Ranma Reborn

A Fanfic by Chronos the Cat

Author's Note: Yes, I know this idea has been done before. As a matter of fact, it was directly inspired by Sean D'Anna's fic, "Permanent". I just wanted to do my own interpretation of the idea.

Also, it should be noted that I've only read the first few volumes of the American translation of the Manga, and haven't seen the Anime at all. As such, don't be surprised to see a heavy dose of fannon mixed in here, especially in regards to character personalities.

2009/01/06: Made some minor revisions, partially in response to reviews I got of the original version. I would also like to mention that I am planning on doing a "chapter two" one of these days. (However, as with all my writing, don't hold your breath waiting for it!)

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Prelude:

Nabiki stepped into the house, and noticed her father sitting at the table. "Yo, Dad! Any sign of Ranma and his father yet?"

Soun looked up at his daughter, and held up a postcard, with a different picture of a panda on it from the first one Genma had sent. "As a matter of fact, I just got another postcard from Genma today. It seems there's been a bit of a delay; they're not sure how long it'll be before they can make it."

Nabiki looked disappointed. "Well, that's too bad. Did they say why they were delayed?"

Soun glanced at the card again, and said, "Apparently they picked up a curse at some training grounds, and are looking for a cure. He doesn't go into details, but apparently this curse jeopardizes our plans to unite the Schools in marriage, hence their decision to try to find a cure before returning to Japan."

"A curse, Dad? You don't really believe that, do you?"

Soun scowled and said softly, "My dear, I have seen things in my life far more difficult to believe in than a curse..."

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Chapter One: Strange House Guests

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A few weeks later...

Kasumi stepped out of the kitchen upon hearing a knock at the door. Opening the door, she exclaimed, "Oh, my!" Standing there was a short, thin bishonen red-haired boy (or was it a girl?) with a slightly haunted look to him. He wore a pack, and a small black piglet (with a bandanna around its' neck) rested on his shoulder. Behind then, a giant panda stood on its' hind legs calmly.

Trying not to sound flustered, Kasumi asked, "Can I help you?"

The boy tugged at his pigtail uncertainly. "Uh, yeah. I'm Ranma Saotome. I believe you were expecting us?"

"Ranma...? Oh yes, our finance! But, weren't you traveling with your father?"

"Er, yeah... That's a long story."

"Oh, my. I do hope he's all right...?"

Ranma managed a small smile. "Yeah, he's fine. He's quieter and has a lot more hair thanks to the curse, but for him that's an improvement." Ranma gave a quiet chuckle.

The panda "growf"ed in irritation, and whacked Ranma on the head with a sign saying, "Respect your elders!"

Kasumi sweat-dropped at this.

Composing herself, Kasumi said, "Well, why don't you come in? My sisters are still at school, but I'm sure my father would be happy to see his old friend's son." She paused a moment as she stepped aside for Ranma to come in. Kasumi blinked as the panda followed, closing the door behind itself.

Soun looked up as they entered the room. "Ah, visitors, eh, Kasumi?"

Kasumi nodded. "Father, this is Ranma, your old friend's son."

Soun smiled and stood up, rushing to greet Ranma. "Ranma, my boy, so good to see you!" He gave Ranma a crushing hug. Then stepping back, he asked, "But, where is your father?"

Ranma tugged at his pigtail again. "Well, you remember those curses we wrote about...?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Akane and Nabiki called out, "We're home!" as they slipped out of their shoes and walked into the house.

"Akane, Nabiki, please come meet our guests," Kasumi called out in reply.

The two girls looked at each other. "Guests?"

Nabiki said, "I wonder if it's Ranma?"

Akane rolled her eyes. "Will you give up on him already?! He's just a stupid boy, anyway."

When they stepped into the living room, they were surprised to see their father, Kasumi, a panda, a piglet, and a red-haired boy sitting at the table. The panda was writing something on a piece of paper.

Kasumi looked up at them. "Akane, Nabiki, this is Ranma!"

Nabiki smiled. "I should have made a bet with you, Akane. And he's cute, too!" She rushed over and sat next to Ranma. "Hi, I'm Nabiki, your finance!"

Ranma looked a bit uncomfortable. "Uh, hi. Before you go deciding that, though, there's something you should know about..."

