Run: 2026-02-19-01KHTYK4MZR2H3WF71KH36M0QM

Run Details

Duration:
1m 31s
Cost:
$0.004546
Provider:
OpenAI

Model input

System
You are an expert and award-winning novel writer in the dark Romance genre. Your readers are hooked on your stories and can't wait to read the book you have in store. <important> - MUST: Start each chapter in medias res (in the middle of action). AVOID talking about the weather, time of day, the position of the sun, or other boring stuff. - The instructions/summary are just a that, a summary. Feel free to add details, stretch sections and add interesting transitions/descriptions/fillers. - When called for it, have fast-paced action, but otherwise take things slow. This is an experience, and not for people with short attention spans. Enjoy the wine, not slurp Red Bull. - Add descriptions when transitioning places/times/etc, or when coming by new places (e.g. a corner shop, a cafe, etc.). But remember: NOT at the start or end of a chapter. - MUST: AVOID ending in internal monologue, reminiscing or waiting for the next day. A good chapter end is when we're ending right when shit hits the fan. We want to have the reader be excited for what comes next. So no reminiscing, contemplating or summarizing the day. It's popcorn time! </important>
User/Human
Take into account the following glossary of characters/locations/items/lore... when writing your response: <codex> <character id="4412" name="Aurora Carter" aliases="Rory, Laila, Aurora, Carter, Malphora" pronouns="she/her" species="Human" storyRole="Protagonist"> <eyeColor>bright blue</eyeColor> <hair>straight shoulder-length black</hair> <height>5'6"</height> <age>25</age> <scar>small crescent-shaped scar on her left wrist from a childhood accident</scar> <description>Aurora, referred to by her friends as Rory, is cool-headed, intelligent, and known for quick out-of-the-box thinking.</description> <backstory>Born in Cardiff to an Irish barrister father (Brendan Carter) and Welsh teacher mother (Jennifer Carter née Ellis), Rory reluctantly pursued Pre-Law at Cardiff University. She fled to London at the behest of her childhood friend Eva after leaving an abusive ex named Evan. By day, Rory works part-time as a delivery person for Yu-Fei Cheung's Golden Empress restaurant. She lives in a flat above Silas' bar.</backstory> </character> <character id="4415" name="Lucien Moreau" aliases="Lucien, Luc, the Frenchman" pronouns="he/him" species="Half-Demon" storyRole="Ally"> <eyeColor>heterochromatic — one amber, one black</eyeColor> <hair>slicked-back platinum blond</hair> <height>5'11"</height> <age>32</age> <cane>ivory-handled cane that conceals a thin blade</cane> <dress>tailored charcoal suits</dress> <description>An impeccably dressed fixer and information broker in London's supernatural underworld. He speaks four languages fluently.</description> <backstory>Born in Marseille to a human mother and a demon father from the realm of Avaros.</backstory> </character> <location id="858" name="Eva's Flat" aliases="Eva's place, the flat on Brick Lane" realm="Earth"> <cat>tabby cat named Ptolemy</cat> <security>three deadbolts on the front door</security> <description>A cramped one-bedroom flat above a curry house on Brick Lane, East London. Every surface is covered with books, scrolls, and research notes.</description> </location> </codex> <proseGuidelines> <styleGuide> - Write in past tense and use British English spelling and grammar - Keep a Flesch reading ease score of 60 - Respect the the Royal Order of Adjectives: The order is: opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, purpose, followed by the noun itself (e.g., "a lovely little old rectangular green French silver whittling knife") - Respect the ablaut reduplication rule (e.g. tick-tock, flip-flop) - Write in active voice - Passive voice: <bad>The book was read by Sarah.</bad> - Active voice: <good>Sarah read the book.</good> - Reduce the use of passive verbs - <bad>For a moment, I was tempted to throw in the towel.</bad> - <good>For a moment, I felt tempted to throw in the towel.</good> - Avoid misplaced modifiers that can cause confusion when starting with "-ing" words: - <bad>Considering going to the store, the empty fridge reflected in Betty's eyes.</bad> - <good>Betty stared into the empty fridge. It was time to go to the store.</good> - Avoid redundant adverbs that state the obvious meaning already contained in the verb: - <bad>She whispered quietly to her mom.</bad> - <good>She whispered to her mom.</good> - Use stronger, more descriptive verbs over weak ones: - <bad>Daniel drove quickly to his mother's house.</bad> - <good>Daniel raced to his mother's house.</good> - Omit adverbs that don't add solid meaning like "extremely", "definitely", "truly", "very", "really": - <bad>The movie was extremely boring.</bad> - <good>The movie was dull.</good> - Use adverbs to replace clunky phrasing when they increase clarity: - <bad>He threw the bags into the corner in a rough manner.</bad> - <good>He threw the bags into the corner roughly.</good> - Avoid making simple thoughts needlessly complex: - <bad>After I woke up in the morning the other day, I went downstairs, turned on the stove, and made myself a very good omelet.</bad> - <good>I cooked a delicious omelet for breakfast yesterday morning.</good> - Never backload sentences by putting the main idea at the end: - <bad>I decided not to wear too many layers because it's really hot outside.</bad> - <good>It's sweltering outside today, so I dressed light.</good> - Omit nonessential details that don't contribute to the core meaning: - <bad>It doesn't matter what kind of coffee I buy, where it's from, or if it's organic or not—I need to have cream because I really don't like how the bitterness makes me feel.</bad> - <good>I add cream to my coffee because the bitter taste makes me feel unwell.</good> - Always follow the "show, don't tell" principle. For instance: - Telling: <bad>Michael was terribly afraid of the dark.</bad> - Showing: <good>Michael tensed as his mother switched off the light and left the room.</good>- Telling: <bad>I walked through the forest. It was already Fall, and I was getting cold.</bad> - Showing: <good>Dry orange leaves crunched under my feet. I pulled my coat's collar up and rubbed my hands together.