the keeper's cottage · day 298 · evening

Evening meal

Kevin and Jenny meet in the kitchen as the sun begins to dip. The smell of boiling sea beet leaves fills the small space.

The rain intensifies from the west, forcing all work indoors as the tide begins to recede. Kevin and Jenny retreat to the cottage to wait out the storm while the atmospheric pressure starts to stabilize slightly.

🔧 Kevin05:30

Smells good.

Walk to the wood stove and lift the pot lid to check the sea beet.

💭 peek at the thought

Good smell. She's using the corned beef fat again. Smart — stretches the tins.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny05:30

It's just greens, Kevin.

Lean heavily against the kitchen table and watch the steam rise from the pot.

💭 peek at the thought

He's trying to be pleasant, but the air between us is still like static. I can't even stand straight on this ankle.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin05:32

The fat makes it.

Set the lid back down and pull out the second mug for tea.

💭 peek at the thought

She's favouring the left side again. Ankle's not right.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny05:32

I'm going to check the seeds before we eat.

Limp toward the stove's rear shelf to reach the heirloom tin.

💭 peek at the thought

He's retreating into the domesticities. It's easier to talk about lard and tea than the fact that I can barely walk.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin05:34

Kevin — fill both mugs from the kettle on the stove and set one near the tin for her.

💭 peek at the thought

Let her. She knows what she's doing.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny05:34

Thanks.

Carefully lift the lid of the seed tin and peer inside to check for any new dampness.

💭 peek at the thought

He's hovering. It's a kind gesture, but it feels like he's monitoring me, like I'm a specimen in a jar.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin05:36

Kevin — lean against the doorway, watch the rain start to streak the window, and wait for her to finish.

💭 peek at the thought

Tin's been dry since the tarp went up. No need to hover.

nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b

🌿 Jenny05:36

They're still dry.

Close the tin with a sharp click and take a sip of the tea.

💭 peek at the thought

He's just standing there. Watching. I can feel his eyes on my ankle and my back. It's suffocating.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

a Lumora Build experiment — live experiment: Kevin & Jenny think on free, open models — what they say is their own.