Prologue
Everytime I check my backroom, I am so amazed by the number of new members who introduces themselves. Some of them request mentors, some aren't. I want to help every one of them, but I wouldn't possibly PM all of them, no? So instead of approaching each one of them personally, I want to help by writing this guide. This guide serves as one-stop guide to help new members get to understand attractive and interactive features that theOtaku.com offer to the fullest.
Guide to Basic Features of theOtaku.com
1. Portfolio : you have a portfolio page, of your very own! When people visit here, they can check your latest works (as well as the old ones), add you as a friend (or rather : subscribe), sign your guestbook, view your gifts and trophy case.
- Title : new members will be entitled Otakuite. To achieve higher status, you must login,submit works, and comment often. Promotions are held routinely. After 2 years, you have a chance to be Senior Otaku and then Otaku Legend. There is a new title being introduced, entitled Otaku Angel. To attain this status, refer to here
- Birthday : can be displayed or not.
- Member since : the date when you join.
- Guestbook : some friends will comment on this about you, like "Hello, nice to meet you. I love you art..." etc, but sometimes it can also be used to congratulate someone or to say happy birthday.
- Worlds : provide links to your worlds.
- Favorites : member's favorite pieces (in wallpapers, etc)
- Comments : the number of comments the member has posted.
- Gifts : gifts received from other members. To send Gift, see the Backroom section. Remember : 1 member can send up to 3 gifts per 30 days and feature up to 10 gifts in your portfolio page.
- Trophy Case : the newest part introduced. This is actually the most interesting and unique. Depend on how many works you have submitted (and be published), you can get different colors of trophy per category. Here's the order : Blank (no or little activity), Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Ruby.
- Subscribers and subscriptions : subscribers indicate the number of people who have added you and subscriptions is the number of people who you have added. Click on the heart icon next to subscribers to add or subscribe someone.
2. Backroom
- Dashboard :
- Overview : shows general notifications. Fans indicate the number of subscribers you have. Other options are self-explanatory. Guest poster is available when someone added you. That means you can post things freely in that world. Members subscriptions shows your friends' activities. You can know if they submit anything or update their worlds.
- Inbox : shows the number of messages in your inbox.
- Comments : notices you when there is new comment, whether in your guestbook or submissions. You can also reply every comments, but you are not allowed to post 3 consecutive posts.
- Who's Online : shows everyone who is in the chatroom. You can access the room when you have been a member for 3 months.
- Post :
- Add Post : available if you create a world. You can post anything, and if you want to publish the post, don't forget to click "Nominate for Fan Words Publication".
- Add Guest Post : almost the same with Add Post, but in other people's world who have added you as guest poster.
- Modify Post : modify posts that you have posted.
- Worlds :
- Create World : create your own world! You can say a world is like a blog, but you can make it as interesting as you can. Some make it to hold contests, some even make it for reviewing stuffs.
- Other options are self-explanatory. You get brief explanations there.
- Profile
- Edit My Info : you can edit your e-mail, gender, birthday, and timezone here.
- Avatar : where to upload or change avatar. Remember, avatar must be exactly 100 x 100 in size.
- Comment/PM style : you can change the font type and color.
- Gifts : you can send gift from here and pick which ones to be displayed in portfolio. There is a wide range selection of gifts you can send to members. You can also add a short note that will be displayed when you hover your cursor to the gift. Each members can send up to 3 gifts per 30 days and you can display up to 10 gifts in your portfolio.
- New Member Introductions : list of new members who introduce themselves.
- Ad Link : available for Premium member only.
- Account :
- Privacy : you can block other members here.
- Premium : change the account to Premium.
- Change password : self-explanatory.
- Delete account : self-explanatory. (don't ever do this!!)
Additional Features
1. Our Artists : in each category, there'll be "Our Artists". This section views Leaderboard Ranking.
2. Members : can be found in Portal. There is "Most Followed Member" ranking here, depend on the subscribers number.
3. Community Chat : can be accessed via Interact. This place can only be entered after being a member for 3 months, and you can create a room if you have been here for 1 year. This is the easiest place to find new friends! ^^
I hope you'll find this guide useful!! 
I am really sorry for putting this in this world... I don't know where again to put my ramblings :D XDXD
As some of you might know, I've been having trial exams started from previous Monday continuously until April, then I'll have the real exams in 20th... I'm very very busy because I must study a pile of handouts everyday, and it started to get on my nerves >< I am reaaally tired!!
Of course I'll still be here as often as possible, and submit every new works everyday if it's possible ^^
Your comments are priceless to read!! ^^
Anyway, thanks for reading this far 
Sheesh... I am a bit embarrassed though...>< I saw some ppl put their pic in their worlds, so I'm thinking to do the same... But I added textures like I always do with my wallies... Although it's a little bit different compared to anime wall...
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Restless
Part 1 : Yesterday and Today
That fateful night was a really dark and bitter one. The winds were blowing stronger and stronger, as if they were trying to escape from the freezing weather. It was snowing so hard that the snows no longer look beautiful. A glance of a light appeared at the end of the road.
“We will make it.”
***
“Flo, come here, fast!”
Florence shook the past memories off her thoughts and quickly followed a girl. She grabbed her hand and ran with thrill down the road.