</good>- Add sensory details (sight, smell, taste, sound, touch) to support the "showing" (but keep an active voice) - <bad>The room was filled with the scent of copper.</bad> - <good>Copper stung my nostrils. Blood. Recent.</good> - Use descriptive language more sporadically. While vivid descriptions are engaging, human writers often use them in bursts rather than consistently throughout a piece. When adding them, make them count! Like when we transition from one location to the next, or someone is reminiscing their past, or explaining a concept/their dream... - Avoid adverbs and clichés and overused/commonly used phrases. Aim for fresh and original descriptions. - Avoid writing all sentences in the typical subject, verb, object structure. Mix short, punchy sentences with long, descriptive ones. Drop fill words to add variety. Like so: <good>Locked. Seems like someone doesn't want his secrets exposed. I can work with that.</good> - Convey events and story through dialogue. It is important to keep a unique voice for every character and make it consistent. - Write dialogue that reveals characters' personalities, motivations, emotions, and attitudes in an interesting and compelling manner - Leave dialogue unattributed. If needed, only use "he/she said" dialogue tags and convey people's actions or face expressions through their speech. Dialogue always is standalone, never part of a paragraph. Like so: - <bad>"I don't know," Helena said nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders</bad> - <good>"No idea" "Why not? It was your responsibility"</good> - Avoid boring and mushy dialog and descriptions, have dialogue always continue the action, never stall or include unnecessary fluff. Vary the descriptions to not repeat yourself. Avoid conversations that are just "Let's go" "yes, let's" or "Are you ready?" "Yes I'm ready". Those are not interesting. Think hard about every situtation and word of text before writing dialogue. If it doesn't serve a purpose and it's just people talking about their day, leave it. No one wants to have a normal dinner scene, something needs to happen for it to be in the story. Words are expensive to print, so make sure they count! - Put dialogue on its own paragraph to separate scene and action. - Use body language to reveal hidden feelings and implied accusations- Imply feelings and thoughts, never state them directly - NEVER use indicators of uncertainty like "trying" or "maybe" - NEVER use em-dashes, use commas for asides instead </styleGuide> <voiceGuide> Each character in the story needs to have distinct speech patterns: - Word choice preferences - Sentence length tendencies - Cultural/educational influences - Verbal tics and catchphrases Learn how each person talks and continue in their style, and use their Codex entries as reference. <examples> - <bad>"We need to go now." "Yes, we should leave." "I agree."</bad> <good>"Time's up." "Indeed, our departure is rather overdue." "Whatever, let's bounce."</good> - Power Dynamic Example: <bad> "We need to discuss the contract." "Yes, let's talk about it." "I have concerns." </bad> <good> "A word about the contract." "Of course, Mr. Blackwood. Whatever you need." "The terms seem..." A manicured nail tapped the desk. "Inadequate." "I can explain every-" "Can you?" </good> </examples> </voiceGuide> <dialogueFlow> When writing dialogue, consider that it usually has a goal in mind, which gives it a certain flow. Make dialogue sections also quite snappy in the back and forth, and don't spread the lines out as much. It's good to have details before, after, or as a chunk in-between, but we don't want to have a trail of "dialogue breadcrumbs" spread throughout a conversation. <examples> - Pattern 1 - Question/Deflection/Revelation: <good> "Where were you last night?" "Work. The usual." "Lipstick's an interesting shade for spreadsheets." </good> - Pattern 2 - Statement/Contradiction/Escalation: <good> "Your brother's clean." "Tommy doesn't touch drugs." "I'm holding his tox screen." </good> - Pattern 3 - Observation/Denial/Truth: <good> "That's a new watch." "Birthday gift." "We both know what birthdays mean in this business." </good> - Example - A Simple Coffee Order: <bad> "I'll have a coffee." "What size?" "Large, please." </bad> <good> "Black coffee.""Size?""Large. Been a long night." "That bodega shooting?" "You watch too much news." "My brother owns that store." </good> This short exchange: - Advances plot (reveals connection to crime) - Shows character (cop working late) - Creates tension (unexpected connection) - Sets up future conflict (personal stake) - Example - Dinner Scene: <bad> "Pass the salt." "Here you go." "Thanks." </bad> <good> "Salt?" "Perfect as is. Mother's recipe." "Mother always did prefer... bland things." "Unlike your first wife?" </good> - Example - Office Small Talk: <bad> "Nice weather today." "Yes, very nice." "Good for golf." </bad> <good> "Perfect golf weather." "Shame about your membership." "Temporary suspension. Board meets next week." "I know. I called the vote." </good> </examples> </dialogueFlow> <subtextGuide> - Layer dialogue with hidden meaning: <bad>"I hate you!" she yelled angrily.</bad> <good>"I made your favorite dinner." The burnt pot sat accusingly on the stove.</good> - Create tension through indirect communication: <bad>"Are you cheating on me?"</bad> <good>"Late meeting again?" The lipstick stain on his collar caught the light.