Soun nodded. "Indeed, Nabiki. The problem of Ranma's curse must be solved before any of you can marry him."

Nabiki rolled her eyes. "I told you before, I don't believe in curses."

Ranma scowled at her. "Well, maybe you'll believe this!" He pulled off his shirt, to reveal that his chest was bound in cloth. He then undid the wrappings, revealing her breasts. With a small sigh, she said, "Man, those bindings are a pain."

Akane, Nabiki, and Soun stared, Soun getting a nosebleed. Ranma scowled back at them challengingly.

Kasumi scolded, "Ranma, please show some modesty!"

"What? Oh, right." Ranma pulled her shirt back on, giving Kasumi an apologetic look.

Nabiki asked, "You're a girl?"

Ranma nodded glumly. "Unfortunately."

Akane asked, "What's that supposed to mean? And Daddy, how do you expect Nabiki to marry a girl?"

Nabiki said, "Hey, I only volunteered because I thought she was a cute boy!"

Ranma sighed and looked up in resignation.

Akane sat down, then said, "So, Ranma's a girl, not a boy, and instead of her father, she brought a panda and a piglet with her?"

"Actually, the panda is my Pop," Ranma said.

"You were raised by a panda?"

"He wasn't a panda then! It was Jusenkyo that changed him into a panda!"

"Jusenkyo?"

Soun spoke up. "The legendary Training Ground of Accursed Springs! Its true horror has always been shrouded in mystery. But now..."

Ranma scowled. "'True horror?" She then grabbed the panda by the scruff of its neck, and demanded of it, "Yo, old man – what's the idea draggin' me to a place like that, anyway?"

The panda grabbed Ranma, and threw her out the door into the backyard. It then held up a sign, saying, "Were you not prepared to sacrifice your life for your training?"

"My life, yes! My manhood is another story!" The girl and the panda began fighting.

Soun exclaimed, "Oh, what a tragedy!"

Kasumi said, "Stop that! You went too far, Mr. Saotome! What ever made you do something so dangerous?!"

Nabiki held up a hand. "Hold on everyone. Why don't we back up, and someone explain to me what exactly is going on here?"

Kasumi, Soun, Ranma, and the panda blinked, moved back to the table, and sat down.

Ranma looked down at the table pensively, took a deep breath, and said. "The first thing you've gotta know is, I was born a boy."

Akane scoffed. "Don't be silly! How could you have been born a boy? You're a girl!"

Nabiki spoke up. "Actually, sis, they do have operations they can perform to change a person's gender."

"They do...?" Akane thought about this, then turned to Ranma. "Are you saying you're some kind of pervert?"

Ranma's eyes widened. "No, no! I didn't choose to become a girl!"

Kasumi said kindly, "Then why don't you explain how it happened?"

Ranma took another deep breath. "Right. Like I said, I was born and raised as a boy. My father took me all over Asia, training me to be the best martial artist of this generation. But then, about a month ago, we visited... Jusenkyo...

"It's a field of pools, dotted by bamboo poles. The idea is to balance on the poles, and not fall in the water. Of course, that wouldn't have been any challenge to me and Pop, so we did some sparring, while jumping from pole to pole.

"As usual, I got the better of my Pop, and knocked him into one of the pools. Moments later, a panda jumped out of it and attacked me. I was so surprised, it was able to knock me off the pole I was on, into another pool.

"The moment I hit the water, I knew something was wrong; I could feel my flesh reshaping itself under my skin... It was the stuff of nightmares... And when I crawled out of the pool, I was like this." She cupped her breasts, for emphasis.

Nabiki commented, "O-kaaay..."

Akane asked, "So, the pool changed your father into this panda?"

Ranma nodded, and the panda held up a sign saying, "Correct!"

Akane glanced at the piglet. "What about the piglet? Was it a person too?"

The pig nodded, and Ranma explained. "His name's Ryoga Hibiki. He was a friend of mine from my old high-school. One day, we had scheduled a match between us, but he was late, and Pop forced me to leave before he got there. Ryoga followed me to China, where he arrived at Jusenkyo just after Pop and I had been cursed.

