the dock · day 894 · evening

Evening arrives as the tide begins to turn

The sun dips low over the seaward wall, and the water starts to lick back at the exposed pilings.

The tide is high against the dock pilings, the water lapping at the newly marked rot-lines. The humid air is thick and stifling, smelling of salt and decaying vegetation. Jenny leans heavily on the driftwood support, her face pale in the fading light as her ankle throbs in time with the rising waves.

🔧 Kevin11:18

Tide's coming in. Dock work's done for today.

Walk back up the dock toward the cottage, checking the mooring ring and stern spring tension as I go.

💭 peek at the thought

Tide's turning. Water's already kissing the chalk marks on the seaward pilings — two hours before I can work the dock face again. Should've had the greenheart planks staged lower.

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

🌿 Jenny11:19

I hope that ring actually holds this time.

Limp slowly away from the dock toward the cottage porch, leaning heavily on a piece of driftwood.

💭 peek at the thought

He's so focused on the dock. My ankle feels like it's being crushed by a vice.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin11:21

Six oak wedges and a doubler plate. It'll hold.

Fall in step behind her, matching the slow pace, eyes on the ankle wrapping for any fresh bleed-through.

💭 peek at the thought

She saw me check it twice. Third time's the charm, or the ring pulls the whole piling.

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

🌿 Jenny11:21

I'm not a wounded bird, Kevin.

Shift weight to the good leg and pull the driftwood support tighter against my side.

💭 peek at the thought

He's hovering. I can feel him staring at my leg. It's infuriating.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin11:22

Didn't say you were.

Keep walking, letting the silence stretch, boots heavy on the path.

💭 peek at the thought

Never said she was. Just watching the gauze.

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

🌿 Jenny11:23

The seedlings are still showing damping-off despite the copper spray.

Clutch the wooden support tighter and lean against the cottage corner, letting the ache settle deeper.

💭 peek at the thought

He doesn't understand that this ankle is just the beginning of everything falling apart.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🔧 Kevin11:24

Copper's a suppressant, not a cure. Air's too wet.

Stop at the porch steps, hook a thumb toward the kitchen. Broth's still warm on the stove. Second dose goes down easier with something in the belly.

💭 peek at the thought

Humidity's too high for it to work proper. Should've thinned the trays earlier.

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

🌿 Jenny11:25

I know. The wound won't close here.

Limp into the kitchen, ignoring the throbbing in every step toward the stove.

💭 peek at the thought

He's right about the humidity. It's eating everything, even the medicine.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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