It's a man's romance.

Here to cause mischief and revive fandoms that died decades ago

[thyenemybeloved]

Hello lovely peeps of Tumblr <3

I'm lovethyenemy, also known as Rae, nice to meet you! I'm a long (long) time lurker, first time poster and I'm really happy to start posting on here :D

I'm an aspiring artist and writer, I'll be posting both fanworks and OC stuff! The guy you see above is my OC Johannes btw

You can find me on other socials at @lovethyenemy or @thyenemybeloved if you're curious. See you around~~

[thyenemybeloved]

First time trying to draw the Homeowner (still a WIP)

He's like a dog to me (and the Pale Visitor)...... </3

[thyenemybeloved]

Let him in

You don't have a choice

He already knows the answer

I know the door proportions make no sense, I'll fix it later trust

[thyenemybeloved]

Spreading my Harujime agenda...

I see y'all's Douman x Suzaku and Haruaki x Rintarou (which I love to see), and I raise you: Haruaki x Hajime. Based on a dream I had lol My delulu ass is probably the only one in the world shipping them rn but I don't care, they're my shaylas, I love them <33 Plus, imagine how funny it'd be if Haruaki became Rensuke's stepdad lmao Hajime has no fucking right looking as fine as he does, what the hell??

[thyenemybeloved]

The Rise of Lazarus

Back again with a new OC! His name is Lazarus and he's a vampire/gargoyle I think?? Still working it out. He looks scary but he's the most pathetic man you'll ever meet. He tries so hard to be evil but he sucks at it 🥀

His appearance is subjective to changes in the future because my impatient ass started rendering his portrait before officially settling on a proper design first... Anyways, hope you enjoy! :D

[thyenemybeloved]

He can wisteria on my tiger any day or something ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

I've been a One Piece fan for like, two decades, and the first fanart I ever post is Fujitora eye candy... Man, I love being an artist 🙏

I don't know what I was smoking when I decided on a whim to draw him at that angle when I've never drawn him before but I tried my best lmao

He has the most baby face in canon but I really struggled with his soft features, will maybe try to fix it later but hopefully he's still somewhat recognisable >< I need to draw him more often!!

Also, don't mind the ugly censoring, it makes it look so much worse than it really is (bro is literally just shirtless), but Tumblr can't handle two pixels being slightly pinker than the rest of his body 💀

Hope you enjoy! <3

[thyenemybeloved]

My silly children aka the scrunklies

I'm back in my Wakfu era <3 Helio (left) is an Eliatrope/Dragon hybrid and Dice (right) is an Ecaflip (please don't mind his design too much, I'm not too happy about it). They're half-brothers "demigods" (it's complicated) and absolute menaces together although Dice is more of an enabler to Helio and his little shit ways lol I actually played Dice on Dofus and lost constantly because I have zero luck or poker knowledge 🥀 Enjoy! :D

[thyenemybeloved]

Shaozhen (Adult and Child Vers.)

Since some people had been wondering what Shaozhen looks like, here's some first attempts at concept art portraits for him! Both are still WIPs and I'm not too happy about his adult self (don't think I nailed the right balance between human and monkey features and his face has been driving insane), but I'll get there eventually (hopefully lol) Hope you enjoy! <3

[thyenemybeloved]

Hiii, i really love your art style and your gravity falls au! I was meaning to ask, what is the dynamic between Halford and his parents? More specifically, what do they feel towards having him? And what do Bills and Fords (probably very different) ideas of raising a child look like?

/!\ LONG ASS RESPONSE INCOMING /!\

Hello, hello! :D Thank you so much for your kind words and interest in my AU <33 I’ll try my best to answer as clearly and concisely as possible! (Edit: Welp, that aged like milk… Sorry this took so long to answer, it completely got out of hand >< Had to whip out WordPad to write it... I kept going back to add more stuff after thinking some more about it and apparently I had A LOT to say about Bill… I wanted to go for levity at first but it progressively got sadder at some point??? Anyways, hope you’ll enjoy!)

First of all, just to clarify a few things that I don’t think I’ve explained elsewhere: in the main “branch” storyline of this AU, I actually imagine Stan doing most of the “raising” of Hal and being the one to shelter him. I do this thing where I sometimes branch off the main story to explore different paths/options when I can’t fully commit to one “route” (like many people lol) so I guess this is more an AU of my AU?? I did give some thought about Ford and Bill actually “parenting” Hal in some of them but it might not be as in-depth or specific as my main storyline, so hope you don’t mind! I won’t elaborate on the main plot as to not make my answer longer than necessary, but if you have any questions about why Stan is the one taking care of Hal and what’s their relationship like, feel free to ask as well!

Also, before diving into answering your questions, I thought I’d also clarify Hal’s nature as I apparently didn’t really explain how he was born in my previous posts: Hal, while technically born from both Bill and Ford, is actually more a part of Bill than anything else, and therefore not technically a child either, although he’s often referred as their son from various people. He has a cosmic theme because of Bill but I’ve always likened him to being more of a concept/thought that has taken a physical form, rather than an actual living being: he’s both just born and ancient, curious and all-knowing, etc… But while he’s definitely a part of Bill, he’s also fully conscious and sentient, having developed his own ego and personality so he’s very much his own person. That is to say that, because Hal is neither human nor an actual child, he didn’t grow like you’d expect him to: rather, he hits “growth spurts” every time he has an understanding of something important or has “learned a lesson” which made him grow from “baby” to “child” to “teen” extremely fast (in my main AU, he actually comes to Stan as a fully grown older teen/young adult), so bear in mind that there isn’t much time to properly “raise” him like you would a normal child.