"The guide had just explained how the pools work – that whoever falls into one of the springs takes on the form of whatever drowned there hundreds of years ago. I... I was pretty mad at my Pop. I chased him around the grounds, and up onto a cliff... where, not paying enough attention to where we were going, we ran into Ryoga, knocking him off the cliff, and into the Spring of Drowned Piglet..."

Akane said, "That's horrible!" Looking at the piglet, she said, "You must have been really angry at him for that." The piglet nodded.

Ranma commented, "He was. In fact, he did his best to kill me at first. But, well, what with our curses, we need to stick together; and eventually I was able to convince him it was all a horrible accident."

Ryoga nodded, and held up a sign saying, "I've forgiven him."

Ranma smirked. "Yeah, he forgives me now. It sure took him long enough though."

The piglet looked embarrassed.

Akane said, "I'm happy you two get along now."

Nabiki rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you buy this story, sis! Magic springs that change your gender or turn you into an animal? Come on!"

Akane blinked. "Er, you have a point." Turning to Ranma, she said, "Your story is pretty far-fetched. You don't have any proof, do you?"

Ranma shook her head. "Sorry. Although, Pop and Ryoga can both write. Ask them whatever you want."

Soun nodded. "Indeed, Genma has already explained it all to me himself." Soun held up several sheets of paper, written in sloppy Japanese kanji.

Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "Can I see those?"

Soun handed them to her. She scanned the papers, then looked up. "Well, it does say basically the same thing as what Ranma did, though it paints Genma in a much better light..."

While Nabiki continued to study the papers, Kasumi asked, "In your father's last letter, he said you were going to look for a cure. I take it you were unsuccessful?"

Ranma rested her arms on the table. "You could say that.

"The first thing we did was ask the Jusenkyo Guide. He told us that the most obvious solution wouldn't work – we couldn't just hop in the Spring of Drowned Man. There is such a spring, but the thing is, the curses lock you into your new form – once you're cursed, hopping into a new spring doesn't do anything.

"Next, we visited the surrounding villages and tribes, looking for knowledge of a cure. Unfortunately, my Pop has a way of making enemies, so we got run out of a bunch of places..."

At this, Genma held up a sign saying, "As I recall, Shampoo is after you, not me!"

"Yeah, but I only fought her in the first place to save your worthless hide after you ate her prize!"

"Don't talk back to your father, boy!"

Ranma calmed herself, then continued, "Anyway, we spent the next few weeks searching for any knowledge of Jusenkyo, as well as ways of counteracting curses in general. With Shampoo and our other enemies on our trail, though, searching was difficult. As soon as we learned that one possible cure was in Japan, we headed back here. We figure that even if this cure doesn't pan out, at least it'll give things in China a chance to cool off..."

Soun nodded. "Ah, reminds me of the old days with the Master..." He smiled at the memory for a moment, before remembering that it wasn't a pleasant one, at which point his smile turned to a frown. Shaking his head to clear it, he asked, "So what about this cure? Why aren't you out searching for it?"

Ranma hesitated. "Er... We don't really know where in Japan it is..."

Nabiki asked, "So, what do you know about this supposed cure?"

"Well, from what we heard, there's this mystical Kettle, the Kiifuiton, hidden somewhere in Japan... If you heat water in it, and splash a curse victim, it 'unlocks' the curse. Of course, then we'd have to go back to Jusenkyo to bath in the Spring of Drowned Man, but..."

Nabiki nodded, and said sagely, "Ah, I see."

Soun asked hopefully, "Do you know where it might be, Nabiki?"

"As a matter of fact... I've never even heard of it before."

Everyone facefaulted.

When everyone had gotten up, Nabiki asked, "So, if you don't know where this kettle is... and you're stuck in these 'cursed forms' (not that I'm saying I believe your story), why exactly are you here? We can't exactly marry a girl, after all..."

Genma held up a sign, "What, I can't bring my son... er, daughter, to visit an old friend and his family?"

Soun agreed cheerfully, "Yes, even if our dream to join the two families is on hold, we can still visit!"

Everyone sweatdropped, and Nabiki said with a scowl, "No, really, why are you here?"

Ranma said, "Well, what Pops told me is that we'd stay here while we looked for clues to where the kettle might be..."

Nabiki nodded. "Okay, but don't expect to stay here for long without helping out. We can't afford freeloaders."

