward off the rock. The last sound he heard was the whistle of Jiro's long sword as it cleaved the air." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "yo can u write like Akahige Namban using my stuff as a starting point?" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Are you sure he said we must wait here for him?\" Matsudaira Konnosuke asked the slight young girl before him. Obviously awed by the company, she bowed low to the ground while mumbling her replies. \"It will go hard for you if you are lying!\" he warned, and she shivered as she looked at his severe face.\n\nHe was dressed in brocade silks. His topknot was black and straight as a sword slash." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Though Midori knew him to be a stern man, administrator of life and death for the imperial city of Miyako, still she thought she saw a hint of sensuousness in the narrow lips and classical profile." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He continued looking at her speculatively. Midori, experienced in the ways of men, still could not tell about this sample of the upper classes. She had simply had no experience with such high-class persons before. She looked around her nervously. The middle-rank guesting house was luxuriously appointed. Monks were supposed to be abstemious, as were pilgrims, but the Shogun's government demanded a minimum of comfort for its minions, at least the important ones.\n\nThe smooth, bare wooden pillars and beams of the room were clean and well made, exuding the faint fragrance of hinoki wood." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The painted fusuma panels had been decorated by an artist, and the finger holes for the sliding fusuma doors were made of lacquered copper, each cover a different play on the shape of a crane." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Peculiarly, the lord before whom she sat was unaccompanied by any attendants except the two women for whom she had searched, and so far neither had said a word. She had been several days on the way, searching for traces of Lord Matsudaira, and had then spent several days more searching for his resting place. All that time, fear for Elder Sister Osatsuki had driven her on.\n\nThere was an altercation outside, followed by a low voice calling for Matsudaira's attention.\n\n\"Forgive the intrusion?\"\n\n\"Yes?\" answered Matsudaira.\n\n\"A message from the ronin Miura Jiro, my lord.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The retainer slid the fusuma door open, stepped in, knelt, and slid it closed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He was a young samurai, plainly dressed in black overcoat. He bowed and handed a folded slip of paper to Matsudaira with both his hands, then turned and left.\n\nMatsudaira read the short note and smiled. \"Jiro is at the nearby teahouse—\"\n\nHe had barely finished speaking before there was a rush of movement. The slim woman Midori identified as Okiku rose quickly to her feet. She bowed (rather perfunctorily) in Matsudaira Konnosuke's direction and slipped out the door, not before flashing a brief smile at Midori." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The other cowled figure stirred impatiently but did not move.\n\nGovernor Matsudaira looked at Midori. He smiled at her for the first time. \"It seemed you were telling the truth, girl. Mr. Miura says he has Osatsuki with him.\"\n\n\"Wonderful! Oh, wonderful!\" Tears of happiness coursed down Midori's cheeks, and she bowed gratefully.\n\nRosamund looked on curiously. The yamabushi girl was attractive in a common sort of way." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her most impressive feature was a mass of soft brown hair, unusual amongst the denizens of the Japans, whose hair was usually a coarse black. Rosamund longed to touch those soft tresses. She wondered if Goemon felt the same, hiding his feelings behind the stern exterior of his official persona. It was exciting to have Jiro back, and she was getting bored sitting in the guest house. She could not move around freely, since in her guise as Matsudaira Konnosuke's concubine she was restricted to her quarters or palanquin. She had wanted to visit the great monastery of Mount Koya but found the entrance forbidden to women. She wished they could all resume their former guises—Goemon as an itinerant doctor, Jiro as masterless samurai, a ronin, Okiku as pilgrim—and go travelling once again." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The enforced inactivity of life in the House of Women, bound about by formal rules and the restrictions of her own uniqueness in this society, had palled long since." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 3 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Goemon...\" She started to ask for some respite from boredom, when she was interrupted by noises from the outside.\n\nOkiku, Jiro, and Osatsuki bowed their way into the room.\n\n\"Elder Sister!\" Midori squealed, her position and all decorum forgotten." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Produce 3 sentences using the prose and structure of Akahige Namban every time its your turn using what the user wrote as a seed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"It is regrettable you were not able to kill that person,\" Goemon said thoughtfully. \"It will undoubtedly cause more trouble, and the Presence wanted the matter dealt with before any coal of discontent could turn into a full-blown religious fire.\"\n\nJiro moved uncomfortably in his seat, his hands folded in his sleeves." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Had I known we had a commission, nothing would have stayed my hand.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Oh, stop your bemoaning, you two!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Okiku demanded sharply. \"We can always take care of him later. I am glad we are united. What do we do now?\"\n\nGoemon raised an eyebrow. \"Return to Miyako, of course. There are official duties waiting for me.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Nonsense!\" scoffed Rosamund. Jiro always wondered at her bluff ways, something no other woman displayed, at least publicly. \"I'm tired of being cooped up in that mansion all day. Let's have a holiday.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"A holiday?\" asked Goemon, scandalized." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"It is necessary to work hard. If a superior man minds his ways, his family will prosper. If the family prospers and attends to its business, the government prospers. If the government attends to its business, the country prospers. How then can a superior man engage in frivolities?\" The sententious Confucian phrases rang readily from his lips. His face was held in humorless lines, black brows contracted under his shaven pate." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Oh, foof!\" declared his blonde paramour, accurately if inelegantly, \"If you don't take me,\" she pouted, \"I'll get Okiku and Jiro to take me on a pilgrimage of Shikoku Island. That'll show you. You'll have to go without me for months!\"\n\nHe grinned. \"I'll just have to lay Osatsuki. Or Oko, your delectable little maid.\"\n\n\"Hmf,\" sniffed Rosamund. \"You'll never hear the end of it.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Okiku intervened before the argument could get more serious. \"You can't return to Miyako yet, Goemon. You are supposed to be on pilgrimage. Breaking it off in the middle would be considered a bad omen. In any case, we cannot return to Miyako before the matter of Master Daisangyoja is settled.\"\n\n\"Very well. We shall have to go to Yoshino to wait.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"There is another possibility,\" Okiku continued. \"Let us go down to Kumano, by the coast. There might be some news of Daisangyoja and his men. The yamabushi normally exit the mountains at the southern end, and we will hear news of them there.\"\n\n\"We will go to Nachi,\" Jiro rumbled quietly from his seat." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Nachi? Why Nachi?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I have always wanted to pray at the famous falls shrine there. Also, the Goki cast my fortune, and it was said I need visit the shrine. We are going to Nachi.\"\n\nGoemon shrugged. Jiro was always easy tempered, but there was a streak of stubbornness in him. Once his mind was made up, it was impossible to make him see reason." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In any case, Goemon also felt the need to travel. Living the regimented life of a city governor with all it entailed was more than a bit tiresome. \"Very well. Nachi Falls it is, then.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"And no retainers,\" added Rosamund sharply. \"I'm tired of the palanquin.\"\n\n\"I have an idea,\" Goemon said thoughtfully." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"We can go to Wakayama, on the coast. My retainers will wait there while I cloister myself in one of the temples. Goemon and his friends can then travel by boat to Kumano.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Okiku clapped her hands joyfully. \"Oh, yes! That's a wonderful idea. There are boats there for rent. And the time is just right.\"\n\n\"Osatsuki can return to Miyako or wait for us in Wakayama.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"She is afraid to travel alone,\" cautioned Okiku.\n\n\"Besides,\" added Rosamund sweetly, \"you do so want to lay her... Why, my love, you're blushing!\" She laughed maliciously.\n\n\"And wherever Satsuki goes, Midori is sure to come too,\" Okiku added." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"They have sworn sisterhood, and Midori acts as Satsuki's apprentice.\"" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 4 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Okiku, my dear, it seems we two are superfluous. We should let these four travel by themselves, and you and I shall find some pretty boys and have fun by ourselves.\" Rosamund was goading Goemon deliberately. He knew that; nonetheless his fist clenched on his thigh.\n\n\"I see you are anticipating an entertaining time,\" Okiku laughed at her friend." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Task: The user will write a bit then you need to write around six sentences continuing directly from the user's text.\n\nAuthor style: Akahige Namban" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The boat they had hired at Wakayama was provided with a small cabin furnished with a single tatami-floored room and a clay-lined hearth. During the day the paper shoji windows and wooden shutters were removed, providing a view of the magnificent shores of the Seto inland sea. When they anchored for the night the shutters were raised and the six, tired by the excitement of travel, composed themselves for sleep.\n\nThey were rowing slowly down the coast, when their attention was drawn to the sound of fireworks announcing a festival.\n\n\"Do let us put in there,\" asked Satsuki prettily.\n\n\"Oh, yes,\" seconded Rosamund." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The two men, in nominal control of the party, looked at one another and smiled ruefully. The boatman was given his orders, and soon they found themselves on a small beach. Crowds of villagers of all ages were rushing about. Gay banners fluttered in the air. The village's newly painted fishing vessels, high prowed and low sterned, rested in a row while a formally clad priest in white robes and black gauze hat blessed them with an evergreen branch dipped in water. Children ran about everywhere." }, { "from": "human", "value": "There were booths selling delicacies and small gewgaws for housewives and the young." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A barrel of sake had been broached, and the liquor was being offered to all and sundry.\n\nThe headman approached the boat. He was responsible for order in the village, and strangers were his concern. When he saw the odd composition of the party—a masterless samurai and his youthful page, the latter's face heavily made up as if going to war, a wandering doctor, a cowled nun, and a respectable-looking city matron—his suspicions were aroused. He was quelled, however, by the writ of passage signed by the lord of Wakayama himself, allowing these strange visitors free movement through the domain. Goemon, knowing the need for papers, had thoughtfully prevailed on the Wakayama lord, a distant cousin, to provide them." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Like any true bureaucrat, the Wakayama lord was careful not to be too interested in the disguised activities of the Miyako governor." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They wandered about the village, admiring the festival decorations." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A drumbeat started near one of the larger houses. A procession emerged, headed by several youths holding the flags of the village shrine. They were followed by men bearing offerings of rice, fruit, and wine. A young man, his face as heavily made up as Okiku's though in white rather than pink, and dressed in woman's clothing, followed. Behind him came a crowd of people: older men in formal garb, near naked younger ones carrying two objects on carrying poles. More people marched behind, some practising dance steps, others carrying boxes of beans and persimmons." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The procession reached the party of visitors from Miyako." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Okiku, in her disguise as a young man, looked at the female impersonator. Under his guise and mincing walk she could see a handsome youth. He glanced casually in her direction, and their looks crossed. He seemed to smile, and she thought he had penetrated her guise.\n\nWhen the carrying pole party reached their vantage point, Rosamund found it hard not to laugh. One of the objects being carried was a large, straw-stuffed fish." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Though dried, its smell seemed to reach out and grab her by the nose, and its hollow eyes stared at her accusingly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "To stifle her laughter she looked over the crop of young men. They reminded her of a different crop of porters she had met soon after arrival in the Japans. That band had raped her and then had the image of a red rose tattooed inside her thigh. The sight of these happy young men, and the memories they raised, brought a curious warmth to the juncture of her legs, and she watched their cadenced walk appreciatively.\n\nThe procession reached the gateless square arch of the torii that marked the entrance to the shrine precincts. It seemed that an altercation was developing." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Some of the barrel guardians wanted to proceed directly through the arch, the porters were trying to bolt." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The pushing and shoving developed apace. Men cried out, and bodies sweated with effort. The parties charged at one another, grabbing at opponents and the objects of their desire impartially. Occasionally one of the combatants would break off to drink sake out of one of the open barrels that had been left thoughtlessly by the roadside. Refreshed, he would plunge into the melee with a yell of delight. Onlookers—the elders, women, and children of the community—cheered both parties on impartially." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Faces reddened. An occasional ear was mashed or eye was blackened as the struggle continued." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What is going on? What are they fighting about?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Rosamund nudged Jiro, who was standing at her side. He repeated her question aloud to a village elder who was standing and chuckling at their side.\n\nThe man bowed respectfully. \"It is our custom, Mr. Samurai. The young men try to prolong the festival and are reluctant to enter the shrine where their wildness will be tamed. Other men try to force them to enter. Eventually they will, but a long struggle indicates a good year, and so we prolong it.\"\n\n\"So it's just a fake battle then?\" asked Jiro, vaguely disappointed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The old man cackled again." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Not likely. There are bets riding on the outcome, and since this is an affair of the gods, everyone takes it seriously.\"\n\n\"May anyone join in?\" There was a strange light in Jiro's eyes as he regarded the screaming, scuffling mob.\n\n\"Of course, of course. Sometimes strangers to the village get carried away and join in. The gods are quite happy with the arrangement. Naturally, since they have no friends to help them, they tend to be more battered, but since this is a god affair, that is not too bad.\" He was talking to an inattentive audience. Jiro looked long and hard at the scramble of naked bodies before him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It was obvious, an amused Okiku noted, that there was a struggle going on in his mind between the gravity of his position as a samurai and his youthful exuberance. Youthfulness won out. He handed his swords to Okiku and stripped to his loincloth in a trice. Midori giggled, bowed, and offered him a large earthenware bottle of sake someone had just handed her. He took a giant drink appropriate to his massive frame, shook his head, and plunged joyfully into the fray. He emerged a few seconds later, one hand pushing at a stocky fisher-boy, the other clutching a sake bottle. \"Goemon!\" he called, then again, \"Goemon, come on!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "It took Goemon longer to shed his dignity, but soon he too was stripped to his loincloth, aiding one of the two groups." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The struggle lasted for several hours until darkness fell. The fish was almost torn to pieces, and the barrel had been rolled in the mud but miraculously had not been broken. The fight had taken the combatants, most of whom changed sides several times during the day, down to the beach, where both fish and barrel were washed in the brine. At length the village officials managed to restore order, and the two sacred objects were brought to the shrine and offered before the kami.\n\nJiro and Goemon returned after dark to the boat. They were greeted with derision by Rosamund and Okiku, and respectful bows from Satsuki and Midori." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Go and wash in the sea!\" commanded Okiku." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You both stink of sake and puke!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "said Rosamund, turning up her nose.\n\nAbashed, both men turned to do as they were bidden.\n\n\"Oh Master Jiro, please allow me to offer you a towel.\" Osatsuki hurried after them. \"And Master Goemon, please let me tend to your wound.\" Goemon bore a large purple bruise on one shoulder, but he was well content to have it called a wound." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They laughed uproariously, splashing water in all directions as they bathed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They returned to the boat, and Rosamund looked at them critically.\n\n\"Both drunk as the poet Li Po. I don't think I will be able to stand it.\" Rosamund rose to her feet.\n\nOkiku rose too. \"I think we shall go for a long walk. Drunkenness in gentlemen is not to be tolerated.\"\n\nOsatsuki bowed at them. \"Pray allow me to stay and care for the poor gentlemen. Their hurts need attention.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"My dear, you need not attend to these drunken sots,\" Okiku answered." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"They'll soon sleep it off.\"\n\n\"No, please allow me...\"\n\nThey bowed to one another, though Rosamund could not forbear a slight chuckle as she and Okiku made their way off the boat. \"Shall we sneak back and watch?\" she asked Okiku.\n\n\"Don't be silly,\" her dark friend answered. \"I think it was very clever of you to suggest this way of allowing Satsuki to thank Jiro, but don't be too obtuse. I've something in mind too. Lets go along the shore for a while.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "She set off, a definite objective in mind." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Back on the boat, with Midori in attendance, Osatsuki set about her work. She and Midori gently tended to the men's cuts and bruises. She then suggested a rub, which was accepted gratefully by both men. Her hands softened the tense muscles one by one. Only one stubborn part remained hard, and she took care not discourage the tendency, while affecting to ignore it. Midori helped as much as she could, observing her elder sister's actions with wide eyes." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They served dinner. Globefish soup, prepared expertly by Satsuki's own hands, was followed by slices of raw globefish, abalone, and vinegared seaweed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Tiny shrimp and large crayfish competed for the men's attention and their palates. They finished with freshly harvested rice, over which Osatsuki had poured tea spiced with pickled plums and sesame seeds: a specific against overindulgence in sake.\n\nLater she danced, while Midori, who had practised several simple tunes on a flute, accompanied her. Jiro and Goemon were both entranced by the performance and by Satsuki's elegance. They made no effort to enjoy either of the women, knowing by now that Satsuki would lead up to that at the right time and fashion. She did so in the most unexpected fashion, by blowing out the candles that illuminated the cabin." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Ghostly touches were soon felt on both men's skins—the faintest touches of lips, hands, nipples, thighs on the most unexpected places." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Their cocks unfurled and rose proudly erect, and the caresses did not ignore the noble members. There was a slither of cloth in the dark, and both men knew that the women had slipped out of their sashes. The touches continued unabated. Now their own robes were loosened. They sat perfectly still. A hungrily sucking mouth was suddenly applied to Goemon's turgid prick." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The feeling was in such intense contrast to the previous light touches that he jumped." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The mouth—Satsuki's or Midori's, he could not tell—warmed his cock to a pulsating readiness. Smooth, slim buttocks slid against his chest, then moved downwards towards his belly. He sat perfectly stlll, knowing that Satsuki could be counted on to orchestrate the matter to perfection.\n\nGentle hands stroked his shoulders, his belly, grasped his cock. The smooth, full ass before him continued to descend until it was poised directly over his waiting pole. Sure hands guided the tip until it poised at the dry, tight entrance to the nether hole." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The woman before him continued her descent." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The firm, tight muscular ring parted before his penetration. A feeling of pleasurable pressure surrounded his cock. The muscles reluctantly parted before his insertion. He stroked smooth breasts and two erect, rubbery nipples and was rewarded by the feel of two female hands covering his and urging him on. He squeezed the breasts roughly and buried his lips in the soft nape before him.\n\nThe mounds nestled comfortably on his thighs." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His hairs tickled her ass, and she luxuriated in the feeling for a while." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Then, using only the power of her thighs, she began riding up and down the long shaft." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The pain of the insertion rapidly gave way to pleasure, and she barely managed to restrain herself from vocally noting her enjoyment." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She leaned backwards, and Goemon relaxed back to the mat, supported by her helper. He played with the now flattened breasts and stroked the damp and ready lips of the pussy, while she squeezed her ass to increase his pleasure.\n\nThe touches of Jiro's skin soon gave way to the power of a single sensation. An expert mouth was applied to his cock and began sucking greedily. His magnificent prick expanded even more than it had before, and he helplessly thrust forward with his hips. After a while the mouth was withdrawn and a new one took its place, laving the length of his shaft, kissing the single eye at its head and sipping at the transparent fluid that gathered there." }, { "from": "human", "value": "That sucking too came to an end." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He was urged to his feet and knelt between outstretched legs.\n\nThe woman was ready, her cunt wet... and occupied by Goemon's fingers. Jiro explored some more and found Goemon's long, slim prick stabbing into her ass. He knew what was to be done. Aiming higher than usual, he inserted his shaft slowly into the waiting cunt.\n\nThe soft, slick lips parted quickly before his entry." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He moved forward until her hairs mingled in a wet mass." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Carefully he began a back-and-forth motion. His head lowered to suck at an available nipple, then sought the woman's demanding mouth.\n\nSatsuki listened to the growing sounds of pleasure as both men fucked her apprentice. Midori was rather louder than she should be, she considered critically, but many men, she had noticed, rather enjoyed the sounds of a woman's pleasure. She stopped the action momentarily. Without allowing them to separate, she raised both men to their feet." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The difference in sizes had been anticipated, and Goemon's feet rested on a pile of seating cushions." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Satsuki relit a candle. The sight was charmingly vulgar. Midori's slim, wide-hipped figure was suspended between the brawny figures of both men. Her legs were twined around Jiro's hips, her ass exposed to Goemon's ministrations. She sucked desperately at Jiro's lips, while Goemon bit and nibbled at her shoulders. Both pricks were inserted well into Midori's body." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Their balls stuck together." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 4 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The long shafts, shiny with her juices, appeared and disappeared as Midori climbed up and down using Jiro's hips as a fulcrum. Satsuki looked on. There was much to criticize in Midori's performance, but for now it was satisfactory. There was much yet to be done this evening. She stepped forth with alacrity, dropping her robe." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Ive got a bit of writers block, im gonna send you something then keep it going 4 sentences at a time, also im going for a Akahige Namban sorta thing." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Rosamund had been separated from her companions by her ignorance of woodcraft. She wrung her hands nervously. She hated fighting. The emotions it roused were ones she felt uncomfortable with. She cowered by a tree, licking her lips and wondering what had happened." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A sound intruded on her thoughts." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She raised her head and could not forbear a scream." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "An unshaven face under a pillbox hat was leering at her around the bole. Seeing she was alarmed and alone, the yamabushi stepped around the tree and reached for her. She reacted instinctively. Pulling back, she lashed at him with her hand. The yamabushi grinned and grabbed at her robe." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The weighted end of the chain she kept in her sleeve hit his forehead above his eyebrow." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The front of his skull caved in, and his eyes turned in his head. Rosamund's breath whistled beneath her teeth as she turned to seek more enemies.\n\nOsatsuki knelt in a clearing, admiring the hint of white seen between the trees. The sound of the waterfall was muted by the tree boles." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Beneath her the velvety moss cushioned her knees and stained the hem of her robe a bright green." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "There was a poem on the subject, she remembered, but the lines would not come to her.\n\nTsuneyoshi stepped out of the forest and stopped beside her. His handsome, aristocratic face was sad. \"You should not have betrayed us,\" he said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She bowed slightly, looking sideways at him, her head tilted to one side." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The Master has indicated you are no longer acceptable. I am sorry, but my duty is to him. I could have loved you, but instead...\"\n\n\"What would you do now?\" she asked softly.\n\n\"I'll go into the mountains. I can no longer serve him.\"\n\nHis sword was resting lightly over his shoulder." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He raised it higher, and she noted that it was a heavily curved sword of ancient style, no doubt a relic of his family. There were many such men, scions of great families brought down by the politics and wars that had ended at Osaka with the fall of the Taiko's heir. She leaned forward and shrugged out of her embroidered outer robe, tucking the ends of her sleeves beneath her knees so as to fall properly. He looked at the back of her neck, and the memory of her beauty on their travels rose in him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I shall pray for your repose in the afterlife,\" he said, and raised the blade two-handed." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"And I for yours,\" she said softly, and drove the sharp steel hairpin she had drawn from her hair through his ribs and into his heart. Far below them, conches and drums announced the start of the parade." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Mode: Collab writing\nAmount: 3 sentences\nVoice: Akahige Namban" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Okiku crouched on a branch, motionless." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The stalking yamabushi crept closer. Midori's keening teased him on, When the man was directly below her, parting the bushes that hid the brown-haired girl, Okiku slipped from her perch silently as an owl. The yamabushi died with a snapping crack of the bone in his neck." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Okiku stepped off the warm, twitching body, then immediately leaped high, tumbling in the air as she rose. A second mountain ascetic slashed down at the spot on which she had been standing. Her feet hit the ground, and she flexed her knees and leaped again." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The yamabushi leaped high too, and they met in midair." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her hands moved swiftly and a bright length of steel whispered through the air as it was withdrawn from concealment in her pilgrim's staff. The yamabushi shrieked and fell in a heap. Midori ran to Okiku's side." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her sash was off her waist in a flash as she tried to stanch the bright stream of blood that gushed from Okiku's arm and side." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Are you all right? Mistress Okiku, are you well?\"\n\nOkiku grunted. The cuts were superficial, but her arm and side would soon stiffen. Another yamabushi ran into view and headed for the two women." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Midori hastily interposed herself between Okiku and the attacker. Hands extended into claws, she tried to block his approach, screaming incoherently. The yamabushi batted her aside, concentrating on Okiku's blade." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "I'll be your writing partner today. I will set the scene, and you will continue the story with 1 sentence, channeling the voice and techniques of Akahige Namban." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It was a glorious morning." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Rosamund awoke and stretched." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her friends were around her, sleeping deeply." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She poked bits of bare skin experimentally." }, { "from": "human", "value": "There was no response from female or male except groans or grunts of sleepiness." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Annoyed, she fingered her glowing golden fur." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She was just ready for another round, but none of these weaklings could supply her, she decided." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She rose quietly from the tangle of limbs and knelt by the toilet table." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her face shone at her from the silver travelling mirror." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her hair was a golden cloud framing her large blue eyes and blooming cheeks to perfection." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Idly she brushed her hair." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The strands crackled with suppressed static electricity." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She felt the same, still tensed up from last night's events." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She smiled wickedly and moved the brush downwards." }, { "from": "human", "value": "With steady strokes she brushed her golden bush." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The sensation was titillating but not sufficient." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She pushed harder, then sighed with frustration." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Being the mistress of a rich and important lord had its disadvantages." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The brush, for instance, was soft and smooth for a lady but too soft for her needs, which at times, like now, were violent." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her companions were still asleep, so she hastily dressed, not bothering with undergarments." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A white robe and over it the violet cloak and hood of her disguise would suffice." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She tucked her manryukusari chain in her robe and slid the shoji doors open." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She closed them quietly and turned to face the glorious world without." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The enormous cedars towered around her, their tops hidden in mist." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The roofs of the houses were likewise wreathed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The mountain rose beside her, covered with forest and mystery." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Not really thinking about it, she turned her steps to the slopes and starting climbing, wishing to exorcise sleep from her bones." }, { "from": "human", "value": "After a stiff climb she could no longer see the roofs of the small hamlet below her, nor of the headman's house where her lovers lay sleeping." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She turned and breathed deeply of the scented air." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The sound of a small brook came to her through the mists." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Suddenly thirsty, she headed for the water." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The stream was small and deliciously cold." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She followed it up to a small widening in the course." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A waterfall fell from the cliff above." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She stripped and slid her hands caressingly over her body." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her nipples stood erect in the cold, puckered slightly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her thighs were white and firm." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She spread her legs and bent forward to examine the rose on her inner thigh." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kissing a finger she said, \"Poor little rose, no one has kissed you for ever so long,\" and put the digit to her mossy grove." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Then she plunged into the pool." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The cold bit into her like a knife." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her nipples puckered more than before, painfully." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She gasped with the pain, finding in the freeze an element of pleasure that raised inner warmth even as the external cold raised goose bumps on her flesh." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She paddled to the end of the pool near a large bush which grew from the rock and pulled herself up." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She shook herself, then noticed a small niche behind the bush." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She peered into the darkness." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Something glittered on the rock." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Heedless of the scratches, she forced herself through the bushy barrier." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "On a rock before the niche rested a lacquered wooden bowl and a short metal handle with two diamond-shaped ends." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The joining handle would have been well covered by a man's fist." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She had just bent to pick it up, when something loomed out of the darkness of the niche." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She suppressed a scream. The figure in the gloom of the niche was Daisangyoja, leader of the yamabushi." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Task: The user will write a bit then you need to write around two sentences continuing directly from the user's text.\n\nAuthor style: Akahige Namban" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We were terribly worried!\" Okiku said as she greeted Rosamund." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Where have you been?\"\n\nRosamund smiled and said nothing." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Okiku shook her head in despair. Her foreign friend sometimes had these moods." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Willful and headstrong, she was unwilling or unable to explain them to anyone." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Rosamund went into the house. The villagers had provided them with food, and she ate ravenously." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Satsuki was sitting on the veranda, admiring the view when she finished. Okiku had gone off to tell the men Rosamund had been found." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Without a word Rosamund took out a small folded kerchief from the bosom of her robe." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She placed it on the floor before her, then unwrapped it and pushed it forward to Satsuki. On the white kerchief rested a bunch of short, dark pubic hairs tied together by a longer strand of head hair." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Through the bundle was stuck one of Rosamund's elaborate hairpins." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 3 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Satsuki touched the bundle with her fingertips, then looked at Rosamund's face.\n\n\"Thank you,\" she said, and turned again to watch the view. There were faint smiles on both women's lips." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "im ur writing buddy. i set scene, u do 4 sentences like Laura Joh Rowland" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano went outside, summoned the troops he'd banished from the ageya, and told them they could take Lord Mitsuyoshi's remains to the castle." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He would have liked to send them to his friend and adviser, Dr. Ito, at Edo Morgue, but couldn't subject the body of an important person to such a desecrating, illegal procedure as a scientific examination." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When Sano went back inside the ageya, Hirata met him in the corridor." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"We've interviewed everyone in the house,\" Hirata said in a low voice that wouldn't be overheard by Police Commissioner Hoshina, who loitered nearby. \"The clients and courtesans say they were together in the bedchambers last night." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "There was a party here, and the servants say they and the proprietor and the kamuro were busy waiting on the guests the whole time.\n\n\"Nobody noticed anything unusual, until the commotion when the body was discovered. I'm inclined to believe they're telling the truth. They knew Lord Mitsuyoshi was in the house, but they weren't personally acquainted with him. I didn't find any reason why they would kill him.\"\n\n\"What about his retainers?\" Sano asked.\n\n\"They were at the party, according to them and the other guests. If they know anything about the murder, they're not talking.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"We'll interrogate them again later,\" Sano decided." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hoshina gave Sano and Hirata a faint smirk that said they needn't bother trying to hide anything from him because he could find it out on his own. Then he slipped away.\n\n\"It would have taken only a moment for someone at the party to go up and stab Lord Mitsuyoshi, especially if he was unconscious.\" Sano described the murder scene." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We'll have to investigate all the guests.\"\n\nFortunately, Yoshiwara was a small, gossipy community, and any hostilities involving Lord Mitsuyoshi shouldn't be hard to discover. But the party complicated Sano's work by increasing the number of potential witnesses and suspects.\n\n\"I sent the detectives to ask people in neighboring houses if they observed anything that might help us,\" Hirata said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Good.\" Sano told Hirata that Lord Mitsuyoshi had spent the evening with Lady Wisteria, who'd disappeared along with the pillow book." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As Sano described the book, he realized he should tell Hirata about his past relationship with Wisteria, but now was not the time; he didn't want Hoshina or the other policemen to overhear." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Please go out and see if you can find any leads on Wisteria or the book.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Yes, Ssakan-sama. By the way, when I interviewed the servants, they said Wisteria's yarite found the body. She'd gone back to the Great Miura—the brothel where she lives—so I brought her here because I knew you'd want to speak with her.\"\n\n\"Well done,\" Sano said, grateful to have such a capable, trustworthy retainer as Hirata. \"Where is she?\"\n\nSomewhere in the house, a female voice burst into a strident harangue. Hirata rolled his eyes toward the sound." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Momoko made sure to tell me that she was once a great tayu, but I can't imagine that her manner ever would have pleased many men,\" he said, then took his leave.\n\nSano followed the voice to the rear of the ageya, where a door stood open to a guest room. Inside were two women. The younger was in her teens, and Sano recognized her as one of the courtesans he'd seen in the parlor." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She knelt on the floor before the older woman, who wore a brown kimono with the black girdle and cap of a chaperone." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The latter, Sano deduced, was Momoko." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She thrust a silk quilt at the courtesan's frightened, babyish face." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You should be careful when you drink wine in bed!\" she exclaimed, shaking the quilt, which exhibited a large purple stain. Her voice had a brassy edge, as if she often shouted. Her hair, knotted above her long, thin neck, was dyed a dull, unnatural black." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"This will never come clean. You've completely ruined an expensive quilt, you little fool!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The courtesan cringed and mumbled." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Don't blame your client,\" Momoko said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her profile was elegant, but vicious." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"And how dare you talk back to me?\"\n\nShe smacked the courtesan hard across the face. The courtesan shrieked in pain. Momoko hurled the quilt at her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"The price of this quilt will come out of the fee you earned last night. Forget about buying your freedom, because at this rate, you'll never leave Yoshiwara until you're so old and ugly they throw you out. Now go home!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The courtesan sobbed as she scurried out the door past Sano." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The yarite turned and saw him; the anger in her expression gave way to surprise, then dismay." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Oh! Are you the shogun's ssakan-sama?\" The words came in a gasp, and when Sano nodded, she quickly bowed. \"I'm honored by your presence. Your retainer said you wanted to see me. How may I serve you?\"\n\nSano noted that she must have once been beautiful, but the passage of perhaps forty years had sharpened the bones in her cheeks and narrow figure." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her coy smile showed decaying teeth and failed to hide her fear of Sano." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Obviously, Momoko knew why he wanted to see her, and how precarious was her situation." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I'm investigating the murder of Lord Mitsuyoshi,\" Sano said, \"and I must ask you some questions.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Certainly. I'll do my best to help you.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Momoko minced closer to Sano, her posture sinuously provocative, her smile rigid as a shield. \"Shall we go to the parlor? May I give you a drink?\"\n\nPerhaps her garrulity was merely an outlet for her nervousness, Sano thought, as might be her attack on the courtesan. Or was the yarite a cruel killer, chattering to hide her guilt?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Reserving judgment, he accompanied Momoko to the parlor, where she seated him in the place of honor in front of the alcove. She bustled around, fetching the sake jar, warming it on the charcoal brazier, and pouring a cup for Sano.\n\n\"What a shame, the death of Lord Mitsuyoshi,\" she said. \"He was so young, so charming. And how terrible, the way it happened!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Momoko talked faster and faster, alternately smiling and biting her lips, while darting frantic, coquettish glances at Sano.\n\n\"Let's go over what you did yesterday evening,\" he said.\n\n\"What I did?\" Momoko froze, and panic leapt in her eyes, as if Sano had accused her of the murder.\n\n\"I'm trying to determine everyone's movements and learn about the events leading up to the crime.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano wondered if her reaction indicated guilt, or the fear that he would think her guilty although she wasn't." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Oh.\" Relief slackened the yarite's face, but it immediately tensed again." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Did you chaperone Lady Wisteria to the ageya?\" Sano asked. When Momoko nodded, he said, \"Tell me about it.\"\n\nThe yarite knelt before Sano, twisting her hands in her lap. \"Shortly after the evening meal, the proprietor of the Great Miura told me that Lord Mitsuyoshi wanted an appointment with Lady Wisteria.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Every transaction in Yoshiwara was performed according to strict protocol. Sano knew that Mitsuyoshi would have gone to the ageya to ask for Wisteria's company, and the staff would have written a letter to the brothel, formally requesting the appointment.\n\n\"I helped Lady Wisteria dress,\" Momoko said, \"and then she made her procession to the Owariya. We got there about an hour later.\"\n\nA tayu's procession to meet a client at an ageya was an elaborate affair that involved some ten or twenty attendants." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It moved very slowly, so even though the brothel and the Owariya were but a few blocks apart, the journey would have been long. Sano had a sudden vivid image of Wisteria dressed in brilliant kimono, walking past admiring spectators, kicking each foot in a semicircular, ritualistic pattern as she stepped. She must be in her mid-twenties now, but still small and slender and graceful, with unusually round eyes that gave her delicate face an exotic charm...\n\n\"What happened then?\" Sano asked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I took Lady Wisteria to the parlor, where Lord Mitsuyoshi was waiting,\" Momoko said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I served them their sake.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The greeting ritual between tayu and client resembled a wedding ceremony, in which the couple drank from the same cup to seal their bond." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano pictured Wisteria seated at a diagonal from Mitsuyoshi, neither speaking to him nor showing emotion, as tradition required. She sipped her draught, while Mitsuyoshi gazed upon her with anticipation...\n\nSano refocused his attention on the yarite. Her hands maintained their grip on each other, and the nervous movement of her eyes quickened." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"It was their third meeting, so I took them upstairs,\" she said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "No tayu made love to a new client on his first visit, nor his second. Wisteria would have rejected Mitsuyoshi twice previously, as custom dictated. Sano envisioned Momoko, Lady Wisteria, and Lord Mitsuyoshi climbing the stairs to the bedchamber, where Mitsuyoshi would finally claim his prize. He imagined their expressions: Mitsuyoshi's eager, Momoko's sly, and Wisteria's carefully blank." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Had any of them known how the tryst would end?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I showed them into the room,\" Momoko said, \"and Wisteria dismissed me. Lord Mitsuyoshi closed the door.\"\n\n\"Was there anyone else present then besides Wisteria, Lord Mitsuyoshi, and you?\" Sano asked.\n\n\"No. I brought them up by myself. It's the custom.\"\n\nAnd Yoshiwara custom was inviolable." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Then I went downstairs. I had to watch over the courtesans who were entertaining the guests at the party. What a hard time I have with those wretched girls!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Momoko's speech accelerated into chatter again, betraying her wish to avoid discussing what had later happened. But this was what most concerned Sano. He said, \"Did you see Lady Wisteria again after you left the room?\"\n\n\"No; that was the last I ever saw of her.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The yarite interlocked her fingers so tightly they turned white." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Have you any idea where she went?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"No. She certainly wouldn't have told me, because she wasn't supposed to leave.\"\n\n\"Whom might she have told?\" Sano said.\n\nMomoko pondered, biting her lips. \"Wisteria isn't close to the other courtesans. She keeps to herself.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "An aggrieved expression came over Momoko's features. \"She never even speaks to me unless she has to, because she hates me. These girls today have no respect for their elders. I work hard training them, and how do they repay me? By treating me as if I were a mean old slave driver!\" The brassy tone returned to her voice. \"Well, of course I have to punish them for disobedience. And they suffer no worse than I did in my day.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The cruelty experienced by Yoshiwara courtesans at the hands of their chaperones was legendary, and the incident Sano had witnessed today was minor compared to the routine beatings and humiliation. Probably, former courtesans like Momoko enjoyed inflicting the same wrongs done to them upon the next generation. And Sano suspected that enmity lay on both sides of the relationship between courtesan and yarite—especially when one was beautiful and sought after, while the other had lost her glory.\n\n\"Do you hate Wisteria as much as she hates you?\" he asked Momoko." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Of course not. I love all the girls as if they were my daughters.\" But the yarite's indignation rang false. She said sharply, \"Something bad has happened to Wisteria, and you think I did it?\"\n\nSano observed how quickly Momoko had responded to the implication that Wisteria had been hurt or killed, then perceived an accusation." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Did you?\" he asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"No! I don't know where she is, or what's happened to her. I swear I never saw her after I left the room!\"\n\n\"Let's talk about Lord Mitsuyoshi. How did you feel about him?\"\n\n\"Feel about him?\" The yarite's face reflected puzzlement, although whether feigned or genuine, Sano couldn't tell. \"Why, I hardly knew the man. I only saw him at parties, and when I brought courtesans to him for appointments.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Did you see him again that night?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"No—that is, not until I found him—\" Momoko averted her gaze from Sano and murmured, \"Dead.\"\n\n\"How did you happen to discover his body?\" Sano said.\n\n\"Well, I went upstairs, and I noticed that the door to his room was open. I glanced inside, and I saw him lying there.\"\n\n\"Why did you go upstairs?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I needed to check on another courtesan who was entertaining a client. These girls behave better when they know someone is listening. And I wanted a moment alone. The party was noisy, and I had a headache, and it was quieter on the second floor.\"\n\nThat she'd offered multiple reasons when one would suffice warned Sano to doubt them all; yet Momoko was so agitated that he couldn't tell if she was lying, or just nervous. And anyone would be nervous while facing the threat of execution.\n\n\"Your hairpin was the murder weapon,\" Sano said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Can you explain that?\"\n\n\"My hairpin? It was?\" Momoko gave a shrill titter of confusion and surprise, but Sano guessed she'd recognized the hairpin when she'd discovered Mitsuyoshi's body. \"Oh, well, I lost that hairpin ages ago—I don't remember when. I have no idea how it got there.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A scornful male voice from the doorway halted her stammering: \"I suggest that you stabbed it through Lord Mitsuyoshi's eye.\"\n\nSano looked up to see Police Commissioner Hoshina stride into the room, followed by Yoriki Yamaga and Yoriki Hayashi. They must have been listening all along. Now Hoshina loomed over the yarite, who recoiled in terror." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You went upstairs last night,\" he continued, \"and when you saw that Lord Mitsuyoshi was alone and asleep, you killed him. Then you ran downstairs and pretended you'd found him already dead.\"\n\n\"No! That's not what happened!\" Though clearly aghast, Momoko smiled and batted her eyes at Hoshina, employing flirtation in self-defense. \"I didn't kill him!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Anger rose in Sano, because he needed information from Momoko, not frantic denials produced by intimidation." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He said evenly, \"Hoshina-san, I am conducting this interview. Stop interfering, or leave.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hoshina didn't bother to reply." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Arrest her,\" he told Yamaga and Hayashi." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The policemen advanced on the yarite, and she scuttled backward, crying, \"No! I'm innocent.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "She simpered in a desperate attempt to ingratiate herself with them." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I've done nothing wrong!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano stood between Momoko and the men." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The evidence against her isn't proof that she murdered Lord Mitsuyoshi,\" he said, glaring at Hoshina.\n\n\"It's enough for a conviction,\" Hoshina said.\n\nThis was an accurate statement: In the Tokugawa legal system, virtually all trials ended in guilty verdicts, sometimes based on less evidence than that against Momoko. Sano had to forestall persecution of someone who might be innocent." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"She has no apparent motive for killing Lord Mitsuyoshi. You'll not arrest her, at least until I've finished questioning her.\"\n\nA sneer twisted Hoshina's mouth. \"I'll finish questioning her at Edo Jail.\"\n\nAt Edo Jail, prisoners were tortured into talking." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Forced confessions aren't always true,\" Sano said, enraged by Hoshina's attitude. Hoshina was well aware of the realities of Tokugawa law, but so eager to show Sano up and impress their superiors that he would risk mistakes. \"And the investigation has barely begun. There may be more to this crime than is apparent, and other suspects besides Momoko.\" He saw the yarite looking from him to Hoshina, and hope alternating with fear in her eyes." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Lady Wisteria must be found and questioned, as must all the people who were in Yoshiwara last night. That will take time.\"\n\n\"All the more reason to speed things up,\" Hoshina retorted. \"We both know the shogun expects quick action on this case, and what will happen if he doesn't get it.\" The shogun would punish everyone associated with failing to find his cousin's killer, and exile or death were likely penalties." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"If you wish to drag your feet, don't expect me to follow your bad example. Besides, if this woman is guilty, I'm doing you a favor by applying pressure to her.\"\n\nHoshina nodded to his subordinates. They seized the yarite by her arms, dragging her upright. She didn't resist, but quaked in their grasp, her eyes wild with terror as she appealed to Sano: \"I told you the truth about what happened last night. You believe me, don't you? Please don't let them take me!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano found himself torn between prudence and his desire to conduct a fair, honest investigation." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He risked incurring the shogun's wrath by showing sympathy toward anyone remotely connected with an attack on the Tokugawa, and therefore mustn't prevent the yarite's arrest, even if he wasn't convinced of her guilt." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Yet Sano believed that justice would be subverted unless he curtailed Hoshina's overzealous actions. Thus, he settled on compromise.\n\n\"Arrest her, then,\" he said.\n\nMomoko let out a wail of despair." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As Hayashi and Yamaga dragged her toward the door, Sano steeled himself against pity." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"But if she's hurt—or if you send her to trial without my permission—I'll publicize that you are sabotaging my investigation because you'd rather find a scapegoat than allow me to identify the real killer.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hoshina stared at Sano, his eyes black with anger because Sano had not only impugned his professional honor but threatened to bring their antagonism out in the open. And the latter was a step that neither of them could take with certainty of surviving. A long moment passed; the room seemed to grow colder. Sano waited, his heart racing with fear, because he had much to lose, while Hoshina had Chamberlain Yanagisawa's protection." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Then Hoshina reluctantly lifted his hand at the two yoriki. \"Take her to jail,\" he said, \"but make sure no one harms her.\"\n\nAs he walked out of the room with his subordinates and their prisoner, his malevolent glance backward said that Sano had scored only a temporary victory. Sano expelled his breath in a gust of revulsion for the strife that always complicated his duties." }, { "from": "human", "value": "These seemed insurmountable because the Black Lotus case had severely reduced his stamina." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The final disaster at the temple had comprised the worst violence he'd ever seen, a senseless carnage." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His involvement made Sano feel sick, as though the spiritual disease of the Black Lotus had infected him. Sano couldn't even draw strength from a happy domestic life, for the Black Lotus had robbed him of that, too. Lately, the thought of Reiko caused him more worry than solace.\n\nNow Sano mustered his flagging energy." }, { "from": "human", "value": "With Hoshina probably thinking up new ways to plague him, he must move fast to prevent the investigation from slipping entirely out of his control." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He set out to obtain the names of Wisteria's clients and the guests present at last night's party, and begin looking for other suspects besides the yarite.\n\nHe stifled the fear that he'd lost control of the investigation even before he'd begun." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "expand on the story like Laura Joh Rowland would" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The hunt for Lady Wisteria led Hirata into areas of Yoshiwara that few visitors ever saw. Accompanied by the proprietor of the Great Miura—who would recognize Wisteria on sight—Hirata searched every teahouse, shop, and brothel." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He saw tayu lounging in lavish chambers, and women of the lower ranks crowded into dingy barracks." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He saw bathtubs of scummy water crammed full of naked females." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Little girls toiled in kitchens, and courtesans wolfed down food in storerooms because they weren't allowed to eat in front of clients. Most of the women looked sullen, miserable, or resigned to their lot." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In one house, they quarreled bitterly among themselves, like caged cats; in another, a girl lay moaning on a futon while a maid washed blood from between her legs. An odor of squalid humanity pervaded the brothels, and Yoshiwara completely lost its glamour for Hirata." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Everywhere he went, he crossed paths with Police Commissioner Hoshina's men, engaged in the same mission, but Lady Wisteria was nowhere to be found." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "No one had seen her since her procession to the ageya last night. She'd apparently vanished without a trace, as had her pillow book." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Discouraged, Hirata made his way up Nakanoch." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The quarter had grown colder and darker as the day waned." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Snow continued to fall; white drifts lay alongside the buildings. Windblown flakes stung Hirata's cheeks and glinted in the light from windows." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The streets were empty, except for patrolling police, because all the visitors, still imprisoned in Yoshiwara by the locked gates, had sought shelter indoors. Hirata approached the gate, where two guards paced, muffled in cloaks and hoods." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They halted and bowed to him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Were you on duty last night?\" Hirata asked them.\n\nOne guard was lean with rough-hewn features, the other solid and swarthy. Both nodded." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Did Lady Wisteria go out the gate?\" Hirata said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The swarthy man laughed in disdain." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Courtesans can't sneak past us. They try, but we always catch them. Sometimes they disguise themselves as servants, but we know everyone here, and they can't fool us.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Women have bribed porters to carry them through in chests or barrels,\" the lean guard said, \"but we search every container before it leaves. They know there's little chance of escaping, but they keep trying.\"\n\nAfter what he'd seen today, Hirata didn't blame the women." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"But since Wisteria's not in Yoshiwara, she must have gotten out somehow.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He and the guards looked beyond the snow-laced rooftops at the wall that enclosed the pleasure quarter. It had a smooth, plastered surface, and alleys separated it from the buildings." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"She would have had to climb on a roof, jump to the top of the wall, and cross the moat on the other side,\" said the lean guard. \"No woman has ever managed that.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"What do you think happened to Wisteria?\" said Hirata.\n\nThe men glanced at each other, then shook their heads." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We didn't let her out,\" the swarthy man said.\n\n\"We'll swear to it on our lives,\" said the other." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Their emphatic declarations didn't hide their fear that they would be punished severely for the disappearance of a suspect in the murder. Hirata sympathized with them, for his own future was threatened." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "If he and Sano failed in their duty to catch the killer, he would be demoted, exiled, or forced to commit ritual suicide; he would never marry Midori. Hirata thought of their upcoming miai, and joy and apprehension entwined inside him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He had fancied himself in love many times during his twenty-five years, but never felt such affection or longing for any woman until Midori." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They had come to believe they'd been lovers in a former life, and their souls destined to reunite. And spiritual affinity engendered physical passion." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Desire for each other made them all the more impatient for marriage. However, marriage wasn't so easily accomplished as falling in love." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hirata hoped the meeting between his family and Midori's would have happy results, and feared that the case would prevent his attending the miai.\n\nBanishing personal worries, he concentrated on the problem at hand." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Maybe Wisteria had turned invisible and spirited herself away; but Hirata favored simpler solutions." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Whether she'd left the pleasure quarter alive or dead, someone must have devised a practical way to smuggle a courtesan out of Yoshiwara.\n\n\"Lady Wisteria was last seen by her yarite sometime after the hour of the boar,\" Hirata said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Who left Yoshiwara between then and the time Lord Mitsuyoshi's murder was discovered?\"\n\nThe guards' postures stiffened." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"No one did,\" said the lean man." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"The gates are locked after curfew at midnight. Everyone who's inside Yoshiwara then has to stay until morning. It's the law.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"But not everyone stayed last night, did they?\" Hirata said, for he knew that enough money could buy a passage out of Yoshiwara after curfew." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Seeing the guards' expressions turn fearful, he said, \"I won't punish you for taking bribes, so just tell me: Who left the quarter last night?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The men exchanged leery glances; then the lean man said reluctantly, \"There was Kinue the oil merchant, with some servants and friends.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hirata knew that the merchant owned a major shop in Nihonbashi. \"Who else?\"\n\n\"A group from the Mori clan, and their bodyguards,\" said the swarthy man." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "This news piqued Hirata's interest: The Mori were powerful gangsters, associated with trouble of all kinds.\n\n\"And Nitta Monzaemon, the treasury minister,\" said the lean guard, \"with his retainers.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hirata frowned, disturbed by the idea that high bakufu officials might be involved in Wisteria's disappearance and Lord Mitsuyoshi's murder." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"How did all these people travel?\"\n\n\"Kinue's party walked to and from the river ferries,\" said the swarthy guard." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"The Mori group rode the causeway.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Because the law granted only samurai the right to travel on horseback, the merchant had gone on foot. The Mori, however, were rnin—masterless samurai—and could therefore ride." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It seemed unlikely to Hirata that Lady Wisteria had accompanied either party." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Women didn't ride, and if Wisteria had done so last night, she would have risked notice by patrolling soldiers. A woman walking with a group of men would have been just as conspicuous." }, { "from": "human", "value": "But a desperate fugitive courtesan might have taken the risk, if she'd found willing accomplices." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Treasury Minister Nitta's retainers also rode,\" said the lean guard. \"But he had a palanquin waiting for him outside the quarter.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Excitement warmed Hirata's cold muscles. The palanquin made Nitta a more promising lead than the others." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Expand the story by adding four sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The twenty other guests who'd attended last night's party at the Owariya were high-ranking bakufu members and their retainers. During a lengthy search of Yoshiwara, Sano and his detectives located six of the men, as well as the courtesans who'd entertained them at the ageya, and learned that they'd stayed together during the time when the murder occurred. Apparently, none of these people had left the party to slip upstairs, and none had reason to kill the shogun's heir. Sano then tracked down five more guests at the Tsutaya teahouse." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The Tsutaya occupied the ground floor of a building near the quarter's rear wall." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A cylindrical lantern over the doorway bore the characters of its name; light gleamed between the slats of the closed shutters across the front." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano dusted snow off himself and entered. Inside the elegant room, an alcove held a porcelain vase of bare branches, and maids served drinks to the five men. Charcoal braziers emitted warmth, but when everyone turned to look at Sano, their unfriendly expressions chilled the atmosphere.\n\nA man seated before the alcove spoke: \"Greetings, Ssakan-sama.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano knelt and bowed. \"Greetings, Honorable Senior Elder Makino.\"\n\nThe senior elder was one of five officials who advised the Tokugawa on national policy and comprised the bakufu's highest echelon. He had an emaciated body, and his bony skull showed through the tight skin of his face; a black kimono accentuated his deathlike pallor." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His retainers, who doubled as secretaries and bodyguards, sat grouped around him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I suppose you've come to question me in connection with Lord Mitsuyoshi's murder,\" Makino said.\n\n\"If you're willing.\" Sano replied cautiously, because Makino was no friend of his. The powerful senior elder had once accused Sano of treason, thereby almost ruining him.\n\n\"I might be willing to provide information to you,\" said Makino, \"under certain conditions. Shall we drink?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He gestured to a maid, who poured sake for him and Sano. They drained their cups, and Sano felt the heated liquor flush warmth through him. \"What conditions?\" he said. Survival in the bakufu required give-and-take, but Sano was wary of the terms Makino might offer." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The other party guests can confirm that I was with them at the time of the murder.\" Makino inhaled on his tobacco pipe, and blew smoke through his brown teeth. \"So can the staff of the Owariya. Hence, I couldn't have killed Mitsuyoshi. You'll find no evidence that I was in any way involved in his death.\"\n\nSuspending judgment, Sano kept his expression neutral." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I'm prepared to furnish evidence that might otherwise take you quite some time to find.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Makino gave an ugly grimace that passed for a smile. \"And time is critical, is it not?\"\n\nIt was indeed. \"In exchange for what?\" Sano said.\n\n\"For keeping me out of your investigation.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The senior elder spoke calmly, but the sinews of his neck tightened like leather cords: He knew Sano could name him as a murder suspect and ruin him because he'd happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time." }, { "from": "human", "value": "For a moment Sano was tempted to take revenge for all the trouble Makino had caused him, but the impulse quickly passed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "To use a murder investigation to further selfish interests would compromise his honor, and he was just as vulnerable to attack as Makino." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Should he begin a campaign to advance himself at the expense of his enemies, the resulting bloodbath would probably destroy him. Besides, he needed all the information he could get.\n\n\"Very well,\" Sano said, \"but if I find out that you are involved in the murder, our agreement is terminated.\"\n\nMakino's hollow eyes contemplated Sano with disdain, but his relief was palpable." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He signaled the maid to pour another round of sake." }, { "from": "human", "value": "After he and Sano drank, Makino said, \"There are three guests from the party whom you won't find in Yoshiwara.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Who would they be?\" Sano asked.\n\n\"The Honorable Treasury Minister, Nitta Monzaemon. And his two top retainers.\"\n\nThe treasury minister was the official charged with overseeing the collection of taxes on commerce, revenue from the landed estates of the daimyo—feudal lords who ruled Japan's provinces—and other monetary tributes paid to the Tokugawa. This was an important post and its incumbent one of the shogun's most trusted, powerful vassals." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Where has Nitta-san gone?\" Sano said, as he found himself facing the perils of an investigation that extended upward to the high levels of the bakufu.\n\n\"I've no idea, but he left the quarter with his men during the party.\" Makino grimaced, clearly perceiving and relishing Sano's discomposure." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Why did he leave?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He was not in a festive mood.\" Inhaling on his pipe, Makino seemed ready to make Sano probe for every fact.\n\n\"Why not?\" Sano asked patiently.\n\n\"Because of Lady Wisteria. He's her patron, and quite enamored of her.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Makino shook his head, scorning anyone unwise enough to fall in love with a prostitute. \"He is her sole client, now that Lord Mitsuyoshi is gone. She's very selective.\"\n\nBy custom, a tayu could pick and choose her clients, and her high price compensated for their small number.\n\n\"Nitta is so jealous that he reserves her services for every night. He pays her fee, whether he visits her or not, just so he knows she isn't with anyone else. But he'd learned that on two recent occasions when business kept him away from Yoshiwara, Lord Mitsuyoshi had obtained appointments with Lady Wisteria. Nitta was furious. Then, when he came to Yoshiwara yesterday, expecting to spend the night with Lady Wisteria, the proprietor of the Owariya told him that Lord Mitsuyoshi had requested her, and asked him to yield.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Yielding was the procedure by which one client preempted another's appointment with a courtesan. When a client had engaged a courtesan, and a second client asked for her company on the same night, the ageya would, under certain circumstances, ask the first client to yield his appointment to the second. The imposition might displease the first client; however, the polite code of behavior required him to concede if the second client was a special customer of the courtesan, or of higher social position than the first.\n\n\"How do you know all this?\" Sano asked Makino." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I make it my business to know all about my colleagues.\" In other words, Makino employed spies in the households of the treasury minister and other officials. \"I also overheard Nitta arguing with the proprietor of the Owariya last night.\"\n\n\"What did he say?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Nitta objected to giving up Wisteria,\" said Makino, \"especially since this was her third appointment with Lord Mitsuyoshi, and she would finally bed him. But Nitta didn't dare offend the shogun's heir apparent by refusing to yield. Instead, he consented, and he joined our party. He sat in a corner, drinking and sulking. When Wisteria arrived and met Lord Mitsuyoshi in the next room, Nitta watched them through a hole in the partition. When they went upstairs, he stormed out of the house. Obviously, he couldn't bear to stay while Wisteria pleasured another man right above his head.\"\n\n\"Did you see the treasury minister after that?\" Sano said.\n\n\"No. I stayed at the party; he never returned.\"\n\nBut Nitta might have sneaked back to the house, gone upstairs, then stabbed the man who'd done him out of a night with his beloved." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"While you were at the party, did you hear any unusual sounds from upstairs?\" Sano asked Makino." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I heard nothing whatsoever. The music was loud, and so were my fellow guests.\"\n\nSano wondered what had become of Wisteria. Was she also dead by the hand of her patron? The idea dismayed Sano, as did the possibility that he might soon find himself for the first time investigating the murder of a former lover." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"That ends my story,\" Makino said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"May I ask when I and my fellow captives might be allowed to leave Yoshiwara?\"\n\n\"As soon as my men have finished taking everyone's names,\" Sano said.\n\nThe senior elder eyed him with veiled expectancy. \"I've handed you a possible culprit in the murder. I trust that is a fair reward for your discretion?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Your evidence doesn't prove Treasury Minister Nitta's guilt,\" Sano said, \"or explain how Lady Wisteria got out of Yoshiwara.\"" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The door of the teahouse opened, and Sano turned to see Hirata, ruddy-faced and windblown, standing on the threshold. \"Excuse me, Ssakan-sama,\" Hirata said, bowing, \"but I've discovered something of possible importance.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Task: Cooperative storytelling\nMy role: Provide a brief opening\nYour role: Expand upon my opening with eight sentences, emulating the writing style of Laura Joh Rowland." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Unbroken snow covered the empty streets of Edo." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Shutters sealed the windows and storefronts of buildings. Stray dogs cowered in alleys, where puddles glazed to ice as the night's cold deepened. On the banks of canals, itinerant beggars slumbered beside smoldering bonfires. Starlight shimmered along the black curve of the Sumida River, and boats moored at wharves stood as if frozen. Night had paralyzed most of the city, but in certain areas of the Nihonbashi merchant district, life flourished most busily after dark.\n\nA ramshackle building situated between a public bathhouse and a noodle stand housed a nameless gambling den. Inside sat peasants and samurai, gangsters with arms and chests covered by tattoos, and even a few priests in saffron robes. They dealt, shuffled, and flung down cards." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Shouts and laughter accompanied the games." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Piles of coins shifted, while slovenly maids served sake. Tobacco smoke from the gamblers' pipes filled the room with an acrid haze that wreathed the ceiling lanterns.\n\nBeyond a curtained doorway, in the dim back room of the gambling den, Lady Wisteria sat on a straw mattress. Her head was wrapped in a blue kerchief, and her lovely eyes gleamed with anxiety in the light that shone through the curtain. She shivered beneath her cloak as she listened to the clink of coins and the men's raucous voices. Whenever arguments and curses erupted, she winced. Her fearful gaze roved the bare rafters, the sake urns that lined the walls, and the barred window.\n\nA day had passed since Wisteria had left Yoshiwara, and she'd traded one prison for another." }, { "from": "human", "value": "This pause between her old life and new seemed almost harder to bear than had the prospect of years in the brothel." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Impatience unfurled in her like a growing thistle plant." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her solitude frightened her, and she puckered her sensuous mouth in an ironic smile. How often had she yearned for solitude! She'd not anticipated how defenseless she would be.\n\nThe silhouette of a man appeared on the curtain. Alarmed, Wisteria shrank into the corner. Then he flung aside the curtain and entered the room, carrying a large bundle tied in a cloth. He was short but powerfully built, his shoulders broad beneath his cloak, and his calves knotted with muscles in his leggings. His neck resembled a stone column, and his face was all hard lines and angles: slanted brows that met over a bladelike nose; chin and jaws hewn; hair in a topknot crowning a slab of a forehead." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"That's a poor welcome,\" he said, striding toward Wisteria with a quick, animal grace. His eyes, dark gashes in his face, looked everywhere at once, watching for threats, calculating his next step. \"Something wrong?\"\n\nWisteria breathed easier, though not quite in relief. \"Lightning,\" she said. \"You startled me, that's all.\"\n\nShe rose to meet him, feeling the attraction that his strange, mercurial beauty inspired in her, and fear of his edgy temper. \"Where have you been?\"\n\n\"Out,\" he said curtly, his brows slanting farther downward. \"I had business to take care of.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He didn't like accounting for himself to anyone, Wisteria knew." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I'm sorry for asking,\" she said. \"It's just that you were gone all day, and I'm afraid to be alone.\" In the outer room, a brawl had started; the sounds of punches, crashes, coins scattering, and loud cheering clamored.\n\nLightning laughed. \"You're safer than you were last night.\"\n\nWisteria wished she could believe him. Though she'd traveled far away from the room where Lord Mitsuyoshi had died, life outside the walls of Yoshiwara promised new hazards. The police would have begun looking for her by now. And while she'd escaped her brothel master, she was now at the mercy of Lightning, nicknamed for the way no one knew what he was going to do until it was too late." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What's the matter?\" He regarded her suspiciously." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You don't like it here?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hurling down the bundle, he advanced on Wisteria. \"Don't like the company either? Miss your fine rooms and fancy friends?\"\n\n\"No, it's fine,\" Wisteria said, stumbling backward from the menace in his voice. \"I'm happy to be here, with you—\"\n\n\"Do you know what would have happened to me if I'd gotten caught smuggling you out of Yoshiwara?\" He seized her wrist, and his painful grasp provoked a yelp from Wisteria. \"I'd have been arrested, beaten, maybe even killed. I risked my life for you, and you ought to be satisfied with whatever I give you, and not complain.\"\n\n\"I am satisfied.\" Wisteria hastened to placate Lightning." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I thank you for all you've done for me.\" Lowering her eyelids, she smiled provocatively and dropped her voice to a husky whisper: \"A man as strong and brave as you can satisfy me in every way.\"\n\nYears of practice had made her adept at coaxing men, and as she grazed her fingertips across Lightning's cheek, lust replaced the anger in his eyes. \"That's better,\" he said.\n\n\"Please let me show my appreciation by satisfying you.\" Wisteria didn't have to pretend eagerness, for Lightning's touch, his strength, and his flashing gaze awakened in her an urgent need for him.\n\nHis sardonic smile acknowledged his power over her. Releasing her wrist, he said, \"Later.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He squatted and opened the bundle." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I've got food here, and I'm hungry. Let's eat.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He'd brought cooked rice, smoked eel and salmon, pickles, grilled prawns, steamed dumplings, and different kinds of sweet cakes. Wisteria had spent much of the day sleeping, and the rest too nervous to eat; but now the sight and smell of the food made her ravenous. She and Lightning sat on the floor, gobbling with their fingers, gulping sake between bites. This seemed the best meal she'd ever eaten, with no need to mind her manners as a tayu should, and no brothel master tallying the cost of what she ate and adding it to her debt. Giddy with pleasure, she laughed. She fed morsels to Lightning. He grinned and sucked her fingers.\n\nWhen they finished, he took the remaining, largest package from the bundle and tossed it in her lap. \"Here's a present.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Wisteria opened the package and found a kimono of crimson satin, lavishly brocaded with waves and swimming carp in rainbow-hued metallic thread." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"How beautiful!\" she exclaimed in delight." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Sure it is.\" Lightning smiled proudly, but his tone distrusted her reaction. \"It's as nice as anything those other men have given you—isn't it?\" He was jealous of her high-class lovers, who often brought her expensive gifts.\n\n\"Yes, yes,\" Wisteria assured him. Stroking the kimono, she didn't ask where he'd gotten it; knowing how he earned his living, she could guess. Yet she didn't care, because the kimono was hers now, a promise of a brilliant future.\n\n\"You can show me your appreciation now,\" Lightning said.\n\nLust gleamed in his eyes as he swept aside the remains of their meal." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He tore off her garments. The cold raised bumps on her skin, but Lightning opened his own clothes and pulled her against his warm flesh. Wisteria moaned, overwhelmed by desire for him. Lightning was her own age of twenty-four, instead of decades older, as were most men who could afford the services of a tayu. Caressing him, Wisteria reveled in the feel of him, so firm and strong instead of pudgy or emaciated like her typical client. His hands on her breasts, her buttocks, and between her legs caused her pleasure instead of disgust. When Lightning climbed atop her, his manhood was erect. No over-refined, impotent gentleman was he!" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I want you inside me.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Gasping, Wisteria wrapped her legs around his waist. \"Take me now!\"\n\nLightning reared up from her in sudden anger. \"Impatient, are you?\" He slapped away her hands and wrenched free of her. \"I'm the one who says when and how, not you!\"\n\nIn her passion, Wisteria had forgotten that he never liked being told what to do. \"I'm sorry,\" she said hastily, for last night had proven his contrary nature and shown her the peril of trying to impose her will upon him. \"Please forgive me.\"\n\nHis face blazed with bestial rage and desire; he was panting and perspiring, literally steaming in the chill air. He roughly turned Wisteria over on her stomach." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His hands jerked her hips upward and pushed her face to the floor." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Frightened, though aroused by his brutality, Wisteria cried out in protest." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Don't you dare resist me,\" Lightning shouted as cheers and laughter exploded in the gambling den. \"You're mine, and I'll treat you as I wish.\"\n\nMounting her, he yanked her buttocks against his loins; his manhood entered her with a friction that drew moans from them both. \"Did Lord Mitsuyoshi take you this way?\" he gasped out. He began thrusting deep and fast into Wisteria. \"Did you enjoy it with him?\"\n\nThe floor's rough planks scraped Wisteria's knees and forearms. Her pride rebelled against this mistreatment, and she hated that the gamblers would hear her degradation." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her inner flesh swelled with excitement born of pain and pleasure." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lightning abruptly withdrew from her body. Unable to bear the cessation, Wisteria gave the answer he wanted: \"No. No!\" She knew he'd hated Mitsuyoshi more than any of her other clients. She wriggled backward, trying to regain him.\n\n\"Did you want Lord Mitsuyoshi?\" Breathless, Lightning shuddered with his own passion, but he held her away from him while she struggled. \"Did you love him?\"\n\n\"I didn't want him. I didn't love him,\" Wisteria said, sobbing in her desperation to have Lightning. \"Please—\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He reentered her, and as she keened in joy, he said, \"Tell me you love me.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I love you!\" At this moment, with him moving inside her, and the world reduced to the two of them, Wisteria did love Lightning passionately, truly, devotedly.\n\n\"Tell me I'm the only man you'll ever love.\"\n\n\"You're the only one,\" Wisteria cried. Eyes shut, she concentrated on their climb to pleasure. She lost awareness of the rough floor, the cold, and the other people nearby.\n\nThrusting harder and quicker, Lightning growled like a wild beast. \"If anyone else dares look at you, I'll kill him. And if you ever shun me or betray me—if you ever cross me in any way—I'll kill you, too!\"\n\nHis threats terrified Wisteria, for she knew he spoke the truth." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Terror increased arousal, and her climax struck her in waves of ecstasy. She screamed. Lightning's growls culminated in a triumphant roar, and she felt him release inside her. They collapsed together in heaving exhaustion, and Wisteria's spirits slid into a black pit of distress.\n\nShe realized that her liberator had become her captor, and one more prone to cruelty than any brothel master. Wisteria had extricated herself from financial debt, but she now owed Lightning, whom she must repay in flesh and blood. She'd hoped to harness his strength and daring to further her own aims, yet he was untamable. Last night marked the point at which her control over her destiny had shattered.\n\nNo one would know whether she was an innocent witness to murder, or an accomplice in crime." }, { "from": "human", "value": "If only Lord Mitsuyoshi hadn't died!" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 6 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Had things worked out differently, she might now be free to enjoy the fruition of her secret plans.\n\nHowever, there seemed no use dwelling upon the past. Wisteria recognized that she'd bound herself to Lightning, for good or bad, and she was dependent on him for survival.\n\nShe hoped she could survive his jealous rages, his volatile, unpredictable behavior.\n\nAnd he was still crucial to her plans, which had hinged on him from the beginning.\n\nClosing her eyes, imprisoned in Lightning's possessive embrace, Wisteria prayed they would escape Edo alive." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Today you will be acting as a writing assistant, your partner will send something and you will write the next two sentences." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As Hirata and his family settled into the compartment, Midori sat rigid with panic, her heart hammering, not daring to look at anyone. Please, she prayed inwardly; please make our families consent to our marriage!" }, { "from": "human", "value": "If they didn't, she was doomed, because love wasn't the only reason she must wed Hirata." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "During their courtship, they'd enjoyed more time together, and more freedom, than was usual for unmarried young gentlemen and ladies. Their connection with Reiko and Sano placed them in constant proximity, and they'd taken advantage of their situation." }, { "from": "human", "value": "While Reiko thought Midori was busy waiting on Lady Keisho-in, and Keisho-in thought Midori was with Reiko, Midori was actually meeting Hirata in deserted gardens or empty storehouses." }, { "from": "human", "value": "There, chaste embraces had led to things less than chaste." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A flush of pleasure and guilt enflamed her as she recalled lying naked with Hirata beneath pine trees at dusk. How much she'd wanted to satisfy him, and to experience the rapture of having him!" }, { "from": "human", "value": "And how much she now wished they'd exercised self-control, for soon afterward had come the cessation of her monthly blood, a continual nausea, a fullness in her abdomen." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Midori had threaded a needle with red thread and stuck it in the wall of the privy, hoping that this ancient folk remedy would cause the blood to come, but to no avail. She was pregnant.\n\nNow she listened to her companions exchanging courteous pleasantries." }, { "from": "human", "value": "None of them knew her problem, not even Hirata." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She hadn't told anyone." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She couldn't admit her shame, or admit that if she and Hirata didn't marry, she would bear an illegitimate child, disgrace her honor, and ruin herself.\n\n\"Your family has a proud tradition, does it not?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lord Niu said to Hirata's father." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I understand that your people have served the shoguns since the Kamakura regime four hundred years ago.\"\n\n\"Yes, that's correct.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hirata's father looked stern and intimidating to Midori, but also gratified that the daimyo recognized his heritage." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She relaxed as she began to think that her father would continue to behave properly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"And you've made a name for yourself in the police force.\" Lord Niu smiled his peculiar half smile." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"It's men like you who've kept society under control and made Edo the great capital it is.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"That's high praise, coming from the ruler of an entire province,\" Hirata's father said, obviously warming toward the daimyo. \"Your kindness is more than I deserve.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lord Niu gave a self-deprecating chuckle." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Oh, I'm just the humble overseer of a country estate that the Tokugawa deemed fit to give me.\" He turned to Hirata." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"So you're chief retainer to the shogun's ssakan-sama.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Yes, my lord.\" Hirata sat stiffly, his expression serious. Midori felt a rush of tenderness toward him for trying so hard to appear a suitable husband for her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"That the ssakan-sama trusts you with so much responsibility at your youthful age speaks highly of your character,\" said Lord Niu." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His left eye studied Hirata; his right wandered. \"And I hear you're looking into Lord Mitsuyoshi's murder. What have you discovered so far?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Blushing, Hirata gave an account of the investigation, mentioning the suspects and the missing courtesan and pillow book." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Cunning and initiative,\" Lord Niu said jovially. \"That's exactly what I expected to find in you.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hirata's parents beamed with pride." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Captain Segoshi smiled. Midori and Hirata exchanged quick, elated glances." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I understand that your daughter is a favorite lady-in-waiting of His Excellency's mother,\" Hirata's father said to Lord Niu, then addressed Midori: \"Can you play music?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Midori tensed, realizing that he wanted to know whether she possessed the accomplishments required of a lady, and that this was a test she must pass. \"Yes,\" she said, hesitantly, \"I've played the samisen since I was a child.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Have you learned calligraphy and flower arranging and tea ceremony?\"\n\n\"To the best of my humble ability.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Midori chewed her fingernail; seeing her grandmother frown, she dropped her hand and tried to look the modest, feminine, perfect daughter-in-law.\n\nHirata's father nodded, and she could tell she'd favorably impressed him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Giddy delight filled her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Then Lord Niu said, \"Yes, my daughter is a prize. And you would steal her from me the way the Tokugawa stole my family's ancestral lands after the Battle of Sekigahara.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He spoke with a sudden rancor that completely dispelled the harmonious atmosphere. Midori saw puzzlement on the faces of Hirata and his party, and consternation on those of her grandmother and Okita." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her heart sank, for this was exactly what she'd feared would happen." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lord Niu, a shrewd, competent leader of his subjects, had one eccentricity—his unreasonable obsession with injustices done to his clan. Now Midori realized that his compliments to Hirata's family had been veiled expressions of hostility toward them, and he'd meant from the beginning to oppose the marriage." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You should be satisfied that your ancestors helped the Tokugawa trample my clan in the dust,\" Lord Niu said bitterly to Hirata and his father." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You should be satisfied that the bakufu extorts millions of koban in taxes from me every year. But no—you greedy louts want my flesh and blood!\"\n\nFor as long as Midori could recall, her family had carefully avoided mentioning the Tokugawa or the Battle of Sekigahara to Lord Niu, for fear of rousing his violent temper." }, { "from": "human", "value": "But they couldn't prevent him from thinking of those topics at inopportune times and angering himself." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "And although his relatives limited the time Lord Niu spent in public, lest his behavior shame them or create problems, they couldn't always restrain him. Once, after the Tokugawa revenue agents had collected a large tribute from him, Lord Niu had mounted his horse and ridden through a village, shrieking and cutting down innocent peasants." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The clan had so far managed to hush up his bad spells, and neither the bakufu nor the general public knew of them—yet." }, { "from": "human", "value": "What a disaster that his obsession should interrupt the miai!" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Master,\" Okita said cautiously to Lord Niu, \"perhaps this isn't a good time to dwell on the past.\"\n\nIgnoring his retainer, Lord Niu again addressed Hirata and his companions: \"It's clear to me that you are plotting with the Tokugawa clan to take over my province, steal my money, and destroy my whole clan.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hirata and his father gaped in shock." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Midori huddled in fear, and her grandmother sadly shook her head. Hirata's father blurted, \"With all due respect, Honorable Lord Niu, that's absurd. We came in peace, to consider the possibility of joining our families together through a marriage between your daughter and my son.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Midori longed to explain the daimyo's behavior and beg the forgiveness of Hirata and his family, but she was too afraid to do anything but watch helplessly as Lord Niu stood.\n\n\"I'll never allow a daughter of mine to marry the spawn of a scoundrel like you!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "he shouted at Hirata's father." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "People in other compartments fell silent and stared at Lord Niu. His skewed face twitched; his eyes glittered with hatred." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You're a dirty thief, and a treacherous sneak, and a foul murderer!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hirata's mother and Captain Segoshi looked aghast." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hirata's father surged to his feet. \"How dare you insult me?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "he demanded. Anger reddened his complexion." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I'm a man of honor, and I'll not tolerate this disgraceful treatment from an outside lord. Take back what you said, or I'll—\"\n\nSneering in contempt, Lord Niu smacked Hirata's father on the cheek." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Then the two men were wildly hitting and kicking each other." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Midori and the other women cringed away from the combatants. Hirata cried, \"Father, stop!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "while Okita begged, \"Master, please control yourself.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The musician onstage halted his performance as the audience stood up to watch the commotion. Lord Niu jumped up on a divider and drew his sword." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hirata's father also drew his weapon, but his bad leg hindered his climb onto the divider." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Men in the audience stamped on the floor, shouting, \"Fight! Fight!\"\n\nHirata grabbed his father, and, with Segoshi's help, pulled him back inside the compartment and restrained him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Okita wrestled Lord Niu, grappling for the sword. The audience booed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lord Niu yelled, \"I'll get you yet, you despicable villain!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Okita, panting from his effort to hold the daimyo, addressed Hirata: \"You'd better go.\"\n\nAs Hirata hurried his family out of the theater, he looked briefly back at Midori." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "user starts, u write ~one sentence more. copy Laura Joh Rowland's style" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano, accompanied by Detectives Fukida and Marume and some troops, again rode to the pleasure quarter, this time in pursuit of the entertainer whom Treasury Minister Nitta had implicated in the murder." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Arriving in late afternoon, Sano found that Yoshiwara had undergone a striking change since his last visit." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Gone was the dismal atmosphere." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The rooftops gleamed bronze in the light of the descending sun, while in through the gates swarmed hundreds of men eager for sensual delight." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Some wore basket-shaped rush hats that concealed their faces." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano recognized these as samurai, whom the law prohibited from visiting Yoshiwara." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Though many samurai disregarded the law, and virtually no one cared, the most upstanding or cautious came in disguise." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Along Nakanoch, the lanterns on the eaves burned brightly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Courtesans sat in the window cages of the brothels." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Visitors ogled the courtesans, jammed the teahouses, and thronged shops that sold souvenirs and guidebooks to the quarter." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As Sano entered Yoshiwara with his men, he imagined all the money that would change hands in the morning, when the customers paid the exorbitant fees that the brothels charged for food, drink, service, and women." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"We'll stop in a teahouse and ask where we can find Fujio,\" Sano said to his detectives." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He's sure to be performing somewhere.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano wasn't personally acquainted with Fujio, but he'd watched the hokan play at parties and knew his reputation as an acclaimed entertainer." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Just then, two boys marched up the avenue, beating drums." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Hear the magnificent Fujio play at the Atami Pleasure House tonight,\" they called." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Spared the trouble of hunting the suspect, Sano and his men walked to the Atami, located on Edoch, a side street bordered by rows of brothels." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The recessed entranceway of the Atami held a low table." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "On it sat three folded futon, a quilt, and a coverlet, all made of rich colored silk." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Tsumi-yagu no koto,\" Sano said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "This was the practice by which a courtesan showed off her patron's wealth and devotion." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The patron would supply a small fortune for the courtesan to buy elegant bedding." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She would place it outside her brothel for all to admire." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Even if the women would prefer to use their patrons' money to pay their debts and shorten their term of service, Yoshiwara custom required them to display a carefree, impractical attitude." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A courtesan who didn't spend lavishly would appear stingy, become unpopular, and never free herself." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano glanced at the paper label attached to the quilt, which bore a date three days before the murder, and an inscription. \" 'This bedding was presented to Lady Takane by the Honorable Nitta Monzaemon,' \" Sano read." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Then the treasury minister is patron to at least one other courtesan besides Lady Wisteria,\" said Detective Marume." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He fingered the coverlet. \"Pretty expensive goods.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Maybe he's not really in love with Wisteria,\" Sano said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"A client devoted to a particular woman will usually confine his spending to her.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Maybe he dallies with other women to cover his feelings for Wisteria,\" Fukida suggested." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Or maybe Senior Elder Makino lied,\" said Marume." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "This was a real possibility, given Makino's nature." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"If he did, and Nitta told me the truth,\" Sano said, \"then Nitta had no apparent reason to abduct Wisteria or kill Lord Mitsuyoshi.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "And Nitta had seemed like a promising suspect this morning." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Marume-san, check into Nitta's relations with the courtesans and find out whether he does spread his attention around. The Introducing Teahouses would be a good place to start.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "These establishments matched clients with courtesans, arranged appointments, and negotiated fees." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Fukida-san, look for witnesses who saw Nitta on the night of the murder,\" Sano said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We want to know everything he did. I'll handle Fujio myself.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He hoped that if his case against Nitta dissolved, the hokan would prove to be the culprit." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The detectives bowed and departed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Leaving his troops outside, Sano went into the pleasure house." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A guard stationed in the entryway greeted him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Welcome, master,\" the guard said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Have you an appointment with one of our ladies?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano introduced himself, then said, \"I'm looking for Fujio.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He's about to perform in the banquet room.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano walked down the corridor toward the sound of voices and laughter." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In the banquet room a party of samurai and courtesans lounged and chatted." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kamuro served roasted sardines, salted ferns, quail eggs, steamed clams, and sake to the men." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As Sano paused in the doorway, a man strode through a curtained entrance at the far end of the room." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He carried a samisen in one hand and a large folding fan in the other." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He snapped the fan shut with a loud, ritualistic flourish, and all heads turned toward him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Thank you, everyone, for your favor,\" Fujio said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The party cheered. As Fujio knelt, positioned his samisen, and played a cascade of notes, Sano studied the hokan." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Fujio was perhaps thirty-five years old, tall and slender, and handsome in a raffish way." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He had bold, sparkling eyes, a mischievous set to his features, and sleek hair knotted at his nape." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He wore the traditional hokan's black coat printed with crests, over a beige kimono." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"With your kind permission, I shall perform my new song, 'The Mysterious Flood,' \" he announced." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The audience eagerly settled down to listen." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Fujio played a gay tune and sang in a smooth, vibrant voice:" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"A big spender from saka," }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Weary of the pleasures of his hometown," }, { "from": "human", "value": "Came to Yoshiwara with his entourage" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "To pluck some fresh blossoms." }, { "from": "human", "value": "All eager for conquest," }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The men courted the best tayu," }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sake flowed, and they made flattering talk, but alas!" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The proud beauties scorned them." }, { "from": "human", "value": "But the men would not accept disappointment," }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "For thirty nights they engaged the same courtesans," }, { "from": "human", "value": "Attempting to win favor," }, { "from": "human", "value": "For thirty nights they failed, their desire thwarted." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "At last they decided to return to saka," }, { "from": "human", "value": "But so aroused were they," }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "That they paused by the Dike of Japan," }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "And each caressed his own manhood, spurting a mighty fountain of seed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The torrent overflowed the dike," }, { "from": "human", "value": "The peasants in neighboring villages beat the flood-warning drums," }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "For many years they wondered,\n\nWhat caused a flood on that rainless night?\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Task: Story collab\nMe: Opening\nYou: 6 sentences more, Laura Joh Rowland-style" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Inside the courtyard of Sano's estate, bearers set down a palanquin, and Reiko alighted in the chilly dusk." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Midori burst out the door of the mansion and ran toward Reiko, sobbing." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"What's wrong?\" Reiko said, embracing her friend.\n\n\"Oh, Reiko-san, it was awful!\" Midori poured out the tale of her miai, and Reiko exclaimed in dismay at how Lord Niu had insulted Hirata's father and the two men had fought. \"They're enemies now,\" Midori mourned. \"They'll never allow my marriage to Hirata-san.\"\n\nAlthough Reiko feared this was true, she said, \"Don't give up hope yet. I'll ask my husband to speak to your families and help make peace between them.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Oh, thank you!\" Smiling, Midori wiped her nose on her sleeve and hugged Reiko." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Then more tears flowed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I spent the afternoon at my father's estate. He kept raving about how Hirata-san's family is trying to destroy him and he must fight back. Then he locked himself in his chamber. I didn't have a chance to beg him to make amends to Hirata's father or reconsider the match.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A sob choked Midori. \"And I haven't seen Hirata-san since he left the theater. No one here knows where he is. Why doesn't he come to me? I'm afraid he doesn't love me anymore.\"\n\n\"Of course he does,\" Reiko said soothingly. \"Hirata-san is faithful. He'll understand that your father's behavior wasn't your fault. He's probably just busy working. Now cheer up—you don't want him to come in and see you like this.\"\n\nMidori bit her quivering lips and breathed deeply in a visible attempt to pull herself together. \"Please forgive me for imposing my troubles on you, when you've just gotten home. Were you out investigating the murder of Lord Mitsuyoshi?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Nodding, Reiko felt the despair in her own heart." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"And you've discovered lots of clues?\" Midori said with flattering confidence in Reiko's ability.\n\n\"I wish it were so.\" Reiko sighed. \"I've spent the whole day visiting my cousins and aunts and friends, talking to servants and shopkeepers. Everyone is so afraid to speak ill of the shogun's dead heir that no one will talk about Lord Mitsuyoshi. And as for Lady Wisteria, everyone was full of gossip about the clothes she wears and the lavish parties she gives. Everyone has a theory of how she got out of Yoshiwara—she turned into a bird and flew away, she drank a magic potion that made her small and she sneaked under the gate. But no one has any real idea where she went.\"\n\n\"Oh, Reiko-san, that's too bad,\" Midori said.\n\nReiko dreaded admitting her failure to Sano." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cold, tired, and hungry, she couldn't bear to think about what that failure meant. \"Let's go inside where it's warm,\" she said. \"Have you eaten yet? We can have a meal together while you wait for Hirata-san.\"\n\nMidori looked tempted, then shook her head regretfully. \"I'd better go. Lady Keisho-in will be looking for me.\"\n\nThey parted, and Reiko entered the house." }, { "from": "human", "value": "There, Masahiro toddled down the corridor, calling, \"Mama, Mama! Come see what I made.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He grabbed her hand and tugged." }, { "from": "human", "value": "One of his nursemaids, a girl named O-hana, trailed after him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The young master has been working hard today,\" O-hana said. She was nineteen and pretty, with a glint of cleverness in her eyes and a pert smile shaped like an inverted triangle. Though she wore the customary indigo kimono of a servant, she always added a personal, stylish touch. Today it was a paper butterfly perched on her upswept hair.\n\n\"Let's go see what you've done, Masahiro-chan,\" said Reiko.\n\nThe three went to the nursery." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "On the floor stood colored building blocks arranged in the rudimentary shape of a house.\n\n\"That's wonderful!\" Reiko exclaimed, as her pleasure in her son eased the disappointment of the day.\n\n\"Now the young master is the little lord of his own castle,\" O-hana said fondly.\n\nMasahiro laughed and jumped up and down. Reiko wished she had as much accomplishment to boast. She was so afraid she would let Sano down and prove herself unworthy of his trust." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Excuse me, mistress,\" said the housekeeper, entering the nursery, \"but you have visitors.\"\n\n\"Who are they?\" Reiko said, surprised because she wasn't expecting anyone.\n\n\"Lady Yanagisawa and her daughter, Kikuko.\"\n\n\"Merciful gods.\"\n\nReiko hadn't thought the chamberlain's wife would call on her this soon. Now she jumped up in a flurry of agitation, for she'd never received such an important guest." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She smoothed her hair and clothes as she hurried to the parlor, where she found Lady Yanagisawa and Kikuko kneeling side by side.\n\n\"Good evening.\" Reiko knelt opposite them and bowed.\n\nLady Yanagisawa echoed the greeting. She wore drab, brownish mauve, and her plain face was as dour as before. \"My apologies for arriving without notice,\" she murmured. \"I hope I am not inconveniencing you?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"No, not at all,\" Reiko said nervously. \"I'm glad you came. Hello, Kikuko-chan. My, how pretty you look.\"\n\nThe little girl giggled and hid her face behind the sleeve of her aquamarine kimono.\n\n\"Say, 'You are too kind, Honorable Lady—I am not worthy of your praise,' \" Lady Yanagisawa gently instructed her daughter.\n\nKikuko obeyed, stumbling over the words. When Reiko provided refreshments, the girl slurped the tea and spilled some on her kimono." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She gobbled the cakes and got sugary crumbs all over her face and the floor. Lady Yanagisawa wiped Kikuko's face with a napkin, picked up crumbs, and gave Reiko a look of embarrassed apology.\n\n\"This winter is particularly harsh,\" Reiko said, seeking to initiate a conversation and put her guest at ease.\n\n\"... Yes.\"\n\nLady Yanagisawa cupped her tea bowl in her hands; her gaze flitted around the room, taking in the wall mural, the alcove where a scroll of calligraphy hung above a celadon vase of dried flowers, and the shelves that held figurines. Reiko wondered if she didn't realize she was supposed to say something to keep the talk going, she couldn't think what to say, or she expected other people to carry the burden of conversation." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Having to stay indoors in cold weather makes me restless,\" said Reiko. \"How do you pass the time?\"\n\n\"I read poetry. I sew clothes for Kikuko. I try to teach her a little reading and writing. We play together.\" Long pauses separated Lady Yanagisawa's sentences. \"Sometimes we go out to a temple.\"\n\n\"How nice.\" Reiko thought Lady Yanagisawa's life sounded circumscribed, dull, and lonely." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Perhaps she didn't want to expose Kikuko to people who might mock her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lady Yanagisawa glanced at Reiko, then away, then back again, repeatedly, scrutinizing her hair, figure, clothes, and face." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Although Reiko could detect no malice in Lady Yanagisawa's narrow eyes, she grew uneasy.\n\n\"Does your husband share your interest in poetry?\" Reiko said.\n\n\"My husband is very busy.\"\n\nThis reply told Reiko that the chamberlain, like many a man, paid his wife little attention, but Lady Yanagisawa gave no hint of whether she minded. Reiko began to feel as though the other woman's gaze were taking small bites out of her, and at a loss for how to entertain Lady Yanagisawa. Then Reiko noticed Kikuko fidgeting restlessly with her hair ornaments." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Maybe Kikuko-chan would like to play with my son,\" Reiko said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Shall we take her to the nursery?\"\n\n\"That would be fine.\" Lady Yanagisawa spoke in a tone of indifference, but rose and held out her hand. \"Come, Kikuko-chan.\"\n\nThe way to the nursery took them past Sano's office, Reiko's study, and the bedchamber. Lady Yanagisawa paused at each doorway to peer inside, her face expressionless, her gaze unblinking. Kikuko imitated her mother's pose, and Reiko's uneasiness burgeoned." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Their behavior seemed intrusive, but Reiko dared not object. With considerable relief she ushered Lady Yanagisawa and Kikuko into the nursery. There, Masahiro had dismantled his block house and begun building another while O-hana watched.\n\n\"Masahiro-chan,\" Reiko said, \"look who's here.\"\n\nHe saw Kikuko and gave a happy chortle. The girl smiled. Letting go of her mother's hand, she hurried over to kneel beside Masahiro and his blocks." }, { "from": "human", "value": "O-hana bowed to Lady Yanagisawa, who studied the maid for a moment, then ignored her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Me do,\" Kikuko said, piling blocks in an untidy heap." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"No,\" Masahiro said. \"Here. Like this.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He showed her how to build a wall, and they began working together." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kikuko, docile and clumsy, chewed on a block." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lady Yanagisawa impassively observed the game without a change of expression, but Reiko feared that the glaring contrast between their children would upset her guest.\n\n\"Masahiro-chan, how about showing Kikuko-chan some of your other toys,\" Reiko said.