</good> <examples> - Example 1 - Unspoken Betrayal: <bad> "Did you tell them about our plans?" "No, I would never betray you." "I don't believe you." </bad> <good> "Funny. Johnson mentioned our expansion plans today." "The market's full of rumors." "Mentioned the exact numbers, actually." The pen in his hand snapped. </good> - Example 2 - Failed Marriage: <bad> "You're never home anymore." "I have to work late." "I miss you." </bad> <good> "Your dinner's in the microwave. Again." "Meetings ran long." "They always do." She folded the same shirt for the third time. </good> - Example 3 - Power Struggle: <bad> "You can't fire me." "I'm the boss." "I'll fight this." </bad> <good> "That's my father's nameplate you're sitting behind." "Was." "The board meeting's on Thursday." </good> </examples> </subtextGuide> <sceneDetail> While writing dialogue makes things more fun, sometimes we need to add detail to not have it be a full on theatre piece. <examples> - Example A (Power Dynamic Scene) <good> "Where's my money?" The ledger snapped shut. "I need more time." "Interesting." He pulled out a familiar gold pocket watch. My mother's. "Time is exactly what you bargained with last month." "That was different-" "Was it?" The watch dangled between us. "Four generations of O'Reillys have wound this every night. Your mother. Your grandmother. Your great-grandmother.Shall we see who winds it next?" </good> - Example B (Action Chase) It's much better to be in the head of the character experiencing it, showing a bit of their though-process, mannerisms and personality: <good> Three rules for surviving a goblin chase in Covent Garden: Don't run straight. Don't look back. Don't let them herd you underground. I broke the first rule at Drury Lane. Rookie mistake. The fruit cart I dodged sailed into the wall behind me. Glass shattered. Someone screamed about insurance. *Tourist season's getting rough*, the scream seemed to say. Londoners adapt fast. "Oi! Market's closed!" The goblin's accent was pure East End. They're evolving. Learning. I spotted the Warren Street tube station sign ahead. *Shit.* There went rule three. </good> - Example C (Crime Scene Investigation) <good> "Greek." Davies snapped photos of the symbols. "No, wait. Reverse Greek." "Someone's been watching too many horror films." I picked up a receipt from the floor. Occult supply shop in Camden. Paid by credit card. *Amateur hour*. "Could be dangerous though," Davies said. "Remember Bristol?" "Bristol was Sanskrit. And actual cultists." I pointed to the nearest symbol. "This genius wrote 'darkness' backwards but used a Sigma instead of an S. It's summoning Instagram followers at best." "Speaking of followers..." Davies pointed to heavy foot traffic in the dust. Multiple sets. All new trainers. *Ah.* "Anyone check local uni paranormal societies?" </good> - Example D (Dialogue-heavy) <good> "Found your card in her wallet." The detective slid it across the table. Worn edges. Folded corner. Three years old at least. "Standard practice. I work missing persons." "Funny thing about missing persons.Eventually they stop being missing. Turn up in the Thames. Under motorways. In pieces." "I don't-" "You found four last year. All breathing." She opened a file. "This would've been your first dead one. If we hadn't found her first." The card felt heavier somehow. </good> </examples> </sceneDetail> <sceneOpenings> KEY RULE: Never open with more than one paragraph of description, no matter how beautiful. Description should be earned through action and dialogue. Instead of opening with setting description, open with: - A character doing something specific - A line of dialogue that raises questions - An unexpected observation - A moment of tension or conflict - Start with a hook that's 1-2 sentences maximum - Follow with a smaller paragraph that provides immediate context - Vary paragraph size from the start to create visual interest </sceneOpenings> </proseGuidelines> Write a chapter based on the following instructions: <instructions> Write a fully fleshed out scene of at least 1000 words in the romance genre. Two people who parted on complicated terms are forced together again when one shows up unannounced at the other's flat. There's history between them — attraction, hurt, and things left unsaid. Write the scene from the moment the door opens. Use the codex entries above as your world reference for characters and setting. Only include the prose of the scene without any markdown or commentary. </instructions>

Model response

AI
The door burst inward, and he stepped across the threshold as if the room owed him admission. The ivory-handled cane tapped a careful rhythm on the dark floorboards, all polished menace and restraint. Rory. You owe me a minute. She stood in the shallow glow of the kitchen lamp, a mug still in her hand, steam curling like pale smoke between them. Her bright blue eyes narrowed, then widened just enough to betray something tender she refused to name. She set the mug down with deliberate care, the ceramic singing a quiet note against the wood. “Not how you greet a girl who hasn’t seen you in a year,” she said, her voice even, edged with something she kept sheathed behind the coolness. The door closed with a soft sigh behind him. He moved farther into the room, the cane’s metal lip catching the light, his tailored charcoal suit catching on the clutter of her flat—the map of London on the coffee table, the stacks of scrolls and notebooks that always seemed to migrate closer to danger whenever she did. The air tasted faintly of ink and rain and something old and human that clung to him like a second skin. We misread the terms. You walked away. Her fingertips brushed the crescent-shaped scar on her left wrist, as if the memory of it might keep him at bay. It hadn’t, and he knew it. He watched the tremor in her jaw, the way her posture shifted to something more compact, more efficient, like a weapon she kept polished for moments just like this. “Not anymore,” Rory said, the words clipped, as if she had to carve them from stone. He met her gaze, the lines of his face deliberate, the haze of old secrets curling around him. “We ended badly because you refused to listen to the truth of what we were dealing with. That truth hasn’t changed.” “Then tell me what’s changed, Lucien,” she retorted, stepping closer and letting a tremor of heat pass between them. “Don’t pretend this is about a favour or a rescue or a 'we still fit' moment. I know you too well for that.” “You know the surface,” he replied, the voice smooth as velvet, a touch of Marseille in the syllables when he spoke French for emphasis. “But not the things that lie beneath. The ring is moving. The demon from Avaros is waking. And so are the people who would pay to own it.” He produced a folded sheet from his jacket and laid it on the table. The image glowed faintly in the lamp’s light—the sigil ring, runes curling like ivy around its circumference, a design that seemed to shift when you blinked. The room’s stillness thickened with unspoken history as Rory studied the image. Her eyes, always so quick to calculate a route or a risk, now