"Nabiki!" Kasumi scolded, "There's no need to be rude to our guests."

"Hey, I'm just telling it like it is. Our finances aren't exactly in the best of shape these days."

Ranma spoke up, "I'd be happy to help out in any way I can. Just 'cause my Pop's a lazy good-for-nothin', doesn't mean I want to be one too."

Ryoga "Bwee!"ed in agreement.

Kasumi nodded. "That's very kind of you. If you stay for long, I'll let you know what you can do to help; for now though, enjoy yourselves – I'm sure your journey must have been tiring."

Ranma shrugged. "I suppose. I'm used to it, though."

Genma held up a sign. "Now, now, remember, boy: never turn down free food and lodgings!"

As Genma and Soun returned to their conversation, and Kasumi returned to her chores, Akane asked, "Hey, if you've been on the road training for years, you must be pretty good, huh?"

Ranma seemed to cheer up at this, and said, smirking, "Only the best."

Akane scowled a bit. "Is that so? Well, in that case, I suppose you wouldn't mind a little match to prove it?"

Ranma's smile widened. "Bring it on."

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As the two fathers sat at the table, now alone, Soun asked quietly, "So, do you want me to tell Nodoka...?"

Genma held up a sign, saying, "Are you kidding? If she finds out what happened, she'll kill me!"

Soun nodded, "Yes, I remember her temper. But still..."

Genma shook his head. "No, I mean that literally. She'll make me commit seppuko."

"Oh."

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Akane, now dressed in her gi, stood in an attack stance facing Ranma, who was standing there calmly.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you," Akane said.

"If you say so."

They bowed, then Akane charged at Ranma, letting loose a fierce punch – which Ranma jumped over. Akane swiftly kicked at where Ranma would land, but Ranma managed to avoid that, as well.

Akane kept punching and kicking, so fast most people would have had difficulty following; and yet, Ranma continued to dodge with ease.

Akane was amazed – and annoyed. I can't believe she's so fast! Can she really read my moves this well? It was actually rather exiting having an opponent this skilled. Still, there was one thing missing...

"Dammit! Why won't you swing at me?"

Ranma blinked. "Well, you're a girl. Honorable men don't hit girls."

Akane muttered, "Tell that to Kuno and the other boys at school..."

"What?"

"Nothing. ...Look, I'm a martial artist. I'm used to getting hit. I can take it! ...Besides, you're not a man, you're a girl."

Ranma said angrily, "Weren't you listening before?! I'm a guy, dammit!"

"Sure don't look like one to me!"

Ranma grit her teeth. "Why you... macho uncute tomboy... You sure you're a girl? 'Cause you sure don't act like one!"

Now Akane was angry, as well. "And what would you know about how girls act?!" she yelled, swinging at Ranma in fury.

Ranma dodged with greater ease than before. "Not much, actually, other than that they're weak and silly. Come to think of it, I guess you're more like a girl than I thought."

Akane swung her fist so hard, it went right through the wall of the Dojo. Meanwhile, Ranma vaulted over her, landed behind her and put her finger on the back of Akane's head.

Ranma chuckled.

They both stood like this for a moment. Then, Akane pulled a mallet out of somewhere, spun around, and Ranna her with it, yelling, "Ranma no Baka!" sending Ranma flying, to land on her back halfway across the dojo.

Ranma lifted her head and stared at her in disbelief. "How...?"

Akane scowled. "So, you're a boy, eh? Well, then maybe you should have learned never to insult a woman!" With that, she stormed out of the dojo.

Ranma slowly stood up, and stared at the door. She couldn't believe it. She was beaten? By a real girl? Ranma felt as if she had just discovered the sky's real color was green.

Sure, it had been a cheap shot, delivered after the original match had ended – but hadn't her father done the same thing, countless times? They didn't call the school "Anything Goes" for nothing, after all.

Ranma knew she was still the better fighter – the match had made that perfectly clear. But that an apparently otherwise ordinary girl could be that strong challenged many of Ranma's long held beliefs about the female gender.

Sure, Ranma was almost as strong as a girl as she had been as a boy, but she'd assumed that was because she was still, in some undefinable way, a boy. And yes, Shampoo and the other Amazons had been as strong as any male fighters, but they were primitive barbarians, so it was little surprise the rules of normal humans didn't apply to them.

