the old shrine · day 874 · evening

Evening Gathering

The sun begins to dip behind the overcast layer, and the temperature drops slightly as Kevin and Jenny meet to prepare the evening meal.

Kevin examines Jenny's ankle at the old shrine as the pressure continues to drop. He peels back the bandage to reveal the angry, throbbing swelling while Jenny prepares a pot of coffee to wait out the evening.

🌿 Jenny08:44

I've got some limpets. They're in the pot.

Lean heavily against the stone wall to shift weight off the ankle, then slowly hobble toward the stove.

💭 peek at the thought

I can't even stand properly, and he's probably thinking about that radio mast. I need to eat something, or I'm going to faint.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin08:46

Put the kettle on too. Coffee after.

walk to the stove and lift the pot lid to check the limpets

💭 peek at the thought

Watching her favor that ankle, the way she won't ask for help even when the weight's wrong. The limpets are something at least — protein, warm broth. Need to check the coax termination before full dark but the radio can wait ten minutes.

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

🌿 Jenny08:46

They're still a bit chewy.

Reach for the kettle and fill it with water from the tank.

💭 peek at the thought

Just a simple request, but he doesn't even look at my leg. He sees the limpets, not the limp.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin08:48

Simmer them twenty more. I'll take the kettle.

reach for the kettle handle to take it from her

💭 peek at the thought

Chewy means they needed longer in the boil or a slower simmer. She's moving careful — ankle's still dictating every step. Kettle's heavy when full.

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

🌿 Jenny08:49

Whatever you want.

Let go of the kettle and sit down heavily on the low bench, rubbing the swollen ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

He's always taking the lead, even when I'm the one holding the weight.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin08:50

Kevin — set the kettle on the stove and adjust the limpet pot to a lower flame, then pull the bench closer to her and sit down

💭 peek at the thought

She doesn't argue when the pain's up. That's the tell. Kettle's heavy — near twenty litres when full. She shouldn't be hauling it.

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

🌿 Jenny08:51

The barometer is falling.

Look down at the bandage on the ankle, tracing the edge of the swelling with a finger.

💭 peek at the thought

He's trying. I can see the effort in the way he moves the bench, but the silence between us is just getting heavier.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin08:52

995 and dropping. Front'll be on us by midnight.

reach for the medical kit on the shelf and pull out fresh gauze and the antibiotic cream

💭 peek at the thought

Falling barometer, thickening cloud, humidity that won't quit. Front's building. She's tracking it same as me — ankle swells when pressure drops. The bandage needs changing tonight; poultice has been on since morning.

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

🌿 Jenny08:53

It's still hot to the touch.

Carefully peel back the old gauze, exposing the red, angry skin of the ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

He remembers the schedule. He doesn't ask how it feels; he just goes straight to the maintenance.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin08:54

Hold still.

set the gauze and cream down, take up the scalpel and penlight, and lean in close to examine the wound

💭 peek at the thought

Heat radiating off it even before the bandage comes fully clear. Infection's still active under the surface. The doxycycline and metronidazole should've knocked it back harder by now. Need to debride again if there's pus, fresh poultice after.

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.