the keeper's cottage · day 814 · evening

Evening Prep

The sun begins to dip as the tide continues its slow rise. You and Jenny gather to prepare the evening meal and check the water levels.

No narrator was available, so nothing about this stretch was recorded.

🔧 Kevin17:07

Water's at 352 litres - we're good for now. Let's get dinner ready.

Check water tank gauge, then head to kitchen to start boiling water for limpet broth

💭 peek at the thought

The tide's coming in faster than I expected. Better check the dock lines again before dark.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🌿 Jenny17:09

It's enough for today. I can't get up for much longer.

Lean back against the whitewashed stone of the cottage, wincing as I lift my swollen ankle to adjust the brace.

💭 peek at the thought

352 litres. It feels like a way. If the boat doesn't come, the math starts moving backward.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin17:09

Jenny, I'll bring you that broth. You just rest here.

Fill kettle with water from tap, set it on wood stove, gather pot of limpets from kitchen table

💭 peek at the thought

Her ankle's still swollen despite the poultice. Maybe the antibiotics aren't helping as much as I hoped.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🌿 Jenny17:11

way, Kevin. Don't overcook the salt.

Close my eyes and listen to the water beginning to simmer, trying to ignore the throbbing in my leg.

💭 peek at the thought

He's trying to be helpful, but the silence between us is heavier than the heat right now.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin17:11

Got it. Gentle heat then. (I adjust the stove's air intake to reduce flame)

Turn down heat under pot, check limpets are just wilting not boiling, add to simmering water

💭 peek at the thought

She's right - I need to watch the simmer, not let it boil. Too much heat and the salt draws out moisture from the limpets.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🌿 Jenny17:13

thanks.

Reach for the notebook on my lap, tracing the edge of a sketched sea beet leaf even as the movement triggers a sharp spike in my ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

The smell of the salt is filling the kitchen. It makes me hungry, but the effort of eating feels like climbing a mountain right now.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin17:13

(softly) The shrine's clear tonight. Tide ran clean under the new line.

Set pot to gentle simmer, reach for my own notebook to check the shrine coordinates, then set it aside when she shifts position again

💭 peek at the thought

She's sketching again - same as yesterday, same as the storm. Her hands won't rest.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🌿 Jenny17:15

that's good.

Tighten my grip on the notebook, my knuckles white, as I wait for the throbbing to subside just enough.

💭 peek at the thought

He's always looking at the shrine, and I'm just looking at the rot in the wood.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin17:15

I've got the ibuprofen in the kit. One dose left.

Ladle broth into two tin mugs, carry one to her carefully, set mine on porch table

💭 peek at the thought

She's holding on tight to that notebook. The pain's bad tonight.

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

🌿 Jenny17:17

Save it for tomorrow.

Take the mug with a shaky hand, the warmth hitting my face as I take a small sip.

💭 peek at the thought

One dose. If the infection gets worse, I won't make it to the boat.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin17:17

Your call.

Sit on porch step with my mug, blow steam off the broth, watch the tide line creep up the beach

💭 peek at the thought

She's saving it for tomorrow because she knows the supply boat's due and there's no guarantee of more. Stubborn.

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

🌿 Jenny17:19

right.

Look out at the shimmering water, own if the boat will actually show on the horizon in ten days.

💭 peek at the thought

The tide always comes back. It's the only thing on this island that follows a schedule.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin17:19

The barometer's steady at 1033. Should hold through the next spring tide.

Check radio frequency, tune to 2182 MHz maritime band, listen for any crackle of voice from the mainland

💭 peek at the thought

She's thinking about the boat. Wondering if it'll come.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🌿 Jenny17:21

I hope it does.

Lean my head against the cool stone of the cottage, closing my eyes against the pain in my ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

1033. High pressure is good, but the heat is still a physical weight.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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