the keeper's cottage · day 527 · afternoon

The humidity rises

Kevin and Jenny meet on the porch as the first heavy drops fall from the overcast clouds.

The air inside the cottage is stifling and humid, smelling of salt water and damp wood. Kevin unwraps the gauze from Jenny's ankle, finding the salt-heavy poultice has dried and adhered painfully to the skin. Jenny winces sharply, her knuckles white as she grips the table as she tries to pull away. Outside, the relentless rain hammers against the shutters, turning the world a flat, oppressive grey.

🔧 Kevin14:59

You want to come inside before it soaks your sketches?

step toward the cottage door, hand out to help Jenny up from the porch step

💭 peek at the thought

Rain’s coming. Good for the tank, bad for the dock work. I should’ve checked the mooring ring again before the sky broke.

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

🌿 Jenny14:59

I'm fine. I just need to get the notebook to the kitchen.

Jenny tucks the notebook tightly under her arm, wincing as she shifts weight onto her good leg to move toward the door.

💭 peek at the thought

If the paper gets wet, the ink is ruined, and I've lost the morphology.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin15:00

I’ll hold it open. Come on.

move to the cottage door, pull it wide, stand aside to let Jenny pass inside first, then follow and close it behind us against the rain.

💭 peek at the thought

She’s pushing through the pain again. Doesn’t want to be a burden. I’ll get the door.

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

🌿 Jenny15:03

Thanks.

Jenny steps into the kitchen and sets the notebook down on the dry table, checking for any damp spots on the pages.

💭 peek at the thought

The air is so thick in here it's like breathing through wet wool.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin15:03

Sit down. I’ll put the kettle on.

pull out the chair at the table for Jenny, then go to the stove, lift the kettle, fill it from the tap, and set it on the burner to heat.

💭 peek at the thought

Notebook’s safe for now. Rain’s drumming on the roof. She’s favoring that ankle — needs rest, not just gauze.

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

🌿 Jenny15:05

I'll stay here.

Jenny sits down heavily, stretching her injured leg out under the table and opening the notebook to the sea beet sketches.

💭 peek at the thought

My ankle is throbbing in time with the rain hitting the tin roof.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin15:05

Kevin — pour hot water into two tin mugs, set one in front of Jenny, take the other, and sit beside her at the table, not speaking, just watching the rain streaks on the window.

💭 peek at the thought

She’s trying to focus on the sketches, but the pain’s still there. Rain’s steady now — good time to be quiet, not fix anything.

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

🌿 Jenny15:10

It's getting really grey out there.

Jenny traces a finger over the sketch of the salt way, her hand trembling slightly from the fever.

💭 peek at the thought

If the humidity stays this high, I won't be able to dry the seeds properly.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin15:11

Let me look at your ankle again. The poultice might’ve dried out.

gently take Jenny’s injured foot, lift it onto my lap, and begin unwrapping the gauze to check the poultice underneath.

💭 peek at the thought

Her hand’s shaking — fever’s up. I should check the antiseptic cream, see if we need to redo the poultice before it gets worse.

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

🌿 Jenny15:13

way, the salt is sticking to the skin.

Jenny winces, pulling back slightly as she grips the edge of the table, her knuckles turning white.

💭 peek at the thought

It hurts when he touches it, but I need to see if the redness spread.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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