\n\nThe little boy went to a cabinet and took out wooden animals and soldiers. Kikuko examined each with lively curiosity. Lady Yanagisawa knelt, apparently content to watch the children, and Reiko relaxed, spared the onus of making conversation and glad not to be the focus of her guest's attention. Soon the children began tumbling and wrestling." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Now Kikuko's greater age and strength showed to advantage. She picked up Masahiro and spun around with him until he whooped in joyous excitement, while a slight smile leavened Lady Yanagisawa's stern aspect.\n\nA pleasant hour passed in this manner. Then Lady Yanagisawa said, \"I am afraid we've outstayed our welcome. Kikuko-chan, it's time to go home.\"\n\nThe little girl obediently rose from the floor, where she and Masahiro were turning somersaults. \"Good-bye,\" she said to Masahiro." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Reiko escorted her guests to the entryway." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lady Yanagisawa donned her sandals and cloak and helped Kikuko put on hers. \"Many thanks for your hospitality,\" Lady Yanagisawa said, bowing.\n\n\"Your presence did me an honor.\" Reiko also bowed, thinking that Lady Yanagisawa seemed as aloof and unfathomable as when they'd first met.\n\n\"Perhaps you will bring your son to see Kikuko-chan and me someday,\" Lady Yanagisawa said.\n\n\"Yes. I will.\" Though Reiko still had doubts about the prudence of associating with the chamberlain's wife, courtesy required her agreement." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The days are often long and melancholy when one is alone, and your company is most cheering... I must thank you for your friendship.\"\n\nThe pauses in Lady Yanagisawa's speech lengthened the farewell ritual. Reiko, suddenly overwhelmed by fatigue, wished to be alone, but waited politely.\n\nThen Lady Yanagisawa said, \"This business of Lord Mitsuyoshi's death... Please excuse my candor when I say that I know you collaborate with your husband on his inquiries into such matters, and I know the peril that now threatens you both.\" Face averted from Reiko, she hushed her voice. \"I shall do whatever I can to assist you in your endeavors.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Your generosity is much appreciated.\"" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 3 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Reiko hid her surprise: Nothing had prepared her to expect that the chamberlain's wife would offer help in the investigation. \"A thousand thanks.\"\n\nAs Reiko stood in the doorway and watched her guests climb into their palanquin, she wondered if a woman like Lady Yanagisawa, isolated in her home, with few friends and no talent for talking to people, could possibly provide any worthwhile information. Reiko sighed and returned to the nursery, where she sat watching Masahiro play and waited for Sano to come home." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Continue with the same vibes as Laura Joh Rowland" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "im ur writing buddy. i set scene, u do eight sentences like Laura Joh Rowland" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Chamberlain Yanagisawa's estate was isolated in a separate compound in Edo Castle, high on the hill and near the palace. Around this fortress within a fortress, spikes protruded from the top of the stone wall to discourage trespassers, and the cold, clear night vibrated with the alertness of many guards at the gates, perched on the roofs of the buildings, and hidden in the grounds. The mansion they protected was a maze of interconnected wings, with soldiers' barracks surrounding principal retainers' quarters. At the center lay the private domain of the chamberlain.\n\nHere, Police Commissioner Hoshina stood at the threshold of the bedchamber. The doorway framed a view of Yanagisawa, who reclined on cushions inside, his elegant profile outlined by the lantern-light. With his silk kimono, trousers, and surcoat arranged in still, lustrous folds, he looked as perfectly composed as a painting. Deep in thought, he didn't appear aware that Hoshina had come." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Yet Hoshina knew Yanagisawa had heard the alarm given by the nightingale walk—the specially constructed floor that emitted loud chirps under approaching footsteps." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Yanagisawa knew whose arrival the alarm signaled, because Hoshina was the only person welcome in his bedchamber.\n\nBut their relations had been strained since the murder of Lord Mitsuyoshi, and Hoshina hesitated, wondering whether to interrupt Yanagisawa's reverie.\n\nThen Yanagisawa lifted a silver tobacco pipe to his lips. He exhaled smoke, and turned toward Hoshina. As their gazes met, Hoshina felt his heartbeat quicken and his senses come alive, as they always did when he was with Yanagisawa, even after two years together. But Yanagisawa wore an air of abstracted calm; he merely gestured for Hoshina to join him.\n\n\"I looked for you earlier,\" Hoshina said, entering the room and kneeling near Yanagisawa.\n\n\"I had business to attend to,\" Yanagisawa said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "That he didn't say where he'd been irked Hoshina." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Although Hoshina accepted that he was accountable to Yanagisawa while the chamberlain owed him no explanations, Hoshina often found his subordinate status difficult to bear. His passionate love for Yanagisawa only worsened the damage to his pride and the hurt caused him by Yanagisawa's cool greeting.\n\nNonetheless eager to please his master, Hoshina said, \"I spent the day investigating the murder, and I've turned up some interesting facts. Treasury Minister Nitta has implicated a hokan named Fujio. Unfortunately, Sano got to Fujio before I did. But what Sano doesn't know is that one of my spies—a maid at the Owariya—saw Fujio on the stairway just before the murder was discovered. She saved the information for me.\"\n\nThe chamberlain nodded as if he'd not really listened, his expression inscrutable. During their affair, Yanagisawa had been generous about sharing his money, his authority, and his bed with Hoshina; yet sometimes he became aloof and taciturn. Hoshina never knew when these moods would occur, or what caused them. He suspected that his lover adopted the moods to keep him at a distance, because a man so powerful yet so insecure as Yanagisawa didn't like anyone to get too close.\n\n\"Nor does Sano have the facts that my other spies have uncovered about Treasury Minister Nitta and Lady Wisteria's chaperone.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hoshina heard himself speaking louder to bridge the distance between him and Yanagisawa." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"When Nitta left Yoshiwara the night of the murder, he didn't go straight home. He rode a short distance with his entourage, then returned alone to the quarter and bribed the guards to let him back in. The guards didn't tell Hirata when he interviewed them, because he only asked whether they'd let Nitta out, and they're in my pay. Nitta could have sneaked back inside the Owariya and stabbed Lord Mitsuyoshi.\"\n\nInstead of replying, Yanagisawa gazed into space, smoking his pipe. Hoshina wondered whether the mood indicated boredom with their affair. Was he about to become one of Yanagisawa's many cast-off paramours? Hoshina experienced a pang of dismay, because his career, as well as his happiness, depended on Yanagisawa.\n\n\"And Mitsuyoshi had been carrying on a flirtation with the yarite.\" Hoshina, aware that he'd begun nervously clenching and unclenching his muscles, stilled himself. \"It seems that he promised to take Momoko as his concubine. He liked to toy with people, but the old fool took him seriously, and when she found out he'd been joking, she was furious. So she did know him, and she had good reason to want him dead, which contradicts what she said earlier.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"So you have incriminating evidence against all three suspects,\" Yanagisawa said. \"That makes one as likely a culprit as any other. Therefore, you're no closer to solving the case than you were yesterday.\"\n\nPraise from his lover always exhilarated Hoshina; criticism like this was torture. As he gazed at Yanagisawa, resentment tinged his desire, because their sexual bond gave Yanagisawa all the more power over him.\n\n\"Sooner or later, my evidence will accumulate and point to the killer,\" Hoshina defended himself. \"Don't you care?\"\n\n\"I care as much as the case deserves,\" Yanagisawa said.\n\n\"What's that supposed to mean?\" Hoshina demanded, stung by his lover's indifference." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "That they'd often exchanged private confidences seemed forgotten now; Yanagisawa was deliberately shutting Hoshina out. Hoshina rose, unable to sit still any longer. \"Are you saying that the murder of the shogun's heir doesn't matter to you? That you don't care whether the killer is caught? After I've been chasing clues and witnesses for the past two days?\"\n\nHe saw a warning gleam in Yanagisawa's eyes, but plunged recklessly ahead: \"Or don't you care whether it's Sano or I who solves the case?\"\n\nYanagisawa tilted his head, regarding Hoshina with detachment. \"Why are you so angry at me?\"\n\n\"I'm not angry.\" Turning away, Hoshina took a deep breath, swallowing his emotions. \"Just confused. I expected you to take my side in the meeting with Sano and the shogun. But you left me flapping in the wind like a flag on the back of a soldier who rides into battle thinking he's leading a charge, while his army sits on the sidelines. Why didn't you join my attack on Sano?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Whining like a petulant woman was no way to retain Yanagisawa's interest or respect; but Hoshina couldn't help himself." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He heard the rustle of silk as Yanagisawa came to stand behind him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Their closeness increased his agitation.\n\n\"I'm sorry if you feel hurt because you think I deserted you,\" Yanagisawa said, \"but remember that I'm the one who leads the charges. If you dash off on your own, don't expect me to follow. That was the wrong time to expose your rivalry with Sano. My silence should have made that obvious to you. If you're disappointed by the results of your actions, that's what you deserve.\"\n\nThe rebuke struck fear into Hoshina, for he had much more to lose than Yanagisawa's affection. The chamberlain had ruined men unwise enough to cross him, and those banished, executed, or assassinated included former partners. Though their affair had begun with mutual expectations of true, eternal love, and Yanagisawa had at first seemed happier and more tolerant than before, Hoshina knew old habits died hard.\n\n\"I don't understand your objections,\" Hoshina said, facing Yanagisawa. \"I came to Edo to advance my career in the bakufu and prove myself capable of managing the police force.\" While he enjoyed his privileged status as Yanagisawa's lover, he needed to show he was worthy of his post and hadn't just seduced his way to a high rank." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"But Sano is a constant hindrance. How will I demonstrate what I can do, while he and his private army of detectives are always getting the important cases, winning the major victories, and reaping all the shogun's esteem? Don't you want me to succeed in the job you brought me to Edo to do?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I thought you came here to serve me as my chief retainer,\" Yanagisawa said, and disapproval shadowed his face.\n\nHoshina involuntarily retreated a step as he perceived how selfish his aims had sounded. \"Yes, of course I did. Serving you is my first wish.\" He hastened to appeal to Yanagisawa's interests: \"Don't you want Sano out of the way? Forgive me if you think I've gone against your wishes, but I'm only continuing what you started years ago. This may be the best opportunity to get rid of Sano forever.\"\n\n\"Now is not the time,\" Yanagisawa reiterated. \"Lord Mitsuyoshi's murder has created many opportunities besides the one you're so eager to seize. You are viewing the situation with too narrow a focus. You've not been in Edo long enough to see the larger picture, or appreciate serious concerns that extend beyond the present time.\" Impatience colored his voice. \"I'm not trying to cheat you of what you want—far from it. So believe me when I say that if my plans go as well as I expect, Sano will become a matter of insignificance to us both.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What plans?\" Hoshina was completely perplexed; yet he could appreciate the irony of his situation." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Night after night, they lay together, naked and vulnerable. Yanagisawa trusted Hoshina with his body—but not all his secrets. He considered knowledge the ultimate power, which he never yielded. Hoshina understood this, but Yanagisawa's distrust hurt him deeply.\n\n\"I went to see my son today,\" Yanagisawa said.\n\nThe abrupt change of subject disconcerted and baffled Hoshina. Frowning as he attempted to follow the twists and turns of his lover's devious mind, Hoshina said, \"Which one?\"\n\nHe knew the chamberlain had at least four sons, all born to different women other than his wife." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They lived with their mothers in estates outside Edo." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hoshina had learned of their existence via gossip in the bakufu, not from Yanagisawa. He'd heard Yanagisawa periodically visited the children, though the chamberlain had never before mentioned that to Hoshina either.\n\n\"Yoritomo. The eldest. He's sixteen years old now,\" Yanagisawa said.\n\nThat boy was the child of a former palace lady-in-waiting, Hoshina recalled. The lady, a Tokugawa relative, had been a beauty with whom Yanagisawa had enjoyed a brief affair.\n\n\"Is something wrong? Is your son ill?\" Hoshina hoped that a mere family problem, and not dissatisfaction with their life together, had turned Yanagisawa cold toward him.\n\n\"Quite the contrary.\" A faint, proud smile touched Yanagisawa's mouth." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Yoritomo is the image of myself when I was young. Not as clever or strong-willed, of course. He'll do very well indeed.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Jealousy pierced Hoshina like a hot needle in his heart. He'd never cared much about the relationship between Yanagisawa and his sons; yet he hated for Yanagisawa to praise anyone after criticizing him.\n\n\"I'm glad you're pleased by your son,\" Hoshina said stiffly, \"but what has he got to do with the murder case? Why is he more important than destroying a man who's defeated and humiliated you so many times?\"\n\nYanagisawa lifted his eyebrows in surprise. \"I've just told you.\"\n\n\"But I don't understand.\"\n\n\"You will.\"\n\nYanagisawa's expression softened, but Hoshina perceived this as condescension rather than love." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He dreaded offending Yanagisawa, yet couldn't relinquish his campaign against his rival." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Sano's influence in the bakufu grows daily,\" Hoshina said. \"His allies include many high officials. And if he solves this case, he'll rise another notch in the shogun's estimation—while everyone else, including us, moves down. He could eventually take your place. Your treatment of him has given him ample cause to hate you. I think he's biding his time until he gains enough power to strike.\"\n\n\"He won't,\" Yanagisawa said with offhand confidence.\n\n\"Because of the truce between him and you?\" Hoshina couldn't keep the scorn out of his voice. \"Your truce is but an unspoken agreement that will last only as long as you both honor it. I say we should take the offensive, break the truce before Sano does, and strike at him now, while he's vulnerable.\"\n\n\"I'm aware of the hazards of a truce,\" Yanagisawa said, reproachful. \"At present they're of minor concern to me, because I have the advantage over Sano.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What advantage is that?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Baffled beyond endurance, Hoshina burst out, \"I hate it when you speak in riddles! Why won't you explain what's going on?\"\n\nThe chamberlain appeared unaffected by Hoshina's anger. \"Certain things are best not spoken outright,\" Yanagisawa said. \"Not even my house is free of spies. I've told you my plans, and it's up to you to figure them out. But I will make one thing clear: You shall not break the truce.\"\n\nHoshina started to protest, but the adamant expression on Yanagisawa's face silenced him. Then Yanagisawa chuckled.\n\n\"Don't look so disappointed,\" he said. \"Just be patient, and I promise you'll be quite satisfied with what happens.\"\n\nAlthough Hoshina wished he could believe Yanagisawa, he couldn't place his faith in schemes he didn't understand, or his trust in a man so unpredictable as his lover." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He still considered Sano a threat to the chamberlain's power and his own rise in the bakufu." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hoshina must find a way to advance himself at Sano's expense, without defying his master. But how? Frustrated ambition roiled inside him.\n\nYanagisawa smiled; his dark eyes kindled like liquid fire. \"That's enough talk of politics for tonight,\" he said.\n\nWhatever of his lover's other hints had evaded Hoshina, he could interpret very well the innuendo in Yanagisawa's voice, the curve of his mouth, and the hand he extended. Desire flared in Hoshina; yet he resisted surrender even as he grew erect. How he hated for the chamberlain to rebuke, baffle, taunt, and thwart him, then expect pleasure from him! Hoshina's pride rebelled. For a moment he hated Yanagisawa." }, { "from": "human", "value": "But need prevailed over resentment." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hoshina craved sex as proof that Yanagisawa still loved him. He let Yanagisawa draw him down onto the bed, the only place in the world where they were equals." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Continue with the same vibes as Laura Joh Rowland" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Outside their chamber, Lady Yanagisawa stood peering in through a chink in the wall." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She watched the naked bodies of her husband and his lover entwine, grapple, and heave." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 3 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her face remained impassive while she listened to their gasps and moans. As they convulsed in climax, a silent breath eased from her. Then she turned and walked away down the dark, vacant corridor." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Provide one sentence as a continuation." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Troops marched through the Nihonbashi merchant district." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Their torches smoked in the night air; their footsteps shattered the quiet." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They stopped at each house and pounded their fists against closed doors and shutters." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Open up!\" they shouted." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"By orders of the shogun's ssakan-sama, come outside and show yourselves!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Men, women, and children, dressed in their nightclothes, poured into the street." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They shivered with cold and fright." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The neighborhood headman herded them into a line." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He and the captain of Sano's search team walked down the line, matching each person to a name on the official neighborhood roster, looking for unlisted women." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Soldiers raided the buildings in search of anyone hidden there." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They burst into a gambling den, interrupting card games and hustling the gamblers outside." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The commotion roused Lady Wisteria and Lightning from their slumber in the back room of the gambling den." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lightning threw off the quilt that covered them and leapt upright, fully alert, while Wisteria lay in groggy confusion." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What is it?\" she mumbled." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Get up,\" Lightning ordered in a hoarse whisper." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Those are soldiers out there. We have to go.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Terror jolted Wisteria awake, for she understood that the soldiers had come for her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lightning grabbed her hand, yanking her to her feet." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Hurry!\" he urged." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Wisteria was glad they'd slept in their clothes in case of an emergency." }, { "from": "human", "value": "While she scrambled for her shoes, he snatched up her bundle of possessions." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He hurried her outside to the alley, just as the soldiers rushed through the curtained doorway between the gambling den and their room." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The bitter cold immediately chilled Wisteria." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her cloak billowed open in the wind, but she had no time to fasten it." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lightning raced along the alley, towing her by the hand." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She tripped and fell, emitting a shriek of dismay." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Quiet!\" Lightning whispered furiously." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His speed kept her moving." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her knees scraped painfully against the rough ground until she regained her footing." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They veered into another alley, then stumbled through the ruins of a burned house." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Wisteria could no longer hear the soldiers, but still Lightning dragged her onward." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A thick crescent moon above the roofs illuminated their way along a route that he followed with the ease of an animal that knows its territory." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They clambered down the bank of a narrow canal, and as they plunged waist-deep through frigid water, the muddy bottom tugged off Wisteria's shoes." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Barefoot because courtesans never wore socks, she limped up the opposite bank." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Stones and debris hurt her feet." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She and Lightning ran through a maze of more dark alleys that stank from privies, garbage, and night soil bins." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Wisteria was freezing, her wet garments clinging to her like a coat of ice." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her heart pounded; gasps heaved her chest." }, { "from": "human", "value": "But Lightning wasn't even breathing hard." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His hand around hers was warm." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Would they keep running until she died?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "At last Lightning halted at a building." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Wisteria squatted, breathless and limp with exhaustion." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Barred windows flanked a door." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lightning knocked: two slow beats, a pause, then three quick ones." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The door opened a crack, and light shone into the alley." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A man's face, thuggish and unshaven, appeared in the crack." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The man eyed Lightning, then opened the door." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As Lightning pulled Wisteria into a passage with an earth floor and bare rafters, she saw that the man held a dagger; tattoos on his arms marked him as a gangster." }, { "from": "human", "value": "But Wisteria was too glad for sanctuary to care that she recognized this place and knew its evils." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Have the soldiers searched this neighborhood yet?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lightning asked the man." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The man shook his head." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lightning muttered a curse, and Wisteria feared they must go back out in the night." }, { "from": "human", "value": "But Lightning took her down the corridor, past rooms enclosed by partitions." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lamplight shining through the tattered paper silhouetted pairs of embracing, writhing human figures." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Wisteria heard moans and grunts; she smelled urine, sweat, and sex." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As she and Lightning entered a room where a torn lantern hung above a floor made of wood slats that bordered a large, round, sunken tub of water, Wisteria wanted to laugh and cry." }, { "from": "human", "value": "This place was a public bath that doubled as an illegal brothel." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She'd escaped one whorehouse, only to take shelter in another." }, { "from": "human", "value": "But Wisteria was so cold that she trembled uncontrollably, her teeth chattering." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The steaming water in the tub seemed like a vision of heaven." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lightning had already begun shedding his wet, filthy garments." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Wisteria tore off hers as fast as her shaking hands could manage, but kept the cloth around her head." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her battered feet left bloody spots on the floor." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She and Lightning scrubbed themselves with bags of soap, poured buckets of water over their bodies, then sat in the tub, immersed up to their shoulders." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The hot water engulfed Wisteria; she sighed in bliss." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She ignored the scum floating on the water and the room's odor of mildew." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Too overwhelmed by relief and fatigue to care what happened next, Wisteria closed her eyes, leaned back against the rim of the tub, and drowsed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Don't get too comfortable,\" Lightning said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We can't stay. The soldiers will come eventually. We'll have to leave before then.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Please, let's wait just a little while longer,\" Wisteria murmured." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lightning shifted restlessly; the water bobbed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"No place in Edo is safe. We should have taken to the highway this morning, like I wanted to. But no—you wanted to stay.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His accusing tone set off a warning signal in Wisteria's head and jarred her out of a doze." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She saw the malevolent gleam in Lightning's eyes, which shifted rapidly as he stared at her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Because of you, we're being hunted like animals,\" he said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Because of you, we may not live to enjoy your freedom.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Wisteria sat up straight, clasping her knees to her chest." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"But we have to stay,\" she said, needing to justify herself, though fearful of defying him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"That was part of the plan.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Your plan. Not mine. I was a fool to agree to it.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lightning snorted in derision." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Why should we care what happens about the murder? We'll leave tonight.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I care. I have to know,\" Wisteria said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We can't go yet!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Earlier today, Lightning had fetched her a news broadsheet containing a story about the ssakan-sama's investigation." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She'd read that her yarite had been arrested." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She needed to find out what happened to Momoko, and whether other people became implicated in the crime." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "And she might never hear the news in the distant province where she and Lightning planned to settle." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She must watch events unfold—in spite of the danger." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Ire darkened Lightning's face." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Is satisfying your curiosity more important to you than my life?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"No! Of course not!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Wisteria squirmed away, but her back struck the wall of the tub." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A bitter laugh burst from him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I should have known. You're just using me. You don't really care about me.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"But I do care,\" Wisteria said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Under the water she reached for him, and her hand found his leg." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It flinched at her touch." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I love you.\" If this intense, fearful attraction equaled love, then she did love Lightning." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Your safety is more important to me than my own.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Because without him, she couldn't survive." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He shook his head, spurning persuasion." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "But as she coiled her hand around his manhood and stroked him, she felt him swell and harden." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Arousal parted his lips and arched his neck." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"If you love me, you wouldn't have gotten me into all this trouble,\" Lightning said, his voice harshened by desire and anger at her attempt to manipulate him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Disbelief startled Wisteria. She withdrew her hand." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I got you in trouble?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Indignant, she forgot caution." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Excuse me, but I'm not the reason we're being hunted. I'm not the one who almost ruined everything for us.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Oh, so you're blaming me?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The water sloshed as Lightning moved toward her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Well, let me remind you that it was your plan that started everything.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"My plan would have worked fine if you'd stuck to it.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Wisteria felt his hand close around her ankle, and she pulled back in alarm. \"Let me go.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You don't tell me what to do,\" he said, holding tight." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As she tried to kick loose from him, his breaths came faster and harder." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I make my own decisions. I'm not your servant. I don't have to listen to you or anyone else.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Now Wisteria's own temper sparked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The water seemed to grow hotter; sweat trickled down her face." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You should listen,\" she cried." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Because this time you made a terrible mistake. Our problems are all your fault.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Our problem is that you got carried away by anger,\" Lightning said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Your grudges will be the death of us.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "There was truth in what he said, Wisteria knew." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The same outrage and self-righteousness that had inspired her plan was surging through her now." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The bitter animosity that filled her heart now focused on Lightning." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She shrilled, \"What about your grudges? Anyone who offends you had better watch out, because you don't think before you act. You're like a wild beast with no sense!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"What did you call me?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "His face distorted, teeth bared in a snarl, and his nostrils flared, Lightning indeed looked more animal than human." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You think I'm stupid? You're the one who's stupid if you think I'll let you insult me. I'll show you who's in charge around here.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lightning jerked on her ankle, pulling her underwater." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Wisteria shrieked as her head submerged." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The hot water burned her eyes, filled her nose, gurgled in her mouth." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She flailed her arms, fighting to raise herself above the surface, but he had hold of both her legs now, and he was too strong for her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Desperate, Wisteria writhed. Her body smacked against the hard bottom of the tub." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She resisted the terrible urge to take a breath." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Then Lightning let go." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She burst up into the steamy air, gulping for breath." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Rivulets streamed off her drenched headcloth and over her face." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In her blurred vision, Lightning loomed huge and monstrous." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Apologize for what you said!\" he commanded." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"No!\" Wisteria was too incensed by his treatment of her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You are a beast. I hate you!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He planted his hands on her shoulders and shoved her downward." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She strained against him while her neck, then her chin, sank beneath the water." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Somebody please help me!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The noises from the couples in the brothel continued; no one answered her call." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Forced below the surface, Wisteria clawed and kicked Lightning." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her heel found his groin, and she heard him yell, the sound distorted by the dark, turbulent water that surrounded her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His body heaved up, then crashed down upon her with a tremendous splash." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His solid, muscular limbs imprisoned her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "An airless vacuum trapped her screams in her throat and constricted her lungs." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her heart felt ready to explode." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Panic filled Wisteria. Helpless, she tossed her head from side to side." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lightning hauled her up from the water." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her head broke the surface and she inhaled a huge, gulping breath." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Then he flung her out of the tub." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her right side hit the slatted floor." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Pain jarred her elbow and hip." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As she rolled, stunned and gasping, onto her back, Lightning straddled her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He shook her so that her head repeatedly bumped the floor." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Are you sorry you insulted me?\" he demanded." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Yes!\" Wisteria screamed, her defiance at last subdued by his brutality." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Please don't hurt me!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Do you love me?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I love you!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"From now on you'll do as I say?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Yes!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Because if you don't, I'll kill you. Do you understand?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "And he would. Wisteria hadn't fully appreciated his capacity for violence until now. \"Yes. Yes!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "she cried." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Climbing off her, Lightning stood." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His wet, naked bulk heaved with his breaths." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He grinned in cruel triumph." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Next time I won't forgive you so easily,\" he said, then picked up his clothes and stalked out of the room." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Wisteria lay bruised and aching and shivering." }, { "from": "human", "value": "How much she wished she'd never met Lightning!" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Whatever mistakes he had made, she'd made the most serious one—thinking she could handle him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Tears seeped from her closed eyes." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The final stages of her plan required Lightning's cooperation, but she had serious doubts about her ability to manipulate him anymore." }, { "from": "human", "value": "If she couldn't, what would she do?" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She knew now that in spite of her passion for Lightning, they couldn't live together. She must get away from him before they disagreed again and he made good on his threat." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "im ur writing buddy. i set scene, u do 6 sentences like Laura Joh Rowland" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The women's quarter of the palace hummed with the chatter and bustle of the concubines and ladies-in-waiting as they bathed, dressed, and groomed themselves." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Midori sat in the chamber of the shogun's mother, Lady Keisho-in." }, { "from": "human", "value": "While other attendants combed Keisho-in's hair, Midori applied a mixture of white rice powder and camellia wax onto the old woman's face." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her hand automatically smeared and dabbed the makeup, but her thoughts centered on her urgent need to see Hirata. He'd not come to her last night, and the hours since she'd seen him at the miai yesterday seemed like an eternity.\n\n\"Aaghh!\" Lady Keisho-in cried, recoiling from Midori; her round, wrinkled face bunched up in pain. \"You've gotten makeup in my eye again. Can't you pay attention to what you're doing?\"\n\n\"I'm sorry!\" Midori snatched up a cloth and wiped at her mistress's eye, but Lady Keisho-in shoved her away.\n\n\"You're so absentminded lately,\" Keisho-in complained." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I can't bear to have you around me.\" She made a shooing gesture. \"Get out!\"\n\nGlad of a reprieve from duty, Midori fled the palace. She was racing across the garden when she saw Hirata coming toward her.\n\n\"Hirata-san!\" she called. He smiled; she hurled herself into his arms." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As they embraced, she burst into tears." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I thought you would never come. I was so afraid you'd changed your feelings about me.\"\n\n\"Why would you think that?\" Hirata said, his voice roughened by affection.\n\nIn this chill early morning, they had the garden to themselves, but he drew her into the pine grove where they'd met so many times before. The air was redolent with the clean, tangy scent of resin, the ground covered with a soft blanket of pine needles upon which they'd lain.\n\n\"You're shivering,\" Hirata said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He wrapped his own cloak around Midori and held her tight." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She basked in his nearness, sobbing." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"After what my father said to yours, I was sure you must hate me.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Nothing can change my love for you.\" Hirata held her shoulders and gazed at her with a sincerity that banished her fear. \"What happened at the theater wasn't your fault.\" As she wept in relief now, he said, \"Please believe that my family means no harm to yours. Why does your father think we're his enemies?\"\n\nOvercome by shame, Midori pulled away from Hirata, averting her face. \"He gets all upset when it comes to the Tokugawa or anyone associated with them,\" she whispered." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Because of what they did to our clan in the past.\"\n\n\"I see.\" Hirata's dubious tone said he didn't understand the eccentricity that made Lord Niu resent what other daimyo accepted. \"Would he really try to kill my father?\"\n\nA sob choked Midori.\n\n\"Oh.\" Hirata paused. \"Is he always like that?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Not always.\" Midori couldn't bear to tell Hirata that Lord Niu's bad spells were often worse. \"Is your father still angry, do you think?\" she ventured timidly. \"Is he very much against the match?\"\n\n\"... I didn't have much chance to talk to him.\"\n\nShe could tell Hirata was trying to shield her from painful truth, and panic filled her because their marriage seemed even more impossible than ever, despite the increasing necessity of it. Every day Midori suffered from nausea; every day her body swelled larger with the new life growing in her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"What are we going to do?\" she cried.\n\n\"Maybe if we wait awhile,\" Hirata said, \"the whole thing will blow over.\"\n\nHe spoke without hope, and the idea of delaying alarmed Midori. \"How long should we wait?\"\n\n\"At least a few days. Or maybe a month would be better.\"\n\n\"A month!\" By then the pregnancy would be apparent to everyone." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Midori feared that her disgrace would make both families even less amenable to the marriage. \"That's too long!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her voice rose in hysteria." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"We have to do something now!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Forcing the issue right away would only hurt our chances.\" Hirata looked puzzled by her agitation. \"We must be patient.\"\n\n\"I can't!\"\n\n\"It's no use getting so upset,\" Hirata said. Taking her in his arms, he caressed her hair, her face, her bosom; passion strengthened his grip. \"Calm down.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The amorous attentions she'd once welcomed now alarmed Midori. \"No! Don't!\" She tore free of Hirata.\n\n\"I'm sorry,\" Hirata said, chastened. \"Forgive me.\"\n\nShe saw that he didn't understand why she'd rejected him, and she'd hurt his feelings. But she was scared to tell him about the child, or let him touch her and guess. Although refusing him now wouldn't protect her from what had already happened, she couldn't bear more forbidden intimacies." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I should go,\" he said, backing out of the pine grove." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"No. Wait!\" Midori lurched after Hirata and clung to him, weeping again.\n\nHe held her cautiously, but he spoke with a determination that gave her hope: \"I'll be back soon. Don't worry. I'll find a way to make everything all right.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "I'll be your writing partner today. I will set the scene, and you will continue the story with 8 sentences, channeling the voice and techniques of Laura Joh Rowland." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A horde of bureaucrats paraded in and out of Sano's mansion, all with the intent of heaping suspicion on their enemies." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They besieged Sano with unsubstantiated accusations until his mind whirled. By midmorning he couldn't endure any more self-serving attempts to manipulate him. Finally, during a break between calls, Sano donned his outdoor clothes and swords, then left the house in search of the one person who could tell him which rumors were true or false.\n\nThe day was cold and bleak, the sky like raw, soiled cotton, the moist air gritty with soot. Below Edo Castle, the steel-gray river and canals carved a monotone cityscape. The hazy peaks of the hills outside town smudged the distance. Sano passed hurrying officials and patrolling troops as he ascended through the castle's stone-walled passages. Everyone's expression appeared as dismal as the weather." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano walked faster, uneasy in the tension created by Lord Mitsuyoshi's murder; he could almost smell the impending purge in the air. Entering the palace, he proceeded to a secluded area in which he'd first set foot a lifetime ago.\n\nHere, hidden within a labyrinth of corridors, government offices, and reception rooms, lay the headquarters of the metsuke. The Tokugawa intelligence service occupied a room whose mean proportions belied its power. In compartments divided by paper-and-wood screens, men smoked tobacco pipes and studied maps hung on the walls; they conversed together or pored over papers at desks laden with scrolls, message containers, books, and writing implements. As Sano passed, heads turned toward him, and voices lowered.\n\nInside the last compartment knelt a samurai dressed in black. He looked up from reading a ledger and bowed to Sano. \"Greetings, Ssakan-sama.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano returned the bow. \"Greetings, Toda-san.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Toda Ikkyu was a senior intelligence agent, and of such nondescript appearance that Sano might not recognize him if they met anywhere else. Neither short nor tall, fat nor thin, old nor young, Toda had weary eyes set in a face that no one would notice in a crowd. Sano had consulted Toda on past cases, and Toda had once described how he'd spied on an official suspected of treason. The official never recognized Toda, although they both worked in the palace and passed each other in the corridors daily. He went to his death on the execution ground without knowing who'd sent him there.\n\n\"Can you spare me a moment of your time?\" Sano asked, imagining that he might someday find himself the unwitting prey of the metsuke agent.\n\n\"Certainly.\" Toda motioned for Sano to sit near him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His languid voice and gesture belonged to a man who seldom roused from a natural state of ennui. \"I suppose this visit concerns your investigation of Lord Mitsuyoshi's murder?\"\n\n\"Yes,\" Sano said.\n\n\"And you've come to me because you're deluged with rumors.\"\n\nSano chuckled, because the extent of Toda's knowledge never ceased to amaze him. Toda also chuckled.\n\n\"It never ceases to amaze me how far you've risen in the world since we first met,\" Toda said.\n\nThey'd met during Sano's first murder case, when Sano had discovered a plot against the shogun and had come to Edo Castle to report it to the metsuke.\n\n\"To go from renegade policeman on a personal crusade to Most Honorable Investigator for His Excellency is no small accomplishment,\" Toda said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"That you've kept the post for four years is a miracle, considering all the troubles you've had.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Is it any more a miracle than that you've kept your post in spite of all your troubles?\" Sano couldn't resist saying.\n\nToda had disbelieved Sano's story about the plot, and later, the shogun had punished the entire metsuke for failing to take the threat seriously. Agents had been demoted, banished, and executed, yet Toda had somehow survived. Sano suspected that Toda knew the secrets of many members of the bakufu's upper echelon, and had blackmailed them into protecting him.\n\nNow Toda smiled complacently. \"We've both been fortunate,\" he said.\n\n\"Good fortune is an impermanent condition,\" Sano said, \"but perhaps we can maintain ours by working together.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Toda's expression didn't change, but Sano felt the man's resistance to the hint that he'd better grant the favor Sano was about to ask." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Metsuke agents had a habit of hoarding facts." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They liked to know things that others didn't, they jealously guarded their unique power, and they wanted sole credit for keeping Japan under the bakufu's control." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "But sometimes their habit backfired on them.\n\nAfter the Black Lotus crisis, a disturbing fact had come to light: The metsuke possessed years of records that described the sect's illegal practices, yet had not only failed to prevent the sect from gaining an immense, dangerous following but had withheld their records from the Minister of Temples and Shrines, who'd tried to thwart the Black Lotus and asked the metsuke's help. Further investigation revealed sect members within the ranks of the metsuke. Toda had survived the purge that ensued, but even he wasn't invincible. The murder of Lord Mitsuyoshi was such a politically sensitive issue that for Toda to refuse to cooperate with Sano's investigation equaled suicide.\n\n\"What can I do for you?\" Toda said with weary capitulation.\n\n\"Let's start with Treasury Minister Nitta,\" Sano said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The agent looked around the office, then rose and said, \"Let's go elsewhere, shall we?\"\n\nSoon they were walking along the Edo Castle racetrack. In summer, this was the scene of samurai riding horses at a furious pace, while palace officials cheered. But now the track was a bare strip of earth, the benches vacant; only a faint smell of manure lingered. An empty meadow, surrounded by pine trees and stone walls, isolated Sano and Toda.\n\n\"Is it true that Nitta embezzles from the treasury?\" Sano said.\n\nToda looked as though he'd guessed what Sano would say, but frowned, nonetheless perturbed. \"Where did you hear that?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Nitta seems to have mentioned it to Lady Wisteria, who told another client,\" Sano said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Well, he's the subject of a highly confidential investigation,\" Toda said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I'm surprised that Nitta would incriminate himself, but men are sometimes careless about what they tell courtesans.\"\n\n\"Then Nitta was embezzling,\" Sano inferred.\n\nToda nodded, gazing over the walls at the rooftops of the palace stables. A flock of crows perched in the pine trees. \"There have been discrepancies between tributes sent from the provinces and the money in the treasury accounts. After we investigated, our suspicion settled on Nitta. He'd always been honest before, but Yoshiwara is an expensive habit. We placed him under secret surveillance and observed him taking gold from the storehouse at night. He alters the entries in the account books to hide the missing money.\"\n\nThe agent gave Sano a sharp glance. \"How does Nitta's embezzlement fit into the murder case? Is he a likelier suspect because of it?\"\n\n\"That's possible,\" Sano said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Maybe he killed Wisteria because he regretted telling her about his embezzlement and wanted to prevent her from reporting him. Even if she didn't have proof, and she was just a prostitute, her accusation could have hurt him.\"\n\n\"Perhaps Wisteria told Lord Mitsuyoshi,\" said Toda. \"In his hands, the knowledge could have been most dangerous to Nitta because he and Mitsuyoshi were on bad terms. Nitta wrote a report about how much money Lord Mitsuyoshi squandered and sent it to his family. His father was shocked by his extravagance, and cut his allowance. Mitsuyoshi blamed Nitta for impoverishing him. He believed Nitta did it so he couldn't afford appointments with Wisteria.\"\n\nThey reached the end of the racetrack and turned, retracing their steps. The crows swooped over the meadow like black kites, their caws loud in the still air. Sano pondered the fact that Toda had just contradicted the treasury minister's claim that he didn't love Wisteria and wasn't jealous of her other clients, but confirmed Senior Elder Makino's statement. \"Then you think Nitta killed Mitsuyoshi and Wisteria both?\"\n\n\"He could be behind the murder and her disappearance,\" Toda said, \"but he's not the type to dirty his hands by stabbing a man or abducting a woman.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Could his retainers have done the dirty work?\" Sano said.\n\n\"Unlikely. They're loyal to Nitta, but I doubt if their obedience extends to murdering the shogun's heir. Nitta has a wide acquaintance among the ruffians he meets in Yoshiwara. If I were you, I'd look into them.\"\n\nSano would. Yet he had misgivings about the scenario he and Toda had devised. \"If Wisteria was murdered in her room, there should have been some evidence of it, but I found no indication that anyone except Mitsuyoshi had died there. If she was abducted then killed someplace else, where is her body?\"\n\n\"I understand you're still searching the area around Yoshiwara, and along the highways,\" Toda said.\n\n\"We've yet to find a corpse.\"\n\n\"She could have been dumped in the Sumida River, the Sanya Canal, or one of the smaller waterways.\"\n\nBut Sano's instincts told him that Wisteria was alive, and he had additional reason to discount the likelihood of her murder." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The pillow book provided a scenario that didn't involve the treasury minister, and indicated that Wisteria's disappearance had been a voluntary elopement." }, { "from": "human", "value": "However, Sano understood that even if the book was genuine, and Lady Wisteria had written the truth in the pages he'd read, they were only part of the whole book." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Perhaps the unnamed lover from Hokkaido was just as possessive toward Wisteria and jealous of her clients as Nitta seemed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Perhaps he'd murdered the last client she'd entertained before they left Yoshiwara." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You might be interested to know that Treasury Minister Nitta was arrested early this morning,\" Toda said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What?\" Sano halted in surprise." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"For his embezzlement,\" Toda explained." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"By now, his trial should be underway.\" With a sly smile, Toda added, \"If you need any further information from him, you'd best get over to Magistrate Aoki's Court of Justice.\"\n\n\"But my investigation isn't finished. Nitta can't be tried now.\" Sano knew what would happen to the treasury minister. That Nitta had earned his fate didn't ease Sano's horror. Sano urgently beseeched Toda, \"Please call off the trial!\"\n\n\"I'm sorry, but the matter is out of my hands.\" Shrugging, Toda contemplated the crows." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They alighted in a black horde in the meadow, where they squawked and fluttered, squabbling over some bit of food." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 1 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"And I venture to say that the murder investigation is out of yours.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Mode: Collab writing\nAmount: 3 sentences\nVoice: Laura Joh Rowland" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hirata's family home was in the bancho, the district west of Edo Castle where the Tokugawa hatamoto occupied estates surrounded by live bamboo fences. Although these vassals had served the shogun's clan long and faithfully, they lived in conditions modest at best and often near poverty because of rising prices and the falling value of their stipends. Today the crowded neighborhood of ramshackle buildings looked drab indeed, with the bamboo withered and leafless." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hirata rode amid other samurai, along narrow, muddy dirt roads. He dismounted outside his parents' house, one of the poorest in the district.\n\nEntering the plain wooden gate, Hirata found the courtyard occupied by four horses, decked with fancy saddles and bridles, which didn't belong to his family." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Three of his small nephews raced around the side of the low, weathered house, shouting." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hirata secured his own horse and went into the house. When he hung his swords in the entryway, he noticed four ornate sets of swords, presumably belonging to the visitors, on the racks with the plain weapons of his father and grandfathers. He entered the corridor and found the house full of people and noise." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His grandmothers sat in the main room, smoking while they scolded the toddlers playing near them." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hirata heard the maids banging dishes in the kitchen, and a baby crying. Every time he came home, the place looked smaller and dingier. Today it was also chilly because his family needed to conserve fuel." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Greeting his grandmothers, Hirata experienced guilt that his kin must endure this, while he enjoyed the quiet luxury of Sano's estate.\n\nHis eldest widowed sister came carrying the baby. \"How nice to see you, Brother,\" she said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Many thanks for the clothes you sent the children.\"\n\nSpending most of his stipend on his family didn't ease Hirata's guilt. Before he could ask who was visiting them, his father's voice called from the parlor: \"Is that you, Son? Please come in.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Curious, Hirata obeyed. In the parlor sat his parents and a middle-aged samurai garbed in opulent robes. Near the samurai knelt three men in plainer dress, evidently his retainers. Hirata's mother was serving tea with her best utensils." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"How fortunate that my son should arrive while you're here,\" Hirata's father said to the guest, then turned to Hirata." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You remember the Honorable Yoriki Okubo.\"\n\n\"Of course.\" Hirata knelt beside his father and bowed to the guest. Yoriki Okubo had been his commander when he was a police officer, and his father had served under Okubo's." }, { "from": "human", "value": "But the two clans had never been on intimate terms, and Hirata wondered why the yoriki had come." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He said politely, \"It's an honor to see you again. I hope you are well?\"\n\n\"Yes, thank you.\" Yoriki Okubo had fleshy, down-turned features. He observed Hirata with shrewd approval." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I can see that you are also well. Life in the ssakan-sama's employ suits you.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "After questioning Hirata about his duties, Okubo said, \"That you make time in your busy day to visit your parents is a mark of good character.\"\n\nHirata cast a puzzled glance at his father, who avoided his eyes and addressed Okubo: \"My son is always conscientious about his duties to both his master and his family.\" Still without looking at Hirata, his father said to him, \"Okubo-san has come on behalf of his colleague, the Honorable Yoriki Sagara.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"My colleague has an unmarried daughter,\" Okubo said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Alarm struck Hirata as he comprehended that Okubo was here as a go-between, bearing him a marriage proposal from the other police commander. Since his parents clearly welcomed the proposal, it was obvious that they'd rejected the idea of his marriage to Midori.\n\n\"A match between my son and the Sagara girl would be most suitable,\" said Hirata's father." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Their common heritage in the police force would be a foundation for a harmonious life.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"There would be other benefits for both sides,\" Okubo said. \"Speaking frankly, your son's status in the bakufu is valued by the Sagara clan. And their fortune is considerable.\"\n\nHirata opened his mouth to protest; but his father spoke: \"What about the girl herself? Is her character pleasing?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Quite,\" Okubo said. \"She is modest, obedient, and dutiful.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He turned to Hirata. \"She is also sixteen years old and very pretty.\"\n\nHirata didn't care how wonderful the Sagara girl was. \"Father,\" he said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "An ominous look from his father and a frantic shushing gesture from his mother forestalled his protests." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He squirmed in wordless agitation as the talk proceeded." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The next step is a miai, I presume?\" said his father.\n\n\"That can be arranged,\" Okubo said. \"The Sagara are most eager for a meeting.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Polite farewells ensued. Afterward, Hirata's father said to his wife, \"My leg hurts from kneeling so long. I must have my medicinal bath.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hirata helped his mother fill a tub with hot water and herbs." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His father sat on cushions with his thin, crooked leg immersed in the water.\n\n\"Father, I don't want to go to that miai,\" Hirata said.\n\n\"You must, because we've already committed ourselves.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The older man spoke offhandedly, as though manners were their sole concern and he'd decided to pretend that Hirata had no serious reason for objecting to the miai." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"For us to back out now would offend Yoriki Okubo and the Sarara clan.\"\n\n\"Well, I won't go,\" Hirata said. His voice shook even as he folded his arms and planted his legs wide." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He, who supervised Sano's hundred detectives and troops, still quailed before paternal authority; he hated to defy his father." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I'm upset that you began this marriage negotiation behind my back.\"\n\nA glint of anger sparked in the older man's eyes. \"It's my right to make arrangements on your behalf, and your duty to obey me,\" he said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You will go to the miai and fulfill our obligations. Then, if you don't like the Sagara girl, we can politely refuse the proposal. There are plenty of other good clans eager to wed a daughter to you.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Father, I don't want anyone but Midori. I beg you not to force me into a marriage with another girl.\" Desperate, Hirata dropped to his knees. \"Please reconsider allowing me to marry the woman I love. Please forgive Lord Niu and resume our marriage negotiations.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"If you came here heaping to change my mind, then you've wasted your time.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His father flexed his leg in the tub and glowered. \"I forbid you to marry Lord Niu's daughter. I order you to choose one of the girls whom I consider suitable.\"\n\n\"But, Father—\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The older man angrily waved away Hirata's protest." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Your desire to marry the Niu girl is selfish. It shows a disrespect toward me, and a deplorable lack of consideration for our family.\" He addressed his wife, who was stirring more herbs into the tub: \"Let it alone! Stop fussing!\" To Hirata he said, \"We have too many mouths to feed and too little space. For you to expect your parents and grandparents, your sisters and their children, to live off crumbs from your stipend is disgraceful, when the Sagara girl's dowry would fill our rice bowls in the comfort of a bigger house.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hirata felt his cheeks flush and his spirit contract with shame at the idea that he placed his personal needs above his family's welfare." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The Niu have far more money than the Sagara. If I marry Midori, you'll want for nothing.\"\n\nHis father's expression turned grave. \"For you to marry her and us to share her clan's wealth is impossible, and not just because I oppose the match.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Turning to his wife, he said, \"Mother, bring the letter that came from Lord Niu today.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She hurried from the room, then returned bearing a scroll, which she gave to Hirata. He read:\n\nThis is my official notice that I am ending the marriage negotiations between our clans. That I should wed my daughter to the son of a rascal like you, who are my sworn enemy, is preposterous!" }, { "from": "human", "value": "I warn your son to sever all contact with my daughter." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His inferior person shall not be allowed to defile Midori. He shall suffer severe misfortune for daring to court her. And if he so much as goes near her, I shall slay him with my own sword and mount his head over my gate as a warning to other unwelcome suitors." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Niu Masamune" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 1 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Daimyo of Satsuma Province" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "3 sentences sentences in Laura Joh Rowland style, continuing user's bit" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The village of Imado, home to various Yoshiwara merchants and workers, lay across rice fields and marshes from the pleasure quarter. It contained a few streets of houses, shops, inns, and teahouses. Upon arriving in Imado with two detectives, Hirata proceeded to one of several villas on the outskirts, built by wealthy brothel owners." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A thatched roof spread over the interconnecting wooden structures that comprised Fujio's house; a stone wall enclosed the surrounding garden and courtyard." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Beyond the wall stretched fallow brown earth dotted with farmers' cottages. Gauzy bands of white cloud streaked the pale blue sky. Sunlight brightened a chill, blustery morning as Hirata and the detectives dismounted outside Fujio's gate and walked into the courtyard." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When Hirata knocked on the door, a boy answered. Hirata said, \"We're here to see Fujio.\"\n\nEventually, the hokan came to the door, yawning." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His handsome face was puffy, his hair mussed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He wore a blue-and-red checked dressing gown, and reeked of liquor and tobacco smoke." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His bloodshot eyes blinked in puzzlement at Hirata; but he smiled and bowed gallantly.\n\n\"Sorry for my miserable appearance,\" he said, \"but I was out late last night. What can I do for you, masters?\"\n\nHirata introduced himself, then said, \"I need to talk to you. May we come in?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"If this is about what happened to Lord Mitsuyoshi, I've already told the ssakan-sama everything I know.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Fujio rubbed his temples and winced. \"Merciful gods, what a headache! I really shouldn't drink while I perform.\"\n\n\"It's about your house in the hills,\" said Hirata." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Dismay cleared the sleepiness from the hokan's face." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Uh,\" said Fujio. He took a step backward and bumped into two women who appeared in the entryway behind him. One was young, pretty, and pregnant, the other middle-aged and scowling.\n\n\"Who are those men?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "the younger woman asked Fujio in a shrill, petulant voice." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"What do they want?\"\n\n\"It's none of your business,\" Fujio told her with obvious irritation.\n\n\"How can you be so rude to let your guests stand outside?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "the older woman chastised him. \"Invite them in.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Fujio rolled his eyes. \"My wife and her mother,\" he explained to Hirata. \"Could we please talk somewhere else?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hirata agreed. Fujio went to dress, and returned wearing a brown cloak and kimono over wide, striped trousers." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He and Hirata walked down the lane toward the village, while the detectives trailed them. Ducks huddled in a ditch alongside the lane; in the distance, a peasant drove oxen across the sere landscape.\n\n\"My wife and in-laws don't know I own the house, and I don't want them to know. I bought it years ago, as a summer retreat.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Fujio eyed Hirata. \"You married?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"No,\" Hirata said. After reading Lord Niu's letter yesterday, he doubted he ever would be, unless he accepted his father's choice of a bride. But he couldn't give up on finding some way to make peace between the two clans so he could wed Midori.\n\n\"Well, when you do marry, you'll understand that having a wife can really tie you down,\" Fujio said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Especially if you live with her parents. A fellow needs a place where he can have a little privacy.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"And the company of lady friends?\" Hirata said.\n\nFujio cracked a mischievous grin. \"Well, yes. That house comes in handy for entertaining my female admirers. But I'd be ruined if my father-in-law ever learned that I was unfaithful to his daughter. He would throw me out. Besides, he owns the Great Miura brothel and has a lot of influence in Yoshiwara. I would never get any work there again.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Was this the only reason Fujio wanted to keep the house a secret?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hirata said, \"Tell me about the woman you've been keeping in the house.\"\n\n\"What?\" Fujio halted. \"Nobody's there now. I only use the place in the summer.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The daze from his hangover dissipated; he looked puzzled but sober. \"Say, how did you find out about my house, anyway?\"\n\n\"The ssakan-sama got a letter,\" Hirata said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"We went there last night and found a dead woman in your bed.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "A cloud of breath puffed out of Fujio's mouth, but no sound emerged." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His surprise seemed genuine, though Hirata knew Fujio was an entertainer and skilled at dramatics.\n\n\"... A dead woman? In my house?\" After a few more stammers, Fujio recovered enough composure to say, \"Who was it?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"We don't know. Her head had been cut off and removed from the premises,\" Hirata said, closely watching Fujio." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"But she was dressed in what appear to be Lady Wisteria's clothes.\"\n\n\"Wisteria? Merciful gods.\" Fujio staggered backward, as if physically shaken by the news. \"What was she doing there?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You tell me.\"\n\n\"Wait.\" The hokan raised his hands palm-up. \"If you think I killed Wisteria, you've got it all wrong. I don't know how she got in my...\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "A look of comprehension sharpened his eyes." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"But I can guess. When we were lovers, I told her about my house. She must have remembered, and gone there because she knew it would be empty. She did it without my knowledge or permission. I had nothing to do with her dying.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He could be telling the truth, Hirata thought—or improvising an explanation to protect himself.\n\n\"Tell me everything you did from the time Lord Mitsuyoshi's murder was discovered, up to last night,\" Hirata said.\n\nThe hokan pondered with intense concentration, clearly recognizing his need to demonstrate that he'd been nowhere near his secret house." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I was performing in the Owariya when Momoko ran into the party screaming that Lord Mitsuyoshi was dead. The Yoshiwara gate was shut, and before it opened in the morning, the police came and locked everyone in the quarter. When they let us go, I went home.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"What did you do there?\" Hirata said.\n\n\"I had dinner with my family,\" Fujio said, \"then went to sleep.\" He added with pointed emphasis, \"I was in bed all night, beside my wife.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hirata intended to check this story with the hokan's wife and in-laws, although they might confirm what Fujio said whether it was true or not, to protect him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"And in the morning?\"\n\n\"I went to Yoshiwara. There wasn't much going on, so I sat around the teahouses, drinking and playing cards with friends.\"\n\n\"Were you with them the whole time?\" Hirata said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Not every moment, but I was never out of their sight long enough to go to the hills.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Yet Fujio slowed his speech, as if he saw danger looming ahead in his tale." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"That night I performed at a party. The ssakan-sama met me there. After we talked, I entertained the guests until dawn. Then...\"\n\nFrom a distance echoed the ring of an axe, chopping wood. \"Then what?\" Hirata prompted, eager because they'd reached a critical time period." }, { "from": "human", "value": "This morning he'd learned that Fujio had managed to shake the detectives assigned to watch him, and he'd been out of their sight from dawn until afternoon of that day, when they'd caught up with him in Yoshiwara." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I visited a friend,\" Fujio said reluctantly. \"I was with... my friend until yesterday afternoon, when I went back to Yoshiwara to perform.\"\n\n\"Who is this friend?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"A woman.\" Despite the cold, Fujio's face was slick with sweat." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I can't tell her name. She's the wife of a patron.\" He shook his head, deploring his own rakish behavior. \"How do I get myself into these things?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"If you want me to believe you were with this woman, she must verify what you've told me,\" Hirata said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"But I can't let her,\" Fujio protested. \"Her husband is a prominent samurai. He has a bad temper. If he finds out about us, he'll kill me.\"\n\nTokugawa law permitted a samurai to kill a peasant and escape punishment." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Fujio seemed caught between the threat of his mistress's husband on one side and execution for murder on the other." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The story sounded credible to Hirata, who began to doubt that Fujio had killed the woman. Fujio was clever; if he'd committed the crime, wouldn't he have invented a better alibi? Furthermore, Hirata's examination of the crime scene last night argued that Fujio could be innocent." }, { "from": "human", "value": "There was no evidence that Fujio had been in the house recently." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The woman could have gone there by herself. Hirata even wondered whether she'd been hiding there at all. The stove and braziers had contained no sign of recent fire, the only food in the house was some old dried fruit, and the privy didn't smell as if anyone had used it lately." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The woman could have been taken there and immediately killed—by someone who wanted to frame Fujio." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Yet perhaps Fujio was guilty, but hadn't expected the body to be found, and therefore had thought he wouldn't need an alibi. The story about a secret mistress might have been the best he could do when caught off guard.\n\n\"I think you went to see Wisteria at your house yesterday,\" Hirata said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Maybe she didn't like being alone, in the cold, and she complained. Maybe you were desperate because you had nowhere else to put her. There was an argument. Things got out of control. You killed her.\"\n\n\"That never happened.\" Fujio shifted his stance, planting his feet firmly on the ground.\n\n\"Or maybe you intended to kill her all along,\" Hirata said, \"because she saw you kill Lord Mitsuyoshi.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Treasury Minister Nitta did it.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Triumph tinged Fujio's declaration. \"I heard the news.\"\n\n\"You killed Wisteria before you knew Nitta was convicted,\" Hirata guessed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You were afraid she would tell the police that you're the killer, and you couldn't let her live.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I didn't kill Lord Mitsuyoshi,\" Fujio said hotly." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"And I didn't kill Wisteria. Someone put her body in my house to make it look like I killed her!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In Fujio's eyes dawned the realization that this was exactly how it looked—and how a magistrate who tried him for the murder would interpret the crime scene. A visible current of panic tautened his slim figure. Hirata sprang forward to grab Fujio, at the same instant that the hokan turned and bolted across the rice fields." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Hey! Come back here!\" Launching himself in pursuit, Hirata called to the detectives: \"Stop him!\"\n\nFujio stumbled over dirt clods, his garments flapping, legs and arms pumping furiously." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hirata panted as he labored to catch up." }, { "from": "human", "value": "But soon Fujio's pace slowed; fatigue hobbled his gait." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hirata closed the distance between them and lunged, seizing Fujio around the waist.\n\nThe hokan fell forward and slammed to the ground. Hirata landed with a thud on top of him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Fujio lay limp and wheezing." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You're under arrest,\" Hirata said.\n\nAfter the treasury minister had died with his guilt or innocence undetermined, Hirata couldn't risk allowing one of Sano's only two other suspects to escape. And even if Fujio proved not to have killed the shogun's heir, he was still the primary suspect in the murder of the woman at his house." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Silly habit of mine, running away when I'm sure to get caught,\" Fujio said, managing a wry laugh." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 1 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"But this time it was worth a try.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "ur a writing helper. partner writes, u do next six sentences." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Although Sano usually traveled with an entourage to assist him and uphold the dignity of his rank, Edo Jail was a place he preferred to go alone.\n\nEdo Jail, a fortified dungeon surrounded by deteriorating stone walls and watchtowers, reigned over the slums of northeast Nihonbashi. Inside, jailers tortured confessions out of prisoners, and convicted criminals awaited execution. The jail also housed Edo Morgue, which received the bodies of citizens who perished from natural disasters or unnatural causes. There Dr. Ito, morgue custodian, often lent his medical expertise to Sano's investigations. Because the examination of corpses and any other procedures associated with foreign science were illegal, Sano wanted as few people as possible to know about his visits to Edo Jail." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Dr. Ito met him at the door of the morgue, a low building with flaking plaster walls." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What a pleasure to see you,\" Dr. Ito said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "In his seventies, he had white hair like a snowfall above his wise, lined face and wore the dark blue coat of a physician." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Years ago he'd been caught practicing forbidden foreign science, which he'd learned through illicit channels from Dutch traders. The bakufu had forgone the usual sentence of exile and condemned him to work for the rest of his life in Edo Morgue. There Dr. Ito had continued his scientific experiments, ignored by the authorities.\n\n\"However, I might have wished for a better occasion than another violent death,\" he said.\n\n\"I, too,\" Sano said. \"I wouldn't ask you to examine another body now if I had any choice.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The Black Lotus disaster had taken its toll on Dr. Ito even though he hadn't been at the temple that night, when over seven hundred people had died." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Their bodies had been taken directly to a mass funeral outside town, but many nuns and priests had died from injuries or committed suicide in jail, and Dr. Ito had prepared their corpses for cremation. His horror at the Black Lotus carnage had put a halt to his work—the one solace that made his imprisonment bearable—and the spiritual pollution from so many deaths had weakened his health.\n\nDr. Ito smiled reassuringly and gestured for Sano to enter the morgue. \"Justice for a murder victim takes precedence over personal feelings.\"\n\nInside the morgue, a large room held stone troughs used for washing the dead, cabinets containing tools, a podium stacked with papers and books, and three waist-high tables. Upon one table lay a figure draped by a white cloth." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Beside this stood Dr. Ito's assistant, Mura, a man of some fifty years, who had bushy gray hair and an angular, intelligent face." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We're ready to begin, Mura-san,\" said Dr. Ito.\n\nMura was an eta, one of the outcast class from which came the wardens, torturers, corpse handlers, and executioners of Edo Jail. The eta's hereditary link with death-related occupations such as butchering and leather tanning rendered them spiritually contaminated. Most citizens shunned them, but Dr. Ito had befriended Mura, who performed all the physical work for Dr. Ito's studies.\n\nAs Sano went to stand near the table, he battled an impulse to run away. He'd not yet recovered from the horror and nausea he'd experienced upon finding the body." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He dreaded examining the corpse of a woman he'd known intimately." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Mura peeled off the white cloth from the corpse, beginning at the feet. The rigidity of death had passed, and the woman lay flat on her back, limbs straight. Her feet were bare, their skin a bluish white; dirt and cuts marked the soles. As her clothes came into view, Sano observed red-brown splotches on the kimono's purple and green floral pattern. The woman's fingernails were broken and crusted with dried blood. Mura uncovered her top half, exposing the hideous mutilation where her head should have been." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The sweet odor of rotting meat struck Sano; his stomach lurched." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Where did you find her?\" Dr. Ito asked.\n\nSano related the details of the murder investigation, explained how he'd discovered the body, and described the scene.\n\n\"Was there blood around the body?\" Dr. Ito said.\n\nAn indelible picture of the room haunted Sano's mind. \"Not much. Some spatters on the floor, the wall, the futon, and the mosquito net.\"\n\nHe knew Reiko was worried about him, and he'd wished to act normal in front of her last night, but all his energy had gone toward keeping sickness and emotion at bay." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Closing himself off from Reiko would drive them farther apart, but he couldn't explain the murder's extreme effect on him without telling her what would make matters worse." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"To determine exactly what happened, we must view the rest of her.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Dr. Ito gestured to Mura.\n\nThe eta fetched a knife and cut the kimono off the woman. He removed the white under-kimono, exposing her naked body. It was an ugly patchwork of huge red and purple bruises that had erupted under the pale skin on her abdomen, breasts, and ribcage. Smaller bruises blotched her neck, arms, and thighs. Sano inhaled sharply through his teeth; Dr. Ito murmured in dismay, and even the stoic Mura looked shaken." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Please turn her on her side, Mura-san,\" said Dr. Ito.\n\nMura obeyed, and they silently viewed the bruised back and buttocks. Then Dr. Ito walked around the table, his expression pitying as he studied the corpse. \"This brutality indicates a male rather than a female attacker, because it required considerable strength. Those bruises were made by fists. The small ones on the arms and neck are fingerprints.\"\n\n\"She fought back,\" Sano said, observing the woman's hands. \"Her fingernails are broken and bloody because she clawed her attacker.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "In his mind he saw the blood on the floor and walls, smeared with two sets of handprints and footprints, one large, one small—the victim's and the killer's." }, { "from": "human", "value": "If this was Wisteria, what responsibility did he bear for her death?" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Note these dark, deep bruises along her back. After she fell, he kicked and trampled her,\" Dr. Ito said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"She probably died from the rupture of internal organs.\"\n\n\"So he beat her to death.\"\n\nSano wished more than ever that he'd bothered to find out what had become of Wisteria after their affair ended, and not just because he might have saved her life. His sense of responsibility extended to what she might have done, as well as what had been done to her.\n\n\"The removal of the head was performed after death,\" said Dr. Ito, \"because otherwise, there would have been copious blood in the room.\"\n\n\"The dead don't bleed,\" Sano concurred, forcing a matter-of-fact tone even as he saw bits of gore clinging to mosquito net." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"After he killed her, he laid her on the bed, then decapitated her.\"\n\n\"And see how the neck is hacked and ragged at the edges.\" The concern in Dr. Ito's eyes said he guessed that something troubled Sano. \"Whoever did this must have been in a violent frenzy of rage.\"\n\nFrom the jail drifted the howls of the prisoners. Sano envisioned Wisteria, her beautiful face contorted in terror, trying to ward off a shadowy attacker." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He heard her scream as fists hit her, saw her clutch the wall as she went down under a storm of blows and kicks..." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "With an effort Sano said, \"Now that we know how she died, we just have to figure out if this really is Lady Wisteria, and whether Fujio killed her.\"\n\n\"Let us first determine whether this woman matches the missing courtesan's description.\" Dr. Ito paused, clearly on the verge of asking Sano what was wrong; but either Sano's expression stopped him, or courtesy precluded prying. \"How old is Wisteria?\"\n\n\"Twenty-four years,\" Sano said. Her age was the one thing she'd told him that he thought he could take as fact." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"This woman was young,\" Dr. Ito said, studying the corpse." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Her flesh is smooth and firm. Twenty-four years is a reasonable estimate of her age.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The similarity in age could be a coincidence, Sano thought; but the spreading hollow in his stomach said otherwise.\n\n\"What is Wisteria's physical size and shape?\" Dr. Ito said.\n\n\"She's small.\" Sano raised his hand at shoulder height, assailed by a memory of embracing Wisteria. He tried to compare his knowledge of her naked body to the dead woman's, but the absence of a face, as well as the bruises and the pall of death, made recognition impossible. He swallowed and forced himself to continue: \"She's slim, with narrow hips and small breasts.\"\n\n\"As is the victim.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Dr. Ito glanced at the part of the woman's body where Sano had avoided looking and said, \"Her pubis is shaved. She was a prostitute.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "So many points of resemblance indicated that the dead woman was Lady Wisteria, even if they weren't final proof. Sano felt his hope that Wisteria was still alive yield to desolation; he turned away from the body.\n\n\"Cover her, Mura-san,\" Dr. Ito said quietly.\n\nWhatever lies Wisteria had told or evils she'd committed, she'd been a proud, courageous woman. Sano recalled her aloof behavior the last time he'd seen her. Might she have had a premonition that her remaining time on earth was short?" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Do you think the hokan killed her?\" Dr. Ito asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"It's hard to imagine Fujio being capable of such brutality. Hirata went to question him this morning. We'll see what happens.\"\n\nSano stared grimly out the window as he pondered the consequences that the second murder held for him. His investigation could now continue, because even if the shogun believed that the killer of his heir had already been punished, he would expect Sano to solve the case of the decapitated woman. New inquiries might turn up new evidence to prove who had killed Lord Mitsuyoshi. Yet this prospect caused Sano dread as well as satisfaction.\n\n\"Mura-san, please leave us,\" Dr. Ito said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The eta complied, and Dr. Ito stood near Sano." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Can I be of further assistance?\" he said gently." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The need to confide overcame Sano's reserve." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I knew her,\" he blurted, then told Dr. Ito his secret. \"It's hard to be objective when the victim could be someone who was once my lover,\" he admitted. \"But if I go on with this investigation, I'll have to keep my mind open to the possibility that the dead woman is Lady Wisteria—and that Wisteria was a murderer.\"\n\nDr. Ito nodded in somber understanding. \"If the treasury minister was innocent, then Wisteria, Fujio, and Momoko are the only suspects left. Wisteria may have stabbed Lord Mitsuyoshi.\"\n\n\"In other words, my former lover killed my lord's heir.\"" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 7 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano felt sicker than ever. \"There's another problem. My wife doesn't know any of this. I never told her about Wisteria and me because I thought it wouldn't matter. But if Reiko keeps on with her inquiries, she may find out that I freed Wisteria and think I haven't told her because I have something to hide.\"\n\nFraught with anxiety, Sano clenched his hands around the window bars. Never had he expected his minor omission to grow into a major threat to his already shaky marriage. \"I wish I'd told her at the start. What should I do now?\"\n\n\"A tiny pebble rolling down a mountain can start a landslide,\" Dr. Ito reminded him. \"I suggest you tell your wife as soon as possible, because the longer you wait, the worse your problems may get.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "expand on the story like Laura Joh Rowland would" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria\n\nAs I sit writing by my window, I look down at the street filled with merrymakers. The potted cherry trees are pink with blossoms whose petals fall like snow. How fleeting is their beauty! And how fleeting was the happiness that I hoped would last forever.\n\nFour years ago I stood beside Sano-san in the parlor of the brothel. He said to the proprietor, \"I redeem Lady Wisteria from her servitude to you.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "His attendants paid a chest of gold coins in exchange for my freedom." }, { "from": "human", "value": "I was so overwhelmed by love for Sano-san that tears poured from my eyes." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His eyes shone with desire for me. We were eager to flee Yoshiwara together, but the departure rituals had to be performed, and such a momentous occasion as the end of my suffering deserved proper celebration.\n\nThe next day I dressed in fine new robes that Sano-san had bought me, then I distributed the farewell gifts he'd provided. My attendants and I promenaded through Yoshiwara, visiting all my friends and giving them packages of boiled rice and red beans. I gave smoked bonito to the teahouses and ageya where I'd entertained clients. All the entertainers and servants received tips from me. Everyone wished me a long, prosperous life." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Then Sano-san and I hosted a lavish banquet." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I was drunk on wine and joy. Ah, to have the powerful, wealthy ssakan-sama as my lover! I would be safe and want for nothing.\n\nAt last we were escorted to the gate. Sano-san helped me into a palanquin. He and his entourage escorted me all the way to Edo. I laughed, sang, and never looked back at the wicked pleasure quarter." }, { "from": "human", "value": "I thought Sano-san would take me to Edo Castle, but we stopped in a neighborhood in Nihonbashi." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His attendants carried my belongings into a house.\n\n\"I rented this place for you,\" Sano-san told me.\n\nThough I was disappointed, I supposed that a man of his rank couldn't marry a courtesan straight out of Yoshiwara; some time must pass before I gained enough respectability to be his wife. And the house would suit me fine until we could live together. It was small, but clean and prettily furnished, and Sano-san had hired servants to wait on me.\n\nI said, \"A thousand thanks for your generosity. Will you stay awhile?\"\n\nHis ardent gaze moved over me. \"Oh, yes.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He drew me close. His hands slipped inside my robes. They fell away. I sighed with delight as he caressed me. I loosened his sash and parted his garments and unwound his loincloth. His organ sprang erect. Dropping to my knees, I worshipped him with my mouth. I licked and sucked and stroked him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He threw back his head, moaning, growing larger and harder." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He raised me and led me to the bed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He sat propped against the cushions, and I straddled him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I rode him slowly and gently, then faster and harder. We breathed and moaned together. As he grabbed my hips and thrust into me with mounting urgency, I leaned toward him and pressed my mouth to his.\n\nI had taught Sano-san and many other men this lewd, exotic technique. The warm, wet joining of our lips, tongue, and spit drove him wild. He bucked, shouting as he released inside me. His rapture brought on mine." }, { "from": "human", "value": "I floated on waves of ecstasy." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 1 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "We were one, our bodies and spirits inseparable." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Mode: Collab writing\nAmount: 6 sentences\nVoice: Laura Joh Rowland" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Revulsion halted Reiko's reading. She uttered a sound of indignant denial. This wasn't her husband described in the pillow book. The Sano she knew was good and kind, not mean nor violent as the story portrayed him. He would never mistreat a helpless woman nor take pleasure in forcing himself on her. But doubt eroded Reiko's disbelief." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She realized how little she knew about Sano's relations with other people." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His personality might have a different side that he kept hidden while at home." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Nor did Reiko know anything about women in his past. She'd never wanted to find out and shatter her fancy that Sano had never loved a woman until her. Now her ignorance left her defenseless against suspicion, and her inexperience with men made her a poor judge of male character.\n\nHad Sano really spoken so disparagingly of her to Lady Wisteria?\n\nHad he indeed loved Wisteria and meant to keep her as his mistress after he married?\n\nReiko swallowed the sickness that rose in her throat." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Bracing herself, she resumed reading.\n\nWe quarreled again and again. My rage annoyed Sano-san, but I couldn't give up trying to convince him to break his engagement, even though nagging would drive him away.\n\nThe day before his wedding, I made such a scene that he left in disgust. And he didn't come back. A month passed. I thought my heart would break from missing him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Another month went by, and the landlord threatened to evict me because Sano-san hadn't paid the rent." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The servants left because they hadn't received their wages, and I had to feed myself on tea and noodles from a nearby stall. The little money Sano-san had left me was running out. I wrote his name on a paper and hid it, but the old charm didn't work. Sano-san didn't come. I would starve to death in the streets!\n\nThen one night three months after his marriage, as I huddled over a fire made from the last of my coal, the door opened, and there he was. I was so overjoyed that I threw myself into his arms and wept." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano-san laughed. \"This is a nice welcome. Maybe I should have stayed away longer.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His mocking hurt, but he made love to me with such ardor that I knew he'd missed me. He also paid the landlord, rehired the servants, and gave me money. His visits resumed, and I realized that unless I wanted to lose him entirely, I shouldn't nag him. I must use better means of persuading him to divorce his wife and marry me.\n\nWhenever he was with me, I dedicated myself to his satisfaction. I caressed the nether region between his buttocks with my tongue." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I paid a hunter to bring me a live wolf and hold it while I coupled with it and Sano-san watched. Often I would hire young girls to join us in the bedchamber. When we were apart, I worked a charm to make him faithful to me. I drew a picture of his private parts and boiled it with sake, vinegar, soy sauce, tooth-blackening dye, dirt, and lamp wick. But a year passed, and although Sano-san always came back to me, I seemed destined to spend my life on the fringes of his.\n\nStill, I forced myself to be patient, even on the night when he said his wife had just given birth to their son." }, { "from": "human", "value": "This was proof that he bedded his wife even though he said he didn't love her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "How jealous and miserable I was that she had borne him a child, while my love for him was barren! And the child bound him more tightly to her, dividing us.\n\nBut I smiled and congratulated Sano-san and hid my feelings. Patience and perseverance were my only hope of winning him, and eventually they paid off.\n\nIt was in the year that the child was born, during the month of leaves, while Sano-san and I sat on the roof viewing the full moon. He was in a thoughtful frame of mind." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "i'll kick things off by writing a bit, then you'll take over and write the next one sentence in the distinctive voice of Laura Joh Rowland." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Various inquiries took Sano from Edo Morgue to the palace, to the official quarter and daimyo district, and finally to Yoshiwara." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Now a sentry at the gate clapped two wooden blocks together to signal midnight and curfew." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lanterns still blazed along the streets; hawkers called customers to teahouses and brothels; samurai and commoners still loitered, flirting with courtesans in the window cages." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Gay music spangled the air." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A small group of men who didn't want to spend the whole night in Yoshiwara streamed out a small door in the gate." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Among these were Sano, Hirata, and the eight detectives they'd brought." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As they rode along the dark causeway toward the city, Sano and Hirata exchanged news." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The woman we found in Fujio's house was beaten to death,\" Sano said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"She may or may not be Lady Wisteria.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "But he'd grown more certain that the dead woman was indeed the courtesan." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Fujio may not be the killer.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hirata described how he'd interviewed, then arrested the hokan." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Today I talked to his wife, in-laws, friends, and mistress. They confirmed that he was with them when he says he was. Unless they're lying, he couldn't have committed murder in the hills.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Maybe Fujio didn't kill Lord Mitsuyoshi either. Maybe Treasury Minister Nitta was guilty, and a third party murdered Wisteria.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano had difficulty believing that the murders were unconnected." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Still, he couldn't ignore the possibility." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I've checked the stories I heard from the Council of Elders and other officials,\" he said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"It's been hard to investigate Mitsuyoshi's background without appearing to do so. But I learned that Lord Dakuemon and several other men mentioned to me were in Yoshiwara the night of Mitsuyoshi's murder. Some are former clients of Lady Wisteria. The next step is to determine where they were during the time between Wisteria's disappearance and the discovery of the body.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "This would be simple if not for the shogun's orders." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano regretted that he couldn't directly interrogate the new suspects instead of working through spies and informants, a laborious, time-consuming process." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"If the killer isn't Fujio or a bakufu official, there's still Lady Wisteria's Hokkaido lover,\" Hirata said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"But no one in Yoshiwara seems to know anything about him, and I haven't gotten any response to the notices I posted.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano gripped the reins; the icy wind penetrated his garments as his horse's hooves pounded the ground under him." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The landscape of fields and starlit sky flowed past, so unchanging that he couldn't gauge the progress of his journey.\n\n\"Things will look more promising after a good night's rest,\" he said." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Job: User writes start, you add ~6 sentences sentences. Style: Laura Joh Rowland" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Now Reiko did remember." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She also remembered the passage in the book that she'd overlooked because she'd been too upset to read objectively." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A rush of confused emotions made her feel faint. Stunned, she turned to Sano.\n\n\"Yes,\" she said, and heard breathless relief in her voice.\n\nHer distrust and his confession had transformed her husband into a stranger capable of adultery and treason; but now Sano looked his familiar self. An encouraging smile dawned through the worry on his face.\n\n\"The shogun had given you a holiday that month,\" she said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You took Masahiro-chan and me on a religious pilgrimage.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The temple where they'd stayed was a three-day journey from Edo, their holiday had lasted ten days total, and therefore Sano could not have gone to Wisteria in Nihonbashi at any time near the full moon." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"After you put Masahiro-chan to bed, you and I watched the moon from the garden,\" Sano said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"And we made love there.\" The tears Reiko had been holding back now spilled. She wept with gladness that one small, false detail had shown the pillow book to be an elaborate lie, and shame that she'd not immediately recognized it as such. \"Will you forgive me for doubting you?\"\n\n\"If you forgive me for keeping a secret I should have told you,\" Sano said.\n\nHe looked so earnest and chagrined that Reiko's lingering anger melted away." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Unaware of whether she moved toward him, or he toward her, she found herself and Sano embracing. She felt her sobs resonate through him, and the wetness on her cheek that could have been her tears or his. Sano's hands caressed her with a tenderness that she could tell Lady Wisteria had never known from him. Her body responded with a welling of desire. His breath quickened and his grasp on her tightened.\n\nLovemaking would have followed, but they moved apart because they had serious matters to discuss." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Reiko heated a vessel of sake, and they knelt with the pillow book and the tray of cups before them.\n\n\"If Wisteria didn't write the book, who did?\" Reiko said, pouring the steaming liquor.\n\nSano's expression turned grim as he accepted a cup. \"I can think of one person who would like me implicated in the murder and branded a traitor.\"\n\n\"Yoriki Hoshina?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano nodded. \"Hoshina knows about the pillow book, and what it looks like, because he heard Wisteria's kamuro describe it to me. Maybe he forged his own version and had it delivered anonymously to Chamberlain Yanagisawa. After that, all he had to do was wait.\"\n\n\"For the chamberlain to use the book against you?\" Reiko warmed her hands on her cup of sake before she drank. \"But what about your truce with him?\"\n\n\"The truce wouldn't protect me in this case,\" Sano said. He drained his cupful and poured himself another." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"No matter if Yanagisawa wants us to remain at peace, he couldn't ignore evidence that I insulted and plotted against the shogun or had reason to kill Lord Mitsuyoshi. He would have to give the book to the shogun, whether he believes I'm guilty or not.\"\n\nNow Reiko understood. \"For him to shield a possible traitor would make him a traitor as well.\"\n\n\"He might hesitate to act if he were the only one who knew about the evidence,\" Sano said, \"but he's not. The author of the book also knows. And the author knows that Yanagisawa received the book. While Yanagisawa and I are no longer at war, we're not exactly friends. He would never conceal the book and endanger himself for my sake. And Hoshina knows how his lover thinks. He's been looking for a way to attack me.\" Sano eyed the pillow book. \"That must be his doing.\"\n\nIn spite of the strong reasons to believe Hoshina had written the book, a different possibility occurred to Reiko." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"If Hoshina isn't the author...\" Her voice trailed off because the idea seemed at once plausible and outlandish." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Do you have someone else in mind?\" Sano said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I'm thinking of Lady Yanagisawa,\" Reiko said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano regarded her with surprise." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"How could she have known Wisteria had written a pillow book, or that it was missing?\"\n\n\"Maybe she overheard the chamberlain and Hoshina discussing the case.\"\n\n\"Even if she did, how would she have known what to write?\"\n\nReiko saw that he didn't think Lady Yanagisawa could be familiar with Yoshiwara customs, what went on between prostitutes and clients, or political ploys. \"Yoriki Hoshina might have learned about you and Wisteria from metsuke spies, but women have their own ways of finding out things,\" Reiko said. \"Maybe Wisteria told her friends or clients about her affair with you, and gossip traveled from Yoshiwara to Edo Castle, where Lady Yanagisawa heard it from her servants. She must also hear plenty that the chamberlain and his men say about bakufu business.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"That's possible. But the story in the book seems so real that the author must be a clever writer and have experience with the situations in it,\" Sano said. \"That description would fit Hoshina better than Lady Yanagisawa.\"\n\n\"I think she's smart enough to write a good story,\" Reiko said, \"and imagination can make up for lack of experience.\"\n\nSano's expression conveyed doubt. \"Supposing Lady Yanagisawa did manufacture the pillow book, she could have also invented the story about the anonymous package to fool you. But you said she wants to be your friend. Why, then, would she try to hurt you by writing slander about me?\"\n\nHere Reiko's logic foundered." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I don't have a good reason. But Lady Yanagisawa is odd. I don't like the way she looks at me, or the way she sought my acquaintance at this particular time.\"\n\nInstinct told Reiko that the chamberlain's wife had befriended her for some secret, nefarious purpose. But instinct had also encouraged her to trust a suspect in the Black Lotus murders, and to doubt Sano's fidelity to her and loyalty to the shogun. Reiko was more afraid than ever that the Black Lotus investigation had permanently damaged her judgment.\n\nShe saw her fear reflected on Sano's face. He said, \"If Lady Yanagisawa does want to get me in trouble, why did she do you the favor of bringing you the book instead of leaving it for her husband and letting matters take their course?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Reiko sighed in dejection." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I don't know.\" Yet her suspicions about the chamberlain's wife nagged at her. Wishing she'd kept them to herself, she changed the subject: \"If the second pillow book is a forgery, then maybe the book Hirata found is Lady Wisteria's genuine one. Nothing in the first book has proved to be untrue, even though we haven't been able to find the Hokkaido man. What are you going to do about the second pillow book?\"\n\nSano picked up the volume and weighed it in his hand for a moment, his expression perturbed. \"I hate to destroy evidence. But the only information in here is false information about me.\"\n\n\"There may be clues we don't recognize yet,\" Reiko said. \"And the fact that the book says you plotted treason on a night for which you have an alibi reveals that the story is slander. You may need the book as proof of your innocence.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Maybe.\" Still, Sano was more certain of the book's threat to him than willing to bet it would turn out to be useful." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"But whether the book has any value, it's too dangerous to keep.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He untied the ribbon binding and fed the pages one by one into the brazier. They flamed, shriveled, and blackened. At last Sano laid the lavender covers and green ribbon on the coals.\n\n\"I wish I could believe this is the end of the matter,\" Reiko said, opening a window to clear out the smoke.\n\n\"So do I,\" said Sano, \"but unfortunately, it's not. Whoever wrote that book will be waiting for Chamberlain Yanagisawa to act on it and me to be ruined. When that doesn't happen, he'll know his plan went wrong.\"\n\n\"And try again to implicate you in the murders?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano nodded. \"I must find out who the author is before he manufactures more false evidence against me. And I must find out as soon as possible who killed Lord Mitsuyoshi, so that if suspicion does fall on me, I can prove I didn't do it.\"" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 3 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The second pillow book complicated the investigation and raised the price of failure; yet Reiko tried to be optimistic. \"We're safe for now,\" she said. \"Maybe the author of the book is the murderer of Lord Mitsuyoshi and Lady Wisteria. If that's true, we need to find only one person to solve the case and avoid danger.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Task: Cooperative storytelling\nMy role: Provide a brief opening\nYour role: Expand upon my opening with 2 sentences, emulating the writing style of Laura Joh Rowland." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When Sano arrived in the shogun's reception hall, he found the Council of Elders aligned in their customary two rows on the upper level of the floor. The shogun sat on the dais, with Chamberlain Yanagisawa kneeling below at his right and Police Commissioner Hoshina at his left." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Tokugawa Tsunayoshi looked ill, his features fragile as crumpled paper, his eyes rimmed with red and shadowed underneath." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Trembling visibly, he glared at Sano.\n\nDread chilled Sano as he knelt and bowed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Just as he'd feared, the shogun was furious with him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"How could you?\" demanded Tokugawa Tsunayoshi." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"After all I've, ahh, given you, after I've trusted you, how could you do such a, ahh, cruel, disgraceful thing?\"\n\n\"A million apologies for displeasing you, Your Excellency.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Quaking, Sano tried to stay calm. \"I couldn't let Magistrate Aoki condemn the treasury minister and end the investigation while there was a strong chance that Nitta was innocent.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Of course Nitta was innocent!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The shogun's voice rose to a high pitch of hysteria." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As Sano listened in surprise, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi said, \"He didn't kill my cousin. You did!\"\n\nSano felt shock resonate through his body." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The shogun was accusing him?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "What was going on? Aghast, he looked around at the other men, and his gaze lit on Hoshina." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"The ssakan-sama appears bewildered, Your Excellency.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hoshina's expression was smug, gloating." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"If I may enlighten him?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Tokugawa Tsunayoshi nodded as a sob wracked his body. Hoshina said to Sano, \"I've located the missing pillow book of Lady Wisteria. It contains a description of a sordid love affair between her and you." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She wrote that you used her for pleasure, then mistreated her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She also wrote that you called His Excellency a despicable idiot, and you intended to murder Lord Mitsuyoshi so His Excellency would adopt your son as his successor.\n\n\"I showed the book to the Honorable Chamberlain. We agreed that we must show it to His Excellency, and we have done so.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Yanagisawa inclined his head, silently concurring with his lover." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Alarm and confusion beset Sano. Lady Yanagisawa had told Reiko that her husband had gotten the book from an anonymous sender." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Had she lied, or had Hoshina secretly opened the package, then pretended he'd found the book somewhere, to impress his superiors?\n\nBut however the book had come to light, the shogun had read it before Lady Yanagisawa stole it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her attempt to do Reiko a favor had failed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano had destroyed the book too late, and Hoshina had used it against him.\n\n\"I have never insulted His Excellency,\" Sano said, his panic balanced by anger at his foe." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Nor have I ever expressed threats toward Lord Mitsuyoshi. I didn't kill him, and I'm not plotting to put my son in power. The book is a fraud.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hoshina gave him a cocksure smile. \"Residents of the Great Miura brothel have identified it as Lady Wisteria's.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Did you bribe them? Or did you threaten to kill them unless they said what you wanted? You wrote the book yourself, to ruin me.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano grew certain this was true. \"Admit it!\"\n\nThe shogun's puzzled gaze flicked from Sano to Hoshina, who said ruefully, \"I'm not the author of the book. The ssakan-sama is trying to save himself by accusing me.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Let's examine this book and compare the calligraphy to yours.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Knowing the book was in ashes, Sano hoped that forcing Hoshina to admit it no longer existed would lessen the harm it could do him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The book has vanished,\" Hoshina said, unperturbed.\n\n\"How convenient for you that no one can scrutinize it too closely,\" Sano said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hoshina's gaze rebuked him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"How much more convenient for you if you'd had it stolen before we read it instead of afterward.\"\n\nHoshina dared frame him for theft along with murder and treason!" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I didn't know the book had turned up until now,\" Sano said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"How could I have stolen it?\" Yet he feared everyone could see through his pretended ignorance." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He addressed the shogun: \"Even though you're understandably upset by what the book said about me, please consider that there's no other evidence that anything in it happened.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"That is, ahh, true.\" Realization eclipsed the anger on Tokugawa Tsunayoshi's countenance." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You've always been loyal to me in the past. And the, ahh, man in the story was a cad who didn't, ahh, resemble you at all.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "His unexpected good sense relieved Sano, but Hoshina said, \"The affair between the ssakan-sama and Lady Wisteria was verified by my informants. And here's a page of the account book from the brothel, showing a sum paid by Sano Ichir for the discharge of Lady Wisteria.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hoshina held up a paper.\n\n\"That proves nothing except that I freed her,\" Sano said, appalled by the thoroughness of Hoshina's effort to authenticate the book." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Any verified detail lends credibility to the others,\" Hoshina said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Besides, I've located the house where Wisteria lived after she left Yoshiwara. The neighbors say she had a samurai lover. Their description of him fits the ssakan-sama. They also say that he and Wisteria quarreled frequently and violently, as the book describes.\"\n\nSano couldn't admit he'd visited Wisteria at all, and make himself look guiltier." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I never quarreled with her. Either those witnesses are lying, or you are,\" he told Hoshina." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Your evidence is slander woven from a few innocuous facts!\"\n\nThe shogun recoiled from Sano's vehemence." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"See how he rages when someone irks him,\" Hoshina said to the assembly, his face alight with vindication." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"This is the bad temper that caused him to hurt Lady Wisteria.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Further incensed, Sano looked at the chamberlain. Yanagisawa met his gaze with a warning expression that said their truce didn't make them allies and Hoshina had free rein here." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The elders watched with a detachment that fueled Sano's anger." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They expected him to destroy their enemies for them, at his own risk, and now they were doing nothing to help him. The contemptible wretches!\n\nStifling an impulse to rage at them, Sano mustered his self-control." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He said to the shogun, \"That Police Commissioner Hoshina has demonstrated an association between Lady Wisteria and me isn't proof that I'm a murderer or traitor.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"That the ssakan-sama attempted to conceal the association indicates that he's guilty,\" Hoshina said quickly.\n\nSano turned on his foe." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Just when does the book say I plotted against His Excellency and Lord Mitsuyoshi? Or is the story as vague about dates as it is untrue?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Caution narrowed Hoshina's eyes. \"Lady Wisteria marked the date as Genroku Year Five, the seventh month, on the night of the full moon.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You mean you did. When you wrote the book, you made the mistake of specifying an exact time. My wife will swear that I was with her that night,\" Sano said.