Things to consider

I took a day. I needed it to consider my life, to consider my choices, and to consider where I went from here.

Okay, Akane, you've mucked up a bunch of people's lives for some really petty reasons. You have **** but to take responsibility and to build something out of this train wreck.

"This is going to be great!" Lust enthused causing me to groan.

"Can you not take this seriously?"

"No, and you need to relax, girl. You just got effective permission from the old hag. What more do you want?"

I glared at her. "You call that permission?! That was more like resignation! Ugh... just... never mind. I don't know exactly what she has planned, but I guess I better start considering how I'm going to manage things. You know, this is getting to be a bit nuts... I mean, Kodachi generally wants it once or twice a week. Ukyo's at about once a week, and now Shampoo has pretty much a hard upper limit of once a week. That's... That's..."

"Lots of food for me in a week, I know. I'm loving it!"

"No!" I nearly yelled. "It's too much for me alone! I'll burn out for sure!"

"All the more reason to get that boyfriend of yours involved to carry the load for you."

"Yeah, I suppose... but what is he going to think of me when he learns about all this."

Lust shrugged. "Who cares? Leave that to me-"

"No! I told you before, no messing with him!"

"Fine, fine. You're just making things difficult though."

"I don't care. I... I want him properly, not like... this! Ugh. I need to think how I'm going to break it to him."

"I vote for a post sex reveal, you can even go full group for extra effect."

I glared at Lust. I don't know why I expect better from her, but come on. Sadly, I sorta felt she was at least partly right. The intimacy of the moment might cushion the blow of the reveal. Still, right now I just didn't have the courage for it, and I had other issues that needed dealing with, namely a certain feral Amazon.

She had just reset her proverbial clock, so I had a few days to consider my approach. I'd also have to probably pay Cologne another visit to figure out what she exactly had planned on her end. And, since there was no Ranma and just me, I still had to keep Ukyo and Kodachi up. This is going to get exhausting.

Nothing to be done about it. Just have to stay strong for the time being and work my way through the problems as they show up.

Damn, why is this starting to feel a bit like work?

XXXXX

A few days later I indeed dropped by the Nekohanten, waiting for Shampoo to depart on a delivery. Cologne immediately called me into the back to talk.

"I assume your friend can keep this private?"

Lust nodded with her usual smile and I said, "Yes."

"Good. Have you attempted to speak to Shampoo about her condition?" Cologne asked and I shook my head, causing Cologne to frown. "Then you might have an additional issue."

"What issue?" I asked nervously.

"When she came to you the other day, I think I may have inadvertently set her on that course. I had brought up the topic and she was oblivious to her behavior, and immediately set out to find you," Cologne said to my confusion. "Her condition also sharply deteriorated. Hmm, I can only speculate, but I think talking with her about it may actually be like poking the beast within, and quickens its awakening."

"Oh heck, meaning I can't even tell her she has a problem?"

"No, she knows she has some issue, she just doesn't know what it is. That will complicate your... treatment as it will no doubt seem very strange to her."

Wonderful!

"Hopefully with time that issue will pass, but initially you will have to work around it. There is another matter as well. How many nannichuan packets do you have?"

"With the ones Shampoo got me the other day, quite a few. Why?"

"At once a week, how long?"

I blinked and realized what Cologne was pushing towards. "Uh, about... 4 months, maybe 5, I don't remember the exact count. They'll restock by then... right?"

Cologne shook her head. "I inquired already. I was going to purchase their remaining stock for you, but apparently that is what Shampoo already did. They restock about once a year, and he's expecting a new shipment in about eight months."

"Eight?! I don't have near that many packets."

"I feared as much," Cologne said. "Then there is but three options. One, break her need for being with your male self. Perhaps simply being with you as is can suffice."

"Honestly, I'd kinda prefer that, but I have strong doubts."

"Sadly, I concur. Her feral side seems to have imprinted very specifically on your male self, as troublesome as that is. Still, ultimately, it would be an option, perhaps something more long term. Two is perhaps another male, Son-in-law being the obvious choice, can substitute."

"I doubt it," I said with a frown.

"As do I for the same reasons. I've heard nothing from Son-in-law of him being approached."

"Yeah, me neither... and the third?"

"Stretch out those cycles. You'd have to move them to about two weeks, and quickly. Every week that passes at this cycle rate is a week of time lost."

Oh hell! That's not good at all! I nodded in understanding. "Right so, I got to get started soon then. What are you planning? Are you planning... to sell her to me or something?" Cologne gave me a level glare and then in a flash clonked me on the head. "OW!"

"Get your mind out of the sewer, girl!" Cologne chastised me. "That sort of thing would be completely counterproductive. She no doubt would become utterly uncooperative. No, I was planning on simply telling her the majority of the truth. I see now though that I'll have to omit the particulars of her condition."

"Uh, right," I replied, feeling a bit the fool. She was right. My mind was in the sewer. Can you blame me? "So... um... are you going to tell her about my... friend?"

Cologne frowned but shook her head. "I considered it, but as cooperation here is paramount, that too would be counterproductive. I will leave that secret to you. It is sufficient you know I know," Cologne said with a smile that conveyed exactly what she meant.

"Right."

"If the situation continues long enough and stabilizes, it will likely be in your best interest to reveal it, but for now at least keeping it secret is probably best," Cologne said before sighing. "It would be significantly easier if Ranma were involved from the beginning. When do you plan to approach him?" Cologne asked.

"I... I'm worried about telling him," I answered honestly.

"Worried?"

"I don't want Lust involved with him," I clarified.

