NOTE [November 28, 2020: I've been on another long (this time almost 6 month) hiatus thanks to a serious accident in the family that has managed to suffer from every complication in the book. I truly regret sounding like a broken record - I can't believe my last note is from exactly the same date! The new Teachings of Demons chapter was started months ago, and it *will* be completed... hopefully very soon. Please bear with me, and know that I haven't given up or set it aside in favour of other things! Thank you to everyone who has sent notes of encouragement over the last few months :)

~ Imp

NOTE [November 28, 2019: I've been on a long (2-3 month) hiatus due to illness and losses in the family. I hope to be back very soon, and I am not giving up on Teachings of Demons! ToD still has mysteries to unravel!]

As always, thank to you everyone for reading my stories!

~ ImpracticalOni [November 28, 2019]

---

And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't
So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my rope
And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope
It's a shot in the dark aimed right at my throat
Cause looking for heaven, found the devil in me
Looking for heaven, found the devil in me
Well what the hell I'm gonna let it happen to me

But I like to keep some things to myself
I like to keep my issues drawn
It's always darkest before the dawn -- Hakuouki Shinsengumi & Ochimizu... from Shake it Out, Florence and the Machine

* As shocking as it is, I do not own Hakuouki or any of the characters from Hakuouki - but they're still fun to write about. *

*Sadly, I am not the owner of any of the Fairy Tail characters either.*

*I do own my own Hakuouki characters and those parts of my various stories that are based in my own bizarre imagination. Yes!*

FAMILY TREE FOR TEACHINGS OF DEMONS is located here: www (dot) familyecho (dot) com/?p=QQ883&c=15d0gmi6qy&f=753422844872576710
[The Fanfiction website prohibits external links.]

Please feel free to find me on tumblr [...] also as impracticaldemon. All the Saito images do indicate a preference, but I try to post Hakuouki stuff for everyone.

Currently watching Fairy Tail 2018 and trying to find time to watch Inuyasha and Noragami.

ART CREDIT: A BIG THANK YOU to Kawaii-Ash from tumblr and also DeviantArt, who draws and colours most of my chibi avatars and cover art for Hakuouki for me!

NEW ART CREDIT: Thank you SO MUCH to maeko28 from tumblr for the Saitou & Chizuru walking cover art for Teachings of Demons (used for some SaiChi chapters)!

NEW ART CREDIT: Thank you SO MUCH to nollatooru from tumblr for letting me use her Hijikata art for "Twelfth Night"!

FAIRY TAIL

Check out the requested story for Natsu's bachelor party! (T-rating)--"May the Best Man Survive"

JERZA Giftfic Part I ~ Part II in current WIP

*GAJEVY WEEK 2017 ~ Gajeel x Levy x The Shinsengumi! ~ NOW COMPLETE*

*GAJEVY LOVE FEST 2017* Added Epilogue, Part II ~ COMPLETE

*GRAYLU (FLUFF) WEEK 2017* [COMPLETE]

*NALU FLUFF WEEK 2017* [4 Chapters - Law Firm AU - COMPLETE]

*NALU WEEK 2017*

*MIRAFREED WEEK 2017*

* NALU LOVEFEST 2016! *

Due to the nature of the Lovefest, these all have an M-rating. [Had planned one more chapter - we'll see.]

*GRAYLU WEEK 2016*

Bonus Prompts and M-rated Chapter are in separate stories for Graylu.
One complete story arc between several chapters; some separate one-shots. [Note: Planning to revise final chapter.]

Note: Cover art for GrayLu Week mostly courtesy of whitefoxie on tumblr!

* I am not beta-reading currently except on an ad hoc basis *

General: Morpheus and I don't get along. We have a kind of respectful antagonism, each conceding the other's virtues while doing our best to win. I don't sleep much - I am working on it. My health has been a problem for a while now, which is annoying.

Languages:

· I speak and read French fluently (and can write if necessary). I understand German, Spanish and Italian in a limited way.

· I wish I could speak/read/understand Japanese, but alas, so far I can only make out common expressions and phrases, sometimes just a bit more.

Stories:

· The first story I took seriously helped get me my first "real" summer job. It was called "Among Thieves" and was very D&D. I still love Drizz't (but he wasn't in the story).

· The only story I completed during university was published and paid for by a US magazine. That was cool.

The Teachings of Demons for Hakuouki is my main story. It is over 450,000 words - so I'm basically onto Book 4. Hmmm.

I've been writing for Ikemen Sengoku (Cybird Otome) lately.

Games:

· I play PC games far more than console games. I'm a bit of a Steam junkie when I'm not writing.

· My games vary from visual novels to strategy/simulator/civilization-builders to RPGs like Skyrim and Dragon Age: Origins. Yes, I've been a Grey Warden.

· I've gone through a Zelda phase, a Lego game phase (Lego LotR was amazing), and a Fire Emblem phase. Always end up back on the PC.

· Discovering Hakuouki: Stories of the Shingsengumi (PS3) made me want to start writing again.

· Currently playing Nightshade and Kokorogawari; also have the Code Realize fandisk game to play (PS Vita).

Reading: I read almost anything, although there are limits. When in dire straits I will pick up whatever is lying around. This means I've read some pretty strange stuff.

Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read my stories.
I appreciate hearing from people and I try very hard to write back (if you have an account). Reviews are great!

* I also try to read other people's stories and leave them reviews. *

J'aimerais remercier tous/toutes qui prennent le temps de lire mes histoires et de me glisser un mot dans un review ou un message (PM). :)

POETRY EXCERPTS FOR THE SHINSENGUMI and others who have tried to change the world or followed lost causes...

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

- Dylan Thomas, Do not go gentle into that good night

Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.

- Lord Alfred Tennyson, The Charge of the Light Brigade (part of 1st & 3rd verses - but most of it applies, honestly)

Defeat, my Defeat, my deathless courage,
You and I shall laugh together with the storm,
And together we shall dig graves for all that die in us,
And we shall stand in the sun with a will,
And we shall be dangerous.

- Khalil Gibran, Defeat

Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are,
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

- Lord Alfred Tennyson, Ulysses