\n\n\"I certainly did not write the book. And the wife of a liar is no more honest than he,\" Hoshina scoffed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Everyone knows Lady Reiko is very fond of her husband and would do or say anything to protect him. She's an untrustworthy witness.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Do you have any witness at all who can confirm that I said the things in the book?\" Sano demanded.\n\n\"Your Excellency, the only witness to his statements was Lady Wisteria, who's been murdered. Her body was discovered the night before last.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The crime hadn't escaped the notice of Hoshina and his spies." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"How convenient for the ssakan-sama that she can't speak against him.\" Hoshina flashed a sardonic glance at Sano." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"The body may not even be Wisteria,\" Sano said, \"and it was found in a house belonging to Fujio the hokan. He's the primary suspect in that murder, and also in Lord Mitsuyoshi's. There are other suspects, including Wisteria's chaperone, and maybe more we don't know about because the investigation isn't finished.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The investigation has been controlled by the ssakan-sama from the start,\" Hoshina said with disdain. \"The suspects he mentions are only people who can't prove their innocence. He persecuted them to shield himself.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You were the one who arrested Momoko,\" Sano pointed out." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Because he tricked me into it,\" Hoshina told the shogun. \"He even defended Treasury Minister Nitta at his trial to make everyone believe he cares about justice." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "But his investigation is a farce, and his good character a disguise.\n\n\"Lady Wisteria wrote in her pillow book that she wanted to force the ssakan-sama to marry her. He gave her the weapon she needed when he insulted Your Excellency and threatened Lord Mitsuyoshi. It's obvious that Wisteria tried to blackmail the ssakan-sama, and he killed her so she could never tell anyone what he'd said. He's a traitor who killed once to place his son in line for the succession, and again to cover up his crime.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Indeed.\" Tokugawa Tsunayoshi glowered at Sano.\n\nSano felt the escalating pulse of panic along his nerves." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Whatever he said in his own defense, Hoshina twisted to make him appear guiltier. Terrified by the nightmare that enmeshed him, furious at Hoshina, the elders, the shogun, and the injustice he faced, Sano resorted to guile, his only means of survival." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Your Excellency,\" Sano said, \"please allow me to remind everyone here that you are the ultimate authority. Your wisdom and powers of judgment surpass those of lesser humans. Police Commissioner Hoshina owes you an apology for trying to impose his feeble opinions on you.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Dismay wiped the self-satisfaction off Hoshina's face. \"He's trying to flatter you into thinking better of him and worse of me, Your Excellency.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "But the shogun, clearly eager for praise, frowned in resentment at Hoshina and waved a hand to silence him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Go on,\" Tokugawa Tsunayoshi ordered Sano.\n\n\"You are a judicious ruler with a unique ability to distinguish right from wrong. Would you condemn a man just because a mere subordinate said you should?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano went on, though ashamed of manipulating his lord." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Would you let the real killer go free because Hoshina-san wants me blamed for Lord Mitsuyoshi's murder?\"\n\nWhile Hoshina stared in helpless outrage, indecision creased the shogun's brow." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I, ahh, guess not,\" the shogun said, looking to Sano for approval." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Of course you wouldn't.\" Heartened that he'd gained the upper hand, Sano said, \"Your strong sense of honor requires more than just a book of dubious origin and Hoshina-san's accusations before you decide whether a man you've trusted is a criminal. You require facts.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Facts. Ahh, yes.\" The shogun seized upon the word, as though delighted to see a complex situation reduced to one simple idea." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Then his face clouded with confusion. \"But how do I get them? What, ahh, shall I do?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Since you ask my humble opinion,\" Sano said, \"I suggest that you order me to continue investigating the murders until I find the real culprit and prove my claim that I am innocent and have been framed by my enemies.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Enlightenment cleared the confusion from the shogun's face; but before he could speak, Hoshina said, \"Please excuse me, Your Excellency, but the ssakan-sama mustn't be allowed to search out an innocent person to blame for his crimes.\" Hoshina's tone was fervent, desperate." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"If you agree to what he asks, you'll be abetting the man who killed your cousin!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"In the interest of fairness, Police Commissioner Hoshina should be permitted to look for evidence that I'm guilty,\" Sano said.\n\nHoshina's mouth opened in incredulity." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The shogun considered. He looked toward Chamberlain Yanagisawa, whose shoulders moved in a slight shrug that disclaimed responsibility for the decision. The shogun then turned to the elders, but they sat still and impassive, like trees motionless until the prevailing wind blows." }, { "from": "human", "value": "At last Tokugawa Tsunayoshi nodded." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"That sounds, ahh, reasonable,\" he said. The elders also nodded, their heads moving in unison." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano experienced a deluge of relief that didn't quench his rage at everyone in the room." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He'd won a chance to save himself, but it was far less than he deserved." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Indignant, Hoshina turned to Yanagisawa. The chamberlain looked straight at Sano." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Was that respect, and a gleam of amusement in Yanagisawa's eyes?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano had learned from the chamberlain's example how to manipulate the shogun. Did Yanagisawa enjoy watching Sano stoop to his own level?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano suddenly understood why Yanagisawa didn't care who had killed Lord Mitsuyoshi—or if the killer was caught—and chose to stay out of the argument. Yanagisawa had his mind on the future rather than the immediate controversy." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Tokugawa Tsunayoshi flapped a hand at Sano and Hoshina." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I, ahh, order you both to go and do what Ssakan Sano suggested. But remember this.\" He focused his bloodshot eyes on Hoshina." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 3 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"If you fail to prove that Sano-san is guilty, you will be punished for, ahh, slandering him.\" The shogun's warning gaze moved to Sano. \"And unless you prove your innocence, you will be executed for killing my heir.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "I'll be your writing partner today. I will set the scene, and you will continue the story with 2 sentences, channeling the voice and techniques of Laura Joh Rowland." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hands upturned, body slumped, and his expression tragic, Fujio let his last note fade in the silence. Then a thunder of cheers, applause, and sobbing burst from the women." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Fujio bowed. Magistrate Aoki looked irritated by the spectacle." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 3 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I pronounce you guilty of murder and sentence you to death by decapitation,\" he said.\n\nAs the guards escorted Fujio out of the room, the women followed him in a wailing, sobbing procession.\n\nHirata dreaded telling Sano that their last two suspects would be dead before they could resume the investigation." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Mode:\nCo-writing\n\nLength:\nsix sentences\n\nStyle:\nLaura Joh Rowland" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Inside his private chamber, Sano sat wrapped in a quilt, drinking a hot herbal infusion that Reiko had given him to restore his spirits, while she knelt watching anxiously.\n\n\"I'm sorry,\" he said.\n\nAnd he was sorry—for saying deplorable things; for succumbing to emotion and displaying weakness; for destroying the bush in a fit of undignified temper; for scaring Reiko. He hadn't realized how much bad will had built up inside him. Releasing it had given him an exhilarating sense of freedom; but now, although he felt more peaceful than he had in ages, he was deeply ashamed. And nothing had changed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The shogun still suspected him of murdering Lord Mitsuyoshi; Police Commissioner Hoshina was still determined to incriminate him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "If he wanted to survive, Sano mustn't lose his self-control again.\n\n\"Do you really mean to give up your post?\" Reiko asked, her manner still troubled.\n\n\"No.\" Sano's moment of rebellion had passed. He had nowhere to go, and he couldn't sacrifice his honor or his family's future. Nor could he sacrifice the vocation that was his path along the Way of the Warrior, the strict code of duty, obedience, and courage by which samurai lived." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Then what will you do?\" Reiko said.\n\n\"I'll find the real killer, prove my innocence, and regain the shogun's trust.\" Determination and a desire for justice rekindled in Sano. \"It will be hard, because all the clues have so far led nowhere, but there's still hope.\"\n\nHe and Reiko looked up as Hirata appeared in the doorway. \"Sumimasen—excuse me, but there's bad news.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Visibly distraught, Hirata said, \"Magistrate Aoki just convicted Fujio of murdering Lady Wisteria, and Momoko as an accomplice. They've been taken to the execution ground.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Reiko murmured in dismay. Sano had anticipated Fujio's conviction when he'd heard Magistrate Aoki had convened the trial, but Momoko's took him by surprise.\n\n\"Come in. Sit down and explain,\" Sano said to Hirata.\n\nHirata complied, and Sano marveled that the magistrate had based the verdict on a story he'd invented and couldn't prove. After Hirata had finished, Sano said, \"This seems to be the day for bad news,\" then told Hirata what had happened to him.\n\n\"All three of our suspects are gone.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hirata's face reflected his horror." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"That leaves you as the only target for the shogun's wrath.\"\n\nSano perceived cosmic forces shifting and heard the approaching thunder of doom as the onus settled upon him.\n\nReiko said, \"Maybe Fujio, Momoko, or Treasury Minister Nitta did murder Lord Mitsuyoshi. They're still good suspects and worth investigating even if they're no longer alive.\"\n\n\"We can still look for proof of their guilt,\" Hirata said, following up her attempt to look on the bright side.\n\n\"And hope that it exists,\" Sano said, \"because I'm afraid that if we can't find a witness or some solid evidence that points to someone other than me, the only thing that will convince the shogun I'm innocent is the killer's confession. Which would be difficult to get from a dead person.\"\n\nHis companions nodded in glum agreement." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Then Hirata spoke hesitantly: \"Police Commissioner Hoshina isn't above falsifying evidence against you. That second pillow book stank of him. He's sure to invent more 'proof' that you're a traitor.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano pursed his mouth, aware that Hirata meant they should follow Hoshina's example and fabricate evidence against Fujio, Momoko, or the treasury minister to save Sano." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Understanding flashed in Reiko's eyes. \"False incrimination is less harmful to a dead person than to a live one,\" she said with cautious hope.\n\nThat Hirata and Reiko would even consider such dishonesty meant they were at a loss for what else to do. \"It's already occurred to me,\" Sano admitted. \"But I'm not desperate enough to frame someone who might be innocent, whether the person is alive or dead. Especially since there's a whole area of inquiry that we haven't yet explored.\"\n\n\"What's left?\" Reiko said, puzzled." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Lord Mitsuyoshi himself,\" Sano said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hirata frowned. \"The shogun forbade you to investigate his background.\"\n\n\"And I would hate to disobey.\" At the very thought of defying his lord, Sano tasted nauseating disgrace. \"But Mitsuyoshi represents a direct connection to the killer. Investigating him and his associates should produce new clues. And what are the alternatives?\n\n\"We can keep on investigating Fujio, Momoko, and Nitta, and maybe find new evidence on territory we've already covered. We can hope for new suspects to emerge, and Wisteria's lover from Hokkaido to turn up, or Police Commissioner Hoshina to drop dead.\" Sano watched Reiko and Hirata shake their heads, doubting the likelihood of these events." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 7 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We can pray for a miracle.\"\n\n\"Investigating Lord Mitsuyoshi does seem the most promising course of action,\" Reiko said.\n\n\"The shogun will punish you for insubordination,\" Hirata reminded Sano.\n\n\"I'll risk that because he'll put me to death unless I prove my innocence,\" Sano said.\n\n\"Maybe he'll forgive you when he realizes you're not a traitor,\" Hirata suggested hopefully.\n\nThe odds against Sano outweighed those in his favor. He said, \"Maybe we can solve the case without the shogun finding out I've disobeyed him—and before Hoshina or our other enemies can cause us any more trouble.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Expand the story by adding 8 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hirata arrived in Yoshiwara with two of Sano's detectives, when the evening's festivities were already in full sway. They interviewed the courtesans whom Lord Mitsuyoshi had tricked into believing he would marry them, but all three had been able to prove they'd been elsewhere the night Mitsuyoshi died at the Owariya. When Hirata and his companions left the brothel, the rain had ceased; wet roof tiles and streets reflected the lanterns in streaks of gold. Servants hauling trays of food from cookhouses to banquets rushed through the noisy crowds. Maids led clients to the brothels; a vendor sold rice crackers mixed with love poems. As Hirata neared the Owariya, a courtesan and her entourage promenaded up to the door. He experienced a peculiar illusion that he'd been transported backward in time, and the courtesan was Lady Wisteria, arriving for her appointment with Lord Mitsuyoshi.\n\nThe illusion grew stronger when Hirata entered the ageya and found a party in progress." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The guests weren't the same men who'd been here when Mitsuyoshi died, and the hokan singing for them wasn't Fujio, but Hirata recognized the courtesans he'd interviewed the morning after the crime. A magic door to the past had opened, and his heart beat quicker with a premonition that he would discover new, important evidence tonight.\n\nThe proprietor circulated through the parlor, chatting with guests. Hirata walked over to the squat, gray-haired man.\n\n\"Greetings,\" the proprietor said, smiling uneasily. \"How may I serve you?\"\n\n\"I want to know if you or your staff have remembered anything more about the night of Lord Mitsuyoshi's death,\" Hirata said.\n\nThe man winced and looked around the room, obviously loath to spoil the festivities with talk of murder." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I already told you. I was busy with the guests. I didn't see or hear anything unusual. I wish I could help you, but I can't. I'm sorry.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hirata and the detectives questioned the courtesans and servants." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "One after another said they didn't remember anything more. Hirata thought longingly of Midori, and their marriage seemed more impossible than ever. Then, as he pondered his next move, he felt someone watching him. He turned and saw, standing in a doorway leading to the rear of the house, a little girl dressed in a pine-leaf-patterned kimono. Their gazes met, and Hirata recognized Chidori, the kamuro who'd waited on Lady Wisteria. Fright blanched her face. She whirled and fled. Instinctively Hirata bolted after her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She ran down a dim, cold hall and swerved to avoid a man rolling a wine barrel out of a storeroom." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hirata passed maids working in a kitchen as he called, \"Chidori-chan! Stop!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The hall ended at a closed door. Chidori tried to pull it open, but it stuck firm. She stood with her back pressed against the door and helplessly faced Hirata, her eyes and mouth round with terror.\n\n\"Don't be afraid.\" Hirata halted several paces from her and lifted his hands in a calming gesture. Loud music and laughter rang out from the party. \"I won't hurt you.\"\n\nChidori must have gleaned reassurance from his manner, because her frozen stance relaxed.\n\n\"Why did you run?\" Hirata said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I—I heard you asking questions,\" she whispered.\n\nAn internal stimulus alerted Hirata that here was a witness with information he needed. \"Do you know something about Lord Mitsuyoshi's murder that you haven't told us?\"\n\nThe kamuro looked away, biting her lips. \"I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt!\"\n\n\"I know you didn't,\" Hirata said, but he regarded her with consternation. Had she stabbed Lord Mitsuyoshi? Was this what she'd concealed, and the reason she'd run away just now?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her little teeth were stained with lip rouge, and tears slid down the white makeup on her thin cheeks. She was just a child.\n\n\"He told me that unless I did what he said, he would hurt me,\" Chidori wailed.\n\n\"Who are you talking about?\" Hirata said, puzzled.\n\nA word escaped Chidori in a rush of breath: \"Lightning.\"\n\n\"Who is Lightning?\" As he asked, Hirata's pulse raced. This was a name that hadn't yet arisen in connection with the murder. Chidori had implicated a potential new suspect who had so far evaded detection." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hirata crouched before the kamuro, placing his hands on her shoulders." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The bones felt fragile as a bird's." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Tell me,\" he urged." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Chidori shook her head so hard that her limp hair flopped." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I can't. He made me promise not to tell. I'm afraid of him.\"\n\n\"Don't worry. I'll protect you,\" Hirata said.\n\nShe looked around to make sure nobody else was near, then mumbled, \"He's Lady Wisteria's lover.\"\n\n\"You mean one of her clients?\"\n\n\"No. He never had appointments. He never paid for her. The master didn't know about him and Wisteria. Nobody did, except me.\" Now Chidori spoke eagerly, as if relieved to confess. \"They made me help them meet in secret.\"\n\nHirata rose upright as surprise struck him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Is this man from Hokkaido?\"\n\n\"I don't know where he's from.\"\n\nStill, Hirata thought he'd at last picked up the trail of the secret lover described in the first pillow book, which must be the genuine one. Whether the man came from Hokkaido didn't matter—Wisteria could have altered details about him to disguise his identity.\n\n\"Tell me how you helped Lightning and Wisteria meet,\" Hirata said.\n\n\"I was supposed to watch for him,\" Chidori said. \"He would come and stand in the street in front of the house, and whenever I saw him, I would tell Lady Wisteria. That night she would put sleeping potion in her client's drink. I would go outside every so often to check her window for the signal. After her client fell asleep, she wrapped a red cloth around the lantern in her room so the light would look red. When Lightning saw it, he would go to the back door of the ageya. I would make sure no one was around, then let him in.\"\n\nAnd he'd made love to Wisteria while her clients slumbered, just as she'd written in the book, Hirata thought." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I didn't want to do it,\" Chidori blurted. \"Courtesans aren't supposed to entertain men for free. I shouldn't have helped Lady Wisteria break the rules. My master would beat me if he ever caught me disobeying. Once I told Lady Wisteria that I wasn't going to help her anymore because I didn't want to get hurt. The next time Lightning came—\"\n\nShe shuddered, and her hands clutched the front of her kimono. \"I pretended I didn't see him. I didn't open the door. In the morning, when I went to the market, he chased me into an alley. He said he was going to teach me a lesson.\" Chidori turned her face away from Hirata, opened her kimono, and whispered, \"He did this.\"\n\nAn ugly red scar ran down the center of the girl's bony chest to her navel. Hirata winced in sympathy. \"So you knew his threat was serious. Did you let Lightning in the ageya the night of the murder?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Eyes downcast in misery, the kamuro closed her robe and nodded." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The illusion of venturing back in time recaptured Hirata." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He pictured Chidori opening the door, and the blurred figure of a man slipping into the house.\n\n\"What happened when you let him in?\" Hirata said.\n\n\"He said that if I told anyone he'd been there, he would kill me. Then he went upstairs. I went back to work.\"\n\nHirata listened to the hokan performing a lewd song, and the party guests roaring with laughter. In his mind he saw Wisteria embrace her lover while Mitsuyoshi lay unconscious. He felt the residue of passion and violence left by the murder.\n\n\"That's all I know,\" said Chidori, and Hirata knew she was telling the truth. A sob burst from her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Are you going to arrest me?\"\n\n\"No,\" Hirata assured her. \"Lightning forced you to obey him. You're not responsible for the murder.\"\n\n\"But if I hadn't let him in, maybe Lord Mitsuyoshi would still be alive.\"\n\nThat was possible, but Hirata said, \"His death wasn't your fault. Whoever killed him is to blame.\" The murderer could be Wisteria, Treasury Minister Nitta, Fujio, or some yet unidentified person, but Hirata would bet on Lightning. A man who would cut a little girl was brutal enough to have stabbed Lord Mitsuyoshi.\n\n\"Tell me everything you know about Lightning,\" said Hirata." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Does he have another name?\"\n\nChidori puckered her brow in an effort to recall. \"Not that I ever heard.\"\n\n\"What does he look like?\"\n\n\"He's not very tall. But strong.\" The girl spread her arms to indicate muscular bulk. Under Hirata's questioning, she revealed that Lightning carried two swords, traveled on horseback, and wore his hair in a topknot, his crown unshaved. \"And his eyes are funny—they move all the time.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "This description wasn't much, but Hirata deduced that Wisteria's lover was a rnin." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Can you think of anything else?\" he asked Chidori." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Lightning always comes to Yoshiwara with a bunch of friends. They look as mean as him.\"\n\nA minor detail from his first day on the case took on new significance for Hirata. He realized how Lightning fit into what he already knew about the crime.\n\nChidori regarded Hirata anxiously. \"What if Lightning comes back? What if he finds out I told on him?\"\n\n\"Don't worry. He won't be back,\" Hirata said, determined to apprehend the man before he could do more harm.\n\nAfter thanking Chidori for her help, he gathered his companions. They left the ageya and hurried down Nakanoch." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The night sparkled with light, sizzled with the smells of cooking, resounded with gay music from teahouses. Ever more attuned to the past, Hirata followed the route that Lord Mitsuyoshi's killer must have taken out of Yoshiwara. He could almost see ghostly footsteps on the road. When he and his party reached the gate, Hirata found the same guards he'd questioned during his first inspection of the crime scene.\n\n\"I want to talk about the night Lord Mitsuyoshi died,\" Hirata said. \"Tell me again who left Yoshiwara after curfew.\"\n\n\"Treasury Minister Nitta,\" said the lean guard.\n\nHirata was more interested in the others he'd disregarded while Nitta had been the focus of his inquiries. \"Who else?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"The oil merchant Kinue,\" said the swarthy guard." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"And the Mori gangsters,\" added his companion." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A flare of elation lit within Hirata." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Was one of the Mori gang a man named Lightning?\"\n\n\"I don't know,\" the lean guard said.\n\n\"They're thieves, brawlers, and killers,\" the swarthy guard said. \"It's best not to know them.\"\n\n\"The one I mean is short and muscular, with eyes that are always moving,\" Hirata said.\n\nThe lean guard said, \"That sounds like the leader.\" His companion nodded.\n\nHirata's elation flared higher because the guards had confirmed his theory that the gangsters were the friends Chidori had said always accompanied Lightning. Now that he'd linked them to Lady Wisteria and the murder, they represented a new chance to solve the case and exonerate Sano." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Did they say anything to indicate where they were going?\" Hirata asked. The Mori had lairs scattered all over Edo. When the guards shook their heads, he said, \"Tell me exactly what you saw them do.\"\n\n\"They came up to the gate,\" said the swarthy guard.\n\n\"They were moving fast, shoving their way through the crowds,\" said the other.\n\n\"The leader had his arm around one of the others—a boy who looked drunk.\"\n\n\"He was pale and stumbling over his feet, and his eyes were closed. The leader held him up and whispered to him as they came near us. But I couldn't hear what he said.\"\n\n\"Then he ordered us to let the gang out. When we told him it was too late, he threw some coins at us and said, 'Now open the gate.' \"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"So we did. And the gangsters hurried out.\"" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 5 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"They got on their horses. The leader helped the drunk boy into the saddle and climbed up behind him. They all rode away.\"\n\nHirata felt a victorious swell of enlightenment as he fitted a crucial missing link into the sequence of events associated with Lord Mitsuyoshi's death. He grew certain that both his luck and the investigation had taken a positive turn.\n\n\"I just remembered something,\" the lean guard said. \"When the Mori came into Yoshiwara early in the evening, I counted nine of them. But when they left, there were ten.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "ur a writing helper. partner writes, u do next 4 sentences." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The letter came to Reiko soon after Sano went out to search for Lightning." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She opened the bamboo scroll case that a castle messenger had delivered to the estate. The message inside was scrawled on cheap paper. Reiko read:\n\nI've found Wisteria. If you want to see her, go to the noodle stand around the corner from the bathhouse, tell someone there to fetch me, and I'll take you to where she is. Don't wait too long, or she'll be gone." }, { "from": "human", "value": "And bring the money you promised me." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 1 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Yuya" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "expand on the story like Laura Joh Rowland would" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Reiko was thrilled at this sign that Yuya wanted to help her and that Wisteria was alive after all, but suspicion tempered her hope of obtaining news that would benefit Sano. Yesterday, Yuya had seemed so averse to cooperating further that Reiko wondered at the motive behind the message. What had changed Yuya's mind? Reiko paced swiftly around her chamber, holding the letter, as she debated what to do." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She feared walking into a trap, despite the lack of apparent reason for Yuya to hurt her. Reiko recognized this as a situation where instinct must yield to need, and decided to follow Yuya's instructions rather than miss any opportunity to gain valuable facts. She had doubts about meeting Wisteria, and she hesitated to go on her own, but she had no time to consult Sano; she didn't even know where he was, and she couldn't dally while a chance to save him slipped away.\n\nReiko called a servant to bring two of Sano's best detectives to her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Fortunately, they hadn't yet joined the hunt for Lightning." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When Detectives Marume and Fukida came to her, she showed them the message, then said, \"Please organize a party of troops and take me to Yuya.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As the detectives and soldiers escorted her palanquin out of the courtyard, Reiko glimpsed O-hana watching her somberly from the door. Her procession traveled fast through town, and soon Reiko alighted in a neighborhood of slum dwellings that tilted crookedly. A wind with a keen, icy edge blew debris down the street, rattled the buildings, and rippled puddles of sewage. While her entourage waited outside, Reiko entered the noodle stand, a narrow cubbyhole beside a grocer's shop." }, { "from": "human", "value": "There, a slatternly woman stirred boiling pots on a hearth." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Children squabbled in a room behind the kitchen." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I want to see Yuya,\" said Reiko." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The woman nodded, then sent one of the children to the bathhouse. Reiko waited nervously. Soon Yuya slipped into the room. She wore a drab, threadbare cloak and an air of furtive excitement.\n\n\"Where is Lady Wisteria?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Reiko said at once.\n\nYuya responded with pouting lips and a martyred expression. \"Buy me something to eat first,\" she said, kneeling on the floor. \"I missed my meal because of you.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Impatience nettled Reiko, but she ordered a bowl of noodles in miso broth." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They sat together while Yuya ate with maddening slowness.\n\n\"Last night, I woke up when someone tapped on my window and called my name,\" Yuya said. \"I looked outside and saw Wisteria in the alley. She was crying. I said, 'What are you doing here?' She said she needed my help and she didn't have anyone else to turn to. Her face was all bruised and bloody.\"\n\nGrimacing, Yuya sucked up noodles." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Reiko stifled the urge to hurry her. \"Wisteria told me that she'd had a big fight with Lightning—the man who owns the bathhouse,\" Yuya said. \"He hurt her so bad, she was afraid for her life. She waited until he went out, then she ran away. She'd stolen some of his money, but she didn't know where to go. She said she'd pay me if I would find her a place to stay. She begged so hard that I took her to an inn where she would be safe. She's still there.\"\n\n\"Can we go to her now?\" Reiko said anxiously." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Yuya gave Reiko a sour look and held up her half-full bowl." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Wisteria says she's tired of hiding. She wants to turn herself in and tell what she knows about the murder.\"\n\n\"What does she know?\" Reiko's heart lurched; she leaned toward Yuya.\n\nThe prostitute smirked at her eagerness." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Wisteria saw Lightning kill Lord Mitsuyoshi. Afterward, Lightning took her out of Yoshiwara. She didn't want to go with him, but he told her that unless she did, he would kill her.\"\n\nReiko felt a rush of exultation, stanched by skepticism. While investigations often turned upon a stroke of luck, this news that would exonerate Sano seemed too good to be true.\n\n\"Wisteria hasn't gone to the police because she's afraid she'll get in trouble,\" Yuya continued, apparently unaware of Reiko's doubt." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Whatever she says, people might think she's lying to protect herself. With Lightning gone, everyone would just as soon blame her.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The story made sense, and fabricating it would require more imagination than Reiko thought Yuya had; yet misgivings still restrained Reiko's need to believe.\n\n\"I told Wisteria that you came to see me,\" Yuya said. \"I convinced her that if you talked with her and believed her story, you would convince your husband that she's innocent. She agreed to surrender to you if the ssakan-sama will help her.\"\n\nSetting down her empty bowl, Yuya raised her eyebrows at Reiko." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When Reiko hesitated, Yuya added, \"Lightning will be looking for Wisteria, and if he gets to her before you do, he'll kill her.\"\n\nReiko decided she had less to lose than to gain by taking Yuya at her word. If the story was true, Reiko could deliver Wisteria to Sano today. The courtesan would be safe from Lightning and the authorities, and Sano absolved from charges of treason and murder." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"All right,\" Reiko said.\n\nYuya gave her a smug, conspiratorial smile and held out a hand. \"Pay me first.\"\n\n\"My escorts are coming with us,\" Reiko said, taking a packet of money out of her sleeve.\n\nThe prostitute shrugged. \"That's fine with me,\" she said, tucking the money inside her robes." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They left the noodle shop and climbed into the palanquin. \"Go straight ahead four blocks, then turn right,\" Yuya said.\n\nReiko conveyed these directions, and subsequent ones, to her escorts. As the procession wound through the streets, anticipation and anxiety coiled tight inside her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Curiosity about meeting a woman who'd been on intimate terms with Sano vied with dread of a hoax." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Yuya lounged against the cushions, yet the sharpness of her gaze belied her body's relaxed posture. Reiko alternated watching her companion and watching the scenery. Dingy neighborhoods that all looked alike made it hard for her to measure their progress.\n\n\"How much farther is it?\" Reiko asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We're almost there,\" Yuya said.\n\nAfter almost an hour had passed, Reiko said with growing suspicion, \"Do you really know where Wisteria is?\"\n\n\"Of course I do.\" Yuya bristled indignantly. \"You're a high-class lady, and I'm a lowly whore, but if you want Wisteria, you better be nice to me.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The palanquin turned onto the main east—west road that crossed Edo." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A mounted daimyo, escorted by many troops and attendants, filled the broad avenue. Pedestrians fell to their knees and bowed, while Reiko's procession slowed behind the daimyo's rear guardsmen. An inaudible sigh issued from Yuya; her body relaxed slightly. This tiny lapse of self-control struck ominous certainty into Reiko's heart." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Yuya was taking her on an aimless ride." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "If they ever reached an inn, they would find no Wisteria, and Yuya would say the courtesan had run away. And Yuya was glad of a delay because she wanted the fraud to last as long as possible.\n\n\"Your story about Wisteria was a lie,\" Reiko said, adamant in her conviction. \"This is a trick.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"No, it's not.\" Yuya regarded her with incredulity." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Why would I trick you?\"\n\nSuddenly Reiko's amorphous fears crystallized. Incidents that had previously seemed to have neither relationship nor significance now fell into a chilling pattern. Yuya's sudden readiness to cooperate; an uninvited friendship at an opportune time; strange behavior and a generous gesture with a hidden motive—all centered around Reiko's memory of O-hana standing inside the estate while Reiko left it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Logic drew connections across gaps where facts were absent, forming a picture of a madwoman's brilliant treachery." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You want to lure me away from home,\" Reiko said, stunned. \"How much did she pay you?\"\n\n\"Who? I don't know what you're talking about.\"\n\nBut guilt quickened in Yuya's heavy-lidded eyes, and she sat up straight." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Now Reiko understood that the danger she'd sensed was not here, nor to her own person; she had never been the direct target of malice. The awful truth horrified her.\n\nGrabbing Yuya's wrist, Reiko demanded, \"What is she doing while you occupy me?\"\n\n\"Let go!\" Yuya cried." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She and Reiko struggled together, rocking the palanquin." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You're talking nonsense. Why are you attacking me? Have you gone mad?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Tell me,\" Reiko shouted, wild with panic.\n\nDetective Marume rode up beside the palanquin. Peering through the window, he said, \"What's going on in there? Lady Reiko, are you all right?\"\n\nReiko's instincts blared a warning that no amount of reason could quell." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She didn't know exactly what would happen, but she could guess the consequences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The street had cleared, and her procession speeded up, carrying her farther away from home, where she needed to be.\n\n\"Stop!\" she called to Marume.\n\nThe procession halted. Yuya twisted out of Reiko's grasp, pushed open the palanquin's door, and jumped out. As she ran away down the avenue, the soldiers started chasing her." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 5 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Never mind her,\" Reiko shouted. \"Take me home!\"\n\nThe procession laboriously turned in the direction of Edo Castle. Reiko sat desperate and frantic, her heart pounding with the fear that she was making a mistake, yet transfixed by the certainty that she was right about everything, despite the lack of any proof.\n\nShe hoped she hadn't thrown away her chance to solve the murder case and save Sano. She prayed she would arrive home in time to avert disaster." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "user starts, u write ~3 sentences more. copy Laura Joh Rowland's style" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Lightning and the Mori gang are on the run,\" Sano said to Hirata as they rode across the Rygoku Bridge, which connected Edo to the suburbs east of the Sumida River.\n\n\"That would explain why they're not in any of their usual places,\" Hirata said.\n\nBelow the bridge's high wooden arch, ferries and barges tossed on choppy gray waves." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Behind Sano and Hirata, on the eastern bank, lay a popular entertainment district known as Honjo Muk—\"Other Side\"—Rygoku." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano and Hirata had spent the early afternoon searching teahouses, shops, and gambling dens frequented by the Mori, but found no trace of the gangsters.\n\n\"We can't just keep roaming around, hoping to run into Lightning,\" said Sano. \"There's not enough time, and too much area to cover.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He gazed ahead toward Edo." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Windblown clouds obscured the hills and misted the entire sky. Around the castle spread the houses where a million people lived. Somewhere in the teeming city were the detectives Sano had ordered to hunt for Lightning." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano thought of his men slowly, laboriously combing the streets. Despair filled him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Lightning may have already left town,\" Sano said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The detectives we sent out on the highways will watch for him at the checkpoints,\" Hirata said.\n\n\"He won't use the highways. Men like him travel by secret routes,\" Sano said. \"To catch him outside Edo, we'd need an army spread across the country, searching every forest, mountain, and village. I still have allies who might lend troops for a nationwide manhunt. That may be our only option, now that we've run out of contacts and places to look.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hirata said, \"The police must have information on the Mori. There was a time when I could have counted on their help. But with Hoshina controlling them, I can't get a single tip anymore.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He gave a bitter laugh. \"My clan served on the force for generations, and I'm no longer welcome at headquarters.\"\n\n\"We'll try there anyway,\" Sano decided." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"We've got nothing to lose.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Many of the doshin have blood ties with my clan,\" Hirata said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Maybe I can convince them that their obligation to help me find Lightning outweighs any loyalty that Hoshina has extorted from them.\"\n\nSano and Hirata rode to police headquarters, which was located in a walled compound in the southern corner of the Hibiya administrative district. There they dismounted in a lane outside a back gate, then entered the compound, walking rapidly along paths between the kitchens and servants' quarters, hoping to attract as little notice as possible." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They arrived at the doshin barracks, a cluster of two-story, half-timbered structures and nearby stables, set around a courtyard." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A peremptory voice behind them called, \"Ssakan-sama.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Halting, Sano turned and saw Police Commissioner Hoshina striding toward him, flanked by Yoriki Hayashi and Yamaga. Dismay struck Sano as Hirata muttered a curse. Hoshina wore a sardonic smile; Yamaga and Hayashi glowered." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The two sides faced off in the courtyard." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano felt his heartbeat accelerate with the surge of energy that precedes a battle.\n\n\"Have you come to turn yourself in?\" Hoshina asked him.\n\nSano gave Hoshina a venomous look as he realized that he could forget the idea of seeking tips from the police." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The officers might have been willing to help him on the sly, but not in front of their superiors, and Hoshina would stick to him like a burr until he departed the compound." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hastily revising his strategy, Sano said, \"I've come to obtain your assistance, Hoshina-san.\"\n\n\"My assistance?\" Blank confusion erased Hoshina's smirk. \"Why should I help you?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"To serve our mutual interests,\" Sano said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Yamaga and Hayashi looked puzzled, but Sano saw comprehension gleam in Hirata's eyes.\n\n\"We have no mutual interests,\" Hoshina said in a tone replete with scorn. \"Have you gone mad?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"No,\" Sano said, \"I have identified the probable murderer of Lord Mitsuyoshi.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The police commissioner's expression turned disdainful. \"Spare me your lies. You're so desperate to save yourself that you're trying to frame another innocent person.\"\n\nInto the hostility that thickened the atmosphere, Sano enunciated a single clear, quiet word: \"Lightning.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hoshina started; his features involuntarily tensed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Then you know who Lightning is,\" Sano confirmed.\n\n\"Of course. He's one of the Mori gang,\" Hoshina said, recovering his poise. \"So you've chosen Lightning as your scapegoat? How convenient. But we both know he had nothing to do with the murder.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Yet Sano could discern the thoughts racing behind Hoshina's calm façade." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The police commissioner was frantically trying to determine whether his investigation had missed an important suspect, or Sano was bluffing." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We both overlooked Lightning because we were concentrating on the more obvious suspects,\" Sano said. \"But Lightning was Lady Wisteria's lover, and he was in Yoshiwara that night.\"\n\n\"So were a lot of other men,\" Hoshina said dismissively. \"That means nothing.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano sensed Hoshina weighing what he knew of Lightning against the facts of the murder case." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hoshina couldn't hide his discomfiture at recognizing how well a brutal, reckless gangster fit the crime.\n\n\"We have witnesses who've implicated Lightning in the murder,\" Sano continued. \"Lady Wisteria's kamuro has admitted that Lightning forced her to let him into the ageya where Wisteria was entertaining Mitsuyoshi. Afterward, he bribed the guards to let him out the gate. They observed that he'd come into Yoshiwara with eight men, but left with nine. The extra man was Wisteria, in disguise.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You forced those people to say what you wanted,\" Hoshina said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Your story is pure, ridiculous fabrication, and I'm too busy to listen any longer.\"\n\n\"Busy creating more fraudulent evidence against me, I suppose,\" Sano mocked him. \"Do you really think you should gamble that you'll win this game?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Don't make me laugh,\" Hoshina said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "But Sano could tell that the news about Lightning had shaken Hoshina's nerve. Yamaga and Hayashi stirred uneasily; Hirata hid a smile.\n\n\"The odds have changed,\" Sano told Hoshina." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Now you're as likely to be ruined by your scheme as I. That's the basis for the mutual interests that I mentioned, and the reason you'd better listen to what I'm going to say next.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hoshina's stance and gaze shifted; his face acquired a look of intense concentration as he tried to decide whether to comply with Sano. He reminded Sano of a man jumping from stone to stone across a deep, turbulent river. Then he addressed his two yoriki: \"Leave us.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "They grudgingly departed. Hoshina fixed a narrow-eyed stare on Sano." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"If you convince the shogun that I'm a murderer and traitor, I'll be executed,\" Sano said. \"But if I capture Lightning first, and he proves to be the killer, then you'll be exposed as a fraud who interfered with my attempt to avenge Lord Mitsuyoshi's death. Everyone will turn against you as fast as you turned them against me. You'll die instead.\n\n\"Now think about what you would gain from destroying me. A moment of public acclaim? The shogun's favor, which changes with the wind?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano infused his voice with contempt." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Are those prizes worth risking your life?\"\n\nHoshina took an involuntary step sideways, then froze, as if he'd reached midstream and run out of stones. Sano and Hirata waited in suspense because their future depended on crushing Hoshina." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Dead silence absorbed the police compound's usual noises; the world outside the courtyard ceased to exist." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Better you should postpone our rivalry and cooperate with me,\" Sano said softly.\n\nThe police commissioner stared, furious; then capitulation slackened his muscles. He looked beaten and bruised, yet antipathy radiated from him like heat from doused coals." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What do you want?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "he said in a dull voice.\n\nSano experienced a tremendous sense of relief. He'd known that Hoshina tended to yield when he felt threatened enough; but Sano hadn't been sure that he could overpower Hoshina." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I want to make a deal,\" Sano said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I'll give you credit for helping solve the murder case if you'll help me capture Lightning. He's abandoned all the usual Mori gang places in the fish market and Honjo Muk Rygoku. Tell me where else he would go.\"\n\n\"You expect me to hand over the murderer to you, in exchange for empty words of praise?\" Regarding Sano with bitter resentment, Hoshina shook his head." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I can capture Lightning myself, and reap all the glory.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Do as I ask, and you'll live to fight another day,\" Sano said. \"Refuse, and I'll make sure the shogun understands how you tried to climb to power over the corpses of his heir and his ssakan-sama.\"\n\n\"So you expect me to be content with mere survival? Well, that's not enough.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Brazen greed emboldened Hoshina; his fists opened and closed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I want more, or there's no deal, and we can both take our chances.\"\n\n\"What are you asking?\" Sano said, ready to make a concession." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"A favor.\"\n\n\"What favor?\"\n\nA crafty smile flashed on Hoshina's face." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I'll decide what I want, when I want it. And you'd better deliver.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hirata widened his eyes and rolled them at Sano, who realized how high a price a tip from Hoshina would cost him. He hated to obligate himself in advance to something he probably wouldn't want to do; yet he had little choice, with his own immediate survival at stake.\n\n\"Agreed,\" Sano said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hoshina responded with a look that promised retribution while acknowledging Sano's triumph over him." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 1 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The Mori gang rents a warehouse by the river. I've had spies watching the place because I suspect that the gang uses it to store and deal stolen goods. Lightning might have gone there.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "ill start, then u do five sentences in Laura Joh Rowland's voice ok?" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Inside her chamber, Lady Yanagisawa knelt before Kikuko and fastened a padded silk cloak around the little girl. \"There,\" she said. \"You're all ready to go.\"\n\nHer spirit was a cauldron of tumultuous emotion. This was the day she would achieve all she'd ever desired. The critical hours ahead represented a bridge between her present life of suffering and a future blessed with happiness." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lady Yanagisawa experienced a dizzy, whirling sensation, as if the winds of change buffeted her body. Strange lights and shadows flickered across her vision, like the sun's rays piercing storm clouds.\n\n\"You come, too, Mama?\" Kikuko said.\n\n\"No, dearest,\" Lady Yanagisawa said, because she must appear innocent of what happened at the scene where her plans would culminate.\n\n\"Why not?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I can't,\" Lady Yanagisawa said. \"Someday I'll explain.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Someday soon, Kikuko would be able to understand and appreciate what her mother had done for her. Now Lady Yanagisawa said, \"Rumi-san will take you,\" and gestured toward the elderly maid who waited in the doorway. She placed her hands on Kikuko's shoulders and gazed into her daughter's face. \"Do you remember all that I told you?\"\n\n\"Remember,\" Kikuko said, nodding solemnly." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Do you know what you're supposed to do?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kikuko nodded again. Lady Yanagisawa had labored hard to instruct the girl; they'd play-acted everything together until Kikuko performed perfectly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "But she could only hope that Kikuko would follow her directions when the time came.\n\n\"Go, then,\" Lady Yanagisawa said. She gave Kikuko a fierce hug as the winds of destiny howled louder and stronger. Through the storm clouds whirling in Lady Yanagisawa's mind shone a vision of her husband. He smiled upon her with the tenderness she craved; he reached out his hand, beckoning her to cross the bridge she'd built to join her to him." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "user starts, u write ~one sentence more. copy Laura Joh Rowland's style" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano stared up at Lightning and Wisteria in shock as thoughts raced through his mind." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Wisteria was alive after all." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She still wore the disguise in which she'd escaped from Yoshiwara with the Mori gang." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He'd located his murder suspect, but the presence of Wisteria complicated Lightning's arrest." }, { "from": "human", "value": "While Sano and his men stood immobilized, Lightning grinned malevolently." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Wisteria uttered a pleading cry: \"Sano-san.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her husky voice awakened memories and sympathy in Sano." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her obvious fear of her companion stimulated his need to protect a woman in trouble." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Quick action was needed to save Wisteria's life and Sano's witness to the murder of Lord Mitsuyoshi." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Take aim,\" Sano ordered his troops." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "On either side of him, archers raised bows; arrows pointed toward Lightning." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Let Wisteria come out,\" he told the gangster." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lightning's gaze shifted rapidly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He pulled Wisteria in front of him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her eyes rolled in panic." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Tell your men to drop their bows,\" Lightning said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Do it,\" Sano told his men, because they couldn't shoot Lightning without the risk of hitting Wisteria." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The archers obeyed. Lightning drew his dagger and held the blade at Wisteria's throat." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As she squealed and writhed, he shouted at Sano, \"Move back, or she's dead!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Every part of Sano rebelled against conceding any ground, but he stepped backward." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His troops and Hirata followed suit." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Farther. Farther,\" Lightning barked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When twenty paces separated them from the warehouse, he yelled, \"Stop!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano and his men halted." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Killing Wisteria won't do you any good,\" Sano told Lightning." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You won't get away.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Oh, yes, I will.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lightning gave a reckless laugh, then turned and spoke to someone." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Activity stirred beyond the other second-floor windows." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Into each one stepped a gangster holding a flaming metal lantern." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"This warehouse is full of lamp oil, hay, and other things that burn,\" Lightning said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Either you help me get out of town safely, or I'll set the place on fire—with me and Wisteria inside.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Disbelief stunned Sano. He heard his men murmur in surprise, and a stifled exclamation from Hirata." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What? You don't want that to happen?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lightning mocked them. \"All right, then: I'll tell you exactly what to do. First, send your troops away.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hirata's appalled gaze moved from the gangster to Sano." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We're not setting him free, are we?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"We can't,\" Sano said, horrified by his dilemma." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"If Lightning killed Lord Mitsuyoshi, then he and Wisteria are my only hope of proving beyond doubt that I'm innocent. But I can't refuse his demands and let him make good on his threats.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Would he really burn himself to death?\" Hirata said skeptically." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He's got samurai blood. And a samurai would rather die than surrender.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Wisteria cried, \"Please give him what he wants! He means everything he says!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The wind blew with powerful gusts, and dread pierced Sano." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Fire was the greatest hazard of the city." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "If Lightning did set the warehouse on fire, flying sparks would spread the blaze across Edo." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hundreds of buildings might burn; hundreds of people might die." }, { "from": "human", "value": "And Sano would be responsible for a catastrophe that made the problem of clearing his name, saving his life, and regaining the shogun's trust seem minor." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Turning to his troops, he said in a low voice, \"Get the men from behind the warehouse, and go order the citizens in the area to prepare for a fire. They should fill buckets with water and wet down their roofs and walls. Then hide someplace close by, keep watch on the warehouse, and await orders.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The men mounted their horses and hurried off to comply, leaving Sano and Hirata alone." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lightning said, \"Very good, Ssakan-sama,\" in a tone that revealed how much he enjoyed his authority." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Now your retainer will fetch me a thousand koban.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I hate paying off a criminal,\" Hirata said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"So do I,\" Sano said grimly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lightning continued, \"After you pay me, my gang and I will leave town with Wisteria. You won't follow us, because if you do, I'll kill her before you can touch me.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Bring the money,\" Sano told Hirata, \"so we can bargain for Wisteria's life and the safety of the city, while we figure out how to capture Lightning.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano called to the gangster: \"You've got a deal.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Not so fast. You come wait inside with me.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Aghast, Hirata said, \"He wants to take you hostage!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano was certain now that Lightning had murdered Lord Mitsuyoshi, and he had no intention of placing himself in the hands of a killer." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I'll wait out here, or you don't get the money,\" he called to Lightning." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lightning's expression turned furious; he muttered a command to the other gangsters." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They held wads of hay to their lanterns." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As the hay ignited, they flung it outside." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Panic leapt in Sano as the wind tossed the hot, flaming straws." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He's not bluffing. We've no choice but to play along with him.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Fiery wisps caught and burned on the roofs of other warehouses." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hirata regarded Sano with horror as they stamped on smoking hay that landed on the ground near them." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You're not thinking of going in there?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Have you changed your mind yet?\" Lightning shouted." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The gangsters continued to throw burning hay that wafted toward the city." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Faced with a choice between putting himself or countless other people in danger, Sano raised his hands in a gesture of assent." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Stop. I'll come inside.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "At an order from Lightning, the gangsters ceased their activity." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano started toward the warehouse door." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lightning commanded, \"Wait. Throw down your weapons.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano hesitated, loath to enter unarmed, then reluctantly unfastened his swords and laid them on the ground." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hirata blocked his path to the warehouse." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I can't let you,\" Hirata said, his face stricken by alarm." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"If I go in, maybe I can convince Lightning to surrender. Go get the money,\" Sano said in a tone meant to reassure as much as compel Hirata's obedience." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As Hirata unwillingly departed, Lightning and his men closed the windows." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano beheld the warehouse's blank façade and deserted surroundings." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He felt naked and vulnerable without his weapons, and angry at being manipulated into this position." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "But there had been too many occasions in the past when he'd blamed himself for deaths that he thought he should have prevented." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Wisteria would not be another such casualty." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "And the warehouse harbored the solution to the murder case.\n\nSano walked toward impending doom." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "expand on the story like Laura Joh Rowland would" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lady Yanagisawa stood on the veranda, her hands resting on the railing and face lifted in the wind, scanning the sky above her home. She waited with fevered impatience for tidings that the blood sacrifice had realigned the cosmic forces.\n\nShe knew exactly how it would be. The wind would turn to glad song. The tragedy of Masahiro's death would settle upon Reiko in a dense black shroud of grief, while bliss elevated Lady Yanagisawa. Her husband would adore her. Kikuko would be freed from the curse of imbecility. The gray heavens would part, the sun shine, green leaves unfurl, and the air turn balmy as in springtime on the morn of Lady Yanagisawa's new life." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Yet as moments passed and the cold, dreary afternoon remained unchanged, misgivings infected her anticipation." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She remembered the hospitality Reiko had shown her. She thought of plump, sweet Masahiro. As she imagined water closing over him and his terror as it filled his lungs, a spasm convulsed her stomach. Memories of motherhood rushed upon her. She recalled holding the infant Kikuko, admiring her tiny hands and feet; she heard her daughter's piping voice, smelled her soft, fragrant skin, savored the adoration in her eyes. If Kikuko should die, Lady Yanagisawa would die of a grief too immense to endure.\n\nCould she inflict such a grief on a woman who'd been kind to her?\n\nWas her scheme a path to joy, or an evil that would condemn her to be reborn into endless cycles of woe?" }, { "from": "human", "value": "She glimpsed the infinite divide between what she'd done and what she wanted to happen." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "There was no logical reason that her actions should effect miracles, she suddenly realized. A battle between belief and indecision churned her blood. The winds inside and outside her gusted harder; swaying off balance, Lady Yanagisawa clutched the railing. Her vision of the future wavered; the sky dimmed as twilight approached. Instead of ethereal song, she heard male voices. She saw, across the garden, a group of men walking along a covered corridor between buildings. Her husband was in the lead, his officials trailing. Lady Yanagisawa's heart leapt." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Perhaps the deed was done." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Perhaps now her husband would come to her.\n\nThe chamberlain turned his head in her direction. Poised on the brink of glee, Lady Yanagisawa waited. His gaze registered her presence... then flitted away.\n\nDisappointment crushed Lady Yanagisawa. The magnitude of her husband's indifference toward her shriveled her spirit. The winds suddenly ceased. A vacuum enveloped her, and her perception altered with nightmarish effect." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She saw herself as a tiny, trivial person isolated in a tiny world apart from the big, important one that her husband ruled." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As she watched him enter a building and disappear from view, she thought of herself manipulating events like a child playing with toys." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Could anything she did bend her husband, or fate, to her wishes?\n\nReality encroached upon desire in the terrible stillness of clear thought. What if her wishes had deluded her? What would come of her scheme?\n\nShe would have destroyed an innocent child and made her daughter an accomplice in murder.\n\nEven if Reiko believed that Masahiro's death was an accident, she would never forgive Kikuko, or Lady Yanagisawa.\n\nLady Yanagisawa's life would go on much the same as always, but without friendship to comfort her. She would be more alone than ever." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Horror like a flock of black, predatory birds assailed Lady Yanagisawa." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 5 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A moan of anguish rose from the depths of her spirit. Her doubts about the wisdom of her actions swelled, yet so did the force of her desires. Should she risk the chance that she'd done wrong, for her dream of fulfillment? Or must she stop the events she'd set in motion?\n\nWas it already too late to change her mind?" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Team writing exercise. I start, you do 1 sentence in Laura Joh Rowland style." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The atmosphere in the warehouse was noxious with foreboding." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano had heard temple bells toll the passage of two hours since Lightning had taken him hostage." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Now he knelt in the loft, near Wisteria, who sat bowed under the weight of fear, eyes downcast." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lightning paced around and around the loft, peering out the windows every few moments, muttering angrily." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The eight gangsters crouched apart from each other, their faces stony." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Whenever Sano had tried to speak, Lightning had ordered him to be quiet." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "But Sano believed that the only hope of his survival, and Wisteria's, lay in developing a rapport with Lightning." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Soon the gangster's endless prowling brought him toward Sano." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Urgency compelled Sano to take a risk." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Where will we go when we leave here?\" he said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Ire flashed in Lightning's mobile gaze, but he paused near Sano and said, \"I don't know.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Do we have supplies for a journey?\" Sano said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Quit pestering me with chatter.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I'm sorry,\" Sano said, \"but we must talk.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lightning gripped the hilt of his sword; Wisteria watched them with dread." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano hurried on: \"Holding me hostage won't guarantee your freedom. The police know you killed Lord Mitsuyoshi. The commissioner is my enemy. He'd gladly attack us and let me die to catch you. That puts us on the same side.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lightning snorted in contempt, rejecting Sano's suggestion that they were comrades." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano eyed the gangsters, wondering if they were more worried about saving their own skins than loyal to Lightning." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"We should work together,\" Sano said to Lightning, but he glanced at the other men and pitched his voice so they would hear." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You help me, and I'll help you.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The gangsters resisted eye contact, their expressions inscrutable." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano couldn't tell whether they'd caught his meaning that if they helped him capture Lightning, he would spare them punishment for their leader's crimes." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"No place will be safe for us. We'll be pursued wherever we go,\" Sano said, hoping to impress upon the gangsters that if they stayed with Lightning, their futures were bleak." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"All of us will die—unless we're smart enough to take the opportunity to escape when we can.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"If you think you can scare me into turning myself in, forget it,\" Lightning retorted in annoyance." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I'd rather die in battle than surrender.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The gangsters ignored the hint to desert." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano's hopes plunged. Lightning said to his men, \"I want a drink. Go get me some sake.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Three men descended the stairs, and Sano heard them rummaging through the warehouse's goods." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Only one man returned, bearing a sake jar." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lightning didn't seem to notice; he just took the jar and drank." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "But Sano was jubilant to think that the other two men had fled and his plan was working." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Surrender is your best bet,\" he told Lightning." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Are you crazy?\" The gangster wiped his mouth on his sleeve and stared at Sano." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The shogun will execute me for stabbing his precious heir.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Out the corner of his eye, Sano saw two more men amble downstairs." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lightning opened a window, looked outside, and said, \"I wish your man would hurry up and bring the money!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"We may be on the run for months,\" Sano said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"How will you be able to stand hiding much longer? Captivity can be worse than death.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I'm not giving up.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lightning hurled away the empty jar; it shattered on the warehouse floor below." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Wisteria flinched. \"I'll keep my head on my neck as long as possible, and if the army finds me, I'll kill as many of them as I can before I die.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He turned to his four remaining comrades." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Go make sure nobody's trying to sneak in.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The men went, leaving Sano, Lightning, and Wisteria alone." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano waited in suspense." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The men didn't return." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lightning began to pace again." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "While he was at the other end of the loft with his back turned, Sano caught Wisteria's eye and signaled her to run down the stairs, before Lightning came near them again or guessed what was happening." }, { "from": "human", "value": "But Wisteria frowned at him in bafflement: She didn't realize the gangsters had gone." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Suddenly, from the lower story, came the clatter of horses' hooves." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Dismay struck Sano as he comprehended that the gangsters had waited to escape until they were all downstairs, then fled together, noisily, on their mounts." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lightning froze. \"Hey, what's going on?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He rushed to the edge of the loft and gawked at the empty warehouse." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano heard the horses galloping away." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Those cowards have deserted me!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He turned, and Sano watched spasms of panic ripple his features." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"My chances of surviving are almost none because I'm all alone!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "he shouted, and stalked over to Wisteria." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"This is all your fault!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Like many bullies, he derived his strength from his confederates, and shifted responsibility for his troubles, Sano observed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Wisteria stood and faced Lightning." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"It isn't my fault,\" she said, boldly defiant now that he was weakened." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"If you hadn't killed Lord Mitsuyoshi, we would be safe now.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The gangster jerked backward with surprise that she dared stand up to him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Heaving as though ready to explode from outrage, he said, \"Quit blaming everybody else for problems you cause. If you hadn't cooked up your crazy scheme, none of this would have happened.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"If you'd done as I asked, everything would have worked out fine,\" Wisteria retorted." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"But no—you wouldn't listen. You had to stab him. And now we're paying, instead of just them!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The conversation perplexed Sano." }, { "from": "human", "value": "There was obviously more to the murder case than he'd thought." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What are you talking about?\" he said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Go ahead. Tell him.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lightning's gaze raked Wisteria." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She eased away from the gangster and addressed Sano in a small, meek voice: \"When I was young, Lightning and I fell in love. Later, I found out he was bad and tried to leave him, but he threatened to kill me if I broke off our affair. When I went to Yoshiwara, he forced me to sneak him into my room in the ageya. That night he came and found Lord Mitsuyoshi there. They were enemies because Lightning hated any man I bedded, and Lord Mitsuyoshi had refused to pay Lightning the money he owed. Lightning was so jealous of Mitsuyoshi, he stabbed him to death. Then he kidnapped me so I couldn't tell anyone what I'd seen.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "This was the scenario that Sano had envisioned; yet the interchange between Wisteria and Lightning, and Lightning's incredulous expression, contradicted her statement." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "With an utterance of fury, Lightning grabbed Wisteria by the shoulders and flung her against the wall." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Liar! That's not how it was!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He smacked her face." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She screamed, her body twisting and arms flying up to protect herself." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano considered rushing the gangster and seizing his weapons, but Lightning's reactions were so quick, and his mood so combative, that Sano was likely to end up dead if he tried to disarm Lightning." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Instead Sano said, \"If she's lying, then tell me what really happened.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Teeth gnashing, face livid, Lightning wavered between the impulse to violence and the need to air his side of the story." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He said, \"She wanted me to help her get out of Yoshiwara and get revenge.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Revenge on whom?\" Sano was more mystified than ever." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Fujio. Her yarite, Momoko. Treasury Minister Nitta.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Don't listen to him,\" Wisteria pleaded, her eyes big with consternation as she hugged the wall. \"He's insane.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"She stole Momoko's hairpin,\" Lightning said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Then she waited until she had Lord Mitsuyoshi alone, and Fujio and Nitta were in the ageya. That night, after the kamuro let me in, Wisteria said the time was right, and we should go through with her plan. I would kill Mitsuyoshi. She would cut her hair and dress in the men's clothes she'd hidden in the room, then walk out of Yoshiwara with me. Later, Momoko would be blamed for murdering Mitsuyoshi. She had other plans for Fujio and Nitta.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The murder had been Wisteria's idea?" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Astounded, Sano looked at her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You were only supposed to wound him,\" she berated Lightning in a ragged voice." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He wasn't supposed to die!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her gaze flew to Sano, and her jaw dropped because she'd thoughtlessly admitted her responsibility." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Shock robbed Sano of speech." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lightning chuckled in cruel glee." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"She knew Fujio and Nitta would be suspected of having something to do with the murder or her disappearance or both,\" the gangster said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Nitta was stupid enough to tell her he'd stolen from the treasury. She told Fujio, so that when he was questioned by the police, he would tell on Nitta, and Nitta would be put to death. Then I would kill a woman and put the body in Fujio's house.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Who was she?\" Sano said, as he began to fit the new revelations with what he'd already known about the crime." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Just a whore from a bathhouse,\" Lightning said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano noticed scratches on the gangster's wrists, where the victim had clawed them." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"And Wisteria sent me the anonymous tip so I would find the body?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lightning nodded. \"Fujio was supposed to be blamed for murdering Wisteria. Everyone was supposed to think she was dead and stop looking for her.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You should have put animal blood on my clothes and left them in the house, the way I told you,\" Wisteria railed at Lightning." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"But you can't resist a chance to kill.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Flustered and defensive, she turned to Sano." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"No one was supposed to get hurt except Momoko, Fujio, and Nitta. They deserved it. Momoko made my life hell when I was a young courtesan. Fujio and Nitta broke their promises to marry me. I had to pay them all back.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano was astonished to learn that Wisteria was such a vengeful schemer." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her beauty and charm had disguised her true nature." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He'd correctly guessed that Lightning had killed Lord Mitsuyoshi, while never suspecting that Wisteria was behind the crime." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Now he recalled the clues that had hinted at the truth." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"The treasury minister confessed at his trial that you wanted him to marry you but he wouldn't,\" Sano said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You ruined your mother's clothes because she sold you to Yoshiwara. Now Momoko, Fujio, and Nitta are dead because they hurt you.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Magistrate Aoki had unwittingly aided Wisteria's scheme." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"And you might have escaped the consequences, except that you chose an accomplice you couldn't control.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her selfish depravity horrified Sano." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Those weren't the only people she meant to hurt,\" Lightning said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Do you want to know who her last target was?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Be quiet!\" Wisteria shrilled." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You've done enough wrong!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lightning jabbed a finger at Sano and grinned. \"It was you.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Me?\" Flabbergasted, Sano stared at Wisteria." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"She wrote in her pillow book that you'd plotted to murder the shogun's heir so your son could rule Japan someday,\" Lightning said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Then she sent the book to the chamberlain. You should have seen how glad she was when we heard the news that you'd been accused of killing Lord Mitsuyoshi.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Shock reverberated through Sano." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The book he'd deemed a forgery was genuine." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Police Commissioner Hoshina was guilty of nothing except using the book to his advantage." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Wisteria herself had mixed lies about Sano with authentic details of their affair, then delivered her slander to Hoshina." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Enlightenment removed Sano's last illusions about Wisteria." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Horrified fascination propelled him a step closer toward the wicked stranger who'd been his lover." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Why?\" he said, his voice hushed and his brow creased with his effort to understand Wisteria." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her lips trembled in a smile that begged for mercy; she looked small and harmless." }, { "from": "human", "value": "But Sano likened her to a woman in a No drama, played by an actor wearing a mask with moveable parts that shift, turning her beautiful face into an ugly one and revealing her as a demon." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Wisteria's mask had shifted." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"It was a mistake. Please let me explain,\" she said, breathlessly eager." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Four years ago, you asked me questions about a murder. I was punished because men in high places didn't want you investigating the case or anyone to help you. I was demoted to hashi—the bottom rank of courtesans. My private room and nice kimonos were taken away from me. I had to live in a crowded attic infested with lice, eat leftovers from other people's plates, and wear cheap clothes. I lost my rich clients. I had to serve the poorest, crudest men—three or four a night. I suffered because of you.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano acknowledged his culpability, yet marveled at the lengths she'd gone to retaliate." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Memory and hatred darkened Wisteria's eyes." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Then I learned that you'd risen in the world and meant to free me. I thought you would take me to Edo Castle to live with you. But you just sent someone to pay off the brothel and give me money.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her voice turned jagged with ire." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"And later, you visited me and took your pleasure from me, as if it didn't matter that you'd left me to struggle on my own.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Now Sano understood why Wisteria had acted cold toward him during those visits." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She'd expected more of him, and he'd disappointed her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"She got in trouble and went back to Yoshiwara.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lightning paced around Wisteria and Sano, clearly enjoying the drama he'd provoked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"She thought you owed it to her to rescue her again. But you didn't, and she wanted to make you pay.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A spark of anger within Sano ignited as he recalled what Yuya had told Reiko." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You squandered the money I gave you,\" he reminded Wisteria." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You ran up debts and became a thief. I compensated you for suffering on my account. What you did afterward was your fault, not mine.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Anger blazed into outrage." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Fists clenched, Sano advanced on Wisteria." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You framed me for murder and treason because you couldn't handle your freedom. You almost destroyed my whole family instead of taking responsibility for your own mistakes!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His offense against Wisteria didn't justify her attack on him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The last of his sympathy toward her vanished." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"To think I risked my life to rescue you!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I know now that I did wrong. I'm sorry I hurt you,\" Wisteria said in a wheedling tone." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She gave him a coy smile that faltered, exposing her terror of his wrath. \"Please forgive me.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Dropping to her knees, she clutched Sano's hands against her bosom." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her attempt to propitiate him repelled Sano." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He yanked his hands out of hers, just as Lightning seized her by the hair." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You think you can blame me for everything and save your own hide,\" Lightning shouted." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Well, you won't get away with it. This is all your fault, and now you'll pay!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He smote her face." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He threw her to the floor and kicked her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Wisteria curled up, sobbing." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Help!\" she screamed to Sano. \"He'll kill me!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sano was tempted to walk out and leave Wisteria to Lightning." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As he thought of how she would have condemned his wife, son, and all his retainers to execution just to punish him for sins she'd magnified out of proportion, her agony gladdened him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Yet his honor deplored his own thirst for vengeance." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He couldn't permit another murder, and Wisteria was still a witness he needed alive." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Tokugawa law would mete out justice to her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Now Lightning drew his sword and raised it high over Wisteria, who shrieked in terror. \"Stop!\" Sano ordered." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He lunged, and seized the gangster's arm." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lightning wrenched free; he slashed at Sano." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As Sano dodged, Wisteria crawled away toward the stairs." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lightning charged at her, sword poised to kill." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sano dashed after Lightning, when suddenly, a shout came from outside the warehouse." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Lightning! Ssakan-sama!\" Hirata's voice called. \"I've brought the money.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "ill start, then u do three sentences in Lucia St. Clair's voice ok?" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat sat on the large flat rock that served as a stoop at the side entrance and selected a pair of straw sandals left there by the guests' servants and box bearers. The rough straw weave began to abrade her tender feet the moment she put them on. From inside she heard Chin-Chin's howl deteriorate into tormented yipping." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Monk had soaked in." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He had closed with his enemy.\n\nAs Cat stood in the narrow passageway between the two-story Perfumed Lotus and the House of the Spring Fan next door, her metaphorical sword hesitated briefly in its course. Cat suddenly understood Old Jug Face's ancient parrot." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The parrot was bald on top, but for one tattered feather." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He looked as if his mistress regularly dusted hard-to-reach corners with him. He brooded malevolently in his cage, his stubby gray head lowered and swinging in tiny arcs, like a snake preparing to strike. He lived only to eat rice, swill sake, and tenderly nibble Old Jug Face's pendulous earlobes." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He bloodied any finger that strayed within range." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He was a moth-eaten tyrant until his mistress let him out of his cage." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Then he cowered until she put him back.\n\nCat put a hand on the rough, weathered timbers of her own cage. Had she escaped the dragon's mouth, or was she walking into it?" }, { "from": "human", "value": "No matter. She hadn't escaped anything yet." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She still had to pass under Centipede's ravaged nose.\n\nThe back alleys of the pleasure district were quite different from the lovely gardens and serene front rooms where guests were received. The narrow passage was crowded with buckets and tools, broken barrows and strings of braided barrel hoops." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat scuffed the reeking stew of alley mud onto her smooth, pale feet." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She pulled the hat brim lower over her eyes and drew her slender, manicured hands into her sleeves. Abandoning the hip-swaying gait of the courtesan, she walked with the deliberate care of someone drunk trying to pass for someone sober.\n\nShe moved smoothly into the unsteady stream of men who hadn't the money to stay until dawn with their \"one-night wives.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Groups of them laughed and sang and composed poetry to the white-necked ones and to rented passion." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat walked among them as though in a dream. As though she were looking down on herself and on the tipsy throng around her.\n\nBoth sides of the main thoroughfare were lined with round paper lanterns hanging from the first-story eaves." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As the Yoshiwara emptied, sleepy servants lowered the lights on the ends of long poles." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When snuffed, the wicks gave off a strong odor of whale oil that settled over the street. Almost directly overhead, the moon, which was almost full, looked like a lantern they couldn't quite reach.\n\nMost of the beggars and musicians and peddlers had moved outside the gate to importune the men as they exited." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Servants were sliding the heavy wooden shutters across the open fronts of the tea shops and assignation houses." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Soon they would present a uniformly blank face to the customers who had spent their silver and were of no further use. The \"ground-tea harlots\" no longer sat behind the wooden grills in front of the lower-class brothels. They had gone to work or to bed, which amounted to the same thing." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The gay district called the Yoshiwara covered eighteen boggy acres enclosed by a high wall. Besides the massive two-story houses where the courtesans lived or met their guests, there were hundreds of tea shops called \"introduction houses\" where arrangements were made for evening trysts. In the tea houses near the Perfumed Lotus, a list of Cat's accomplishments was included on the menu of second-rank courtesans." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat was one of those known as \"midway starters.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Because of her upper-class upbringing she had become a courtesan without having gone through the usual apprenticeship. If Cat had stayed in the Yoshiwara, she surely would have been elevated to tayū, courtesan of the first rank.\n\nIn the pleasure districts tayū were royalty of sorts." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They selected their patrons from among the richest and most refined men." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Their beauty, grace, and accomplishments were admired throughout the country, and they set not only fashion, but style. There were only four tayū in the Yoshiwara.\n\nIf Cat had stayed, her earnings would have assured a comfortable life for her mother." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Providing for her mother was why Cat had sold herself in the first place. She had done it even though she knew that would make it easier for Lord Kira to spy on her. Even though her beauty and talents were filling Old Jug Face's brass-bound money chests with the lozenge-shaped gold coins." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When Lord Kira and Old Jug Face discovered Cat was missing, the search for her would be thorough and extensive." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Thousands of courtesans, waitresses, apprentices, cooks, scullery help, and maids lived here. The Yoshiwara was a city of women, constant and pliant, perplexing and accommodating. Men flowed in and out like the tides." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Now, as the hour approached midnight, the tide was ebbing. The flow was constricted at one narrow outlet, the small door in the Great Gate, guarded by Mukade no Gonzo, the man everyone called Centipede, but not in his hearing.\n\nAs Cat drew closer she saw the old man standing, small and wiry and intense as a hummingbird, at the gate." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Near by, his assistants took the wooden tickets men handed them in exchange for their weapons." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The long swords and the occasional bows, halberds, and spears were stored by type on wall racks in the small gate house. It wouldn't do to have a samurai, deep in his cups, decide to dice a paying customer. Guests were required to check their weapons at the entrances to the various houses." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Some men, however, preferred to leave their arms with Centipede." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Centipede was seventy. Old scars cleaved the dark, wrinkled leather of his nose and parted the bush of his left eyebrow." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Each year, as his hair receded, he had to shave less of his head to maintain his warrior's topknot. But he was still lean and tough and resilient as the steel of his two swords, heated, folded, and hammered repeatedly in the forge of adversity. His eyesight and memory were as keen as his blades." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The small door in the fifteen-foot-high gate was brightly lit with lanterns." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Centipede studied every person who passed through it. He would remember the unremarkable customer in the shabby blue Nakagawa Freight coat even though the press at the door grew more frenetic as midnight approached.\n\nFor a man without money to be locked into the Yoshiwara was humiliating at best and often disastrous." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He would have to seek shelter in a house that would extend him credit." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Knowing a man was at their mercy often resulted in exorbitant expenses for one night's lodging. Toughs from some of the lower-class establishments had been known to move into a defaulter's home and wreak havoc on his domestic life until the debt was paid.\n\nAs Cat neared the periphery of Centipede's buzzard stare, she wandered out of the traffic and into the shadow of a stack of fire buckets at the head of an alley." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She sneaked the bamboo cylinder from her coat and decanted it." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She spread her feet, cocked her hips, and tilted the cylinder under her coat hem. While the stream of wine splashed into the dust, she stared contemplatively out over the crowd. She wore the usual look of a man astonished yet again that pissing was such a thoroughly soul-satisfying act." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As she shook the last drops from the cylinder, Cat finished her survey of the crowd." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her means of escape was somewhere among the guests and servants, the messengers, jugglers, procurers, shills, cutpurses, and food vendors with their portable shops balanced on bamboo poles across their shoulders. Cat's means appeared as though on cue.\n\nHe was a person of great importance, which was why he was dressed as a peasant." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Forbidding bureaucrats to visit the Yoshiwara was like forbidding a tidal wave to hit the shore. Thousands of men were required to run a government based on intrigue and pervasive suspicion. They were the Yoshiwara's most valuable customers." }, { "from": "human", "value": "This one was a metsuke, an inspector and an official gatherer of intelligence for the shōgun's junior council of elders." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He was a ponderous blotch of a man who had drunk too much sake to make the journey to the Great Gate unaided. Two huge, shaven-headed servants of the House of the Winged Mountain supported him between them. The weaving course the servants steered indicated they had been drinking, too." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The metsuke wore a big bamboo hat and straw sandals." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Even though the night sky was cloudless, he wore a raincape made of thick layers of rice straw tied around his neck and waist. It thatched him from his trio of overlapping chins to his bulbous calves. He looked like a straw stack with feet. Cat recognized him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Thank you, Kannon-sama, she thought." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The thousand-armed goddess of mercy had sent the perfect man for Cat's needs.\n\nDuring the mornings and afternoons the Yoshiwara was empty of guests. A languorous tranquillity settled over it then, the more precious because it was transitory." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The young apprentices swept up, and servants cleared away the night's debris or watered down the dust in the streets." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Trusted go-betweens delivered \"next-morning-letters.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Maids gossiped at the district's new well.\n\nIn the mornings men emptied the contents of the privies into long buckets and carried away the precious cargo to fertilize the outlying fields. Paperers came with their rolls of heavy rice paper, glue, and laths to repair panels mangled in the night's revelry." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Farmers carried on their backs towering wooden frames piled with lotus roots and cabbages and huge white radishes." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "On the corner of Yedo-cho and Ni-cho-me streets, greengrocers and fishmongers hawked their wares.\n\nThe courtesans gathered then for dance or calligraphy or samisen lessons in the large, uncluttered tatami rooms behind the closed shutters. They discussed the latest permutations of the hairdo fashions while the blind shampooers plied their trade." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They talked endlessly of love and the possibility of some rich patron freeing them from the Yoshiwara." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They bathed together in cedar bathtubs big enough to soap down a horse. They joked about the guests.\n\nTheir laughter found its way through the cracks in the wooden shutters and rippled throughout the Yoshiwara." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When this one's name was mentioned, the jokes turned bitter." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "This one's juices flowed only when he inflicted pain. But Cat hated the man for more than his casual cruelty. He was a distant cousin of Lord Kira." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Aim for his weak point, Musashi advised." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "And with your body rather floatingly, join in with his movement as he draws near.\n\nAs he approached her, Cat put her small pipe in her mouth as though she were going to take a few puffs. She separated one of her paper handkerchiefs from the folded stack of them in her wallet and twisted it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She lifted the oiled paper shade of a square street lantern and lit the end of the twisted napkin." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She shielded the guttering flame with her sleeve as she swiveled smoothly. She bent and, hidden by the bulk of the servants' backs, held it to the bottom of the straw-thatch raincoat as the metsuke passed.\n\nThe flame spread noisily outward and upward, toward the peak of the official's rented, conical straw hat." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The layers of straw in the raincape curled and blackened behind the fire, exposing hairy calves and the folds of an expensive silk brocade kimono tucked up into the man's sash." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The metsuke sniffed in alarm. A strong smell of smoke always made people nervous. Fiery holocausts swept the city so often, they were called the Flowers of Edo." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The servants flailed at the blaze with their cloaks but only succeeded in fanning it." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The metsuke clawed at the cape's ties, knotted at his neck and waist, while the flames reached up around him, embracing him. He began to scream. Cat could smell burning hair and burning flesh at about the same time." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The watcher in the fire platform atop the tea house nearest the gate began tolling the big bronze bell." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Men and women, in dishabille and carrying whatever they could grab, spilled into the streets." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The metsuke decided that if he couldn't get the cape off, he would run away from it. As he raced, shrieking, back into the Yoshiwara, people scattered in front of him. The wind of his passing only made the blaze hotter." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sparks billowed and pranced upward." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Shire mono! Idiots!\" Centipede elbowed through the crowd, trying to clear a path for the fire brigade.\n\nWhen Cat ducked through the low door, no one followed her. The government had devised a variety of inventive public executions, but seeing a man immolated alive was a rare form of entertainment." }, { "from": "human", "value": "No one wanted to miss it." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat was almost pushed back by those outside rushing in to see the spectacle.\n\nCat threaded her way through the deserted palanquins parked outside the gate. She passed the small shrine to Inari-sama, the Rice God, and the Colt-Tethering-Pine-Tree near it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She passed the tiny kiosks that sold guidebooks to the pleasure districts." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "And she hurried by the stands that rented clothing and hats. In the morning they would no doubt send a man to try to collect the price of the clothes and hat from the dead guest.\n\nCat walked down Dressing Hill, where men adjusted their clothing before going home to their wives." }, { "from": "human", "value": "At the Gazing-Back-Willow she turned to look at the high wall." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Behind it, the spy was transmuting into greasy smoke, dark and ominous against the pale moon. Cat could hear people shouting, but the spy's screams were weakening. She waited until they stilled." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The bronze fire bell stopped ringing, but its booming voice resonated in Cat's ears." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The watchman's wooden clappers struck the hour of the Rat. The rectangle of light in the Great Gate disgorged a gout of men before it narrowed, then darkened. The Yoshiwara was closed for the night." }, { "from": "human", "value": "One man pulled away from the group outside the gate as though the others had stopped to chat." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Centipede's courier had tucked the rear of his kimono up into his sash at the small of his back. He held a tall spear vertically in one hand. It was his badge of office." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As the courier passed the Gazing-Back-Willow at a dead run, Cat could see the taut muscles in his powerful legs." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The thick fringe of horsehair ringing the top of his long spear quivered and jounced. He disappeared down the raised causeway that threaded through the marsh surrounding the Yoshiwara.\n\nIt has started, Cat thought." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Through the coarse skirt of her jacket coat, Cat hitched up the unfamiliar waistband of her loincloth." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She pushed the wide sash lower on her hips.\n\nIn her year as a courtesan Cat had learned to converse with men. She knew their slang and their rhythm of speech." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 4 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She was used to taking boys' parts in impromptu dances and dramas for the entertainment of more favored guests or for the amusement of the other women.\n\nWithout much effort she shed almost nineteen years of training as a paradigm of feminine grace and subtlety. She trotted into the darkness with the peculiar, flat-footed, light-footed, splay-footed gait of a peasant used to scurrying at his superiors' beck.\n\n\"Shire mono!\" she grunted. \"Idiots!\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "im ur writing buddy. i set scene, u do four sentences like Lucia St. Clair" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat was strong, but she wasn't used to walking. By the time she reached the village of Kawasaki, a mere two ri and three cho from the Shinagawa barrier, her feet and legs ached. The pack's straps were digging painfully into her shoulders.\n\nShe stopped at a shop displaying a stack of plump rice balls, each wrapped in a sheet of dark green, iridescent seaweed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She gathered her resolve. She would have to engage in the vulgar exchange of money for goods, or she would starve. She pointed to the rice balls and held out two precious coppers.\n\nThe shopkeeper looked astonished, then angry." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Please accept this as a humble donation.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As he put a ball into Cat's begging bowl, he bowed with excessive courtesy. The bow was so exaggerated, it was unmistakably insulting.\n\nCat could see that the rice ball had been dropped in the dirt. \"May the merciful Buddha bless you,\" she said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Two coppers for a rice ball!\" he muttered as Cat walked away. \"Does he take me for a fool?\"\n\nCat was so hungry that she brushed off the dirt and slid the ball under the rim of the basket so she could eat it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It was stale and brittle, and it tasted like chaff in her mouth." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat did not like the view of the world from the other side of a begging bowl. Her hand trembled in humiliation and rage.\n\nCat's indifference toward commoners was hardening into a tight knot of loathing. She would have given her life to assemble her naginata there in the crowded, dusty road and to pin the rice ball vendor like a fly to the wall of his shop." }, { "from": "human", "value": "But her life was not hers to give." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The stakes were much higher than that." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Even after eating the dry rice cake Cat felt dizzy with hunger. She limped to a spot of sunlight against a wall that blocked the cold wind. She leaned on her staff for support and watched the cheerful traffic stream by.\n\nShe realized that she would face problems that hadn't occurred to her when she thought she could reach Kyōto in ten days." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She didn't know what food or lodging cost, or the price of a bath or the ferry across the Tama River on the other side of Kawasaki. She couldn't even do something as simple as buy rice.\n\n\"Are you thirsty, holy one?\" A young tea seller, perhaps nine or ten years old, stopped in front of her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His spindly hips were draped in a loincloth worn thin as gauze with age." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His torn paper jacket was belted with the straw cord from a rice bale. His conical rush hat advised people to visit Mitsui sake shop, where there were \"Cash sales\" and \"No fancy prices.\" Even in the chill of early winter his feet were bare.\n\nTwo wooden water buckets, almost half his height, hung from the pole he carried across his right shoulder." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Balanced on top of the front bucket was a two-tiered tray with wooden slats forming its high sides." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It held four chipped bowls, a lacquered tea canister, and bamboo utensils. On top of the lid of the rear bucket perched a tiny iron charcoal brazier and kettle.\n\n\"How much is your tea?\" Cat felt more comfortable discussing money with a child." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"No charge.\" The boy studied Cat." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Are you still hungry?\"\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\n\"How many coppers do you have?\"\n\nCat searched through the pocket formed by the seam that closed the bottom two-thirds of her jacket sleeve opening." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She held out the ten-copper piece the old man had given her at the barrier and five mon, all she had managed to beg." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The boy raised his eyebrows at the fiscal incompetence of this priest. Then he took the money and disappeared into the crowd. Cat was beginning to berate herself for letting him rob her when he returned with two fat, fresh rice cakes wrapped in bamboo leaves artistically formed into tetrahedrons, and a small packet of pickled radish. He handed them to her, then set down his buckets." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Nosewater,\" he shouted to a passing noodle seller." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat flinched. The last thing she wanted was attention. She took off her pack and sat wearily, cross-legged, on the ground.\n\n\"You owe me a fist, remember? For the sake,\" the tea seller said.\n\n\"Suck it, Jōshū,\" the other boy replied amiably." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Strapped on his back was a high box whose narrow shelves contained bowls of buckwheat noodles." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I only owe you four fingers.\"\n\n\"A fist. But give me two bowls and we're even.\"\n\nThe noodle vendor reluctantly handed over two bowls of cold buckwheat noodles and stood waiting for Jōshū and the priest to empty them.\n\nCat would have to take off her big hat to eat." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Next door, however, were the stables and courtyard of Kawasaki's post station." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The office building itself was set back from the road so the porters, messengers, and horses gathered there wouldn't snarl the foot traffic. In the courtyard, kago bearers, hostlers, and off-duty couriers lounged in the sun.\n\nOn the tatami mats inside the low, open-fronted transport office sat a flock of clerks in identical robes. One of their main occupations was keeping tabs on the likes of Cat." }, { "from": "human", "value": "With their ink stones and brushes and rolls of paper they were as dangerous, in their way, as the police and Kira's retainers." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat turned away from the transport office and took off the tall hat. When she shook her high-set tassel of hair, dust flew from it. If someone recognized her, so be it. She couldn't reach the Western Capital if she starved to death first." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She held out her hands for the bowl of noodles." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "If the boys noticed Cat's delicate features, they said nothing. They had seen too many strange goings-on to comment on the foibles of a komuso, a priest of empty nothing. Most of them were mad to begin with, and not a few were fallen aristocrats and dangerous men.\n\nJōshū handed Cat a pair of chopsticks, and she didn't even look to see if they were clean." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She didn't worry that someone of her rank didn't eat in the streets like an ill-bred commoner." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She devoured the noodles and gave the vendor back the bowl. Then she ate one of the rice cakes and the pickles. She wrapped the other in her thin towel and stowed it in her sleeve to eat later.\n\n\"Tell Suruga I'm looking for him,\" Jōshū called as the tall noodle stand bobbed back into traffic." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Jōshū wiped out a narrow teacup with the dangling end of his loincloth." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Squatting in the dust, he used a tiny bamboo ladle, hardly bigger than an ear pick, to measure out the coarse dried black leaves and stems of the cheapest grade of tea. He set the small kettle onto the brazier to warm.\n\n\"It would be most fortunate to meet someone who could see the future.\" Jōshū artfully arranged his request into a polite oblique as he waited for the water to heat." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Reading events to come is not my talent.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat saw disappointment skim across the boy's face. \"Why do you need to know the future?\"\n\n\"My parents died while we were on pilgrimage. I want to know if I'll ever see my village again.\"\n\n\"Do you have six coppers?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat wiped her fingers on her dusty robe and held them out." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Jōshū dipped water from his bucket and poured it over them." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Reading the future was holy work. It required purification.\n\nJōshū laid down one of the wooden lids for Cat to work on. His purse hung from a long cord around his neck. He pulled it up from the depths of his paper jacket and separated six mon from the string of them." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I haven't the eight diagrams, so this will be only a simplified reading.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat shook the coins in her closed hands.\n\nLike all the women who lived in the House of the Carp, Cat had had her future read often by the blind masseuse who doubled as a diviner. She knew the simplest of the more than eleven thousand combinations, and in any case, she was determined to make up a bright future for Jōshū.\n\nShe laid the coins out in a vertical line on the lid, and the boy leaned closer." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He was trying to see happiness, or at least a thatched roof and a daily bowl of rice, in the combination of the coins' stamped and plain sides." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As Cat studied the results she sucked in her breath, hissing with pleasure. All the coins had landed with their stamped sides up, a rare combination. She would not have to lie to him.\n\n\"Will it be a good life?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "he asked anxiously. A few people stopped to look over his shoulder." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Then a few more.\n\n\"This is a pairing of two Heaven combinations. Very manly.\" Cat was so intent on the message in the coins, she didn't notice the small crowd of people craning to see.\n\n\"Extreme happiness will follow sorrow.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat was astonished at her own elation over his good fortune." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"A dragon rising to Heaven is your symbol. Even if you're not doing well right now, your worries and troubles will diminish. But you must work hard for success.\"\n\n\"Ma!\" Jōshū murmured. \"You don't say!\"\n\nWhen Cat scooped up the coins to return them, he held up his hand, refusing them. He gave her a hempen cord and showed her how to thread it through the square hole in the center of each copper, then knot them in place." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It was a small accomplishment, but it gave Cat the sudden, heady feeling that she could learn the arcane ways of commerce." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She could survive in the world of merchants. She smiled as she put the small string into her sleeve.\n\n\"Do me the kindness of reading my future, holy one.\" A woman set down the two huge cloth-wrapped packages she carried and squatted in front of Cat." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The child who rode on her back and shared her oversize coat peered out from the big, loose collar. The woman held out six coins.\n\n\"I am weary,\" Cat said. \"Let me rest a few minutes.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "She was having trouble keeping her eyes open." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Go on.\" Jōshū shooed them away. \"The holy one has traveled far. Can't you see he's exhausted?\"\n\nReluctantly, the crowd dispersed.\n\nFrom the direction of Edo a jangle of bells approached." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The tips of two messengers' spears, with their thick black fringe of horsehair, bobbed above the traffic. Travelers moved toward the side of the road, and a pair of couriers panted into the yard of the transport office.\n\nThey weren't the regularly scheduled runners, and Jōshū smelled intrigue. Intrigue was more than just entertainment for him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "From time to time he was able to exchange his knowledge for coppers." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Will the honorable holy one do me the august favor of watching my shop?\"\n\nWithout waiting for an answer, Jōshū abandoned his water buckets and tea tray to Cat's care. The last Cat saw of him were the blackened soles of his feet as he wriggled through a well-worn hole under the post station's plastered wall.\n\nCat leaned her lower back against her own wall, crossed her arms on her raised knees, and rested her head on them." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The sun felt warm on the top of her head." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The noise of the Tōkaidō faded and surged and echoed around her. Worms of light swam in front of her eyes.\n\nJōshū found her sleeping there a few minutes later. He studied the top of her head." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The priest was pretty enough to be the one the authorities sought." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "But if he were the woman, surely she wouldn't be napping here like a chicken in the dust next to the government office.\n\n\"Holy one.\" Jōshū shouldered his pole and adjusted the buckets to balance. \"I have to sell the rest of my tea.\"\n\nCat tried to force her eyes open against the fatigue that weighted the lids." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What message do they carry?\" she asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"A courtesan ran away. They think she may be heading for the west country.\" Jōshū was disappointed that the news had been so uninteresting.\n\n\"Is she wanted for any crime?\"\n\n\"No.\" Jōshū considered her a moment." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"There's a place where you can sleep, holy one, away from noise and curious eyes.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He led Cat between the buildings to the beach beyond." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He maneuvered his pole and buckets among the nets and drying racks and boats until he stood in front of a half-rotted hull. It was turned upside down, with one gunwale in the sand and the other propped up by a broken rudder.\n\nCat lay down gratefully on the raveled mat Jōshū spread out under the boat. She cradled the walking staff in her arms." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A tattered scrap of a quilt and a few broken utensils were wedged up into the thwarts overhead. Jōshū took down the quilt and spread it over her.\n\nA pair of wooden tablets with Jōshū's parents' death names written on them were fastened to the ceiling formed by the boat's broken floorboards. Stubs of incense sticks bristled from the sand." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A bowl of cooked rice with chopsticks stuck into it and a thimbleful of water were mute evidence that Jōshū had been faithfully providing for his parents' wellbeing in the spirit world." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Buddha of the Boundless Light will bless you, child,\" Cat murmured before she fell asleep.\n\nShe slept through the hours of the Snake and Horse. She slept through the rainstorm that produced a flowering of bright, water-repellent paper umbrellas and big straw rain hats along the road and sent unprepared travelers scurrying for cover. She slept until the moist crunch of feet in the sand woke her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Without changing the rate of her breathing, she slipped her hand into her sash and found the scissors." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Holy man.\" The voice was gruff. Cat tightened her grip on the scissors. \"Jōshū says you're a diviner.\"\n\nIn spite of the introduction, of sorts, Cat almost stabbed the face that peered under the dripping gunwale." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The man's vein-laced nose had been broken two or three times." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The bulbous tip of it slanted toward the lumpy left ear growing like a fungus on the side of his head.\n\nHe had shaved his eyebrows, exposing the thick ridge of bone over his bulging eyes. His bristle of black hair poked out from under a towel, rolled into a narrow tube, wrapped around his head, and knotted above his left ear.\n\nAt first glance Cat thought his head was being swallowed by a snake." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A snake's distended jaws had been tattooed along his own jawline." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The lower and upper fangs bracketed his puffy-looking lips. A forked red tongue flicked across his nose. A pattern of blue scales covered his chin and ran down his neck.\n\n\"What do you want?\" Cat asked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"To beg a favor of you. In return, to offer you food and lodging.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"And a bath?\"\n\n\"My wretched hovel has few amenities, but certainly you can bathe there.\"\n\nMusashi wrote that to cross the expanse one must assess the perils, the directions, the obstacles. Cat realized, with a heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach, that she didn't know what the perils and obstacles of the Tōkaidō were." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She didn't know whom she could trust and whom she must fear." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As she crawled out from under the boat, she saw that this was certainly a man to fear." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She decided to trust him.\n\nHe was squat, with long, powerful arms. The thick calluses on his shoulders marked him as a kago bearer. The snake tattoo that started at his face wound in thick coils down his neck, across his chest, and around his torso." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The tail disappeared into the pouch of the loincloth that was his only clothing." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat suspected that the tip of the tail ended at the tip of ano mono.\n\nHe hissed politely as he bowed. \"For reasons obvious to all but a blind man, these stewed tea loaf fools call me Mamushi no Jiro, Viper.\" He gestured at the world in general." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It was the sort of name a bandit or gambler would adopt, and Viper seemed pleased with it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He motioned her toward a flimsy bamboo kago sitting on the sand." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Another bearer squatted beside it. As Viper slogged off through the sand, he hitched up his loincloth and tightened it up for the work ahead. Cat stared, fascinated, at the golden-and-black-striped tiger face covering his bare, tightly muscled buttocks.\n\nThe narrow white roll of loincloth partially obscured the pink nose at the point where his nether cleavage began." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The huge eyes glowered from either side of it." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The tiger's cheeks followed the contours of the nates, and when Viper walked, his great cat seemed to be chewing thoughtfully.\n\nCat knew that to cross the expanse she would have to trust her own instincts. Her instincts told her Viper was offering her more than shelter. He was offering her sanctuary." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What do you want of me?\"" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She pulled her staff and pack from under the boat.\n\n\"To speak to the dead.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Task: Story collab\nMe: Opening\nYou: two sentences more, Lucia St. Clair-style" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kawasaki wasn't situated where travelers were likely to spend the night. Usually all they left behind them was dust from distant provinces and contributions in the farmers' wayside conveniences." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A one-legged beggar sat on a frayed square mat across the road from the open-air tea shop near the ferry." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He kept up a steady racket, beating with a mallet on the flat bell lying in front of him. He had been droning sutras since before Viper and Cold Rice arrived." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I'm terribly embarrassed about the poor quality of the tea.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The tea shop's owner arrived with the tray held over her head so her breath wouldn't contaminate the contents. She set it down between Viper and Cold Rice." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The typhoon ruined the crop.\"\n\n\"This is tea to make a palate rejoice.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Viper held up the cup and admired it politely." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He and his partner dangled their feet from the wide bench outside the shop. Their kago stood between them and the open shed that sheltered the ferry's waiting passengers." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A pair of dusty mats had been thrown over the kago's carrying pole." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"May I bring you anything else, Boss?\" Viper was Oyabun, Boss of the brotherhood of kago bearers for this section of the Tōkaidō." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Can you serve us some fresh news, Kiku-san?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I can indeed!\" Kiku, Chrysanthemum, was so small that she had to double her blue-and-white tie-dyed cotton robe twice under her sash to keep from tripping on the hem." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She was also shy, but she lit up at the chance to relay gossip.\n\n\"A pack of rascals passed through,\" she said in a low voice." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"They waited a day at the Full Moon Inn. Then they left three men behind and continued on. The three have been squatting there like toads ever since, drinking all the Full Moon's sake and complaining endlessly.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Who are they waiting for?\"\n\nThe waitress beamed from behind her tray." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "This was the best part. She looked around, leaned closer, and lowered her voice even more." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"A terrible brigand.\" She was elated that a terrible brigand might pass through Kawasaki." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Travelers from Edo say the Eastern Capital is buzzing with stories about him. He single-handedly fought off a horde of enemies and burned down half the pleasure district. They say he's extremely handsome and he may even be disguised as a woman.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Who are his enemies?\"\n\n\"I don't know. But I hear they're wicked. I hear the lone warrior intends to annihilate them and give all their gold to the poor.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Is that so?\"\n\n\"That's what I hear.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Thank you.\" Viper bowed and smiled. \"We'll finish our tea and trouble you no more.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"No trouble at all, Boss Viper.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She bowed as she backed away. In her tall geta she clattered back to the domed clay stove where her kettle simmered." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Viper thought of the mysterious young lord as he had last seen him, a slender, stoic figure in dusty priest's robes meditating in a cloud of incense smoke at the foot of the pine tree." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"This whole affair is a fire across the river,\" Cold Rice muttered into his teacup. \"It doesn't concern us.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"It's entertaining, my old friend.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The boy-lord's orders were to leave the kago near the ferry, then disappear.\" Cold Rice persisted in his attempts to dissuade Viper from folly, even though he knew it was hopeless." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Viper just smiled into his teacup. He counted among his friends members of Edo's otokodate, gangs of commoners who fought against the depredations of samurai and bannermen." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He had been in more street brawls than Cold Rice could count." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Arguing with you is like driving a nail into bran.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cold Rice was exasperated.\n\n\"Which of them do you suppose are the spies?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Viper studied the assortment of people sitting on the benches under the thatched roof." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"How should I know?\"\n\n\"There,\" Viper said. \"Our young lord approaches.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He felt around next to his bare legs to make sure his oaken kago stick was close by." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Through the square of open mesh in her hat, Cat saw Viper about the same time he saw her. \"Idiot!\" she muttered.\n\nShe was furious that he would defy her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "So be it. If he was determined to become a Buddha, she wouldn't stop him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Clutching her staff, Cat walked slowly past the dusty weeds and dry, brown rice paddies west of Kawasaki. She had tied back her sleeves to be ready for action." }, { "from": "human", "value": "From inside her big hat she surveyed the few wretched hovels that fronted directly on the roadway." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Except for the activity at the ferry, the village seemed almost deserted.\n\nThe passengers who had just arrived from the other side of the river were dispersing." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Some rested in the shade of the tall trees along the river or stopped at the shabby tea houses." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Others continued their journeys." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat gave a start when a merchant strode up to Viper and demanded to hire his kago.\n\n\"You're too fat,\" she heard Viper say." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Walk. The exercise will do you good.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat left Viper to argue with him and watched the two-horse pack train that was delaying the loading of the ferry. The flat-bottomed boat could only hold one animal at a time, and neither horse was cooperating with the driver." }, { "from": "human", "value": "While they waited, the travelers chatted or rooted in their cloth bundles for radishes and rice dumplings." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Children selling sweet bean cakes and straw sandals and toothpicks swarmed around them.\n\nThe boy Jōshū was selling tea from his portable stand." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When he saw her, he looked worried." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Several surly men from Edo and a formidable rōnin from Tosa had been asking about the handsome young priest of empty nothing. They might show up at any moment." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Jōshū had told them nothing, of course." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He owed the young priest a great debt for the wonderful future he had read in the six copper coins.\n\nThe beggar stopped his chanting and bell ringing." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He hung the cords of the mallet and bell around his neck. He emptied the coppers from his begging bowl into his sleeve, slid his rosary onto his wrist, and tucked his mat under his arm." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He hauled himself up on his staff, hiked the hem of his long robe up into his sash, and hopped off on his one leg.\n\nThe spy, Cat thought." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Now she only had to wait until the beggar alerted his employers." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The travelers waiting at the ferry were the usual sort. The pack horse leader." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A pair of dry-goods clerks with their pilgrim's scrolls slung on their backs." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A panderer for harlots at ten percent. A pawnshop owner. A ditch cleaner with his broom and rake." }, { "from": "human", "value": "And the retinue of two prosperous rice brokers from the bustling Kitahama commercial district in Osaka, where, it was said, money flowed past the wharves and strolled in the streets." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "There were also three women going to the vast temple complex dedicated to Kōbō Daishi in the forest on the opposite side of the river. And a young artist, a westcountryman, who painted folding paper lanterns with pictures of Benkei on the Gojo Bridge." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He had set up shop on an overturned tub." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The artist seemed to be seventeen or eighteen, a year or so younger than Cat. He wore his towel over his head with the sides folded across his cheeks and tied under his lower lip." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Peasants covered their heads that way, and so did men who wanted to obscure their faces.\n\nJōshū wandered casually up to Cat. \"Tea, Your Holiness?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Thank you,\" Cat answered." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Beware.\" To cover his voice Jōshū rattled the wooden ladle against the side of the water bucket. \"Several men are looking for a priest, and they mean him harm.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Thank you for your kindness to a stranger.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat bowed and accepted the small cup of tea. She drank it as though nothing were amiss." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When Cat didn't retreat Jōshū followed her at a distance." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He scanned the river's broad dry bed and the treeline for enemies. He jumped when Cat pounded the butt of her staff on the ground, jangling the iron rings." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Allow me to read your fortunes, gentlefolk,\" she said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Your future is written in your face.\"\n\nThe rice merchants ignored her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They sat on their travel boxes, smoking and discussing the recent fortuitous typhoon. The storm had created food shortages around Edo and made them both wealthy men." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Permit me to read your face.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat stopped in front of the painter of paper lanterns. The cloth of his hakama was the orange and blue and yellow plaid common to the area around Akō." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She wanted to make him speak to see if his accent confirmed her suspicion about his origins. \"You, sir, have a long-life eyebrow.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The artist waved his sleeve peevishly at her and tried to avoid her gaze, but she persisted." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Note how his eyebrow is wide, and the hairs are longer at the tail than at the head.\"\n\nThe three women and several of the children crowded close to look." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Jōshū set down his big water buckets and watched from a distance." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The artist became increasingly agitated, but he said nothing. He stood up suddenly and knocked over his water pot and scattered his brushes in the sand." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He tied back his sleeves with a long cord and knelt to collect them." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Please do me the favor of reading my future, holy one,\" one of the women said. She and her two friends giggled behind their sleeves as if life itself were a wonderful joke." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They were merry with the intoxication of travel and the freedom from responsibility.\n\nCat took off her hat and leaned her staff and pack against one of the shed's corner posts." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She studied the woman's face." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You have a long head and a wide chin. You're a fire person.\"\n\n\"Is that good, holy one?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You are polite, but you have a hot temper.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"That's you!\" The two friends laughed.\n\nFrom the corner of her eye Cat saw Kira's three retainers hustling across the trampled beach toward the ferry landing." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Your clear voice and thin body mean you're combined with wood,\" Cat went on. \"Success and fame will probably come to you after age thirty.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Jōshū hissed a warning, which Cat didn't seem to hear." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She bowed low as she accepted the woman's donation of ten coppers tossed into her begging bowl. While the other two congratulated their friend on her good luck, Cat moved out to meet Kira's retainers." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Allow me to read the future in your faces, kind sirs.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The men were startled." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They had expected her to run or at least to be frightened. But Cat was following Musashi's advice." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She was making her fear transferable. By appearing calm, she was transferring restlessness to her enemy, the way one transferred sleepiness by yawning." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You, sir...\" Cat pointed her staff at the leader. \"You have a small gray ear. Not a good sign.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Come with us.\" When the leader and his two companions drew their long-swords, the passengers, the children, and the ferryman ran for the tea shop." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Only the young artist remained, holding his paintbrushes.\n\nCold Rice stood back to belly with the others under the shop's eaves, as though sheltering from a sudden and violent storm." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Viper stayed where he was, sitting on the bench with his legs dangling." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He held his kago stick ready, but he suspected that his young lord wouldn't need much help.\n\n\"A gray ear means you can't be trusted to keep a secret.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat threw back the matting over the kago's carrying pole." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She unloosed the slipknots and released the six-foot-long naginata from alongside the pole.\n\n\"And your nose... modern diviners never pay enough attention to noses, in my opinion.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Holding the naginata's shaft loosely in her hands, Cat circled to the left." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat had studied many aspects of the warrior's Way, but she had worked hard at only one endeavor in her life. She had practiced with the naginata from the time she was big enough to hold a small one." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She had begun serious training at the age of seven." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The naginata was a heavy weapon and required great stamina to wield, but the weight of it felt good in her hands. The year away from it seemed only an instant." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She remembered Oishi's calm voice as he coached her in Ten-no-michi, Heaven's Way. She was glad now that he had insisted she use a variety of naginata so she didn't develop a preference for one." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat held her chin high and looked straight ahead." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her nostrils flared as she felt vigor flowing up into her scalp. She had a three-foot reach on the swordsmen, and they were cautious." }, { "from": "human", "value": "But Cat could tell they didn't consider her dangerous." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You have an eagle's nose.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She turned to the leader to divert the others' attention as she moved to keep the sun on her right.\n\nYou must drive the enemy together as if tying a line of fishes, Musashi wrote." }, { "from": "human", "value": "And when they are piled up, cut them down without giving them room to maneuver." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "With a sudden cry and using her lead hand as a fulcrum, Cat whirled, hissed, and snapped her rear hand upward. Because strokes with the naginata were made not with the lead hand, but with the rear one, it slashed faster than a sword and didn't signal its movements." }, { "from": "human", "value": "And so, when the long, curved blade swooped down, the second man didn't move quickly enough." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat clearly saw, as though time had slowed, astonishment streak across his face when the blade sliced deep into his right shoulder. He dropped his sword." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Blood spurted from his ripped sleeve." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat flipped the blade up and felt the slight tug as it disengaged from his flesh. She was beyond all conscious thought now, or fear or elation." }, { "from": "human", "value": "With quick, small steps she lunged and swirled in a blur of motion." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her long blade described flashing circles in the sunlight as she parried and feinted. She slid her hands easily along the smooth shaft, snapping it downward, then reversing her grip to bring it up again in deadly arcs." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She made low, horizontal sweeps at the men's shins, keeping them hopping to avoid amputation.\n\nFrom the corner of her eye she saw the painter of paper lanterns run toward her with a sword he had hidden in his rolled sleeping mat." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Too fast to see, she reversed the naginata shaft and smashed the butt of it sideways into his nose as he came abreast of her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She heard a crack as the oak crumpled the cartilage. The artist's eyes widened in surprise and chagrin before he sprawled in the sand and lay still." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat severed the third man's sword hand at the wrist." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "People scattered as he stumbled into the tea shop. With his good arm he knocked the kettle to one side and plunged the bleeding stump into the glowing coals." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It hissed and steamed and sent out an odor of charring flesh." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Backed up against the back wall, the waitress screamed steadily.\n\n\"Ma!\" Viper tucked his feet under him, sucked on a straw, and watched raptly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When the leader tried to dart into sword range, Cat swiveled the curved blade downward again and sliced his ear off at the skull. Demoralized, he turned to run, and she swept the blade low, severing both ankle tendons." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Ancient Chinese diviners wrote,\" she called after him as he crawled away, \"that 'a man with a nose like an eagle's beak will peck at another man's heart.'\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat threw the ten coppers the woman had given her onto the wide, flat prow of the ferryboat. She didn't know if the amount was enough, but it would have to do." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She turned toward the tea house where the ferryman cowered." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Viper and Cold Rice and their kago had wisely disappeared before the authorities could arrive. Viper must have realized that the young priest didn't need his help and that staying there would surely mean trouble." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "yo can u write like Lucia St. Clair using my stuff as a starting point?" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro sat cross-legged in the shelter of the straw mat he had thrown over a bamboo pole propped up by a forked stick. Upriver from Kawasaki, he shared the grove of bare willows at the Yaguchi ford with a big bronze bell hanging under a wooden roof with upswept eaves. The willows didn't stop a cold wind from blowing in off the river.\n\nNow and then dusty travelers stopped to dip water from a small stone basin in front of the bell." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They rinsed their hands and mouths, purifying themselves for a small act of worship." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They pulled on the cord that swung the horizontally suspended log into the bell." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The low-pitched tolling vibrated in Hanshiro's chest.\n\nHe could have stayed at the shack that served as an inn here at the ford, but he knew it was infested with fleas. And when possible he preferred to keep watch himself instead of hiring someone to do it. So this lean-to under the rustling, bare branches of the willows had been his home for the past three days." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Frankly, as the old saying went, his teeth were itchy." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He was impatient and irritable." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hanshiro was impatient with his impatience." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Time is an illusion invented by the mind, he reminded himself." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The past didn't exist. The future didn't exist. The only reality was the moment. But the moment was cold." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He leaned over the river embankment and dipped a broad section of green bamboo into the fast-moving water. He fed willow twigs into the tiny fire he had built between three flat rocks. Then he balanced the bamboo container on the rocks and drew closer for the warmth. While he waited for the water to heat, he mended a torn tabi." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He used his thumbnail to push the needle through the seam in the canvas." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He knotted the cotton thread, bit it off, and wrapped the remaining length around the needle. He stowed it among the packets of ginseng and bear gall and powdered horn in the inro, the set of small nested lacquered boxes hanging from his sash. He put the tabi back on and tied his straw sandal on over it.\n\nHe measured tea leaves into a small cup." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Using his towel to insulate his fingers from the heat, he picked up the bamboo pot and poured water over the leaves." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He let it steep, holding the narrow, cylindrical cup in his big hands and enjoying the warmth emanating from the porcelain. He stared out at the parade of humanity.\n\nIn the middle of the deep ford four porters were demanding more money to carry an enormous wrestler across. Hanshiro could hear them complaining about his weight." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They were threatening to tip the platform on which he rode and spill him into the icy river." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It was an old ruse; and given the fact that the collected intellect of the five would not have filled a sake cup, it was comical. But Hanshiro was not amused.\n\nWith a willow withe he drew a circle in the sand. It was lopsided. The circle was a test of clarity of mind, and Hanshiro had just failed it. He sighed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "This woman was interfering with his rhythm, with his concentration." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Where had she gone? How could she vanish in less than two and a half narrow ri of road? Losing her was like losing an ant on a bell rope.\n\nA detour west across the mountains was unthinkable." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They were precipitous and uncharted and infested with brigands." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Maybe she went by sea or hired a boat to cross the river, although he knew Kira's men had been questioning all the fishermen between here and Edo. No one admitted to seeing her. And if Kira's men were inept at swordplay, they were very able at intimidating the lower classes.\n\nIn fact, they must have visited Nakamura Shichisaburo again, and Shichisaburo's memory must have improved." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kira's agents were now asking about a komuso, a priest of empty nothing." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro knew Kira's men hadn't taken Cat. Three of them were waiting near the ferry, and two of them were here, lounging in the shade of a roofed well on the approach to the ford. They scratched themselves frantically as they squatted over dice. They had been staying at the inn." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro continued his methodical analysis. He was trying to slip into the body and mind of the small fugitive as he had just slipped into his own tabi. He was finding it much more difficult than usual.\n\nHanshiro had a young informant at the ferry, and so far he hadn't reported seeing a wandering priest of Cat's description there." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Maybe she had changed disguises." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Maybe a procurer had kidnapped her or lured her back into service. Maybe she had been sold and now sat in one of the lath cages in the maze of brothels back in Edo, but Hanshiro doubted it.\n\nHanshiro was used to looking beyond appearances into the essence of a matter, and he had revised his initial opinion of the runaway. This woman was surrounded by mysterious deaths and disappearances." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She had a naginata, and she would not, he was sure, allow herself to be captured without a fight." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Any such incident would have been a prime topic of conversation among the travelers and denizens of the Tōkaidō.\n\nBoth Shichisaburo and the old woman who sold grilled eels had said she was alone; but maybe they were wrong. Maybe unknown accomplices had hidden her. Hanshiro decided that was the most logical explanation." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He took the blue silk scarf from his jacket and untied it." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The coil of black hair inside was still glossy. He raised the scarf to his face and breathed in. The hair no longer had an aroma. After three days of separation from its owner, it had lost her essence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It was neutral and uninformative. He wrapped it up again and returned it to his sleeve.\n\nWith the willow twig he began tracing characters in the sand. He was amused by the cynical old verse that came to mind." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It descibed three impossible things." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sincere courtesans,\n\nSquare eggs, and a fat full moon\n\nOn the month's last day.\n\nEven the act of writing such a foolish verse calmed Hanshiro." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It gave order to what was turning into a disordered affair." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He drew another circle, much more symmetrical this time.\n\nThe wind plucked at his sleeve and funneled down the neck of his old coat. He erased the verse and wrote one of Bashō's.\n\nThe salted bream" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Looks cold even to his gums,\n\nOn the fishmonger's shelf\n\nHe felt like that bream, cold and waiting on a shelf.\n\n\"Tosa!\" A boy dodged through the travelers gathered in small knots to haggle with the river porters." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He raced across the sand and into the willows." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He carefully avoided the poem Hanshiro had just drawn." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He dropped to his knees and bowed low. \"Tosa, the priest came to the ferry landing. Four men attacked him.\"\n\nHanshiro rubbed the stubble on his chin and stared out at the river. He had given Lady Asano too much credit." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She had walked into Kira's men's trap." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He beat them, master,\" the boy said.\n\n\"Alone?\"\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\nHanshiro hissed, maybe in surprise, maybe in warning." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The boy had never lied to him before." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Was he doing it now?\n\n\"He's a naginata player.\" The boy jumped to his feet. He made whistling noises as he flung his arms about, imitating Cat's fighting style." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"They're calling him the Devil Youth. They say he's the ghost of Yoshitsune and he studied with the mountain demons.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The boy had been enthralled by a lad, not much older than he, beating three samurai and one sword-wielding lantern painter.\n\n\"Maybe he was a different holy man.\"\n\n\"I think he was the one you seek, master. The whole village is as excited as a madman stung by a hornet. The magistrate is shouting about all the reports he'll have to write.\"\n\nHanshiro ducked out from under the mat and began to roll it up, along with the one on which he had been sitting. \"What happened?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He was splen...\" The boy hesitated." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He didn't want to insult Hanshiro by praising another." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He defended himself well enough for one so young. But of course a naginata is a woman's weapon. It gives the wielder an unfair advantage.\"\n\nHanshiro tied a cord around the ends of the roll of mats, leaving a long loop in the middle. He put the loop over his head and adjusted it across his collarbone.\n\n\"Where did they take him?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He escaped.\" The boy grinned. \"They were too busy picking up the ears and hands the Devil Youth left scattered about.\"\n\n\"Is that right?\" Hanshiro stared hard at him. Was the boy teasing him?" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"It's true.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro held out a packet of coppers, and the boy bowed and accepted them. \"Where did he go?\"\n\n\"I don't know, master.\" The boy was apologetic." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"No one rode across in the ferry with the mad priest, except the ferryman.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Within three or four minutes Hanshiro had packed his meager gear, buried the fire, and turned to leave.\n\n\"Let me go with you as sandal bearer, master.\" The boy dreamed of being Hanshiro's disciple in the Way of the warrior, but he dared not ask for such a privilege. \"I'll serve you well.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I want no one trailing after me.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Please, master. I ask nothing. Not even that you teach me.\"\n\nHanshiro knew that that was exactly what the child did want. But he didn't have the temperament to be a teacher. He felt no need to pass his skill and knowledge to others, certainly not for money." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Besides, the country was full of out-of-work rōnin setting themselves up as masters of this school or that.\n\nHanshiro had watched many of them and had decided that if they were masters of swordsmanship, dragonflies were birds.\n\n\"I cannot take you with me.\" Hanshiro turned to go, then relented. \" 'While riding the ox the boy looks for the ox,' \" he said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"When you can explain this, come find me.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Yes, Your Honor.\" The boy was rigid with concentration but hardly able to contain his excitement. He knew the task Hanshiro had given him might take him years, and he was eager to start.\n\nHanshiro gazed across the river. Then, with the toe of his sandal, he rubbed out the circles and the poem." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He put his swords into his sash, hitched up his hakama, and settled the roll of mats on his back." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He took off his sandals and tabi and tied them with a straw cord to his sash. Then he waded into the icy water." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Ive got a bit of writers block, im gonna send you something then keep it going 7 sentences at a time, also im going for a Lucia St. Clair sorta thing." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "What was taking him so long? Musui was such an amiable, unaffected sort, hardly the type to suffer from constriction of the bowels. Cat stared at the head-high thicket of bamboo screening the roadside privy in the hills above Kanagawa. She stamped impatiently and splattered mud. This was her fourth day on the road, and she hadn't even reached the third post station.\n\nRain dripped steadily from the brim of her hat. She shivered in the raw wind." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She stamped her feet again, this time to relieve the cramp in her calves." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat was offended. She didn't want Musui to recognize that she was the daughter of Lord Asano, of course; but she expected him, somehow, to realize he was in the presence of a peer. Musui, however, seemed unaware of his own privileged birth, much less hers.\n\nHe had left Cat standing in the road, in the cold rain. The muddy stream of rainwater washed over her sodden straw sandals and soaked her tabi. Her toes were numb with the cold.\n\nFar below, at the bottom of the hill, a group of pilgrims in bamboo hats huddled like mushrooms under a bead tree. Otherwise, the road was empty." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sensible travelers had all sought shelter.\n\nCat carried Musui's big cloth bundle, his furoshiki. The knotted ends cut into Cat's chest, but she dared not take it from under her raincape. It would have been soaked immediately. Cat had never had to carry her own things, much less someone else's. The indignity of it bothered her more than the effort.\n\nThe bundle had seemed light enough when she started, but it had grown more burdensome with each step." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She felt like the greedy woman who tricked an enchanted sparrow into giving her a basket of riches." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The basket had grown heavier and heavier as the woman carried it. When opened, not riches but demons tumbled out.\n\nCat was wearing the yellow-and-black-striped jacket and the gray breeches given her at the temple. The bottoms of the breeches were tucked into her old black canvas leggings. When she walked, the rubbing of the wet cloth stridulated, measured and imperious as a cricket's call.\n\nShe had to hold on to her hat or the wind blew under it, causing the straw cord under her chin to choke her. Rain fell from the edge of the brim and sluiced down the rectangular cape of woven straw." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The cape refused to compromise with her body." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It stood out from her back and flapped like a broken wing." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The sandals and wet tabi had rubbed raw places on Cat's feet. Those feet had carried her only two ri today, and she felt they couldn't take another step.\n\nShe and Musui had left the broad plain of Musashi behind. The hills had become increasingly precipitous since leaving Kawasaki. Rags of mist drifted among the trees on the steep slopes. The Tōkaidō followed the coastline where possible, but at times it was forced up and over the stubby green fingers of headlands poking into the surf. As the road wound upward it passed beneath ancient pines, twisted by the ocean's salty breath." }, { "from": "human", "value": "After a long climb Cat and her master had reached the crest of a high tor." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A large stone phallus, covered with moss, stood nearby. A pile of rocks as tall as Cat stood next to it. Each rock was the offering of some traveler who had gained the top.\n\nTo the southwest Cat could see the thatched roofs of Kanagawa rising from a lake of mist. The village was wedged into the crotch of two steep headlands. It backed up to a bay that was pale under a gray sky. A glow at the horizon, like a row of floor lanterns behind a screen, promised better weather." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What a splendid privy!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Musui was still adjusting the tucked-up skirts of his robes as he emerged, beaming, from the thicket of bamboo. \"It qualifies as Daibenjo, a Great-Convenience-Place.\"\n\nLike Cat he wore a clumsy raincape and a wide hat on which was written \"We two, pilgrims together.\" The second pilgrim referred to was the long-dead priest, scholar, artist, educator, humanitarian, and builder, Kōbō Daishi. Musui also had on a short white underrobe and a black outer one and muddy brown gaiters. His prayer beads and bell hung around his wrist. On top of his raincape rode the roll of his sleeping mat with his pilgrim's scroll and flute inside." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He opened his umbrella and smiled his lopsided grin at Cat." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Musui was so suffused with good spirits that Cat found it hard to stay angry with him, but she managed. She lowered her head so the hat hid her scowl as she hurried through the wet bamboo to the privy. In the past four days she had had more experience with commoners' toilets than she wanted.\n\nBut Musui was right. As roadside privies went, it was exceptional. Some enterprising farmer had made additions to lure travelers into passing up other privies in favor of his, thus providing more fertilizer for his fields.\n\nA waist-high screen of supple bamboo shielded its occupant while allowing a fine view of Kanagawa's roofs, like peaked, straw-colored waves, and the bay lapping at its back doors." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The floor around the hole was of fragrant, newly cut cypress. The farmer had fastened two blocks of pine, cut in the shape of feet, on each side of the hole, to help the weary traveler adopt the best position. A thatched roof sheltered it all. Wisteria vines climbed the support posts.\n\nWith his piece of charcoal Musui had written a poem on the tight weave of the bamboo screen. Cat wasn't surprised. He had been leaving poems on the sides of storage houses, on gates and fences and rain barrels. The rich merchants of Edo, eager for the furtive status derived from acquisition, would have paid stacks of thin gold coins for samples of Musui's poetry and his sinuous calligraphy." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Yet if the rain washed off the words as soon as Musui drew them, it seemed to make no difference to him. The privy's roof, however, kept this one dry.\n\nFlocks of silver birds\n\nShift and veer toward coming night,\n\nAnd do not heed me.\n\nAs Cat balanced herself on the raised footprints, she watched through the doorway as gusts blew the rain westward in undulating lines across the hard-packed earth. When they hit the ground the drops splattered, sending up twin sprays that did look like the wings of the birds in Musui's poem." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat became mesmerized by the erratic flights of the phantom birds. They exploded into life, then vanished, to be replaced by others, blown along in front of another gust.\n\nCat took as long as she could at the privy. She was grateful to be out of the rain and wind. Grateful not to be climbing interminable hills and sliding in the mud. But she knew she mustn't keep her master waiting long. She sighed and trudged out to the road." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"A farmer with the heart of an artist.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Musui held the umbrella so it sheltered them both. Then he and his bamboo staff splashed off through the water, and Cat had to hurry to keep up.\n\n\"Daishi knew the importance of commoners,\" Musui said. \"He preached that one can't make a delicious meal with one flavor or a beautiful song with but one note.\"\n\nMaybe the Honorable Daishi never had a commoner drop a turd in his begging bowl, Cat thought.\n\n\"The next village looks like a pleasant place to eat.\" Cat was trying to maneuver Musui into resting." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I had hoped to have a talk with that gentleman from Tosa.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Musui was not to be maneuvered. \"But he seemed to be pressed by urgent business.\"\n\nHe's no gentleman, Cat thought. And his buttocks are in the fire all right, until he has me in his flea-cracking grasp.\n\nShe was glad Musui had delayed so long at the temple that morning. By the time he had chanted the entire Lotus sutra and he and Cat had completed the Hundred-Times-Worship, backward, Hanshiro had been gone for many hours.\n\nThe Hundred-Times-Worship had taken more time than usual because the temple grounds were teeming with the faithful, come to worship and to cheer for their favorite wrestlers." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Musui and the abbot had shouted encouragement as one after another, the local aspirants entered the ring and tried to get a purchase on Mountain Wind's unaccommodating bulk." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The challengers had wrapped their arms as far around him as they could reach. They had clung to his broad leather loincloth in desperate embraces. But he had waddled them over the ring of rice bales faster than they could name their home villages.\n\n\"Hanshiro is from the Cape of Muroto.\" Musui seemed unaware of the murderous thoughts his disciple was harboring for the taciturn rōnin. \"Daishi-sama achieved enlightenment there, you know. I wonder if Hanshiro has seen him. Perhaps we'll meet up with him on the road and I can ask him.\"\n\n\"A torii, sensei.\" Cat was eager to change the subject." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Where?\" Musui squinted into the lush, sodden undergrowth." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Almost hidden among the trees and up a slope, an old wooden gate leaned forward precariously. It marked the entrance to a shrine.\n\nMusui stopped at every roadside temple and shrine. Small shrines and temples dedicated to local deities abounded, and members of the Shintō and Buddhist pantheons were often mixed together. Shintō or Buddhist, Musui worshiped at them all. He rinsed his hands and mouth, dropped a coin in the slatted wooden box, and rang the big bronze bell if there was one. He burned incense. He clapped his hands, bowed his head, prayed, and chanted." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When Cat finished her much shorter rituals, she waited." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "At first Cat had been impatient with Musui's delays. But as the road grew steeper and the rain drummed on her hat and she slid in the muddy streams flowing past her feet, she began to look for chances to stop. She preferred the monuments with roofs where she could get out of the weather, but any rest was welcome.\n\nThe narrow trail to this almost forgotten shrine was overgrown. As Cat pushed through the wet bushes, more water showered down on her. Mossy stone steps, all a-tilt, staggered up the wooded hillside. They led to a small shrine to Hachiman, the Shintō god of war." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sharing his roof was the Buddha Fudo-sama, a ferocious figure surrounded by carved flames and sitting on a lotus flower." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "That Fudo-sama was here was an especially propitious omen. He represented unshakable resolve and invincibility. He was the patron saint of warriors.\n\nCat pictured the ideogram for \"desperate.\" Its ancient meaning was \"to risk one's life for a place on this earth.\" Cat was certainly desperate, but she didn't expect to find a place on this earth.\n\nHer father's name had been abolished and disgraced." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The family's fortunes had gone to provide for its displaced servants and retainers. Cat knew that to change that would be like trying to put spilled water back in a basin. But she was prepared to lie, dissemble, and kill to reach Oishi.\n\nCat thought about all that as she bowed before Fudo-sama. The blue paint had long since worn off his face, but he still brandished his wooden sword and rope and scowled fiercely. Fierce Fudo in his cloak of flames cheered her a little. Fudo, Buddha of the Unmoved and Immutable, frightened away evil spirits." }, { "from": "human", "value": "And perhaps he would bless her quest." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The chapel, an odd mixture of Buddhist and Shintō styles, was neglected." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The paint had peeled away from the ornate diaperwork around the ceiling. Moss and weeds grew on the rotted cedar shingles of the roof. The scent of mold, like the musty odor of chrysanthemums, pervaded the dark interior. But behind the building was a small waterfall whose splashing was cheerful, even in the rain.\n\nMusui filled the small altar lamps with fragrant rapeseed oil. He lit the lamps and a bundle of incense. Sitting cross-legged on the warped wooden floor in front of the statues, he chanted the Lotus sutra and confessed to the sins of the six senses." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Finally he intoned an invocation to Amida." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "By the time he finished, the sun had set.\n\n\"Please lay out our sleeping mats,\" Musui said. \"We'll spend the night here.\"\n\nCat started to protest but stopped herself. One didn't argue with one's master. If you would have retainers, the old proverb went, first you must be a retainer.\n\nShe opened the mats out on the veranda under the wide eaves of the hut." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She set the wet cloth bundle, the furoshiki, between them." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Musui said he preferred a furoshiki to a wicker travel box, because the cloth could be tied around just about anything. And if one wanted to be free of material effects, one could just throw them to the winds, fold up the cloth, and stick it into one's sleeve. So it should be with one's material things as one grew older, he said. By the end of the journey one should have nothing.\n\nCat's stomach growled. Musui was taking too much to heart his own philosophy of having nothing. The day's only meal had been breakfast at the temple. It had been a pitiful affair of cold rice and a few pickled vegetables." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat had saved part of it to offer to Jizō with a request that he keep watch over her father's spirit." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Do you think we need to bathe?\" Musui peered out into the darkness and the steady rain.\n\n\"If bathing under an icy waterfall makes one holy, sensei,\" she said, \"then we are truly the holiest of the holy.\"\n\nShe held up her hands. The pads of her fingers were wrinkled by the day-long soaking. Musui's laugh was so infectious, Cat laughed, too, in spite of herself. Like children, the two of them sat on the edge of the narrow porch and wiggled their toes as they held their bare feet under the cascade off the eaves to wash away the mud." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "By the light of the altar lamps, Musui searched among the contents of the furoshiki—his writing box, jars of oil, packets of incense, scrolls of sutras and other religious paraphernalia. He found two towels, two pairs of chopsticks, and a flat wooden box tied with a cord.\n\nCat almost cried with relief when he opened it. The abbot had included a meal with his good-bye gifts. Inside the box nested six fat balls of rice, wrapped in crinkly strips of dried seaweed. Tucked neatly around them were pickled plums and coils of boiled gourd peels, all garnished with a spray of pine needles.\n\nWhen they finished eating Cat packed away the box with a pair of rice balls left in it for breakfast." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She cupped her hands, caught the runoff from the eaves, and drank." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Then, while Musui played his flute, she watched the curtain of rain fall from the roof.\n\nCat had heard flutes played often, of course; but here, in the forest at night with the rain falling, the song was eerie. It seemed to be calling to the restless spirits that surely must inhabit such a dark, brooding place.\n\nWhen the song ended Musui handed the flute to Cat. It was cool and glossy and slightly curved in her hands, as though falling away from her grasp. It was made from the section of the bamboo nearest the root. The walls of the long joints were thickest there, and the natural bore became narrow, making high notes possible." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Mountain bamboo is strong, yet delicate,\" Musui said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"It bridges the earth and the sky. Its roots are planted firmly in the ground, yet clouds nest in its leaves.\"\n\nCat took a deep breath and blew into the flute as hard as she could. Only the harsh whistle of air emerged from the other end.\n\n\"Emptiness is the necessity,\" Musui said softly. \"The universe is an empty shell in which your mind plays. Think of your body as an empty room with walls of skin. Look at a bowl without seeing the sides.\n\n\"The walls of the flute do not sing.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "His voice was hypnotic." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Nor does the fire that cures it, nor the lacquer that glazes it, nor the string that binds it. The emptiness sings. Hold in your hands the emptiness that is the flute. Play not with your fingers but with your abdomen, your soul.\"\n\nCat held the flute through the hour of the Cock and into the hour of the Boar. The lamps had long since burned out. The rain slowed to a diffident tread on the roof, then stopped. Fragments of a waning moon, misshapen but as fat and white as the rice balls, glowed through the branches of the pines. Musui sat silent near her in the darkness.\n\nStand in sound as though under a waterfall." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat heard the words, but she was sure no one spoke them. Hear the sound of sound.\n\nCat put the mouthpiece to her lips and merged the pulsing emptiness in her skull with that of the flute. She was rewarded with the hint of a tone, like that of a wind blowing across the moist mouth of a jug. But try as she might, she couldn't make it sound again.\n\n\"Maybe tomorrow it will sing with you.\"\n\n\"Where are we going tomorrow?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat handed the flute back to him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Does the cloud ask where it's going? Does the river?\" Musui lay down on his mat and draped his spare robe over him.\n\n\"'The teacher is the needle and the disciple is the thread,' \" Cat murmured.\n\n\"And who has taught you the words of the sword saint, Musashi?\"\n\n\"I must have heard them somewhere. 'Even boys hanging about the temple gate learn to chant sutras,' as the old saying goes.\"\n\n\"And do they learn to count, too?\"\n\nCount? Cat turned hot, then cold." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He had tricked her into counting the straws for him that first day." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Perhaps he was not as guileless as he seemed. \"One must count to survive, sensei. Counting is not reading or writing.\" Cat couldn't tell by the silence that followed whether Musui believed her or not.\n\n\"You must have a journey name.\" He seemed unconcerned about whether she had lied to him. Or what her background was. His lack of curiosity unnerved Cat." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She had been auditioning and rehearsing various stories about herself, but he had asked for none." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 8 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"As you say, sensei.\"\n\n\"Your name shall be Shinobu, Endurance.\"\n\n\"You honor this miserable person too much, sensei.\"\n\nShinobu. It was a girl's name, but boys were sometimes given girls' names to mislead the demons of disease and bad luck. Shinobu meant more than endurance, really. It had an undermeaning. To hide oneself. To live in concealment. It was a good name." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "I'll be your writing partner today. I will set the scene, and you will continue the story with 4 sentences, channeling the voice and techniques of Lucia St. Clair." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"'I'd like to be called a traveler in the mist... ' \" As Musui recited the opening of Bashō's famous poem, he bowed to the group of men shuffling on their knees across the tatami of the reception room of the Four Heavenly Kings Inn in Totsuka.\n\nAgain lodging under sasanqua from place to place. Cat silently finished the famous verse.\n\nShe didn't care that the men had interrupted her calligraphy lesson." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She despised having to make crude, wobbly strokes with the brush." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She found it difficult to look blankly at Musui when he recited poetry she knew as well as her own family lineage." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Several times she had almost blurted out the classical references that were the sign of her breeding.\n\nShe especially missed her books, bound in rue-scented silk covers to protect them from insects. She longed for the authors in whose company she had spent so many pleasant, solitary hours. After she moved to the Yoshiwara she had treasured them for the escape from loneliness and sorrow they had provided her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "This evening, Musui's visitors included three more innkeepers, the manager of an employment agency, and an ancient cloud dweller, as the nobility were sometimes called." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "This one had been a courtier to an emperor long retired. The nobleman now eked out a living teaching calligraphy and the art of distinguishing scents. There was also a manufacturer of high-grade hair oil, a fish broker, and a maker of brocade borders and ties for mosquito nets. Each one carried his lacquered writing box and a scroll of his own poetry." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The margins on most of the scrolls were filled with commentaries made by Totsuka's professional literary critics at one copper a verse." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The hair oil magnate carried a much thumbed recent edition of the five-hundred-year-old text, Good Poetry of Modern Times. Besides examples of superior poems, it listed poetic phrases that could be used frequently with impunity. In composing poetry, creativity was not admired nearly so much as the ability to incorporate the classics into one's verse.\n\nThe innkeeper bowed apologetically to Musui." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"My friends heard you were honoring us here, sensei. They beg your candid opinion of their attempts at verse.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "You mean you sent servants on the run to inform them, thought Cat.\n\nShe watched closely, to be sure the host showed the proper respect for Musui in the seating arrangements. In their efforts to appear cultured, many of the townsmen foolishly hired mountebanks to instruct them in the Ogasawara school of etiquette. As far as Cat was concerned they had no more idea of refined behavior than a chicken." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "But the host gave Musui the seat of honor in front of the tokonoma, the tall niche for displaying flower arrangements and scroll paintings. The others settled back on their heels and arranged their robes and writing materials.\n\nMusui smiled graciously through the introductions. This happened almost everywhere he stayed, which was why he hadn't minded spending the previous night in the abandoned chapel." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Would you be so kind, sensei, as to forgive my presumption and inscribe my fan with a few words?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The fish broker folded at the waist until he touched the tatami with his forehead, then slid the paper folding fan toward Musui." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You honor me.\" One of Musui's seemingly endless supply of rules of the road was \"Never refuse a request for calligraphy, but never offer it unless asked.\" He dipped his brush into the ink and quickly, effortlessly, wrote:\n\nThe joy of meeting,\n\nlonger than a lover's sash" }, { "from": "human", "value": "in bed at midnight" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Everyone gasped with pleasure as the fish broker passed it around. Cat knew that from now on he would find a reason to display it to every person who entered his house. He would boast of this night until, when his friends saw him approaching, they would remember urgent business on the other side of the street.\n\nMaids hovered with jars of warmed wine and plates of rice dumplings and raw sea bream with a searing horseradish sauce." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Other maids broiled strips of abalone on a hot stone." }, { "from": "human", "value": "After the men had sat around hissing and sucking bits of food from their teeth, after flattery and self-deprecation had taken up a quarter of the hour of the Dog, the host raised his hand for attention." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I propose a contest of linked verse.\"\n\n\"Hai! Yes!\" They all had drunk enough sake to be bold. They didn't require much. \"What topic shall we pick?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Not frogs,\" said the mosquito net trimmer." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We're simple country folk. We could never equal the poetry of Bashō's famous frog match. You were there, were you not, sensei?\"\n\n\"I was.\" Musui smiled at the thought of it. Bashō and nineteen of his disciples had recited away the spring night and raised the dawn with frog poems. Toward sunrise they had been so tired and tipsy that the last few matches had been undecided." }, { "from": "human", "value": "But the poems had been collected into a book that was widely read." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "How Musui missed the master. Bashō had refined linked verse and given it a humorous, gentle serenity all his own. He had taken it from the intellectual snobs and the nobility and had made a present of it to everyone.\n\n\"Shall we compose serious verse or haikai, the comic stuff?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I propose haikai,\" said Musui." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Let our topics be the crane and the pine tree.\"\n\n\"We must have a judge,\" said the manager of the employment agency.\n\n\"Musui-sensei! Musui must judge.\"\n\n\"I shall record the poems.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The innkeeper motioned for his servant to bring his writing kit." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The other men began laying out their ink stones and brushes, water containers, mats, and felt pads, lining up everything precisely. With small figures carved of ivory or jade or wood they weighted down the long strips of mulberry paper on which they could write their own copies of the poems and the commentaries. In an evening with Musui they would receive free instruction worth many silver chogin.\n\nThe eight earnest poets paired off." }, { "from": "human", "value": "One of each pair would compose the first part, or the hokku, of the poem." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The other man would add the wakiku, the second part, using linked associations or pivot words or word-plays." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Musui would decide the winner of each match." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As the honored guest, Musui opened the performance. He arranged a graceful compliment to the host into the requisite three lines of five, seven, and five syllables. The innkeeper linked it to a self-deprecatory second part of two lines of seven syllables each. Then the match began in earnest." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The cloud dweller, the old nobleman, was an adequate poet, but his mental faculties weren't what they once had been." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The townsmen were slow, and their efforts were clumsy at best. The performance was interrupted by laughter and the loud hissing of a man in the throes of creation and by the clapping of hands and cries of delight at a particularly agile phrase.\n\nIn games like this, the wit and the quantity of the verses counted more than their aesthetic quality. But as far as Cat was concerned, she and her friends in the House of the Carp had performed better." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Linked verse required training and intense concentration and cooperation." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The performances had complex rules of subtle word associations and categories, and Cat listened carefully to Musui's comments and corrections. He deserved his reputation as a master.\n\n\"Shinobu, Endurance,\" Musui whispered to Cat while the fish broker was pondering his line and muttering and sucking his breath loudly through his large front teeth, \"please fetch my tobacco.\"\n\nCat rose in the discreet swish of her hakama and bowed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She slid the carrying stick through the wire handle of a small floor lantern and padded down the hall." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The laughter and murmur of voices from the poetry circle faded." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat heard the ubiquitous sound of chopping from the kitchen and men's wheedling voices." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The poetry guests' sandal bearers were trying to cadge wine and fleshy favors from the scullery maids.\n\nAs Cat entered the dark hall next to the inn's entryway, she heard talk of a more serious nature.\n\n\"Have you seen this woman?\"\n\nShe set the lantern down at a distance so she would be in darkness." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She eased up the paper wall screen so it wouldn't squeak in its track and slid it open a crack." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Through the slit she saw two of Kira's men standing on the flagstones next to the raised wooden flooring of the entryway." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They held up a copy of Masanobu's Portraits of Courtesans of Edo.\n\nThe book was opened to the stylized drawing of Cat. From his higher position on the raised floor, the head steward peered down at it by the light of the lantern a servant held.\n\n\"Forgive my abysmal ignorance and inability to help, but there's no woman here who looks like that.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The steward was punctilious and apologetic and absolutely uncooperative." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He was adept at recognizing the lowborn trying to impersonate the highborn.\n\n\"Of course there isn't. She's in disguise.\" Both men were irritable by nature, and their days of futile questioning hadn't improved their dispositions. Also, Lord Kira was sending them increasingly petulant and threatening letters via courier." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We must speak to the master of the inn.\"\n\n\"It's my most regrettable duty to inform you that the innkeeper is unavoidably indisposed now. But if you'll follow that homely, foolish little maid, she'll try her unworthy utmost to make your most honorable persons comfortable at our humble establishment whilst you await him.\"\n\nWith courtesy so exaggerated it could only be disdain, the steward bowed the two into an inner room. He would keep them there as long as possible." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He would see that they were well supplied with food and drink and entertainment. Then he would present them with an exorbitant bill for it.\n\nCat walked quickly and silently through the maze of inner corridors to the small room she shared with Musui. She hung the lantern on the wrought-iron stand and trimmed the wick as low as she could." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Musui had been so kind. Even if it meant peril to her, she couldn't leave him thinking her ungrateful.\n\nShe cleared the tea things off the tray. With a teacup she scooped sand and ashes from the firewell onto the tray." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She smoothed it with a chopstick and sprinkled water from the teapot to dampen the surface." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Then she held the chopstick poised over it. She hadn't the nerve to compose a poem of her own for a poet of Musui's stature, so she decided on one he would be sure to recognize.\n\nIf I could do as I wish\n\nI would acknowledge more profoundly..." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Ungrateful slut!\" The voice that interrupted her came from behind the sliding paper panels separating Cat's room from the one next to it." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat jumped at the suddenness of it. She saw a man's pacing shadow grow large, then recede, then grow against the paper panes. She didn't have to hear much to realize that the speaker was a procurer unhappy with his strumpet.\n\n\"I rented you this robe and a scarlet crepe underskirt, a brocade sash, and a silk floss veil at ten momme. Not to mention the travel cloak for three momme extra. I paid three hundred mon to have this room alone in a high-class inn.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The man's voice was low and menacing." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I paid the old hag of a go-between two momme,\" he said. \"I paid the shampooer and the hairdresser one momme. I hired a kago and cushions and two bearers at three momme, thirty mon...\n\nThe procurer hadn't added the cost of this night's food, drink and lodging to the tally. He and his commodity wouldn't be here in the morning when the bill was presented." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The procurer planned to collect the rest of the fee when the merchant finished his business with the woman. Then he would sneak her out the rear gate and continue on to Edo where he would sell her to a bathhouse.\n\n\"Stop sniveling!\" he muttered. \"The customer is a rich man. If he weren't afflicted with a slight problem, he wouldn't have settled for the likes of you. And his cock is not so badly diseased. You won't notice in the dark, anyway.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As soon as Cat realized the conversation didn't concern her, she ceased hearing it. She finished writing the poem.\n\nIf I could do as I wish,\n\nI would acknowledge more profoundly" }, { "from": "human", "value": "the sorrow of departing in winter." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She knew that at any moment Musui might send a servant to look for her. She hurriedly changed into the tattered leggings and the old black jacket that once had been her priest's robe. She folded the borrowed page's clothes neatly and laid them on top of a camphorwood chest, along with her travel papers.\n\nThey were useless to her now." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The inn's steward wouldn't interrupt his master during the linked verse contest, but the innkeeper would see Masanobu's album of courtesans eventually." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When he did he would certainly notify the authorities. They would be on the alert for someone wearing Cat's clothes and carrying her papers.\n\nCat prayed to Kannon-sama that Musui wouldn't get into serious trouble; but after spending a few days with him, she was rather sure he wouldn't. Trouble seemed to wash off Musui like water off a frog's face, as the old saying went." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat stuck her few possessions into her sleeves and the front of her jacket." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Carrying only what she had had when Musui found her, she turned to go.\n\nAs she headed for the door, she brushed against Musui's flute, which jutted out over the edge of the wall shelf. It was inside its brocade bag, but it hit the floor with a thud that coincided with a silence in the other room. Cat was bending to pick it up when the procurer shoved aside the dividing panel and rushed in." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What did you hear, boy?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He grabbed for her. As though making a graceful, sweeping dance movement, Cat swung the bamboo flute up and back in both hands and then slammed it into his head. The flute was designed to double as a club. Its dense, thick wall made a sharp cracking sound even through its cloth bag." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The procurer slumped at Cat's feet." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She hissed in exasperation. She didn't have time for this. She snuffed out the lantern, grabbed the procurer's ankles, and dragged him into the other room, closing the panel behind her. She hardly noticed the young peasant woman huddled in her tawdry finery against the far wall." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat untied the procurer's loincloth and trussed him up quite artistically with it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She had learned the art of knot tying at the Perfumed Lotus." }, { "from": "human", "value": "There were customers who fancied being helpless for the \"trembling silk\" of foreplay and the \"bursting fruit\" of orgasm." }, { "from": "human", "value": "This particular pattern of binding would strangle the procurer if he tried to struggle." }, { "from": "human", "value": "There was a system of knots for each social class." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The one Cat tied now was reserved for beggars.\n\nCat used one of the inn's thin cotton towels to gag him. She opened the bedding cupboard and heaved his torso, then his legs, inside. She closed the sliding door and turned to her next problem." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The peasant was still crouched against the wall." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She was about sixteen, two or three years younger than Cat. Her eyes were wide with terror, and she looked even younger.\n\nShe clutched a torn wicker pack to her chest. She had been through terrible troubles, and the pack had become her only link with the past, with herself." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat was strong, but it would have taken someone even stronger to wrest it from her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Irritated, Cat considered her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The homely piece of white goods would almost certainly spread the alarm. She would have to come along.\n\n\"Put on your sandals.\" Cat grabbed the young woman's arm in a hard, tight grip and yanked her to her feet." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"If you make a noise, I'll gut you like a herring.\"\n\nShe dragged the peasant behind her, out the room's rear exit and into the dark passageway. Cat had already located the rear exit. She was learning to plan for escape." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "By the light of the moon Cat dragged her captive, stumbling in her long, confining robes, through the inn's rear yard. They felt their way among stacks of roofing tiles, bamboo scaffolding poles, and big wooden tubs. Cat rolled several of the tubs up to the wall and made the peasant help her stack them into a pyramid. She could see the dark triangles of iron spikes set into the top of the wall, but she would get over them somehow." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The problem would be hauling the peasant baggage over them." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She unwrapped the long cord from the woman's sash and knotted it around her wrist." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She would take her to the outskirts of town, tie her up, and leave her for someone to find in the morning.\n\n\"Master...\"\n\n\"I'll go over the wall first.\" Cat ignored the peasant's timid murmur." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Tuck your skirts into your sash and follow me. If you even squeak, it will be your last.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Master, the procurer left the gate unlocked.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The young woman cringed, expecting a blow for her insolence.\n\nThe peasant knew that one master had been exchanged for another; but she had been thrown into the company of such scoundrels that, for all his threats, this one didn't seem so bad. At least he was young and handsome.\n\nShe doubted she was meeting a Buddha in hell, as the saying went." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She hadn't found a protector." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "But the wretch who had mistreated her was now tied up in a closet. She didn't believe her fortune had taken a turn for the better. It had just taken a turn.\n\nHalfway through the hour of the Boar, Musui reached for his pipe and realized that his disciple hadn't returned." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Dear friends,\" he murmured, \"forgive my rudeness.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He knew they would assume he was visiting the place-for-business.\n\nAs the tea and wine took effect, there had been many such interruptions. The only exception was the cloud dweller. He followed the custom of those who had participated in interminable court rituals." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When his bladder filled, he signaled his equally ancient servant, who held a bamboo container so the old man could relieve himself in place." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Musui visited the privy. Then he went to see if his disciple was in their room. He lit the lantern and saw the clothes folded as a woman would fold them. He knelt by the tray and read the poem." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 5 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "If I could do as I wish,\n\nI would acknowledge more profoundly\n\nthe sorrow of departing in winter.\n\nMay the Lord Buddha protect you, Lady Asano, he thought. I shall do my best to mislead them." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "7 sentences sentences in Lucia St. Clair style, continuing user's bit" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The first-story eaves of Totsuka's shops and tea houses almost met over the narrow roadway brightly lit with hundreds of lanterns." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They formed a tunnel of light and color and smells in the cold night. The market booths were set one up against the other, with no space between them. The street swarmed with people who had to duck and weave among the bird cages and baskets, hair ornaments and fans and toys, hung up for display.\n\n\"What is your name?\" Cat muttered.\n\n\"Kasane, Your Honor. Gillyflower.\"\n\n\"Dig out your earholes and listen well, Kasane,\" Cat growled. \"Try to escape and I'll gut you.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kasane was too frightened to answer. She hurried after Cat, trying to maintain the customary three steps' distance of a wife who dared not step on her husband's shadow. She walked far enough behind to appear respectful, but not too far to get herself killed for trying to run away.\n\n\"Here's your fine bream!\"\n\n\"Come along. Don't be nervous. Have your fortune told.\"\n\n\"Hokkori! Hokkori!\" The sweet-potato vendor stood behind his portable brazier and juggled three steaming samples of his wares. \"Eat 'em while they're hot!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He had to shout to be heard in the confusion of the night market." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Without missing a beat in his performance, he caught the paper-wrapped coppers a customer threw him and tossed a potato in exchange." }, { "from": "human", "value": "All around Cat and Kasane, silver and copper coins rattled in the money changers' scales." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The din of hand drums was constant as touts tried to entice customers.\n\nBands of men wore their inns' identical hempen robes and quilted jackets. Some had draped the inns' small patterned towels rakishly on their heads. Others had rolled them and wore them as headbands. The tall slats on the bottoms of their geta supplied by the inns allowed the wooden platforms to tip forward and hit the ground with each step. The resulting tattoo sounded like the fire watchman's clappers as the men clattered from tea house to tea house.\n\n\"Stop here! Stop here!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The waitresses tugged at their sleeves.\n\nCat slowed her headlong flight and stared at a bookseller's inventory in the wooden box on his back. On top of the box sat a large model of an assignation house. The model was so detailed, it included the curtain across the top of the door and, on the roof, the big barrel of water for fires. Cat recognized it as the Spring House near the Yoshiwara's Great Gate.\n\nFor a moment Cat had a vivid memory of the broad avenue awash in light from the lanterns strung along the second-story eaves. She remembered herself promenading in silks and satins and brocades and flanked by maids and servants from the Perfumed Lotus." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Was it possible that that world existed and that she had left it only a handful of days ago?\n\nCat looked through the prints of courtesans and actors the vendor carried hanging from a slender pole. She was relieved to see that her own picture wasn't among them. The rest of his stock consisted of books stacked in the wooden box. There were bawdy novels, guides to the pleasure districts, and ghost stories luridly illustrated on flimsy sheets of paper folded, then sewn between heavy paper covers. Among them Cat saw one she wanted. She held it up." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"How much is this one?\"\n\n\"A good choice!\" The bookseller swiveled to see which one she was holding up. \"Our guidebook is indispensable, Your Honor. It lists the sights and savors of the great Tōkaidō.\"\n\n\"How much?\" asked Cat.\n\n\"One hundred mon. A bargain at twice the price. It also tells you where to find the most accomplished women and the best-looking boys.\"\n\nCat took the short, knotted cord of coppers from her sleeve and counted them. There were forty-five. She replaced the book and started to move on." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She felt a shy tug at her sleeve and whirled around." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She had almost forgotten about her hostage. Kasane held out a square brocade purse on a long cord. It clinked.\n\nCat grabbed it from her, dragged her into a dark alleyway, and pulled her down behind a big two-wheeled cart. \"Don't wave money around, you rice bale.\"\n\n\"I'm sorry, master.\"\n\n\"Where did you get this?\"\n\n\"My last master stole it from a gambler in Hiratsuka.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"And you stole it from him?\"\n\n\"He's a black-bellied man, master. He's evil.\"\n\nCat smiled to herself as she emptied the lumpy silver coins and the strings of a hundred mon into the tail of her jacket. The peasant wasn't as stupid as she looked. Cat counted the coins. She tucked the silver under her sash and the copper into her sleeve. She stuffed the purse into her other sleeve." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The coins were anonymous, but such an ornate purse embroidered with its owner's crest would be recognized." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When the procurer was discovered in the closet, someone would come looking for his trollop, if only to recover the gaudy rented robes." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat had to get rid of them." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Have you other clothes in that pack?\"\n\n\"Yes, master.\"\n\n\"Put them on. Be quick. I'll keep a lookout.\"\n\n\"Here?\"\n\n\"Where do you think?\" Cat was so exasperated with her unwanted captive and her harsh country accent, full of extra syllables, she wanted to pull the child's ears.\n\nSniffing back tears, Kasane stooped so the cart hid her body from the nearby street." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Fear and the unfamiliar complication of the clothing made her clumsy." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She wasn't used to intricately tied sashes and sleeves that dangled past her hips." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "With trembling fingers she tore at the knot in the long, wide ornamental sash, then the undersash and the tightly tied cord beneath that. She pulled off the lined kimono and the loose undershirt and shivered in the cold. Bare-chested, the hard tips of her dark brown nipples taut from the cold, Kasane struggled with the cord holding the scarlet crepe cloth wrapped around her as an underskirt. Cat forced herself to wait patiently. The sooner she was rid of this country simpleton, the better.\n\nCat was surprised to see that Kasane's own clothes consisted of a white pilgrim's robe. Even though the robe was torn and stained, Cat could tell it was new." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "While Kasane was tying the cheap sash around her, Cat folded the rented clothes and stuffed them behind the cart. Then she wet her towel in a nearby water barrel and scrubbed off most of the white powder and the rouge.\n\n\"Do you remember what I said about trying to escape?\"\n\n\"Yes, master.\"\n\nBut Cat still kept a suspicious eye on her as she returned to the book vendor.\n\n\"I'll give you forty coppers and this fine purse for the guidebook.\"\n\n\"Stolen?\" He held the purse up to the light of the street lantern." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Do I look like a thief?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Yes.\" The vendor handed her the guidebook and gave a perfunctory nod of a bow.\n\nFor some reason being mistaken for a miscreant pleased Cat. She felt free and independent and dangerous. She had watched Musui in his dealings with innkeepers and tea shop owners, and she had gotten the hang of it. She was elated by the sound of silver and copper jingling in her sleeve. The prospect of asking the price of things, of counting out the coins and handing them over, excited her.\n\nAs she browsed she kept her eyes open for weapons but found none for sale." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Only members of the noble and military classes were allowed to carry long-swords and naginata and spears. The makers would be situated discreetly on a back alley somewhere. Cat dared not attract attention by asking about them.\n\nHer first purchases were a large, dark blue cloth to use as a furoshiki, a stout walking staff, and a wide-brimmed bamboo hat. To hide her face, she wore the new hat instead of carrying it slung on her back. Musui's writing on her old one made it too distinctive, and she had left it at the inn. She regretted having to abandon the calligraphy \"We two, pilgrims together\" that he had painted on it for her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It would have been a valuable keepsake." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "From the clusters of sturdy straw sandals dangling about an old woman's person, Cat selected eight at ten coppers each. She started to put them onto the furoshiki, but Kasane held her hand out to take them and the cloth bundle, too. The world was back to normal. Someone else was carrying Cat's burdens.\n\nNext Cat shopped for food for the journey. She hadn't the least notion how to cook anything, but she had learned that the kitchen staffs of inns would prepare food supplied by the guests, thereby cutting down on lodging expenses. The variety of food for sale here was bewildering." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Our confections were celebrated by the august tea master Sen no Rikyu himself, Your Honor.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Here, here. The renowned prawns of Totsuka. Take them back to the folks at home.\"\n\nKasane was even more bewildered than Cat. She had never seen so much food. She couldn't read, so she didn't know what was in the artistically wrapped and labeled packages of local delicacies, the \"Name-things\" for which Totsuka was famous. She did know that they were expensive. She watched in amazement as her new master bought pickled ginger and Totsuka's prawns, as well as small dried flying fish plaited horizontally into a straw cord and rice dumplings stuffed with sweetened bean jam and wrapped in the papery sheaths of bamboo shoots. Cat did buy tea and raw rice, but only the most expensive type of each." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When she bought tooth powder and a willow twig toothbrush, the woman selling them bowed low and presented her with a tiny packet of toothpicks as omake, a bonus." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Luck to the seller,\" the woman said. Cat was as pleased by the modest gift as by any expensive present she had ever received.\n\nNext she bought an ink stick and stone in a plain wooden writing case and brushes in bamboo tubes. She added a flint, a tortoiseshell comb, and a crisp, dark blue loincloth.\n\nShe bought four coppers' worth of Willow brand tobacco, a packet of cheap paper handkerchiefs, and a heavy paper folding wallet in which to put them. She chose a hempen travel cloak and a paper raincoat permeated with persimmon juice to make it water-repellent. She smiled when the merchant threw in a small towel for omake." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat tied her final purchases, two sleeping straw mats, on top of Kasane's pack." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "By the time Cat finished, the furoshiki had grown so big that Kasane could hardly be seen behind it. Kasane was astonished. She had never seen such extravagance. Her new master was the sort to carry a lantern on a moonlit night.\n\nVendors and merchants were packing their stock into bags and baskets and extinguishing their lanterns. Cat heard the squeal of wooden axles as farmers wheeled their unsold goods away in their cumbersome barrows. The market was taking on an abandoned air.\n\nThe crowd was thinning." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The beggars were leaving with their straw cushions under their arms." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Street entertainers were gathering up their instruments and props. Soon all the stands would be screened with mats or boarded up or dismantled. Not enough people would be left to provide cover for Cat and her silent, unwelcome companion.\n\nCat knew she dared not stay at an inn. Kira's men and the book with her picture in it had probably visited them all. Kira's son Lord Uesugi had enough retainers to send one or two to each of the fifty-three government post stations between Edo and Kyōto. And he would still have men left to maintain his father's bodyguards at home." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The black ribbon of sky between the eaves of the buildings was spangled with stars." }, { "from": "human", "value": "No rain likely. Cat and the peasant could sleep somewhere on the grounds of the local temple, in an abandoned building or chapel or under a roof sheltering a bell." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat glanced at Kasane. She looked young and tired and frightened. Cat could tell from her callused hands and her new pilgrim's robe that she hadn't been whoring long. \"You didn't sell yourself to the flesh broker, did you?\" Cat asked.\n\n\"No, master.\" Kasane spoke so low, Cat could hardly hear her.\n\n\"Kidnapped?\"\n\n\"Yes, master.\" Kasane hesitated." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"The others were killed,\" she murmured." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"What others?\"\n\n\"From my village. Thirteen of us were traveling to the great shrine at Ise.\" Kasane stopped in confusion. She hadn't meant to draw attention to her plight.\n\nCat turned away to discourage further revelations. She didn't want to find out any more about the dirt-eater. She might feel obligated to help her, and she didn't need anyone else's troubles." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She already felt guilty about taking the money the child had had the foresight to steal from her captor." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat soothed her conscience by reasoning that she would arrange for her to be found in the morning." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Then she would be someone else's problem." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat bought a cheap lantern with a carrying pole, a collapsible paper shade, and a few extra rolled paper wicks." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Then she stopped at stacks of round wooden tubs filled with various types of oil. The oil peddler stood among them and scratched his back with the long handle of his sieve.\n\n\"Where's the nearest temple?\" Cat asked as he measured out whale oil into a bamboo container.\n\nHe waved his sieve toward the west. \"You'd be better off at the shrine on the main road to Edo, though,\" he said. \"It's dedicated to Daikoku and his magic mallet. The fat businessmen flock there to clap their hands before his image and bargain with the god of wealth for a bountiful crop of gold and silver.\n\n\"On the other hand, the temple has fallen on hard times. It doesn't even have a bonze. The Shintō priest changes his robes and goes there now and then to chant the Buddhist services.\"" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 8 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Impatiently Cat started to bid him good night. Then she thought better of it. \"Is the temple deserted?\"\n\n\"Only by the living.\" The oil seller grinned and wiped oil off his hand and onto his heavy black apron. \"In my grandfather's grandfather's day it was famous for its warrior-monks, adept at the art of the spear. The graveyard is full of the tombstones of the foolish young students of the warrior's Way who journeyed there to challenge them.\"\n\n\"Thank you.\" Cat bowed and backed away. When she was out of sight she doubled back behind the buildings and headed for the deserted temple." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "I'll be your writing partner today. I will set the scene, and you will continue the story with 5 sentences, channeling the voice and techniques of Lucia St. Clair." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The room Kasane was to share with the seven sages at the See No Evil in Oiso looked as though a typhoon had passed through." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Combs, cosmetic brushes, and lacquered boxes of powders and tiny jars of hair oil lay scattered among tangled combings of black hair on the crude straw mats. Robes and underclothes were strewn in every corner. When the seven bathhouse attendants went on pilgrimage, they left tidiness behind, along with their other obligations.\n\nThe mess was hardly noticeable in the See No Evil. Usually clutter in an establishment like this was found in the servants' hall." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "But the See No Evil was a chaos of broken furniture and rice mortars, parts of looms, tools, lumber, mildewed account books, stacks of dusty tubs and earthenware jugs and torn straw matting. Swags of blackened cobwebs hung from the high beams.\n\nCats perched everywhere, and the odor of their urine pervaded the place. The ceilings were water-stained. The fine latticework on the round windows and the carved openwork over the doorways were coated with grime." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Most of the paper panes in the sliding door panels were ripped." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The See No Evil seemed determined to sink into ruin despite the desultory efforts of the antique manservant who dozed by the door and the three young maids from the country." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The plaster on the wall out front had fallen off in large slabs, revealing the packed mud and straw underneath." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The monkey carved on the faded sign over the roofed gate may have had its hands over its eyes in chagrin." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The See No Evil had started as a respectable establishment, built sixty years earlier to elegant proportions. It had slid considerably since then.\n\nIts open corridors were ranged around the ruins of a tiny garden. Only a few wiry azaleas and durable ferns were left in what was now a pond of mud. Wooden washtubs sat atop the garden's three decorative boulders." }, { "from": "human", "value": "In sunny weather laundry dried there." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Today however, beyond the doorway of the seven sages' room and the open corridor, rain was still falling. The cascade of water from the eaves created a steady roar under the sages' banter.\n\nWhen Cat and Kasane had arrived, soaked and shivering, at the See No Evil, the sages had been delighted to see Cat again. They remembered her as Musui's handsome acolyte, Endurance, but they accepted the fiction that Cat was Kasane's younger brother, Hachibei. If they noticed that Cat's accent had grown thick and rustic in two days, they said nothing." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Stranger things than that had happened along the Tōkaidō." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They had made a fuss over Cat." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They renamed her the Mountain of Love." }, { "from": "human", "value": "With playful slaps and tickles, the sages had offered to strip off Cat's wet clothes and rub her dry." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat had barely managed to towel off and slip into Kasane's brother's baggy-seated peasant trousers and tie the sash around his spare jacket before the sages had come looking for her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Laughing and teasing, they had dragged her into their room to keep them company while they passed the rainy afternoon." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat was there now, feeling the warmth of the tea flowing into her stomach. The chipped porcelain cup felt wonderfully hot between her numb hands.\n\nThe sages wore only their unbelted underrobes as they sat in front of their mirror stands and arranged each other's hair and makeup. O-Taka, Hawk, the leader of the sages, had already dressed Cat's wet hair in a boyish style—a short queue atop two full side folds with the back section drawn up tight and tied with a red paper cord. When Hawk had finished she beckoned Kasane to sit in front of the mirror." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I'm far too homely for you to trouble yourself with,\" Kasane murmured.\n\nHawk laughed. \"White hides seven defects.\" She held up a box of face powder. \"And even a devil is pretty at seventeen.\n\n\"I was once maid in charge of the front service of Lord Hanobo's mansion.\" Sea Wave, the proprietress of the See No Evil, lounged by the door. She watched Hawk divide Kasane's damp hair into three parts and rub camellia oil into it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As Cat sipped tea she too watched Kasane intently." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She worried that Kasane would forget to call her Hachibei instead of \"master.\" She worried about what the peasant woman would do when she finally realized she had attacked a samurai. It was a crime that, given Kasane's low status, would earn her a gruesome death. But Kasane sat still as a statue, as though bewitched by the gentle touch of Hawk's kindness.\n\n\"Lord Hanobo's mansion was a fine place, I can tell you.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Wave puffed contentedly on her small pipe. She was long-waisted and sturdy, and she wore a blue-and-white cloth tied around her disheveled hairdo. She had shrewd eyes, a child's voice, and the build of a rice mortar.\n\n\"My lady had a fawn-colored traveling outfit of eight-roll silk, with flaming maples embroidered on it,\" Wave went on. \"When we promenaded, we all wore the same color robes with my lady's crest on them. She made us dress like country bumpkins with our sashes tied behind, while she wore her sash high and her sleeves open in the masculine way that was all the rage. I received a yearly salary of a hundred and twenty momme and clothes for the four seasons.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hawk smoothed the rear section of Kasane's thick hair and folded it into the hanging hairdo called a seventeen shimada because it was worn by seventeen-year-old women. She sculpted it to lie in an outwardly curving loop along the nape of Kasane's neck. She held out her free hand, and Bamboo, the youngest of the sages, gave her a flattened black paper cord to tie it in place.\n\n\"Why did you leave the lord's service?\" Hawk poked a wooden skewer into the coil and used it to ease the hair into a fuller contour." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"My lady became jealous. I was thought by some to have slightly better than average looks, though you would never guess it now.\" Wave caught a cat that sauntered by, headed for the tray of broiled bream. An animal crossing a room was bad luck. \"Please excuse me,\" she said to it as she turned it around and boosted it out the door.\n\n\"My lady became cruel toward me,\" Wave went on." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"She refused to renew my contract.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You should have stolen her husband to spite her.\"\n\n\"The ladies of the inner apartments seldom catch a glimpse of a man, much less smell the perfume of a loincloth.\" Wave smiled slyly. \"For their pleasure they must court their middle fingers. But as I was in the front service I saw my lord every day. He became quite taken with me. Our pillowings were so tempestuous, we caused the sliding doors to rattle in their tracks.\"\n\n\"Why didn't he keep you?\"\n\n\"His wife's family was influential, and she had a high nose. He was spread under her buttocks. Besides, I was born in a Fiery Horse year. When my lady dismissed me, he said nothing in my defense. I was a wisteria without a pine to cling to.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The women hissed in sympathy. Women born in a Fiery Horse year were usually too spirited for marriage. Fiery Horse women were inclined to kill their husbands. Not many men were willing to risk extended liaisons with them.\n\nWhen Hawk finally finished, the women exclaimed on the transformation." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kasane tried to hide her powdered and painted face in her hands." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "For the rest of the afternoon she rubbed Cat's feet and back. She served her tea and lit her pipe while Wave and the sages gossiped. Now and then she reached up cautiously to pat the thick clubbed topknot of her shimada as though it were a pet cat with an inclination to claw. She sneaked glances at her painted face in the big round mirrors propped on their stands.\n\nToward the middle of the afternoon the old servant appeared and whispered in Wave's ear." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Wave excused herself. She came back excited." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Murder was committed in Hiratsuka. The police were here asking if anyone suspicious had checked in. They looked through my guest book.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"A murderer!\" The sages were thrilled.\n\nKasane dropped the canister of tobacco. \"Please, excuse my stupid clumsiness.\" With trembling fingers she brushed the spilled tobacco back into the jar.\n\n\"Forgive my fool of a sister.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "With her folded fan Cat rapped Kasane hard on the shoulder. \"She's stupid and clumsy by nature; but fear makes her doubly so.\" Cat looked at Wave with wide, guileless eyes. \"Imagine,\" she said. \"We came from Hiratsuka this very afternoon. The killers may have been on the road with us. How many were there?\"\n\n\"Only one.\" Wave was disappointed that the police would part with very little information for her to pass on." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Witnesses say he was huge, with red eyes and a fearsome expression.\"\n\nCat was relieved. No one had seen Kasane use a wooden tub to drop the samurai.\n\nTo Cat's and Kasane's relief, the talk left the present and meandered off among stories of past murders and suicides and illicit affairs. Wave talked of her decline from maid of the front service to the ranks of \"nighthawks,\" older women who solicited trade in the darkness under bridges. As a nighthawk she had consorted with men who didn't even carry paper handkerchiefs to clean up after themselves." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Not many who sank so low rose again, but Wave had become the beloved mistress of the owner of the See No Evil." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When he died he left behind no wife or relatives to dispute Wave's claim to the inn.\n\nBamboo had poured a bit of sake into her teacup. When she rose to entertain them all, her robe fell off one shoulder, exposing a small white breast. She fluttered her fan coquettishly at Cat and danced a few mincing steps.\n\n\"I think I'll wash my testicles with care.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "As she danced she sang with exaggerated innocence." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"For as the old saying goes, 'If you don't polish a ball, it won't shine.' \" She ended in a suggestive and definitely masculine pose." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The sages' laughter and their simple songs and tales made them seem carefree and innocent in spite of their profession. Cat imagined the sages back in the unlicensed brothel that masqueraded as a bathhouse. She knew that after their customers had bathed, dressed, climbed into their wooden geta, and clattered off into the night, the attendants who had made engagements to meet men at their inns ate a quick meal and prepared to go out.\n\nThey would probably borrow a sash or a veil or paper handkerchiefs from the women who were staying home. Those who had made no assignations would share the bathhouse's scant bedding and wadded nightclothes." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They would lie hip to hip and talk of actors and of their home villages and of the latest fashions worn by the courtesans of the Yoshiwara.\n\nThe day's light was fading when the See No Evil's ancient seneschal came to tell Cat the bath was ready. The tiny size of the inn's dark bathroom with its round, one-person cedar tub saved Cat from having all the sages offer to crowd in to scrub her down. To be safe, she tied the door closed with a straw cord. She washed from the basin on a stand in the corner, near a flickering wall sconce." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She barely had room to climb the step to the platform that held the tub and get in.\n\nShe heard the old servant's knees creak as he stooped to poke twigs and leaves and wood scraps into the tiny furnace opening on the other side of the thin wall. As Cat soaked in the scalding water, with the nape of her neck resting on the rim and her knees drawn up to her chest, she savored one of the prime benefits of being male, the right to be first in the bath.\n\nFinally she stepped out of the tub and dried off with her damp cotton towel. She was struggling into her stiff new loincloth, and bumping her elbows in the cramped space, when Kasane yanked on the door and broke the cord holding it." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She stood silhouetted in the lighted doorway. She carried a wadded jacket loaned by Wave for the boy the sages now called the Mountain of Love.\n\n\"Mas—\" Kasane stopped in midword. She stared openmouthed at Cat's small, taut breasts, turned a bright pink by the hot bathwater.\n\nCat grabbed her arm and yanked her inside." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She pulled the door closed and used her sash cord to tie it shut again. The time had come for a heart-to-heart. A talk with their knees drawn together. Cat would have to act out two fictions at once.\n\nWith Kasane almost chest to chest with her, Cat put on Kasane's brother's old jacket." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Then, to maintain the level of superior above inferior, she sat on the edge of the tub platform. Kasane knelt on the tiny square of floor. She faced at an angle to one side with her eyes downcast, as courtesy required.\n\n\"Do you know who I am?\" Cat whispered.\n\n\"No, master... Hachibei... mistress.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kasane was trembling so badly that she would have collapsed had there been room. She had stumbled onto a devil tied up in darkness, as the old saying went. She was trapped with a demon shape-changer. A fox or a badger or worse.\n\n\"I am Usugumo, Pretty Cloud.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat remembered the popular stories about love suicides, and she improvised as she went along. \"My lover was banished to the southern island. I'm traveling in disguise to meet him there. We plan to sink together so we can sit on the same lotus flower before Amida's throne in the Western Paradise.\"\n\nKasane was ashamed to think how she had pitied herself and lamented her own petty problems. \"I will serve you faithfully on your journey, mistress,\" she whispered.\n\n\"Stop talking such foolishness.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat held her temper." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kasane had saved her life." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat owed her a debt she couldn't repay in several lifetimes. The least she could do was treat her civilly.\n\n\"My lover's enemies think I go to offer him the aid of my family. You've seen what they're willing to do to stop me. Now I'm wanted for murder. Surely you know the punishment for that.\"\n\n\"I do, mistress. But please take me with you.\"\n\nNo wonder peasants had a reputation for being blockheads." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat took a deep breath and started again. \"You must not come with me. A foot ahead all is darkness. The Beloved Amida alone knows what fate awaits me.\"\n\n\"Forgive my rudeness,\" Kasane whispered. \"But none of us knows what fate awaits us. \"Take me with you. Please... Hachibei.\" Kasane had already sorted out Cat's various identities and arrived at the appropriate one for the occasion." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"In the morning I'll hire you the best boat on the beach,\" Cat said. \"I'll send you back to Pine village in grand style.\"\n\n\"Fate has rowed me far offshore already.\"\n\nCat smiled sadly at her. Kasane had indeed been through all the dangers implied in the old phrase." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"We'll see how the world looks in the morning,\" she said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Thank you. Thank you.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kasane bowed until the oiled club of her shimada grazed the floor. \"Thank you.\"\n\nKasane probably couldn't have explained why she preferred traveling the Tōkaidō with a fugitive to returning to Pine village. She didn't know what dangers lay ahead on the road. She did know that if she returned to Pine village, her parents would blame her for the death of her younger brother, their only son. She would have to live with their grief and silent recriminations." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her neighbors would consider her soiled goods. They would gossip about her until she died.\n\nKasane raised her head and looked directly into Cat's eyes. \"You need have no worries about me.\" She said it with astonishing dignity and passion." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Should your enemies cut me up and salt me, I won't betray you.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lovelorn cats howled and moaned in the darkness beyond the See No Evil's front reception room. Before an audience of guests and servants, the seven sages were acting out the story of the Sakai sisters. It was a popular story, known to everyone.\n\nAt twelve, one of the sisters had sold herself to a brothel to provide money for her impoverished family. She rose to become a famous tayū in the Yoshiwara, but she dreamed of returning to care for her parents in their old age." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her younger sister came looking for her to tell her that their father, a samurai, had been killed for defending the farmers of his district from unjust taxes." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The seven sages acted out the scene where the younger woman, ridiculed by the courtesans for her rustic accent, was recognized by her older sister." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "After a tearful reunion the younger sister told of their father's tragic end. Tearfully Hawk and Bamboo clutched each other and declaimed, in song, their vow to avenge their father's death. The scene played to a chorus of snuffling and nose blowing from the audience. By the time Hawk delivered the last lines, not a dry sleeve was left.\n\nThe merchant of scrolls, the wallpaperer, the itinerant pot polisher, the young farmer on pilgrimage, and the mantis-thin cloud dweller were dabbing at their eyes." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat had been studying the last two guests with particular care.\n\nThe farmer was powerfully built and had an innocent, earnest expression. But he was traveling alone, an unusual circumstance on the Tōkaidō, and Cat was suspicious. He hadn't been paying attention to Cat, though. In fact, he had been casting shy glances at Kasane." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The old courtier had been one of the poets with Musui the night Cat had fled the inn in Totsuka." }, { "from": "human", "value": "But neither he nor his aged servant, who was almost blind, recognized Cat." }, { "from": "human", "value": "In fact, a serious distraction had been added to the cloud dweller's usual befuddlement." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His lord, the former emperor, was dying. Stricken with grief, the old man was trying to reach Kyōto to wish him farewell.\n\nHe sat straight as an arrow in the back of the room with his servant just behind his right shoulder. It would have been hard to guess from the old nobleman's bearing that he had hardly enough coppers to make a clinking sound in his sleeve. His robe with the cloud and lightning design was of Tozan silk, long out of fashion." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The neck of his second-quality hempen undergarment was frayed. The patches on the servant's robes were patched in turn. Cat was sure that each spring the old courtier pawned his one winter jacket and robe and redeemed his summer clothes at twenty percent interest. Each fall he reversed the process.\n\nThe old man had already taken each male guest aside." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In a low, cultured voice he had offered them a sample of his calligraphy, either an original work or a poem of their choice. Of course no mention of payment was made; but Cat had given him a silver coin, ostensibly to bring her good luck.\n\nAs Cat was contemplating the sad fate of the nobility in this time of vulgar mercantilism, a particularly lustful cat yowled in an agony of passion.\n\n\"Sir Mountain of Love,\" Hawk called out playfully, \"sing for us.\"\n\nCat bowed politely. She stepped behind the screen where the sages had left their props and chose a gaudy robe to drape around her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She pinned a small scarf into her hair, to cover the area just above her forehead. It was a ploy used by the onnagata, the male kabuki actors who specialized in women's roles. The scarves hid the fact that the crowns of their heads were shaved like a man's, in compliance with government orders.\n\nWhen Cat reappeared she hitched the collar of the robe provocatively away from the nape of her neck. She fluttered her fan in front of her face and minced across the stage, trailing the robe's hem behind her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She imitated a peasant boy burlesquing a city woman. She sang the courtesan's song in a falsetto.\n\nWith no care for duty or people\n\nor strange looks,\n\nor the opinion of other cats," }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "one cat striped and the other white\n\nclimb to the ridge of the roof.\n\nDriven by the need of\n\nlove which is stronger than death.\n\nOne day the wind of winter shall come" }, { "from": "human", "value": "and they will not know each other." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "My soul, I envy the love of cats.\n\nWhen she finished, everyone called out compliments.\n\n\"Ka-sa-ne-san.\" Hawk began the chant, and the other sages took it up. Kasane tried to hide behind Cat, but she pushed her forward.\n\n\"This is a poem I learned from my mother.\"" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 6 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kasane looked as though she were about to cry from embarrassment. She turned her head and cleared her throat.\n\nKasane glanced up at the pilgrim. He held her eyes prisoner for the briefest of moments, before she looked down again. \"Fog clings to the high mountains,\" she recited in a trembling voice. \"My eye clings to him...\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Provide 5 sentences as a continuation." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Four of the barrier guards were warming their hands at a brazier beside the roofed gate in the high picket fence. Cat envied the carefree travelers coming out of that gate. They had passed the barrier and now were headed down the mountain toward Odawara. Beyond the gate was the compound with its outbuildings, guard barracks, and the long, low wooden structure where the officials were.\n\nThrough the openings between the fence slats Cat and Kasane could see travelers, scribes, couriers, and flocks of minor officials scurrying to and fro." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Pack drivers reloaded baggage that had been checked. Postboys fed and curried their mounts.\n\nThe gate guards wore broad white headbands tied in the center of their foreheads, just below their shaved crowns. They looked identical in uniforms of dark orange hakama and persimmon-colored kimono, each with a broad white stripe across the chest and the hollyhock crest of the Tokugawas.\n\nThe men at the brazier talked in low voices while the deputy guard, in black tabi and a knee-length black-and-white hakama over a black kimono, sorted out the travelers." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He allowed official messengers and members of the upper class to pass without waiting, then priests, pilgrims, and farmers." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Merchants, artisans, beggars, and entertainers were held until last.\n\n\"Your passes.\" The deputy guard glanced at the permits Cat held out. \"Over there.\" With his fan he motioned Cat and Kasane toward the pilgrims and farmers waiting in the cedar grove.\n\nSome of the travelers were eating food they had bought in Odawara. Others were massaging their sore feet." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A few had fallen asleep, sprawled on the ground with their travel cloaks wrapped around them and their heads leaning against their travel boxes or packs. Four or five young men, dressed as pilgrims, were playing cards. Another pilgrim was rattling his rosary and praying loudly.\n\nNearby, the kago bearers traded boasts of their sexual exploits. Their bone-sore passengers walked around to loosen stiffened muscles and joints." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "One of them was suffering from kago sickness. He vomited into the bushes while the bearers made jokes about him. A line of people waited at the shed housing the privies. Peddlers of tea and rice cakes circulated among the crowd.\n\nCat lowered her heavy bundle to the ground." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kasane set her pack on its short legs. She unrolled one of the mats for Cat to sit on, then she took off her tattered sandals and stepped onto the far end of it. She knelt and sat back on her heels. She pulled her paper travel cloak tight around her and twisted her fingers in it so their quivering wouldn't be so noticeable. She stared at the swords bristling from the guards' sashes." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat thought about taking her guidebook from the front of her jacket and distracting Kasane by reading from it, but she reconsidered. A fisherman who could read would be noticed.\n\n\"Won't you try my mushroom tea? It's the very finest.\" The old man crouched, set down the portable brazier and the heavy wooden water bucket balanced on his carrying pole. \"Only five coppers, Your Honor.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He tucked his head under his arm and sneezed into his sleeve, which was tied back with a straw cord." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We're fine, thank you.\" Cat politely avoided the ugly word no. She would have liked a cup of hot tea, though. Now that she had stopped walking, the wind was chilling the sweat on her body. But she knew to a copper how little money they had left, and she knew she must spend it frugally." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When the old man had taken up his burden again and trotted off, Kasane looked around, then tugged surreptitiously at Cat's sleeve." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He gave me a folded paper, mistress,\" she whispered.\n\n\"The old tea peddler?\"\n\n\"Yes. I think it's from that same young man.\"\n\n\"The one at the inn last night?\"\n\n\"Yes. He's at the tea stand across the way.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kasane glanced up obliquely. \"He's waving his sleeve at me. What should I do?\" She was agitated, but at least her mind was off the ordeal facing her at the barrier.\n\n\"This is an intrigue between the two of you,\" Cat murmured without looking up. \"Hide the letter in your sash and don't let on you've told me.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat didn't need this foolishness distracting her from the problems ahead, but still she had to stifle a smile." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Bring the fingers of your right hand to your lips,\" she said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Then reach over and lightly touch your left shoulder. Dip your sleeve gracefully as you return your hand, very, very slowly, to your lap.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What does that mean?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You're acknowledging that you received his letter and will give it attention as soon as you can.\"\n\n\"Hurry up!\" The guard waved the farmers and pilgrims toward the gate.\n\nThe command was unnecessary. People grabbed their bundles and rushed to be first in line. Cat and Kasane ran barefoot to the fence and put their sandals on while they waited to enter." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "One daimyō's small procession had just passed, which was the reason for the delay. If a large one were to arrive, they could all be stranded here for another day while hundreds of retainers were cleared.\n\nAs Cat entered the compound she saw the last of the upper-class travelers. The woman was dressed in a shabby paper robe rented from the tea shop just outside the gate. Two guards and a woman hired at the tea shop to serve as a go-between were escorting her toward a small building." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat glanced over at Kasane's pale face." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She had seen her, too." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"They only inspect women of the upper class,\" Cat whispered.\n\nThe line edged slowly toward the squat building. The broad swags of white bunting hanging from the wide front eaves snapped in the wind. The draperies were emblazoned with the Tokugawa crest, and they formed a sort of corridor. The gently pitched roof was weighted with stones to keep the cedar shingles from blowing off in the fierce mountain storms." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The wooden shutters were slid back to reveal the large room inside." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I'm frightened,\" Kasane whispered.\n\n\"You're a peasant. They expect you to be frightened. But I expect you to be calm.\"\n\nCat could feel her heart pounding as she moved with the line of travelers crossing the noisy compound. What if her act didn't fool them? What if they took Kasane away for a search and frightened her into exposing Cat?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "What if they found the yawara stick in Cat's sleeve? It seemed like years ago that Viper had given it to her. The guards would recognize it as a weapon.\n\nIn this world, if you go into the mountains and decide to go deeper and yet deeper, you will emerge at the gate. Cat thought of Musashi's words." }, { "from": "human", "value": "In my school of the long-sword there is neither gate nor interior." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "There is only the spirit.\n\nWhen she and Kasane reached the checkpoint they held their pilgrims' hats in their hands, and with heads bent respectfully, they entered the chill shade under the eaves, behind the draped curtains. They knelt on the wide bench that ran the length of the building and bowed low. The bench put them below the raised floor of the room. They faced at a properly obsequious angle to the captain of the guard." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The guard himself knelt below the three officials who sat on a tatami-covered platform.\n\nNow that the upper-class travelers had passed, the officials were relaxing. One leaned on an elbow cushion and smoked. With chopsticks the other two picked tidbits off the plates set on lacquered stands in front of them. Off to one side, the scribe sat at his low writing desk." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His brush was poised to enter Cat's name, age, district, and village on the register.\n\n\"Your papers.\" The captain waited for his assistant to take the travel permits from Cat and give them to him. \"Have you funds enough to support you?\"\n\nCat gave him the cloth sack she had tucked inside her jacket. The captain loosened the drawstring and spilled the silver and strings of coppers into his hand." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I suppose you plan to beg to eke this out.\"\n\n\"We were told we could depend on the piety and generosity of those kind souls we meet along the way.\" Cat knocked her head abjectly on the bench.\n\n\"Simpletons.\" The captain tossed the sack back to Cat. \"Don't try selling your sister to cover your expenses. Pass quickly through this province. If you're caught spying or disobeying the law, you will be punished.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Yes, Your Honor.\"\n\nWhile the scribe entered the information on the permits into his ledger, Cat listened to the conversation passing among the three officials. She almost panicked when she realized they were talking about the man whose fate was to be beheaded in her stead.\n\n\"Which one is it?\" The man who was smoking had just arrived." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The last head,\" said the younger man.\n\n\"The ugliest one,\" said the older.\n\n\"Fast work.\" The smoker dipped his small brass pipe bowl into the brazier's embers to relight it.\n\n\"Witnesses saw him kill a merchant for his purse outside Odawara last night. The police arrested him at a low-class brothel in Miyanoshita. After the torturer applied the 'lobster,' they only had to show him the investigation whip. He began crowing like a cock. He confessed to the two murders in the bathhouse in Hiratsuka.\"\n\n\"How did one peasant manage to kill two samurai?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He said they were drunk. He told a very funny story just before the executioner barbered him. We were all amused.\"\n\nCat was concentrating so hard on the conversation that she didn't hear the captain of the guard say, \"Next.\" He rapped his fan sharply on the tatami when Cat didn't respond. \"Move along.\"\n\n\"Forgive me, Your Honor.\" Cat retrieved the permits the assistant held out and scrambled clumsily off the bench." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She purposely moved too slowly to avoid the assistant's rod." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When he brought it down across her shoulders the pain surged down into the small of her back and up her neck, where it spread out behind her ears." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She yelped and scuttled off, sideways, bowing as she went." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat and Kasane walked across the compound and through the gate." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They hurried past the kago men who rushed to congratulate those who had passed the barrier and collect the coppers the relieved travelers gave them for luck." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat, however, had no coppers to spare." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She and Kasane paused at the chapel to Jizō and gave thanks for their safe passage." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Then they walked quickly past the shops and tea houses." }, { "from": "human", "value": "In spite of the pain throbbing in her back and head and shoulders, Cat felt like laughing." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Passing the barrier had been easier than she had dared hope. Being a faceless peasant had its advantages.\n\nOnce beyond the village Kasane spoke first. \"I'm sorry he hurt you. I'll rub your shoulders when we stop tonight.\"\n\n\"Pain is a matter of indifference.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "This pain, in fact, proved that Cat had fooled the guard." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He would never have hit her had he known she was of a samurai family." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She whirled to face Kasane and walk backward down the trail. \"I don't see your young man behind us.\"\n\nKasane turned to look.\n\n\"Give me the letter.\" Under her wide-brimmed hat Cat still wore the towel Kasane had tied under her chin, and she grinned out from it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The smudges of dirt Kasane had rubbed onto Cat's face made her look young and mischievous." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kasane gave Cat the letter. \"You were very good at the barrier, younger brother,\" she whispered.\n\nCat unwrapped the heavy outer paper and took out the soft pliable sheet folded inside. The folds were well done, simple, yet with a certain rustic elegance. Kasane's suitor was a peasant with artistic sensibilities." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"'If the wind blows... ' \" Cat read. \" 'And bends the temple willows; won't you bend too, in love's wind?' \" Cat looked up in mock disapproval. \"He's a bold fellow!\"\n\n\"He's only a farmer.\" Kasane defended him diffidently.\n\n\"It is said that a curse will fall on anyone who refuses to gratify the love of another.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat gave the letter back to Kasane." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"It is said that if a person suffers obsession of the heart and is not relieved, his or her spirit will return after death to take vengeance.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kasane was unable to find in her limited experience anything to say about such a complication. She was terrified of ghosts in general. The idea that one might have animosity for her personally almost paralyzed her with fear.\n\n\"I think this is just an infatuation of the road.\" Cat took pity on her and stopped teasing." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Maybe he wants a marriage not entered into the book at the temple. Do you want to discourage him?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I don't think so,\" Kasane said almost inaudibly." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Then we'll send him an answer tonight.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat was amused by this flirtation, but she was wary of it, too." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It could put her and Kasane in jeopardy.\n\nCat also felt protective, brotherly, in fact. Kasane was so naive. So inexperienced. A man could easily make a fool of her.\n\nCat was composing a poem to send to Kasane's suitor when she saw a man and woman struggling by the side of the road." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The attacker had a hand over his victim's mouth so she could make only muffled cries.\n\nThe few other travelers in the vicinity hurried past; but Cat brandished her walking staff and advanced, stiff-legged, toward them. The thief saw her coming and shoved the woman into her. Then he ran into the thick undergrowth and disappeared.\n\nKneeling in the road and sobbing incoherently, the woman clung to Cat's waist." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She looked middle-aged and quite respectable, although she was hysterical and disheveled by the attack.\n\n\"Calm yourself, auntie,\" Cat said. \"He's gone now.\" She was pleased to see that Kasane still clutched her own staff in a fighting position. She wouldn't be the first peasant to become a samurai, Cat thought.\n\nCat helped the woman to her feet." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Do you live nearby?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Still sobbing, the woman pointed up the mountain. She bowed repeatedly as she backed toward a narrow path. Cat and Kasane continued down the trail with her thanks following them.\n\n\"You're a brave one, Kasane.\"\n\n\"I was frightened, but I knew you could beat him.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat turned off onto a side trail, screened by bushes.\n\n\"Plant your feet like sc.\" She demonstrated a fighting stance. \"Hold your staff up.\"\n\nKasane stood as she was told, and Cat did a reverse grip spin." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She cracked her staff against Kasane's, not with full force, but hard enough to send a shock up her arms." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"That's the basic strike. Now you try it. Use the force of the spinning shaft to knock me over.\"\n\nKasane hit at Cat's staff timidly.\n\n\"Hard.\"\n\nKasane hit a little harder.\n\n\"As hard as you can.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat felt the beginning of the tingle that meant Kasane was applying force, but she knew she had a great deal of strength she wasn't using.\n\n\"We'll practice later,\" Cat said. \"While we walk we can play the priest game.\"\n\n\"How is it played?\"\n\n\"You carry both our packs until you see a priest. Then I have to carry both of them until I see one, and so on.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"It distresses me to see you carrying one pack. It wouldn't be right for you to carry two.\"\n\n\"I'm a strong lad. I can carry a horse's load.\"\n\n\"May I use the knife?\"\n\nWhen Cat handed it to her, Kasane cut a pole from the stand of bamboo growing along the road. She slung her pack on one end and the furoshiki on the other." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She lifted it and balanced it easily on her shoulder." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She bounced the pole once to settle the burden. \"Let's go.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A setting sun as red as madder root burnished the mountainsides the color of old copper as they hurried along. A cold wind pushed them from behind. The steep descent caused cramps to knot the muscles of their calves and drove their feet forward into their sandals. They had to change into new ones that rubbed their feet raw, but they hardly noticed.\n\nTheir pilgrims' bells jingled merrily." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They laughed and talked and switched off loads whenever one of them spotted a priest's bald head. Kago bearers shouted out propositions to both of them as they passed.\n\nNight fell before they left the mountains, but they reached Mishima by the light of the moon and the big lanterns hung from the outlying shops and tea houses.\n\n\"The guidebook recommends the Trout House,\" Cat said. \"It says it's inexpensive and clean.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They found the Trout House on a quiet side street and sat wearily on the raised floor of the entryway. They had been walking since before dawn that morning.\n\n\"Welcome.\" The maid bowed low. She lined up their dusty sandals neatly with the toes pointed outward so they could climb into them easily in the morning. A second maid hurried in with towels draped over her shoulder and a basin of hot water to wash their feet." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Wait!\" Cat patted the front of her jacket." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 3 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"What is it, younger brother?\"\n\n\"Our money,\" Cat whispered. \"Our money is gone.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Write 6 sentences like Lucia St. Clair would, using user's text as beginning" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "About the middle of the afternoon Hanshiro saw, walking up the mountainside, the person who was surely Lady Asano. Her disguise as an intinerant entertainer was clever. The huge red papier-mâché demon mask was familiar to Hanshiro. It was the type carried in shrine processions in Tosa. It reached from above her head almost to her waist. Its long nose distorted her silhouette." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Imagining a beautiful face behind it was difficult.\n\nHanshiro left Gentle Haven inn and tea house, crossed the red-lacquered bridge, and waited out of sight behind the tall bushes at the side of the road. When Lady Asano passed he moved out behind her. As he followed her he was amused by her stride. It was jaunty, even on the steep slope of the mountain trail.\n\nDressing and acting in a mannish fashion was all the rage among the courtesans and upper-class women of the Eastern Capital." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro had always thought the style beguiling. He was charmed to find that Lady Asano was adept at it.\n\nEven though her legs and feet were swaddled in dirty leggings and tabi, he had to admire them, too. With his eyes he followed her slender heels and ankles to her calves, then to the hollows behind her knees. Above them his view was blocked by the frayed hem of the long baggy coat of wadded cotton. Before he could rein in his thoughts, however, they had strayed where his gaze couldn't." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hanshiro imagined the celestial intersection where her thighs met the firm curves of her haunches." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He pictured the secret cleft with its soft black copse of hair nestled in the depths of that wild country between her legs. He pictured parting the hair with gentle fingers and touching, ever so lightly, the recumbent lilac folds hidden under it. He pictured, in fact, more than he ought to have. His loins ached as he stared, mesmerized, at the subtle churn of slender cheeks under the tail of the patched, dusty jacket.\n\nHe blinked and raised his eyes to the samisen tied across her back. But its bump and sway in rhythm with her boyish stride caused his heart to thump faster in spite of his resolution to remain detached." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His face grew hot." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His chest felt constricted, making each breath more difficult in the mountain air." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Idiot! he thought." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro rehearsed what he would say when he confronted her.\n\nDo not fear me, Your Ladyship.\n\nNo. That wouldn't do. To begin with, he suspected she didn't fear him. The look she'd given him at the abbey that night hadn't been one of fear.\n\nI'm here to protect you from Kira's rabble." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Insulting. She had proven to be capable of protecting herself." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I must ask you to come with me.\n\nToo abrupt.\n\nI mean you no harm, Lady Asano.\n\nBetter. But best not to say her name aloud. Hanshiro moved quickly around in front of the masked beggar, who came to an abrupt halt.\n\n\"I mean you no harm.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro lightly held his umbrella parallel to his body to block the way. \"Struggling will serve no purpose.\"\n\n\"Robbing me will serve no purpose, either.\" The boy took off the mask and grinned up at Hanshiro. \"I spent my last coppers on a ground-tea harlot at Sanmai Bridge.\" He waggled the mask's long nose suggestively forward and back." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "For a heartbeat Hanshiro was perplexed. The face under the mask wasn't beautiful. It wasn't Lady Asano's. It wasn't even a woman's.\n\n\"I mistook you for someone else,\" he said.\n\n\"How about a few coppers for the fright you caused me, general?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The lad was a brash one." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You terrified me so badly I soiled my loincloth. I'll have to buy a new one.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro didn't go so far as to smile at the jest, but he did toss him a five-mon piece. While the boy bowed with exuberant courtesy and called blessings down like a summer cloudburst upon Hanshiro's children and the children of his children, Hanshiro retreated.\n\nHe returned to the high balcony of the Gentle Haven to ponder this particular turn of fate's wheel. The landlady's son was waiting for him.\n\nWhen Snow sent her son down the mountain after bonito, Hanshiro had given him an additional charge. The boy was to read the notices on the board outside the government post station." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He was to inquire, circumspectly, among the couriers, the postboys, and the kago bearers at the transportation office. He was to report unusual events.\n\n\"Any interesting news?\" Hanshiro asked.\n\n\"Yes, honorable uncle.\" The boy was at that stage in life when his arms and legs were too long for his small, slender body. His hands and feet were too big and too far away for him to manage gracefully. \"The authorities caught the murderer of the two samurai in Hiratsuka.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Is that right?\" Hanshiro continued to gaze calmly out over the valley, but he heard the rest of the boy's report as though he were inside a big bronze temple bell that someone had just tapped with a wooden mallet.\n\n\"He was dressed as a priest. They captured him in a bawdy house in Miyanoshita. He killed another man in Odawara. He was very drunk, and they had to hem him in with ladders to take him. They say he's the one who was in that fight at the ferry at the Tama River.\"\n\n\"What does he look like?\"\n\n\"Headless, I would imagine. The police took him directly up the mountain, in the black of night. I hear they executed him at the barrier at first light this morning. His head is on display.\"\n\n\"Did you hear anything else?\"\n\n\"No, Your Honor.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Thank you.\"\n\n\"I've been studying the moves you taught me, Your Honor.\" The boy dared not directly ask Hanshiro to play go with him, but he glanced at the game board set up on a low table. His ambition was to be accepted at the go academy in Edo.\n\n\"The road is long,\" Hanshiro said. \"The hour is late.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The boy knew that was Hanshiro's way of saying he could not play with him today." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He bowed and withdrew. Hanshiro sat alone." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hanshiro had no family." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His mother died giving him birth." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When Hanshiro was six his father was killed in a dispute with a gang of gōshi. Gōshi were peasant warriors recruited by the Yamanouchi family, descendents of the Tokugawa allies who had usurped power almost a hundred years earlier.\n\nThe orphaned child was taken in by his father's master, a minor lord of a fiefdom worth only fifteen thousand koku. Hanshiro and the lord's only son had been raised as brothers. It was only natural that as soon as he was of age, Hanshiro pledged his sword to his young master.\n\nThe lord retired to Edo and left the running of the estate to his son, but the boy squandered his inheritance on the favors of a beautiful courtesan." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The lord's retainers were turned out." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The money lenders took the proceeds from everything the family had left to sell." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The rice crop was mortgaged to creditors." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Tokugawa Tsunayoshi granted the estate to a scion of the Yamanouchis.\n\nThe young lord's father publicly disowned him. Dressed in the rags of a mendicant priest, he set out to do penance. When he bade farewell, Hanshiro thought the sorrow too great to be contained. Now he was ambushed by grief much more unexpected and almost as fierce as that.\n\nSince I lost the brindle cat..." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The words of Kanzan, the Mad Poet of Cold Mountain, came unbidden to mind. The rats walk right up and peer into the pot.\n\nWithin a few heartbeats of hearing of Cat's beheading, the rats of Hanshiro's discontent had become very bold indeed. By the time he had gathered his few belongings and politely said good-bye to Snow and her family, he had made his decision.\n\nHe would verify that the head exhibited at the barrier belonged to the beautiful, ill-fated woman he had been hunting. He would pray for her spirit's well-being." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Then he would continue his westward journey.\n\nThe authorities must have discovered that the body of the executed killer was a woman's. They must have identified her as the illegitimate daughter of Lord Asano; but they hadn't made the information public. Maybe they intended to keep the disgraceful affair a secret to avoid the inconvenience of a scandal.\n\nThe Akō retainers deserved to know the fate of their lord's daughter. Hanshiro would carry the word to Lord Asano's councilor, Oishi, whom gossip said was carousing in Kyōto." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When he had done that, he would walk to the coast." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He would hire a boat to take him across to Shikoku." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He would retire to that grotto by the sea." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He would not think of Lady Asano again.\n\nWhen he arrived at the Hakone barrier at dusk, he walked slowly along the line of four stands and the heads, placed conveniently at eye level. He read the writing on the square wooden plaques set on upright poles next to each one. He reached the last stand, turned, and walked back slowly.\n\nHe looked at the staring eyes, the open mouths, the bluish skin. He studied the texture of the shaggy, unbound hair and the condition of the teeth, bared in the grimace of death." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Then he stood for a long time, gazing past them to the fence and the guards and the building where the officials sat.\n\nA shadow of a smile crossed his face. He had underestimated her again. She must have walked under his very nose sometime that day. His face was stoic; his heart soared like a dragon kite in a second-month wind. He thought of the old proverb: \"You cannot catch the wind in the meshes of a net.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro presented his travel permit at the barrier. On the other side he found the tea house frequented by the guards and the barrier scribes. As he sipped hot tea and watched the steady, light rain that had just begun, he methodically reviewed all those he had watched pass on the road.\n\nIt had been the usual Tōkaidō parade—pilgrims, clerks, brokers for the big merchant houses, priests, peripatetic laborers, porters, pack train drivers, peasants carrying all manner of goods. And Nameless. West country warrior. Painter of Benkei on the Gojo Bridge." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Nameless. Hanshiro paused with his cup halfway to his mouth." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He didn't notice the steam tickling his nose. He almost heard the whisper of a smooth go stone sliding across the heavy wooden game board. The polished, black slate disk was small, a convenient size to hold loosely between thumb and forefinger. He heard the crisp click of it being snapped down on its new place at a nexus of grid lines. Black game pieces converging, surrounding the round, polished white clamshell disk of the opponent. The key was Nameless." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Despite his broken nose, Nameless could have traveled much farther along the Tōkaidō in the days since the fight at the ferry. Instead, his progress so far had matched Lady Asano's. Whom had he been following today?\n\nHanshiro eliminated all the travelers except the unseen creature struggling along under the stack of goods. Even then he found it easier to believe that Cat hadn't traveled the road to Hakone at all that day. Something told him, however, that she had been that faceless peasant." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Astonishment was one more emotion in which Hanshiro rarely indulged; but he was astonished at the idea of Lady Asano hauling a load like any shoulder-burden-auntie." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He could imagine the pampered daughter of a lord setting out on a foolhardy journey alone and in disguise. He could imagine her fighting her enemies and even killing them. He could not imagine her submitting to the humiliation of serving as a beast of burden.\n\nMore than any other evidence of her endurance and her determination to reach her father's lands, this was the most poignant. As the tea house filled with the boisterous laughter of the off-duty barrier guards, Hanshiro sat motionless.\n\nHe remembered sensei's words, The Way is not difficult, if you do not make choices." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hanshiro realized that he was not making a choice." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He was only acknowledging, finally, what he had been meant to do from the time Old Jug Face's messenger appeared at the door of his room." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He vowed silently to do more than just protect Lady Asano in her quest." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He pledged himself, heart and spirit, arm and sword, to her and to her cause.\n\nNow all he had to do was find her. He looked over at the rear corner where the government scribes usually sat. Two were there now, drinking sake. They would know the names on the permits of the hundreds of travelers who had passed them that day. In all likelihood they would be able to match those names with faces." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "The user will write a bit then you need to write around four sentences continuing directly from the user's text. Try to mimic the style of Lucia St. Clair." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Even after she had sat for a while, holding her hands and feet to the flames to warm them, Cat couldn't tell how many hinin, outcasts, were at the other two fires on the dry riverbed under the bridge. Dark forms sat around them, but their number was obscured by the huge wooden piles supporting the diagonal struts. However many there were, Cat assumed they were all members of the despised caste called nonhumans.\n\nBehind her tangled, dirty hair the woman sitting near Cat was young." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hunger and hardship had made her loveliness even more haunting. There was a waxy translucence to the skin stretched across her angular cheekbones. She wore the straw matting from a sake cask draped across her shoulders.\n\nWith one hand she massaged her blind grandfather's stooped shoulders." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She held her baby in the other arm, shielding her from the cold wind blowing off the river. The baby was nursing at her breast, exposed where she had pulled aside the front opening of her torn paper robe. Her small son, naked but for a loincloth, was asleep curled on a scrap of matting with his head on her lap. Both children had two spots of soot on their foreheads to fool demons into thinking they were dogs." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"My husband disappeared five days ago.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She stroked the sleeping boy's thatch of black hair, cut like a bowl around the top of his head. \"On New Year's eve we had no money to pay the landlord or the grocer or to buy bean paste and millet. To pay our bills at the previous midyear we had pawned an umbrella, a teakettle, my only sash, a measure box, and a pair of pottery bowls. They were the last things we owned.\"\n\nThe young woman spoke in a calm, light voice, as if her troubles were just minor inconveniences. To do otherwise would have shown an overweaning regard for herself and her personal problems." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"At New Year's our hearth was cold. We sat in the dark while the creditors pounded on the door and called insults through the shuttered window.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A horse clattered across the wooden roadbed overhead, setting up a thundering din below. The young woman waited until the noise died, then went on.\n\n\"Even though we had no one to care for the babes, I told my husband I would sell myself so they could at least have food. But the boy began to cry." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He begged me not to leave him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "My husband became even more despondent." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"That night, while we slept, he sneaked out. He waylaid the bailiff's drunken assistant returning late from a tea house. He knocked him down and robbed him.\n\n\"When he came home the next day he brought New Year's rice cakes with a pinch of burdock, and a kite for the boy. He brought me a new green sash of hemp. He brought Grandfather a sack of tobacco. He brought a picture of Ebisu-sama to set on the empty god shelf and bring us wealth in the coming year. For an hour at least, we had a merry time. Then the police knocked on our door.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat had hardly slept at all in the last two days." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She was exhausted and dizzy with hunger. As she listened to the young woman's tragic story, she felt light, as though her flesh and bone and blood had dissolved. The hollow was filling with grief for outcasts.\n\nWhat distilled the grief were Cat's memories of her own New Year's celebrations." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She remembered the frantic stridulation of abacuses from the wing where the man sent by her father settled the year's accounts in the big ledgers. The accompanying tinkling of the bill collectors' tiny metal mallets on the balances of their money scales had been a merry sound. They had rung in a new year, cleansed of debt.\n\nFor days, servants had pounded out the glutinous paste for rice cakes in huge vats." }, { "from": "human", "value": "In New Years past Cat had feasted on chestnuts and lobsters and delicacies of the season." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The servants, dressed in her mother's gifts of new clothes, had decorated the eaves with sprigs of pine. They had put huge pine branches on each side of the front gate to insure long life to those inside.\n\nBut the New Year had always been a disappointment to Cat. She had watched the palanquins of merchants and happy visitors crowd the street outside the gate, but they were going to the other houses with their gifts and good wishes." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Very few people visited Cat's mother's small mansion set inconspicuously on a side street, even though on New Year's eve the neighborhood had been bright with pine flares and raucous with the sound of laughter and scurrying feet." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat had had no one to play battledore with in those days except her nurse's niece, Plover.\n\n\"What happened then?\" Cat shook her head to clear it. She was ashamed of all the times she had pitied herself as an outcast of sorts.\n\n\"My foolish husband was judged as a criminal ought to be. The magistrate decreed that he wear a red sash.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kasane gasped. The red sash marked him as an exile to whom no one could speak." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He was excluded from the companionship of his fellow beings. It was the most hideous of punishments. At least if one were executed, one had a hope of being reborn into another body. Banishment was death in life." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"We had to leave our house.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The young woman sighed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We had to leave the village where we were born. We became yadonashi, those without a lodging.\" The young woman sighed. \"Better than a feast elsewhere is a meal of hot water and millet at home.\"\n\n\"Such a pity.\" Cat knew her words were useless, but she didn't know what else to say." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Those without lodging were not registered with the government. They had no recourse, no legal existence. This young woman had done nothing wrong, not in this life, at least. Her children, her grandfather, were all innocent." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Yet they were being punished cruelly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Such was their fate.\n\n\"Worse than four hundred and four illnesses is the disease of poverty,\" said the grandfather.\n\n\"For almost a year we have begged for our food,\" the young woman went on. \"We have slept under boats on the beach and eaten fish entrails thrown down for the dogs. We have slept in pine groves, or under bridges or temple porches." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Five days ago my husband earned a few coppers burying a corpse. Even though I begged him not to, he went to buy wine with them. We haven't seen him since. I've asked everywhere in Numazu. No one knows where he went. Have you seen him? He has a red, gourd-shaped mark on his cheek.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"No,\" Cat said. \"We haven't seen him.\"\n\n\"If he doesn't come back tomorrow, grandfather and the children and I will start up to the Western Capital. We'll ask Kannon-sama at Kiyomizu temple to have pity on us.\"\n\n\"I'm sure she'll help you,\" Cat said.\n\n\"Do you think so?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"She once helped a young woman who believed in her.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As Cat began her story, the heaps of matting at the other fires stirred and moved closer so the people huddled under them could hear better.\n\n\"At a time now past there was a small shrine to the goddess of mercy at the top of a mountain.\" Cat spoke in the guttural, drawn-out rhythm of the storyteller. It turned the telling of this old tale into a performance." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"A young wife who lived in the valley worshiped Kannon-sama devoutly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Every evening, when she finished her work, she went to the shrine to pay homage to the statue of the goddess. The young woman's husband grew suspicious of her nightly trips. He was sure she was being unfaithful. Jealousy gnawed like a rat at his soul until he could stand it no more." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He took his sword to be sharpened." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"One night, after she had left, he hid in the dark woods by the path. When she passed on her way home he swung his sword at her, cutting deep into her shoulder.\"\n\nBy now the the various pieces of matting were sitting upright. They framed dark faces with shaggy black hair. The outcasts were listening raptly." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He wiped the blood from the blade and went home, satisfied that he had punished his wicked wife and sent her to be reborn much lower on the Great Wheel." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When he arrived at his house he was astonished to see there the woman he thought he had hacked to death. He took a lantern back to the place where he had ambushed her and found drops of blood in the road.\n\n\"Then he went home again and asked her, 'Didn't you feel something strange when you passed the eight-limbed pine tree at the stream?' 'Yes,' she answered. 'For a moment my blood turned cold in my veins.' \" Cat lowered her voice to a husky whisper.\n\nHer audience drew closer to the comfort of the fire." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"When the husband went out the next morning, he found a trail of blood from his house all the way up the mountain to the shrine. The statue of Kannon-sama had a long cleft on her shoulder, in the exact place he had struck his wife the night before.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat paused eloquently. \"So the tale's been told, and so it's been handed down.\"\n\n\"Ma!\" A murmur rose from the listeners.\n\n\"The merciful goddess substituted herself to save the faithful wife.\" The young woman seemed to find comfort in the story." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"That's right,\" Cat said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "After a short silence the grandfather spoke. \"Why are you two young people alone on the road?\" He looked at Cat with milky eyes that seemed to see through her.\n\n\"My sister and I are the children of poor but loving parents.\" Cat spoke in the same detached voice as the young woman, as though her story had happened to someone else. \"Our mother and father rose before dawn and worked until long after dark to provide for us." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Because our father was the farmers' representative, he was responsible for delivering the five-families' assessment to the headman." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He discharged his duty punctually, but he absentmindedly left without getting a receipt for the rice.\n\n\"The next day the headman claimed the rice had never been delivered. He accused our father of stealing it. Our father protested his innocence." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He begged the headman to clear his name, but to no avail." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"While we and our mother were in the yard, heckling what little rice was left after four koku out of every five had been taken for taxes, our father threw a rope around a beam in the kitchen. He tied one end to a pillar and put the other around his neck. He stood on a bucket, then kicked it out from under him. We found him hanging there when we returned at nightfall.\"\n\nKasane wiped her eyes on her sleeve. She knew Cat was making up the story, but she was crying anyway.\n\n\"Our mother went mad with grief.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat sighed sadly. \"She shaved her head and disappeared.\"\n\nCat regretted lying to people whose own troubles were so great, but she had no choice. In any case, her father truly had been betrayed and had killed himself. Her mother had shaved her head and become a nun." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"We have vowed to visit every temple until we find her.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"May Amida Buddha help you,\" the young woman murmured." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She held out a small packet wrapped in a bamboo sheath. \"I was saving this for the morning meal, but we can always beg more.\" She saw that Cat was about to protest. \"As a holy gift, Your Honor.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "One could not refuse a pious gift to pilgrims." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Tears stung Cat's eyes as she bowed low and took the package. She opened it, split the crisp, toasted rice cake inside and gave half to Kasane.\n\nThe most ferocious-looking of the men knelt in front of Cat and bowed. The wadded cotton of his ancient jacket showed through the huge rips in it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"A token of gratitude for the story of the substituting Kannon-sama.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He held out a short cylinder of coppers wrapped in a scrap of grimy paper.\n\n\"Thank you.\" Cat was so affected by the kindness, she could hardly speak. It wasn't just that he had given her money when he obviously had almost none himself. He had not given her the coins naked, as one would toss them to a beggar." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Amida bless you,\" she said softly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"As you travel, may no wind stir the pine trees along the road. May those you meet be polite and generous. May ferrymen not overcharge. And may the young and the blind walk safely alone.\"\n\nCat took off her travel cloak and draped it over the sleeping child. \"My sister is tired,\" she said. \"We're going to sleep now.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She pressed her comb into the young woman's hand. It was one of the few things she had had on her when she and Kasane had fled Mishima.\n\n\"You're too kind to the unworthy, Your Honor.\" But the young woman smiled as she tucked the cloak around the boy." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Then she began running the comb through his hair." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Oyasumi-nasai,\" she called softly to Cat. \"Rest well.\"\n\nCat joined Kasane, who was trying to make herself comfortable on the bare, cold gravel. She had left her torn paper cloak laid out for Cat to sleep on, but Cat gestured for Kasane to lie on it. Cat curled up behind her, with her back to the river and her face toward the direction of possible attack." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She fitted her body to the curve of Kasane's back and hips and legs. She laid her staff alongside Kasane, where she could reach forward and grab it in an emergency. She pulled the rest of the cloak as far over them both as she could, but she felt the cold air blowing in from the river. Her feet were icy." }, { "from": "human", "value": "For a time she lay with her head pillowed in the crook of her right arm and her left arm along Kasane's hip." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She listened to the river murmuring over rocks. She tensed at the hollow sound of running footsteps overhead. When they diminished in the distance, she relaxed. The feet probably belonged to a courier on an urgent mission that sent him on through the darkness." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Do you think we're too close to the water, younger brother?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kasane could see the moonlight sparkling on the ripples." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She flinched when something splashed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kasane was right to worry about kappa, river imps." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Fishy-smelling and naked, they came ashore from time to time at night to steal cucumbers and melons. They also raped women, sucked the blood and livers of horses through their anuses, and dragged people into the water to drown.\n\n\"We have no cucumbers, older sister,\" Cat teased. \"Or are you hiding some that the river imps might be after?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "She tickled Kasane, who giggled and twisted to avoid her fingers." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"One mustn't laugh at kappa-sama,\" Kasane said softly. \"It annoys them.\"\n\n\"Have you ever seen one?\"\n\n\"No. But many years ago a man and woman in my village did.\"\n\n\"What did he look like?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"As kappa usually look. He was small and green, with a long nose and a dishlike head and a tortoise shell on his back.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Where did they see him?\"\n\n\"The wife of the most prosperous man in the village was very beautiful. One night when she went to the privy she felt a cold touch on her buttock.\"\n\n\"Is that so! He grabbed her in the privy?\"\n\n\"Yes.\" Kasane giggled again. \"But she was the daughter of a masterless samurai, and not one to be trifled with." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She shouted, 'Scoundrel,' and saw a shaggy little man run away." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"The next night she took her short-sword with her to the privy. When he grabbed her in the same spot, she cut off his hand. He ran away shrieking. The woman took the hand to her husband.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Was it webbed?\"\n\n\"Yes. Her husband told her the kappa must have fallen in love with her. He kept the hand until the next night when the kappa came and begged him for it. Before he would give it back he made the imp sign a pledge promising never to harm the people of Pine village.\"\n\n\"Did he keep his promise?\"\n\n\"Yes. It's said that the man's descendents still have the paper stored with the scrolls of their ancestors. But we children were cautious. Whenever we went near water we said, 'Mr. Kappa, we belong to Pine village. Please, don't play tricks on us.' \" Kasane fell silent for so long, Cat assumed she was asleep." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You're so beautiful, mistress,\" Kasane whispered at last." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Be careful when you go 'somewhere.'\"\n\n\"I'll always take a weapon into the privy with me, elder sister.\" Cat smoothed Kasane's hair. \"I'm sorry I couldn't find a better place to spend the night,\" she murmured." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Provide four sentences as a continuation." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat had purposely picked a quiet spot on the teeming grounds of Numazu's main temple." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She had set up her booth near a small door in the temple's side wall." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The door had not been used in such a long time that kudzu vines had covered it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The priests' kitchen had been destroyed recently by fire, and they had set aside this day to solicit donations for its rebuilding." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The faithful had flocked here from Numazu and from the hamlets scattered for several ri around." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Farmers dragged small carts loaded with grain while their wives, many of them with babies strapped on their backs, pushed from behind." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Others carried coils of rope, fardels of bamboo poles, and rolls of cloth.\n\nThe usual vendors of tea and dumplings, fans and willow withes, of lurid papier-mâché masks and paper birds, had gathered, and the occasion had turned into a fair.\n\n\"You have a mouth as big as a stew pan!\" Cat spoke in the explosive, guttural syllables and fierce nonsense words of the aragoto style of acting, the \"rough stuff.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "She was taking both roles, which required her to prowl back and forth behind her booth made from a plank laid across two upturned tubs." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "To emphasize the moment, she rapped one of a pair of oaken blocks down on the plank. She paused, then hit the two blocks alternatively again and again. The intervals between the sharp sounds grew shorter until she was beating a frantic tattoo, a flurry of ratcheting clacks that signaled high drama just ahead.\n\nShe left the blocks on the plank and posed with her right arm held stiffly outward and her hand clenched into a fist." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her left hand rested on the butt of the stick stuck into her sash as a sword. She stuck out her left leg with her toes pointed upward and rolled her head, ending by looking over her right shoulder. She crossed her left eye in the direction of her imaginary opponent and froze in a burlesque of Ichikawa Danjuro's dramatic mie. The mie wasn't called for in this comic interlude, which made it all the more ridiculous." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"That's what we've been waiting for!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Someone shouted out the usual kabuki encouragement." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The audience roared with laughter, luring more people away from the competition in Cat's vicinity." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat had cut a wide strip from the bottom of Kasane's black paper travel cloak and had wrapped it around her head. Another long piece covered the lower half of her face. It was the usual disguise of someone who didn't want to be recognized. Bandits wore them, but so did illicit lovers, priests, and samurai when they frequented the gay districts." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat knew a host of stories—romantic, comic, tragic, and terrifying—that required her to wear a mask.\n\nShe was playing both of the bumbling bandits in the old farce The Literate Highwaymen. She had reached the part of the play where they attacked each other.\n\nCat turned away from her audience." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She wound one arm up around her neck and the other across her side, gripping at the small of her back." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"The way we are grappling must be a wonderful sight.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She twisted and swayed so it appeared as if the hands belonged to someone else and she was struggling with him.\n\n\"If we should die, no one would see this heroic scene,\" she shouted over her shoulder. \"And who would notify our wives?\"\n\n\"We could leave a note.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "She assumed the guttural growl of the second bandit." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"What do you think?\"\n\n\"We can't write a note.\" Cat wrestled ferociously with herself. By now the laughter caused people to come running from distant parts of the temple compound." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Our arms are locked.\"\n\n\"Let's count 'One, two, three,' and at 'three' we'll both let go at once.\"\n\nThe sword swallower, the diviner, and the magician glowered at Cat. The blind lute player bowed gracefully to circumstance and went off in search of a quieter corner." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat hadn't intended to draw undue attention to herself." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She only wanted to earn a few coppers for the day's food." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "At most she had hoped to make enough to pay the ferryman to take her and Kasane across the Kano River.\n\nKasane was doing her part, too. She had cajoled a bamboo ladle from a shopkeeper and was now circulating through the grounds, begging with it. Cat knew that begging was an honorable and virtuous activity, but she hated doing it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She suspected that the old saying might be true—one who had been a beggar for three days could not stop." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She preferred entertaining. Of course, entertaining was considered a form of begging and was neither honorable nor virtuous. And Cat suspected Musashi wouldn't have approved.\n\nIn his Earth Book he deplored the trend toward \"arts for sale,\" men thinking of themselves as commodities. But he had been referring to those who advertised their schools of martial strategy, selling their prowess for profit." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat was merely selling her wit." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She had fabricated her mask, using the scissors that had been with her through seven falls and eight rises, as the old saying went. She had scrounged the materials for her booth from the construction site at the charred kitchen and had gone into business. Now she was regretting her success and the attention it was drawing.\n\nShe would have regretted it more if she had known that Hanshiro stood at the edge of the crowd." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He had come to make a donation to the temple and, while he was at it, to ask discreetly if a certain brother and sister had sought pilgrims' lodging. Instead he waited behind a tall, moss-covered stone lantern and listened.\n\nHanshiro was now in disguise himself, not because he thought he could fool Cat, but to be less conspicuous. He wore a blue cotton towel over his head and tied under his chin." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He wore the wide bamboo hat, loincloth, fringed short apron, and belted padded jacket of a yakko, the lowest ranking of a lord's retainers." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When a mischievous wind blew up the tail of his jacket, it revealed a matched pair of bare, muscular buttocks.\n\nHanshiro had rolled his long-sword into the mat strapped across his back. He wore his short-sword in his sash and his iron fan tucked out of sight inside his coat. He carried his few belongings in a small furoshiki slung from his staff." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He had cozened the barrier scribe into revealing the names on Lady Asano's and her companion's travel papers, but he knew he would have to proceed cautiously. Alarming Lady Asano would undoubtedly cause a commotion that would be disastrous for all concerned.\n\nMistress Cat was continuing to cut an astonishing swath through her enemies and managing to remain anonymous while she did it. According to Hanshiro's usual informants at the transport office in Mishima, a dangerous pair of thieves was on the loose." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A young peasant and his sister had attacked and bested five Edo samurai at a low-class guest house two nights before." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They had beaten the men senseless and thrown them into a ravine." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The samurai had suffered broken bones and bruises. When questioned by the authorities, they were mysteriously vague about the encounter, and the local magistrate was holding them in custody until the matter could be looked into.\n\nThe actual battle had been shrouded in night's black cloak. However, plenty of witnesses and lanterns had been on hand when the men were pulled from the ravine." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Even so, Hanshiro found it almost impossible to believe that one small woman and a peasant accomplice had overcome five of Kira's retainers." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Whatever had happened behind that wretched inn, Lady Asano was certainly complicating Lord Kira's life." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He must be bowel-locked in fear." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro smiled inwardly at the thought of it.\n\n\"Thank you all.\" When her performance was over Cat bowed into the applause and the shower of coppers. She stood back until the last of the coins had fallen on the plank, then she began collecting them. Her audience drifted off to see the magician exhale bees." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Keeping the tall stone lantern between Cat and himself, Hanshiro backed away, turned on his straw-clad heel, and melted into the throng." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Now he knew what voice the Lady Cat was using in her disguise as Hachibei of Pine village in the province of Kazusa. He retired to the small pleasure district hard by the temple's main gate to drink tea, allow his heart to slow to its normal pace, and ponder his next move.\n\n\"Hachibei...\" Kasane set her ladle on the plank of Cat's booth. It contained thirty-seven coppers." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She was flushed and out of breath. \"I saw him!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Who?\" Cat was seated on an upturned tub, but she pulled her staff closer and studied the milling crowd for enemies." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The young man. The pilgrim. Please write the poem for me.\"\n\nCat counted out some of the precious coins. Love, after all, was more important than food. \"Buy a bit of ink, a brush this thick...\" She held up her little finger." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"And two sheets of paper. Honsho paper if you can find it.\" Cat added more coins for a better grade of paper. Kasane deserved it, and besides, in worshiping love one should not distinguish between the highest and the lowest.\n\nKasane darted off." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Forgive my rudeness...\" The voice was husky and musical. Its owner spoke with an Osaka accent. A pale, graceful hand laid two silver coins called \"little drops,\" wrapped in scented, lavender-colored paper, next to the coppers Cat was counting out on the rough board. \"Are you interested in employment?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "When Cat looked up she saw a lovely white mask with a high arched nose, rouged cheeks, and a poppy-red pucker of a mouth painted in complete disregard of the actual contour of the lips." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The teeth were blackened." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The eyebrows had been shaved, and new ones, thin as a three-day moon, had been drawn halfway up on the forehead. The onnagata, the female impersonator, was wearing black-lacquered geta a foot high.\n\nHe also wore a heavy unbelted silk brocade coat that looked black until sunlight revealed it to be the deep purple color of the black dragonfly. It was embroidered with huge gold-and-silver dragonflies." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The iridescent green-gold lining of the rolled, padded, and weighted hem would have trailed in the dust if not for the geta." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The tabi, white as a crane's down, fit like a second skin.\n\nA lavender scarf was tied to two of the long, jade-tipped hairpins in the actor's elaborate coiffure. The scarf covered the top of his head and dipped onto his brow. It hid the fact that a large circle on the crown of his head was shaved as the government required of actors who impersonated women." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The onnagata was flanked by a box bearer, an attendant for his pipe and tobacco, five servants, almost invisible behind their loads of parcels, and a boy apprentice also made up and dressed as a maid in bright scarlet.\n\nA flock of adoring women had gathered behind them. Out here in the provinces people rarely saw the fashionable elite of the Eastern and the Western capitals. They had to make do with books of theater news and pleasure district gossip." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They studied the cheap woodcut prints of famous actors and courtesans. And they lamented the fact that styles changed so quickly in the capitals, the prints were usually out of date by the time they saw them.\n\nSo these women clutched their writing boxes in hopes the exquisite onnagata would inscribe a poem on their fans or their copies of the theater guide, Three Cups of Sake on a Rainy Night. They discussed in earnest whispers the latest convolutions of his hairdo." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They calculated the exact width of the brocade sash that covered his chest from his groin almost to his chin under the long, trailing coat." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They speculated about the subtle messages in the enormous, superimposed folds of the bow tied in front in the style of the courtesans.\n\n\"What kind of employment?\" Cat asked suspiciously. She didn't intend to encourage someone who was shopping for a catamite.\n\n\"Ah.\" The actor flipped open his fan and tittered behind it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I was so entranced by your performance I forgot my manners entirely. My name is Hashikawa Hatsuse. But I prefer to be called by my art name, Dragonfly.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "With his fan, Dragonfly brushed nonexistent dust from the enormous insects embroidered into the front of his coat." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Our troupe is touring, and we have need of strong lads to help with scenery and costumes. What is your name, if I may be so rude as to ask?\"\n\n\"Hachibei,\" Cat mumbled. \"From Kazusa province.\"\n\n\"Well, you are the mysterious one, Sir Hachibei, with your horrid little mask.\" Dragonfly used his fan to lift the bottom corner of the long paper cloth that covered Cat's face and chest." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat drew back and turned her head just enough to disengage the fan." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Ah, the bashful rustic.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Dragonfly peered impishly over the fan." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I shall tell the theater chief to expect you. We're staying at the reception rooms next to the priests' quarters.\"\n\nHe made a slight gesture, and the box bearer produced ink and a brush. Using the box as a desk, Dragonfly wrote a poem on his fan and presented it. A wistful sigh rose from the women." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "That the season has begun\n\nIs decided by the appearance of\n\nThe red dragonfly.\n\n\"Show this to the stage manager. He'll admit you.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Dragonfly adjusted the six collars of his layered robes to expose more of the shaved, white nape of his neck while his apprentice hastened to open the parasol." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Dragonfly was tall, and the geta raised him well above the crowd." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His young page had to wear very high geta to hold the umbrella over his huge hairdo." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Walking in foot-high pattens was difficult even for the practiced. For balance, Dragonfly kept a languorous hand on his page's shoulder as he swept off through the press, his slender hips undulating in the \"floating step\" of the courtesan on promenade. And like a courtesan, he gave way to no one.\n\nHis entourage of admirers parted to let him pass, then closed in and trailed behind him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The sunlight on his dark silk robes sent off shimmers of subtle yet intense color." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Long, sinuous, and radiant, he did indeed look like a dragonfly among crickets.\n\nOpenmouthed, Kasane watched him go.\n\n\"Do you plan to make a living like that fraud over there?\" Cat nodded toward the magician." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"What?\" Kasane transferred her attention to Cat.\n\n\"Do you intend to belch bees through that ugly gap under your nose?\"\n\nKasane closed her mouth and blushed.\n\n\"If you want to attract a husband, you'll have to learn refinement.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kasane hung her head and sighed. \"You can't make a crow white, even if you wash it for a year,\" she said sadly.\n\n\"Maybe not. But we can dip you in white paint. By the time your suitor finds out you're not a crane, he'll love you for your inner virtues.\"\n\n\"He's nearby.\" Kasane blushed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"At the stall of the comic gentleman selling tea.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kasane was afraid the young man would leave before she could have her letter delivered to him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She was more terrified that he wouldn't. She laid the brush, the paper, her ladle filled with water, and the small bamboo container of liquid ink on the plank.\n\n\"Pick those things up and lay them down again, elder sister,\" Cat said. \"Hold them as though they were a hummingbird's eggs in the palm of your hand. Set them down as gently as a leaf landing on a windless day. A person's breeding shows in how she handles objects.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat's interest in improving Kasane's market value wasn't exactly selfless. If Kasane's allegiance were to be transferred to a worthy man, Cat could travel on alone. She could act unencumbered by the fear of exposing an innocent to peril.\n\nKasane kept glancing over at the tea stall while Cat wrote out the poem." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A pale moon waning," }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Wisp of cloud shadow passing\n\nIt is. Then is not.\n\nWhen the ink had dried Cat folded the paper in a simple, slightly dated, but tasteful style. The fold's message was that the sender was a thrifty, wholesome virgin of traditional values." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat put the letter inside the second sheet, which she folded lengthwise until both formed a narrow strip." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She looped one end around the other until she had formed a flat knot in the middle." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She dry-brushed ink along the creases.\n\n\"Why are you doing that, younger brother?\" Kasane asked.\n\n\"To ensure secrecy. If someone undoes the knot, they won't be able to tie it exactly as it was. The brush strokes will not match.\"\n\n\"Ma!\" Kasane despaired of ever learning the tricks of love." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Bring a piece of kudzu vine from the wall,\" Cat said.\n\nCat used her scissors to trim the vine, then twined it around the letter. Her deliberate motions were maddeningly slow.\n\n\"At a time now past,\" Cat said as she worked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"A princess fell in love with a lord, and he loved her in return. Their passion was deep, but they kept the affair secret so the lady's reputation would not be eaten by worms.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat frapped the ends of the vine to hold it in place. \"When the princess died, the lord's love became a kudzu vine and clung to her grave. So the tale's been handed down.\"\n\nShe studied the effect of her handiwork. Sending a first poem wrapped in a vine with such an erotic history was a brazen move." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Shame is thrown aside when one travels, Cat thought." }, { "from": "human", "value": "And the sooner Kasane eloped with her lover, the better for everybody." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Now what do we do?\" Kasane asked.\n\nWith the knife Cat slit the end of a slender bamboo pole and held the cleft open with the blade while she wedged the letter into it. \"What is he wearing today?\"\n\n\"The same white pilgrim's robe and black leggings. And a short cloak of blue-and-white-striped pongee. And he has a mole at the outer corner of his left eye.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat studied her choice of messengers in the throng of fairgoers. The one who delivered the poem must set the correct tone. She beckoned to a girl of about seven carrying her baby brother in a sling on her back. She would strike the right note of innocence, a delicate contrast to the kudzu vine." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The girl could tell from the letter wedged into the cleft bamboo cane what was wanted of her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It was the usual way to carry messages.\n\n\"Five coppers to deliver this to the young gentleman in the pilgrim's robe sitting at the tea stall. But wait until we're gone before you do it.\"\n\n\"Yes, Your Honor.\"\n\n\"Come along, elder sister.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat held up the paper-wrapped coins Dragonfly had given her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"As soon as I see a riverbed beggar about work, we're going to the used-clothing dealer. You can't attract a suitor dressed like that.\"\n\nKasane did look shabby. If fate had rowed her far offshore on a sea of troubles the past few days, the pilgrim's robe had traveled with her. Cat didn't worry about the ragged condition of her own clothing." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The more tattered and stained it was, the safer and more anonymous she felt." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Still wearing her mask, Cat led the way past the drum tower and the main temple, then through the rear courtyard to the low building housing the reception rooms and the priests' quarters." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A novice intercepted her warily on the veranda." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat looked as though she harbored fleas, at the very least. And her mask was ominous.\n\nCat started to ask to see the kabuki theater chief. Then something in the periphery of her vision registered." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She waved Dragonfly's fan at the huge stack of travel boxes that were being carried into the side door of the building.\n\n\"Where is the troupe from?\" Cat recognized the crest, but Hachibei the peasant boy wouldn't be likely to.\n\n\"This is the famous Nakamura-za, of Edo.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Is that right? What is the theater chief's name?\"" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 1 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The renowned Nakamura Shichisaburo, of course. The greatest of the Eastern Capital's 'soft stuff' actors.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Job: User writes start, you add ~two sentences sentences. Style: Lucia St. Clair" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The performance of Shichisaburo's company at Kambara's temple was open-air. The \"theater\" was defined by large straw mats hung from bamboo palings." }, { "from": "human", "value": "From the wings of the temple's outdoor stage, Shichisaburo looked out over the house, or rather the yard." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kabuki audiences were always boisterous, and Shichisaburo had the small bruises faded to a purplish yellow on his calves to prove it. The bruises had been inflicted by overwrought fans in the pit, the place-for-packing-them-in." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They had reached up and pinched his legs when as the villainous character Lord Kudō he had strayed too near the edge of the stage.\n\nEven so, this audience made Shichisaburo uneasy." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The people sitting on temporarily roofed platforms along the two sides were decorous enough." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They were in the expensive seats, after all. But the ten-mon ticket holders, the farmers and servants and merchants' clerks, were crowded into the three center sections—the place-for-packing-them-in, the great beyond, and at the very rear, the deaf gallery." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They sat on the ground on bundles of grass or on rented thick, rigid straw cushions that looked like half a tatami." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They seemed to be in even more of a ferment than usual.\n\nMost of the farmers had never seen a kabuki performance before." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Their hamlets were too far from Edo or Kyōto or Ōsaka for them to travel to the theaters there." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In any case government decrees forbade their attendance.\n\nThe government held that kabuki would waste the farmers' time and fill their heads with extravagant appetites." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They would start using hair oils and tying their topknots with paper cords instead of straw." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They would demand umbrellas and barbers, public baths and pawnshops, all of which would surely mean the downfall of the nation." }, { "from": "human", "value": "But as with most of the admonitions posted on the government's bulletin boards, this one was being honored more and more in the breach." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "People shouted their orders to the purveyors of boxed lunches and tea and sake as they hawked their wares through the tightly packed crowd. With mouths full of vinegared rice and raw fish, the fans gossiped and discussed the performance and called out encouragement to Dragonfly on stage." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Shichisaburo noticed that the vendors were selling a lot of sake and shochu, a potent brew of sweet potatoes. The farmers were drinking especially heavily." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"A big crowd.\" The stage manager peered around the huge, stiffened sleeves of the outer robe Shichisaburo wore for the role of Lord Kudō." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We'll have difficulty clearing away the corpses from the last scene.\"\n\n\"How many cockroaches?\" Shichisaburo asked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Only twenty or so of the abbot's relatives. Most are paying customers.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The stage manager bowed and hurried off to chastise a writer who thought his ideas should take precedence over the leading actor's." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He shook his head at the general state of moral decay that could produce such a preposterous notion.\n\nShichisaburo had other worries, however." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The Danjuros of the pit will go out on their ears today, he thought." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When young swells of the lower classes got drunk they imitated aragoto, the \"rough stuff\" acting method of their idol, Ichikawa Danjuro. Brawls sometimes erupted, and the police had to drag the combatants away by their topknots." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Because Danjuro had fallen ill ten days ago, Shichisaburo had been obliged to take over some of his roles and adopt his acting style. Shichisaburo suspected Danjuro had feigned illness long after he was better so he could stay behind in Edo and continue his clandestine affair with a young guardsman." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Shichisaburo knew that ignorance was what made a man resent his fate, but he wasn't happy to be playing the villain." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The \"soft stuff\" style of the romantic heroes was more to his liking. The swooping blue-and-black-and-purple lines of the \"rough stuff\" makeup Shichisaburo had painted onto a white powder base were designed to throw his pug nose and well-padded cheekbones, forehead, and chin into high relief." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They had transformed his pudgy face into the hideous mask of the evil Lord Kudō." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lord Kudō's scowl mirrored Shichisaburo's mood." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Even with four or five men to hold up the train of his layered robes and the enormous square, shieldlike sleeves, Shichisaburo's costume weighed him down. He gestured, and an attendant slid a tall stool under him so he could sit back on it and still appear to be standing." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It was a device used often on stage to give the actors relief during long scenes." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Normally Shichisaburo would have been napping in the small dressing room curtained off for him, but he couldn't relax today." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He had to see Lady Asano in her first appearance in this dance interlude between acts of The Revenge of the Soga Brothers.\n\nEven though the temperature of the air was brisk, moisture formed where the thin copper base of his huge wig and horned headdress rimmed his painted forehead." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He made another subtle gesture, and a hand and towel shot forward to dab delicately at his brow." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Shichisaburo had good reason to perspire. He was taking a tremendous risk inviting Lady Asano to stay on." }, { "from": "human", "value": "At the very least he would be reprimanded for allowing a woman to work in his company." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "And if he were caught harboring a fugitive, his theater would be closed permanently and he himself banished to a place where his acting talents would not be appreciated.\n\nBut Shichisaburo enjoyed the intoxication of risk." }, { "from": "human", "value": "And he couldn't just give Lady Asano the money she needed and turn her out as she had suggested." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Under Shichisaburo's fierce makeup was a bland, world-weary visage that in turn belied a tenderness of heart. He couldn't bear to think of Cat braving the perils of the Tōkaidō with only that foolish young peasant woman for whom she had developed such an irrational attachment." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Besides, Shichisaburo was so short-handed that he was desperate for reliable help." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He needn't have feared that Cat would betray him by a misstep. Dragonfly had been right." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She was a master of bewilderment and a very fast learner." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She had had only a few hours' rehearsal before this performance, but with confidence and grace she now made her debut by way of the musicians' and stage hands' small \"coward's door.\"\n\nAs a kurogo, a \"black man,\" she was to assist the actors and make sure props were where they should be." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She was perfectly obvious to the theatergoers, of course, but she was as invisible as a shadow. She was swathed in the kurogo's black costume from the top of her head to the toes of her tabi." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her face was covered by a black veil." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Because black was the color of nonexistence, Cat didn't exist.\n\nCat's heart was pounding as she ducked through the low door at the rear of the stage." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She walked behind the three singers seated in a row and behind the flute and samisen players and the three drummers, all of whom were absorbed in their music." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Beyond them stretched the stage. It wasn't a large stage, but to Cat it looked vast and empty and lofty." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Even though Dragonfly was dancing at the other end of it, Cat felt as if, far below, every eye in that sea of heads were watching her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "With heart pounding, she crouched in her assigned place near the backdrop and waited for her cue.\n\nDragonfly was acting the part of a shy waiting maid who had been ordered to rehearse the lion dance." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Left alone with the lion mask on a stand, she danced hesitantly at first." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As the mask began to exert its power, however, her eyes were drawn more and more often to it.\n\nFinally she went to the stand, knelt, and took the lion head in her hands." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Tentatively she clapped the hinged jaws a few times. Then, holding it out in front of her, she began to dance with it in time to the flute and samisen and the chanting of the singers." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Slowly the lion head took control of the young woman." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Dragonfly's tremulous movements became stronger, more powerful. He tried desperately to rid himself of the heavy mask, but he couldn't." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It began leading him around the stage." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Just as the mask had bewitched the waiting maid, so Dragonfly bewitched Cat. She was so mesmerized by his lithe, strenuous performance, she almost missed her cue." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When it came she picked up the long flexible rod from which dangled a butterfly of bright red silk stretched over a frame of bamboo slivers." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat took a deep breath and stood up slowly. Holding the butterfly out in front of the mask, she began her own dance in simple counterpoint to Dragonfly's elaborate one." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hanshiro was in the audience, and he was as drawn into Cat's spell as she was into Dragonfly's." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He stood with arms crossed at the rear of the deaf gallery, near the main entrance, the \"rat gate\" under the drum turret." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He had taken his long-sword from the rolled mat and stuck it back into his sash. His umbrella and his iron fan were at hand." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He had already identified seven men who were probably Kira's retainers scattered through the crowd." }, { "from": "human", "value": "An informer at the temple must have discovered Cat's presence and alerted them." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro knew there were informers. One of them had identified Cat's job on stage for him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "One of Kira's men wore a towel sling supporting his broken arm. He had ended up in the bottom of the ravine behind the pilgrims' inn in Mishima after Cat had disabled him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hanshiro assumed he had been brought along to identify Lady Asano when they captured her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In spite of the certainty of trouble, Hanshiro concentrated on the small, lissome figure in black. As he watched Cat dance with the rod, he thought it fitting that she should be the butterfly enraging the lion." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It was a part she was playing well in the interlude that was life." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The beat of the drums became louder and faster and more insistent. The samisen sounded alarmed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The mask reared and swooped in Dragonfly's hands as the lion chased the butterfly on the end of Cat's rod. The wooden blocks rattled, increasing in speed with the swelling music and the drums' tempo until the tension seemed unendurable." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Then, as the clappers gave a resounding crash, Dragonfly turned his back to the audience." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat crouched unobtrusively again." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Two other black-clad kurogo moved up next to Dragonfly. Each one pulled a thread in the shoulder seams of his robe." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The pale purple silk with its drifts of clouds and flights of magpies dropped open." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "One of the assistants unfastened the wide sash, which also fell away.\n\nUnderneath was a dragon's bloodred robe emblazoned with huge gold flames and silver lightning bolts." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Another assistant slipped off Dragonfly's wig while two more replaced it with the lion's wild white mane, the train of which dragged on the stage floor." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A kurogo held a mirror while Dragonfly, still on stage and in a matter of moments, repainted his makeup.\n\nWhen he turned back around he had become a ferocious lion spirit." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The crowd went wild.\n\n\"You're as good as your father!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "they shouted. \"We've been waiting for this!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat hardly heard them." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She and Dragonfly moved as though connected by a taut, invisible cord. Time and again Cat whisked the butterfly out from under the lion's nose." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She teased him with it until Dragonfly was whipping his long white mane about his head in a frenzy." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Sun!\" The crowd was delighted. \"Light of my life!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "When Dragonfly chased Cat into the wings the audience applauded wildly." }, { "from": "human", "value": "People in the pit threw flowers onto the stage." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They called out Dragonfly's clan name, family name, and art name. The elite in the box seats extemporized poems to his genius." }, { "from": "human", "value": "One by one, Kira's retainers, using the uproar as cover, closed in from the sides." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They reminded Hanshiro of a line from an old poem, \"A flock of sparrows raises quarreling voices...\" He followed casually at a distance. The men were obviously planning to catch Cat backstage." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat didn't stay backstage long, though." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She was to assist for the last act of the Soga brothers' famous epic. Kasane, now dressed as a boy herself to avoid the theater's ban on women, quickly handed Cat a towel." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat lifted her black veil and wiped her sweaty face with it." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her heat was pounding with exertion and excitement.\n\n\"Did you see your pilgrim?\" Cat whispered." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Yes!\" Kasane's eyes sparkled." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He's sitting near the front. He sent another poem.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She put a hand to her waist where the letter was hidden under the sash of her jacket.\n\n\"I'll help you read it when the performance is over.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat ducked back through the \"coward's door\" and crouched at the rear of the stage again while the turmoil died down.\n\nNow that she had finished the most difficult part of her duties, she could look out over the crowd and see individuals instead of a noisy blur." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The first individual she saw was Hanshiro." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Burei-mono!\" she muttered. \"Impudent clod!\"\n\nOnce she discovered Hanshiro she wasn't surprised to see his cronies, Kira's retainers, flanking the stage." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Their robes were tucked up, and their sleeves were tied back for action." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The pairs of swords projecting from their sashes marked them as samurai. Various affectations, such as the patterns on their jackets, the knots in their sashes, and the way they wore their headbands, identified them as residents of Edo." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat also recognized the man with the broken arm, and she was sure that more of Kira's lackeys were stationed behind the theater to cut off her retreat." }, { "from": "human", "value": "In the middle of it all sat Kasane's pilgrim, enrapt and oblivious." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Daikon! Radish!\" A roar of disapproval met Shichisaburo's entrance. During the first two acts the pit had formed a strong dislike for the villainous Lord Kudō." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Shichisaburo gamely declaimed his lines, although he was drowned out by cheers when the gallant Soga brothers appeared." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The cheers turned to more shouts of \"Radish!\" and \"Turnip!\" when Kudō motioned imperiously for his guard to arrest the brothers." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"This play is no good!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A hulking farmer stood up in the third row. \"Those two brave young men can't fight against so many. I, Buhei, am strong.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He pushed up the sleeves of his coat to show the corded muscles of his arms. \"I'll help them.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Yes, help them!\" the farmers shouted. Their fury at Kudō's villainy spread to the rest of the fans in the pit, many of whom were primed by sake for a diversion anyway." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Help them!\" The cry was taken up as far back as the deaf gallery, where people weren't even sure what was going on." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Someone threw a heavy straw cushion at Shichisaburo, who ducked. The cushion landed with a smack on the wooden floor of the stage." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The kurogo tried to fend off the mats that followed, but the musicians crowded through the \"coward's door.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Shichisaburo hiked up his skirts and fled for the wings in a hail of mats, wooden lunch boxes, soft persimmons, and chopsticks.\n\nWomen started screaming. The farmers stormed the stage." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The pilgrim, fearing for Kasane's safety, began laying about him with his staff, and a brawl broke out in the pit." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In his haste to escape, one of the musicians knocked a round box off a stand just inside the wings. Shichisaburo's wooden head fell out of it and bounced across the stage." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Buhei reached it first and held it up triumphantly by the topknot." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The people in the deaf gallery cheered and surged forward.\n\nCat saw Kira's men shoving through the crowd." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They would reach the wings before she could." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro was close behind them.\n\nThe last singer was at the nearby \"coward's door\" pushing the man ahead of him into the one ahead of him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat grabbed him by the back of the sash and whirled him away." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He collided with the first of Kira's men climbing onto the stage. They tumbled over the edge and into the farmers." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As Cat ducked through the low door, she scooped up a chopstick." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When the samurai who was following her cleared the low lintel and raised his head, she swung the pointed end upward. She gave it the full force of her arm, stabbing it through the back of his chin." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As the chopstick drove into his palate, it impaled his tongue against the roof of his mouth." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He dropped to his knees in the doorway and made squealing noises in his throat as he clawed at the short, protruding butt of the stick." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat couldn't see Hanshiro using his fan and umbrella to dispatch her enemies in the mêlée on stage. \" 'A flock of sparrows,' \" he chanted to himself as he sent another man sprawling, \" 'raises quarreling voices for a place to sleep.'\"\n\nHe was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Nameless, who attacked Hanshiro with the stout stick on which he had carried his lanterns." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hanshiro was surprised to see Nameless, but he wasn't surprised to find him a challenging adversary, even for one so young." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The two of them were fencing with umbrella and stick when the police entered the rat gate and people began scattering through the matting along the sides.\n\n\"What's happening, younger brother?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Backstage, Kasane was wide-eyed with fear." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Ruffians!\" Dragonfly ran shrieking toward them. \"Save me from the uncultured beasts.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "When he clutched at Cat she felt the weight of a packet of coins drop into her sleeve." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Follow my son,\" Dragonfly whispered.\n\nHe started screaming hysterically again, and he kept on screaming." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He was screaming when he brought a stool down hard on the first of Kira's men to find his way through the dark maze of backstage corridors, piled with scenery, curtains, and props." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The boy slid open a closet door under a stairway and pulled away the pile of bedding stored there. He had washed off his makeup, but he still wore his red maid's robes, geta, and wig." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat and Kasane crawled into the closet as Dragonfly's son's head disappeared through a trapdoor in the floor and down a ladder.\n\nKasane scrambled after him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat followed and closed the door over her, leaving them in darkness." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She could smell the dust of centuries in the passageway. It must have been built for escape when bands of warrior-priests and monks from rival temples attacked and counterattacked in the ancient wars." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat heard a rat's squeak and the skitter of small toenails across the plastered wall." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She jumped when she felt the boy's gentle touch on her arm." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Exchange clothes with me,\" he whispered." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "From overhead came shouts and the heavy tread of running feet.\n\nFeeling slow and clumsy in the dark, confined space, Cat stripped off her black head covering, the veil, her black jacket, trousers, and tabi." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Going by feel, she handed them to the boy and received his robes and geta and wig in return." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Continue along this passage.\" As he whispered he put on the kurogo's costume." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kasane buttoned the tabi for him while he tied the sash. \"It will bring you out in a chapel to Jizō-sama in the cedar grove. There's a small door in the wall there.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What will happen to all of you?\" Cat asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Shichisaburo-san will talk us out of this. He has before.\" The boy didn't have to say that without Cat and Kasane there to incriminate them, the official inquiry would go much better." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He started up the ladder again." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Father says to tell you to be careful of Satta Pass,\" he whispered over his shoulder. \"It's dangerous. But the view is the most beautiful in the world.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Continue with the same vibes as Lucia St. Clair" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Just inside the big gate of Mitsuke's main temple, the priests had set up a long counter for feeding the hordes of young pilgrims." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Three men were heating mason's trowels over a brazier until they glowed red." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Then they used them to scorch parboiled fish laid out on planks." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Two other men used rakes to stir vegetables in a huge tub. Hungry pilgrims swarmed around them or squatted on their heels while they ate.\n\nWith his knees spread, a man sat on a stool under the wide eaves of the temple gate. He had stuck a bamboo pole into the ground next to him. The pole sported a vertical cloth banner with a comic picture of Daikoku, the plump, smiling god of wealth, painted on it.\n\n\"Personal finances are my specialty,\" he informed the throng of people passing in and out the gate." }, { "from": "human", "value": "At first glance the financial adviser seemed prosperous enough, but Hanshiro noted that his topknot smelled of an inferior grade of hair oil." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The collar of his yellow-and-white-checked robe and the hems of his black hakama were almost imperceptibly frayed. His black camlet jacket displayed the crest of no particular clan. Hanshiro suspected that inside it and the robe was the rental shop's cipher embroidered in white cotton floss. Even the inro, the nested medicine box suspended from his sash, was the cheap type rented at ten mon a week.\n\nTo get Hanshiro's attention the adviser slid the back of the long nail of his middle finger across his abacus, producing a clicking whir like insects in an autumn meadow at night.\n\n\"You too can hear the crickets' song of wealth, honorable sir,\" he said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"My rates are reasonable. If money is troubling you, let's talk it over. I can help you sort it all out.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hanshiro ignored him. He stared at the letter pinned to the temple gate among the prayers and messages and petitions." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He pulled one hand back through his wide sleeve and inside his jacket. He poked it up through the neck opening and rubbed the stubble on his chin. He had made a decision about the letter, but it was troubling him.\n\n\"Kamiko-rōnin,\" the adviser muttered contemptuously. \"Paper-clothing drifter. Pauper.\"\n\nHanshiro turned his head to flash him a brief, wolfish smile from under his wide-brimmed rush hat. \"The general of a defeated army should not talk tactics,\" he said softly." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He carefully unpinned the letter and tucked it between the overlapping front flaps of his jacket, under his sash." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He strode through the crowd toward a small tea house in the licensed quarter that had sprung up to serve the more secular needs of temple visitors." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Devils live in front of the temple gate, as the old saying went." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He was in no hurry. The farmer to whom this letter was addressed was at least half a day behind him and more likely two or three days. If Hanshiro noticed the pair of rough-looking men who followed him at a distance, he gave no indication.\n\nThe children's religious fervor had spread to the adults. Parents were closing their houses and setting out after their offspring. Masters were laying down their account books and tools and following their clerks and apprentices." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The tea shop, like all the restaurants in Mitsuke, was packed with pilgrims." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The racks for the customers' sandals and geta and swords were full. Footwear was stacked on the packed earth of the entryway. The management had run out of wooden redemption tickets for them and was using chips of bamboo with numbers hastily painted on them.\n\nSteam rose in warm, moist clouds from the big kettles on the clay stoves. The aroma of a vat of cooked rice competed with the smell of roasted eel. The waitresses glistened with perspiration even though the entire front of the house was open to the winter air." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The waitresses all wore identical blue aprons, robes the deep blue of a winter's night sky, and wide yellow headbands charmingly tied in mannish style above their right ears. They shrilled their customers' orders at the harried cooks. Their wooden geta made a cheerful din as they hurried back and forth along the bare earth runways between the raised platforms where the customers sat.\n\nAn extra silver piece rented Hanshiro a tiny room to himself in the wing at the rear of the garden. At night the rooms there served for assignations with courtesans from the House of the Trout next door. Now they offered solitude to customers willing to pay for it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hanshiro had made no move to surrender his long blade so it could be hung with the others at the entryway." }, { "from": "human", "value": "And no one had dared ask him for it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The tea shop's owner had been relieved to usher him and his swords out of sight." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro looked around the tiny room. Several of the paper panes in the sliding screens were ripped. The high shelf to the gods was dusty. The picture scroll in the alcove was faded. But the room opened onto a corner of the garden, and the embers in the firewell gave off a comforting warmth. Hanshiro took his long-sword from his sash and sat cross-legged on the tatami next to the well." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He laid the sword on a silk cloth at his right side with the honed edge facing outward. He put Cat's letter next to it.\n\nThe kneeling waitress slid open the paper wall panel facing the garden. She stood, carried in the footed tray, knelt, and set it down. \"Eels eaten on the Ox's day are good for your health.\" She fanned the embers and added a few pieces of charcoal." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Then she poured a cup of tea, bowed, and retreated, sliding the door closed behind her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hanshiro left the letter on the floor, a mute and puzzling companion for his meal." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He ate three steaming helpings of rice from the large covered dish and three skewers of eel grilled with sweet soy sauce to a dark, glossy brown." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When he poured the last of the tea into his rice bowl, the water was almost clear from passing so often through the leaves." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He stirred the remaining few grains of rice into it and drank it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He wiped his mouth and fingers with one of the paper napkins in his wallet, folded the napkin into a tiny packet, and slipped it into his sleeve." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Only then did he pick up the letter and hold it in his big, square hands. The ideograms that spelled \"To Traveler\" had been drawn by a calm hand. Even after all Lady Asano had been through, she betrayed no fear or excitement in the subtleties of the strokes that made each character.\n\nHanshiro closed his eyes, concentrating all his senses into the tips of his fingers. He imagined the warmth of Lady Asano's touch on the paper. He felt himself melt into her body as she wrote." }, { "from": "human", "value": "For an instant he looked out from her eyes." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His hands were shaking when he unfolded it.\n\nHe had rationalized that reading the letter would lead him quickly to Lady Asano so he could protect her from her enemies; but he felt like a thief. He felt like an impotent man who pays to watch from behind a screen the pillowing of others. His face grew hot as he read what Cat had written.\n\nOh, to be the moon\n\nshining in the still of night" }, { "from": "human", "value": "On my lover's bed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "And then, \"Prayers to Inari. The Floating Weed.\"\n\nHe understood the message in \"Prayers to Inari, the Rice God,\" but the poem seemed to be no more than the insipid peasant verse it was. Was she indeed carrying on a flirtation with a farmer? Had grief driven her mad? Had he misjudged her completely?\n\nHe carefully refolded the letter and retied it in the flat knot." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A woman would detect the tampering immediately, but Hanshiro was sure Traveler wouldn't notice.\n\nWhen he heard the whispers in the next room, they were a welcome diversion. He had expected the thieves to wait until he stopped for the night and was asleep, but they looked the type to be short of patience as well as cunning.\n\nHe pretended to study the refolded letter as he listened. He distinguished at least five voices. The two who had been eyeing his swords since he'd entered the outskirts of Mitsuke were machi yakko, town underlings." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They were almost certainly intent on illicit gain." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Each carried a single sword of his own. Hanshiro assumed their accomplices did, too.\n\nAs a rule, swords were paid for not by quality or decoration, but by the inch. Kanesada blades were another matter, however. The price these thieves could receive for Hanshiro's matched pair would either support their families for life or make quite an impression at the brothels and card games for a much shorter time.\n\nWhile Hanshiro waited for the whispering to stop, he thought of sensei, his teacher." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He remembered him as he had last seen him, silhouetted by the sun shining through the paper screen of the tiny tea house in his garden. That was the day sensei had given Hanshiro the swords.\n\nThey both had known that the tea ceremony would be the last time they would see each other, yet neither had spoken of parting. And although sensei had intended to award a certificate of mastery to Hanshiro, he made no comment about his favorite student's decision to leave.\n\n\"The sword of the New Shadow school is the sword that gives life.\" Sensei had spoken in his usual soft voice." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He had looked with affection at the blades resting on their low ebony stand." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They had shone softly in the sunlight filtering through the paper screens. \"Its purpose is defense, not offense,\" sensei had continued. \"The New Shadow school aims not to slash, not to take, not to win, not to lose.\"\n\nSensei had always seemed so old, possessed of a wisdom that could only have come from a long life. Hanshiro realized with a start that twenty-three years ago, when he had become sensei's disciple, the master had only been as old as Hanshiro was now.\n\nTwo of the men next door raised their voices as though in argument." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro knew the others were using the noise to cover their approach. He sensed the change in the pressure of air in his room as they lifted a panel from its tracks behind him and slid it silently open. He felt them watching him. He had met their sort before. He knew they were likely to be crude but vicious fighters.\n\nAs he sat, Hanshiro wove his hands through the intricacies of the nine-symbols-cutting, the esoteric hand signs affected by ninja, or \"warrior wizards.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He knew it would impress them. Then he picked up the three slender skewers that had held the grilled eel and tossed them into the air. With a move too fast for the eye to follow, he drew the short-sword from the scabbard in his sash and struck. The skewers dropped to the tatami, each in two pieces, sliced lengthwise. He gathered the six pieces, threw them up, and cut each one in half as they fell.\n\nHe solemnly replaced his sword in the sheath." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He rested his hands on his thighs with his elbows out and continued staring straight ahead while the men next door left quietly and quickly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Yagyū Muneyoshi, the founder of the New Shadow school, had written more than a hundred poems about being a swordsman. As Hanshiro thought about Cat, he remembered the one that seemed most appropriate.\n\nThough I may win fights with a sword\n\nI'm but a stone boat on the sea called life.\n\nWhen he left the inn he returned to the temple and replaced the letter exactly where he had found it. Then he went to the transport office." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He had to dicker and cajole and pay a high price, but he managed to rent a horse without a postboy to lead it at a walk." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 1 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He mounted and set off at a brisk canter for Futagawa and the famous temple to Inari." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Hey can you write like Lucia St. Clair and use whatever i write as a jumping off point?" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro's new clothes hung over a lacquered rack in the room next to the bathing area of Futagawa's public bathhouse. The two side sections of the rack were hinged to stand, as a sheet of paper will stand if folded in half vertically." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The clothes were draped to form a sort of tent over the brass incense pot that squatted in the angle. From its openwork lid issued clouds of aromatic sandalwood smoke to perfume the silk undershirt, the black-and-white tile-design wadded-silk kimono, and the formal black hakama, and haori jacket." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro had bought the clothes after he decided to pledge himself to Lady Asano's cause. They were the first such he had had in fifteen years." }, { "from": "human", "value": "To buy them he had pawned his great grandfather's cloisonné medicine case and, for the first time in his life, borrowed from a money lender." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "While rain held him up he had had his family's crest, a graceful spray of wisteria bent in a circle, embroidered in gold on the haori.\n\nThe new loincloth, black silk waist cord, and stiff red sash lay folded on a high-rimmed clothing tray." }, { "from": "human", "value": "On the raised floor of the alcove, below a scroll painting of the Amida waterfall, Hanshiro's swords rested on a low stand." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro himself was still in the steam-filled room that housed the cypress tub, but he had left the sliding door panel open so he could keep an eye on his swords.\n\nFrom the neck down his skin was bright red." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The line where the blush began was as sharp as if bounded by a thread." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It marked where the scalding water had reached while he soaked. His body still tingled from the scouring the bath attendants had given it with loofah pads before he had climbed into the tub." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The priests said bathing symbolized the scrubbing away of evil." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It cleansed the soul as well as the body. But Hanshiro had seen the latest letter to Cat posted at the shrine to Inari, the Rice God." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He was wishing he could wash away lust and longing and jealousy as easily as he had washed away the dust of the road.\n\nWith one bare leg tucked under him and the other extended, he sat naked on a large cloth on the damp, polished boards of the bathhouse." }, { "from": "human", "value": "One of the attendants had just finished cutting and polishing his fingernails." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Now her shiny, triple chignon was bobbing over his toenails. Her elbow was a blur as she buffed them vigorously with pumice, then wood sorrel." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her other hand massaged his foot sensuously as she held it." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A second woman knelt behind him. She had slipped her arms out of her cotton bath robe so that it hung around the sash at her waist." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She had trimmed his sidelocks and rubbed fragrant camellia oil into his long black hair and was arranging it in a topknot." }, { "from": "human", "value": "With one hand she held the thick hank so tightly that it pulled at the skin of Hanshiro's temples." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She leaned forward, brushing her bare breasts slowly along his neck and shoulders as she reached for a flat paper cord. She tickled his ear with the cord on the way back." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her teasing roused the desired response in him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He tried to redirect his restive thoughts, but for an instant the breasts were Cat's. The cord brushing his earlobe was Cat's tongue." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A third woman entered with more tobacco for the canister on the wooden tray at Hanshiro's side. A fourth arrived with tea." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Ma!\" The tea server regarded Hanshiro's crotch admiringly as she fanned the coals in the portable earthenware brazier." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"A warrior of the school of the one-inch advantage.\"\n\nThe other three burst into gales of laughter." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Musashi had written that those who sought to own swords longer than their opponents', to have the one-inch advantage, were deluded." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "These four might have disagreed with his premise.\n\n\"'Five feet of blade lose to one inch of tongue.' \" Hanshiro smiled at them roguishly." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I surrender to your wit.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Put away your sword, then,\" giggled the manicurist. \"I know of a snug scabbard.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The hairdresser finished and held up a pair of mirrors so Hanshiro could see the full effect of her work." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He grunted his approval." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It didn't occur to Hanshiro to wonder if he was handsome. He only wanted to be presentable." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Looking shabby when he offered his sword to Lady Asano would have been shameful." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Just as carnal thoughts of her were shameful. And weakness besides.\n\nThe hairdresser began massaging Hanshiro's neck and shoulders." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The manicurist looked up coquettishly from his foot." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her face was a mask of white powder." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He has two of the three sacred treasures,\" she said. \"The jewels and the sword.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"'In the Floating World,' \" Hanshiro recited, \" 'the way of the warrior cannot conquer.'\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"A brilliant versifier, too!\" The manicurist finished her task with a flourish." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hanshiro's neatly trimmed nails glowed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She added water to the ink stone on the low writing stand. Then she slipped her robe off her shoulders and presented him with her plump, mottled back." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The powdery white paste of her makeup formed a neat crescent, a chalky moon under her neck and shoulders. Her skin was pocked with moxa scars." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Why don't you inscribe the poem using the implement that accompanied you into this fleeting world?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She pursed her red-painted lips and looked seductively over her shoulder. \"It would rival Ikkyu's broom.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The others laughed behind their sleeves and tapped her playfully with their fans." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Ikkyu had been known for using a broom to paint enormous characters." }, { "from": "human", "value": "To everyone's disappointment Hanshiro used the bamboo brush instead as he solemnly painted the poem onto her back." }, { "from": "human", "value": "While the others fanned the ink dry, they exclaimed over the strength and refinement of Hanshiro's calligraphy." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They argued about which of the six great calligraphers his hand most resembled.\n\nHanshiro knew this was professional gaiety." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It was an old, old game of flirtatious pun and sexual ambiguity." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It was a form of verbal fencing in which Hanshiro had indulged more times than he could remember.\n\nHe was amused by the fact that these women recognized him as a dangerous man, but they didn't fear him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They were like the teasing magpie that knew it was safe from the tiger." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He also sensed a genuine longing in their banter.\n\nUnder the bathhouse attendants' hands, Hanshiro had cleaned up quite nicely." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Beneath the dust and whisker stubble, the power in the set of his jaw excited the women." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They were drawn to the ferocious sensuality of his angular cheekbones and his dark, remote eyes. Hanshiro had the eyes of a tiger in a cave." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Even these jigoku-onna, these bathhouse-hell-women, recognized the worldly quality that was called sui in the pleasure districts." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In Hanshiro sui was more than mere sophistication. It was elegance. It was the artless grace of a wild animal." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The women were also responding to something subtler still." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They could not have defined it, but they sensed in him a rare, pensive sort of sympathy. Hanshiro thought about their kind more than they would have supposed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He pitied them as caged birds who feigned their songs of passion in the night." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He could not change their fate, but he could ease their lot with a jest and a kind word.\n\nHe bowed gallantly, lower than he needed to, but not low enough to risk disdain." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Both my heart and my insignificant sword of flesh regret that duty summons me from your luminous presence.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We'll dress you, then.\" They rose like a flock of wagtails startled into sudden flight and headed for the room where his clothes were." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Please.\" He knew he was about to offend them." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"To ready the spirit as well as the body, I must not be disturbed. But if you would move my clothing to the upstairs room facing the street, I would be grateful.\"\n\nIt was midmorning. There were no other customers yet, and the prospect of the long afternoon was burdensome." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The women had been looking forward to spending it in Hanshiro's company, but they heard the unspoken command in his request." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They bowed quietly, picked up the tea things and the food trays, and left in a muffled patter of bare feet on glossy boards.\n\nHanshiro put on a cotton robe and tied it with a sash set low on his hips." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Then he bowed to his swords and picked them up." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He walked up the narrow staircase to the room where the attendants had taken his clothes." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He carefully set his swords and their stand in the alcove and slid the door panel closed behind him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He dressed with as much care as if he were going into battle. Before the day ended he would offer his fealty, his life, and his sword, which was his soul, to Lady Asano." }, { "from": "human", "value": "One day a thousand autumns, he thought, when spent in anticipation." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The frivolity with the bathhouse attendants hadn't distracted Hanshiro. Over the years he had developed the released mind that his sensei likened to an empty gourd floating in water." }, { "from": "human", "value": "If touched, the gourd slipped aside." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "By its nature it evaded being grasped. So it was with the mind of someone who perceived everything but lingered on nothing." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When he finished dressing, Hanshiro opened the outer screen and took his swords onto the balcony." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He knelt on the boards and assumed the formal position, sitting back on his crossed ankles." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "While he polished the swords he could watch-without-watching the busy street below and the temple gate on the other side of it. He would know when a certain handsome boy and his sister arrived." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Holding the blade with a silk cloth, he placed his short-sword in front of him and bowed to it. He moved even more deliberately than usual to still the emotions churning inside him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He was worried about Lady Asano." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She was suspended from his heart. His mind was no longer released." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It was lingering on her and on the danger that surrounded her.\n\nHe held the hilt in his left hand with the sharp edge of the blade up." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He took a sheet of special paper from his cleaning kit and folded it over the blade just beyond the ornate bronze hilt guard. He wiped the softly glowing curve with a single long stroke that flowed from the guard to the angled tip." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He repeated the process twice more." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Then he rapped a small red cloth bag of limestone powder along the sinuous length of the temper line. It left patterns like delicate chrysanthemums." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He wiped the blade with forty more smooth strokes to rid the surface of body oils. He finished by spreading a thin film of aromatic clove oil over it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As he worked he concentrated on freeing his mind of the doubts threatening to immobilize it." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He concentrated on not-concentrating.\n\nWhen he had rented the horse in Mitsuke, he had bought the postboy sake in the shop next to the transport office." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He had learned that four of the five Edo samurai who had been waiting in town all month had disappeared." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The remaining man had hired several members of Mitsuke's lower order. The hostlers didn't know what he had hired them to do, but Hanshiro could guess." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The story had been the same in the other post stations between Mitsuke and Futagawa." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lord Kira was recalling his retainers to Edo. Something must be brewing there." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Don't despise your enemy though you take him to be small, nor fear your enemy though you take him to be great." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro was beginning to wonder if he had underestimated Kira's remaining men. He had assumed they and their local thugs wouldn't try to attack Lady Asano on the crowded road between Mitsuke and here." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He had assumed they would wait until nightfall and that she would be in Futagawa and in his care before then." }, { "from": "human", "value": "But what if he were wrong?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro felt a shiver of dread and, worse, doubt. He should have waited for Lady Asano at the Arai barrier." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He could have had a message delivered to her offering his services." }, { "from": "human", "value": "If she had refused his help, he could have followed her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He could have protected her.\n\nInstead, he had tempted fate." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He had decided to test her, perhaps out of jealousy at her frivolous flirtation with the farmer or pique at her failure to meet his standards of proper behavior." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "If she passed the barrier at Arai, if she eluded Kira's men and reached Futagawa, she was worthy of his loyalty, if not his respect.\n\nMostly, however, he knew now he had been testing himself." }, { "from": "human", "value": "By postponing the meeting, he was trying to prove that his foolish passion wasn't leading him like the hostlers led their shock-headed mares." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He was trying to deny that he felt a kinship with the poet who wrote, \"That such a one could be so longed for—Today I spent the whole day hopelessly gazing.\"\n\n\"Idiot!\" He returned the gleaming short-sword to its scabbard." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He could not polish his long-sword while in this state.\n\nHe placed his hands on his thighs, closed his eyes, and began to breathe deeply." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His consciousness sank to the center of the center behind his navel." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 3 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "After a long while he heard the sound of rushing water, distant but approaching. Finally the torrent washed through his skull, flushing away thoughts and doubts. It left behind a welcome emptiness and a roaring, like a waterfall." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "writers block help pls. ill send something, u do 4 sentences. going for Lucia St. Clair vibe" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Walk slowly.\" Cat ignored the thousands of eyes fixed on her. \"Put your heel down firmly and roll forward smoothly. Push off with the ball of your foot.\"\n\nCat tried to catch her breath. She had seen this done, but she'd never walked herself." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her mother had once told her that when walking on fire the innocent and the serene needn't fear. But what about the harried and the frightened?\n\nCat set her bare heel down in the deep bed of coals, pulsing with heat and light. Kasane did the same." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The two of them took one step, then another. They felt only a pleasant warmth underfoot as they walked, hand in hand, the length of the path.\n\nThe head priest looked inclined to berate them, but he was reluctant to further disrupt the ceremony. He glowered at them as they murmured apologies and slipped through the ranks of brightly robed bonzes lined up to walk across the fire pit." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They ducked into the crowd and disappeared.\n\nCat pulled Kasane behind a tall stone lantern and studied the roofed-over two-story gate and the drum tower near it. A shadow moved in the tower. Someone there was watching the compound and the gate." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat would have been willing to wager that men were waiting outside the gate to catch her if she tried to leave by it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kasane held up a straw cord broken in her haste to strip off her sandals." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Breaking a sandal tie was very bad luck.\n\n\"Buddha will protect us.\" Cat gave her another sandal from the pair tied to her sash.\n\nShe put on her own muddy sandals and began working her way along the high wall." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She dodged among the people and used the huge cryptomeria trees and the stone lanterns and monuments as cover." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her mouth was dry as silk floss, and she stopped at the stone cistern so she and Kasane could rinse their mouths and drink from the bronze, dolphin-shaped spout." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As Cat gulped the cold water from her palm, she kept watch." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She had no trouble picturing the bounty hunter striding after her across the coals." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She wouldn't have been surprised to find him close behind her.\n\nThe faithful had pressed into the center of the compound to take their turns at fire walking. That made the going easier here at the fringe. It was also darker away from the lights of the ceremony." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat followed a path into the blackness of the cryptomeria grove." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She passed the Revolving Library, the Hall of Bones, and the Founder's Hall." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Beyond them was the temple's kitchen." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat and Kasane picked their way through the usual debris discarded behind it. From there three paths branched off. Cat chose the one without a marker of any kind.\n\nShe took Kasane's hand, and going by the feel of the stone paving through the soles of her sandals, she groped toward a distant light." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When they reached the end of the lane, they stayed in the shadow of the trees and surveyed the thorn hedge in front of them.\n\nIt was twice as tall as they were. The thorns were as long as Cat's thumb. The only opening was a wooden gate flanked by lanterns and two red-painted wooden statues of the ferocious guardian kings who frightened away demons." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sitting at the gate was a small group of black-robed bonzes, their shaven heads gleaming in the lantern light." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They seemed to be keeping a vigil as they rattled their rosaries and intoned the sutra of the Jewel in the Lotus." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Above the hedge Cat could see the roof tiles of a building." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She considered the situation." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Getting over the roofed, two-story-high wall around the temple compound would have been very difficult, if not impossible. The grounds were vast. Finding another way out in the dark might take all night. This was the time of the new moon, a \"moon-hidden\" day, and they could expect no light from above." }, { "from": "human", "value": "If Cat returned to the main area, the crowds would provide some protection, but she was sure the rōnin from Tosa would find a way to capture her, witnesses or no." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He had plenty of help, and he was better than good at his job. He was supernatural. The fact that he had anticipated her arrival at the temple, then had had the effrontery to taunt her with a letter, had unnerved her. As for his warning about the drum tower, she was sure it was a trick of some sort.\n\nIf Cat stayed in the forest, she risked his finding her and capturing her with no one but Kasane to see him do it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "With no witnesses there was no telling what the beast would do." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He might force himself on her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He might kill Kasane to ensure her silence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "However, whatever was beyond that hedge seemed to be off limits to the laity. If she and Kasane could sneak inside, they might be safe for the time being.\n\nWith her flint, Cat lit their collapsible travel lantern and trimmed the wick as low as it would go. She tugged Kasane's sleeve, dragging her back up the path." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When they came to the kitchen, Cat searched stealthily through piles of broken tools and utensils. Kasane gave a little squeak when Cat disturbed some roosting chickens and they flapped away. Cat felt around until she found what she needed.\n\n\"Catch hold of that end of the tub,\" she whispered." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"It has no bottom.\" Kasane peered through the wooden cylinder. The fitted staves were still held together by twisted bamboo strips, but it was missing a bottom.\n\n\"I know.\" Cat blew the lantern out again and waited until her eyes adjusted as much as possible to the darkness." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The two of them carried the cumbersome tub back toward the end of the path. Cat stubbed her toe and bit her lip to hold back tears. The pain was intense, but she knew if she started crying, she might not be able to stop.\n\nShe and Kasane hauled the tub around the outer perimeter of the hedge, feeling their way through the deep underbrush." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Every time the leaves rustled, Cat held her breath and waited for someone to shout, \"Halt!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Finally Cat thought they had gone far enough." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The darkness here was almost complete." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Set it down,\" she whispered.\n\n\"What will we do now?\"\n\n\"Help me shove it into the base of the hedge.\" Cat lined up the tub with one of the open ends facing outward." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Keep your head down so no thorns stick you in the face. And keep your eyes closed.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "She rolled the cylinder back and forth until she found a spot between the individual stalks of the plants." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She and Kasane pushed the tub into the hedge until it formed a sort of tunnel to the other side. Cat took off her bundle and pushed it and her staff through the opening. Then she dropped to her stomach and wriggled after it.\n\n\"It's safe.\" The tub amplified and distorted Cat's voice." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It startled Kasane, but she hastily put her furoshiki into the hole and pushed it ahead of her.\n\nWhen they stood and looked around, they saw they were at the rear of a chapel. Stone lanterns lit patches of the bare ground in front of the building, but not much of their light reached here. A mist rose from the damp earth." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The building had a forsaken, haunted look about it." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We shouldn't be here,\" Kasane whispered.\n\nIn the darkness under the broad, low-hanging eaves, Cat felt along the back wall for a door.\n\n\"We'll get into trouble,\" Kasane whispered.\n\nCat almost laughed out loud." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Irritating officialdom was not Cat's definition of trouble." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Stop grazing on the roadside grass and help me find a way inside.\"\n\n\"Avoiding the fire, they leap into the water,\" Kasane muttered. But she dutifully began fumbling among the water barrels, door frames, and stacks of poles and shingles. \"Here, mistress,\" she called softly." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The bottom of the window was about chest height." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The pale light coming through perforations in the cedar shutter looked like constellations of stars." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kasane and Cat heaved up the shutter that was suspended over the window casing by iron hooks.\n\nWhile Kasane held it, Cat propped it open with a pole. She looped her waist cord through the tied ends of her furoshiki with her narrow straw mat attached and lowered it quietly through the window. When it was resting on the floor inside, she let loose one end of the cord, retrieved it, and used it to put Kasane's bundle and mat inside." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She poked her staff through last.\n\nCat climbed onto a barrel and ducked under the shutter. She threw a leg across the bottom of the casing and eased herself over. Then she helped Kasane in." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They were in the area behind an altar set on a platform approached by wooden stairs at the front. Light filtered through the altar curtain, once dark red but now faded to a streaked and dingy gray. The light illuminated a jumble of dusty statuary, portable altars, chests, draperies, scrolls, and screens leaning at angles against the wall. They could hear chanting from the chapel beyond." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They knelt on the floor. Each licked the pad of a middle finger and tapped it lightly against a rice paper pane of the screen beyond the curtain. They wet their fingers and tapped again, repeating the process until they each had made a small hole. They put their eyes to them and peered into the main hall of the chapel." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The room was lit as bright as midday by hundreds of lanterns crowded among the rafters. It was hazy from the smoke spewed by bundles of incense sticks in large brass urns. A few priests sat on the floor with legs crossed and palms together, fingers pointed upward. They were facing Cat and Kasane, but their eyes were closed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They held their rosaries draped over their hands as they chanted.\n\nCat and Kasane moved away from the curtains and screens and into the shadows.\n\n\"We can spend the night here,\" Cat whispered.\n\nShe edged around the corner of a panel of the altar shrine to see which form of Buddha was being venerated." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Instead of a statue of Amida, serene and inanimate, she saw a mummy. He was dressed in the tall conical hat and brilliantly colored robes of an abbot. His brown skin was so desiccated, it stretched over the bones of his face, drawing his mouth into a hideous, toothless grin.\n\nHis eyelid twitched." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat clamped her hand over Kasane's mouth before she could scream." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Don't be afraid,\" she murmured in her ear." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He's an honorable tree-eater.\" She removed her hand.\n\n\"He's alive,\" Kasane whispered.\n\n\"He's probably at the end of his fast.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat and Kasane retreated as far as they could get from the living corpse." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They sat huddled against the rear wall, under the window.\n\n\"Tree-eaters subsist on nuts and berries and bark for a thousand days or more,\" Cat whispered. \"At the end of their alotted time they eat only pine needles. Their flesh and organs wither away, leaving only skin and bones. If this one is truly blessed, he'll expire on the last day of his fast and his body won't decay.\"\n\n\"Why do they do it?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"They believe they won't really die. Their souls can stay in their bodies and wait for the coming of the Blessed Buddha.\"\n\nCat and Kasane spread their mats where they could find room and lay close so they could whisper to each other. Each drew comfort from the other's presence.\n\n\"My foolish letters caused your enemies to find us.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kasane sighed. \"The mouth is the front gate of all misfortune.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Don't dwell on what's past.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat spoke gently, although she had already rebuked herself for being so careless as to leave traces of her presence in public places." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Who wrote the other letter?\" Kasane whispered. She hadn't had time to spell out the contents of her own letter, and it was too dark to do it now. She was consumed with curiosity about the second message.\n\n\"He's a filthy wretch, a hireling of my father's enemy. He's chased me from the Eastern Capital.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"The rōnin you tried to stab?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Yes.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He looked like he was trying to help you.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"By seeing one stripe you know the whole tiger. He had no intention of helping me.\"\n\n\"But he warned you about the man in the drum tower.\"\n\n\"It was a trick, a needle concealed in a mass of silk floss.\"\n\nFor a while they lay in silence in the mustiness of the old draperies and straw matting and scrolls around them." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat was bothered by the fact that Hanshiro hadn't tried to capture her. Had he been toying with her?\n\n\"Even his poem was deceptive,\" she said finally.\n\n\"Is that so?\" Kasane tried to sound noncommittal." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"'Now is not the time,' \" Cat recited, \" 'to be thinking of yourself as one all alone.'\"\n\n\"Maybe he means he wants to help you.\"\n\n\"He's mocking me. He's telling me I can't escape him. But I'll travel the Three Paths before I'll allow him to take me.\"\n\nHer anger discouraged further conversation." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kasane tumbled quickly into an exhausted sleep. Cat sat up and tried to keep watch, but eventually she could fight off fatigue no longer.\n\nShe awoke stiff and sore, curled up next to Kasane. She looked up into the rays of sun shining through the holes in the cedar shutter of the window." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In the daylight she could see that the holes formed a graceful pattern of waves.\n\n\"Did you sleep well, my lady?\" Hanshiro asked politely.\n\nCat sat up and gathered her legs under her in a crouch. She grabbed for her staff, but it was gone." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hanshiro was kneeling in the formal position, sitting back on his heels, his palms resting on his thighs." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat looked into his tiger eyes." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat was incensed that Hanshiro had seen her asleep like some servant or peasant or outcast under a bridge. She pulled the knife from her jacket and heard Kasane scream as she lunged at him with it. He barely swiveled sideways, but Cat's blade stabbed emptiness where his chest had been.\n\nCat knew there was no use continuing." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She could not harm him. She could not escape him. She turned her blade around and would have stabbed it into her own breast if he had not reached out faster than she could see. He held her wrist in a grip gentle but strong as an iron band." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Kill me if you will, my lady,\" he said. \"I will not try to prevent it. Only grant me the favor of hearing me out.\"\n\n\"Mannerless wretch!\"\n\n\"You have reason to think so.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He handed her a brocade bag." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"But accept this as a token of my sincerity.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat opened it as though it contained a snake." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She shook the contents onto her cotton towel. With the point of her knife, she separated the topknots and laid them in a line. There were eight of them.\n\n\"They belonged to your enemies, Your Ladyship,\" Hanshiro said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I have named my sword the Barber.\" If Hanshiro was making fun of himself, Cat couldn't tell. His face was perfectly solemn. \"I apologize that I couldn't catch the man in the drum tower.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Are the owners of these dead?\" she asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Worse. They're shamed. The magistrate detained them for public brawling. They won't bother you again.\" Hanshiro took a long, slow breath to compose himself.\n\nEven now, her eyes heavy with sleep and her hair disheveled, Lady Asano was lovelier than anyone he had ever seen. Teeth like pasania nuts." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Dark, perfectly arched eyebrows. Strong chin and the high, narrow nose of a warrior. Arms white as mulberry ropes. A perfect hairline, each hair strong and glossy as black silk thread and growing from skin smooth as pale jade." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "ur a writing helper. partner writes, u do next 5 sentences." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro sat at the writing stand in Futagawa's shrine to Hachiman, the Shintō god of warriors. With a dagger he sliced the tip of the fourth finger of his right hand. He squeezed the finger until a puddle of blood formed in the bottom of a small bowl. He dipped a fine-haired brush into it, put it to the thick sheet of white paper, and began writing an oath of loyalty.\n\nCat watched him warily." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She was seated on a pile of cushions that raised her head above his." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The position symbolized that Hanshiro was below-the-eyes, a subordinate." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The abbot gestured to an acolyte, who brought forward a small brazier, set it down near Hanshiro, and fanned the coals. When the blood had dried, Hanshiro lit the paper and held it over another bowl while it burned. A second acolyte added hot water to the ashes, and Hanshiro swirled the bowl to dissolve them. Then he drank the mixture.\n\nWhen he finished, the abbot and his assistants discreetly rose, bowed, and left." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kasane started to leave, too, but Cat motioned her to stay." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She remained kneeling unobtrusively in a corner, but in effect Cat was alone with the bounty hunter.\n\n\"That was an impressive performance.\" Cat's voice was chilly and remote. \"Did you drink a similar oath in the service of Kira?\"\n\n\"No, my lady.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Then why have you pursued me?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The mistress of the Perfumed Lotus wanted you found.\" Hanshiro knew that fact certainly wouldn't raise him in Lady Asano's esteem. \"My sword would never have harmed you.\"\n\n\"Crows circle your sword guard. Are you of the New Shadow school?\"\n\n\"Yes.\" Hanshiro was impressed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lady Asano was a keen observer." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Doesn't the New Shadow school teach that weapons are unfortunate instruments hated by Heaven's Way?\"\n\n\"Heaven's Way is to maintain life.\"\n\n\"Then why do you offer to kill my enemies?\"\n\n\"When one man's evil causes suffering for thousands of people and that man is killed, then the blade that deals death is the one that also gives life.\" Hanshiro could see that Lady Asano still distrusted him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Perhaps time will convince you of my sincerity.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I don't have time.\" Cat tugged at the front hem of her secondhand jacket. She pulled the overlapping flaps tight so they wouldn't bag open when she stood up. Under his steady gaze she had become acutely aware of her shabby traveling clothes. \"All I wanted from your oath was your promise not to betray me.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "She bowed curtly. \"Now my companion and I must start. We have far to go, and the sun's already high.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Your Ladyship...\"\n\n\"I do not have the right to be referred to in that way,\" Cat was irritated. If you weren't an ignorant provincial, you'd know that, her silence said. She motioned to Kasane, who rose and gathered up their two bundles.\n\n\"Then what shall I call you?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "This interview wasn't going as Hanshiro had planned it." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You have no need to call me anything.\" Cat hardly glanced at him as she took her furoshiki from Kasane, who helped adjust it on her back. \"Our paths fork here.\"\n\nHanshiro didn't show his surprise, but he had assumed she would be grateful to have his sword and his arm as protection.\n\n\"Lady Asano...\" The command in Hanshiro's voice was subtle, but so compelling that Cat hesitated at the door." }, { "from": "human", "value": "In spite of her reproof he called her by the title her father's death had stolen from her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I know you must be on your way, but grant me a few moments.\"\n\nCat returned to the cushions. She regarded him with a neutral, unreadable expression.\n\nHanshiro was more pleased than if she had meekly accepted his offer. She had heart. She had spirit. She had dignity." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She was a mistress he could be proud to serve." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "And he would serve her, no matter what she said now.\n\n\"The travel permit from Lord Hino's councilor is for me and my disciple and a servant,\" Hanshiro said.\n\n\"Yes. You might as well take it back.\" Cat drew the letter from the front of her jacket and held it out. \"It won't help me, but I thank you for your trouble.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat knew her behavior was rude, but she was angry. He had harried her and frightened her and now thought he could make amends with a prick of the finger.\n\n\"At least allow me to present you with a small token, as an apology for the anxiety I've caused you.\" Hanshiro pushed a new wicker traveling box across the tatami. Then he bowed and left so Cat could open it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A gift. Cat drew the box to her and stared at it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Gifts could be very expensive for the recipient." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "What price would the Tosa rōnin try to extract for this one?\n\nWhen Cat took the lid off the box, Kasane moved close to see the contents. \"It's beautiful,\" she breathed.\n\nCat held up the garment on top of the pile of folded clothes. It was a pale chrysanthemum-colored robe of wadded silk lined with striped satin." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Pine trees, each needle embroidered, bordered a rushing blue river." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The river started at the left front hem, spiraled to the right and around the side. On the back a huge carp the color of cedar bark leaped upstream against the rapids. It was the design invariably worn by actors portraying the youngest Soga brother in his struggle to avenge his father.\n\nUnder the robe were a hempen hakama and formal haori jacket the color of cedar and the accessories to make up a young warrior's traveling outfit. At the bottom of the box was a servant's livery of the same color with a horizontal stripe of dark rust." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I'll give them to the abbot.\" Cat folded them neatly and replaced them in the box. \"He can sell them to raise money for the temple.\"\n\nKasane made no argument, but Cat could see she was crestfallen.\n\n\"These clothes will make us conspicuous,\" Cat said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"At the very least they'll attract thieves.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kasane read her suitor's poem aloud to Cat." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Alone in the night" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I visit you by dream paths—\n\nThere's no blame in that.\n\n\"He's a bold, romantic rogue, Kasane.\" Cat laughed.\n\n\"Here's my answer.\" Kasane was shy and proud. She had written this one herself." }, { "from": "human", "value": "In her letter she confessed that someone else had copied the earlier poems for her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I would read your words by moonlight\n\nOr by the reflection of the snow\n\nOr by the glow of the fireflies.\n\nAnd if there were no moon or snow or fireflies\n\nI would read it by the light of my heart." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He'll like it, I'm sure.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat curbed her impatience to get started. Thick gray clouds were moving in overhead, and she could hear distant thunder. Cat felt Hanshiro's letter under her jacket. \" 'Now is not the time to be thinking of yourself as one all alone.' \" Surely the lowering sky was what was making her so melancholy.\n\nKasane hung her letter to the Traveler on the big wooden message board near Inari's shrine. Cat whirled when someone spoke from close by." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Forgive me, my lady.\" Nameless bowed low." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You're the lantern painter.\" Cat raised her staff, ready to strike. She recognized the young warrior from the attack at the ferry on the Tama River, and she was ready to break his nose again.\n\nHe looked much younger than Cat remembered him, probably no more than fifteen or sixteen. The bruise across his nose and under his eyes had faded to lavender." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The nose itself was misshapen from her blow." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Forgive me, Your Ladyship, for failing you.\"\n\n\"What do you mean?\"\n\n\"Didn't Hanshiro-san tell you?\"\n\n\"No.\"\n\n\"I was trying to guard you, but I failed. In the fight last night he took all the topknots, shu, shu, shu. He prevented me from killing your enemies.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Who ordered you to follow me?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"No one.\" The boy looked thoroughly dejected. \"I was a page in Akō when the news of your father's shameful betrayal arrived." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "We all wept bitter tears. I swore with the others to defend our lord's castle to the death or wreak vengeance on his enemy.\n\n\"But the councilor betrayed us. He meekly handed over the keys to the shōgun's agents. Then he became a profligate in the brothels, probably with the money he stole from your father's estate.\"\n\n\"And are there no plans to avenge the Asano name?\"\n\n\"None that I know of, my lady. I went to Edo to try to kill Kira myself, for one cannot live under the same heaven with the slayer of one's lord. But I was unsuccessful. Kira's house is a fortress. His son, Lord Uesugi, has stationed extra bowmen there. I had decided to follow my lord in death when I heard you had escaped. I set out to find you and try my insignificant best to guard you against your enemies.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The lad had also hoped that if some of Lord Asano's former retainers were plotting revenge, Cat would lead him to them." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He'd been disappointed all around.\n\n\"What have you been doing between Kawasaki and here?\"\n\n\"I was in the scuffle at the theater in Kambara, and I joined the fray behind the pilgrims' inn in Mishima.\"\n\n\"You were there?\"\n\n\"You almost broke my nose again.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "In spite of his misery, Nameless smiled shyly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Forgive the impertinence of a humble boy, my lady, but you were magnificent. You were also very difficult to follow.\" He didn't mention that he had blundered into Cat at the mountain pass near Nissaka and had pretended to be a babbling dry-goods clerk.\n\n\"And the Tosa rōnin, what do you make of him?\" Cat despised herself for asking, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to hear everything she could about Hanshiro." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He can drink a great deal, my lady.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The boy grimaced at the memory of trying to match Hanshiro at draining sake jars." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"At first I thought he was one of Kira's hirelings, but he's on your side after all. That's a great stroke of fortune for you. He's an accomplished swordsman.\"\n\n\"Thank you for your help.\" When Cat picked up her bundle the boy tried to take it from her. Cat gently pulled it away. \"Kasane and I will continue to travel alone,\" she said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I can carry your things and protect you from ruffians and make arrangements at the inns. I'll bargain with the river porters and the ferrymen and heat water for your tea at night.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We'll get along by ourselves.\" Cat wished she were as sure of that as she sounded. \"We prefer to travel as we have been.\"\n\nShe was half tempted to accept his offer; but after watching Hanshiro's sure, graceful movements, after looking into his dark, gold-flecked eyes and reading his poetry, she couldn't bear the thought of spending her days in the company of this boy.\n\nShe rationalized that she didn't know anything about the boy except that he was persistent." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She couldn't trust him any more than she could trust the dangerous, taciturn rōnin from Tosa." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Yet how to refuse without wounding his pride?\n\n\"I have an important, personal favor to ask of you,\" Cat said. \"It will require great discretion, cunning, and courage.\"\n\n\"Anything, my lady.\"\n\n\"I want you to take a message to my mother,\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The boy's eager expression faltered. \"Back to Edo?\"" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 6 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Yes. It grieves me to think how worried she must be. But the task is a dangerous one. My enemies will try to intercept you if they find you have word of me. You understand, don't you?\"\n\nCat told the absolute truth, but her face lied artfully. Her face said the letter would contain a message of far greater moment than reassurances to her mother. She let the boy think it would be the final link in a plot to avenge her father.\n\n\"Your wish is my will, my lady.\" The boy wasn't entirely fooled." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Expand the story by adding 5 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"My lady,\" Hanshiro answered, \"if I have offended you that deeply, I shall take my own life and save you the inconvenience.\"\n\nCat was grateful to the night. It hid the tears she couldn't keep back. \"Don't laugh at me.\" She scowled down at him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"No one ever suffered loss because of laughter,\" he said.\n\n\"I saw the towel.\" Cat surreptitiously wiped her eyes on her sleeve as she slid down the rocky hillside. \"I thought you were the bodyguard.\"\n\n\"There was no sense in sullying my own towel when he wouldn't be needing his any longer.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He cut you.\" When Cat came closer she could see the wound that the rōnin's blade had laid open in Hanshiro's cheek.\n\n\"He was very good.\"\n\n\"But you were better, Hanshiro-san.\" Kasane followed Cat down the hillside.\n\n\"My fate was not to leave this burning house today.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "With a slight wave of his hand Hanshiro indicated the world at large, starlit and silent.\n\nThe three of them resumed their journey. Kasane led the way with the lantern. She still looked back over her shoulder, but now she feared that the bodyguard's vengeful spirit would pursue her. Cat trailed at Hanshiro's right elbow, just far enough behind to be considered following, but not far enough to qualify as respectful." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hanshiro's feet moved as though they belonged to someone else." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His head rang and his cheek throbbed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He was ashamed of the elation he had felt at the prospect of a duel. It had been childish of him to relish another's death.\n\nThe outcome of the fight had been uncertain until Hanshiro dodged the downswing that would have sliced his head diagonally like a melon had it connected. Instead it opened the cut that reached from the corner of his left eye to his chin. Almost blinded by his own blood, he had feinted with a flower wheel maneuver and driven his sword into the bodyguard's chest." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He and the bodyguard had crossed swords less than ten times, but their duel had seemed to last a lifetime.\n\n\"Where is he?\" Cat asked.\n\n\"I laid him out by Jizō-san with a note saying the priests would come for him. He had war funds. I'll leave the money at the temple in Yokkaichi.\"\n\nHanshiro hadn't been surprised to find a small bag with coins and a letter inside. No matter how poor a warrior might be, he always carried \"war funds,\" money enough to bury him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The bodyguard's note read, \"If I should die, do not trouble yourself trying to locate my family. I have none. I shall be grateful if my bones are disposed of in the manner customary for a man of no great merit.\"\n\nHanshiro had also found a poem and a cylindrical ivory chop with Kira's seal carved into the end of it, both of which he kept. The bodyguard probably had written the poem in the Clam House before he'd set out after Cat, for Cat was surely the object of his pursuit.\n\nHanshiro planned to leave the poem with the priests to inscribe on the nameless rōnin's funerary tablet.\n\nMy time here is up." }, { "from": "human", "value": "I will challenge Lord Emma" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "To a duel in Hell.\n\n\"Did you leave his swords?\" Cat asked.\n\nHanshiro nodded over his shoulder, indicating that the swords were in the rolled sleeping mat he carried there. \"I'll give them to the priests.\"\n\nHanshiro walked in silence while he phrased the question that had been on his mind." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"My lady,\" he said finally, \"if I am to be of any use to you, I should know as much as possible about the councilor.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat almost retorted that details about her father's councilor were none of his concern." }, { "from": "human", "value": "But she knew he was right." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "If she was going to accept his services, she would have to surrender information, some of it personal.\n\n\"Please allow me time to consider an answer,\" she said.\n\nCat wondered how she could describe Oishi. He had always been a quiet, solid presence in her life, but she knew less about him personally than she did about the lowliest privy cleaner in her mother's mansion. Instructing Cat in the naginata and the warrior's Way had been only a minor function in Oishi's years of service to Lord Asano." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His skill as Asano's adviser was already well known, but Cat was not about to tell this surly stranger about Oishi's other role. For twenty years he had acted as go-between for Lord Asano and his beloved outside-wife, Cat's mother. As the years passed and Lord Asano's legal wife bore no children, Oishi's job became more difficult.\n\nCat would not speak of the occasions Oishi had taken her and her mother to temple festivals or special outings because her father's duties, official and conjugal, kept him away. Oishi, not Lord Asano, had accompanied Cat to the ceremony marking the entry of her name on the temple rolls." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "And more years than not, at the festival of the Weaver Maiden, Oishi was the one who held her up so she could tie brightly colored silk threads and examples of her best calligraphy to the branches of the cherry tree in the garden.\n\nOne of Cat's most vivid childhood memories was the grip of his strong hands on her waist. Of being lifted high into the air as though suddenly weightless as a kite. She remembered being held aloft by that unwavering grip as her small fingers fumbled with the knots tying the threads and the fluttering strips of paper containing her childish poems.\n\nWith a rush of awareness that left a hollow, churning sensation in the pit of her stomach, Cat realized that she felt betrayed as well as abandoned by Oishi." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She had trusted him as she had trusted her father. She had assumed he would always protect her and guide her along the Way. His feet would always follow the honorable path. If, as rumor asserted, he was carousing in the Shimabara while his lord's spirit remained unavenged, then he was making a mockery of everything he had taught her about life and honor.\n\nCat sorted through a lifetime of memories and picked out the two facts most relevant about her sensei." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Oishi Kuranosuke is a master of the Yamaga school of strategy,\" she said. \"He served my father for twenty years.\"\n\n\"Did you receive instruction from him?\"\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\nHanshiro grunted pensively. Actually he didn't need any more information." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He could tell from Cat's bearing and the disarray of her enemies that the man who had taught her was an exceptional fighter and sensei. One day with a great teacher, he thought, is better than a thousand days of study.\n\n\"The councilor has not betrayed you,\" he said.\n\nCat stiffened as though he could read her mind. \"How do you know?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hanshiro stopped and turned to face Cat." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He knew from her long silence that she had traveled into the past." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He knew the journey must have been a sorrowful one.\n\n\"Consider Oishi's actions.\" As Hanshiro stared into her eyes, he thought how easily he could be hypnotized by them. \"Until six months ago he did everything possible to convince the government to reinstate your father's brother. He would not attack Kira for fear of ruining his chances. Since your uncle was sent to Hiroshima, Oishi has been offered employment by several lords, yet he accepted none. I do not know what his plan is, my lady, but I can assure you that he has one.\"\n\n\"Dare I hope that?\" Cat whispered.\n\n\"Yes, my lady.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "They walked through the sleeping town of Yokkaichi and pounded on the shutters of the Nightingale inn." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When the sleepy proprietress showed them to their room, Kasane disappeared behind the screen set up for her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She fell asleep on her hard pallet almost instantly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat, however, sat wide awake and restless. She could not, even at risk of starting inquisitive tongues to wagging, lie down next to Hanshiro. She excused herself on the pretext of \"going somewhere.\"\n\nWhen she didn't return Hanshiro became alarmed. He padded in his stockinged feet down the quiet corridors and woke the ancient servant sleeping on a mat in the vestibule." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He handed him his wooden chit to retrieve his swords from the rack, tipped the old man to let him out, put on his sandals and went in search of her.\n\nHe found her beyond the wind-mauled pines on the beach behind the inn. She was kneeling in the sand near the water's edge. She held her naginata across her thighs. The starlight that tipped the gentle waves of the bay glowed on her head and shoulders." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It outlined her sloping forehead, her high nose, strong chin, and the sensuous curve of her nape." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro studied her as he would an exquisite painting or a statue of Kannon-sama, the lovely goddess of mercy.\n\n\"How I waste away...\" He thought of the old poem. \"I who thought myself so strong, now feeble with love.\"\n\nCat was obviously deep in reflection, but she glanced up at the shadows of the pine grove where Hanshiro thought himself hidden. She too was developing the sight beyond sight, the sense that transcended hearing, touch, and smell." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In her case, the ability had been sharpened by the fact that she was pursued night and day by enemies. And perhaps because Hanshiro's spirit called to hers.\n\nFor more freedom of movement, Cat ignored the cold and pulled her right arm out of her robes, exposing her breast. She tied back her left sleeve with a long cord. She crossed it in the middle of her back and knotted the ends." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She folded her towel diagonally into a strip and tied it around her head. Then she rose in a whisper of russet-colored hakima skirts.\n\nShe stood facing Hanshiro. Her expression was remote, haughty. She held the naginata over her head with the curved blade behind her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The stance was an invitation to join her in performing kata, the warrior's ritualized series of thrusts and cuts, evasions and parries." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hanshiro took off his cloak and pulled his arms out of his sleeves, letting the top half of his robe fall down around his waist." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He drew his long-sword, held it with both hands in front of him, and stepped out of the shadows to share the chilly starlight with her.\n\nThey began with the simplest forms and increased the pace slightly with each succeeding set of motions. Cat knew that Hanshiro wasn't expending himself fully, but she was keeping him on the defensive a respectable part of the time. She closed in with small, fast steps, spinning the naginata in its powerful, deadly circles as she came. Hanshiro parried and leapt and barely avoided a slash to his shins." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat moved a fraction too slowly in the follow-through, and Hanshiro's sword swooped down in a blur." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It stopped with the blade resting on the nexus of Cat's neck and shoulder." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She neither flinched nor changed the imperious look in her dark eyes." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In the next form she used her front hand as a fulcrum and pivoted the blade upward, forcing Hanshiro to release his right hand from his sword to keep his forearm from being severed. Cat whirled again. She stamped for momentum, and the blade flashed through an overhand arc and came to rest against his inner thigh.\n\nThey advanced and retreated and circled, Cat hissing now and then with the effort and the concentration. Their movements were reciprocal and restrained and palpable with danger. The slightest error in reflex or judgment would have killed or maimed one or the other of them." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As they fell into the rhythm of the kata, their dance became an affirmation of trust that went far beyond the words of an oath, even one written in blood." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Surrounded by the aura of eternal present, they moved to the pulse of life and death and rebirth." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They were invulnerable. Time slowed for them until each could clearly see, even in midstroke, the temper marks on the other's blade.\n\nWhen they finished they were panting from the exertion. Hanshiro sheathed his sword, and Cat held her naginata off to one side. They stood so close that Hanshiro could feel Cat's breath stirring the dark hairs on his bare chest. She looked up into the shadows and lights of his face, ravaged in defense of her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She could hear his harsh breathing over the sigh of the spent waves brushing the sand nearby." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Nothing held Cat there except Hanshiro's tiger's eyes and the sea mist that wound around the two of them.\n\nHanshiro lightly touched her mouth with the tips of his fingers. He cradled her pale face in his scarred hands, leaned down, and gently brushed her temples with his lips. Cat trembled under his touch. A plover cried mournfully from the river shoals." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The bridge, my lady,\" Hanshiro murmured.\n\nCat walked with him to the massive stone pylon supporting the arch of the wooden bridge nearby. Hanshiro spread his cloak on the sand. The air was cold, but that wasn't why Cat trembled.\n\n\"'For her straw mat bedding... ' \" As he recited the ancient poem, Hanshiro untied the cords of Cat's hakama so that it fell around her feet." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Add eight sentences to continue story" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat and Hanshiro and Kasane stopped only to visit the wayside privies, change hostlers in Ishiyakushi and Kameyama, and buy food to eat as they rode." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "High in her rocking pannier, Kasane read her new manual of love.\n\nCat and Hanshiro rode in silence. They had no need for words. They were experiencing yoin, resonance. Pulses from their lovemaking still reverberated through them like the aftertones of a temple bell. A glance, a sigh, a wisp of a smile, began the sweet throbbing again.\n\nA cold rain began to fall after they passed the government checkpoint in Seki early in the afternoon. The postboy put on his straw raincoat and hat." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kasane made a tent of her oiled-paper cloak and a straw mat and went on reading under it. She had progressed to the \"Instruments\" section, and only a typhoon could have distracted her. Cat and Hanshiro rode with their thighs touching so they could share Hanshiro's big red umbrella.\n\nThe road wound upward into steep green mountains. At Sakanoshita they had to turn in the horses and proceed on foot. Beyond there, an avalanche had covered a section of the Tōkaidō, and travelers had to take a detour. The new route included a bridge suspended over the deepest gorge. It was a swaying, precarious affair of bamboo poles and hawsers." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Horses could not cross it.\n\nWhile Hanshiro returned the mounts, Kasane read under the wide eaves of Sakanoshita's transport office. She had come to the part of the manual that described types of vaginas. She was wondering if hers was one of those \"moist and snug and lined with bumps like herring roe.\"\n\nWhen Hanshiro returned she reluctantly wrapped the book in paper treated with persimmon juice. She put the package in a bag and looped the long cord around her neck. Then she stuck the bag and its contents into her jacket. She shouldered the carrying pole and travel box and set out behind Hanshiro and Cat." }, { "from": "human", "value": "By midafternoon they were well into the highest of the mountains, the upper fringes of the wild Kinki region to the south." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Far below, muddy rivers, pale as liquid plaster, filled the sharp clefts of the gorges. Mist from them snaked among the trees and undergrowth. Silver waterfalls plunged into the layers of mist, only to reappear farther down the slopes. Hanshiro took the travel box to ease Kasane's burden.\n\nBy the time they were nearing Suzuka Pass, the day was as dark as late twilight and the rain was still falling. The gloominess was heightened by the overhanging cedars. The road went from precipitous to perilous. Torrents of water and slick gray mud cascaded down the slope." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "At a narrow defile Kasane strayed too near the edge of the road, and the saturated ground gave way under her feet. She screamed and plummeted straight down.\n\n\"Kasane!\" Cat flung herself onto her stomach at the rim of the gaping hole. \"Kasane!\" She was oblivious to the water rushing past her and into the funnel formed by the cave-in. Kasane clawed at the rocky slope as she slid down it. Cat could see the terror on her receding face. She came to a stop with a jolt, her feet hitting a small outcropping of rock. She grabbed the stem of a stunted bush and barely saved herself from falling over backward and onto the boulders in the river below." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her face looked small and pale and indistinct in the mist.\n\nHanshiro always carried a hempen rope. In his profession ropes and the tying of specialized knots often came in handy. But when he threw one end to Kasane, it fell far short. He retrieved it and knotted both his and Cat's sashes and then their loincloths. It still dangled just above Kasane's outstretched hand. She tried to scramble to it and almost fell again.\n\nCat and Hanshiro looked around for another traveler who might have a rope." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The road was empty, the rain relentless.\n\nHanshiro was in a quandary. He could reach Kasane if he were lowered down, but Cat couldn't pull both of them back up.\n\n\"I'll go.\" Cat tried to take the rope from Hanshiro's hand, but he held it tightly. She stared up at him as the rain pelted her face. \"If she dies while we argue\"—she had to shout to be heard over the roar of a sudden gust of wind—\"I shall throw myself after her.\"\n\nHanshiro had no doubt she meant it. Cat could see the flash of despair in his eyes." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Sleeve touches sleeve,\" she said. She did not have to finish the saying: Because it was fated in a former life. If they were meant to be together, nothing would part them.\n\nHanshiro tied the rope around her chest above her breasts and under her arms. He tugged on it to check the knot. \"Wrap it around your arm and hold it like this.\" He pulled on it again to test her grip, then he helped her coil the trailing end. \"I'll hold your ankles.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Even if fate meant for them to be together, he couldn't bear to test it by lowering her over a cliff on the end of a rope." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He had to keep her in his grasp. He lay on his stomach and gripped her ankles as she inched over the precipice. She braced herself with her elbows to keep from scraping her face on the rocks. Gravel and larger stones hit her on their way to the bottom of the gorge. The water rushing over the edge flowed into her eyes, making it impossible to see. Perhaps that was just as well.\n\nEven with Hanshiro's fingers digging painfully hard into her ankles, she felt as though she were falling already. She concentrated on Kasane and not on the dizziness that swept over her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She didn't see the young man, hidden under a sodden straw hood and cape, who kneeled to help Hanshiro. Hanshiro saw that the man was Traveler, but he was too preoccupied to acknowledge it.\n\n\"Drop the rope directly beneath you,\" Hanshiro called.\n\n\"I have it,\" Kasane shouted. She tied it around one wrist and held on with the other.\n\nCat braced the rope against the palm of her hand as Hanshiro and Traveler began pulling her back. Even though Kasame tried to help, pushing off with her feet where she could, her weight made Cat's arms feel as though they were being wrenched from the sockets. The rough hemp and the rocks of the slope bloodied her hands." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As soon as they had Cat safely back on the road, Hanshiro and Traveler grabbed the rope and heaved while Cat tried to wipe the mud and water from her eyes." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When Kasane was close to the edge, her young suitor backed away and trotted off without waiting for thanks or recognition." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He was too embarrassed about missing his meeting with her that morning to face her now." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat and Hanshiro each took one of Kasane's hands and hauled her up. Hanshiro didn't know how things stood between Kasane and Traveler and decided not to mention him. Panting and laughing, he and Cat and Kasane sat in the mud and the rain. Then, on trembling legs, they walked the half a ri to the dank hamlet of Tsuchiyama and stopped to warm themselves at the thatched hovel that served as its only tea house. Kasane's blue fingers shook as she sipped the hot cup of pale mushroom tea and watched the rain pour off the eaves.\n\nCat wiggled her bare toes, tingling with cold, even after the maid had washed them in scalding water. The owner of the tea house claimed to have a room where they could sleep, but Cat could see it would be tiny and roach-infested. \"We can spend the night here.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Please don't stop on my account, young master.\" Kasane had long since made Cat's mission her own. \"I can walk all night.\"\n\n\"Just don't try to fly again, Hachibei.\" Hanshiro grinned at Kasane through the steam rising from his teacup. \"The rest of us can't keep up with you.\"\n\n\"Yes, master.\" Kasane smiled shyly into her own cup. She had to agree with the old saying." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Truly, one day in this world was more pleasurable than a thousand in the next." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Minakuchi's night market was noisy and reckless as a country fair." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Groups of town lads strolled among the booths." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They flirted with the young peasant women selling produce and loudly discussed the best ways to win favor with courtesans." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A gang of them brushed by Cat, who had stopped to look over the display of dildos." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The itinerant peddler was the same one she had seen in the yard of Yokkaichi's transport office. Now he had turned his big wooden traveling case into a makeshift kiosk by spreading a square of black silk over the top of it. He had arranged his wood and lacquered papier-mâché phalluses on the cloth.\n\n\"Something for your wife, governor?\" The man caught Cat's eye. \"I have a wide assortment of finely crafted instruments to console her when business compels you to be absent from her bed.\"\n\n\"Fate has not plagued me with a wife.\" Cat had paused here to see if the man following her would pass on by." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He didn't. Instead, he pretended to inspect the bunches of straw horseshoes, hanging like shaggy fruit from the pole of a vendor nearby.\n\nHe had been behaving suspiciously. He wore a towel tied to cover most of his face, and he kept his head down except for furtive glances at her.\n\nHanshiro had wandered off mysteriously, and Cat suspected he was looking for a present for her. She considered setting out to find him. Hanshiro's strength and skill tempted her to let him do everything for her. But this, she decided, was something she could do for herself.\n\nThe man seemed to be alone and inept at knavery." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He was probably some small-time hireling who hadn't read or heard of Hanshiro's letter, signed with Kira's crest, countermanding the order for Cat's capture." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 9 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His hands were empty. His only likely weapon would be a knife or truncheon hidden in his sleeve or legging or jacket.\n\nFrom the corner of her eye Cat watched him sneak up on her. When he reached out to grab her sleeve, she picked up the biggest dildo from those on display. She had been hefting them on the pretext of shopping, and she knew this one was of dense, hard ebony.\n\nCat whirled with it and hit the man just above his ear. His eyes flew open in surprise, then closed as he pitched forward. Cat knelt and pulled back the towel covering his face.\n\n\"Traveler!\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Job: User writes start, you add ~five sentences sentences. Style: Lucia St. Clair" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Even before Cat and Hanshiro, Kasane and Traveler, reached Kusatsu they knew Kyōto wasn't far beyond." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Buildings had shallower eaves and less steeply pitched roofs. Porters and kago bearers were more polite and better dressed. People spoke in the more cultured accents of the west, and westbound travelers had a gay air of anticipation about them.\n\nKasane had left her rented finery behind. She was again dressed as a samurai's box bearer." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her lover walked with her behind Cat and Hanshiro and helped her with the load." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Dressing in men's clothing was all the rage with the women of Edo, and Traveler thought Kasane's costume stylish and brash and irresistibly appealing." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She wore her stiff new cedar-colored robe tucked up in back, showing tight trousers underneath." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her narrow sash was tied low on her hips, and the thick tassel of her hair stood out jauntily from the crown of her head." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Traveler himself still wore the clothes he had bought as a disguise." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He had sewed Kasane's letters into the lining of the jacket so that they might warm his body as well as his spirit.\n\nAs Kasane invented her work of fiction, she had to speak loudly enough for Cat to hear, so she would know the details should they come up later. But whenever other travelers passed she fell silent, as though her story were a shameful family secret. Her tale had entertained Cat and Hanshiro and fascinated Traveler all the way from Minakuchi to Kusatsu.\n\nKasane had no intention of trusting her lover with a true account of her mistress's quest." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lovers were the pleasantest of indulgences, but they could hardly expect the loyalty one owed one's lord or lady." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Besides, the real story of how she and Lady Asano came to be companions included Kasane's being kidnapped and pandered as a harlot. It involved forgery, theft, murder, and the fact that Kasane was betrothed to a man from Traveler's own village.\n\nCat was amused and impressed with Kasane's creativity. Her tale went back several generations and meandered down numerous side paths. She suspected that Kasane had recycled the histories of the more prominent families of her village." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She also had thrown in elements from the kabuki plays of Shichisaburo's troupe.\n\nTraveler listened with a dazed expression. The occasional twitch of a smile at the corners of his mouth had nothing to do with the story he was hearing. He was a sensible lad, but the calm waters of his intellect had been considerably muddied by the erotic adventures of the previous night. Kasane could have told him anything, and he would have believed it." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kasane had finally arrived at the more immediate past. \"As you know, for one general to succeed, the bones of ten thousand men must lie bleaching under heaven. And so the wars and intrigues of long ago reduced our family to poverty.\" Kasane's sigh was so poignant, Cat was impressed. Besides combat and acting, poetry and love, what other talents did she harbor?\n\n\"Our father was a poor but honest rōnin who fished to eke out the meager harvest from his stony fields.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kasane thought of her parents, caught in the net of poverty. She thought of them working in their rock-strewn field by day, then fishing all night. The tear that slid over her lower eyelid and down her cheek was not feigned. \"His boyhood friend, who was also a samurai and the son of the magistrate, developed a passion for our mother.\"\n\nAt a gesture from Hanshiro, Kasane stopped to buy some of Kusatsu's famous rice cakes." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She shared them with her companions, then went on with her story." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"One evening, while Father was away, his friend drank too much. He tried to seduce Mother as she walked home from the well. She struggled and protested, but besotted with wine and passion, he forced himself on her.\"\n\n\"The beast!\" Since Traveler still only knew Kasane by her alias, Hachibei, he kept his own name to himself and listened. He didn't mention that the bride his parents had chosen for him was from his beloved's own village. The coincidence was unsettling, and Traveler didn't know how to proceed.\n\n\"She hid her shame from us, but when Father came home he found her torn and muddy clothes. Sobbing, she confessed. Father went looking for his friend. They quarreled, and the man Father loved as a brother killed him, then fled. Mother shaved her head; but before she withdrew into a life of contemplation, younger brother and I made her a most solemn vow. We are pledged to find the villain and take revenge.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Is that so?\" Traveler was intrigued and perplexed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The marriage broker had said nothing of rape and murder in his fiancée's village." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Maybe she had feared it would interfere with negotiations and she wouldn't be able to collect her fee." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I must warn you.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kasane lowered her voice. \"The murderer's father is influential. He has hired men to stop us, which is why we travel in disguise. Our situation is as uncertain as a candle's light before the wind. Hanshiro-san took pity on us and agreed to help. But he is trained in the warrior's arts. You would be held blameless if you decided to continue your pious journey to the shrine of the Sun Goddess.\"\n\n\"The flow of water and the destiny of human beings are uncertain,\" Traveler said. \"No matter if it rains fire or spears, I'm coming with you.\"\n\nKasane bowed, making of it a remarkably subtle gesture of gratitude, pleasure, and promise." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Somewhere along the road, she had mastered more wiles than the ones Cat had taught her. Her grace entranced Traveler. The secret he harbored stirred restlessly in him, like a meal of bad fish. As he walked he tried to think of words to explain his situation to her.\n\nAfter Kusatsu the Tōkaidō climbed into the mountains again." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Even though it was midday and the sun was shining, the four passed into the stillness of trees, into the sharply fragrant twilight trapped beneath the dense canopy of cryptomeria and pine." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kasane slowed her pace so she and Traveler could walk farther behind and not be overheard. Their voices formed a murmuring background for Cat's and Hanshiro's silence.\n\nOishi had tried to teach Cat to live with all her strength of will in the present moment. So she tried not to think of the past, not even of the night she had just spent with Hanshiro. She tried not to worry about the future and what she would accomplish in Kyōto." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kasane's anguished wail startled her from the ringing stillness of no-thought. She turned and saw abject despair in Kasane's eyes. Traveler looked thoroughly miserable.\n\n\"What is it, elder sister?\"\n\n\"The diviner was right,\" Kasane said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He's promised to another.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro decided this was a good time to stop for tea and a very small helping of truth. He steered them all to a bench outside an open-air tea stall. Arms akimbo, he stood facing Kasane and her lover, who sat on the edge of the bench, their legs dangling.\n\n\"Remember that 'sleeve touches sleeve because it is predestined,' \" Hanshiro said. \"The two of you are together because you're fated to be.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He rubbed his chin as he considered the improbabilities of their situation. He didn't believe in coincidence. He turned to Traveler. \"What's your name, and to whom are you promised?\"\n\n\"Shintarō.\" Shintarō was embarrassed to discover that he couldn't remember his future wife's name." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I'm supposed to wed the daughter of Saburō of Pine village before the spring planting.\"\n\nKasane turned so pale, Cat feared she would faint. She put a hand on Kasane's arm to steady her.\n\n\"I'm the daughter of Saburō,\" Kasane said. \"My name is Kasane. I'm betrothed to Shintarō of Shadow Pond.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Shintarō's mouth dropped open, and his face turned bright red." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I'm such a fool.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He bowed into his fists and knocked his forehead against them. \"My callous disregard for your tragic situation is unforgivable. You and your brother must think me a heartless wretch.\"\n\n\"There's no reason for you to be anxious about it.\" Cat answered for Kasane, who sat speechless as joy and alarm scuffled in her eyes. \"You didn't know our story.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A waitress arrived with tea, and everyone drank in silence. Hanshiro and Cat were trying to calculate just how much this new turn of events would complicate their quest. Kasane was reviewing the complexity of lies she had just told to see if Shintarō's revelation would affect it. Shintarō simply was stunned by the idea that he was in love with the woman he was to marry.\n\nCat drank her tea quickly and stood." }, { "from": "human", "value": "In spite of all the admonishments of her mother, her father, her nurse, and Oishi, impatience was still her biggest fault." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Shall we go?\" She shouldered her sheathed naginata and waited while Kasane paid the bill." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Then she set a fast pace into Otsu, the last post station before Kyōto.\n\nOtsu was a cheerful, bustling place. Its shops and inns clung so closely to the shore of Lake Biwa that the masts of the fishing smacks, the pleasure boats, and the ferries beached there seemed to sprout from thatched roofs. Caricatures of imps in priests' robes grinned down from the shops' curtains and banners.\n\nThe demon priest carried an umbrella on his back, a wooden staff in his right hand, and a temple subscription list in his left." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A bowl-shaped bell dangled on his chest. The paintings were bold and primitive and droll, and Otsu was famous for them.\n\nKasane and Shintarō stopped to buy food for the night while Hanshiro and Cat climbed the long flight of stone steps to Midera temple. Over the centuries the steps had settled until they tilted at different angles. The feet of countless worshipers had worn down broad concavities in them." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Dark green moss grew where feet didn't disturb it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The trees along the route had sent roots into the cracks and corners of the steps." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The roots had grown gnarled and twisted until they seemed fused with the stone.\n\nOn a hill high above Lake Biwa, Cat and Hanshiro left their own calligraphy brushes in the earthenware container full of those left by worshipers. Now that the brushes had shared the secrets of their hearts, they could hardly be used for anything else. The priests would burn them along with the others, out of respect for the services they had performed.\n\nThe wind billowed Cat's and Hanshiro's jackets and hakama as they stood on a promontory overlooking the calm blue waters far below." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The boats bobbing there looked like toys in a tub.\n\n\"Hard to imagine a storm.\" Cat thought of the legend of the woman who had fallen in love with a monk. He had told her that if she rowed in a washtub across Lake Biwa seven nights in a row, he would give in to her desires.\n\nHanshiro knew what Cat was thinking." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The woman in the old tale had almost succeeded. But on the seventh night a violent storm had risen suddenly and drowned her. People living around the lake claimed that on the anniversary of her death a storm always raged there. Hanshiro knew Cat feared she too might die before she achieved her goal.\n\n\"Heaven's net is wide and coarse,\" he said gently." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"But it catches everything eventually. Kira will be punished.\"" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 1 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I fear,\" Cat said, \"that I'm trying to catch the moon in the water.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Ive got a bit of writers block, im gonna send you something then keep it going 8 sentences at a time, also im going for a Lucia St. Clair sorta thing." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When Cat and Hanshiro arrived at the government barrier in Shinagawa, Viper and Cold Rice were jogging in place. Viper held the palanquin door balanced on his head. They were both shouting, \"Go on! Go on!\" in rhythm with their feet, as though they were carrying the whole conveyance.\n\nThe sun had set long before, and underlings had lit the lanterns. They had slid the big shutters partway across the open front of the building and stood ready to close the narrow opening they had left. Inside, wrapped in a cocoon of lantern light and secure in the prerogatives of government service, clerks were finishing the day's paperwork. They sat on the tatami and leaned over their low desks, their brushes flying." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Rolls of paper lay piled up around them." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat could tell that the barrier official's impassive expression was only masking his exasperation, but he let the small procession pass with little trouble. The travel papers Lord Hino had supplied were all in order. Cat's pass gave her mother's family name of Suzuki. Besides, a highborn woman entering Edo didn't require the scrutiny of one leaving.\n\nHanshiro knew that the guards and clerks and the officials themselves assumed Cat was Lord Hino's consort, his woman of the provinces. The silent affront set him to seething with a fury that surprised him, but he matched their polite hisses and bows.\n\nOn the other side of the barrier, Hanshiro dismissed the two criers, the box bearer, and the men carrying his palanquin. He arranged for the officials to have it returned to Lord Hino." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Viper and Cold Rice insisted they could carry Cat's palanquin themselves, and the extra men were paid off, too." }, { "from": "human", "value": "From here Hanshiro would trot along behind and act the part of a servant, carrying the clothing box on its pole across his shoulder." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He looked as stalwart as always, but the long, rough ride had made him ill. He ached in every joint. The exercise and the cold air would do him good.\n\nCat directed Viper and Cold Rice to turn off at Sengakuji, Spring Hill Temple. Whatever happened, she couldn't pass by her father's grave without honoring him, especially now, on the eve of the monthly anniversary of his death. Viper and Cold Rice passed through the big, ornate wooden gate, turned left, and set down the palanquin among the gravestones in the grove of trees.\n\nHanshiro helped Cat out into snow that came above her ankles. In the moonlight, her white robes seemed to be part of the soft white landscape around her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "To Hanshiro she looked like the mythical Lady of the Snows, who would fade into mist in a man's arms.\n\nCat turned to Viper and Cold Rice, who had folded into tight obeisances in the snow. Only the ragged patchwork humps of their jackets and the cheerful sparrows on their blue head towels were visible.\n\n\"I thank you both for your great efforts on my behalf. Amida will bless you,\" Cat said. \"And please, Boss Viper, give my greetings to your honorable wife.\" She shivered and pulled her cloak about her. \"We'll continue on foot, so you can leave the palanquin. Hanshiro-san will arrange with the priests here for its return to Hino-sama.\"\n\n\"Your Ladyship...\" Viper looked up at her from the snow." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"We're ready to carry you to your final destination. And we might be of some further, though humble, use to you.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"That wouldn't be prudent. And please stand up before your hands freeze.\"\n\n\"At least let us take you to Nihon Bridge,\" Viper persisted doggedly. \"You can travel faster with us carrying you.\"\n\n\"Lord Hino's palanquin would draw attention to us.\" Cat was used to Viper's impertinent habit of arguing with his superiors, but Hanshiro marveled at her patience with him. Someday, if they survived the night, he would ask her about it.\n\n\"How's this for a bargain, my lady?\" Viper adopted his favorite expression, somewhere between cunning and irony." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"If, when you finish here, Cold Rice and I are waiting with a kago, a nondescript, lowly, and completely unworthy affair, would you honor us by riding in it?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat had to smile to herself. Viper and Kasane were chiseled from the same rough-hewn, cross-grained stuff. \"We're not sure where we'll go from here, but perhaps we'll have need of your services, if you can find a kago in such a short time.\"\n\nIn fact, Cat didn't know where to look for Oishi and the Akō men. She planned to begin at the inn where Oishi and his son had stayed near the Nihon Bridge. It was the same one that received the red-haired barbarians on their annual visits to Edo.\n\nIf he wasn't there, she would go to the drapers' district and ask for the shop of Otaka Gengo, the Akō retainer who took lessons from Kira's tea master. Then she would try to find the shop of Kanzaki Yogoro, who had posed as a rich Kyōto rice merchant and had gained access to Kira's mansion." }, { "from": "human", "value": "There were thousands of rice shops scattered throughout Edo, though, and finding Yogoro's would be difficult." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The thought of knocking at shuttered doors in deserted streets and finding no one there filled Cat with despair.\n\nWhen Viper and Cold Rice trotted off into the darkening night, Cat leaned against Hanshiro. She drew comfort from his warmth and solidity. He put an arm around her shoulder and held her close to shelter her from the cold. Then he prayed with her at the statue of Kannon-sama, the smiling goddess of mercy.\n\nSnow had been falling in Edo for three days, and a thick covering of it lay over everything on the temple grounds. The full moon had risen. The snow mounded on the gravestones and statues and tall granite lanterns glowed in its light." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Long black shadows flowed away from the buildings and monuments and trees." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The full moon hung low in the eastern sky like the tip of a fat, badger-hair brush dipped in light. Cat's exhaustion made her weak and dizzy, and she succumbed to the moon's spell. As she stared, it pulsed and shimmered, growing and receding. No wonder the peasants believed that to gaze on the moon in solitude was to risk enchantment. Cat had to shake her head to break its hold.\n\n\"Everything looks different from the last time I was here.\" Cat thought back to the morning she had awakened in the chapel to Kannon-sama so very long ago. She remembered how ignorant and foolish she had been." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"It seems so peaceful. As though there could be no sorrow in all the world.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"'The troubled waters are frozen fast under clear heaven,' \" Hanshiro recited.\n\n\"'Moonlight and shadow ebb and flow.' \" Cat finished Lady Murasaki's poem.\n\nThey walked to Lord Asano's grave. Fresh incense was still burning there as Cat unwrapped the food and joss sticks she had bought as an offering. She lit the incense in the coals that burned for that purpose. Hanshiro took out the scarf, still wrapped around the coil of Cat's hair.\n\nHe laid it on the grave as his own offering. Then he and Cat bowed their heads and prayed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A pale moon shadow fell across the grave, and Hanshiro leaped back, his hand on his sword hilt.\n\n\"My lady.\" The plump-faced man on the other side of the grave had slightly bulging eyes and a mild expression. He folded his hands together and bowed. Several gray-headed men, all in formal black clothes, stood behind him like a gathering of sages.\n\n\"Good evening, sensei.\" Cat bowed low. \"Are you in good health?\"\n\n\"Yes, hime, princess. And you?\"\n\n\"I am well.\" Cat turned to Hanshiro." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"This is the councilor, Oishi Kuranosuke,\" she said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As the abbot ended the purification ceremony in a rear reception chamber of the monks' quarters, Hanshiro sat silent in the corner with Cat. He had never been in a room so suffused with warrior spirit. These were the old men, the leaders, the planners of the vengeance league.\n\nOne was seventy-seven. Five were in their sixties and four in their fifties. Except for his sixteen-year-old son Chikara, Oishi, at forty-five, was the youngest of the Akō retainers there.\n\nSeveral of the temple's acolytes served tea and tobacco. Then, when the abbot withdrew to let the men discuss their plans, Oishi turned to Cat. She still wore the nun's clothes, and the white scarf framed her oval face." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She was even more beautiful than Oishi remembered her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His large, sad eyes sparkled with tears in the lantern light. He had heard that the young Lady Asano had been killed somewhere along the Tōkaidō Road. It had been one more care added to the terrible burden he had carried for two years.\n\n\"Hime, we've been worried about you.\" He used the affectionate term from Cat's childhood. \"It eases our hearts to see you safe and in the shade of such a strong tree as Hanshiro of Tosa.\"\n\nHanshiro caught the brief glance Oishi gave him. It was a request to continue looking after Lady Asano no Kinume." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro nodded slightly, in acceptance of the charge.\n\nThe sight of her father's oldest and most trusted retainers almost made Cat forget the tragedy that brought them here. The occasion seemed like a reunion of loved ones after a long separation.\n\nBut she knew that soon all these men would be dead. Chikara, with whom she had hunted fireflies and explored the rocks and beaches of Akō, would be dead. Oishi would be dead. Surely a heart was too small a vessel to contain so much grief.\n\n\"How many men are in the league?\" she asked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Forty-seven.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Forty-seven,\" Cat murmured. Lord Hino had said there were sixty." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Could forty-seven men overcome the small army living in barracks on the grounds of Kira's mansion?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"A number of them fell away.\" Onodera Jūnai, Oishi's sixty-one-year-old chief of staff, spoke up. \"People nowadays have lost the perseverance of their ancestors.\"\n\n\"One cannot weigh honor on a merchant's scale,\" added Yoshida Chūzayemon. \"And so it has been discarded as worthless.\"\n\n\"How will you manage it, with so few?\"\n\n\"It's best, mistress, that you know as little as possible about the plan,\" Oishi said.\n\n\"I have a right to know.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Oishi smiled. That was true." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She was her father's daughter in spirit as well as in beauty. Oishi had heard of the troubles Kira's men had experienced on the Tōkaidō. He could easily believe she and her companion from Tosa had taken such a toll on their enemies.\n\nBesides, he recognized the look on her face. He had seen her narrow those swallow's eyes, flare her nostrils, and set her jaw since before she had been old enough to speak the word no. He gave in gracefully.\n\n\"Dressed as tradesmen and laborers and priests, the young men have been mapping the area around Kira's mansion on Matsuzaka Street, Honjō-chōnai, Honjō ward. Tonight we will all meet at the hour of the Ox at Yogoro's rice shop north of the Ryōgoku Bridge. It's close to the mansion.\" Oishi paused to light his pipe and take a puff." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He was terribly weary, but he knew the end was near now." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I'll take half the men to the front gate. Chikara, with Jūnai and Chūza, will lead the rest around behind the mansion. While Kira's men try to stop the tiger at the front gate, the wolf will enter at the rear.\"\n\nChikara nodded politely. To Cat he looked hardly older than when she last had seen him, a laughing, naked boy of nine wading in the surf at Akō.\n\n\"The young men will enter and fight,\" Oishi said. \"A few of them will rush the armory and cut the bowstrings and break the spear shafts. Hara, Mase, and I, we old ones, will guard the gate, to cut off the enemy's retreat and repel reinforcements.\"\n\n\"Lord Uesugi's bowmen?\"\n\n\"Yes. Lord Uesugi has loaned his father some of them. We think the rest are quartered at Uesugi's villa in Azabu, all the way across the city. Unless we can find Kira quickly, we expect them to come to his aid as soon as they hear of the attack.\"\n\n\"If we fail to find him, mistress,\" Jūnai said, \"we will set fire to the house and commit seppuku.\"\n\n\"Sensei...\" Cat began." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Oishi raised a few fingers in a gesture of restraint, and Cat fell silent.\n\nHe knew that she had been about to ask to go with them. The silence in the room became strained. Hanshiro understood it. He knew he had no place here. Even Lady Asano, for all her determination and skill and noble blood, had no part in this.\n\nFor almost two years these men had lived only for this night. They had abandoned their families and destroyed their good names. They were risking the ignominious death of criminals and perhaps subjecting their families to the same fate." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They had given up everything to keep faith with their honor." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In the process, they had become a unit with a single mind and arm and purpose. They could admit no one else.\n\nOishi lifted his right leg from under him and by dropping it forward, shifting his weight, lifting the other, and pivoting, he moved along the mat. In his full black hakama he seemed to glide across the floor until, almost knee to knee with Cat, he put his legs under him and settled back on his ankles.\n\n\"Whether we find our enemy tonight or not,\" he said gently, \"all who embark on this will die as a result of it.\"\n\n\"I'm not afraid to die, sensei.\"\n\n\"I would expect no less of you, my lady. But true courage is in living when it is time to live and dying when it is time to die. In your veins alone flows the blood of your father. If you die before bearing an heir, your father truly dies. While you live, his spirit lives. Future generations depend on you.\" Oishi paused to give Cat time to think about his words." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"For me there will be no moment like this one, sensei.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat's grief threatened to overwhelm her, so she retreated behind the barrier of decorum. \"None of us can hope to live forever,\" she said. \"But your names and your devotion will live in the hearts of those to come.\" She bowed low. \"On behalf of my mother I thank you. I will pray for your success.\"\n\n\"We are grateful, my lady, that Amida of Immeasurable Light has spared us to see this night. And to see you before we follow our liege on the dark path.\" Almost as though he were talking to himself, Oishi quoted Li Po. \" 'Heaven and earth,' the poets say, 'are but a roadside inn for Time, a traveler on a journey through the ages, and our fleeting lives are but phantoms in Time's dreams.'\"\n\nOishi was silent for a moment, and when he spoke again his voice for the first time betrayed his weariness. \"Please, hime, when you see your mother, tell her I deeply regret the sorrow my actions must have caused her. Tell her she has always been in my thoughts.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I will, sensei.\" Cat knew the time had come for her to go.\n\nHanshiro held a brief, whispered conference with Oishi, then he and Cat left the room. As they walked down the quiet corridor, the voices of the men faded behind them. As though but phantoms in Time's dream, Cat thought.\n\nShe and Hanshiro tied on their sandals at the stone stoop of the veranda and walked out into the night. The temple bell tolled five times, marking the hour of the Dog. They had three long hours until the watch of the Tiger and the raid on Kira's mansion.\n\n\"What did sensei say to you?\" Cat asked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I volunteered to perform a service.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat was about to ask what service when she saw Viper and his partner. They were standing next to a battered open wickerwork kago, and though they were suitably solemn, the expression in their eyes was triumphant.\n\nSuddenly Cat was exhausted. The temple bell had stopped ringing, but the sound continued to reverberate in her skull. The strain of speaking with her father's men for the last time had used up the strength that had brought her through the long ordeal of the trip. When Hanshiro helped her into the basket, he was alarmed at how cold her hands were. She settled back against the worn cushions and closed her eyes. Viper draped a ragged quilt over the kago to keep out the worst of the wind." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"The Circle Inn.\" Hanshiro's voice seemed far away to her. \"Honjō-chōnai, Honjō ward.\"" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 1 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat imagined she was a snowflake, whirling on a high wind before gently dissolving into nothingness." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Add 5 sentences to continue story" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As in all of Edo, gates shut off most of Honjō's narrow side streets. The gatekeepers slept inside the small gate houses. Those of the main street, a thoroughfare that ran north from the Ryōgoku Bridge, were open to facilitate movement in case of fire. Hanshiro and Cat strode down the center of it. A light snow earlier in the evening had covered the layer dirtied by the day's traffic." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It silenced the tread of their sandals, but they made no special effort to be quiet.\n\nThey had no need to skulk. They were going about their duties as part of Honjō's latest innovation, a merchants' fire brigade. Of course, paired swords, a naginata, a seven-foot bow, and a quiver full of arrows weren't standard fire-fighting equipment, but Chubei had assured Hanshiro that no one would interfere with him and Lady Asano.\n\nThey entered Honjō's commercial district." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The streets were lined with the dark wooden shutters of shops and tenements." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hanshiro led the way past fire buckets stacked against a large house." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Like the others here, the house fronted directly on the roadway. The ladder to the fire watch's rooftop lookout leaned against the first-floor overhang.\n\nCat started up it. She climbed past the first-and second-story eaves to the small platform built above the roof peak. This was Chubei's house." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Between it and the open workshop behind it was a small garden, exquisitely designed and ethereally beautiful in the moonlight. Cat was astonished to find it attached to a carpenter's house.\n\nEdo was built on low land that was fairly level. For as far as Cat could see stretched the jumble of snow-covered roofs, none more than two stories high. Except for a distant five-storied pagoda, only rooftop drying racks and spindly fire towers rose above the undulating expanse of white." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When Cat turned around, her naginata hit the bronze bell hanging from the center of the platform's roof." }, { "from": "human", "value": "In the stillness it set up a metallic rumble that seemed loud enough to wake the whole district or at least the household sleeping below her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I'm sorry,\" she whispered as Hanshiro's head appeared." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her breath formed a cloud in the cold air, and she shivered.\n\n\"Don't worry,\" Hanshiro said. \"It could hardly be heard from below.\"\n\nThe full moon seemed inordinately large and almost close enough to touch. It was beginning to descend in the southern sky, but it lit everything with a silvery clarity." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The snow reflected and intensified the light. From the platform, Cat and Hanshiro could see the Sumida River and the Ryōgoku Bridge to the west.\n\nTo the north and east were the mansions of the lords. Their walled compounds of gardens and outbuildings, servants' quarters, family shrines, and rambling mansions were scattered among the pines. In Edo's crowded center near the walls of the shōgun's castle, the lords' \"upper\" mansions were set one against each other." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "That was why so many of the government's retired officials had chosen to build their \"middle\" mansions here.\n\nThe middle mansions were where the lords' families lived and where they had room to quarter their retainers in barracks along the inner side of the wall facing the street. Kira's middle mansion only had two small rooms next to the armory near the gate. His guards were crowded into them.\n\n\"Which is Kira's?\" Cat asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro pointed with his fan. \"Where the branches of the pine hang over the wall.\"\n\nCat found the gate of Kira's compound. She studied the barracks roofs and the inner courtyard where the palanquins and carriages of guests were received. Beyond the courtyard's low wall lay Kira's garden and private quarters." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat followed the angular meandering of the mansion's rooflines. She memorized the wings and ells, the verandas and covered corridors, connecting the main part of the house with the family's rooms at the rear of it. Somewhere under those roofs Lord Kira was sleeping.\n\n\"The men should pass by here,\" Hanshiro said. \"Yogoro's rice shop is past the brewery, three blocks down and across the street.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The brewery was easy to distinguish from the other shops." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Its symbol, a huge brown globe of dried cypress needles, hung from the second-story gable." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Nothing stirred in the streets except the occasional cat and a rat that scuttled along the white plaster walls of a warehouse. But Cat stared as though she could have looked through the roof of the rice shop and seen the men inside. She tried to imagine what they were doing, what they were saying. What they were feeling.\n\nCat and Hanshiro stood with their hands on the railing and their sleeves touching and surveyed the moonlit, snow-shrouded walls and houses and trees below." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The streets and rooftops seemed empty, but they weren't.\n\nCat walked around the platform looking for signs of Viper and his friends. She knew they must be hiding behind the big tubs of water on the roofs or behind fences or in the narrow side streets, but she could see no one.\n\n\"They're very good,\" she whispered. Perhaps some of the stories she had heard about the machi yakko hadn't been exaggerated after all." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"There.\" Hanshiro pointed with his iron fan to a roof several blocks away." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Moon shadow faintly outlined footprints leading up the roof's slope to the huge wooden barrel of water, stored there in case of fire. Cat realized that what few traces of the machi yakko she could detect were in the area around Kira's mansion.\n\n\"Chubei swore his men wouldn't interfere.\" Hanshiro answered Cat's unspoken doubt. He expected Chubei to keep his word, but he wasn't surprised to see the machi yakko keeping watch." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They wouldn't miss the chance to see this night's battle.\n\nCat and Hanshiro looked down the street toward the bridge and canal that separated Honjō from Fukagawa, the next ward to the south. If Lord Uesugi sent reinforcements, they would most likely approach from that direction.\n\n\"We're to ring the fire bell once if we see them coming,\" Hanshiro said.\n\nA temple bell began tolling the seventh watch, the hour of the Tiger." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Its notes hung, expectant, on the air." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat gripped Hanshiro's arm to keep her own hands from trembling." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The hairs on the back of her neck stirred, and her heart pounded. She felt transcendently aware, as though through the walls of Yogoro's rice shop she could hear the forty-seven men breathe. As though she could smell the incense with which they had perfumed their helmets.\n\nThe last note had faded when Cat heard the faint rasp of a wooden shutter being slid back. The Akō rōnin began fanning out from the front door of the shop." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat strained to distinguish individuals as they formed into a double line." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When they moved out from under the eaves, they and their weapons threw a bristling shadow, like a long, spiked dragon, onto the snow." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "For more freedom of movement, they had wrapped leggings around the bottoms of their hakama. As a disguise they wore the heavy canvas hooded capes of a warriors' fire brigade. Their sleeves were tied back to reveal mail gauntlets under matching black broadcloth coats with large white triangles around the cuffs and hems. The white design would be easier to see in the dark corridors of Kira's mansion and would identify the men to each other.\n\nSome men had on helmets." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Others had tied cloth bands around their heads." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They carried paired swords in their sashes, of course, but they were also armed with spears and naginata, bows, arrows, and staffs. Rust on a man's weapon indicated corrosion of his spirit, and every blade had been polished until the moonlight glinted off it.\n\nSome of the men had stuck thin poles into the backs of their sashes so that the small cloth banners attached to them waved above their heads. They had written their death names on the banners.\n\nA few men carried bamboo ladders and heavy, long-handled mallets." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Several held large, truncated cones of blackened cypress veneer with handles at the narrow ends. The cones were lanterns with gimballed candles that could direct a beam of light at the enemy while leaving the bearer in shadow.\n\nKanzaki Yogoro led the procession. He was followed by a man holding up a pole with a small box on the end of it. Cat knew the box must contain the Akō rōnin's statement of purpose." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Oishi walked behind the box bearer. He carried a battle drum by a cord loop. The drum's head was painted with the twin red yin and yang symbols, the crest of the Yamaga school of strategy. His expression was calm.\n\nAs Cat watched him approach she murmured the ancient poem." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Yamato is a land\n\nWhere the word-spirit aids us.\n\nBe happy. Fare you well!\n\nWhen she saw Oishi look around she started, even though she knew that spoken words possessed a spirit of their own. They could carry out the speaker's wishes, and perhaps Cat's words had made themselves felt." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The moonlight was so bright that the men had no need of lanterns. No one spoke. Their presence was announced only by the crunch of their straw sandals in the fresh snow and by the muted rattle of metal and wood. It was an archaic noise, an echo from the centuries of warfare that had preceded this one. It was a sound not often heard in the streets of Edo.\n\nHanshiro had been raised as a warrior, but he had never seen men march into battle." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He had thought the warrior spirit extinguished by the corrupting influence of money and the decadence of his generation. He knew the Edo had never seen the equal of this procession, nor would it be likely to again.\n\nCat and Hanshiro watched the double column move down the empty street. Then it turned a corner and was lost to sight. Cat stared, rapt, at the buildings hiding her father's men until they reappeared at the head of Matsuzaka Street." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When the procession reached the corner of Kira's wall, it divided, like a stream flowing around a boulder. Chikara and his men separated and headed for the rear of the compound.\n\nOishi and the rest walked to the front gate. The warriors crouched in the snow while those with the ladders leaned them against the eaves of the gate's wide roof. Men climbed the ladders and eased up the slope of the gate roof until they could look over the peak into the compound beyond." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As Cat watched them, the silence of their movements gave the scene the quality of a dream.\n\nA few of Oishi's men scrambled up over the gate roof and dropped into the courtyard below. Cat couldn't see them there, but they must have overpowered the night watch huddled around their brazier in the gate house, because soon the heavy doors swung slowly open. Those with the gimballed lanterns lit them.\n\nOishi raised the war drum and held it poised and silent until Cat wanted to shout to him to give the signal." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Finally he hit the drum sharply with the drumstick. A heartbeat later Cat heard the hollow report. It was followed by the faint crash of huge wooden mallets against the smaller back gate. Oishi's men crowded through the front gate. Oishi and two of his older lieutenants, Hara Soyemon and Mase Kyudaiyu, stationed themselves outside to repel reinforcements and to stop those inside from escaping." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat leaned out from the railing, as though she could fly to join her father's men. She heard shouting and saw Kira's guards burst from their tiny rooms along the front wall. They were barefoot and half-dressed. Their uncombed hair hung down around their shoulders, but most of them had their swords drawn. The clash of blades rang out over the men's shouts." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Long beams from the lanterns flashed and swooped. Their light caught parts of the combatants—a leg, an arm, a face contorted with rage—and froze them for an instant like some artist's depiction of war. Some of the Akō rōnin held off the guards in the courtyard while the rest charged up the steps onto the veranda. They battered down the door of the entrance hall, and women began screaming from inside the house.\n\n\"They're getting away.\" Cat pointed to two men running across the garden." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The men threw a gardener's ladder against the wall on the far side and climbed over. They dropped to the street below and raced for the Sumida River. \"We should warn Oishi.\" Cat started for the ladder, but Hanshiro held her arm.\n\n\"Remember the words of one wiser than we,\" he said. \" 'Do not fight with another's bow. Do not ride another's horse. Do not discuss another's faults... ' \" He paused to let her finish." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"'Do not interfere with another's work.' \" Her voice was low and bitter. But this is my work, she thought.\n\nShe strained to make sense of the confusion in Kira's compound, of bodies in motion, of light and shadow, flashing steel, and the high whine of bowstrings discharging their arrows. The sounds of shrieking and crashing and ripping rose and fell inside the house as Oishi's men searched for Kira. The fight spilled over the courtyard wall and into the garden beyond." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lights came on in the nearby compounds, and soon people appeared on the roofs. Most of them were afraid a fire had broken out. Men slipped out the smaller doors set in the main gates and ran to see what was happening.\n\nOishi had unfolded a stool and sat calmly in front of the gate while his two gray-haired companions, Hara and Mase, paced. When a small crowd gathered, Hara and Mase conferred with the men sent by neighboring lords." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The messengers dispersed, scattering back to their masters' compounds and disappearing through the side doors." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Mase unfolded a stool and sat next to Oishi." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hara went back to pacing." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat and Hanshiro waited for Kira's neighbors to send men to aid him, but the gates of the surrounding mansions stayed discreetly shut." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "About halfway through the hour of the Tiger the noise of fighting finally quieted. Cat could see bodies scattered about the courtyard and the garden. They sprawled across the steps and the verandas. She could hear the sound of women wailing and the noise of destruction. In their search for their lord's enemy the Akō men were breaking open chests, pulling down ceiling panels, and slashing bedding." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kira's mansion was modest, but even in a modest mansion there were lots of places for a man to hide." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The moon had almost set. In the east a band of pale light lay along the horizon, but no whistle signaled that Kira had been found. Cat thought she would go mad with the waiting. To reassure her Hanshiro allowed his sleeve to brush hers. He moved his hand so that it rested lightly against hers on the railing." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "After a long discussion Hara and Mase finally persuaded Oishi to let them go inside. They left him sitting alone on the stool in the trampled snow outside the gate. He seemed as calm as a buddha, but he looked forlorn, abandoned, left out of the vengeance he had planned. Cat wondered what he was thinking. Had Kira escaped? Had all Oishi's effort and suffering been for nothing?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"They're coming,\" Hanshiro said.\n\nCat turned to look. A bristle of bows moved across the bridge into Honjō from Fukagawa. The thirteen archers were a token force, but they were reputed to be the best in the country. And the Akō rōnin must be exhausted by now." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat reached for the iron rod that hung near the big bell, but Hanshiro put a hand on her arm.\n\n\"If we ring the bell, Uesugi's men and Oishi's will clash,\" he said. \"The master of the New Shadow school wrote that if your mind reaches the ultimate of swordsmanship, the sword will have no place.\"\n\n\"What do you propose?\"\n\n\"Persuasion. It would be best if you stay here while I go down and talk to them.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat just looked at him, and he smiled ruefully." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He hadn't really thought she would agree to stay behind." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"If they kill us, we will at least have delayed them,\" he said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Chubei's machi yakko appeared suddenly, as if on cue, on the rooftops lining the bowmen's route.\n\n\"You said Chubei promised that his men wouldn't interfere.\"\n\n\"They're not there to fight.\" Hanshiro started down the ladder. \"We'll use them as go stones, surrounding the enemy and ending the game in a draw.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He led Cat at a run through back alleys reeking of garbage and sewage. They came out on the main street a few blocks in front of Uesugi's bowmen. With their faces hidden in the shadows of their hoods, they waited.\n\nHanshiro's bow was unstrung and slung across his back. His swords were in their scabbards." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat's naginata blade was sheathed, and she held it vertically, with the butt resting in the snow.\n\n\"Comrades,\" Hanshiro said when the archers drew close, \"this quarrel is not with you or your master.\"\n\n\"We have our orders.\" The captain was in his middle years and obviously very well trained. He was from Yonezawa to the north, and he had little regard for city warriors." }, { "from": "human", "value": "In Hanshiro he recognized an equal, something he hadn't found often in Edo." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hanshiro approached close enough to speak softly. He nodded toward the rooftops, where almost a hundred men were clearly outlined against the pale gray sky. They stood so that their mattocks and adzes and scythes were silhouetted, too. From side streets came the creak of gates closing.\n\nThe captain knew his men could be trapped here between the unbroken facade of the buildings, with no room to maneuver while they were attacked from above." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He realized his choices would be to engage in a brawl with commoners or retreat from them. He didn't relish either alternative.\n\n\"Your orders were to come to the aid of a certain lord,\" Hanshiro said. \"Surely your master didn't mean for you to sully your weapons with the likes of them.\"\n\n\"True.\" The captain had been instructed, in fact, not to cause a disturbance in the streets." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The ignorant rabble of Honjō are an impulsive and irrational lot. And they've taken an insolent interest in this case. If you continue, I fear they'll attack.\"\n\nHanshiro knew the captain wasn't afraid of a gang of commoners, and the captain knew Hanshiro knew it. They both also knew that the government forbade interference in private disputes. And then there was the edict about the chastisement of an enemy not being attended by riot. The machi yakko excelled at riot." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I...\" The captain stopped. He sighed. He bowed.\n\nCat and Hanshiro bowed lower to lend dignity to his retreat as he spun on his heel and strode off the way he had come. His men wheeled and followed him.\n\nCat turned and ran north, toward Kira's mansion." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She was only a block away when she heard the shrill call of a whistle, then another." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A shout went up. Oishi's men had found Lord Kira." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "user starts, u write ~4 sentences more. copy Lucia St. Clair's style" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When Cat arrived at the gate, a crowd of the neighboring lords' servants and retainers stood in front of it, craning to see inside. Oishi and his stool had disappeared. Cat set her naginata against the wall and walked without hesitation through the heavy wooden doors.\n\nHanshiro started to call her back, then thought better of it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A month ago Lady Asano had set out on her journey alone." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It was only right that she finish it alone." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hanshiro tried neither to stop her nor follow her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat stopped just inside the gate and looked around. The courtyard was quiet. It was empty except for the bodies. The predawn light revealed the dead and wounded everywhere, but she was relieved to see that none wore the black-and-white coat of the Akō men." }, { "from": "human", "value": "On the other side of the yard the offices and front reception rooms of Kira's mansion lay open to view." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The inner wall panels all had been smashed or toppled, exposing room after room, receding into the night that lingered there.\n\nA warrior-priest lay sprawled in the shadow of the gate, his sword still clutched in his hand. He must have been one of the first to die. Perhaps he had been performing his morning devotions and so had been awake at the hour of the Tiger." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat had no time to ponder what his relationship to Kira might have been." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She stripped off her fireman's coat and put on the man's outer robe. She took the cloth off her shaved head, transforming herself into a young bonze. She pulled the rosary from under the dead priest's sash and draped it over her hands.\n\nFingering the beads and chanting sutras for the repose of the spirits of the dead, she walked slowly across the courtyard and up the steps." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She was concentrating so intently on the interior of the house and the enemies who might be lurking there that when she passed the slain warrior on the veranda she stepped into the pool of his blood." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her sandals left crimson tracks behind her on the tatami as she walked into the devastation.\n\nShe walked around the heaps of broken ceiling panels and painted screens and powdered plaster. She surveyed the scattered account books and abacuses and the upturned writing tables of the steward's office. She saw the scroll torn from the wall of the reception hall's tokonoma." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A lacquered altar cupboard had been toppled and the articles inside smashed underfoot." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As Cat walked through the ruin of Kira's mansion, it seemed like a lovely garden to her. A paradise of retribution. It soothed her angry spirit as water running over the rocks in her mother's garden once had.\n\nShe headed toward the sound of women sobbing." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They were in the family's private quarters, and that was where Kira most likely would be." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "But the corridor leading to the inner rooms at the rear of the house was empty, and Cat wondered where her father's men had gone.\n\nAt the other end of the hallway the damage was even worse. Cat waded through torn robes and mattresses and gossamer drifts of silk floss wadding. She stepped over scattered porcelain and lacquerware, smoking utensils, lanterns, and works of art." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Storage chests big enough to hide a man had been smashed and the contents strewn about." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Bedding had been pulled from the cupboards and ripped open. Draped over a broken rack was a torn purple satin quilt with arrows bristling from it.\n\nIn the next room, long smears and splatters of fresh blood glistened on the wall like the calligraphy of a death poem in an alien language. Braziers had been knocked over, but Cat noticed that someone had doused the embers in them." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Wet charcoal and floods of ash-thick water had flowed out across the floors. Oishi's men had seen to it that fire didn't destroy Kira's house before they found him.\n\nThe outer wooden shutters had been knocked from their tracks along the corridor facing the garden. Cat could imagine the Akō men kicking them out at the top so that they lay in a row, in a long uneven slope from the raised floor of the corridor down to the ground." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As she followed the hallway to the back of the mansion, she began to hear men's voices." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When she reached the end of it she stood in the shadows and looked past the family shrine with its small torii gate.\n\nOishi and his men were gathered there around a small shed near the rear wall of the compound. The shed was the sort used to store charcoal. It stood near the kitchen in the midst of the gardeners' clutter—ladders and poles, dusty baskets, mats, and heaps of straw rope." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It was a contemptible place for someone of Kira's position to hide." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat could feel her heart pounding as she tried to see what was happening there. The men all moved back when those inside the shed came out. Someone raised a spear, and everyone cheered. Stuck onto the willow-leaf-shaped blade was a bloody head." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cat had no doubt it was Kira's." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The ferocity of her joy was so intense, her ears rang with it.\n\nShe drew back into the darkness of the house and retraced her route through the blood and the desolation. She had seen no one inside, but she still heard women wailing in a distant room.\n\nWhen she walked out through the front gate, Hanshiro was surprised to see his beloved, who had entered as a fireman, emerge as a priest." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Her face was impassive, but he recognized the look of triumph in her eyes." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She retrieved her naginata and stood quietly next to him in front of the crowd. Together they waited for the forty-seven rōnin of Akō to appear.\n\nWhen Oishi finally led his weary men through the gate, a murmur went up from the people outside. The warriors' clothes were torn and bloody." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Several of the wounded leaned on their comrades." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Some of the older men staggered from exhaustion." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Onodera Jūnai, a blood-soaked rag wrapped around his gray hair, stepped away from the others.\n\n\"Lord Kira Kozuke-no-suke Yoshinaka is dead,\" he announced. \"We have satisfied the restless spirit of our master, Asano Takumi-no-Kami. We mean no harm to anyone else.\"\n\nHe moved to join the others, who were forming a double column behind two spearmen and a man bearing a box on a pole." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Inside the box was Kira's head wrapped in a wide sleeve torn from a silk robe." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Several warriors moved in as a guard behind the box bearer. They were followed by Oishi walking alone, then Chikara, supporting his seventy-seven-year-old comrade. The rest of the forty-seven fell in line at the rear. A bell from the nearby temple began sounding the hour of the Hare." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Oishi stopped in front of Cat." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Hime.\" He smiled at her. \"Never have I seen you look so saintly.\"\n\nThe rosary rattled as Cat reached up to touch with the tips of her fingers the soft black fuzz that covered her head. \"Where will you go now, sensei?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"If no one stops us, we'll walk to Sengakuji, to Spring Hill Temple. We'll burn incense and leave this offering on our lord's grave. We'll tell him of our insignificant efforts to repay some small part of our debt to him.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Oishi reached into his jacket and drew out two folded pieces of paper. He hadn't expected to be able to give them to her in person. \"I regret most deeply that I cannot stop to see your mother.\" He held out the letters." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"One is for you. Will you please deliver the other to her?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cat accepted them with both hands and bowed low over them. She was still bowing when Oishi took his place in the procession and the forty-seven men began walking through the snow toward the setting moon. When Cat looked up she watched their receding backs until they were out of sight.\n\nOnly when the last man turned a corner and the crunch of sandals and the rattle of weapons faded away did she look at the letters." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The sight of her mother's name on one of them created a longing so intense, her chest ached with it. She realized she was free to see her mother and her nurse.\n\nThe tiny house where they were living seemed as great as a mansion to her now. On the way there she would buy charcoal to fill the braziers and warm every corner of it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "And she would write Kasane a message and send it to Lord Hino's upper mansion." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She looked at the second letter." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It was addressed to \"One who desires flowers.\" Cat had almost forgotten the nickname, taken from the opening line of an old poem. Oishi had called her that when she was a child and used to beg him every spring to take her to see the cherry blossoms at Mukojima on the banks of the Sumida.\n\nCat opened the letter with trembling fingers and held it so Hanshiro could read it, too." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The familiar calligraphy of Oishi's poem was like a dear friend she hadn't seen in a long time but whom she could now keep with her for as long as she lived." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Remember,\" he wrote, \"that spring dwells inside the struggling buds of snow-covered hills.\"\n\n\"My lady...\" The familiar voice sounded just behind her.\n\nCat turned to see Viper and Cold Rice standing next to their borrowed kago. They bowed low. \"We're at your service to carry you anywhere.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Where do you want to go?\" Hanshiro asked softly." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 1 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Home,\" Cat said." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "writers block help pls. ill send something, u do 8 sentences. going for Lucia St. Clair vibe" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "After spending the day at Sengakuji, then being questioned by a government inspector, Oishi, his son Chikira, and fourteen of his men were put in Lord Hosokawa's care. The rest of the Akō retainers were divided among three other lords while the government deliberated their fate. They were treated as honored guests while controversy raged through Edo. Because they had acted in the true spirit of the warrior's Way, petitions were raised asking the government to spare them. Finally, after six weeks, an envoy delivered the verdict.\n\nThe government's Great Council had been lenient. It had decided that the forty-seven loyal rōnin of Akō should be granted the deaths of samurai instead of criminals. Apparently they agreed with the powerful abbot of Ueno who pointed out that if the Akō rōnin lived, they might do something later that would sully the purity of their deed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The greatest lords in the country gathered in Lord Hosokawa's garden to see the sentence carried out.\n\nCat and Hanshiro came early, before the others arrived. A bamboo screen hid them, but they could watch the sad proceedings through the latticework woven into the screen. The cherry tree nearby was white with blossoms, but their fragrance was too faint to be detected over the metallic scent of blood pervading the garden.\n\nCat wore the unadorned kimono of mourning. Hanshiro was dressed in formal robes, hakama, and winged vest bearing the crest of Matsudaira Aki-no-Kami. Lord Asano's family had been a minor branch of Aki-no-Kami's clan, and at Oishi's request he had discreetly offered Cat and Hanshiro, and their loyal servants, Kasane and Shintaro, places in his Edo household. But when Cat and Hanshiro married, they held the ceremony at Lord Hosokawa's mansion so Oishi could be there." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Beyond the screen shielding Cat and Hanshiro was a corner of bare ground. It was bordered on two sides by the raised floor of the veranda of Hosokawa's mansion. Lining the veranda and seated in rows on tatami mats on the ground were the lords. In the center of the open space three mats had been turned upside down and laid side by side. A white cloth had been spread in the middle of them, but it didn't completely cover the smears of fresh blood.\n\nBehind the low dais, a curtain of white silk hung from ropes stretched between poles. The silk billowed gently in a light spring breeze. It hid the platform from the view of the fifteen men who had approached it, one by one, this morning." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The executions had been carried out according to rank, and only one man was left.\n\nCat had bid Oishi good-bye the night before, but she wished she could have told him today that his son had died well. She saw the man who would serve as second approach the dais. He drew his sword and took his stance behind the white cloth.\n\nHanshiro glanced over at Cat. \"Victor and vanquished,\" he murmured.\n\nCat finished the poem silently. Victor and vanquished are but drops of dew, bolts of lightning, illusion." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The silent men in the garden seemed to give a collective sigh as Oishi strode out from the door of the mansion." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 5 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He turned at the end of the curtain, stepped onto the dais, bowed, and knelt. As Cat watched him through her tears, his figure seemed to shimmer there.\n\nFare you well, sensei, she thought. And she knew the ancients were right. Her thoughts and her love would accompany him on his long journey." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Team writing exercise. I start, you do one sentence in Lady Nijō style." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "For all that, even if it were only a princess and not a prince who was born, the child's grandfather, the Retired Emperor Go Saga, made a great fuss over her and had the Fifth Night and the Seventh Night ceremonies performed in a magnificent manner." }, { "from": "human", "value": "After the Seventh Night celebrations, the Retired Emperor was talking with the ex-Emperor in his apartments at the Tominokoji palace when, about two o'clock in the morning, a great wind began to blow in the orangery with a sound as of waves beating wildly on a rocky shore." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I was told to go out to see what it was." }, { "from": "human", "value": "I did so, and this is what I saw." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Jumping up and down were ten or so brightly shining objects, each about the size of a wine bowl, bluish white in colour, with heads looking rather like jelly-fish and with long slender tails." }, { "from": "human", "value": "I shrieked with fright and rushed back inside." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Why are you making such a din?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "the courtiers in the anteroom said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"They are just death-watch fires.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Other people reported seeing something like slimy seaweed scattered about under the great willow tree." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As a result of these omens, the ex-Emperor called in the soothsayers and had rituals for long life performed as they are at the temple of Taisan in China." }, { "from": "human", "value": "About the ninth month, the Retired Emperor Go Saga was reported to be very ill. His legs and feet were swollen." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He was cauterised with moxa a number of times, but to everyone's great alarm this had little effect and he grew worse every day." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The year drew to a close and New Year's Day came, but no one had any heart for celebrations with the Retired Emperor so ill." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His condition was so threatening that about the seventeenth of the first month, the Retired Emperor was taken by palanquin to the palace at Saga." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The ex-Emperor followed him in a carriage." }, { "from": "human", "value": "I was in the same carriage." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The Retired Emperor's consort, the ex-Empress Omiya, and her sister, the ex-Empress Higashi Nijo, were in another carriage, accompanied by Lady Mikushige, who was at the moment the ex-Emperor's favourite lady-in-waiting." }, { "from": "human", "value": "In the presence of the ex-Emperor, the Retired Emperor's physicians, Wake no Tanenari and Wake no Moronari, had prepared medicine for the patient to drink on the way." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "This had been poured into jars which were carried by the Gon Chunagon, Yoshida no Tsuneto, and a guard, Nobutomo." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When they arrived at Uchino, the site of the ancient Imperial palace, they wished to give the patient some of the medicine to drink, but both the jars were found to be empty—completely dry." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It was a mystery where the medicine had disappeared." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "This incident added to the patient's depression and possibly aggravated his illness." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The ex-Emperor stayed at the Oi mansion within the precincts of the Saga palace and was constantly sending people, men or women, high or low, to enquire how his father was at that moment." }, { "from": "human", "value": "One had to go along a roofed connecting passage to the palace, and I well remember how I dreaded this walk alone at dead of night with the roar of the river Oi in my ears." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "At the beginning of the second month we were just waiting for the last moments of the Retired Emperor." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The two High Commissioners, Hojo no Tokisuke and Hojo no Yoshimune, arrived on the ninth to express the sympathy and concern of the Military Government at Kamakura." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The Dainagon Saionji no Sanekane made public announcement of the fact that they had shown grief and expressed their condolences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The reigning Emperor Kameyama arrived on the eleventh, stayed for the twelfth, and returned to the Capital on the thirteenth." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Everyone was very busy." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "There was no sound of music in the palace." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The Emperor and his brother, the ex-Emperor, met and wept together, all the bystanders being moved to weep in sympathy." }, { "from": "human", "value": "About six o'clock on the evening of the fifteenth day, a great column of smoke was seen rising in the direction of the Capital." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I asked whose house it was and was told that it was the house in Rokuhara of the High Commissioner, Hojo no Tokisuke, which had been suddenly attacked and set on fire.On the morning of the seventeenth everyone was greatly alarmed by a sudden change for the worse in the patient's condition." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The learned prelate, Keikai, of the Enryakuji temple, and the abbess of the Ojo-in temple came and exhorted him to put his trust in the invocation of Amida Buddha." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Forasmuch as in your previous existence,\" they said, \"you faithfully observed the Ten Virtues, Your Majesty has in this life enjoyed all the blessings and glories which appertain to an earthly throne and you are well assured of a life of bliss in the next world. Take, therefore, your seat now on the exalted throne of the Lotus Flower so that you may be a guide to Paradise for those who still sojourn in the prison-house of this world.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "So they tried, sometimes with gentle persuasion and sometimes with warning exhortations, to convert him to faith in the invocation of the sacred name of Amida, but in vain, for the Retired Emperor refused to sever himself from the ties of earthly relationships and effect a last-minute change of heart." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "So at last on the seventeenth day of the second month in the ninth year of the Bun-ei era, he breathed his last at six o'clock in the evening in the fifty-third year of his age." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The whole sky was suddenly overcast, and the whole nation overwhelmed with grief." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Gay floral dresses were discarded, and black mourning robes were donned." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "On the eighteenth, the body was removed to the Yakuso-in temple in the palace." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Fujiwara no Sanefuyu, Director of the Imperial Archives, arrived, bearing messages of condolence from the Imperial Court." }, { "from": "human", "value": "All the sons of the Retired Emperor who had entered the religious life came from their temples, the Ninnaji, Emman-in, Bodai-in, and Shoren-in temples, to take part in the funeral ceremonies." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The grief expressed at the ceremony that night was beyond the power of pen to describe." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Everyone was expecting that the Gon Chunagon, Yoshida no Tsuneto, who had been such a special favourite of the deceased and had mourned his passing more deeply than anyone else, would take the opportunity to renounce the world and enter religion." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "People were therefore much surprised to see him in his formal dress of soft silk crepe carrying the late Emperor's ashes in an urn to the Yakuso-in temple." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The ex-Emperor's grief was very deep, his tears flowing without ceasing night and day so that all the people round him were moved to tears." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "During the period of national mourning, there was no music, and no loud shouting was allowed, not even by forerunners calling out to the people to clear them off the roads as a procession approached." }, { "from": "human", "value": "One felt afraid that even the cherry trees when they bloomed that year would put on a mantle as sombre as any monk's habit." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "My father, the Dainagon, wore deep mourning and suggested that I should do so too." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The ex-Emperor disagreed. \"She is still very young,\" he said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"She need not go into deep mourning. She can wear just the ordinary mourning.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "And I did as he wished." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "My father made several applications to the ex-Emperor and his mother the Dowager Empress Omiya for permission to retire and enter the religious life, but they refused, thinking this step was not warranted by the circumstances." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His grief seemed deeper than other people's and he visited the grave every day." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He renewed his appeal through his cousin, the Gon Dainagon, Minamoto no Sadazane." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Since the age of nine,\" the memorial read, \"when the Retired Emperor first took notice of me and I became a page in his household, I have received nothing but marks of favour from him. After my father died and my stepmother disinherited me, I still continued to enjoy his favour. For this I was full of gratitude and devoted my whole life to his services. I received very rapid promotion both in office and in Court rank, always being well pleased on the morning of the publication of the list of honours. I have had no cause for complaint, either public or private, and have performed all my duties with the utmost zeal. I have for many years had the joy of attending all the greater festivals, all the banquets and all the performances of sacred dances at the Court and important shrines. I am used to wearing the ceremonial robes at these celebrations with, as the poet says, 'my image reflected in the waters of the river Mitarashi' at the Great Shrine of Kamo. I am now a Dainagon in the senior grade of second court rank, the highest rank that a Dainagon can attain, besides being at the same time officially recognised as the head of the Minamoto family. I was offered the post of Minister, but I declined it on the advice of my elder brother, Koga no Michitada, General of the Bodyguard of the Right, who was of the opinion that one should have seen service in the post of General of the Bodyguard before accepting promotion to the post of Minister. Now that the Retired Emperor has passed away, I have nothing to rely on, no tree in whose shade I can rest. No further rank or post is worth striving for. I am now fifty years of age and am perhaps not very long for this world. I cannot express my gratitude for all these favours received by me in a better way than by renouncing all these honours to enter the religious life to engage in prayer for the happiness of His Majesty's soul in the other world, provided I have your permission to do so.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The ex-Emperor, however, refused to give his consent and was kind enough to reason with my father to persuade him to give up his resolve." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "So the days passed one by one and it was as if the seed of forgetfulness had been planted in men's hearts." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Soon it was the forty-ninth day after the Retired Emperor's death." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "All the religious ceremonies of that day were duly performed and the people returned to the Capital." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "From this time the ex-Emperor was kept busy with government affairs such as arranging to send an envoy to the Military Government at Kamakura. So at last the fifth month came." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "I've got a bit of writer's block. I'm gonna send you something then keep it going 4 sentences at a time, also I'm going for a Lady Nijō sorta thing in the Japan, nonfiction, memoirs, 1300s genre." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In the fifth month when the rains come to drench one's sleeves, my father in his grief for the death of the Retired Emperor drenched his sleeves with tears even more than do the autumn rains. Formerly he had always been one who hated to sleep alone, but now he had ceased to be so inclined. Formerly he had enjoyed drinking parties, but now he had ceased to find any pleasure in them. He was becoming thinner, and people were ready to attribute this to his present life of abstinence." }, { "from": "human", "value": "On the night of the fifteenth of this month, returning from a special service at the temple at Otani cemetery, he was served with food in his carriage." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He complained that it all looked yellow to him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "People wondered what was wrong and the doctors diagnosed his complaint as yellow jaundice." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He was cauterised several times with moxa, but in spite of everything that was done he seemed to be growing worse instead of better." }, { "from": "human", "value": "I was very worried over his condition when, from the beginning of the sixth month, I began to be still more worried by suspicions about my own condition." }, { "from": "human", "value": "And I could not bring myself to tell him what I suspected to be the case when he was so ill." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I know that I shall never recover from this illness,\" my father said. \"My sole wish now is to be able to join the late Emperor as quickly as possible.\" He did not, however, make this hope the subject of any special intercessions. He stayed for some time at his father's house at the Rokkaku Kushige crossing where his stepmother was still living, and then on the evening of the fourteenth day of the seventh month moved to his own mansion at Kawasaki, leaving his younger children behind at the other house so that he might prepare himself peacefully for the end." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Considering myself grown up in comparison with the others, I alone of his children went with him to Kawasaki. Believing it was because of my grief at his illness that I was unwell and had no appetite for food, he at first tried to comfort me, but soon realised from the symptoms that I was pregnant. He then resolved to cling to life a little while longer until after the birth of my child. First, he had prayers solemnly offered for seven days at the Kompon Chudo chapel at the Enryakuji temple before the image of the god of Taisan in China." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Next he had seven series of sacred music and dances performed before the seven shrines at Hiye. He had the whole of the sutra of Wisdom recited in one day at the Hachiman shrine at Iwashimizu. Among other things he had a cairn of boulders erected on the dry bed of the river Kamo. All these things he had done, not that he might recover his own health and prolong his own life, but only that he might live to see that nothing untoward should happen to me." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It made me feel very guilty that I was responsible for his not being able to prepare himself for the end by severing himself from all earthly relationship." }, { "from": "human", "value": "On the twentieth of the seventh month, as my father's condition remained unchanged, I returned to my duties at the Tominokoji palace." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The ex-Emperor was especially kind to me when he learnt of my condition, though I wondered uneasily how long this warmth of feeling would last. Lady Mikushige's death in childbirth in the sixth month came as a warning to me; I was scared that I might go the same way. I feared too that my father would not recover from his illness. It was with such fears and forebodings overwhelming me that the seventh month drew to its close." }, { "from": "human", "value": "On the evening of the twenty-seventh there were fewer people than usual about when the ex-Emperor invited me to his apartments." }, { "from": "human", "value": "No one was there as we talked over old times." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"How cheerless it is when one considers the uncertainties of this fleeting world!\" he said. \"After all, it is to a better world that your father is going. But when he goes, you will have no one to lean on. Who else beside myself will show concern about you?\" So he spoke with tears in his eyes, and his sympathy deepened my sorrow the more.\n\nThe moon had not risen yet." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It was dark inside the room with only one dimly-burning light as we talked in intimate confidence late into the night, when the silence was broken by the sound of someone approaching and calling for me.\n\n\"Who is it?\" I called out. It was a messenger from Kawasaki to say that my father's condition had worsened.\n\nI had no time to make any preparations, but went just as I was, afraid all the way that I should be too late and that I should find when I got there that my father was already dead." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As in a dream I hurried along as quickly as I could, but the road seemed endless." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I seemed to be pushing my way through the dense undergrowth of some wilderness in the wild eastern province. With what joy it was that at last I arrived to find my father still alive!\n\n\"Like a dew-drop still clinging to the leaf waiting for the wind to dislodge it, I am still hanging on to life,\" my father said, weeping helplessly. \"It grieves me to think that I must now go from this world, leaving you alone and in the delicate condition in which you are.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Just then when the midnight bell was tolling, we heard that the ex-Emperor's procession was approaching. That threw us all, and my father too, into something of a panic. As I could hear the sound of the carriage coming near, I hurried to the entrance, just as the ex-Emperor was alighting from his carriage, accompanied only by one lord and two guards, as this was intended to be a private visit. He stood there in the bright light of the waning moon just rising above the rim of the mountains." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He was dressed in a light-coloured robe with a pattern of simple, darkish-purple flowers. We felt honoured by his coming to visit us thus in informal attire, obviously hurriedly put on.\n\n\"I haven't the strength to put on my formal robes,\" my father sent word to the ex-Emperor, \"and so I regret that I cannot have a personal audience with Your Majesty. Nevertheless, I am grateful that you have deigned to make me this informal visit. It has indeed given me a last happy memory of this world.\" He had hardly sent this message, however, when the ex-Emperor pushed aside the screen and came in." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "My father tried in vain to sit up.\n\n\"Lie as you are,\" the ex-Emperor said, seating himself on a cushion. He began to weep, his sleeves not large enough to stem the flood of tears. \"Since my childhood,\" he went on, \"we have always been on familiar terms with each other, and it is with great grief that I have now learnt that the end is near. I felt I had to see you once again in this world.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Your Majesty's visiting me in this way gives me more pleasure than I deserve,\" my father said with a flood of tears. \"The one thing which worries me, however, is leaving my daughter with no one to care for her. She was left motherless when she was two years of age with me alone to look after her. And now I have to leave her in the delicate condition in which she is. I have no words with which to express my pity, my sorrow, my misery.\"\n\n\"My sleeve may not be large enough to dry her tears at your going,\" the ex-Emperor said, \"but I will do my best to comfort her. Do not allow this anxiety to hinder your passage along the path to Paradise.\" He continued to reassure my father for some time in this way, and saying finally, \"I will go and rest for a while,\" he got up and left the room." }, { "from": "human", "value": "By this time day had broken and so the ex-Emperor decided to start back at once to avoid notice." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "My father gave a lute and a sword as presents to the ex-Emperor as he was leaving; the lute had been bequeathed to him by his father, the Chief Minister, Koga no Michimitsu, while the sword was one presented to the Chief Minister by the Emperor Go Toba when he went into exile on the remote island of Oki. Attached to the string of the sword was a sheet of thin, pale blue paper with a poem in which my father expressed his belief that they would certainly meet again, for the ties of relationship between master and servant did not end with death.\n\nThough we must now part,\n\nWe shall surely meet again;" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The ties which bind us" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Are not ties which end at death,\n\nBut will bind us for ever.\n\n\"Seeing you has moved me deeply,\" the ex-Emperor said in reply to this poem. \"Do not worry about anything.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He sent my father a number of comforting messages and went back to the palace from where he sent my father a poem written in his own hand." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It looked forward to that bright dawn of the rule of Miroku Buddha when they would meet again. I am sad when I recall how moved my father was by the ex-Emperor's evident pleasure at receiving these presents of his.\n\nOn the second day of the eighth month, my uncle, the Zenshoji Dainagon, Shijo no Takaaki, brought my maternity girdle. This was rather earlier in the period than was customary." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"My instructions are,\" he said to me, \"to carry out the ceremony in a formal manner disregarding any considerations of its being a period of national mourning.\" So he came in procession wearing his formal robes and with all the appropriate outriders and guards. Obviously the ex-Emperor had arranged to have the ceremony carried out earlier than usual so that my father would be able to witness it. He was indeed highly delighted and ordered wine to be served to everyone." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It was most touching to see what happiness had been given to him by this last episode of his life. He gave to my uncle Takaaki a highly treasured ox named Shiogama which he had acquired from the Ajari, Prince Shojo, the chief priest of the Ninnaji temple.\n\nMy father's condition seemed to make a slight improvement during the day, and I began to wonder whether it was possible that he might recover after all. When it became very late, I lay down beside his bed and before I knew I had fallen asleep." }, { "from": "human", "value": "I was startled out of my sleep by my father's voice." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"How sad!\" he said. \"Forgetting my own sorrow at the thought of setting off today or tomorrow on my journey to an unknown country, instead I find my mind full of anxiety about your future, especially as I looked at you lying there having fallen fast asleep in spite of yourself." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Ever since you were left motherless when you were two years old, I have looked after you by myself. I seem to have been more concerned about you than I have been about any one of my children. I seem to have loved you with a greater love than I could ever have given to anyone else. When I saw you smile as a child, I thought you utterly charming." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When I saw you in tears, I wept with you. Fifteen springs and autumns have passed and now the time has come when we must part. Even though you enjoy the protection of the ex-Emperor and have no cause for complaint against anyone, you must be on your guard against duplicity, for this world is a world of intrigue. And if you find cause for resentment against the ex-Emperor and against people in general for their treatment of you and lose your position at the court, then you must renounce the world to enter the Way of Truth and pray for your own happiness in the next world and for your parents to be rewarded for their loving care of you so that we may all be reunited in paradise on the same lotus leaf." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "If the ex-Emperor were to discard you, if you were then to accept the protection of some other lord or were to go to live in someone else's house, even after my death I should regard you as an unfilial daughter. The relation between husband and wifeSo he spoke, elaborating on such questions in more detail than he had ever done before. The thought that this might be the last time I should listen to my father's admonitions saddened me still further. At last the bell tolled to announce the dawn, and one of my father's retainers, Nakamitsu, the son of my old nurse, brought in newly-boiled herbs to spread under my father's bed in place of the old." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"It's no use changing them,\" my father said. \"I'm too exhausted. Instead, bring the girl some food.\" I could not have brought myself to eat anything at that time, but my father went on, \"Bring her some food so that I can watch her eating. Quickly now.\" He wished to see me eating as this was the last time he would be able to do so, I thought with sorrow." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Nakamitsu brought in some boiled vegetables on an earthenware dish. \"That's not the right kind of food for her to eat in her present condition,\" my father exclaimed, looking displeased. I too thought it was not very suitable and I got rid of it unobtrusively.\n\nWhen it was daylight, my father asked that the priest be summoned." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He had already in the seventh month sent for a senior priest from the Hokanji temple at Yasaka and had had his head shaved, had taken the vows to observe the five Buddhist commandments, and had taken the religious name of Rensho." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He regarded this priest as a man of the highest virtue, but now, I do not know why, his stepmother, the nun of Sanjo, insisted on sending for Shokobo, the chief priest of one of the temples at Kawara, but he did not arrive in time although he was told of my father's critical condition." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"My last moment has come. Lift me up,\" my father said soon afterwards to Nakamitsu who had been in my father's service from childhood. Nakamitsu now supported my father from behind. There was no one else there except a gentlewoman in front of the priest's arm chair.\n\n\"Hold my wrist,\" my father said to me as I stood near." }, { "from": "human", "value": "him. While I held his wrist, he told me to put on him over his robe the stole given to him by the priest." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He then began to repeat the invocation of the name of Amida Buddha, calling on Nakamitsu to recite it with him. This went on for about half an hour. Then, as the sun rose, he dozed off, still sitting up and leaning over a little to his left. Wishing to rouse him so that he could go on repeating \"Namu Amida Butsu,\" I shook him gently by the knee." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Startled, he woke up and opened his eyes.\n\n\"How will things go?\" he asked, looking me straight in the eyes, and had hardly spoken the words when he breathed his last. It was eight o'clock on the morning of the third day of the eighth month in the ninth year of the Bun-ei era (1272), in the fiftieth year of his age." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "If he had died invoking the sacred name of Amida, he would have died with the certainty of happiness in the next world. Instead he had wakened up startled just to make a completely meaningless remark before he expired. I felt that I had acted quite wrongly in rousing him. I did not know what to think." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It seemed as if for me the sun and the moon had fallen from the sky; everything had gone dark." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I fell to the floor weeping, my tears streaming forth as if to form a river. My mother having died when I was two years old, my memories of the grief I had felt at her death were faint. Fifteen years had passed since my father had taken me on his knee for the first time, forty-one days after my birth. During all this time, when I looked at my face in the mirror every morning, I was joyful to find some likeness there to his features." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Every night when I went to bed, I thought with gratitude of his loving care of me." }, { "from": "human", "value": "How grateful we must always be to our parents for high birth and physical health!" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "How could I ever repay my father for his tender care of me, higher than the highest mountain, deeper than the deepest sea, ever since my mother's death! I recalled to my mind what he had said on various occasions. These things I would never forget. I could not bear the thought of our being parted for ever." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Yet we had to part now. For though I could have wished that I could keep his remains always with me as they were, I had to send his body away on the night of the fourth to the crematory at Kaguraoka. I wished with all my heart that I could go up with the smoke of cremation to join him, but I returned home from there with my only memento of him my tear-drenched sleeves. As I looked round his empty room, I realised then with deep sorrow that it was only in a dream that I should ever see him again." }, { "from": "human", "value": "I recollected his deep affection in urging me at the last moment of his life to eat something to keep up my strength." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "To tell of his deep love was beyond the power of human words, though I did try to express my feelings in the poem,\n\nWould that I could see\n\nThe face of my dear father\n\nMirrored in my tears," }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Flowing down to that river\n\nHe must now struggle to cross.\n\nTowards evening on the fifth, Nakatsuna, my old nurse's husband, came dressed in black monastic habit. I was very much moved by the unexpected sight of him now in changed guise, for if my father had received promotion to the post of Minister, Nakatsuna as his steward would have been raised to the Fourth Court Rank." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I am going to visit the grave,\" he said. \"Have you any message?\" He wept, and all were moved to tears at the sight of his grief.\n\nOn the ninth, at the first Seventh Day Memorial, my stepmother, two of her gentlewomen, and two retainers renounced the world and took their vows in the presence of the chief priest of the temple at Yasaka." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Their heads were shaved while he recited the text, \"All things flow through the three phases of time, past, present, and future.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I wished that I could follow their example, but this was manifestly absurd in the condition in which I was.\n\nThe ceremonies of the third Seventh Day Memorial were carried out in a most solemn manner, the ex-Emperor sending a special representative every day with gifts and messages of condolence. How happy it would have made my father, I thought sadly, to have lived to see these evidences of His Majesty's great consideration!\n\nAbout this time also we were shocked on account of her high birth and her youth to hear of the death of the daughter of the Yamashina Minister of the Left, Saionji no Saneo, first consort and greatest favourite of the Emperor Kameyama and mother of the Crown Prince." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She had been persecuted for long by an evil spirit and everyone believed that this was what was wrong with her on the present occasion. I felt a deep and sincere sympathy with the Minister and the Emperor in their sad loss, for I had also suffered as great a bereavement.\n\nOn the fifth Seventh Day Memorial the ex-Emperor sent me a rosary of crystal beads and a crystal spray of dew-pearled flowers so that I should have something with which to reward the priests after the ceremony. The poem with it spoke of these flowers, dew-laden as in autumn, as typifying my sleeves wet with tears." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Write 8 sentences sentences in the style of Lady Nijō spawning from what the user wrote, within the Japan, nonfiction, memoirs, 1300s genre." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The ex-Emperor having won the return match, the new ex-Emperor invited him to the Saga palaceWhen this entertainment came to an end, however, the ex-Emperor wished for more." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He issued another challenge to an archery contest and, being defeated in this, had to arrange to have a concert given by his ladies at the Fushimi palace in exact reproduction of that given at the Rokujo palace as described in The Tale of Genji.\n\nThe Lady of the East Wing was to play the part of Lady Murasaki, Genji's much loved second wife. The role of the Third Princess, intended by her father, the Emperor Suzaku, to be Prince Genji's wife, was to be taken by the young daughter of my grandfather, Takachika, the Minister of War, who had just entered service at court. She was, however, to play a thirteen-stringed harp instead of a seven-stringed one. I was annoyed, rather unreasonably perhaps, at this arrangement which had been made at my grandfather's insistence, and would have liked to have been excused from appearing in the concert altogether. The ex-Emperor insisted that I should be present, however, to play the lute in the role of Lady Akashi, Prince Genji's lover while he was in exile at Akashi. The new ex-Emperor knew me, having had some conversation with me on the occasion of the ladies' ball game.\n\nWith regard to playing the lute, I had studied under my uncle, Koga no Masamitsu, when I was seven years old, and had learnt two or three pieces." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I am afraid, however, that I was not a particularly diligent student at that time. Later, when I was nine years of age, I took up the lute again with the ex-Emperor as my teacher. I could play a few simple pieces but was not good enough to tackle the three classical compositions for the lute. When I was ten, I did take part in a recital of court dance and music at the Shirakawa palace at the celebration of the fiftieth birthday of the Retired Emperor Go Saga. On this occasion he made me a present of a lute of Chinese quince wood with four rosewood tuning pegs in a red brocade bag. Still, although I had practised on the lute from time to time, it was never with any great enthusiasm, and I was rather embarrassed at the ex-Emperor's insistence, but I went on with preparations for the concert.\n\nI was instructed to wear just what Lady Akashi reportedly wore, a white under-robe with blue lining, a scarlet robe with an over-robe of light green, and a cloak of pinkish yellow lined with light green.\n\nI wondered why it was that I had been given the part of Lady Akashi, who was not one of the principal characters in the story, while one of the main roles went to the Lady of the East Wing, who was actually not much better than a beginner in playing the six-stringed harp, for she had never made it a rule to practise every day." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Obviously everything had been arranged by the War Minister so that his young daughter would have the opportunity of playing the thirteen-stringed harp.\n\nThe part of the Princess of Akashi, Lady Akashi's daughter, was to be played by the Lady of the West Wing, a daughter of the Kazan-in Chief Minister, Fujiwara no Michimasa, who was therefore entitled to sit side by side with Lady Murasaki. I was told to sit in the highest position on the opposite side, actually in the same place in which I had sat at the ball game. I did not agree with this decision, for it appeared to me that the newcomer, the Minister of War's daughter, should have had a higher seat than mine, as she was playing the part of the Third Princess. There was, however, nothing that I could do about it as this was the ex-Emperor's decision.\n\nI went to Fushimi in the carriage with the ex-Emperor, while the newcomer drove there in her own basket-work carriage, adorned with her family crest and attended by her father's retainers. Recalling happier days, I was most unhappy to see her arrive in such a stately fashion.\n\nThe new ex-Emperor arrived and the banquet began in another room while the ladies took their places for the concert, each with her own instrument in front of her, just as in the scene described in the chapter \"Young Herbs,\" of The Tale of Genji." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The ex-Emperor was to take the part of Prince Genji, the hero of the story, while the new ex-Emperor had the role of General Yugiri, his son." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lord Kanetada and the Toin Chujo were to play the flute and flageolet below the steps. The ladies' seats had all been checked again and all was ready for the ex-Emperors to come in from the banquet, when my grandfather, the War Minister, came in and looked over to where the ladies were sitting.\n\n\"This is all wrong,\" he shouted. \"My daughter is playing the part of a princess. The girl's part is that of a mere gentlewoman; she should not be sitting in a higher position than my daughter. My daughter is actually that girl's aunt; a niece should never take precedence over her aunt. And I hold a higher rank than her father ever did. They will have to change seats.\"\n\nLord Takaaki and Lord Sanekane tried to intervene. \"The ex-Emperor suggested this arrangement,\" they said.\n\nThe Minister would not listen. \"In any case, there's no sense or reason in this arrangement,\" he said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "No one else would venture to express any further opinion." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The ex-Emperor was away in another room where no one could disturb him in the middle of the banquet. I was therefore obliged to move down to a lower position. I was utterly downcast as I thought of the grand style in which the newcomer had arrived in her own carriage with her father's retainers attending her, and now she was supplanting me. I could see no reason why the order of seating should depend on who was whose aunt. Some aunts have mothers of low birth. I could see that there was nothing to be gained by staying at an entertainment which would bring disgrace upon me. I got up and went out of the hall.\n\nWhen I reached my room, I wrote a letter for the maid to give to the ex-Emperor if he came to look for me with a message that I had returned to the Capital." }, { "from": "human", "value": "In the letter I enclosed the first string of my lute cut into two pieces and a poem on thin white paper," }, { "from": "human", "value": "Now I have been shown" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "How worthless I am indeed;\n\nAnd in this knowledge\n\nI vow that henceforth never\n\nWill I play the lute again.\n\nFrom Fushimi I went to Kobayashi nearby to the home of my old nurse's mother, Lady Iyo, who had been in the service of Princess Senyomon and who on the death of her mistress had taken vows and settled down near her tomb at the Sokujoin temple.\n\nI was told later that, when the ex-Emperors left the banquet to come to the hall and found no one there to play the lute in the part of Lady Akashi, they inquired the reason and the Lady of the East Wing explained just what had happened.\n\n\"It is natural that Agako would take offence at that,\" the ex-Emperor said. He went to my room, where he received my message." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Much displeased to hear that I had left the palace, he showed my message to his guest.\n\n\"A very pathetic message,\" commented the new ex-Emperor. \"Well, this has spoiled the evening's entertainment. Still, there's nothing we can do about that. May I keep this poem?\" He was given the poem and returned to his own palace.\n\nAnd the outcome of it all was that the newcomer completely lost her chance of playing the harp to the distinguished company. People's reactions were generally sympathetic to me. \"The War Minister was crazy to act like that,\" people agreed when they discussed the incident. \"Or can we say that it was due to an old man's silly prejudices? In any case, Agako did the right thing.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Early the next morning the ex-Emperor sent his men to the house of my old nurse at Shijo-Omiya and to the house of my father's stepmother at Rokkaku Kushige, but they had to report that the people there had no knowledge of my whereabouts." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He then sent his men to other likely places, but no one could tell him where I had gone." }, { "from": "human", "value": "For myself, it was in my mind all this time to take this opportunity to renounce the world, but already in the twelfth month, feeling unwell, I had realised that I was pregnant again." }, { "from": "human", "value": "I had therefore to postpone once more taking this step." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I did, however, make a vow not to play the lute again, and presented the lute given me by the late Emperor Go Saga to the Hachiman shrine at Iwashimizu. With it I presented a copy of the Lotus Flower sutra which I had copied on the backs of my father's letters to me. A poem on the sutra explained the reason for this gift,\n\nAs now I have vowed\n\nNever to play it again,\n\nI present my lute,\n\nTogether with the sutra\n\nI have copied, to the shrine." }, { "from": "human", "value": "I reflected that it was just two years before this time that Prince Shojo had first confessed his love for me, and that it was a year and a half later, in the twelfth month, that he had sent me that terrible letter laying all those curses upon me." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 6 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Soon after that, on the twelfth day of the third month, I had left the palace where I had lived so long, and had also given up the lute I so much enjoyed playing. I had also lost at the same time the affection of my grandfather whom I had regarded as my guardian after my father's death. \"She left the concert because she disagreed with my instructions,\" he would explain to all. \"Consequently she will never come back as long as I live.\" It frightened me to death to think that there was now no way in which I could restore the old friendly relations between us.\n\nThe ex-Emperor went on searching for me, and Snowy Dawn" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "The user will write a bit then you need to write around 6 sentences continuing directly from the user's text. Try to stick to the Japan, nonfiction, memoirs, 1300s genre." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The year drew to a close, and to my sorrow I had still not yet had an opportunity of visiting the Zenkoji temple in Shinano province. Lady Komachi..." }, { "from": "human", "value": "This deeply mortified me as the days passed by." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The lord of Iinuma, Taira no Sukemune, the son of the Governor-general, often sent Wakabayashi no Jirozaemon to me inviting me to be present at verse-capping and other entertainments, having heard possibly that I had some reputation as a poet and a person of cultivated tastes, and at last I accepted one of his invitations. Surprisingly enough, I found him to be a man of culture and wide sympathies, and from this time I often went to his house for contests in poetical composition.\n\nIn the last month of the year, I moved to Kawaguchi in the province of Musashi, where the widow of a man named Kawagoe was living in religious retirement. Her message inviting me to visit her had delighted me, as it had held out the hope that early in the new year we might make the pilgrimage to Zenkoji together. Snow was falling as I went there, and it was difficult to find the way over the moors deep in snow, but I eventually got to the house after two days of travel from Kamakura. It was a remote spot on the bank of the river Iruma, with the post station of Iwabuchi and the usual prostitute quarter on the other side of the river." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "There are no mountains to be seen in the province of Musashi. The plain is a wilderness overgrown with miscanthus grass, a sad wintry sight at this time with stems and leaves bent down with the weight of hoar frost. Through this wilderness I had pushed my way, my sadness at the passing of yet another year, so natural to all of us, heightened by the fact that I was ever removing myself to secluded spots more and more remote from the brilliant life of the Capital.\n\nWhenever I look back over my past life, it is always of my mother that I think first. I was parted from her at the age of two, so early that I do not know what she looked like. I had grown a little and was in my fourth year when on the twentieth day of the ninth month I was taken into his service by the ex-Emperor." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "From that time on, I enjoyed his special favour. I learnt to hold my own among people and after some years I came to hold a position of considerable influence at the court. I had hopes of attaining the highest position of all there and of becoming the pride and glory of my family, but I realised at last that it was my destiny to renounce this gracious way of life to enter religion, heeding the warnings of Buddha that no one can take with one the treasures in this life, one's spouse, one's wealth, one's rank. In spite of this, however, I could not but feel regret sometimes that I had left the life at court to which I was so accustomed. Thoughts of the ex-Emperor's love and affection often came to me, and I had nothing to allay my grief but the tears that dampened my sleeves.\n\nSnow fell heavily from the dark wintry sky and deeply covered the moors and roads." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I felt that I should never be able to find my way back, and, when my hostess asked me how I felt on being snowbound, I replied with the poem,\n\nTake pity on one\n\nWhose griefs piling up on her\n\nLike high drifts of snow\n\nPrevent any of her friends\n\nFrom making a call on her." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Words of sympathy unlock the floodgates of tears, but I controlled my feelings lest people should think my outbursts of sorrow very strange." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 1 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Thus came another year." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Today you will be acting as a writing assistant, your partner will send something and you will write the next four sentences." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The New Year came, and the nightingales sang their spring songs among the branches of the plum trees under the eaves, but sad memories of the happy days gone beyond recall continued to fill my eyes with tears." }, { "from": "human", "value": "About the tenth day of the second month, I started out on my pilgrimage to the Zenkoji temple." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The steep slopes of the Usui pass are well known as being as dangerous to cross as the hanging bridge over the Kiso gorge. \"Who can accompany one on the path through the dark shadows of death?\" I said when members of the party expressed anxiety about leaving me on my own. \"One comes into the world all alone. One leaves it alone. All meetings end with a parting. All births end with death. However beautiful the peach blossom, it returns at last to the earth. The autumn foliage, beautiful as it is, is scattered when the winds blow. The emotion we feel when reluctantly we part from one another is only a temporary one.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "So I remained there all alone. But there is nothing much worth seeing at Zenkoji except the image of Buddha which is believed to be a real incarnation of Amida Buddha. With a firm belief in this, I devoted my mornings and evenings to reciting a million times daily the invocation of the sacred name.\n\nNear the town, there was living a former provincial governor, Takaoka no Iwami, who had a great reputation as a man of wide sympathies, well read in poetry and fond of music." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Introduced to him in the first place by someone in the party, I often went to his residence which I found furnished very tastefully, much more so than one usually finds in country districts." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 1 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Feeling the place soothing and attractive, I stayed at Zenkoji till autumn." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "I've got a bit of writer's block. I'm gonna send you something then keep it going one sentence at a time, also I'm going for a Japan, nonfiction, memoirs, 1300s genre." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "So the years rolled on, and I decided to make another visit to Futamigaura, so called, I believe, because the goddess of Ise returned there for a second look, though earlier I have explained the derivation of this place name in a different way." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I wished to pray at Ise for a happy life and a happy death." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "On my way there from Nara by the pass over the Iga range of mountains, I passed by the Kasaoki temple..." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Having made up my mind to travel the route of the Emperor Takakura on his voyage to the Itsukushima shrine after his abdication [in 1180], I took the boat at the usual port of Toba on the river Katsura, changing to a larger boat at the mouth of the river." }, { "from": "human", "value": "I did not find life at sea at all pleasant." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Passing along the shore of Suma, I recalled Chunagon Arihara no Yukihira, elder brother of the more famous poet Narihira, who composed this poem while he was in exile here," }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Should any person" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Happen to make enquiries," }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Tell them of the life" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "That I lead at the salt-pans" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "On the lonely Suma shore." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Where was it, I asked the wind blowing off the shore, just where was it that the poet lived?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It was the beginning of the ninth month when we landed, and the chirping of the insects in the frost-withered bushes was growing feebler and more intermittent." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Lying in my berth on the ship, I listened throughout the long cold night to the melancholy thud of the cloth-beaters' mallets in the village against the background of the sound of the rolling waves." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It was a touching sight to see early next morning the fishing boats appearing and disappearing in the morning haze among the islets off the town of Akashi." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It was easy to imagine the feelings of Shining Genji as he wrote," }, { "from": "human", "value": "Gallop on quickly," }, { "from": "human", "value": "Dappled grey horse of fancy," }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Gallop on with me" }, { "from": "human", "value": "To the court—and I shall see" }, { "from": "human", "value": "My darling in one moment." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "So at last we reached the port of Tomo, in Bingo province, seemingly a very prosperous post station." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Off the shore, on the tiny solitary island of Taika in a row of cottages, there lived far from the vulgar world a group of nuns who had formerly been prostitutes in the town." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Before, it had been their custom to perfume their garments heavily with incense the better to attract the men they accosted." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They would smoothe down their hair, wondering the while on whose sleeve it would become dishevelled, and wait in the evening in lively expectation for those from whom in the morning they would part with no regrets." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "These women belonged to families whose business it was to provide sensual pleasures and whose inescapable destiny it was never to be able to rise in the after-life above this degraded existence." }, { "from": "human", "value": "All this they had abandoned to live more honourably in seclusion on this island." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"What about your daily services?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I said to one of these nuns." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"What was it that impelled you to make this great change in your lives?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I was once the owner of a brothel,\" she said, \"where there were many women. Dependent on travellers, we were glad to see boats arrive at the port and sorry to see them pass without stopping. I had these women paint their faces and pledge eternal love to men whom they had never met before, forcing them to drink heavily under the cherry blossoms in spring and in the dews of autumn. Before I realised it, I was fifty years of age, and it was then that I recognised what I was destined to discover—how illusory are the things of this world. I came here and have never since been back to the town. Every morning I climb this hill to gather flowers for an offering to the Buddhas of the past, present, and future in our daily service.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I envied the woman her peace of mind." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Our ship was in port for one or two days." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The nuns hated to see me going away and asked me when I expected to return there on my way back to the Capital. I replied," }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "On this pilgrimage" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As I wander aimlessly," }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "How can I tell you" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When I shall return this way" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Going to the Capital?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The ship arrived at Itsukushima, or Miyajima as it is also called, where in the open sea stands a large torii joined to the land by a causeway that seems to float on the surface of the sea and to which a large number of boats were moored." }, { "from": "human", "value": "At the temple, preparations were being made for a Buddhist festival." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Maidens in the service of the shrine would dance and sing on a stage erected over the sea that could be reached from the land by a bridge." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A rehearsal was held on the twelfth day of the ninth month when eight maidens danced, dressed in tight-sleeved gowns of various colours with white silk skirts." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The music was not of a high standard, but I recognised it as being a composition by Lady Yang-kuei, wife of the Emperor Hsuan-tsungOn the day of the festival two groups of dancers, one on the left in red brocade and one on the right in blue, represented the Buddhas, and a dancer in a crown and large hair ornament played the role of Lady Yang-kuei." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As evening approached, the sound of the music grew louder, especially in the rendering of the classical \"Music of Autumn Winds\" which touched me deeply." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When it was quite dark, the music and dancing ceased and most of the audience went home, leaving the shrine deserted, for very few people remained to make a vigil. The thirteen-day-old moon rising from behind the mountain at the back of the shrine seemed to be coming up from the middle of the shrine itself. The tide had risen to the shrine's steps. The bright moon reflected in the water appeared to be lying at the bottom of the sea. Such miraculously beautiful sights as this are said to be one of the forms in which is manifested the mind of Buddha freed from all the appetites of the flesh, having attained the full wisdom of the universe. Admiring the beauty of the scene, I found myself reciting the words of the sutra, The wisdom of Buddha radiating from his person will shine through the whole world; and the peoples of the world repeating the sacred name of Buddha will be redeemed.\" At the same time I was much perturbed by the thought that real happiness could come to me only if my heart were cleansed of all sin." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Job: User writes start, you add ~four sentences sentences. Style: Lady Nijō" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The funeral service for the ex-Empress Higashi Nijo was held at the palace of Fushimi, attended by the Retired Emperor1and Princess Yugimon. I sympathised deeply with them in their loss, but I had no relative now through whom I could offer my condolences. I could only spend my days and nights in vain anxiety about them. In the same year in the sixth month, I was distressed to hear that the Retired Emperor was ill, of ague, it was said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In a few days he was reported to be better, and then it was said that he had had another attack. Then I heard that prayers for his recovery were to be offered to Emma, the King of Hades. I went to the palace, but there was no one there from whom I could get any information, and I returned from the palace knowing as little as when I went there, expressing my frustration in the poem,\n\nHow can he learn" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Except maybe in a dream\n\nThat my eyes are dimmed\n\nWith the tears shed night and day\n\nIn my so sore grief for him?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Then I heard that he was suffering daily attacks, and then several attacks a day. People were all expecting to hear of his death. I was frantic, for I feared that I should never be able to see him again. I went into retreat at the Hachiman shrine at Iwashimizu from the first day of the seventh month and offered up prayers a thousand times for his recovery and for long life at the Takenouchi shrine in the precincts there." }, { "from": "human", "value": "While I was there, on the fifth day, I dreamed about an eclipse of the sun..." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "(Here the rest of the page has been cut away and we cannot conjecture what the rest of the story was and can only continue the story when it is resumed.)\n\n... Thinking that he might be able to tell me more of the Retired Emperor's condition, I went to the Kitayama residence of Lord Sanekane.\n\n\"I once served at the court,\" I said to the men on duty at the entrance of his house. \"I should like to see the Nyudo.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They perhaps did not like the look of my black habit, and no one was in any hurry to take in my message. Anticipating, however, that I might get such a reception, I had brought with me a letter in my own handwriting. I still continued, therefore, to call out for attention asking that this letter might be taken in to the Nyudo, but no one took any notice until late at night when a retainer named Haruo came out to me and took my letter to his master.\n\nThe Nyudo sent out an answer." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Perhaps because I am getting old,\" he said, \"I don't remember you very clearly. Be certain to come back the day after tomorrow.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I was overjoyed at getting at last some answer and went back to the Nyudo's residence on the evening of the tenth. There I was told that the Nyudo had gone to the palace as the Retired Emperor was critically ill. The news deepened my distress and I hurried back home. While passing along the side of the Guards' Riding Ground, I worshipped at the Kitano and Hirano shrines." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Take my life for his,\" I prayed. Yet, if my prayer were granted, I thought, and his life were saved by the sacrifice of my own, he would never know this.\n\nIf his life be saved\n\nBy sacrificing my own," }, { "from": "human", "value": "Grant me this, O God," }, { "from": "human", "value": "That in a dream he may learn" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I offered my life for his.\n\nEvery day, all through the day and all through the night till dawn, I grieved for the Retired Emperor in his sufferings. When I went to Kitayama on the fourteenth, the Nyudo himself came out to see me, and we talked affectionately over the old days. He told me that the Retired Emperor was really dangerously ill." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I had known this, but yet it came as an added shock when it was confirmed personally by the Nyudo. I had come in the hope that I might be granted permission to see him just once more, but I hesitated now, wondering how I could best phrase my request that the Nyudo should help me in this.\n\nThe Nyudo, however, realised what was in my mind. \"His Majesty often spoke to me of the affection between you and him,\" he finally said to me in a very kindly manner." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"If you go to the palace and tell them what I have just said, you will be allowed to see him.\"\n\nI returned home, trying to hide my tears from the eyes of the people on the streets going to and from the Toribeno crematory and burial ground to visit the graves of their relatives, for it was the Festival of the Dead. I was sad as I thought it would not be long before I was buried there too, and I expressed the thought in the poem,\n\nAll these who go now" }, { "from": "human", "value": "To visit the graves and pray" }, { "from": "human", "value": "For those whom they love—" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "How long will it be before\n\nThey are lying there too?\n\nOn the evening of the fifteenth I went from my home by way of the Nijo-Kyogoku crossroads to the palace, and by the kindness of the Nyudo was able to see the Retired Emperor from a distance.\n\nOn the sixteenth about noon, I learned that he had died." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I was expecting the news, but my grief was the greater as I had no one with whom to share my sorrow. When I could bear it no longer, I went to the Tominokoji palace. I wept to see that they were already dismantling the altar where prayers for his recovery had been said. There were many people about, going to and fro, but all very quietly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The candles in the main hall had been extinguished. The Crown Prince left before dark to avoid the death-pollution and gradually the whole place was deserted. Towards evening the two High Commissioners resident in the Capital as representatives of the Kamakura Military Government came to present their condolences. A troop of warriors in the service of Hojo no Sadaaki, High Commissioner of the South, stood along Tominokoji street, a torch burning at the door of each house." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Another troop of warriors in the service of Hojo no Tokinori, High Commissioner of the North, sat on stools in two lines in front of a bonfire on Kyogoku street, looking most imposing." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It grew late, but I had no thought of going home, and so I remained alone in the courtyard thinking of the past." }, { "from": "human", "value": "I pictured to myself his features changing with the mood just as clear to my mind's eye as if I had only that moment looked up at them in the flesh." }, { "from": "human", "value": "No words can express the grief I felt." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The moon rose in splendour, and I expressed my feelings in the poem,\n\nThe unclouded moon\n\nShining in all its splendour\n\nSaddens me the more;" }, { "from": "human", "value": "How happy now would I be" }, { "from": "human", "value": "To see the moon cloud over!" }, { "from": "human", "value": "When Gautama Buddha died, the sun and the moon and even the unfeeling birds and animals were sunk in grief." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It gave me unbearable pain to see that this moon at which I vacantly gazed had not clouded over." }, { "from": "human", "value": "This thought seemed to indicate to me how deep and strong my love for him still was." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Day broke and I went home, but my mind would not rest. I was told that a relative of the Taira Chunagon was in charge of the funeral arrangements. I therefore went to a lady-in-waiting of my acquaintance who knew him and asked her if she would get permission for me to see the Retired Emperor's coffin even if only from a distance. She replied that this could not be allowed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "I did not give up hope, however, and stood beside the entrance all day with my head veiled with a tight-sleeved gown so that I might have a chance of going near his coffin, but I found no opportunity to do this." }, { "from": "human", "value": "At last the time came for the lattice windows to be closed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I then went quickly towards the place between two bamboo screens where I believed the coffin had been placed. I peeped in and saw by the light of the candles what I took to be the coffin. At the sight, my eyes were blurred and my mind disturbed. At that moment it was announced that the procession to the funeral pyre would set out." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The carriage was drawn up to the steps, and the procession started, the ex-Emperor Fushimi accompanying the carriage as far as the gate and then returning to the hall. It was most pathetic to see him wiping away his tears. I followed the carriage immediately out on to Kyogoku street. I was barefooted, for I had been waiting all the day on the verandah and then, when I stepped down from the verandah, I was so confused that I could not find my sandals." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When the procession turned west at the Gojo-Kyogoku crossing, the carriage collided with a bamboo pole erected in the main street, and one of the bamboo blinds was nearly torn off, one of the servants accompanying the carriage having to climb up to try to mend it. It was while the carriage was standing there that I noticed that one of the lords accompanying the carriage was a relative of mine, the Nyudo Chunagon, Yamashina no Sukeyuki. His obvious grief increased my own sorrow.\n\nHesitating all the time whether to turn back now or whether to go on, I could not bring myself to stop following the carriage." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "My feet were hurting me badly and my steps grew slower and slower, until at length I was left a long way behind all alone.\n\nI went on as far as Fujinomori, where I met a man. \"Is the funeral procession far ahead?\" I asked him.\n\n\"It ought not to have passed in front of the Fushimi Inari shrine,\" he said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"It must have gone some other way. I haven't seen a single person on the road. It is now after one o'clock in the morning. How do you think you're going to catch up with the procession? Where is your home? Be careful about how you go, or you might meet with an accident. Would you like me to see you home?\"\n\nNot wanting, however, to return home without having witnessed the cremation, I declined his kind offer and went on alone, helplessly weeping. It was already day when I got to the crematory. There, to my great grief, I saw that it was all over; only a thin whisp of smoke rose up from where the funeral pyre had stood." }, { "from": "human", "value": "I had never imagined that I should live long enough to see the day when I should look on that sad sight." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When the ex-Empress had died that spring both the ex-Emperor and their daughter Princess Yugimon had mourned her at the Fushimi palace. Now she remained alone. I could well imagine her grief, expressing my thoughts thus,\n\nLike a drop of dew" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Fleetingly he passed away," }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Leaving me to weep\n\nAs bitterly as if we\n\nWere still young and lovers still.\n\nI would have liked to have talked to the princess so that we could have consoled each other in our loss, but the gate of the Fushimi palace was closed for the period of national mourning, and, thinking it silly to wander about aimlessly any longer, that evening I returned home." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Thinking of the princess, now doubtless dressed in deepest mourning as I should have been had I remained in his service, I recalled how, when the late Emperor Go Saga died, my father had insisted that I wear deep mourning, but how the late ex-Emperor had decided that I need not do so, but that I could wear coloured robes if these were not too showy." }, { "from": "human", "value": "In the eighth month of the same year, my father had died, and then I had had to wear the deepest mourning for him," }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Garbed always in black\n\nIn the habit of a nun,\n\nI wear no mourning,\n\nThough my grief is just as deep" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As the nearest of his kin.\n\nThinking to assuage there the grief I could tell no one of, I went to worship at the Tennoji temple, attracted to it by the general belief that this temple is Gautama Buddha's chosen vehicle for the salvation of mankind. There, in peace and quiet, I recited the sutras, praying for the repose of the soul of the late ex-Emperor, constantly thinking of him and of the deep grief which the princess must be suffering, a feeling I expressed in the poem,\n\nIn deepest mourning" }, { "from": "human", "value": "You are garbed; over that robe" }, { "from": "human", "value": "You put on in spring," }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "You donned yet another robe\n\nOf deep mourning in autumn.\n\nAs the forty-ninth day after the ex-Emperor's death approached, I went back to the Capital, and on the day of the celebration at the beginning of the ninth month I went to the Fushimi palace for the requiem. No one in the large congregation present felt such bitter sorrow and grief as I did." }, { "from": "human", "value": "After the service, all made their offerings, but they did so, it seemed to me, as if they felt a happy relief that that day saw the end of their mourning." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It grieved me sorely to think of the princess sitting there behind her bamboo blinds inconsolable, shedding bitter tears like dew drops falling on the grass.\n\nHearing that the ex-Emperor Fushimi was to move into his father's palace at Tominokoji, I was reminded of the time when I was at the court and he, just then appointed Crown Prince, had moved into the Corner house. Since that time he had suffered so many misfortunes in his private as well as his public life that I felt deep sympathy for him, even though my own lot had been immeasurably more unfortunate than his had. My greatest misfortune had undoubtedly been that, in spite of my prayer that the ex-Emperor's life might be spared at the cost of my own, my prayer had been rejected and I still remained in this world of sorrow to keep now the seventh Seventh Day Memorial of his death." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A tradition of the Joju-in chapel at the Mii temple tells how, when the High Priest Chiko was at the point of death, his disciple, the Erudite Priest Shoku, prayed before the image of Fudo, the god of fire, enshrined in the temple." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He asked that he might die instead of his teacher in return for the great spiritual help Chiko had given him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Shoku enlisted the aid of the soothsayer, Abe no Seimei, in offering this." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The god of fire, however, answered him in an oracle." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You have prayed,\" the god said, \"that you should die in your master's stead. I will die in your place.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "So it was that Chiko recovered from his illness and Shoku also continued to live. What then had prevented me from repaying the ex-Emperor's favour with my life when I owed so much more to him than Shoku did to Chiko? The god of the Iwashimizu shrine to whom I had made this vow was given the title Hachiman Bosatsu because his object is the salvation of mankind. My prayer to him ought to have been granted, in spite of my own insignificance and the fact that the ex-Emperor's favour towards me was really only a very small matter." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Obviously it was impossible to change what had been predestined in a former life, I thought as I went back home, where, unable to sleep, I mused," }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In the autumn months\n\nThe chirping of the insects\n\nKeeps the old awake;\n\nIt sounds as though they too have" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sad thoughts that keep them from sleep." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Tears shed at memories of bygone days are too much for one person's sleeves to dry away, and I had no one to weep with me. My father had died in autumn, I recalled, and my tears had vied with the autumn dew. Now the smoke of the ex-Emperor's funeral pyre had risen to the sky to merge with the autumn mists and clouds and turn them to rain, while his spirit journeyed on to its unknown goal,\n\nWhy, O why is it" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "help a writer out? five sentences more sentences, Lady Nijō-style, Japan, nonfiction, memoirs, 1300s genre thx" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Twenty volumes of the Great Collection of Sutras still remained to be copied. I had wished to finish writing these out before the hundredth day after the ex-Emperor's death, but now I had only the clothes I wore and so had none to sell to cover the cost of the copying. I could only afford to buy just enough food to live on and certainly could not save anything in that direction. These things upset and vexed me. Yet I still had two keepsakes given me by my parents." }, { "from": "human", "value": "On her death bed my mother had asked that I should be given a flat, gold-lacquered toilet case with a circular design of a couple of mandarin ducks, all the toilet articles inside it, including the mirror, having the same pattern on them." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The other keepsake from my father was a writing case, with a lid of embossed gold lacquer with a diamond pattern of cranes and an inscription on the back in gold in my father's own handwriting, \"A day of good fortune and never ending happiness.\" I had intended never to part with them until the end of my life when I hoped they would be cremated with my body. When I had gone on pilgrimage, I had put them into someone's safe keeping with as much care as if they had been my children, and when I returned, it had been my first care to go and see them again as if they had been my parents themselves. I had had the writing case for thirty-three years and the toilet case for forty-six years. I had never thought that I should be able to bear parting with them." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Still, nothing is as valuable to a person as his own life, and this priceless gift I had offered to the gods in return for the ex-Emperor's life." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In any case, I had no childrenThen I happened to hear of a girl who was going to the eastern provinces to get married and who was looking for a toilet case like mine and did not mind paying much more than I was thinking of asking. I was sad to part with it but I was glad to have my prayer answered, perhaps through the mercy of Buddha, his faith, and its guardians,\n\nHow sad it is now\n\nI must part with these cases,\n\nMy parents' keepsakes," }, { "from": "human", "value": "Which I have cherished so long" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Through fortune and misfortune!\n\nOn the fifteenth day of the ninth month, I began to recite the Lotus Flower sutra at the Sorinji temple at Higashiyama as an act of contrition for my sins. When I had been engaged in copying out the first twenty volumes of the Great Collection, my mind had been preoccupied with thoughts of my old happy relations with the ex-Emperor and of my sad separation from him at that moment. No such thoughts distracted my mind now as I concentrated with all my heart and soul, night and day, on my recitation with the prayer, \"May all departed souls attain the supreme goal of eternal light.\" I was grateful that it had been my destiny to come to this life of piety in this place, with the belling of the friendly deer on the hills behind the Seisuiji temple, the sad chirping of the insects in the hedgerows moving me to tears, and the moon, rising in the east or declining in the west, as I sat up late at night after attending the midnight service." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Then, when the midnight services in all the nearby temples appeared to have finished, still the solitary voice of the Virtuous Priest of the Sorinji temple on the summit of the hill could be clearly heard invoking the sacred name of Amida." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "My feelings then I expressed thus,\n\nMay I so traverse\n\nThe steep mountain path which leads\n\nTo the world to come\n\nThat on my way I may seek" }, { "from": "human", "value": "And find some lost soul straying." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I had the Virtuous Priest go with me to the Yokawa chapels on Mount Hiei to obtain paper and ink for my copying work. We went as far as Higashi Sakamoto, and I visited the Hie shrine, much frequented by my grandmother in gratitude for many favours received from the god enshrined there... (The next section has been cut away with a sword. Nothing is known of the contents. )...\n\n\"For whose intention are you offering this service?\" the priest asked. The question moved me deeply." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As it would seem strange, I was afraid, if I offered the sutras I had copied before the tomb of the ex-Emperor, I was presenting them at the Kasuga shrine for which he had so deep a veneration during his life." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 6 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "At the time I wrote the poem,\n\nThe deer in the hills\n\nAll around me are belling,\n\nAnd the insects chirp\n\nShowing their deep sympathy\n\nAnd weeping with me as friends." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Write 1 sentence like Susan Spann would, using user's text as beginning" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro ran to his room with Father Mateo close behind." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They paused in the doorway, seeking the source of the sound." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The Jesuit's aging housekeeper, Ana, stood beside Hiro's futon chest with her back to the door and her hands in the air." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A rumpled quilt lay on the floor at her feet." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She shrieked again and bent to pummel Kazu, who cowered inside the chest, eyes wide and arms raised in self-defense." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He noticed the other men in the doorway." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Hiro, please!\" he called." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The housekeeper whirled. A scowl added even more lines to her wrinkled face." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Her black eyes glittered with fury and uncomfortable surprise." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Hiro,\" she said. \"I should have known.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The shinobi opened his mouth to deny involvement, but changed his mind." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"It's Kazu,\" he said, then added, \"you know Kazu.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I know he does not belong in the futon chest.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Ana gave Hiro a sideways look and waggled her finger as if at a naughty child." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You put him there to scare me, didn't you?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He did not.\" Kazu stood up and straightened his robe." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He put me there so I wouldn't.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Hm.\" Ana gathered up the fallen quilt and muttered, \"Didn't work.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She started toward the door and paused directly in front of Hiro." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Your kimonos need airing too. Will I find a pair of dancing girls in your wardrobe?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Only if he's lucky,\" Kazu quipped." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Ana shot a glare over her shoulder and bustled from the room." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Father Mateo looked from the departing maid to Hiro." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Why was he hiding in the futon chest?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"A foolish prank,\" Kazu said, \"for which I apologize. I stopped by to see if Hiro had a message for his family in Iga. I am heading there this morning.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You work at the shogunate.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Father Mateo's gaze shifted from Kazu to Hiro." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"This is why you don't want us involved.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro nodded once in silent admission." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The Jesuit looked at Kazu." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Did you kill Ashikaga Saburo?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"No,\" Kazu said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"But the shogun thinks you did.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "It wasn't a question." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro admired the priest's quick inference but hoped Mateo wouldn't ask why Kazu had chosen the Jesuit's house to run to." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The priest didn't know that Kazu was also shinobi, and Hiro had no intention of explaining." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The murderer used my dagger,\" Kazu said, \"but I swear—by all the kami in Japan—my hand did not wield it.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"There is only one God,\" Father Mateo said, \"in Japan or otherwise. But if you are innocent, as you claim, His truth will set you free.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kazu laughed. \"The shogun doesn't care about your god's truth.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Father Mateo bowed. \"Forgive my rudeness. I would like to speak with Hiro—alone.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The Jesuit backed out the door." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When Hiro followed, Father Mateo closed the shoji that separated Hiro's room from the common room and crossed to the central hearth." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A smell of dead ashes rose from the sunken pit where the fire usually burned." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Father Mateo lowered his voice and switched to Portuguese." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"God's house does not shelter murderers.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Kazu claims innocence,\" Hiro replied in the Jesuit's native tongue, \"and I didn't offer him shelter. He arrived unannounced and will leave the same way, at dawn.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"This is serious.\" Father Mateo raised his right hand but stopped just short of running it through his hair." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He returned the hand to his side, refusing to give in to the nervous habit." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The shogun permits me to live in Kyoto and preach God's word because I abide by Japanese law. If he learns I harbored a fugitive he will banish me from the city, and probably banish Father Vilela as well.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He won't banish you.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro switched back to Japanese. \"He'll kill you.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Before the Jesuit could reply Hiro continued, \"I understand the danger. I would not have consented, had Kazu asked, and I would have prevented him from coming here if I could.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I didn't think you invited him,\" Father Mateo said, \"but you let him stay. I begin to suspect he is more than merely a friend from the sake shop.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The door to Hiro's room slid open." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kazu emerged, still wearing the dingy robe and carrying a pair of fraying sandals." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A wicker basket-hat covered his head and rested on his shoulders." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The narrow slit at the front of the basket allowed him to see but completely obscured his features." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Hiro,\" Father Mateo said, \"your friend has a basket on his head.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"A hat,\" Hiro corrected." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"The komusō monks of Fuke Zen wear such things to distance themselves from the world.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Thank you for your hospitality,\" Kazu said, his perfect Kyoto accent slightly muffled by the basket." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I will not impose upon you again.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Father Mateo bowed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro escorted Kazu out." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When they reached the front door Kazu said, \"You should help the Jesuit solve this murder.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro raised an eyebrow in surprise." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You really didn't kill Saburo?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The basket shimmied as Kazu shook his head." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"No, but Hanzo will want to know who did.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro didn't answer. Kazu was right." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The head of the Iga ryu demanded an explanation for everything that impacted an Iga shinobi's mission, and he wasn't known to suffer failures well." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Besides,\" Kazu added, \"you will need to solve the crime to prove you didn't help me escape.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro had thought of that too." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Samurai justice often condemned a guilty man's friends and family if the criminal escaped the grasp of justice." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "No one in Kyoto knew that Hiro and Kazu shared more than a casual friendship, but the two were well-known as friends and drinking companions." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Since Kazu had no family in the capital, his friends would bear the brunt of the shogun's anger." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Travel safely,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Give my regards to everyone at Iga.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kazu paused as if wanting to say something more, but after a moment he set down the sandals, slipped them on, and headed for the street." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The sky had lightened, though clouds prevented a visible sunrise." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A bird chirped in a nearby tree, and Kazu's sandals crunched an accompaniment on the gravel path." }, { "from": "human", "value": "At the narrow earthen road the young shinobi turned east, away from Kyoto." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Angry barking erupted from the yard across the street." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "On the narrow strip of grass beside the house, a huge akita strained at the end of a braided rope secured to a wooden stake." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The dog weighed almost as much as a man and stood three feet high at the shoulder." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It barked ferociously at Kazu, barely pausing to draw a breath." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro found it odd that the dog was home." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The woodsman who lived across the street usually left before dawn and always took the akita with him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "After watching long enough to ensure the dog would not break free, Hiro shifted his gaze to Kazu's retreating form." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He hoped that Kazu hadn't killed Saburo." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "If the investigation proved otherwise, the shogun would execute both Hiro and Father Mateo the moment he learned that Kazu had slipped away." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro didn't want to get involved in another murder, but no man could easily refuse a command from the shogun." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Father Mateo had to find the killer, and Hiro—sworn to protect the priest—had no choice but to follow him into danger." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "An unexpected rush of excitement struck the shinobi as he turned back into the house and closed the door." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Although he wouldn't have chosen this assignment, solving a murder allowed him to use his special training in a way his bodyguard duties seldom offered." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro found himself looking forward to the challenge, even though accepting it went against his better judgment." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He returned to the common room as Father Mateo emerged from his bedroom wearing a formal kimono.\n\nBefore Hiro could speak the Jesuit said, \"You might as well skip the protest. I'm solving this murder and you're going to help me do it.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Expand the story by adding 6 sentences in the mystery, historical fiction, Japan, historical mystery, 1500s genre." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro and Father Mateo walked west along Marutamachi Road past Okazaki Shrine, the Shinto temple that marked Kyoto's official eastern boundary.\n\nThey crossed the wood and stone bridge that spanned the Kamo River. As they entered the elite residential ward on the opposite side, Father Mateo said, \"I'm glad Luis is out of town. If he'd heard Ana scream...\"\n\nHe didn't need to finish the sentence. The Portuguese merchant whose weapon sales financed Father Mateo's mission kept a secret about as well as a toddler—and not even that well if he saw an advantage in talking.\n\nA few blocks past the river, Hiro and Father Mateo turned north onto the road that led to the shogunate." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The shogun's compound lay a block ahead on the western side of the street.\n\nTwenty-foot walls of wood and stone surrounded the shogun's compound. A roof of curved black tiles surmounted the walls, punctuated at intervals by surveillance towers that jutted into the air like curling fangs from the mouth of a boar. The massive perimeter wall stretched two city blocks on every side. At the base of the wall lay a water-filled moat too broad for most men to jump.\n\n\"Such a large compound for only one man,\" Father Mateo said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"The shogun is the most powerful man in Japan,\" Hiro answered, \"more powerful than the emperor in every way that matters. And the shogunate isn't large just for the sake of display. It also houses the bakufu—the government offices.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Yes, in the mansion,\" Father Mateo said. \"That's where the shogun received me when I first arrived in Kyoto. The grounds are spectacular, too.\"\n\n\"Shogun Ashikaga has an eye for beauty,\" Hiro said, \"though some men worry it blunts his martial edge.\"\n\nHiro fell silent as as they reached the eastern entrance to the compound. A wooden bridge spanned the moat and a black tile roof arched high above the massive wooden gates that stood open for shogunate business from dawn until dusk.\n\nHalf a dozen armored samurai stood guard around the entrance." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They snapped to attention as Hiro and Father Mateo approached." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The Jesuit paused at the eastern end of the bridge and bowed to the guards." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They returned the greeting in kind. Hiro noted with approval that the guards bowed deeply, from the waist, a more respectful greeting than samurai usually offered foreigners.\n\n\"I am Father Mateo Ávila de Santos,\" the Jesuit said. \"I have come to see Matsunaga Hisahide.\"\n\n\"Greetings, Father,\" the tallest guard said. \"Please wait here. I will inform Matsunaga-san of your arrival.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He disappeared into the compound as Hiro and Father Mateo crossed the bridge. While they waited for the guard to return, Hiro looked at the shogunate compound—or at least, at the portion visible from the gate.\n\nThe entrance opened onto a graveled courtyard. To the north and south, the yard was lined with stands of delicate maple trees interspersed with taller pines and cedars. On the western side, opposite the gates, lay the entrance to the massive government mansion.\n\nThe building rose higher than a normal one-story structure, creating a dramatic appearance and also allowing room for the shogun's spies to move beneath the rafters." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Heavy cedar beams supported the tile roof, while decorative carvings adorned the woodwork, much of which was painted blue and gold.\n\nThe trees surrounding the mansion were carefully trimmed. Hiro smiled grimly. Not even he could leap that distance onto tiles without making noise and raising an alarm.\n\nThe gate guard emerged from the mansion with a young samurai at his side. At the edge of the veranda they slipped on their sandals and started across the yard.\n\nFather Mateo leaned toward Hiro and whispered, \"Is that Matsunaga Hisahide?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The samurai wore a stylish black kimono with a black and white mon on the upper left side of the chest." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro recognized the symbol. The small white diamond within a larger black one was the crest of the Miyoshi samurai clan.\n\n\"He's too young,\" Hiro replied in Portuguese, then added, \"Most likely a son of Daimyo Miyoshi.\"\n\n\"The lord of Yamato Province?\" Father Mateo asked.\n\nHiro nodded. \"One of the shogun's strongest allies.\"\n\nThe young man stopped in front of Father Mateo and dismissed the guard with a nod." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He let the priest bow first, but returned a deeper bow than Hiro expected and held it long enough to show sincere respect.\n\n\"I am Miyoshi Akira,\" he said as he straightened, \"second cousin to Daimyo Miyoshi of Yamato. I am assisting Matsunaga Hisahide with the murder investigation.\"\n\nAs an afterthought he added, \"Welcome to the shogunate.\"\n\n\"I am Father Mateo, from Portugal,\" the Jesuit said in Japanese, then added, \"Although I speak your language a little, I often require assistance to understand the finer points. This is my translator, Matsui Hiro.\"\n\nThe simple introduction, which stated no clan or province of origin, implied that Hiro was ronin, a masterless samurai forced to adopt a trade. As such, Hiro could claim no rank or privilege in the company of other samurai." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The shinobi bowed as deeply as possible." }, { "from": "human", "value": "To Hiro's surprise, Akira nodded respectfully and without any visible disdain." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Matsui-san.\"\n\nAkira's gaze returned to the priest. \"Matsunaga Hisahide sends his apologies. He wished to greet you himself but was unavoidably detained. You will follow me?\"\n\nHe turned and led them across the courtyard.\n\nHiro inhaled the musky scent of cedars and a dampness in the air that promised rain. The clouds that obscured the sunrise had gathered and darkened." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro doubted his kimono would get home dry and wondered whether Ana would decide to forego the airing of quilts and clothes." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The maid would be in a foul mood if showers spoiled her work." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Hisahide mentioned your previous work on behalf of the Akechi clan.\" Akira stepped out of his sandals and onto the wooden veranda encircling the mansion. \"The shogun requires similar assistance, though I trust you understand that this situation requires even greater discretion.\"\n\nHe looked from Hiro to Father Mateo, awaiting confirmation. They left their sandals beside the veranda and joined him.\n\n\"I give you my word,\" the Jesuit said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I will reveal nothing, and my translator is entirely trustworthy.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Akira led them into the mansion and through the six-mat room where petitioners waited for an audience with the shogun or one of the government officials. At that early hour, the room was empty except for a pair of sleepy-looking guards, who let the three men pass without comment.\n\nHiro and Father Mateo followed Akira through a maze of tatami-floored rooms separated by sliding shoji doors. The larger spaces functioned as audience chambers and meeting rooms, while the smaller ones were little more than passages with sliding doors on either side leading to private offices beyond. Low slatted ceilings, intended to hamper the use of swords, made even the largest rooms feel oppressively small for Hiro's taste.\n\nAfter several minutes they entered a ten-mat audience room with renovations in progress." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The tatami flooring was stacked in the southeast corner and covered to protect the woven mats against damage and dust. An assortment of brooms and carpentry tools lay neatly against the western wall beside an elaborate but unfinished transom screen and a waist-high pile of wooden ceiling slats.\n\nNearby, wooden props supported a thick cedar beam. A section of missing ceiling indicated the place where the beam would become a rafter.\n\nAkira paused as if embarrassed. \"I apologize for the mess. The shogun wants this work completed before... as soon as possible.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "AI writing task: user input -> 3 sentences sentences. genre: mystery, historical fiction, Japan, historical mystery, 1500s." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro and Father Mateo rolled the corpse onto its stomach.\n\n\"Don't do that,\" Akira objected.\n\n\"Don't worry,\" Hiro said, \"I'll turn him over again before anyone sees him. We need to know exactly how he died to determine who killed him.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Saburo's back looked cleaner than his chest." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The single wound between his shoulders had barely bled enough to stain the surrounding fabric.\n\n\"That's where the dagger was found?\" Hiro indicated the wound." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I don't know,\" Akira said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I wasn't there. Is that the wound that killed him?\"\n\n\"No,\" Hiro said. \"He was already dead when this happened, or very close.\"\n\n\"You can tell that?\" Akira asked. \"How?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Men don't bleed after death,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Blood drains from the wounds, but only for a little while and only in the direction of the ground.\"\n\n\"Which means Ashikaga-san died facedown,\" Akira said. He straightened as if remembering that death defiled everyone who came in contact with it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"How can you stand to touch him?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro smiled. \"Fortunately, I live with a priest who can bless the defilement away.\"\n\nFather Mateo gave the shinobi a sideways look. Hiro would rather receive a beating than a blessing." }, { "from": "human", "value": "They rolled the corpse back to its original position." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Saburo's blood-drenched kimono left smudges on the pale floor, but Hiro doubted anyone would notice. With all the blood, some stains would be expected.\n\nHe had learned all he could from the body." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He stood up and studied the room." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Neatly organized bookshelves covered the western wall. Bound volumes occupied the upper shelves while the lower ones held both books and scrolls. Spaces revealed where volumes had been removed, though Hiro didn't notice an obvious pattern." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Saburo's desk looked equally in order." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "An inkwell and a pitcher of water sat in the right-hand corner, alongside a round ceramic container of pasty vermilion ink. A cylindrical marble seal stood upright beside the container. The seal represented Saburo's official signature, and Hiro found it interesting that the murderer didn't steal it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A tray of dirty dishes sat on the floor beside the door to the outer office." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Did Saburo often eat here?\" Hiro asked.\n\nAkira followed his gaze. \"I wouldn't know. I didn't have much contact with this office.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro noticed some tiny particles on the floor between the desk and the doorway." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He picked one up and rubbed it between his fingers as he raised it to his nose.\n\n\"What are you doing?\" Akira asked.\n\nHiro inhaled, then lowered his hand and balanced the speck on his finger." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"This is sawdust. Cedar, to be exact.\"\n\n\"Carpenters' dust,\" Akira said. \"It gets everywhere from the construction.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro remembered the spotless floor around the construction site." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Before he decided whether to mention it, Father Mateo asked, \"How often are these offices cleaned?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Every evening.\" Akira frowned. \"Someone must have tracked that in last night, or this morning when they moved Saburo.\"\n\n\"We would like to speak with the carpenters,\" Hiro said, \"and also with the maid who discovered the body.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"The carpenters should be here soon,\" Akira said, \"but Hisahide sent the girl to spend a few days with her parents.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro noted the use of Matsunaga Hisahide's given name. It surprised him. Most men would never refer to their superiors so casually, and until that moment Akira had seemed unusually polite by nature.\n\n\"Does the girl's family live far away?\" Father Mateo asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I believe they live in Kyoto,\" Akira said.\n\n\"Would it be possible to send a messenger for her?\" Hiro asked. \"I would like to know exactly what she saw.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"A wise request,\" said a voice from the outer office." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A samurai stepped into the room with the silent grace of a tiger. His graying hair was pulled back from a shaven forehead that crowned a handsome, emotionless face. He wore a black kimono adorned with the double-diamond Miyoshi mon, and his swords were sheathed in expensive scabbards." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His confident posture and slender but muscular build suggested unusual fitness, especially in a man of middle age." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro bowed. Father Mateo followed. The samurai merely nodded in return.\n\n\"Greetings, Matsunaga-sama,\" Akira said, using the higher honorific expected of an assistant addressing a master." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"May I introduce the foreign priest, Father Mat-teo Avilo, and his translator, Matsui Hiro.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro bowed again, an unnecessary gesture but one that obligated Hisahide to speak first." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You are the man who captured Akechi Hideyoshi's murderer.\" Hisahide looked at Hiro as he spoke.\n\n\"Father Mateo solved the crime,\" the shinobi said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I am merely his translator.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hisahide smiled. \"You are Matsui Hiro of Iga Province, second and only surviving son of Matsui Jiro. Your father served his daimyo with honor, though his early death forced you to come to Kyoto and seek employment as a scribe. Three years ago, this foreigner hired you as a translator—a most unfortunate turn of fate, though reports suggest you bear the burden honorably.\"\n\n\"Thank you, Matsunaga-sama,\" Hiro said with another bow.\n\nThe information was mostly wrong, but it accurately reflected the story Hiro had planted upon his arrival in Kyoto." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He was glad to know his cover story had fooled the Miyoshi spies." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The shogun expects me to find and punish the man who killed his cousin,\" Hisahide said, \"and I expect both of you to help me do it.\"\n\n\"We would be honored to assist your investigation,\" Father Mateo said.\n\nHisahide turned to Akira." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You may leave us and send a messenger for the maid who found Saburo.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Frustration flickered across Akira's face, but the man bowed and left the room without a word." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When he had gone Hisahide said, \"The shogun believes there is no real need for investigation. The dagger that killed Saburo belongs to a man named Ito Kazu.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He looked at Hiro. \"I also know that Ito-san is a friend of yours.\"\n\nHiro returned Hisahide's stare." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He suspected the Akechi investigation was just a convenient excuse to get him to the shogunate." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "If Kazu couldn't be found and punished, a friend or family member would have to do.\n\n\"Ito Kazu is an acquaintance,\" Hiro said. \"We met at Ginjiro's brewery shortly after I arrived in Kyoto. When we realized we were both from Iga, Kazu offered to help me find a job. Unfortunately, his efforts were unsuccessful.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I am told you drink together often,\" Hisahide said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Sometimes,\" Hiro said. \"We reminisce about Iga. All men miss their ancestral homes.\"\n\nHisahide's face revealed nothing. \"Where is Kazu this morning?\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Hey can you write in the mystery, historical fiction, Japan, historical mystery, 1500s genre and use whatever I write as a jumping off point?" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Samurai owed no courtesy to commoners, and Akira wasted no time on greetings. \"Introduce yourself.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The carpenter bowed again." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I am Master Carpenter Ozuru.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He gestured to the kneeling man on the other side of the room." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"My assistant is called Goro.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"This is Father Mateo of Portugal,\" Hiro said. \"I am his translator, Matsui Hiro.\"\n\n\"These men are investigating a murder,\" Akira said. \"You will answer their questions honestly and tell the entire truth. The foreigner has captured many criminals. He can recognize a lie before you speak it.\"\n\nOzuru's face remained a mask.\n\nAkira bristled at the carpenter's lack of reaction, but before he could threaten the man again Father Mateo said, \"Thank you for speaking with us.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Ozuru glanced at Goro." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"We do not require your assistant at this time,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Ozuru gestured to the kneeling man." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Up. I want the beam ready to hang when the others arrive.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Goro stood up, bowed, and retrieved his plane. He tried not to stare at the foreigner, but his eyes kept darting to Father Mateo's face, reminding Hiro how strange the Jesuit's pale skin and Western features appeared to Japanese eyes.\n\nAkira's lips twitched in an unwilling smile. \"Please excuse me. I must check on the messenger's progress.\"\n\nHe disappeared through the southern door before anyone could respond.\n\nHiro turned his attention to Ozuru." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The lines around the carpenter's eyes were caused by sun, not time. His wiry, muscled arms revealed strength, and although his hands were gnarled by work they lacked the darkened spots of advancing age.\n\nA samurai would see only a peasant in stained and dusty trousers, but Hiro understood that carpentry demanded precision, artistic talent, and physical prowess at least as great as those required for swordplay. Only men with impeccable skills would achieve a master's title, and few of them would achieve it by middle age.\n\nThe shinobi knew, if Akira did not, that Ozuru deserved respect.\n\nHe was still deciding how to approach the interview when Father Mateo said, \"Please tell us anything you know about Ashikaga-san's murder.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro looked at the priest in disbelief." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Directness was anathema to the Japanese." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I know only that he was killed,\" Ozuru said, \"and learned that only when I arrived for work this morning.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Did you work yesterday?\" Hiro asked.\n\n\"Yes, from dawn until two hours after sunset. I stayed late to work on the transom carving.\" He pointed to the wooden screen that rested against the wall. When complete, the elaborate transom panel would cover the gap between the top of the doors and the ceiling while also allowing air flow between the rooms.\n\n\"You are skilled,\" Father Mateo said.\n\nOzuru bowed his head humbly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Thank you, Father-Mateo-sama.\" He pronounced the name and honorific as a single word. \"My father was a carpenter, my grandfather a master carver. They trained me in both disciplines.\"\n\nHe spoke carefully, and with simple words, to ensure the priest understood.\n\n\"Would you like to see the screens more closely?\" he offered.\n\nFather Mateo seemed inclined to agree, but Hiro had no intention of letting the carpenter distract them from their objective.\n\n\"Do you work late often?\" Hiro asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Ozuru paused before answering, as if he no longer remembered the previous topic. At last he nodded in understanding. \"Yes, quite often. My assistants leave at sundown and I stay to work in silence.\"\n\n\"Most artisans have a workshop,\" Hiro said.\n\n\"As do I,\" Ozuru replied, \"but the shogun demands that I do my work on the premises. He believes it leads to faster completion, and I am in no position to argue with samurai.\"\n\n\"The shogun wants the work finished quickly?\" Father Mateo asked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Yes,\" Ozuru glanced at the ceiling, \"because of the rats.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Rats?\" the Jesuit looked up quickly.\n\n\"They live above the ceilings, under the roof,\" Ozuru said. \"It would be most inconvenient for a rat to jump down on a passing samurai.\"\n\n\"Does that happen?\" Father Mateo's eyes widened.\n\nOzuru shrugged. \"It depends how long the roof goes unrepaired.\"\n\nOnce again the conversation had drifted away from the murder." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Where did you go when you left last night?\" Hiro asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Home, as always.\"\n\n\"Did you stop on the way?\"\n\n\"No,\" Ozuru said, \"and I live alone, so no one can tell you what time I arrived or confirm that I went directly to sleep, though I did.\"\n\nHiro heard no defensiveness in the carpenter's voice. If anything, Ozuru seemed amused.\n\n\"How long have you worked here?\" Hiro asked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"For the shogun? Or in this room?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro didn't answer.\n\n\"This project began a month ago,\" Ozuru said, \"but I've worked in this compound off and on for several years. I succeeded the previous master when he retired.\"\n\n\"Do you know why someone would want to kill Ashikaga Saburo?\" Father Mateo asked.\n\n\"Walls have ears,\" Ozuru said with a smile, \"but intelligent workmen have none.\"\n\n\"What about you?\" Hiro asked. \"Did you argue with Ashikaga-san?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Ozuru's smile faded. \"What makes you ask?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The question had been instinctive, but it seemed to have hit a mark.\n\nHiro hazarded a version of the truth. \"I understand Ashikaga-san did not appreciate independent men, particularly those who fail to grovel.\"\n\nOzuru gave Hiro an appraising look. \"You have guessed correctly. I will not hide the truth. Last night Ashikaga-san complained about the noise of my chisel and ordered me to leave. I refused, and he grew angry.\"\n\n\"You refused?\" Father Mateo started to raise a hand to his hair, but lowered it." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro took the averted gesture as a sign of the priest's surprise." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 7 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The shogun imposed strict deadlines on this work.\" Ozuru indicated the open ceiling. \"My job depends on completing this room within the next three days.\n\n\"I have never missed a deadline. I won't miss this one, despite the shortened time. The shogun gave me permission to work as many hours as necessary. Ashikaga-san had no right to countermand that order.\"\n\n\"Did you tell Ashikaga-san about the shogun's instructions?\" Hiro asked.\n\nOzuru's lips raised in a humorless smile. \"Ashikaga-san was not a man to whom carpenters explain anything.\"\n\nAkira strode into the room. \"The maid has arrived. She is waiting for you in the kitchen.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "CREATIVE WRITING ASSIST:\n2 sentences sentences\nGenre: mystery, historical fiction, Japan, historical mystery, 1500s" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The shogun's guards report no visitors yesterday evening,\" Akira said. \"All business was concluded and all petitioners left the compound more than an hour before they closed the gates for the night.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He narrowed his eyes at the maid." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Did she tell you everything you need to know?\"\n\nJun looked at the floor." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"She was most helpful.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Father Mateo stood up and straightened his kimono. \"We have no further questions. She was not involved in the crime.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I could have told you that,\" Akira said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"If you are finished I will escort you to the gates.\"\n\nAkira led them out of the kitchen and through the well-groomed gardens surrounding the bakufu mansion." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The clouds had darkened and the smell of rain increased.\n\nAs they passed a koi pond Hiro asked, \"Can the guards confirm that no strangers entered the compound after dark last night?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Of course,\" Akira said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I interviewed most of them personally this morning. No one entered the compound after they closed the gates at sunset.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What time did Ozuru leave?\" Hiro asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Akira's forehead wrinkled as he tried to place the name. \"The carpenter? The guards wouldn't know that. Workmen use the stable gate, which is locked at sundown. Anyone leaving later would have to see the stable master.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Did you speak with him this morning?\" Hiro asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"There was no need.\"\n\n\"May we speak with the stable master now?\" Father Mateo asked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Akira altered his course to the west and led them onto an earthen path wide enough for two horsemen to ride abreast." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "To their right, the shogun's private mansion sat behind high walls at the center of an artificial lake. Unlike the bakufu mansion, where government business and audiences took place, the shogun's palace was strictly off limits except to the shogun, his women, and his guards." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Past the palace, the path curved right and continued along the inner side of the compound's southern and western walls until it reached the stable yard, an open area large enough to saddle and exercise the shogun's horses." }, { "from": "human", "value": "At the western side of the yard, a pair of massive wooden gates stood open to the street." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Beyond them, Hiro caught a glimpse of a wooden bridge and half a dozen armored samurai guards.\n\nJust past the gates, but inside the compound, a long, low stable huddled against the western wall." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Does the shogun always have guards at this gate?\" Father Mateo asked.\n\n\"In the daytime,\" Akira said, \"but only four. He ordered extra guards this morning because of the murder.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro looked at the stable as he listened." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The wide doors on the building's southern end stood open, allowing a view of the dim interior. Windows along the eastern wall were covered with angled wooden slats to allow the passage of air and a little light." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A muscular man emerged from the stable. Silver hair stood up on his head like the bristles of an ancient boar." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His crooked nose had broken and healed more than once." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He wore a faded surcoat and baggy trousers that flared as he bowed to Hiro and the others.\n\n\"Good morning, Miyoshi-san,\" the stableman said to Akira." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He smiled in greeting, revealing a missing upper tooth." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Akira did not return the greeting." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Instead he told Father Mateo, \"Masao is the shogun's stable master. He can tell you what time the carpenters left yesterday.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I apologize,\" Masao said, \"but I fear I cannot. I was not here when they left.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Akira's eyes narrowed. His lips turned down. \"Where were you?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"My cousin came to Kyoto yesterday, on business. We ate dinner together near Sanjō Bridge. I left before sunset and returned about an hour after midnight.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Is your cousin still in Kyoto?\" Hiro asked, \"To confirm your story?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Unfortunately, no. He finished his business yesterday and planned to leave the city at dawn this morning.\"\n\n\"Where was he going?\" Father Mateo asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He owns an apothecary shop at Ōtsu, on the Tōkaidō Road. He comes to Kyoto once a month for supplies.\"\n\n\"Tōkaidō,\" Father Mateo repeated." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The travelers' road between Kyoto and Edo?\"\n\n\"Yes. Ōtsu is the first station outside Kyoto.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Who watched the stable in your absence?\" Hiro asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The guards would have locked the gates at sunset,\" Masao said. \"After that, no one. The horses don't need care through the evening.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What about Den?\" Akira asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Masao glanced at the gates. \"He's away, seeing relatives in the country.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro suspected a lie. \"Who is Den?\"\n\n\"My apprentice,\" Masao said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He lives here with me.\"\n\n\"He must miss his family,\" Father Mateo said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Does he visit them often?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Not often.\" Masao said. \"His parents are farmers... poor.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He spoke the last word quietly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro understood. Many farmers could barely afford to feed themselves, let alone their children.\n\n\"When did Den leave?\" Hiro asked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Yesterday afternoon,\" Masao said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He wanted to pass the checkpoints before sunset.\"\n\n\"Then no one watched the gate after dark,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"That is correct.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro opened his mouth, but before he could speak Akira asked, \"Then who let the carpenter out?\"\n\nMasao looked confused. \"The carpenters leave at sunset. The guards would have let them out.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"The master carpenter, Ozuru, worked late last night,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He must have left by the other gate,\" Masao said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"This one was locked when I returned. I came back through the eastern gate myself.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Akira frowned. \"The guards didn't tell me that.\"\n\n\"Do you know that a man was murdered here last night?\" Father Mateo asked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Masao nodded. \"I saw Jun as she left this morning.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You know the maid by name?\" Hiro asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Of course,\" Masao said. \"She brings us leftovers from the kitchen, though I suspect she intends them more for Den than for me.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He smiled fondly, but the smile faded as he noticed Akira's frown. \"Their relationship is appropriate and properly supervised.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro changed the subject. \"Did you see Ashikaga-san yesterday?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I must have.\" Masao glanced upward, thinking." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He always arrives after dawn, on horseback. I stable his horse. I don't remember yesterday being different.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Is his horse in the stable?\" Hiro asked.\n\n\"No. The messenger who carried the news to Ashikaga-san's family took it with him.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Very considerate,\" Father Mateo said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Do you know who would want to kill Ashikaga-san?\"\n\nMasao shook his head." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I'm sorry. The news was a surprise to me.\"\n\n\"If you remember anything else, or hear anything of interest, please let us know,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"My house is on Marutamachi Road,\" Father Mateo added, \"just past Okazaki Shrine. You are welcome there any time and for any reason.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Akira narrowed his eyes at the priest.\n\nMasao bowed. \"Thank you.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He bowed even more deeply to Akira.\n\nHooves thumped on the drawbridge." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A child's voice shouted, \"Master Masao!\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro turned as a bay horse trotted into the yard." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "On its back sat a boy of about ten years. His unshaven forehead marked him as a child, not yet an adult samurai, but his hair was long and tied back in a warrior's knot." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 3 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He wore a gray kimono emblazoned with the Ashikaga mon—a black-edged circle with five horizontal bars, alternating black and white.\n\nThe boy's handsome features looked eerily familiar.\n\nHiro had seen them not an hour before, on a dead man's face." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Mode: Collab writing\nAmount: 6 sentences\nVoice: Susan Spann" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Father Mateo leaned toward Hiro but fixed his eyes on the boy. \"Do you think that's Saburo's son?\" he whispered in Portuguese.\n\n\"I've never seen a stronger family resemblance,\" Hiro said.\n\nA second rider entered the yard, a samurai woman whose face bore a strong and unfortunate resemblance to her aging mare. Her gray-streaked hair was pulled back without adornment, though she wore an expensive gray kimono cut in the latest style." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Masao approached the woman's horse, bowed low, and held the animal steady as she dismounted." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The boy didn't wait for assistance. He slipped off his horse with practiced ease and pulled the reins over its head. He patted the animal's neck and turned to Akira.\n\nThe samurai ignored the child but bowed to the woman. \"Good morning, Ashikaga-dono. I am sorry for your loss.\"\n\nFather Mateo stepped closer to Hiro and whispered, \"-Dono? Not -san?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro switched to Portuguese." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"-San implies the speaker's inferiority to the person addressed. Polite self-deprecation, if you will. -Dono implies equal rank—it's less polite, though permitted when a samurai speaks to a woman.\"\n\nThe boy took a step toward Akira.\n\n\"What about me?\" he asked. \"I have lost my father. The least you can do is bow.\"\n\nHiro hid his surprise as Akira complied with the child's demand. \"My condolences, young master Ashikaga.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The boy watched Akira's bow with a critical eye." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He seemed disinclined to return it, but Saburo's wife gave her son a look and the boy bent forward gracefully.\n\nAs he straightened, he noticed Father Mateo. His mouth fell open in surprise and he hurried toward the foreign priest. When he reached a comfortable speaking distance he stopped, pulled his hands to his sides, and bowed.\n\n\"Bun dia,\" he said in strongly accented Portuguese. \"You are not Father Virera, though you are from his country, I think.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The boy's pronunciation needed work, and he mangled Father Vilela's name, but few Japanese spoke Portuguese at all." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Bom dia,\" Father Mateo said.\n\nThe boy cocked his head to the side like a bird inspecting an interesting seed.\n\n\"Bom dia,\" he repeated. This time he pronounced it perfectly.\n\n\"And to you.\" The Jesuit bowed low and switched to Japanese. \"My name is Father Mateo.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I am Ashikaga Ichiro, only son of Ashikaga Saburo. This is my mother, Lady Netsuko.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "After a pause he added, \"I have not seen you here before.\"\n\n\"I work in another part of Kyoto,\" Father Mateo said, \"near Okazaki Shrine.\"\n\nThe boy's eyes widened. \"There are two Christian temples in Kyoto?\" He looked at Akira. \"Did you know this?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"There is only one of consequence.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Akira gave the Jesuit a hostile look. \"These men are helping us find your father's killer.\"\n\nIchiro looked at Hiro. \"And you? What is your name?\"\n\nHiro bowed. \"I am Matsui Hiro, Father Mateo's translator and scribe.\"\n\nThe boy looked from Hiro to the priest." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He seems to speak our language well enough.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Simple phrases, yes.\" Hiro offered the standard explanation. \"But he often misses the finer implications of Japanese speech.\"\n\nIchiro considered this. After a moment he nodded once and continued, \"Your speech has the accent of Iga Province. Do you know Ito Kazu?\" The boy frowned. \"Kazu did not kill my father.\"\n\nHiro regarded Ichiro with surprise. \"Does someone say he did?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Before the boy could answer, his mother laid a restraining hand on his shoulder." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"My son must have overheard the messenger,\" she said, \"the one who delivered the news of my husband's death. He claimed Saburo was killed with Kazu's dagger.\"\n\n\"Kazu did not do this.\" Ichiro looked and sounded like a tiny samurai.\n\nHiro decided to treat him as one. \"Why do you think he is innocent?\"\n\nNetsuko spoke first. \"Kazu was Ichiro's tutor.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He remains my tutor, and I am not a child who needs a woman to speak in his place.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Ichiro shook off his mother's arm. \"You do not know Kazu as I do. He is an honorable man.\"\n\nIchiro's hands clenched at his sides. He looked at each man in turn, as if daring them to contradict his words.\n\n\"Indeed?\" Hiro found the boy's reaction interesting. Except for his size, Ichiro didn't seem like a child." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You do not believe me.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Ichiro squared his shoulders." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I am fourteen and ready for genpuku.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He paused. His fists clenched tighter. His lips pressed into a line as he took a deep, slow breath. \"That is, I would have been, had my father lived to approve Kazu's recommendation.\"\n\n\"I am very sorry,\" Hiro said. \"Please accept my condolences.\" He found the boy's restraint impressive, especially under the circumstances." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Thank you,\" Ichiro said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I am pleased to have this chance to speak with the men investigating my father's death. I will not have Kazu wrongfully accused. I know him better than any of you, and I know he did not do this.\"\n\nHiro found the boy's loyalty surprising, particularly since Kazu had never mentioned Ichiro. Then again, Kazu didn't discuss his work in detail. No shinobi would.\n\nHiro felt a flash of regret for encouraging Kazu's flight. An innocent man should have stayed to defend himself. In the predawn confusion, an execution seemed inescapable." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Now Hiro wasn't so certain." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "But then, he no longer felt sure of Kazu's innocence either.\n\nFather Mateo bowed to Akira. \"Thank you for your assistance this morning. We will leave you to escort Ashikaga-san's family and return to continue our work in the afternoon.\"\n\nThe men exchanged bows, and Hiro and Father Mateo left the compound.\n\nThey walked as far as the Kamo River in silence. As they crossed the bridge Father Mateo asked, \"What do you think? Is the boy correct about Kazu?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "That very question had bothered Hiro since leaving the shogunate." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Kazu claims he did not kill Saburo. As yet, I have no reason to think he lied. I am more concerned about finding the killer before Lord Oda's embassy arrives.\"\n\n\"Three days,\" Father Mateo said. \"Perhaps the shogun would grant an extension?\"\n\n\"No chance of that,\" Hiro said, \"and if we fail to find the true murderer, Hisahide will probably execute me instead.\"\n\nAnd perhaps you also.\n\n\"You?\" Father Mateo raised his hands in surprise." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He didn't say that.\"\n\n\"Not openly, but he made his meaning clear. The shogun wants a dead murderer to impress Lord Oda's retainers, and an innocent corpse looks very much like a guilty one.\"\n\n\"But why you?\" Father Mateo asked. \"I know the law permits execution of relatives in a criminal's place, on the theory that the clan should pay for the crime, but you and Kazu are not related.\"\n\n\"We are both from Iga Province, and we are friends. That will suffice.\"\n\n\"You assumed all that from Hisahide's comments?\" Father Mateo asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I don't make assumptions and didn't need to. He made himself perfectly clear.\"\n\n\"To a samurai, maybe.\" Father Mateo shook his head in frustration. \"A man should say what he means directly.\"\n\nHiro shrugged. It was not the Japanese way.\n\n\"If that's the case,\" the priest continued, \"Kazu had better have told the truth.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Father Mateo said no more, but Hiro had the same thought himself." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 1 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Indeed,\" the shinobi said, \"I will find it most inconvenient if Kazu killed Saburo and left me to bear the punishment in his stead.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "help a writer out? six sentences more sentences, mystery, historical fiction, Japan, historical mystery, 1500s genre thx" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro stepped out of the bakufu mansion into a fine-misted drizzle that hung in the air as if a cloud had settled onto the courtyard." }, { "from": "human", "value": "After the death-scented air of Saburo's office, the gentle drops felt pleasant and refreshing, though Hiro knew the rain would soon increase." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The earthen road outside the shogun's compound already sported a sticky layer of mud. The three men had barely left the gates when Akira said, \"We should have taken horses. Didn't you ride here?\"\n\nHiro smiled. \"Father Mateo does not own a horse.\"\n\n\"Why not?\" Akira asked. \"Only poor men and commoners walk.\"\n\n\"God walked, when he was on the earth,\" Father Mateo said." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "lets do a mystery, historical fiction, Japan, historical mystery, 1500s thing. u write 8 sentences bits like Susan Spann would" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro doubted Suke's oath would persuade a child, let alone the shogun, but he appreciated the offer." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He returned to the counter as Suke settled cross-legged on the floor.\n\n\"Do you buy him food often?\" Father Mateo asked.\n\nHiro shrugged. \"It keeps him from drooling into mine.\"\n\nGinjiro returned and set a pair of bowls on the countertop. One held a generous mound of steaming rice. The other held pickled vegetables and five thick slices of fatty pork.\n\nThe brewer didn't like Suke, but he never shorted a paying customer.\n\nHiro looked from the bowls to Ginjiro and waited." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The brewer sighed and bent below the counter. When he straightened, he set a ceramic flask and an egg-sized sake cup beside the bowls. Hiro nodded approval and carried the food and drink to the waiting monk.\n\nSuke clapped his hands in delight. \"A thousand blessings upon you, Hiro-san.\"\n\nThe monk swallowed two cups of sake in quick succession, wiped his mouth, and removed a pair of wooden chopsticks from his filthy robe.\n\nHiro returned to the counter as Suke shoveled vegetables into his mouth.\n\nAkira had already resumed his questioning." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Can you confirm how late Ito Kazu stayed?\"\n\nGinjiro's smile froze. \"Some time after midnight.\"\n\n\"Was he drinking all evening?\" Hiro asked. \"If so, he would have been very drunk when he left.\"\n\nFather Mateo gave the shinobi a sidelong look, but Hiro ignored him. The wording was neither careless nor accidental.\n\nGinjiro nodded and gave the desired answer. \"More so than I'd ever seen him. I'd be surprised if he made it home in that condition.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro made a mental note to tip Ginjiro handsomely." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Did Kazu tell you where he was going?\" Akira asked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"My patrons don't usually ask permission to leave.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Ginjiro looked at Hiro with concern. \"Is Ito-san injured?\"\n\n\"We don't know,\" Hiro said. \"No one has seen him since last night.\"\n\nThe noren fluttered in the kitchen doorway, giving Hiro a glimpse of a purple kimono behind the fabric panels. Ginjiro's daughter, Tomiko, had a crush on Kazu as well as a tendency to eavesdrop.\n\n\"Does Kazu have a woman in Pontocho?\" Akira asked.\n\nGinjiro pressed his lips together. \"I don't know. If he does, he's never mentioned her and never brought her here. I certainly never asked. It is not my place to inquire about a customer's business in the pleasure district.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The brewer's comments revealed his disapproval. Akira's question overstepped the bounds of polite inquiry.\n\nAkira turned to Hiro, ignoring the brewer's tactful reprimand. \"You were wrong. He doesn't know anything useful.\"\n\n\"On the contrary,\" Hiro said, \"we know that Kazu spent the evening here and left in a drunken stupor.\"\n\nAkira thrust an expectant hand across the counter. Ginjiro retrieved the samurai's sword and also Father Mateo's. When the brewer returned Hiro's katana, the shinobi accepted the weapon with both hands, an unnecessary courtesy intended to show respect." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Ginjiro had tried to keep Kazu out of trouble, and Hiro appreciated the brewer's loyalty.\n\nThe shinobi sheathed his katana and handed Ginjiro a silver coin for Suke's meal and a second one to express his thanks for the brewer's cooperation.\n\nAfter joining Akira and Father Mateo in the street, Hiro stepped to the edge of the floor where Suke squatted and asked, \"Did you notice which way Kazu went when he left last night?\"\n\nThe monk paused, mouth full of rice. After a moment he nodded and mumbled, \"River.\"\n\nSeveral grains of rice popped out from between his lips. He pushed them back into his mouth with a grubby finger.\n\nAkira's nostrils flared in disgust." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Father Mateo bowed. \"Thank you, Suke-san.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Suke nodded and returned his attention to his rice." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The rain had slowed to a mist again while the men were inside the brewery, but the brief downpour left puddles in the road." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The shinobi took care to avoid them.\n\nAs the men walked east toward the Kamo River, Hiro wondered why Kazu failed to meet them at the brewery as planned. He didn't like doubting a fellow shinobi, but Kazu's conduct didn't inspire confidence.\n\nJust outside the winding alley that housed the pleasure district of Pontocho, a pair of young women huddled beneath an oiled paper umbrella. They wore expensive kimonos patterned with summer scenes. Red linings peeked from the neck of their robes, marking the girls as maiko, or apprentice entertainers. Hiro knew them for novices even before he saw the collars. Water ruined time-consuming makeup and costly hairstyles." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Experienced entertainers stayed inside on a rainy day.\n\nThe girls scooted up against a building, gaping with astonishment at the sight of the foreign priest. Father Mateo bowed without slowing. Akira ignored the girls and Hiro looked away. He refused to acknowledge women who lacked the sense to get out of the rain.\n\nWhen they reached the river, Hiro paused to watch the raindrops fall on the flowing water. They dimpled the surface and disappeared, consumed by the thirsty river.\n\n\"Perhaps we should go back,\" Akira said, \"and search Pontocho?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"If you like.\" Hiro hoped the samurai wouldn't insist. The shinobi hated Pontocho.\n\n\"I'd rather not.\" Akira glanced over his shoulder. \"It's hardly an appropriate place to be seen.\"\n\nIn daytime, anyway, Hiro thought.\n\nSamurai flooded Pontocho at night, despite the ethical prohibition on nobles consorting with prostitutes. No one paid attention, and, for the most part, no one cared.\n\nBy daylight, however, a man in Pontocho attracted considerable notice." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Akira started north along the road that followed the river bank. \"I'm not risking my reputation. If Kazu's alive, he'll turn up sooner or later.\"\n\n\"And if he's not alive?\" Father Mateo matched Akira's pace.\n\nThe samurai turned. \"Do you think the murderer killed him too?\"\n\n\"He has disappeared,\" Father Mateo said.\n\n\"But why would the killer hide the second victim?\" Akira asked.\n\n\"He wouldn't, without a reason.\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The shinobi walked on Akira's right, closest to the river.\n\n\"Why do you think the murderer killed Saburo?\" Akira asked.\n\n\"The evidence makes robbery unlikely,\" Hiro said.\n\n\"Vengeance, maybe?\" Akira offered.\n\n\"Perhaps,\" Hiro said. \"Did anyone have a grudge against Saburo?\"\n\nAkira's momentary silence suggested unwillingness to speak, but eventually he said, \"Saburo was not popular. He thought his name entitled him to privileges above his rank.\"\n\n\"He demanded unusual deference?\" Father Mateo asked.\n\nAkira gave an awkward smile." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Yes, but also... with the maids.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro understood at once." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Do any of the girls he approached still work at the shogunate?\"\n\n\"I don't know,\" Akira said. \"It is a delicate situation.\"\n\n\"Perhaps Saburo's wife knows more about it,\" Hiro said.\n\nAkira's eyes widened. His cheeks flushed. \"I would rather you didn't...\"\n\nBefore he could finish the sentence, Father Mateo made a startled sound.\n\nJust ahead, a male figure emerged from beneath a bridge." }, { "from": "human", "value": "His blue kimono was streaked with mud." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 5 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Dead grass and broken reeds poked out of the ragged samurai knot atop his head, and his face was bruised and battered. The man raised a hand to his temple as if to soothe its aching, but the effort seemed to increase his pain and he lowered his hand to his side.\n\nShock forced a name from Hiro's lips.\n\n\"Kazu?\" he asked. \"What are you doing here?\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Job: User writes start, you add ~eight sentences sentences. Style: Susan Spann" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Father Vilela asked us to help the shogun,\" Father Mateo said. \"I couldn't refuse.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"But now he has instructed Father Mateo to quit the investigation,\" Hiro added." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Luis shook his head. \"Jesuits—almost as inscrutable as Japanese.\"\n\nAna carried a tray of soup and pickled vegetables into the room. She set it down in front of Luis and asked, \"Father Mateo, would you like to eat now too?\"\n\n\"Please.\" The Jesuit knelt beside Luis. Unlike the merchant, Father Mateo had trained himself to sit in the Japanese style. \"Hiro? Will you join us?\"\n\n\"No thank you.\" The shinobi slid open the door to his room." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Gato raced through the opening the moment the gap was large enough to admit her narrow frame.\n\nHiro shook his head and followed the kitten into the room. As he slid the door shut behind him he heard Luis tell Father Mateo, \"I'm heading for Ōtsu tomorrow morning. I'll be gone overnight and back on the sixteenth, hopefully by midday...\"\n\nThe door closed and Hiro stopped listening. The merchant's words held no further interest.\n\nGato ran halfway across the room and flopped down on her side. She stretched herself in a backward arc, legs splayed out and claws extended. She finished the stretch, rolled upright, and looked at Hiro." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He snapped his fingers." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The kitten jumped up and trotted toward him with a trill. Hiro stroked her fur as she padded back and forth, purring in a low but constant rumble reminiscent of a temblor. Hiro smiled. At least her rumbling wouldn't set the room to shaking.\n\nWhen Gato wandered off, the shinobi exchanged his gray kimono for a dark blue surcoat and black hakama trousers. He slipped a shuriken into the tunic's inner pocket and tied an obi around his waist. As he passed a hand over his hair, he decided to retie his chonmage. The morning's hurried dressing had pulled the knot out of place, and the leather tie pinched when he turned his head.\n\nHiro removed the outer tie that secured the knot but left the second, inner band in place." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Retying the outer knot was hard enough without assistance.\n\nHe ran a comb through his hair until the well-oiled tail hung smoothly to his waist. He set down the comb and twisted the hair in his hands, preparing to double it over the top of his head. Most samurai used a hairdresser, and Hiro preferred that option too, but necessity had forced him to learn to tie a passable knot on his own.\n\nThe attack came from behind and without warning.\n\nA dozen tiny daggers punctured Hiro's shoulder and upper back. He grunted with surprise and pain and tried to twist away, but the effort made Gato sink her claws even deeper into his flesh. Her free paw batted his hand and grabbed at the swaying tail of hair." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Ow!\" Hiro grabbed for Gato, determined to pry the kitten away before her efforts ruined his hair completely." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He felt her claws release as the kitten slithered away through the oiled strands, clawing furiously as she slid to the floor.\n\nHe whirled to prevent a second attack, but the kitten moved even faster. She sprang for his back, and once again he felt her needle-sharp claws dig into his skin.\n\nWhen he finally managed to grab the kitten, she purred at him through a mouthful of oiled hair.\n\n\"Stop it!\" Hiro maneuvered Gato's paws into one hand and used the other to extract the overexcited kitten from his hair. As he finished, Gato wrapped her paws around his wrist and sank her tiny teeth into his thumb. Her green eyes glowed with excitement. She kicked his sleeve with her legs. Her purr crescendoed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"No!\" Hiro dislodged the kitten from his wrist and set her on the floor." }, { "from": "human", "value": "She fell to her side, paws extended, eager to continue the wrestling match." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro looked for something to distract her." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A piece of rumpled parchment sat in the discard pail beside the desk. He grabbed the paper and crumpled it into a ball.\n\nGato mewed and jumped to her feet.\n\nHiro tossed the paper across the floor. Gato sprang after it, purring loudly, and tackled the target as it hit the ground. Kitten and parchment somersaulted across the floor and rolled to a stop. Gato clutched the paper between her paws and kicked contentedly at her captured prey.\n\nHiro took advantage of her distraction to fix his chonmage." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "By the time he finished, Gato had shredded the parchment and started to eat it.\n\nThe shinobi scooped up the scraps and dropped them into the discard pail, imagining Ana's fury if Gato threw up parchment on the clean tatami floor. The maid wouldn't blame the cat. Ana believed that Gato, like Father Mateo, could do no wrong. Hiro would bear the brunt of her wrath for feeding the kitten paper in the first place.\n\nHe tucked his swords through his obi and left the room as Gato curled up for a nap.\n\nAs Hiro passed through the common room, Father Mateo asked, \"Will you join us?\"\n\nThe Jesuit and Luis sat by the hearth enjoying a cup of tea." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 9 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It smelled expensive, almost certainly ichibancha from Luis's personal supply.\n\n\"No thank you,\" Hiro said. \"I need something stronger than tea.\"\n\nFather Mateo's smile faded. \"You're going to Ginjiro's?\"\n\nHiro ignored the obvious, and familiar, disapproval. \"Care to join me?\"\n\n\"I have a worship service here in an hour. Why don't you stay?\"\n\n\"Another time.\" Hiro avoided the Jesuit's preaching as diligently as the priest avoided sake." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "writing exercise: 6 sentences sentences, mystery, historical fiction, Japan, historical mystery, 1500s genre. go!" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro walked up Marutamachi Road as the darkening sky turned the clouds from gray to black. The evening air smelled of earth and smoldering fires, and though the rain had stopped for the moment the rainy season had definitely arrived.\n\nThe torii gate at the entrance to Okazaki Shrine glowed red, reflecting the charcoal fires in the braziers at its base. A whiff of acrid smoke from the coals made Hiro think of hell. He wasn't sure he believed in the flaming pit of the Christian god or the multilayered Buddhist hells where evil met a variety of peculiarly twisted punishments. He was more concerned with avoiding the torments inflicted upon the living—and ensuring that Father Mateo did the same." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro crossed the Kamo River and continued south along the river road. As he walked, he considered what he knew of Saburo's murder.\n\nThe body's condition indicated that Saburo died around midnight. By that hour, all visitors would have left the shogunate grounds. Kazu and Ozuru, as well as Jun, admitted to staying after the gates were closed, though each of them claimed no knowledge of the murder.\n\nSaburo hadn't drawn his sword, which suggested the dead man knew the killer and didn't question his appearance in the office so late at night." }, { "from": "human", "value": "All of which looked increasingly bad for Kazu." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro hoped Ginjiro, and possibly Suke, could fill in some of the gaps in Kazu's evening. If not, the shinobi might have to depend upon Kazu's word and inferences drawn from the younger man's story, and though Hiro trusted Kazu more than almost anyone else in the world, the shinobi's distrust of assumptions ran even deeper than his faith in friends." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Task: Story collab\nMe: Opening\nYou: 1 sentence more, Susan Spann-style" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kazu turned back toward the compound entrance, but Hiro headed west along the southern wall of the shogunate compound." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The shinobi refused to deny his growling stomach a bowl of noodles just because Kazu didn't want to be late for work." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Half an hour and one large breakfast later, Hiro entered the shogunate through the stable gate in the western wall." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He found Masao sweeping the earthen yard." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Good morning,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Have you remembered anything more about the night Ashikaga-san died?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The stable master feigned a smile that would have fooled most men." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"There is nothing to remember. I wasn't here and Den was visiting relatives out of town.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Curious,\" Hiro said. \"A samurai claims to have seen Den here that evening.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Masao's smile faded. \"Please come with me.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro followed him into the stable." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The long wooden structure had double doors on either end for easy access to the stalls that lined the interior." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A hay-strewn corridor ran up the center of the building, and a raised wooden platform at one end provided a living space for Masao and Den." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The air inside the stable was fresh but heavily scented with horses, hay, and the underlying odors of wood and leather." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Masao leaned his broom against the wall and turned to Hiro, face grim, like a man owning up to a crime." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Den left Kyoto the night Ashikaga-san died.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Why did you say otherwise?\" Hiro asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Why does any man lie? I was afraid. But Den did not kill Ashikaga Saburo.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Masao gestured to the platform." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Please sit, if you wish. I'm sorry I have no better place to offer.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Ths shinobi didn't move." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Masao nodded, accepting Hiro's decision to stand." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"When I returned from dinner I thought I would find Den sleeping, but he was awake and terrified. He said he had argued with Ashikaga-san about a girl. I've felt the brunt of Ashikaga-san's temper more than once, and I thought it wise to send the boy out of town to let the samurai's anger cool.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Would the girl be Jun, the maid?\" Hiro asked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Masao raised his hands defensively." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I promise you, the relationship is entirely innocent. Den hopes to marry Jun, in time, though he hasn't mentioned it to her. It wouldn't be appropriate before he finishes his apprenticeship.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro found Masao's concern understandable but irrelevant." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Did Den describe the argument?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Masao indicated the stable door." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He said that Jun ran in, out of breath, and claimed that Ashikaga-san was chasing her. Den hid the girl in an empty stall. When Ashikaga-san arrived Den claimed he hadn't seen her.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Which Ashikaga-san disputed.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Masao nodded. \"Den wouldn't change his story, so Ashikaga-san left in a rage. Jun hid here a while longer, and afterward Den walked her back to the kitchen.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Assuming the timing matched, which it could, Masao's new story put Den outside the shogunate kitchen exactly as Kazu claimed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "That didn't prove Kazu's innocence, but it told Hiro what to investigate next." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I need to speak with Den,\" he said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Why?\" Masao asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I've told you everything.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro knew concern for the boy was the key to obtaining the stable master's assistance." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I need to speak with him personally in order to persuade the shogun that Den did not kill Saburo.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "A genuine smile relaxed Masao's face." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He is staying with my cousin, the apothecary, at Ōtsu. But, if you please... would you speak to Den there, rather than bringing him back to Kyoto? I am worried about his safety.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Ashikaga Saburo is dead,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"His anger is no longer cause for concern.\"\n\nWhen Masao's smile faltered, Hiro added, \"I have no intention of blaming an innocent boy for this crime or allowing anyone else to do so either.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Produce five sentences using the prose and structure of Susan Spann every time its your turn using what the user wrote as a seed." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As they approached the narrow building that housed the latrine Kazu asked, \"Was that an excuse or do you really need...?\"\n\nHiro gestured for Kazu to follow him inside. The sharp scent of ammonia—and worse—rose from the oval slots in the floor, suggesting the collection pots beneath were in need of cleaning. Some air seeped in through the slatted windows, but barely enough to make the atmosphere bearable.\n\n\"Where did you go after leaving Ginjiro's the night Saburo died?\" Hiro asked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kazu raised a hand to his nose." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"That's what you needed me here to ask? Did you think the smell would make me change my story?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Diversion works only on those not trained to use it.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro turned to face the latrine. He heard Kazu leave the building but didn't worry. The younger man would wait.\n\nWhen he left the latrine, Hiro took a deep breath of rain-scented air to flush the less pleasant odors from his lungs. He fell in step beside Kazu, who started walking the moment Hiro appeared." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Where did you go between Ginjiro's and coming back to the shogunate?\" Hiro asked.\n\nFor a moment, Kazu didn't answer. He gave Hiro a sidelong glance. \"I cannot tell you.\"\n\n\"You know what that implies.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"It implies exactly nothing.\" Kazu said. \"I did not murder Saburo.\"\n\n\"So you claim, but that doesn't prove it.\"\n\nKazu turned on Hiro. \"You question my word?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You are trained to lie.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro felt his anger rising to answer Kazu's.\n\n\"Not to you.\"\n\n\"To everyone,\" Hiro snapped, \"unless your training failed.\"\n\nThe shinobi held Kazu's gaze but watched peripherally for movement. He stood as still as possible so as not to provoke a fight." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kazu scowled. \"It is brotherhood that has failed.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He turned on his heel and stalked away down the path.\n\nHiro followed in a silence that lasted all the way to the stable. The shinobi wanted to mend the breach, but his mouth refused to form a single conciliatory word. His current mistrust of Kazu ran too deep. He also objected deeply to Kazu risking Father Mateo's safety—and Hiro's own—without offering the courtesy of the truth." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro loathed feeling used, and at that moment he felt very ill used indeed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When they reached the edge of the stable yard, Kazu paused for only a moment and then departed without a word." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro noticed Akira waiting outside the stable and decided to obtain permission for Father Mateo to join their ride to Ōtsu." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The shinobi had no intention of leaving the Jesuit alone in Kyoto with Kazu and Hisahide." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hooves pounded on the bridge as Ichiro rode into the yard on his tall bay horse.\n\nThe boy leaned back in his saddle, brought the horse to a stop, and dismounted.\n\n\"Masao,\" he called, \"take my horse, I'm late!\"\n\nMasao emerged from the stable, bowed, and took the horse's reins.\n\nIchiro noticed Hiro. \"Good morning, Matsui-san,\" he said with a bow." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Have you captured my father's killer?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro bowed as if addressing an adult." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Not yet, Ashikaga-san, but I will.\"\n\n\"Kazu called on us last night. Thank you for proving that he was not to blame.\"\n\nHiro decided not to mention his reconsideration of Kazu's guilt. \"Thank you for speaking on his behalf. Your opinion was very helpful.\"\n\n\"It was not an opinion.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Ichiro straightened his shoulders and raised his chin." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I know that Kazu is not guilty.\"\n\n\"My apologies,\" Hiro said. \"Thank you for sharing your knowledge.\"\n\nIchiro nodded. \"Please excuse me. A samurai should never be late for his lessons. Tardiness shows disrespect for the tutor.\"\n\nHe strode off toward the mansion, head high and pace unhurried, looking more noble than most men twice his age." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The boy had barely left the yard when Akira asked, \"Do you have to obtain the priest's permission before you can leave Kyoto?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I am free to come and go as I please,\" Hiro said, \"but—\"\n\n\"You serve the wrong priest, you know,\" Akira said. \"Father Vilela's mission is large and honorable. Your Father Mateo makes serious mistakes.\"\n\n\"Does he?\" Hiro asked.\n\n\"All men are not equal. It is nonsense to suggest it and unacceptable even to mention such a thing to peasants. Commoners' ignorance leads them to folly quickly enough without the intervention of foreign priests.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I assure you,\" Hiro said, \"he intends no harm.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"And I assure you, his intentions are irrelevant. Persisting in this error will bring worse trouble than expulsion from the shogunate.\"\n\nMasao emerged from the stable a second time, leading a pair of horses.\n\nAkira took the larger horse's reins and swung into the saddle. He looked down his nose at Hiro. \"You would do well to find employment elsewhere.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The guards at the gate cried out in surprise." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A little boy raced past them into the yard." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Two samurai in lacquered armor ran after the child, but the boy eluded their grasp. He started for Hiro but froze at the sight of Akira and the horses.\n\nThe child's thin hands clutched at his faded kimono as if the fabric might protect him from samurai rage. His bare feet shuffled on the ground. He didn't seem to notice the mud that squelched between his toes." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A chill spread over Hiro as if he had plunged headfirst into an icy lake. The child was the only son of Father Mateo's neighbor across the street.\n\n\"Wait!\" The shinobi raised a hand to the guards. \"I know him. Let him speak.\"\n\nThe armored samurai paused and exchanged an awkward look." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The boy bent forward, struggling to catch his breath." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "At last he straightened. \"Hiro, come quickly! Father Mateo is dying!\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Expand the story by adding six sentences in the mystery, historical fiction, Japan, historical mystery, 1500s genre." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Do not blame Masao, the words on the pillar read, I acted alone.\n\nThe second line of characters continued the message in bolder, thicker strokes, as if the writer drew strength from the opening words.\n\nI killed Saburo to save the shogun, and kill myself to purge my guilty soul.\n\nHiro read the scrawled confession twice in silence. He saw no need to torture Masao by speaking the words aloud.\n\nA burned stick lay at the base of the pillar, presumably discarded after writing the charcoaled words." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Akira pointed at the pillar." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You see? 'I killed Saburo'—a clear confession.\"\n\n\"Den knew how to write?\" Hiro asked.\n\nMasao nodded. \"It is his hand.\"\n\nHiro studied the characters. \"Every word?\"\n\nMasao looked at the ground. \"Yes, every one.\"\n\n\"The wording seems to confirm the threat implied in Saburo's letter,\" Akira said, \"unless there were two plots, which seems unlikely.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I agree,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"But how would Den have learned about a plot to harm the shogun?\"\n\nThe confession seemed too convenient, given the altered ledger Kazu discovered the night before. Unfortunately, Hiro still didn't know who made the alterations or why.\n\n\"You saw the letter,\" Akira said. \"Saburo needed to let his unnamed 'friends' into the compound. He must have enlisted Den to open the gates.\"\n\n\"Impossible,\" Masao said. \"Den was a loyal servant of the shogun.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"So it appears.\" Hiro gestured to the characters on the pillar." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"But Saburo didn't know that,\" Akira said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Perhaps Den pretended cooperation in order to kill Saburo and stop the plot.\"\n\n\"Why didn't he kill himself the night of the murder?\" Hiro asked. \"And why use Kazu's dagger? Most killers don't rely on finding a weapon at the scene.\"\n\n\"I can't answer the second question,\" Akira said, \"but the first is easy. Den didn't think that anyone would suspect him. He invented the argument with Saburo—the one he used to convince Masao to help him escape—to make himself look like a victim." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It gave him an excuse to leave Kyoto." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"When I brought him back from Ōtsu, he realized we would learn the truth and killed himself to escape the punishment.\"\n\nHiro glanced at the body. \"Not the most effective means of escape.\"\n\nMasao shook his head. \"I don't believe it. Den would have told me about the plot, and last night he seemed eager to talk with Matsui-san.\"\n\n\"More deception,\" Akira said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He knew you would interfere if you learned the truth.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Masao shook his head but didn't argue. As a commoner, he had no right to dispute with a samurai.\n\n\"We should cut the boy down,\" Hiro said. \"There's no need to dishonor his body by leaving it hanging.\"\n\n\"He stays where he is.\" Akira started toward the door." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"A murderer deserves dishonor.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro's katana left its sheath and sliced through the air with a silent hiss. It severed the rope. Den's body fell to the floor.\n\nMasao dropped to his knees with a muffled cry.\n\nHiro saw Akira whirl and heard the whisper of the samurai's blade. The shinobi raised his sword and blocked the strike that otherwise would have killed him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Katanas rang as steel met steel." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Akira jumped back to block the expected counterstrike, but Hiro did not attack. The shinobi froze, sword high and eyes alert for any movement. He hadn't known Akira would respond to his action with violence, but drawing a sword at a samurai's back would always cause a fight.\n\nHiro didn't want Akira dead. If he had, he would have used the strike that cut the rope to sever Akira's neck.\n\nBut Akira didn't know that." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The stable darkened. The guards stepped into the doorway, swords in hand, but made no move to intervene.\n\nAkira's katana quivered. His shoulders heaved and his eyes were wide.\n\nHiro waited, motionless.\n\nAfter almost a minute, Akira lowered his sword. \"How dare you disobey my order!\"\n\n\"I am neither your retainer nor your servant,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I will not obey a dishonorable command.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Akira's nostrils flared. \"You dishonor yourself by defending a murderer.\"\n\nIn a single motion, Hiro straightened and returned his sword to its sheath. \"A samurai should show respect and mercy to the powerless, especially in the face of death.\" He didn't bother to hide his disdain.\n\nMasao knelt beside Den's body, eyes wide and mouth open in shock.\n\nThe guards in the doorway looked at one another and then at Akira." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A moment later, they sheathed their swords and left the stable." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Akira flushed. He sheathed his own katana and raised his chin. \"I will overlook your impertinence this time, but do not think you can disobey me again without consequence.\"\n\nHiro nodded just enough to grant his opponent a modicum of dignity. The shinobi had made his point. Humiliating Akira further would only cause more trouble.\n\nAkira puffed out his chest." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Hisahide will wish to hear your opinion about the suicide. Come with me.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro had hoped to speak with Masao in private but saw no reasonable way to refuse Akira's command. A glance at Masao confirmed it wasn't an optimal time for interviews anyway. The stable master bent over Den's body, shaking as he tried to control his grief.\n\nHiro followed Akira from the stable.\n\n\"No one removes the body until I say so,\" Akira said as he passed the guards.\n\nThe men gave a nod of assent and resumed their watch on the stable doors." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Akira led Hiro across the compound to the samurai training yard." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As they approached, the shinobi heard the distinctive clatter of bokken and saw Hisahide, wooden sword in hand, facing off against the largest samurai Hiro had ever seen. Both men wore baggy hakama and padded jackets that bore the Miyoshi crest. They stood alone in the open yard, most likely because of the early hour and threatening overcast skies.\n\nHiro and Akira stopped at a distance and waited for Hisahide to finish his match.\n\nThe shinobi found it interesting that Hisahide opted for bokken rather than real swords. Samurai often used wooden blades for solo practice but most preferred to use real ones for sparring." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As the bout continued, however, Hisahide's reasons for wooden swords grew clear." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The giant samurai moved with startling speed. His blade struck Hisahide's with a force that would have sent most men to their knees.\n\nTo Hiro's surprise, Hisahide moved even faster. He blocked the giant's strike and counterattacked with a flurry of violent blows. The larger man backed away. But instead of pursuing, Hisahide retreated." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The giant samurai paused, surprised by the reprieve." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He started forward and raised his sword for another powerful strike.\n\nHe saw the trap a moment after Hiro did, but still too late to avoid it.\n\nHisahide sprang sideways and thrust his wooden blade at the larger man's stomach. The giant ran onto the point with an audible grunt. Had the swords been real, the injury would have killed him.\n\nHisahide withdrew his blade and bowed." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "I'll kick things off by writing a bit, then you'll take over and write the next 2 sentences in the distinctive voice of Susan Spann, keeping within the mystery, historical fiction, Japan, historical mystery, 1500s genre." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"An interesting accusation,\" Hiro said, \"considering your previous claims of ignorance.\"\n\nAnd even more so, given Den's confession." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Why should I have told you?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Jun asked. \"Saburo's wife will deny it, and no one believes a servant's word against a samurai's. More importantly, it would cost me all chance at a husband.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She looked at the ground. \"No one wants to wear a stained kimono.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Then why tell me now?\" Hiro asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You know about the affair,\" she said. \"Lying won't keep it secret anymore.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What makes you believe Netsuko murdered her husband?\" Hiro asked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"No one else had a reason to want him dead.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Most women prefer their husbands living,\" Hiro said. \"Why would Lady Netsuko feel otherwise?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"She was jealous because Saburo loved me. She ordered him to cast me away, and he let her think he would do it, but he secretly planned to divorce her and marry me.\" Jun's lower lip trembled." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He must have told her the truth.\"\n\n\"How do you know Saburo planned to marry you?\" Hiro asked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He told me so, the night he died.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Perhaps it was you he lied to,\" Hiro said. \"Perhaps he loved Netsuko all along.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"No one could love such a wretched woman.\" Jun's eyes filled with tears." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"She wasn't a real wife to him. She made him sleep in a separate room and claimed all the credit for his success. Saburo said I was the only woman who ever made him happy.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Is that why you ran from him the night he died?\" Hiro asked. \"And why you asked Den to hide you?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Jun dropped her gaze. \"It was a game Saburo liked to play. He would chase me, and catch me, and...\" She paused demurely, but Hiro noted the absence of a blush." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He didn't catch you that night,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I thought Masao had taken Den with him and left the stable empty,\" Jun said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I intended to lead Saburo there... I thought he would find the change exciting.\" She raised her hands to her mouth as if ashamed of her forwardness, but once again her cheeks didn't darken or flush." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro felt a spark of anger. Jun's innocent act had fooled him at first, but he would not tolerate further manipulation." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Quit pretending embarrassment,\" he snapped, grateful that his samurai status allowed him to channel his anger into words when speaking with servants." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"If you know enough to play such games, you can look at me when you speak of them.\"\n\nJun's humility disappeared like a stone cast into a river." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She raised her face. Her hands fell to her sides." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"That's better.\" Hiro's anger retreated slightly." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Why did you let Den hide you instead of telling him the truth?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I didn't like deceiving him,\" she said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You did it often enough, if Masao's impression is accurate.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Jun shook her head. \"You don't understand. Den was my friend. By the time I realized he felt something more... He was sweet. I didn't want to hurt him. But I decided long ago I would never be a commoner's wife.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"No, you opted for samurai whore.\" Hiro hoped the insult would provoke the girl into telling the truth." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Angry people found it difficult to produce a consistent lie.\n\n\"I am not a whore.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Jun's cheeks turned a mottled red." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Saburo intended to marry me.\"\n\n\"As you intended to marry Den?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro paused to let the words sink in. \"What happened after Den and Saburo argued?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Saburo left. A few minutes later Den walked me back to the kitchen." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I hoped Saburo would find me there, but he didn't. I fell asleep in the servants' room." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"In the morning I remembered the dinner tray and went to retrieve it.\" She bit her lower lip." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"That's when I found him.\"\n\n\"And also noticed your hair pin in his blood,\" Hiro said, \"though you couldn't retrieve it until you thought no one would notice.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"That's not true.\" Jun met his eyes and shook her head. \"I didn't see the pin at first. He must have pulled it out while he was chasing me the night before.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"What evidence do you have against Lady Netsuko?\" Hiro asked.\n\n\"Who else could have done it?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The question sounded honest.\n\n\"Den loved you,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You made him think Saburo intended to hurt you.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Den wouldn't kill a spider.\"\n\n\"His confession says otherwise.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Confession?\" Her forehead wrinkled with confusion. \"What are you talking about?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro found her ignorance curious. \"Den committed suicide and left a message confessing to the murder.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Jun stepped backward, shaking her head. \"That's not possible. When? He was fine last night. I saw him...\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You saw Den last night?\" Hiro asked.\n\n\"After he returned from Ōtsu. It was late. Miyoshi-san came to the kitchen for a meal and told me to take a tray to the stable for Den. Nothing fancy, just rice and tea, though Den seemed glad to have it.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"A final meal,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He hanged himself in the night.\"\n\nShe shook her head." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He wouldn't do that. It doesn't make sense.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Neither does your accusation of Lady Ashikaga.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Maybe Den did it after all,\" Jun said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro found it interesting that she changed her story so quickly after hearing that the only two people who could confirm her actions on the night of the murder were dead." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I've told you the truth,\" Jun said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You have to believe me.\"\n\nShe glanced at the bakufu mansion behind him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Are you going to tell Hisahide?\"\n\n\"Do you mean, will I tell him you lied? Or are you concerned that I will expose your affair?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I've lost the only man I ever loved,\" she said. \"If you don't mind, I would rather not lose my job and my life as well.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"If you've told the truth, you have no reason to worry,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She bowed.\n\nHiro turned away, slipped out of his sandals, and entered the mansion." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When he reached Saburo's outer office—now Kazu's office, at least for the moment—he slid open the door and stepped inside, catching a whiff of familiar wintergreen hair oil." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kazu looked up from his desk with a welcoming smile that faded when Hiro entered." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I didn't expect to see you this morning.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You invited me here to see evidence.\" Hiro slid the door closed behind him." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"And I have another matter to ask about. The stable boy, Den, committed suicide last night.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kazu nodded but didn't smile. \"I heard the news when I arrived. The guards say he confessed to Saburo's murder.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Hisahide just called off the investigation,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You don't agree with his decision.\" Kazu's face reddened. \"You still think I did it. If I killed Saburo, which I didn't, do you really think I would then kill an innocent boy to cover my crime? Canceling the investigation makes Hisahide look more suspicious than anything I've done.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro agreed. Unfortunately, he wasn't convinced of Kazu's innocence either. He considered a lie, but Kazu spotted deception well, and if he recognized Hiro's falsehood their relationship could be injured beyond repair." }, { "from": "human", "value": "That is, if Kazu's lies hadn't already done so." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The shinobi wished for Father Mateo." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The Jesuit could have explained in a way that Kazu would understand. But the priest was injured and Hiro's own words failed him." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "AI Prompt: Generate 5 sentences sentences. Emulate Susan Spann. Adhere to mystery, historical fiction, Japan, historical mystery, 1500s genre conventions." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"How do you know Den didn't kill Ashikaga Saburo?\" Hiro asked.\n\n\"Because Ashikaga-san was alive when the boy left his office that night,\" Ozuru said.\n\n\"Den was in Ashikaga Saburo's office? When? Why didn't you mention this earlier?\"\n\nThe carpenter showed no emotion. \"I didn't think it was my place to chronicle Ashikaga-san's personal interactions the night he died.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I'm making it your place,\" Hiro said, taking note of Ozuru's unusual phrasing. \"Tell me everything you heard and saw that night." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You may work while we talk, if you wish.\"\n\nOzuru rubbed his thumb idly along the handle of his chisel. \"After my... conversation... with Ashikaga-san, I returned to work and tried to keep noise to a minimum. I hoped eventually Ashikaga-san would go home for the night and leave me to work in peace.\n\n\"About two hours after sunset, I heard voices from Ashikaga-san's office. He was arguing with someone else.\"\n\n\"Who was it?\" Hiro asked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Ozuru shook his head as he set the chisel against the transom and raised his hammer. \"I don't know." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Ashikaga-san was the only one yelling." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The argument lasted two or three minutes." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "After that, I heard nothing for a while. Almost everyone else had already left for the evening.\n\n\"An hour later, Miyoshi-san passed through, presumably on his way to the kitchen.\" Ozuru tapped the chisel gently and sent a flake of wood to the floor.\n\n\"Miyoshi Akira?\" Hiro asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He passed through here?\"\n\n\"Yes. He didn't speak to me. I doubt he even registered my presence.\" Ozuru made a gesture with the hammer. \"If I'm not making noise, most samurai don't notice me at all.\n\n\"A while after that the maid ran through with Ashikaga-san close behind her.\" Ozuru shook his head." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"A man his age shouldn't compromise his dignity by chasing foolish girls.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "He paused as if expecting Hiro to chastise him for the inappropriate comment." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What happened then?\" the shinobi asked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Sometime later I heard Ashikaga-san returning, cursing under his breath.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Ozuru ran a finger along the carving, checking for roughness." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I crouched behind the screen. I don't know what upset him, but I didn't care to be yelled at twice in one evening.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"What time was that?\" Hiro asked.\n\n\"Four hours after sunset?\" The answer sounded more like a question. \"Maybe a little less. I worked for a while longer and then realized how late it was. Just before I left I heard footsteps approaching from Ashikaga-san's office, but softly, as if the person didn't want to be heard. I hid behind the screen again—I know better than to be seen when I'm not wanted." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"It was the stable boy, and he was crying quietly. He passed through the room and disappeared.\"\n\n\"How could you tell he was crying?\" Hiro asked.\n\nOzuru indicated the braziers near the door. \"I keep the fires lit when I'm working. I saw the glint of tears in his eyes.\"\n\n\"What happened after that?\" Hiro asked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I waited a few more minutes and went home. The stable boy opened the gates for me. I didn't mention seeing him in the mansion.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He could have returned to Ashikaga-san's office after you left,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"No,\" Ozuru said, \"he was crushed, not angry. I believe he saw something he didn't want to see but couldn't change.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"What do you think he saw?\" Hiro wondered how much the carpenter knew about Jun and Saburo.\n\n\"Rumor has it the boy was in love with Ashikaga-san's mistress,\" Ozuru said. \"That kind of infatuation never ends well. My guess is it ended that night.\"\n\n\"That's a very strong motive for murder,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"For a samurai, maybe. Not for a stable boy.\"" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 2 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro thanked Ozuru and hurried off to the stable. He had one more conversation to finish before he left the compound, and he hoped to conclude it before Hisahide returned." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Let's engage in a collaborative writing exercise in the mystery, historical fiction, Japan, historical mystery, 1500s genre. I'll provide a starting point, and you'll continue with 5 sentences in the style of Susan Spann." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Opium?\" Masao looked startled. \"What are you talking about? That's tea.\"\n\nHiro tilted the pot. An inch of tea still covered the bottom, but as it ran to the side he saw a dark brown smear on the porcelain. The cloying odor grew stronger as the remains of the opium resin met the air." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"There's opium in the tea,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"An unreliable murder weapon, unless the killer can make the victim drink it, and you were the only one here with Den last night.\"\n\nHe didn't believe Masao had murdered his nephew, but Hiro also refused to make assumptions until he knew the facts.\n\n\"Where would I get opium?\" Masao asked.\n\n\"Your cousin is an apothecary,\" Hiro said. \"Did you get the resin the night Saburo died, or did you make Den carry his death from Ōtsu?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"If you were not a samurai, I would kill you for saying that. Den was the closest thing to a son I will ever have.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Masao looked at the body." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"What made you think of poison? It looked to me like he hanged himself.\"\n\nHiro set down the teapot. He wanted his hands free during the explanation, in case he needed to draw his sword. \"The color of his nose and hands indicates death by asphyxiation, not by hanging. His throat doesn't show enough discoloration for that.\n\n\"Den was dead when someone put him on that rope. The question is, were you the one who tied it around his neck?\"\n\nMasao clenched his fists." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Accuse me again and I'll kill you, regardless of rank.\"\n\n\"Then why did you write the confession?\" Hiro asked.\n\nMasao unclenched his fists and looked at the pillar. \"I didn't.\" After a brief pause he admitted, \"I wrote the first sentence—the one about me. When I woke up and saw the words on the pillar I was afraid the shogun would blame me for Den's involvement in the crime.\"\n\n\"Are you certain Den wrote the part that confessed to the murder?\" Hiro asked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I assumed...\" Masao looked at the pillar again." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"But if he was murdered... I thought the writing looked strange because he was frightened when he wrote it. In truth, it doesn't look like Den's, exactly, though I was afraid to admit it earlier. A wise man does not argue with samurai.\"\n\nThe stable master turned to Hiro. \"I don't understand. I drank the tea too. Why am I alive?\"\n\n\"You're substantially larger than Den. How much did you drink?\" Hiro asked.\n\n\"Not much, maybe half a cup.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Masao pointed to the egg-sized teacups sitting on the platform near the pot." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Mostly to keep Den company while he ate.\"\n\n\"You didn't ingest a lethal amount, though someone probably wanted you to.\" Hiro picked up the pot and smelled the remaining tea. \"If you'd finished this, you would have died. You didn't notice the sweetness?\"\n\n\"Den liked sweetener in his tea. Sometimes Jun would sneak him some. I'd been drinking sake at dinner—I didn't notice.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Whoever killed Den may well have intended to kill you also. If you know anything that might identify the person who did this, I suggest you tell me now.\"\n\nMasao seemed disinclined to answer.\n\nHiro set down the teapot and stepped off the platform. He looked at Den's body, knowing the stable master's gaze would eventually follow.\n\nDeath made the boy look pitifully young." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro wished he knew whether Den was involved in the plot or just an innocent casualty." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Den didn't return to the stable after walking Jun to the kitchen that night,\" Masao said slowly." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He hid in the yard to ensure that Ashikaga-san didn't bother the girl again. But Jun didn't stay in the kitchen. She went to the mansion, to Ashikaga-san's office. Den followed and listened outside the door.\"\n\n\"I can guess what he heard,\" Hiro said.\n\nMasao's eyes reddened with unshed tears. \"It crushed him. He said he walked the grounds for hours, crying.\" The stable master shook his head. \"That's why I believed the suicide and that Den had written the message despite the unusual writing. I sent him out of town because of the argument, but when I heard about the murder the following morning I did wonder whether Den had killed Ashikaga-san after all." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Last night, when Den returned, he said he hadn't. But when I saw him this morning... and the message...\"\n\nMasao clenched his jaw, unable to finish.\n\nHiro decided not to increase the stable master's grief with more accusations. He couldn't rule out Masao's involvement in the plot against the shogun and didn't want to say anything that might assist his adversary, whoever that adversary was. He felt a flash of dark amusement." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Instinctively, Hiro was treating the killer like a shinobi would treat a man he intended to kill." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 1 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The key was closing the distance before the target knew he was being hunted." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Let's engage in a collaborative writing exercise in the mystery, historical fiction, Japan, historical mystery, 1500s genre. I'll provide a starting point, and you'll continue with 3 sentences in the style of Susan Spann." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro didn't wait for Father Mateo to say the name. \"You mean Kazu.\"\n\n\"I'm sorry,\" Father Mateo said. \"I know he's your friend.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He is,\" Hiro said, \"and for his sake I hope he's told the truth.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Ana returned, teapot in hand." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As she knelt to pour the Jesuit's tea, Hiro caught a whiff of ichibancha. The grassy odor almost hid the bitter scent of powdered willow. Hiro hoped the expensive tea would suffice to mask the medicine's bite, since he caught no hint of the recommended sweetener." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The medicinal odor grew stronger as Ana poured the steaming liquid into an egg-sized porcelain cup." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Father Mateo frowned. \"Ana, it's wrong to steal—even from Luis. That's his tea.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Hm.\" Ana raised the cup to the Jesuit's lips. \"He didn't refuse permission.\"\n\nHiro decided not to mention that lack of refusal wasn't exactly permission." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Father Mateo sipped the tea." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He scowled. \"That tastes terrible.\"\n\nAna's eyes widened. She picked up the teapot and hurried from the room.\n\n\"She forgot the sugar,\" Hiro chuckled." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Not funny,\" Father Mateo said. \"It tasted foul.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro smothered a laugh.\n\nAna hurried back into the room, carrying a tray of sweetened rice balls. \"This will take the bitterness away.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro reached for the tray but Ana pulled the treats out of reach." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Hm. None for you. You laughed.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "She laid the plate on the floor beside the Jesuit. \"I'll bring more tea as soon as the water boils. You won't have to drink it tepid for my mistake.\" She glared at Hiro and left the room." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The shinobi shrugged. \"I think I'll send a message to Lady Netsuko.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Will she see you?\" Father Mateo maneuvered a rice ball toward his mouth. His bandaged hands made the process awkward." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You said Hisahide dismissed the investigation.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Netsuko seemed fairly certain that Jun was involved in Saburo's murder,\" Hiro said. \"If she doesn't accept that Den acted alone, I think she'll welcome my visit.\"\n\n\"And if she accepts Hisahide's determination?\" Father Mateo asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"As long as Netsuko believes I'm implicating Jun, I think she'll see me.\"\n\nHiro returned to his room and wrote a brief letter to Lady Ashikaga. He revised it twice before settling on a final version and setting the words to parchment." }, { "from": "human", "value": "When it was finished and dry, he paid the neighbor's son a copper coin to deliver the message." }, { "from": "human", "value": "While he waited for her response, the shinobi sat down to review the evidence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Saburo's letter suggested a plot against the shogun, as did Den's confession. The altered ledger indicated the shogun suspected something, though Hiro couldn't determine whether the guards were changed due to knowledge or merely caution. Unfortunately, he also didn't know if the shogun had really changed the names or if Kazu lied about that too." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Ive got a bit of writers block, im gonna send you something then keep it going four sentences at a time, also im going for a Susan Spann sorta thing." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The obvious question seemed unlikely, but Hiro asked it anyway. \"Was Kazu fishing with you when your father was murdered?\"\n\n\"Kazu doesn't know about my fishing. I wanted to tell him, but I was afraid he would tell my father.\" Ichiro looked down at his hands." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"The last time Father caught me, he beat me with the pole until it broke. That's when I started leaving my poles at the river.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"But you were fishing the night your father died.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Ichiro nodded. \"Mother went to bed when the bells rang, three hours after sunset. I waited another hour to make sure she was asleep.\"\n\n\"You didn't worry about your father coming home?\"\n\n\"Father rarely slept at home.\" Ichiro jiggled his pole and changed the subject." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I like fishing under this bridge. The lamps up there draw the fish at night, and the revelers from Pontocho are always too drunk to notice me.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"What do you do with your catch?\" Hiro asked.\n\n\"There's a noodle vendor on Sanjō Road who buys them, if they're big enough to keep.\"\n\nHiro knew the man in question. The vendor bragged about using only fresh-caught fish from the Kamo River." }, { "from": "human", "value": "All this time, the shinobi had thought him a liar." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He buys from samurai?\" Hiro asked.\n\n\"I don't usually wear my swords when fishing.\"\n\nHiro glanced at the samurai knot in Ichiro's hair and considered what he knew of the boy's behavior. The vendor knew who he bought from, he just ignored it—and with good reason." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro doubted a boy who lied about fishing bothered to bargain much for the price of his catch." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I didn't intend to come fishing today,\" Ichiro said, \"I thought it might distract me, but it hasn't worked.\"\n\n\"Since the investigation is over, will you explain why Kazu is innocent? I won't tell your mother or Hisahide.\"\n\nIchiro considered the request. \"I will, if you also agree not to get the girl in trouble.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro raised an eyebrow at Ichiro. \"What girl?\"\n\n\"The one that Kazu brought to the river the night my father died.\"\n\nCouples often walked by the Kamo River on moonlit nights. Although romantic, the setting was also public enough to preserve a maiden's honor, provided the couple was chaperoned and didn't stay out too late." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro suspected Kazu and his companion broke those rules.\n\n\"She was pretty and young and certainly not a prostitute,\" Ichiro said. \"But not samurai either. She looked like an artisan's daughter.\"\n\n\"Did you catch her name?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro asked, though he thought he knew.\n\nIchiro raised his face to look at the underside of the bridge. The wood was strung with spiderwebs and the remnants of swallows' muddy nests. Overhead, rain pattered on the timbers." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Tomiko,\" Ichiro said at last. \"Tomiko, I'm sure that's it.\" He grinned at Hiro. \"Kazu tried to kiss her. She wouldn't let him.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"How long did they stay on the bridge?\"\n\n\"They walked on the bridge and the bank for over an hour, maybe longer.\" Ichiro pointed to the path. \"I started to worry they wouldn't leave. If my mother woke up and found me missing, she'd call the watch, and then I'd really be in trouble.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"But she didn't,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"She never even knew I'd left the house.\" Ichiro tugged on his pole. \"Hisahide said someone killed my father shortly after midnight. But Kazu was here until at least an hour after that. He couldn't have done it.\"\n\nIchiro pulled in the fishing line." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A grub hung limp on the hook, white and swollen from soaking in the river." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The fish aren't biting today. I should just go home.\"\n\nHe coiled the fishing line neatly around the pole. When he reached the hook he removed the grub and tossed it into the water.\n\n\"Do you have to tell anyone what I've told you?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Ichiro asked as he stowed the pole out of sight among the pilings." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I don't want Kazu's girlfriend to get in trouble. She seemed very nice and she didn't do anything wrong.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Other than falling for Kazu, Hiro thought.\n\nAloud he said, \"I'll do what I can to keep her out of trouble.\"\n\nIchiro smiled and followed Hiro out from under the bridge. The rain had slowed to a drizzle." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro watched Ichiro walk away up the path. When the boy disappeared behind a tree, the shinobi started west along Sanjō Road toward Ginjiro's brewery.\n\nAs he walked, he felt his frustration mounting. He had chosen Ginjiro's to serve as a safe spot to pass information to Kazu when necessary, but Kazu's clandestine affair with the brewer's daughter compromised the meeting spot as well as Tomiko's honor." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Breaches of discipline made the shinobi angry, but Kazu's lack of respect for Tomiko's emotions made Hiro furious. Men who played games with women were part of the reason women could not be trusted.\n\nA few blocks west of the river Hiro turned south into the commercial district. Sake shops and teahouses lined the street, their open storefronts bathing the drizzly road with inviting light and enticing smells." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The noodle vendor Hiro wanted had set up his charcoal brazier on the eastern side of the street near Sanjō Road. A lacquered umbrella shielded both the man and his smoking fire from the rain. As Hiro approached, the vendor called, \"Fish noodles! Best in Kyoto! Fresh-caught fish from the Kamo River! Extra good today!\"\n\nThe shinobi didn't miss the hopeful look in the vendor's eyes." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Only regulars stopped for snacks on a rainy night." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Charcoal smoke stung Hiro's eyes as he approached the vendor's stall." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He noted the salty odor of fish beneath the more pungent smells of smoke and rain." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His mouth watered, anticipating the treat to come. As usual, he ordered the largest bowl.\n\n\"Extra onions?\" the vendor asked with a gap-toothed smile.\n\nHiro nodded and traded the man a copper coin for a heaping bowl and a pair of wooden chopsticks." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He usually stepped away to avoid the smoke, but tonight the umbrella gave some refuge from the rain. He stood beneath it and savored the chewy noodles.\n\nIt seemed no time at all until the chopsticks clattered against the empty bowl.\n\n\"Another?\" the vendor asked hopefully." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro shook his head but held up a second coin." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Where do you get your fish?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The vendor glanced at the boiling pot atop his brazier. He shuffled his feet. \"From a vendor, sir, same as everyone else.\"\n\n\"Then how do you know they come from the Kamo River?\" Hiro asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You can tell they're fresh. None better in Kyoto!\"\n\nHiro lowered his voice. \"I think you buy them from a samurai boy. Not every day, but every day he sells them.\"\n\nThe vendor's eyes grew wide. \"Your son?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Before Hiro could respond the noodle vendor knelt in the muddy street." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I'm sorry, sir. I'll pay him fairly from now on. I didn't realize he was samurai. An honest mistake, I swear it!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro opened his mouth to correct the mistake but decided not to. A man who took advantage of children didn't deserve that courtesy. Instead the shinobi handed over the bowl and the second coin, and then continued his drizzly walk. He reached Ginjiro's brewery just before sunset, though the clouds allowed no evening beams to paint the sky." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The brewery was empty of paying patrons." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Suke lay in his usual corner, snoring beneath his stained and ragged robe." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Perhaps because of the early hour, Tomiko stood alone behind the counter.\n\nHiro entered the shop, drew his katana, and handed the weapon to the girl. She accepted it with a bow. \"Good evening, Matsui-san.\"\n\n\"Good evening, Tomiko.\" Hiro glanced at the indigo noren that hung in the kitchen doorway." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 5 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As Tomiko placed his sword in the wooden cabinet behind the counter Hiro said, \"I know where you were two nights ago.\"\n\nTomiko's hands flew up to cover her mouth. She lowered them slowly. \"Are you going to tell my father?\"\n\n\"That depends on whether you tell the truth.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Task: Cooperative storytelling\nMy role: Provide a brief opening\nYour role: Expand upon my opening with seven sentences, emulating the writing style of Susan Spann in the mystery, historical fiction, Japan, historical mystery, 1500s genre." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The same person killed Saburo and Netsuko?\" Kazu asked.\n\n\"Den also,\" Hiro said.\n\n\"Who did it?\" Father Mateo asked.\n\n\"It's still an assumption,\" Hiro said, \"and assumptions have killed enough people already. I need to return to the shogunate. There's evidence there that confirms or disproves my theory. When I have it in hand, I'll tell you who killed Saburo—and Den, and Netsuko too.\"\n\n\"The gates are closed,\" the Jesuit said. \"Will the evidence wait until morning?\"\n\n\"I doubt it,\" Hiro said, \"and I want to save Masao if I can, which means retrieving the information tonight.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I want to go with you,\" Ichiro said.\n\nHiro shook his head. \"It isn't safe. Go with Father Mateo.\"\n\nThe Jesuit nodded. \"I'll take him home with me.\"\n\nIchiro looked at his mother's body. \"I don't want to leave her like this.\"\n\nHiro started to object but Kazu said, \"You'll want a priest to take care of her, with proper prayers and rituals for her soul. We shouldn't move her—you don't want to anger her ghost.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Ichiro frowned. \"I don't believe in ghosts.\"" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 3 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Your mother did,\" Kazu said, \"and she wouldn't want you defiled by touching a corpse—especially hers. Would you disturb her body against her wishes?\"\n\nIchiro hesitated. \"I suppose no one else will see her tonight.\"\n\nKazu nodded. \"Let's go for now. Tomorrow morning I'll summon the priests myself.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Job: User writes start, you add ~7 sentences sentences. Style: Susan Spann" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Pine needles crunched under Hiro's feet and released an evergreen scent that competed with Kazu's hair oil.\n\n\"The ledger is in my office,\" Kazu whispered. \"We're headed there?\"\n\n\"Not yet,\" Hiro said. \"I'd like to get Masao to safety first.\"\n\n\"Are you crazy?\" Kazu asked. \"We owe him nothing. If you're right, we'll be lucky to get the ledger and save ourselves.\"\n\n\"He doesn't deserve to die any more than Netsuko... or Ichiro.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro hoped the boy's name would have the desired effect." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He needed Kazu's help to find and free the stable master.\n\n\"Let's get the ledger first and help him later,\" Kazu said.\n\nHiro was not going to fall for that. \"They're holding Masao in a kitchen storehouse. Freeing him will be faster than getting the ledger.\"\n\nAnd assure your compliance with both, Hiro thought.\n\n\"Unless we're spotted,\" Kazu said.\n\n\"In which case, we won't need the ledger.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kazu made an exasperated sound but didn't argue." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They made their way through the gardens toward the mansion. Stone lanterns lined the paths, but they were dark and cold that night. Hardly surprising, given the inclement weather.\n\nKazu led the way without hesitation. He knew exactly where and when to move to avoid the guards that patrolled the compound. Not that there were many guards to avoid.\n\n\"I expected better security,\" Hiro whispered." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The two shinobi crouched behind a decorative hedge at the edge of the yard that separated the gardens from the kitchen." }, { "from": "human", "value": "On their journey from the wall, they had seen only four patrolling guards, none of whom seemed overly alert." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Kazu shrugged. \"Lord Oda's men aren't due until tomorrow. Most of the guards are posted at the gates or on the towers. The shogun doesn't expect anyone to breach the walls unnoticed.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Foolish,\" Hiro said.\n\nKazu snorted. \"Him, or us?\"\n\nHiro looked at the storehouses near the kitchen. The boxy wooden structures stood a few feet apart and on wooden stilts to discourage rats. There were two, of roughly equal size, but only one had a bar across its doorway.\n\n\"That's it.\" Hiro nodded. \"He's in that one.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "A bored-looking samurai leaned against the back of the kitchen building, apparently guarding the storehouse, though Hiro considered \"guarding\" too active a word." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"We need a diversion,\" Kazu whispered." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You are the diversion,\" Hiro replied. \"You work here. Circle around and distract him.\"\n\nKazu grumbled but disappeared into the darkness. A few minutes later he reappeared around the corner of the kitchen. He walked briskly, as if bearing important news.\n\n\"You!\" Kazu startled at the sight of the guard. \"What are you doing here?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The samurai jumped and snapped to attention." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Matsunaga-san ordered me to guard the prisoner.\"\n\n\"Nonsense!\" Kazu snapped. \"The entire compound is on alert and you're lazing behind the kitchen, shirking your duty!\"\n\n\"No, sir, I swear it. Matsunaga-san wanted the prisoner guarded.\"\n\n\"Do you know who I am?\" Kazu demanded. \"How dare you question me!\"\n\nThe guard's eyes widened." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"No sir... I'm sorry...\" He bowed three times and straightened, trembling like a sapling in an earthquake." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Lord Oda's men may already have entered Kyoto,\" Kazu snarled. \"You have better things to do than guarding an aging stable boy. If he gets loose, we'll kill him. Until then... get back to your regular post!\"\n\nThe samurai hurried out of the yard, tripping over his sandals in the process. He righted himself and hustled away.\n\nKazu watched him go. When he was certain the guard had departed he gestured to Hiro and crossed the yard to the storehouse.\n\nHiro met him there." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They slid back the bar and opened the door but saw only darkness within.\n\n\"Masao,\" Hiro whispered, \"It's me, Matsui Hiro.\"\n\nMasao's face appeared in the darkened doorway. A layer of rice dust grayed his clothes and hair.\n\n\"Matsui-san?\" The stable master looked confused. \"I don't understand...\"\n\n\"We know you are not the killer,\" Hiro said. \"We've come to free you.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Masao backed away from the door." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"No... no samurai frees a commoner. It's a trap.\"\n\n\"It will be, if you don't get out here right this second,\" Kazu hissed. \"We're not waiting around while you make up your mind.\"\n\nMasao's face appeared again. \"Ito-san?\" His face went slack as he took in Hiro's baggy trousers and darkened coat. His eyes widened with fear and recognition.\n\nMost Japanese had heard of shinobi, but few expected to see one." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We have to go,\" Hiro said. \"You're not our only errand here this evening, and time is short. If we get you out of the compound, can you hide until the city gates open tomorrow?\"\n\n\"I can.\" Masao stepped out of the storehouse and glanced toward the kitchen building. \"But I can do better than that. There's a path through the compound that leads to a hidden exit near the stable. The previous stable master showed me the place. If the shogun is ever in danger and has to escape, I'm supposed to meet him there with his fastest horse.\"\n\n\"Is the exit locked?\" Hiro asked.\n\nMasao smiled. \"Of course, but I know how to open it.\" He bowed to Hiro and then to Kazu." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Thank you for helping me. I owe you my life.\"" }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 3 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As the stable master hurried off into the darkness, Hiro closed the storehouse and slid the lever back across the door.\n\nHe turned to Kazu. \"Let's get that ledger and clear the wall before anyone knows we're here.\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Mode:\nCo-writing\n\nLength:\ntwo sentences\n\nGenre:\nmystery, historical fiction, Japan, historical mystery, 1500s" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You're going to kill him anyway,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"It's in your plan—or was, when you believed he'd return alone. Now that I'm here, you can't afford to kill him.\"\n\nAkira narrowed his eyes." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I could kill him right now if I wanted to.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"And then I'd kill you,\" Hiro said. \"See the problem? You need him if you want to stay alive.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Is that Akira?\" Kazu tried to see behind him but stopped as Akira pressed the blade against his flesh." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"What are you doing here?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He came to plant evidence that will implicate you in Saburo's plot,\" Hiro said, \"and he probably intended to murder you too. I thought he would have left, since you went to Ginjiro's.\"\n\nAkira sneered. \"I knew he'd be back. He left a fire in the brazier.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Not intentionally.\" Kazu sounded remarkably conversational, given the knife at his neck.\n\nHiro recognized the tactic." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The moment Akira lowered his guard, Kazu would try to disarm him.\n\nAkira looked at Hiro." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I didn't expect you to come back with him. This works even better than what I originally planned.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You'll claim you found me standing over his corpse with a knife in my hand,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You'll kill us both and call it a 'conspirators' argument ending in murder.' Believable, as far as it goes, but even if you survive to try it, how will you explain the shogun's death if everyone in the conspiracy is either dead or captured?\"\n\n\"What are you talking about?\" Kazu asked." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro looked at Akira. \"Would you like to tell him, or shall I?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Go ahead.\" Akira smiled smugly. \"You seem to have everything figured out. But before you do, both of you drop your swords to the floor. And don't try anything foolish. I'll kill this man before you can strike, and then I'll kill you too. A ronin translator is no match for a trained Miyoshi swordsman.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"If you say so,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Kazu, drop your swords.\"\n\nKazu narrowed his eyes in displeasure but eased his katana from its scabbard and dropped it to the floor." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His wakizashi followed a moment later.\n\nAkira kicked the swords out of reach and nodded at Hiro." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Your turn, and slide them away. I don't want them where you think you can retrieve them.\"\n\nHiro took off his swords and lowered them to the matting." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "After a moment's hesitation he pushed the weapons out of reach. They slid across the room and came to rest against the veranda door." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Stand up,\" Akira said, \"and keep your hands where I can see them.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hiro obliged." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Akira nodded. \"Now, let's hear you tell your tale.\"\n\n\"You should kill us now,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"If you don't, I'm going to kill you.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Akira laughed. \"Not likely. In a few hours I will be shogun and you will be dead.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"If you say so,\" Hiro said, \"but you're mistaken.\"\n\n\"Talk,\" Akira said, \"before I get bored and kill you like the others.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He's the killer?\" Kazu asked. \"I thought it was Hisahide.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"It had to be one or the other,\" Hiro said, \"though I didn't think Hisahide would kill Netsuko. He's too professional for that.\"\n\n\"She suspected me,\" Akira said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"She had to die.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Actually, she didn't,\" Hiro said. \"She suspected the mistress.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Jun?\" Akira sneered. \"Impossible. Netsuko would have said so before she died. All she did was beg for the life of her son.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Saburo was plotting with the Miyoshi?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kazu shook his head a little—as much as the knife allowed. \"That isn't possible. He hated the Miyoshi daimyo—and his heirs.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Saburo knew nothing about the plot to murder the shogun,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"The letter was a diversion, no doubt written after his death to distract the shogun from the real plot. That's why you didn't find it until the morning after the crime.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Correct,\" Akira said. \"I wrote it and left it in his office. I knew about the letter box all along. We needed permission to increase the number of Miyoshi guards in the compound, to dilute the shogun's forces with samurai under our control. Nine-tenths of the men on duty tonight are loyal to the Miyoshi. The letter made that possible.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You're seizing the shogunate now?\" Kazu asked. \"On the night before Lord Oda's men arrive?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Lord Oda never sent any men to Kyoto,\" Hiro said, \"the ambassadors were a clever ploy to distract the shogun's attention from the traitors within his walls.\"\n\n\"How did you know?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Akira asked. \"Everyone else believed it.\"\n\n\"Blame the merchant,\" Hiro said, \"the Portuguese." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He checked at Ōtsu. The innkeeper there knew nothing of the embassy, but official delegations always send a man ahead to ensure the inn has rooms available." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "No messenger making reservations, no delegation from Oda.\n\n\"I think Saburo discovered it too—that's why you killed him.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"A mistake at last!\" Akira gloated. \"Saburo was an ignorant fool." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He had no idea about our plans." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In fact, he'd still be alive if he hadn't walked in on me copying from his ledger.\n\n\"I needed to know which men he assigned for duty tonight, and how many, so we could plan the final attack." }, { "from": "human", "value": "I sneaked in here to check the ledger, but as it happened Saburo hadn't left." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He was locked in an embrace with that ugly maid." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"They didn't see me, so I hid in the shadows and waited for them to finish.\"\n\n\"But Jun saw you when she left,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"That's why she claimed Masao was here. She saw your silhouette, and Den's. She recognized him but mistook you for the stable master.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Akira nodded. \"Den was just outside the door. I saw him arrive, though I didn't know the girl had seen me too." }, { "from": "human", "value": "After everyone left I sneaked back into the office to get the ledger." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "But Saburo returned before I finished with it.\n\n\"I pretended I was looking for Ito Kazu and tried to leave. If he had let me, I might have let him live. But he followed me into this outer office, accusing me of stealing. He called me names.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Akira scowled. \"No one insults Miyoshi Akira and lives.\"\n\n\"So you took the dagger off my desk and killed him,\" Kazu said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"You wouldn't expect me to use my own,\" Akira said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I moved so quickly he barely had the chance to raise his hand in self-defense. He never even tried to draw his sword.\"\n\n\"But covering your tracks proved more difficult than you expected,\" Hiro said, \"especially when Hisahide didn't believe that Kazu was to blame.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Wait,\" Kazu said. \"I thought Hisahide was part of the plot.\"\n\nHiro shook his head." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Against the shogun, yes, but I don't think he sanctioned Saburo's murder, or Den's, or Lady Netsuko's either. Killings would put the compound on alert and make seizure of the shogunate more difficult. Akira had to invent the letter, and Saburo's plot, to keep Hisahide from learning the truth—that Akira made a mistake.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He didn't suspect anything until you pointed out that Kazu wouldn't have used his own dagger,\" Akira said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Then I had to explain what really happened. Fortunately, he considered Saburo's death an accidental boon. It gave us an excuse to move more of our men inside the shogunate.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You must have been relieved to learn Masao sent Den away,\" Hiro said. \"So the stable boy couldn't accuse you either. He saw you do it, didn't he?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Not the murder,\" Akira said, \"although I think he guessed. Thank you for finding him for me and for giving me an excuse to bring him back.\"\n\n\"How did you get the opium into the tea?\" Hiro asked." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"When we returned from Ōtsu, I told Jun to take some food and tea to the stable. I even gave her permission to add some sweetener. I checked the pot on a pretense of making sure the water was hot enough. It was. For tea, and also for dissolving opium.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I'm guessing you intended to kill Masao as well as Den,\" Hiro said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"A double suicide, no questions asked.\"\n\n\"I don't know why it didn't,\" Akira said, \"I used enough.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Masao didn't drink it,\" Hiro said. \"But you didn't know that, so you doubled the dose for Netsuko. Did you stay to watch her die?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I've explained enough,\" Akira snapped.\n\n\"Why stop now? We're almost finished,\" Hiro said." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Today you will be acting as a writing assistant in the mystery, historical fiction, Japan, historical mystery, 1500s genre. Your partner will send something and you will write the next 7 sentences." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Produce a starting prompt please." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Hiro,\" Kazu said, \"quit helping.\"\n\nHiro kept his eyes on Akira. \"You killed Netsuko and Den for nothing. They didn't know you murdered Saburo. Netsuko even believed Den wrote the suicide message in the stable. Good thing you knew the boy could write.\"\n\n\"I found out on the way back from Ōtsu, in order to arrange the scene,\" Akira said. \"And I only did what I had to do. I saw a problem and solved it—the way a shogun would.\"\n\n\"Not even a shogun has license to murder the innocent without cause,\" Hiro said.\n\n\"No ronin understands what it means to be shogun,\" Akira said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"By morning, all of Japan will answer to me.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You really think Hisahide will make you shogun?\" Hiro laughed. \"By morning, you'll be dead. I guarantee it.\"\n\n\"Do not laugh!\" Akira snapped. \"Matsunaga Hisahide is a Miyoshi retainer, a glorified servant. He has no claim to the shogunate.\"\n\n\"Curious that you feel the need to say so,\" Hiro said. \"If Hisahide seizes the shogun's compound and gains control of Kyoto, some people might think his claim to the shogunate rather strong.\"\n\n\"Including the emperor,\" Kazu said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Even the emperor answers to the shogun.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Akira looked down his nose at Hiro." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"And Hisahide remembers who pays his salary.\"\n\n\"Not you,\" Hiro said. \"If Hisahide kills the shogun, he'll kill you too.\"\n\nUncertainty flickered across Akira's face. \"That's not true. You just want me to let down my guard so you can escape.\"\n\nThe door behind Hiro rattled open.\n\nAkira startled. He jabbed Kazu's neck with the dagger." }, { "from": "human", "value": "It was the opening Hiro needed." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He pulled the shuriken from his tunic and leaped across the room." }, { "from": "human", "value": "As he landed, his free hand knocked the dagger away from Kazu's throat." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "His other hand drove the sharpened point of his star-shaped weapon through Akira's eye.\n\nThe shuriken sliced through the eyeball like a knife through a melon. Blood and bits of eye spurted over Hiro's hand and onto his face. Hiro didn't flinch. He pushed the shuriken further into Akira's eyeball, stopping only when the metal star lodged deep in the samurai's skull.\n\nAkira's good eye widened with shock. A moment later, the spark of life disappeared.\n\nThe moment Akira died, Hiro pulled the shuriken free." }, { "from": "human", "value": "He tucked it into his sleeve as he spun around." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hisahide stood in the doorway, watching them from the opposite side of the room.\n\nHiro heard a thump as Akira's body hit the floor.\n\n\"Thank you.\" Hisahide smiled. \"You've saved me the trouble of killing him.\"\n\n\"Hiro was right?\" Kazu stepped to Hiro's side. Aside from a trickle of blood on his neck, he seemed unhurt. \"You intended to kill Akira all along?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Only if he refused to cooperate,\" Hisahide said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"He was foolish, but his rashness helped my cause. The murders made the shogun believe Lord Oda really did plan an assassination. He was so focused on that plot that he never suspected the real one.\"\n\n\"Your phrasing suggests the shogun is already dead,\" Hiro said.\n\n\"That depends who you mean by 'shogun.'\" Hisahide smiled again. \"Ashikaga Yoshiteru committed seppuku an hour ago, at my invitation. I promised to let his family live in return for his suicide, and abdication. I am shogun now.\" He searched Hiro's face, and then Kazu's, for a reaction.\n\nHiro heard Kazu's clothing rustle in a bow. The shinobi kept his eyes on Hisahide." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Congratulations, Shogun Matsunaga,\" Kazu said.\n\n\"A wise decision,\" Hisahide said. \"The question now is what becomes of you.\"\n\n\"I would willingly serve your administration,\" Kazu said. \"Your predecessor found me a competent clerk.\"\n\n\"I think not,\" Hisahide said. \"Men with secrets are dangerous, and men who know other men's secrets even more so. You know too much about the shogun's suicide. I have a letter naming me successor shogun—or regent for the former shogun's infant cousin, if the emperor won't confirm me directly. But Ashikaga Yoshiteru's brother might find your knowledge useful if he decides to dispute my claim.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Yoshiteru's brother is a monk,\" Kazu said. \"He surrendered his attachment to this world years ago. Even if he changed his mind, I've never met him and have no loyalty to his cause.\"\n\n\"Every man has a price,\" Hisahide said, \"and I have no assurance that yours is beyond my rival's grasp. It seems wiser to eliminate you now.\"\n\n\"Banish him to Iga,\" Hiro said, \"on penalty of death if he leaves the province. Iga is loyal to the shogun, an ally of Kyoto. That will neutralize Kazu's usefulness to your enemies.\"\n\nHisahide transferred his gaze to Hiro. \"You're in no position to negotiate.\" He looked at Akira's body." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Though I admit you did me a favor tonight, and favors merit reward.\"\n\n\"Kill me if you want to,\" Kazu said, \"but you have to let Hiro go.\"\n\n\"I don't have to do anything.\" Hisahide straightened his shoulders. \"No one in Japan commands the shogun.\"\n\n\"True enough,\" Kazu said, \"but the Portuguese control the flow of firearms. Matsui-san is a friend of the Portuguese merchant who arms your soldiers—a merchant who would sell to Lord Oda as happily as to you, if you give him reason.\"\n\nKazu fell silent, letting the threat sink in." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I have hundreds of firearms,\" Hisahide said, but Hiro caught the hint of uncertainty in his voice." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Enough to seize Kyoto, perhaps,\" Kazu said. \"But enough to defend it? And you're assuming the Portuguese won't call in foreign soldiers to avenge the translator's death. The foreigners consider their servants much like a daimyo's retainers—they will not allow a killing to go unpunished.\"\n\nHisahide frowned. \"The Portuguese priest did accompany him to the compound today to ensure he hadn't displeased me.\"\n\nKazu nodded. \"Have you sufficient strength to defeat Lord Oda and the Portuguese?\"\n\nHisahide drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. He looked at Hiro. \"If I allow you to live, you must ensure that the foreigner sells no weapons to Lord Oda and that the Portuguese support my appointment as shogun.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I am merely a servant,\" Hiro said. \"I cannot guarantee—\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"You will make it happen,\" Hisahide said, \"or I will kill not only you but the foreign priest and the merchant also.\"\n\n\"Then I have no choice, Lord Shogun.\" Hiro glanced to his side. \"Let's go, Kazu.\"\n\nHisahide shook his head. \"Not Kazu. Only you.\"\n\n\"I will do what you ask,\" Hiro said, \"but only if Kazu goes with me. If you kill him you will start a war for which you are not prepared.\"\n\nHiro thought of Hattori Hanzo and the shinobi of the Iga ryu." }, { "from": "human", "value": "A man who killed both Hiro and Kazu would have more to fear than the Portuguese." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"An intelligent man would accept his freedom and go,\" Hisahide warned.\n\n\"An honorable man will die to protect his friends,\" Hiro said. \"Do what you must. I will not leave him.\"\n\n\"A bold statement for a man without a sword.\" Hisahide crossed the room and picked up Hiro's katana and wakizashi. He examined the scabbards and tested the heft of the weapons.\n\nJust when Hiro thought Hisahide would call for his guards, the samurai turned the scabbards sideways and offered the swords to Hiro." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"I, too, am a man of honor,\" Hisahide said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"It was never my intention to seize the shogunate by unnecessary force, and I would rather have the foreigners on my side. I will let you go on the following conditions. Hiro will ensure that the Portuguese support me without question. Kazu is banished to Iga at once and permanently. If I see his face again it will leave his shoulders.\"\n\nHiro accepted his swords with a nod.\n\nKazu bowed. \"Thank you, Shogun Matsunaga.\"\n\n\"May I ask a question?\" Hiro asked.\n\nKazu gave him a disbelieving look, but Hiro continued, \"Jun, the maid—she wasn't involved in Akira's plot, and I doubt she knew about yours.\"\n\n\"She did not,\" Hisahide said, \"but she suspects too much to remain in Kyoto. I intend to find her a husband well outside the city limits. A farmer, perhaps—a man who presents no threat.\"\n\n\"She won't like that,\" Kazu said." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hisahide smiled slowly. \"She will prefer it to the alternative.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He looked over his shoulder and called, \"Ozuru!\"\n\n\"Yes, Shogun Matsunaga?\" The carpenter appeared in the doorway too quickly for coincidence. Chagrin burned Hiro's chest like flame as he realized Ozuru was a spy.\n\n\"Escort my guests to the gates,\" Hisahide said. \"They are not to be harmed.\"\n\nOzuru bowed. \"It will be done, Lord Shogun.\"\n\n\"One final question,\" Hiro asked, \"before we go?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Hisahide nodded." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 1 sentence." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"How did you know you would find us here tonight?\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "6 sentences sentences in Susan Spann style, continuing user's bit" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The yoriki looked from the priest to Hiro. \"Stop him!\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Me?\" Hiro shrugged. \"You're the assistant magistrate. I'm a translator.\"\n\nThe yoriki sighed and made a dismissive gesture. \"Then go with him, and make sure he touches nothing.\"\n\nHiro raised an eyebrow at the yoriki's unexpected change of mind.\n\n\"You think I don't know who you are?\" The yoriki lowered his voice. \"Magistrate Ishimaki speaks quite highly of the priest and ronin who captured General Akechi's killer a year ago." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "There cannot be two such pairs of men in Kyoto.\n\n\"If I stop the priest, I risk a reprimand. It's safer to let him look, provided he doesn't interfere.\"\n\nHiro found it curious—and not entirely pleasant—that the magistrate considered their activities worth discussing. He preferred to remain unnoticed when he could.\n\nHiro bowed and followed the Jesuit into the alley.\n\nThe eaves of the two-story brewery overhung the roof of the neighboring restaurant, leaving the alley in constant shadow." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Barrels stood in rows along the brewery wall, while stacks of boxes lined the side of the restaurant." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Two people could walk abreast in the space between, but only if they knew each other well.\n\nBeyond the end of the brewery, the alley opened into a yard that served as a communal garden and storage space for the residents of the block. The buildings fronted on different roads, but their occupants considered themselves united by the open space they shared. At the moment, the way to that open space was blocked by a dōshin standing guard at the far end of the brewery. He stood in the gap, looking bored but alert, ready to stop the neighbors from wandering into the murder scene.\n\nA dead man's body lay on the ground outside the narrow door that served as a private entrance to Ginjiro's storeroom." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Customers didn't use that door, but Hiro didn't think this man had come for a flask of sake." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The victim lay on his stomach with his face turned toward the restaurant and his arms splayed out to his sides." }, { "from": "human", "value": "The back of his head was covered with graying stubble and spattered blood, while an injury left the base of his skull misshapen and concave." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The dōshin noticed the priest. \"You shouldn't be here.\"\n\nHiro raised a placating hand. \"The yoriki gave us permission to view the body.\"\n\nThe dōshin looked past Hiro as if expecting someone to follow them into the alley. When no one appeared, he said, \"All right, you can look, but don't touch anything.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Father Mateo stopped a respectful distance from the body." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro passed the Jesuit and leaned down for a closer look.\n\nThe corpse's close-cropped hair and lack of swords indicated a commoner, and the quality of his clothes suggested a merchant. He wore a faded striped kimono, once expensive but now fraying at the seams. A patch on the back revealed a repair, but the tailor had matched the pattern well, using cloth from inside the hem. Most people would not have noticed it was mended.\n\n\"An artisan?\" Father Mateo gestured to the corpse's upturned palms." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Those calluses say he worked with his hands.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Yes,\" Hiro said, \"but the strength of his upper body and the condition of his clothing suggest a merchant. I don't see rice dust on him... perhaps a brewer?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"I'm impressed!\" The dōshin took a step forward, but stopped as if remembering he shouldn't discuss the murder, or the victim.\n\nHiro nodded. \"A brewer, then.\"\n\nThe dōshin flushed an embarrassed red. \"I didn't say—you didn't hear me say that.\"\n\n\"What killed him?\" Father Mateo asked.\n\nHiro indicated the flattened base of the dead man's skull." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Beaten to death, most likely with something blunt.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "A tear in the corpse's scalp revealed shattered bone beneath." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Congealed blood spattered the back of the victim's head and shoulders, and a spray of rusty droplets covered the ground around the body as well as the base of the brewery wall." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We agree.\" The dōshin nodded. \"Killed in a fight—an accidental death.\"\n\nHiro looked at the misty droplets around the body and on the wall. \"I disagree. This man was murdered.\"\n\nThe dōshin looked suspicious. \"How do you know his death was not accidental? Where were you last night when this brewery closed?\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"At home, on Marutamachi Road.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hiro nodded at Father Mateo. \"The priest can attest to my presence there. Also, the yoriki told us the man was murdered.\"\n\nThe dōshin waited for Father Mateo's affirming nod before asking, \"How do you know so much about his death?\"\n\nHiro gestured to the wall. \"Tiny droplets mean the blows were struck with vicious force. Above knee height, the droplets change from round to elongated, and the tails of the droplets all point upward.\"\n\n\"So?\" The dōshin frowned." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"So,\" Hiro said, \"that means the victim lay on the ground, unconscious, when those blows occurred. Any experienced warrior would have known that.\"\n\n\"I did know it,\" the dōshin said. \"The yoriki declared the death a murder, probably unintended. He instructed us to call it an accident.\"\n\nHiro recognized the bluff. No dōshin would ever admit ignorance to a ronin.\n\nFather Mateo studied the stains as if he might find the killer's name in the pattern." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"Do you think the attacker surprised him from behind? This man must not have seen his assailant coming.\"" }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"He saw something.\" Hiro gestured to the dead man's face." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"The injury to his eye preceded death.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The right side of the corpse's face lay against the ground. The lower side of the nose and cheek had blossomed into the reddish purple color common in the parts of a body closest to the ground at the time of death. The left side of the face was mostly pale—also normal, for the side of a body that didn't face the ground.\n\nHowever, the flesh around the man's left eye swelled out in a dark blue lump the size of a chicken egg. Tissues didn't bruise that way unless the victim's heart was beating. Someone punched the dead man's face before he died." }, { "from": "human", "value": "\"That's why we think the death, though murder, was unintended,\" the dōshin said." }, { "from": "system", "value": "Next message should be approximately 7 sentences." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Two men fight, one ends up dead. It happens fairly often.\"\n\n\"Indeed,\" Hiro said. \"What makes you suspect Ginjiro?\"\n\nThe dōshin stepped forward and gestured to something near the brewery wall.\n\nHiro leaned across the corpse to look.\n\nA piece of broken pottery lay on the ground beside the dead man's shoulder. The circular shard resembled the base of a shattered stoneware vessel—a sake flask.\n\nIt was inlaid with Ginjiro's personal seal." } ]