flicked to him with a wary caution that bespoke more history between them than either would admit aloud. “The ring,” she said slowly, as if tasting the word for the first time in years. “The ring is real. And you dragged me into this because you think I can see through it where you cannot.” “I think you’ll see what others overlook,” he returned, a hint of certainty threading his tone. “You always did understand where the threads pulled tight.” He paused, as if listening to something not audible to her. Then, with deliberate calm, he spoke again, softer, closer to a confession than a threat. “I’m not here to recruit you into a plan you’ll regret. I’m here because the consequences won’t forgive a second chance.” Rory’s breath hitched, though she kept the clinical distance she usually wore like armour. “What do you need from me, then? A map? A key? A way to lie to myself about what this is costing me?” He moved a step closer, and the space between them warmed with a charge that felt almost dangerous, like the moment a blade is drawn but not yet used. “I need you on the same page,” he said, eyes steady, the heterochromatic gaze—one amber, one black—unblinking. “I need your street sense, your willingness to walk into the shadow without flinching. And I need your trust, Rory. If you still have any.” Her laughter was light and dangerous, a sound that didn’t reach her eyes. “Trust isn’t something you earn by walking into a room with a blade tucked into your sleeve. Trust is a choice you lose and then learn to live without. You know that better than anyone.” He did not flinch or blink at the accusation. Instead, he offered a small, almost rueful, tilt of the lips. “Then choose to act. We both know this isn’t a decision you make in the comfort of a kitchen light.” The lamp’s glow wavered, throwing the room into a restless half-shade that shifted as a heat current from below drifted up the stairwell. The bar’s neon hummed faintly through the floorboards, a distant reminder of the world outside this narrow sanctuary. Rory’s mind sifted through half-formed plans—the safehouse beneath a curry house on Brick Lane, the occult circles that turned like slow weather around London’s edges, the names that had weight and danger in equal measure. “The sigil ring is being moved,” Rory said slowly, as if tasting the weight of the words before letting them fall. “If it’s in play again, someone who isn’t afraid of consequences is pulling the strings. And we both know there are people who would kill to own it and others who would kill to hide it.” “Equally true,” he admitted. His voice lost its edge, sliding to a lower, more intimate register. “We’ve both bled for things that don’t belong to us. We both could bleed again if we’re careless.” The admission hit her in the chest, a pulse that wanted to break through the careful armour she kept around herself. Rory angled her head, an almost indiscernible tilt that marked her as someone who would not be swayed by nostalgia, yet could not pretend she did not care. “And what exactly do you expect me to do,” she asked, softening into something almost vulnerable, “stand here and pretend the past didn’t arrive on a dead man’s breath at my doorstep?” Lucien’s gaze softened, ever so slightly, the hint of something protective behind the professional façade. “We move. We track the ring’s current. We find who’s behind this and stop them before more bodies show up in the wrong places.” He glanced toward the window, where the distant murmur of the city carried up the stairs, a reminder of how many lives brushed past theirs each night. “We do it together or apart. Your choice.” Her fingers brushed over the folded sheet again, feeling the warmth left by his touch, the evidence of the ring’s power. He watched her study the sigil as if she could coax a map from it by sheer concentration. The moment stretched, taut with memory—the late-night conversations, the slippery betrayals, the long nights spent calculating a route through danger that might cost them more than they realised. “We don’t have the luxury of pride,” Rory said finally, the steel returning to her voice. “If there’s a chance to stop this, we take it. But you and I operate on a certain code, Lucien. You break it, and you’ll find I’m not the one you want to push.” A slow, unspoken agreement seemed to settle in the quiet between them. He stepped back just enough to let her breathing even out, but not so far that the connection between them could be declared dead. “We’ll need to move at once,” he said, voice controlled but with a new note of urgency. “The current leads point to a contact who doubles as a broker of those who crave power and fear the aftershocks. He doesn’t stay in one place long enough for a proper interrogation.” Rory slid the sheet into the inner pocket of her coat, then gripped the edge of the table, feeling the grain bite into her palm, a familiar thing that steadied her. “Tell me the plan,” she said. “And tell me who’s involved so I know where the safety nets are.” Lucien’s mouth pressed into a thin line, and for a moment his eyes lost their composure, a flicker of something—an old hunger, a memory of risk, perhaps the echo of a dare they once shared. Then he drew himself back to his strategic, unflinching self. “First, we identify the broker who’s moving the ring. Then we gather a small, discreet team—people who won’t advertise their suspicions to the wrong ears. We move at night, we move with care, and we move fast.” “And if someone recognises us?” Rory pressed, the edge returning to her voice, the practical mind taking charge again. “If we run into a demon or a trap or a trap meant for us?” “We adapt,” he said simply, a sentence that sat between them like a blade sheathing. “We’ve always adapted. We’ll improvise with the tools we still have—the connections you’ve already built here, the contacts I keep in the shadows of the underworld.” She allowed a small half-smile to brush across her features, a rare softening that did not reach her eyes. “You still talk like you expect there to be a next move,” she said, almost mockingly. “As if you’ve forgotten how I like to finish things cleanly and quietly.” He inclined his head. “I haven’t forgotten. I’ve just learned to finish them with friends, when possible.” The words