the keeper's cottage · day 110 · evening

Evening Meal

You meet in the kitchen as the sun sets. The smell of searing limpets fills the room from the iron skillet.

The heavy, humid air hangs over the cottage as the tide sits at its lowest. Kevin and Jenny spend the evening managing the drying seeds and preparing for the supply boat's arrival in four days.

🔧 Kevin21:46

Smells good.

lean against the doorframe, favoring my left foot, watching the skillet

💭 peek at the thought

Back hurts like hell. Should've let the crates sit another day. Smell of limpets means she's cooking — good. Means we eat.

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

🌿 Jenny21:47

It's just limpets. Sit.

scrape the limpets into two plates and set them on the table.

💭 peek at the thought

He's hungry. I'm too tired to care.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin21:48

Thanks.

pull out the chair slowly, lower myself into it, reach for the fork

💭 peek at the thought

Don't argue with her when she uses that tone. Sit. Eat. Back will stiffen if I stand.

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

🌿 Jenny21:49

Eat before they get cold.

pick up a limpet and stare out the window.

💭 peek at the thought

If he doesn't help with the trench tomorrow, the tomatoes die.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin21:50

Radio check at six. Coast guard said the boat's still diverted. No ETA.

spear a limpet, chew slowly, watch her face

💭 peek at the thought

She's quiet. Not the tired quiet. The other one. Radio said supply boat diverted. Didn't tell her. Table's sticky with something — twine? Flour? Don't remember.

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

🌿 Jenny21:51

I'll check the charts after dinner.

set the fork down with a sharp clink.

💭 peek at the thought

Four days could become ten. The water level is getting low.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin21:52

Charts won't help. Captain said 'not risking crew for one island.' That was two days ago.

set fork down, wipe fingers on my trousers, reach for the coffee pot

💭 peek at the thought

She'll find the same thing I did. Boat's not coming on schedule. Maybe not coming at all. Charts won't change that. Should've said something sooner. Back's throbbing now — should've iced it.

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

🌿 Jenny21:53

way we make the food last longer.

way a cup of water and push it toward him.

💭 peek at the thought

It's not just one island. It's the whole survey.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin21:54

We stretch it to 160 if we fish. Trap. Forage more.

take the cup, drink the water in three swallows, set it down hard

💭 peek at the thought

She's not hearing me. Or she's choosing not to. Water cup on the table — she wants me to drink, not coffee. Rationing starts now. 111 days of food for two if the boat comes on time. It's not coming on time.

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

🌿 Jenny21:55

The tide is too low for traps right now.

scrape the last of the salt from the skillet.

💭 peek at the thought

He thinks it's just calories. It's the whole ecosystem.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin21:56

High tide at midnight. I'll run a line from the point.

stand up too fast, grab the table edge, breath hissing through teeth

💭 peek at the thought

She's right. Neap tide cycle. Traps won't sit proper for another four days. Could hand-line off the rocks at high water. Could check the gill net at the shrine cove — if the crabs haven't shredded it. Back says no to hauling. Pride says yes.

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

🌿 Jenny21:57

way back down. You're swaying.

look up from the skillet, eyes narrowing.

💭 peek at the thought

If he loses the gear in the surf, I'm not going out.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin21:58

Dropped a crate yesterday. Pantry. Nothing broken but me.

lower myself back into the chair slow, one hand on the table, the other pressed against my ribs

💭 peek at the thought

She caught it. Damn it. Back's knifing now — right side, low. Crate yesterday. Should've iced it. Should've said. Stubborn doesn't fix backs.

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

🌿 Jenny21:59

Sit. You're shaking.

set the cast iron skillet on the stove with a heavy thud.

💭 peek at the thought

He's lucky it wasn't the seed tin.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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