"I see, how troublesome."

I looked down at the floor. "You think I should have Lust just bring him in?"

"It would certainly be far easier," Cologne said but sighed and shook her head, "but no, I think it better you stick to your conviction on this." I looked at her in surprise, prompting her to explain. "You are holding out surprisingly well against the Succubus' influence, and being that has been so long you are not likely to get much worse. That said part of the reason for your resilience is likely that very conviction. It is something that grounds you. As such, I would recommend you keep to it."

I nodded.

Cologne examined me a moment, before continuing. "On the opposite side, I recommend you embrace what you have become."

"What?"

"I know it sounds contradictory, but honestly, if you compare your current feelings and actions with those before the incident with Shampoo, would you say they are the same?"

I shook my head. "But, isn't that a good thing."

"A little, but I can sense you are greatly conflicted. That won't do long term. Your friend, to be at her most effective, needs the most energy, and that comes from the most open, unreserved feelings. Let's be honest, you already lost the ground in your character there. This stepping back is simply causing you distress, and likely is effecting everyone in your sway."

I couldn't deny that. Things had gotten less... fun as my concerns had risen. Only when I tossed aside my concerns did I feel okay. "I see what you mean. Does that really mean you're... kinda... giving me permission?"

Cologne sighed, but nodded. "Reluctantly, but yes. While the... particulars may be... disturbing to me, how would you react if both your parents were still alive and you caught them in the deed?"

"Quite disturbed," I said in perfect understanding.

"Exactly."

I looked to Lust who has a smug superior look on her face. I guess she was right after all. "I promise I'll figure things out and make the best of it for everyone!"

Cologne examined me, and then nodded in approval. "I hope you do. Now then, I will send Shampoo to you when I can properly shut the restaurant down permanently, and will return to China with Mousse not long after that. In the meantime, I'll keep him out of your hair, although for now at least, your friend distracting him would be helpful. Once I return to the village, I will be removing her connection to him, so then it will be all on me. Not looking forward to it, but it must be done. I assume you'll want her at the Kuno's?"

"Uh, yeah. I'll make preparations."

Cologne nodded. "I should get back to my work, and Shampoo will be returning soon. You should be off."

"Right... uh, will I see you again?"

"Before I depart, likely not. As I mentioned before I will come by now and then for... snap inspections, but for now, this will be good bye."

I bowed to her in respect, and gave her my farewell before leaving.

Outside I felt a mix of feelings, urgency, but also with a sort of tension removed. "Things are going to be tougher than I thought."

"But you are feeling better about this, right?" Lust said, and I understood the subtext of her words. 'I told you so!'

"Yeah, I suppose I am," I admitted. "I'll have to do a bit of shopping."

XXXXX

With my conscious at least somewhat clear... you know, that still sounds bad given all I've done, but like Cologne said, I have to embrace this. So, that's what I'm going to do! Anyway, where was I? Oh right... as I was saying, with my conscious somewhat clear, I had a new goal so I was making plans.

I got to admit, the thought of having Shampoo as my pet is pretty exciting. Still, let's not fool ourselves, she wasn't going to cooperate with that much. Complicating matters was I wasn't sure how much I could make use of Lust. Shampoo's transformation into her feral side was linked to her libido, and that is the very thing Lust messes with. So getting Shampoo to come around to the whole thing was going to be tricky.

I know what you're thinking, because I thought it too: why not just put her in some of that fancy bondage gear and make her cooperate? No, as I quickly realized, that won't work. Thanks to her training, Shampoo has some serious strength, and I mean SERIOUS. Any of the bondage gear I could lay my hands on around here would be broken out of easily. I'd have to get some insanely heavy duty stuff to hold her, and honestly I don't think she'd cooperate even then, and would probably hurt herself trying to get loose. And in the end, I don't want that anyway.

Yeah, I know I use that sort of stuff on Kodachi, but honestly, if she put her mind to it, most of it she too could break out of. That's part of the point. Kodachi goes along with it because down deep she wants it, and that's the sort of thing I want with Shampoo too. It is far better to have her voluntarily go along with it. Sure I can push things along, but she has to choose to do it. Unlike Kodachi, Shampoo has that whole pride of the Amazons thing going on, and that will make the same tactic as Kodachi just not work, never mind that physically she is so much more threatening. No, I'll have to take a far subtler approach with Shampoo. Oh, I'll take charge eventually, mark my words, but I have to get her to give up that independence bit by bit. To that end, I'd have to leverage Ranma as the carrot on a stick quite heavily...

Hmm... Ranma, that gets me thinking about where this is all going. What's my end game here? I mean, I said I wanted everyone happy, and yeah, I do, but that's a very vague end goal. What exactly is that going to look like? Of course, if Shampoo gets to be with Ranma, that probably means I'll eventually have to let Ukyo in too... maybe even Kodachi. The jealous part of me wants to keep him all to myself, but I've already realized how incredibly silly that is now. Although, I suppose his feelings on the matter could be troublesome. I mean, he's a boy, and isn't being with multiple girls a boy's ultimate dream? The naive part of me thinks so, but I have a feeling it is going to be more complex than that. Of course that assumes he'll even want to be with me after finding out.

Okay... okay, enough depressing thoughts! I have to keep the outlook bright! Yeah! I'll just aim to be the head of the harem, with my obedient ****, faithful slut and loyal pet by my side. Right! God, I'm such a degenerate! Oh well.

Anyway, that's in the future. One problem at a time. Shampoo! I need to make preparations! You know, if things go well, this may actually be better than what I had planned.