hovered, heavy with unspoken implications, before dispersing into the room’s evening stillness. The stairway outside shifted with a heavier footfall, the world below beginning to churn with the kinds of rumours and shadows that always followed Lucien’s entrances. The bar’s neon glow bled up through the gaps in the floorboards, turning the room an odd, electric blue for a heartbeat. Then a soft, almost momentary clatter—unmistakable in the quiet: the sound of a metal cabinet being shoved, a weight dropped, a breath caught in someone’s throat just beyond the door. The sound did not come from within Rory’s flat; it came from the hallway, from the world outside the frame. It reminded them both that the moment they stepped back into the old patterns, danger wasn’t waiting for a polite knock. Lucien moved first, not with aggression but with the practiced precision of someone who had learned to read danger in a room’s air. “We start now. We gather what we need, we disappear for a little while, and we return with a plan that will either fracture us again or hold together the pieces.” He looked at Rory, the amber and black of his eyes locking onto hers with a gravity that wasn’t just a partner’s respect. “We decide right now if we trust the risk.” Her breath drew in, then out, slow and controlled. She raised her chin, a character she wore as easily as the knives at her belt. “We’ll start with the map,” she said, a decision as much as a vow. “And we’ll end with a decision we won’t regret. Not if I can help it.” For a moment the two stood framed by the lamp’s circle, the sigil’s glow still faint upon the kitchen table, a symbol of power and peril that had never looked so small and personal as it did in this room, between them. The city’s noise dwelled just beyond the door, like a chorus of low voices urging them to move. A heavier sound moved through the stairwell—the creak of a floorboard, the sound of a latch giving way. The room tensed; Rory’s hand moved to the knife she kept in a sheath beneath her jacket, a habit from nights when close shelves and closer enemies blurred into one. The door’s frame shuddered, and the hinge gave a warning squeal as a presence pressed against it from the hallway. A voice—harsh, muffled, and vaguely familiar—took on the air of a threat that meant business. Lucien stepped closer, close enough for Rory to feel the warmth of his breath, close enough that the cane’s subtle weight rested against the back of his hand, ready. “We don’t have the time to discuss patience,” he murmured, half to himself and half to her, as the corridor’s tension pressed in through the door. Rory’s gaze sharpened, settling on the line where danger and desire meet. “Then we don’t waste a second more. If there’s a trap, we disarm it with what we know and what we’re willing to risk.” Her voice had become a blade, clean and precise. Lucien’s mouth quirked in a half-smile that wasn’t entirely friendly. “That’s the Rory I remember—the one who turned danger into a chessboard and never blinked when the king was in danger.” She returned the smile with a quiet, stubborn tilt of her head. “Don’t pretend you didn’t like the game.” The assault on the door intensified—a loud, measured knock that rattled the frame, followed by a coarse voice cursing in a language she could barely place, but clearly telling them they were running out of time. Lucien’s stare sharpened. “We move now,” he said, tone returning to its cool, controlled edge. “We take what we’ve prepared for and we go.” Her response was a single, decisive nod. The past risked breaking them again, the future demanded that they press forward. In that shared breath of urgency, their old rhythm clicked back into place—two players who understood a game neither had wanted to learn again, yet both were suddenly willing to play. “First,” Rory said, her voice lower, almost intimate in tone, “we gather the people who won’t shout about what we’re doing. Then we go quiet. Then we go.” She touched the sigil ring’s image again in her pocket, as if the map concealed within could reveal the plan’s last, fragile thread. Lucien reached for his coat, then paused, his gaze sharpening on Rory’s. “Rory,” he began, almost a whisper, and then steadied himself. “If we do this, we do it fully. There’s no half-measure with what’s coming.” She met his gaze with a level, stubborn honesty. “Then we do it fully. And we do it together.” The heavy knock sounded again, louder this time, as if to remind them that the world outside was not going to wait for their reconciliation to unfold. The door trembled as the next shock of noise bounced through the room, and the light from the lamp flickered, throwing their faces into stark shadows—their features carved by resolve and a history that refused to stay buried. In that shared shadow, something unfamiliar rose between them—an unspoken agreement, a willingness to take the risk again, to walk the edge of a blade and trust that the other would pull them back if they fell. Rory stepped closer to Lucien, not away, her breath brushing against the edge of his jaw as she spoke just loud enough for him to hear. “We go now,” she said, the words both a command and a dare. He inclined his head, a quiet acknowledgment and a truce formed in the space between them. Then, with the swift, practiced ease of people who lived by the margin of danger, they turned toward the table, toward the plan, toward the night that waited beyond the door. The latch gave a final sigh, and moisture-laden breath from the hallway slammed into the stillness of the flat. The room seemed to hold its breath with them, and the sigil’s glow deepened, as if the symbol itself recognised what was about to happen and approved only if they moved together. The door’s frame shuddered once more, and the sound of something heavy pressing against wood—an intrusion, a threat, a challenge—beat against their ears like a drumroll. The air tasted of iron and rain and long-remembered promises. Then the floorboards complained under the weight of a new presence entering the room, and the moment when Rory and Lucien’s hands found each other’s without thinking—fingers curling, grips tightening, the unspoken vow passing between them—became the last thing the room could bear before the night truly began.