But Akane... as far as Ranma could tell, aside from her martial art skills and her tomboyish attitude, she was an "ordinary" girl. And yet, this apparently ordinary girl was almost as strong as Ranma, and, if not nearly as fast, still fast enough to catch Ranma off guard...

This suggested that Ranma wasn't so strong and fast because she had once been a boy, that Ranma could have been just as strong and fast if she had been born a girl. Which was a disturbing thought, because not only did it go against Pop's teachings on the weakness of women, it was yet another indication that the Spring hadn't just made her look like a girl – it had truly turned her into a girl.

Slowly, Ranma stood. Well, so I really have the body of a girl. I'm still just as good a fighter as before. I'm almost as strong as I was as a boy (and I haven't reached this body's limits), and I'm actually faster now... So really, this isn't so bad, she told herself, though she couldn't really bring herself to believe it...

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Kasumi stepped out onto the porch, to find Ranma sitting there, staring off into space.

"Ranma, wouldn't you like a bath, after your workout? You must be all sweaty."

"Eh? No, I'm fine."

"Really, I insist. The furo is ready, and you deserve a nice hot bath after your journey."

Ranma sighed. "All right, fine." She got up and headed for the furo.

She pulled off her clothes in the changing room, then slid open the door to the furo, only to stare in shock at Akane, who was already in the bath.

Akane stared back for a moment, then Ranma stepped back out and slid the door shut. "Sorry, sorry!" Ranma cried with a mixture of fear, guilt, and embarrassment. "I didn't mean to look!"

Akane blinked. "It's okay, Ranma! We're both girls, after all!" Aren't we? Akane wondered. I mean, that story she told couldn't be true... And yet, Father believes it... and she certainly acts like a boy! Akane tried not to think about it. She didn't want to believe Ranma was a boy. She didn't like the idea of a boy beating her, she didn't like the idea of a boy seeing her in the bath, and, despite the argument earlier, she did like the idea of being friends with Ranma – and she could never be friends with a stupid, perverted boy (which was the only kind of boy her age she knew of).

Futilely trying to fight the tears coming to her eyes, Ranma cried out desperately, "I'm a guy, dammit!" She choked back a sob, and said more quietly, "I'm a guy..."

Ranma quickly threw her clothes back on, and rushed out into the hall, slamming the door behind her.

Akane blinked at this, then sighed. Quietly, she declared, "Akane no baka..."

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"Ranma!" Akane called, stepping out into the yard. Where is she? Akane wondered. Hearing a sobbing sound above her, Akane looked up, to see Ranma sitting on the roof.

Akane blinked. How did she get up there? Putting that question aside, Akane called out, "Ranma, come down from there! It's almost dinner time, and Kasumi wants you cleaned up before then."

Realizing she was being watched, Ranma quickly dried her eyes, and said, "I wasn't cryin'!"

Deciding not to argue, Akane just said, "Look, I'm sorry I called you a girl. I wasn't thinking, that's all."

Trying to sound as if she didn't care, Ranma said, "Don't worry about it. Pops insults me far worse all the time."

So why did you run away crying this time? Akane wondered. She almost said it, but her better instincts kicked in just in time.

Ranma let out a sigh. "I guess I might as well go take that bath..." Without a second thought, she hopped off the roof.

Akane's heart rocketed to her throat, but before she could scream, Ranma landed softly on her feet, and calmly walked inside.

As soon as she caught her breath, Akane yelled out at Ranma, "Don't do that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Ranma turned and looked at her. "Huh? Don't do what?" she asked in confusion.

"Jump off the roof! I thought..."

"You thought? You though what?" Ranma asked, apparently having no clue what would be disturbing about seeing someone jump off a roof.

"Oh, never mind!" Akane said in frustration, heading upstairs to her room.

Maybe I'm not a girl, after all, Ranma thought, 'cause I still don't understand 'em...

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Ranma seemed fine at dinner time, so Akane didn't bring up her earlier breakdown.

Since they had been born human, Ryoga and Genma ate at the table as well.

