the keeper's cottage · day 446 · midday

Midday Rain Shelter

They meet under the small overhang as the rain intensifies, the sound of the rat in the pantry a constant reminder of the intrusion.

The rain continues its steady percussive drumming against the cottage roof while the air remains heavy and humid. Inside, the smell of damp wood and salt-dried herbs lingers as the tide begins its slow retreat from the shore.

🌿 Jenny05:41

It's in the pantry again.

Wipes sweat from her forehead with a shaky hand and winces as she shifts weight away from her infected ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

If that thing gets into the flour, I'm going to lose my mind. My leg is screaming.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin05:43

Heard it. Set the snap trap last night. Baited with corned beef.

walk to the pantry door and press my ear to the wood, listening for movement behind the shelves

💭 peek at the thought

She's favouring the leg hard. The doxycycline's been in her system twelve hours — should be biting by now, but the metronidazole's only had one dose. Infection doesn't care about schedules. The rat's the least of it, but she's looking at the pantry door like it's the problem she can name.

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

🌿 Jenny05:43

I hope it didn't find the grain first.

Sets her sketch pencil down and watches at the way door, her jaw tight.

💭 peek at the thought

Corned beef? That's a waste if it's already gone.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin05:45

Tin's sealed. Self-amalgamating tape on the lid. Rat'd need a can opener.

crouch and pull the snap trap from behind the shelf, checking the bait and trigger mechanism

💭 peek at the thought

Grain's in the tin with the E on it — sealed, heavy, rusted. If the rat got through that, we got bigger problems than a rodent. She's watching the door like it might open on its own. Her ankle's throbbing; I can see it in the way she's not breathing right.

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

🌿 Jenny05:45

Check the floor for dropped sea beet leaves.

Leans against the doorframe, breathing through teeth as her ankle throces with the movement.

💭 peek at the thought

At least he's thinking about the seals. My head is spinning.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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