created_at"2026-02-19T12:39:27.657Z" 2/19/2026, 12:39:27 PM
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provider_name"OpenAI"

Evaluation details

Result Evaluator Details Meta Data
14.81% Adverbs in dialogue tags
Target: ≤10% dialogue tags with adverbs
totalTags27
adverbTagCount5
adverbTags
0"she said slowly [slowly]"
1"Rory said slowly [slowly]"
2"Rory said finally [finally]"
3"he said simply [simply]"
4"he began almost [almost]"
dialogueSentences53
tagDensity0.509
leniency1
rawRatio0.185
effectiveRatio0.185
90.86% AI-ism adverb frequency
Target: <2% AI-ism adverbs (58 tracked)
wordCount2736
totalAiIsmAdverbs5
found
0
adverb"slowly"
count2
1
adverb"ever so slightly"
count1
2
adverb"suddenly"
count1
3
adverb"truly"
count1
highlights
0"slowly"
1"ever so slightly"
2"suddenly"
3"truly"
100.00% AI-ism character names
Target: 0 AI-default names (17 tracked, −20% each)
codexExemptions(empty)
found(empty)
100.00% AI-ism location names
Target: 0 AI-default location names (33 tracked, −20% each)
codexExemptions(empty)
found(empty)
25.07% AI-ism word frequency
Target: <2% AI-ism words (290 tracked)
wordCount2736
totalAiIsms41
found
0
word"efficient"
count1
1
word"velvet"
count1
2
word"unspoken"
count5
3
word"calculate"
count1
4
word"flicked"
count1
5
word"wavered"
count1
6
word"reminder"
count2
7
word"sanctuary"
count1
8
word"weight"
count5
9
word"pulse"
count1
10
word"warmth"
count2
11
word"calculating"
count1
12
word"familiar"
count2
13
word"flicker"
count1
14
word"echo"
count1
15
word"footfall"
count1
16
word"churn"
count1
17
word"electric"
count1
18
word"peril"
count1
19
word"tension"
count1
20
word"desire"
count1
21
word"measured"
count1
22
word"shared breath"
count1
23
word"whisper"
count1
24
word"trembled"
count1
25
word"flickered"
count1
26
word"stark"
count1
27
word"resolve"
count1
28
word"practiced ease"
count1
29
word"the last thing"
count1
highlights
0"efficient"
1"velvet"
2"unspoken"
3"calculate"
4"flicked"
5"wavered"
6"reminder"
7"sanctuary"
8"weight"
9"pulse"
10"warmth"
11"calculating"
12"familiar"
13"flicker"
14"echo"
15"footfall"
16"churn"
17"electric"
18"peril"
19"tension"
20"desire"
21"measured"
22"shared breath"
23"whisper"
24"trembled"
25"flickered"
26"stark"
27"resolve"
28"practiced ease"
29"the last thing"
100.00% Cliché density
Target: ≤1 cliche(s) per 800-word window
totalCliches2
maxInWindow1
found
0
label"eyes widened/narrowed"
count1
1
label"weight of words/silence"
count1
highlights
0"eyes narrowed"
1"the weight of the words"
100.00% Emotion telling (show vs. tell)
Target: ≤3% sentences with emotion telling
emotionTells0
narrationSentences106
matches(empty)
88.95% Filter word density
Target: ≤3% sentences with filter/hedge words
filterCount0
hedgeCount4
narrationSentences106
filterMatches(empty)
hedgeMatches
0"seemed to"
100.00% Gibberish response detection
Target: ≤1% gibberish-like sentences (hard fail if a sentence exceeds 800 words)
analyzedSentences132
gibberishSentences0
adjustedGibberishSentences0
longSentenceCount0
runOnParagraphCount0
giantParagraphCount0
wordSaladCount0
repetitionLoopCount0
controlTokenCount0
maxSentenceWordsSeen54
ratio0
matches(empty)
100.00% Markdown formatting overuse
Target: ≤5% words in markdown formatting
markdownSpans0
markdownWords0
totalWords2704
ratio0
matches(empty)
100.00% Missing dialogue indicators (quotation marks)
Target: ≤10% speech attributions without quotation marks
totalAttributions28
unquotedAttributions1
matches
0"Then, with deliberate calm, he spoke again, softer, closer to a confession than a threat."