The Tendos were shocked by Ranma and Genma's table manners – they ate at a shocking pace, as if their food was likely to disappear... which, given their habit of stealing from each-other's plates, was actually true.

As the meal drew to a close, Soun cleared his throat. "Ranma, daughters, Genma and I have been discussing our families' pact to be united in marriage."

Akane said, "What's there to discuss? We're girls, and Ranma's a girl, so we couldn't get married, even if we wanted to." Noticing Ranma cringe, Akane swiftly amended, "I mean, Ranma's a girl at the moment. Er, I mean her body is. I mean--"

Nabiki interrupted, "Quit now, Akane, before you make it any worse."

Akane nodded, and shut up.

Genma held up a sign. "Yes, you children are all girls." He flipped the sign. "But, you don't have to stay girls!" A second sign read, "We can take you to Jusenkyo, and whichever of you is to marry Ranma can bath in the Pool of Drowned Man."

All four girls cried, "WHAT?!"

Akane said, "I don't want to be a guy!"

Nabiki added, "Becoming a man was not in my life's plans!"

Kasumi nodded in agreement.

Ranma said, "And I don't want to be nobody's wife! Besides, whatever happened to finding a cure?!"

Genma signed, "Do you have any idea where to look?"

"Well, no, but..."

"We'll look for the kettle, of course, but with so little to go on, it could take a while."

Soun piped up, "We'll wait a little while, to give those Chinese people a chance to calm down. But our two houses must be joined, and Genma and I aren't getting any younger, you know... I just want to see my little girls married before I die!" Soun started bawling.

Meanwhile, Genma signed to Ranma, "Don't worry, when we find a cure, you and your husband can return to your birth genders."

There was silence for a moment, as Soun cried, Ranma brooded, and the sisters looked at each other. Finally, Kasumi said, "I believe Akane would be the best choice."

"Oh, definitely," Nabiki added.

"What?!" Akane asked in horror.

"Well, you act more like a boy than a girl, anyway..." Nabiki said.

"And we know you don't really like boys," Kasumi added. "This way you don't have to worry about that."

There was real fear in Akane's eyes. "No way! No way!! There is no way I'm going to let you turn me into a guy!"

Nabiki chuckled. "Come on, Akane. What are you so worried about – there's no such thing as cursed springs."

Akane shook her head, wide eyed. "I'm not willing to take that chance." Then her eyes narrowed. "Besides, you already claimed him as your finance!"

"I changed my mind!"

"What are you so afraid of? If there are no such thing as cursed springs, this is a sure bet, right?"

"And what do I get out of it?"

While Akane paused to think of what she could offer Nabiki, Ranma spoke up, angrily. "Pop, Mr. Tendo, I can't believe you two! Changing a person into something he or she wasn't born as – that's just wrong! Pop, you at least should understand that!"

As Genma and Soun looked suitably ashamed, Ranma started to calm down. Glancing at Akane, she added, "Though with Akane, it would be hard to tell the difference..."

"Ranma no baka!" Akane cried, picking up the table and smashing it over Ranma's head.

As Ranma passed out, Genma held up a sign, saying, "Now that he had coming!"

Ryoga "Bwee"d in agreement.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Oh good, she's waking up," Kasumi said as Ranma did so. They were in the guest room, and Ranma had a wet cloth on her head.

Ranma moaned.

"Are you okay? Don't think too badly of Akane. She's really a sweet girl, when she's not acting like a violent maniac."

Nabiki, who was also in the room, said sarcastically, "That makes a lot of sense, Kasumi."

As Ranma sat up, she said, "Are you sure one of you two wouldn't like to marry me? I'm not sure I'd survive having her as my husband..."

Nabiki said, "You could be right about that," while Kasumi could only say, "Oh my!"

Next: Schoolgirl!

-_-o-_-o-_-o-_-

Glossary of Japanese and fanfic terms:

facefault – to collapse onto the floor (usually face-first). Done when shocked by the ridiculousness of a situation.

furo – Japanese bath (often large enough for several people to use at once)

[person's name] no baka – to accuse someone of being a "baka" (idiot).

seppuko – ritual suicide

sweatdrop – to have a large drop of sweat form on one's head. Occurs in Anime and Manga to signify that the character finds someone else's actions silly or embarrassing.