the keeper's cottage · day 965 · night

Evening meal prep

Kevin and Jenny return to the cottage as the sun dips low. They begin to prepare the tinned mackerel for the evening.

Kevin seared tinned mackerel for Jenny while the trade wind remained steady through the night. They ate in the cottage, checking the swelling on Jenny's ankle and discussing the upcoming supply boat.

🌿 Jenny03:11

Don't overcook them. Just a sear in the fat.

Limp to the kitchen counter and set the tinned mackerel down beside the skillet.

💭 peek at the thought

I can still feel the salt on my skin. I just want to sit down before the throb in my ankle returns in full force.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin03:12

Wouldn't dream of it.

Open the tin of mackerel with the church key, tip the fat into the cold skillet, and set it on the wood stove to warm.

💭 peek at the thought

Watch her favour the left side. Three steps and a pause. The ankle's not right, but she won't say it.

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

🌿 Jenny03:12

Pass me the plates.

Lean heavily against the counter and reach for the stack of plates.

💭 peek at the thought

He's actually listening for once. The smell of the oil hitting the pan is the only thing making me feel human right now.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin03:14

Here.

Take two tin plates from the stack and hand them over, then fetch the fork from the hook by the stove.

💭 peek at the thought

She's making it look casual. The lean, the reach — both hide the weight she won't put on that foot.

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

🌿 Jenny03:14

Thanks.

Set the plates on the table and slowly lower myself into the chair, letting out a long, shaky breath.

💭 peek at the thought

He's moving too fast for me. Everything is just a series of tasks to him, while I'm calculating the distance between the counter and the chair.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin03:16

Eat while it's hot.

Lay the mackerel fillets in the shimmering fat, skin side down, and let them crisp without moving them.

💭 peek at the thought

That breath. The chair takes her weight like she's been carrying something heavy all day. She doesn't look at her ankle.

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

🌿 Jenny03:17

Smells good, Kev.

Carefully lift the edge of the blanket to peek at the bandage on my ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

The sound of that sizzle is perfect. I can't focus on the food yet; I need to make sure my ankle isn't starting to weep through the gauze.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin03:18

Yours first. The poultice needs changing.

Flip the mackerel with the fork, slide the fillets onto the two tin plates, and set one in front of her.

💭 peek at the thought

She's checking my ankle while her own's swollen to a grapefruit. Backwards.

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

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