Weight Training

Living with an adolescent Shedu was not the easiest thing in the world. Attempting to set up a business at the same time was all but impossible.  Nonetheless, Vivienne Rue refused to be daunted.

Her business partner was not so unflappable. "Chere, why did you buy us a tract of land in the bayou?"

Vie glanced out across the property in question, examining the tangle of spanish moss through unbiased eyes.  "Seclusion, low taxes, practically endless room for expansion."

"Mosquitoes," Beau countered, ticking off his objections on long dark fingers. "Crocodiles, sinkholes, humidity..."

Vie's green eyes lit in challenge.  "You may leave at any time."

"Hell no," Beau muttered, kicking at a stack of lumber.  The reclaimed beams had been borrowed from a wrecked steamship, the pieces o which they were hoisting into the heavy limbs of cypress trees.  Though unfinished, the bottoms would eventually be shedu kennels.  At one year old, Argo could still fit in the standard rooms relatively easily. Luckily the lack of furniture made his clumsy steps less of a hazard.  "Seems to me," Beau said, glancing over to where Argo was pacing below, "That your cat could stand to burn off a bit of energy."

Vie nodded in an absent minded way. She put down a glass cutter and brushed off her hands. When she jogged down a set of temporary stairs, Argo met her at the bottom and chirped merrily.  She ran her hands over his soft coat and murmured nonsensical words as they wandered in the direction of a temporary shelter.  Beau called out after them: "Don't take all day! You can't avoid work for forever!"

"A training break was his suggestion," Vie told Argo conspiratorially, waving at Beau as if she agreed with him entirely.

She spent some time handling Argo in any way he would tolerate: making him roll over, sit, lay down.  He groused and growled when she lifted his feet, but allowed it.  Finally she led him out to a spot in the sun where Beau could see them.  With dramatic intent, she leaned all of her weight onto Argo's back to get him used to the feeling of weight.

From above, though, it probably looked as though she had every intention of taking a nap.

Count: 377

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Training Image