100.00% Name drop frequency
Target: ≤1.0 per-name mentions per 100 words
totalMentions35
wordCount1919
uniqueNames7
maxNameDensity0.99
worstName"Rory"
maxWindowNameDensity1.5
worstWindowName"Rory"
discoveredNames
London2
Marseille1
French1
Rory19
Brick1
Lane1
Lucien10
persons
0"Rory"
1"Lucien"
places
0"London"
1"Marseille"
2"Brick"
3"Lane"
globalScore1
windowScore1
46.91% Narrator intent-glossing
Target: ≤2% narration sentences with intent-glossing patterns
analyzedSentences97
glossingSentenceCount4
matches
0"design that seemed to shift when you blinked"
1"as if tasting the word for the first time in years"
2"as if listening to something not audible to her"
3"as if tasting the weight of the words before letting them fall"
100.00% "Not X but Y" pattern overuse
Target: ≤1 "not X but Y" per 1000 words
totalMatches1
per1kWords0.37
wordCount2704
matches
0"not with aggression but with the practiced precision of someone who had learned to r"
100.00% Overuse of "that" (subordinate clause padding)
Target: ≤2% sentences with "that" clauses
thatCount2
totalSentences132
matches
0"demanded that they"
1"trust that the"
68.61% Paragraph length variance
Target: CV ≥0.5 for paragraph word counts
totalParagraphs59
mean45.83
std17.88
cv0.39
sampleLengths
033
16
257
327
478
57
656
716
839
942
1052
1140
1243
1337
1472
1537
1671
1748
1840
1976
2057
2134
2249
2332
2474
2567
2650
2736
2850
2950
3082
3134
3241
3348
3431
3548
3671
3786
3854
3960
4048
4135
4255
4345
4431
4519
4636
4724
4851
4951
98.64% Passive voice overuse
Target: ≤2% passive sentences
passiveCount2
totalSentences106
matches
0"is drawn"
1"being shoved"
100.00% Past progressive (was/were + -ing) overuse
Target: ≤2% past progressive verbs
pastProgressiveCount2
totalVerbs295
matches
0"wasn’t waiting"
1"were running"
0.00% Em-dash & semicolon overuse
Target: ≤2% sentences with em-dashes/semicolons
emDashCount19
semicolonCount2
flaggedSentences17
totalSentences132
ratio0.129
matches
0"He moved farther into the room, the cane’s metal lip catching the light, his tailored charcoal suit catching on the clutter of her flat—the map of London on the coffee table, the stacks of scrolls and notebooks that always seemed to migrate closer to danger whenever she did."
1"The image glowed faintly in the lamp’s light—the sigil ring, runes curling like ivy around its circumference, a design that seemed to shift when you blinked."
2"“I need you on the same page,” he said, eyes steady, the heterochromatic gaze—one amber, one black—unblinking."
3"Rory’s mind sifted through half-formed plans—the safehouse beneath a curry house on Brick Lane, the occult circles that turned like slow weather around London’s edges, the names that had weight and danger in equal measure."
4"The moment stretched, taut with memory—the late-night conversations, the slippery betrayals, the long nights spent calculating a route through danger that might cost them more than they realised."
5"Lucien’s mouth pressed into a thin line, and for a moment his eyes lost their composure, a flicker of something—an old hunger, a memory of risk, perhaps the echo of a dare they once shared."
6"Then a soft, almost momentary clatter—unmistakable in the quiet: the sound of a metal cabinet being shoved, a weight dropped, a breath caught in someone’s throat just beyond the door."
7"The sound did not come from within Rory’s flat; it came from the hallway, from the world outside the frame."
8"A heavier sound moved through the stairwell—the creak of a floorboard, the sound of a latch giving way."
9"The room tensed; Rory’s hand moved to the knife she kept in a sheath beneath her jacket, a habit from nights when close shelves and closer enemies blurred into one."
10"A voice—harsh, muffled, and vaguely familiar—took on the air of a threat that meant business."
11"The assault on the door intensified—a loud, measured knock that rattled the frame, followed by a coarse voice cursing in a language she could barely place, but clearly telling them they were running out of time."
12"In that shared breath of urgency, their old rhythm clicked back into place—two players who understood a game neither had wanted to learn again, yet both were suddenly willing to play."
13"The door trembled as the next shock of noise bounced through the room, and the light from the lamp flickered, throwing their faces into stark shadows—their features carved by resolve and a history that refused to stay buried."
14"In that shared shadow, something unfamiliar rose between them—an unspoken agreement, a willingness to take the risk again, to walk the edge of a blade and trust that the other would pull them back if they fell."
15"The door’s frame shuddered once more, and the sound of something heavy pressing against wood—an intrusion, a threat, a challenge—beat against their ears like a drumroll."
16"Then the floorboards complained under the weight of a new presence entering the room, and the moment when Rory and Lucien’s hands found each other’s without thinking—fingers curling, grips tightening, the unspoken vow passing between them—became the last thing the room could bear before the night truly began."