“Look, Flo! Aren’t they adorable?” the girl opened a small, dusty box.
Florence raised her eyebrows.
“A kitten?” she said as soon as the girl opened the box. “Where did you find it, Claire?”
“That’s a S-E-C-R-E-T!” Claire replied enthusiastically. “Can I keep it, Flo? Pleeease…”
Florence looked at Claire and examined her face closely.
“If you promise to take care of it, then why not?”
Claire jumped and hugged Florence.
“Then, it’s a promise!”
“Okay,” Florence patted her head. “Now you should go to school, Claire.”
Claire grabbed her bag and ran outside, forgot to kiss Florence goodbye. Florence was just about to mention it to her before she spotted Claire’s diary on the dining table.
Florence brought the kitten to the house and fed her something. Then, she took the diary and spent some time reading. She read and read until she fell asleep.
“KRINGG!!”
The ringing phone awakened her from her sweet dream about Claire, her only relative. She mumbled and grabbed the phone.
“Hello, Escalus residence here.”
The next time Florence realized, she had already jumped to her car and drove to the school.
***
“You haven’t paid any of your bills this month.”
Florence dazed.
“Are you listening to me?”
“Yes,” Florence answered in a very small voice.
“Look,” the man in front of her said. “I know it’s really tough to loose your sister, but if this keeps going I’m afraid we have to seize your properties.”
Florence didn’t answer. She looked at the man.
“Fine,” the man sighed. “Then, I shall…”
“Don’t,” Florence whispered faintly.
Two other men came and started to carry Florence’s furniture.
“Please,” Florence begged quietly.
“There is nothing I can do,” the man said hastily. “After we finish loading your things, we will take you to an orphan house. We should do this some time ago. An underage girl like you shouldn’t be living alone.”
“How about my sis?” Florence exclaimed with anger.
“Your sister has died! Why don’t you accept it? Her grave might be in the backyard, but she is no longer here,” the man replied.
“I know she is here!” she cried.
Suddenly, the ground shook. Everything was falling over.
“Shoot, an earthquake!” the man grumbled and took Florence’s hands.
“No!”
A bright light was wrapping the man.
“Wha?! I cannot move!” the man yelled in fear. “Let me go!”
Florence was just standing there, her eyes were somehow gloomy.
“I can’t!” Florence replied. “It isn’t me!”
Florence cried loudly and fell unconscious.
***
“Hello?”
Florence opened her eyes slowly. A boy about her age was staring at her. She looked back.
“Heh, that was bold,” the boy said.
“Who are you?” Florence asked him quickly.
“My name is Conrade Jacques. I just dropped by to clarify the rumors.”
“Rumors?” Florence was confused.
“That a student brought back a little girl who was casting magic to a normal being.”
“Principal Adrianna!” Conrade bowed.
“You should not be here, Conrade. Do you want Wiltshire to punish you again?” Principal Adrianna smiled.
Conrade blushed and he ran away.
“Ah, you must forgive that boy. He is so active,” Principal Adrianna turned to Florence.
“Principal Adrianna, I…, I was casting magic?” Florence asked curiously.
“You aren’t wasting any time, do you?” Principal Adrianna took a close look at her. “Yes.”
“It’s not possible.”
“Everything is possible, Florence,” Principal Adrianna told her. “Now you might wonder how I know your name. After all, it’s a magic.”
“But,” Florence was trying not to believe. “Magic does not exist!”
“It does,” the principal replied. “It just doesn’t exist in the world where people themselves refuse to believe.”
“But, I never casted magic before!” Florence insisted.
“Ah… About that. Yesterday was your “Awakening” moment then,” Principal Adrianna stopped and took her wand. “Do you know that magic is a gift? Some people may refer the ability to a curse, which is totally a very small-minded.”
“What is Awakening?”
“It is when you finally release your ability and awareness of magic. There are different opinions regarding on how the Awakening occurs. One of the most possible reasons is that some anger or twists of feelings trigger your will to protect yourself.”
Principal Adrianna waved her wand and a boy appeared.
“This is Balthazar Irk,” the principal addressed the boy. “He is 4 years older than you and he is one of the best students here. He is the one who brought you here. Due to his high skill, he was able to erase the man’s memories and thus preventing any further disturbances.”
“Thanks,” Florence looked at him gratefully.
The boy nodded.
“Balthazar will escort you to your room now, Florence,” the principal stated.
“Yes…?”
“I know it sounds hasty,” Principal Adrianna smiled. “I was thinking to enroll you to this academy. Our job here is to teach people with certain special abilities, such as yours. You must also aware that normal beings cannot accept us, so it is strictly forbidden to use your power outside the academy.”
Balthazar approached Florence and signed her to follow him. He walked and touched the cold wall. A secret door opened. They walked and walked in a dark dorm until they reached the last room.
“Yours,” Balthazar gave Florence the key.
“Will I be alone there?” Florence asked.
“Who knows?”
Balthazar left her alone in the unfriendly darkness quickly. Florence was watching him as his back was slowly disappearing. Florence sighed.
“He is not a very welcome person,” Florence mumbled.
When she put the key into the keyhole, she heard a loud scream from behind the door.