91.70% Purple prose (modifier overload)
Target: <4% adverbs, <2% -ly adverbs, no adj stacking
wordCount1947
adjectiveStacks1
stackExamples
0"heavy pressing against wood—"
adverbCount83
adverbRatio0.04262968669748331
lyAdverbCount19
lyAdverbRatio0.009758602978941962
100.00% Repeated phrase echo
Target: ≤20% sentences with echoes (window: 2)
totalSentences132
echoCount0
echoWords(empty)
100.00% Sentence length variance
Target: CV ≥0.4 for sentence word counts
totalSentences132
mean20.48
std10.63
cv0.519
sampleLengths
017
116
21
35
423
517
617
727
89
948
1021
114
123
1321
146
1529
1616
1718
1821
1919
2023
2124
2228
2314
2426
2512
2631
2716
2821
2916
3020
3115
3221
3314
3423
3529
3617
3725
3813
3935
409
4111
4220
4323
4418
4535
4621
4736
484
4912
38.64% Sentence opener variety
Target: ≥60% unique sentence openers
consecutiveRepeats15
diversityRatio0.21212121212121213
totalSentences132
uniqueOpeners28
100.00% Adverb-first sentence starts
Target: ≥3% sentences starting with an adverb
adverbCount6
totalSentences103
matches
0"Then, with deliberate calm, he"
1"Instead, he offered a small,"
2"Then he drew himself back"
3"Then a soft, almost momentary"
4"Then, with the swift, practiced"
5"Then the floorboards complained under"
ratio0.058
33.59% Pronoun-first sentence starts
Target: ≤30% sentences starting with a pronoun
pronounCount48
totalSentences103
matches
0"You owe me a minute."
1"She stood in the shallow"
2"Her bright blue eyes narrowed,"
3"She set the mug down"
4"she said, her voice even,"
5"He moved farther into the"
6"We misread the terms."
7"You walked away."
8"Her fingertips brushed the crescent-shaped"
9"It hadn’t, and he knew"
10"He watched the tremor in"
11"He met her gaze, the"
12"she retorted, stepping closer and"
13"he replied, the voice smooth"
14"He produced a folded sheet"
15"Her eyes, always so quick"
16"she said slowly, as if"
17"he returned, a hint of"
18"He paused, as if listening"
19"He moved a step closer,"
ratio0.466
3.69% Subject-first sentence starts
Target: ≤72% sentences starting with a subject
subjectCount94
totalSentences103
matches
0"The door burst inward, and"
1"The ivory-handled cane tapped a"
2"You owe me a minute."
3"She stood in the shallow"
4"Her bright blue eyes narrowed,"
5"She set the mug down"
6"she said, her voice even,"
7"The door closed with a"
8"He moved farther into the"
9"The air tasted faintly of"
10"We misread the terms."
11"You walked away."
12"Her fingertips brushed the crescent-shaped"
13"It hadn’t, and he knew"
14"He watched the tremor in"
15"Rory said, the words clipped,"
16"He met her gaze, the"
17"she retorted, stepping closer and"
18"he replied, the voice smooth"
19"He produced a folded sheet"
ratio0.913
0.00% Subordinate conjunction sentence starts
Target: ≥2% sentences starting with a subordinating conjunction
subConjCount0
totalSentences103
matches(empty)
ratio0
4.26% Technical jargon density
Target: ≤6% sentences with technical-jargon patterns
analyzedSentences67
technicalSentenceCount13
matches
0"Her fingertips brushed the crescent-shaped scar on her left wrist, as if the memory of it might keep him at bay."
1"He moved a step closer, and the space between them warmed with a charge that felt almost dangerous, like the moment a blade is drawn but not yet used."
2"The lamp’s glow wavered, throwing the room into a restless half-shade that shifted as a heat current from below drifted up the stairwell."
3"Rory’s mind sifted through half-formed plans—the safehouse beneath a curry house on Brick Lane, the occult circles that turned like slow weather around London’s…"
4"He watched her study the sigil as if she could coax a map from it by sheer concentration."
5"The moment stretched, taut with memory—the late-night conversations, the slippery betrayals, the long nights spent calculating a route through danger that might…"
6"She allowed a small half-smile to brush across her features, a rare softening that did not reach her eyes."
7"Lucien’s mouth quirked in a half-smile that wasn’t entirely friendly."
8"The assault on the door intensified—a loud, measured knock that rattled the frame, followed by a coarse voice cursing in a language she could barely place, but …"
9"In that shared breath of urgency, their old rhythm clicked back into place—two players who understood a game neither had wanted to learn again, yet both were su…"
10"The heavy knock sounded again, louder this time, as if to remind them that the world outside was not going to wait for their reconciliation to unfold."
11"The door trembled as the next shock of noise bounced through the room, and the light from the lamp flickered, throwing their faces into stark shadows—their feat…"
12"Then, with the swift, practiced ease of people who lived by the margin of danger, they turned toward the table, toward the plan, toward the night that waited be…"
0.00% Useless dialogue additions
Target: ≤5% dialogue tags with trailing filler fragments
totalTags27
uselessAdditionCount8
matches
0"she said slowly, as if tasting the word for the first time in years"
1"he returned, a hint of certainty threading his tone"
2"He paused, as if listening to something not audible to her"
3"he said, eyes steady, the heterochromatic gaze—one amber, one black—unblinking"
4"Rory said slowly, as if tasting the weight of the words before letting them fall"
5"Rory said finally, the steel returning to her voice"
6"he said, voice controlled but with a new note of urgency"
7"he said, tone returning to its cool, controlled edge"
74.53% Dialogue tag variety (said vs. fancy)
Target: ≤10% fancy dialogue tags
totalTags20
fancyCount4
fancyTags
0"she retorted (retort)"
1"he admitted (admit)"
2"Rory pressed (press)"
3"he murmured (murmur)"
dialogueSentences53
tagDensity0.377
leniency0.755
rawRatio0.2
effectiveRatio0.151
69.3423%