Now that’s (finally) out of the way, onto your actual questions!

HAL'S POV:

As I’ve mentioned previously, Hal actually loves both of his dads and has either forgiven them for the less savoury aspects of their personalities or just genuinely doesn’t care about it and is fine with it. People tend to feel bad for him because of who his parents are and how they treat him (neglectfully/dismissively at best, meanly at worse) but Hal being who he is (both personality-wise and because of his nature) treats it as normal and isn’t fazed by it, never was. The only thing that gets to him is them arguing over the dumbest things over and over again which lowkey annoyed him even as a child because it gets old real fast. He’s deeply empathic, well-adjusted mentally/emotionally and has a great understanding of their true feelings and the way they think (especially Bill given that he’s originally a part of him), so he’s always able to read between the lines and decipher what they really mean.

Hal knows that both his parents do love him, as twisted and subtle as that love is, not only now that he’s older and they got used/attached to him, but even from the very beginning: they must love him, because if they didn’t, he wouldn't even exist in the first place. This allows him to carry on with their relationship with peace and confidence, which obviously would’ve been very different if he wasn’t a supernatural being and was just a normal child instead (again feel free to ask his birth in more detail if you wish!) Being Hal with his parents is basically being a relationship psychiatrist smacked right in the middle of two of the most stubborn and dishonest people to ever exist in the entire multiverse… Not only does he navigate their dysfunctional relationship, he also interprets it, translates it, and somehow makes peace with it. Wish him luck, he’ll need it… :/

Of course, his parents feel a lot differently about him and the situation in general, especially since Hal’s sudden existence was completely unexpected and unwanted on both sides and neither of them will acknowledge that Hal was born from Bill’s love for Ford.

FORD'S POV:

Given the fact that Hal was born during the time both Bill and Ford were institutionalised in Theraprism (Ford mostly because of his involvement with Bill) and therefore Post!Portal/Betrayal, Ford still harbours a lot of resentment, hurt and hatred towards Bill (even more now that he’s forced in close quarters with him again), feelings he clearly hasn’t worked through or even really processed since everything happened, so he’s obviously not in a very good space mentally to even accept Hal’s existence at first. He’s extremely upset about Hal, part because he doesn’t want anything else tying him to Bill, god forbid a “child”/another being, and part because Ford believes this to be another one of Bill’s twisted scheme or manipulation attempt (given that Hal was created from Bill by accident), so he’s definitely not impressed by it even when Bill angrily claims it was accidental on his part. Ford directs his anger at Bill, thinking him responsible for this mess yet again, but never turns that anger towards Hal, aware that he’s innocent in this and because Ford can’t bring himself to get mad at a child (or something that looks close to one anyway), even a child of Bill’s. Ford is mostly dismissive of Hal at first, opting to ignore him and acting rather coldly and impersonal with him. Over time, though, that detachment dulls into a reluctant pity. As much as he resents the circumstances surrounding Hal’s existence, Ford can’t help but feel bad for him, and for a while the only consideration he can give him is to acknowledge that the situation isn’t fair to him and tiredly apologizes to Hal for being “born in this mess” (paralleling his own experience with his own family). Ford knows what it’s like to inherit other’s burdens or not being able to choose the family you’re born into, and that quiet recognition begins to soften him, if only a little. At first, it’s small things: answering one of Hal’s many question, keeping a drawing Hal made for him, or even just acknowledging his presence and listening to him ramble… None of it is openly affectionate, but it’s not nothing either... It’s a start. What unsettles Ford most is how much of himself he sees in Hal: the curiosity, the persistence, even the six-fingered hands… They even share similar hobbies and interests. He tries not to dwell on it but the resemblance gnaws at him. By this point, Ford isn’t cold so much as weary. Years of anger and fighting have left him resigned, and in that exhaustion he allows Hal a little more room, occasionally allowing himself to awkwardly patting him on the head. He won’t call it love, but he feels a quiet sympathy for the boy, and though he buries the thought quickly, sometimes he even feels a flicker of pride too.

BILL'S POV:

For Bill, well… It’s a lot more complicated and nuanced, and needs for the most part to be explored through Ford as a lens. As I’ve stated, Hal is literally born from Bill’s love for Ford, he literally represents and embodies that love, therefore Bill cannot not love him if only on principle. Because just as Hal is a part of Bill, he’s also a part of Ford, through Bill’s perception of him (if that makes sense). In a true Bill fashion (both a contrarian and a hypocrite), he would both loathe Hal’s existence for being the physical embodiment of everything he hates about himself (aka everything “soft” and “weak” that could potentially be a liability, like his attachment to Ford and the love he couldn’t kill) but he would also become very upset if someone tried to dismiss Hal’s existence or imply that Hal isn’t neither his or Ford’s child.

His relationship to Hal reflects his own feelings for Ford in the sense that Bill loves Ford, hates that he loves Ford and denies being attached to him (as it would be too vulnerable for him to admit) but he would also lose his marbles if someone tried to talk shit about Ford or agree with Bill that their relationship wasn’t real or special (since Bill is in denial and is obviously lying when he says he doesn’t care about Ford), and it’s the same thing with Hal: Bill hates the vulnerability he represents but appreciates that Hal is the living, breathing, undeniable proof that their bond is real (not to mention the fact that Hal is technically the only thing left he still “has” of Ford, a little piece of him that Ford can never take from him even if he wanted to).

That contradiction defines their relationship from the start. Bill greets Hal’s existence with open hostility and his “parenting” consists of him lashing out at Hal with pure denial, passive aggression and malice: Bill mocks him, sneers at his curiosity, tears down his every word as if to prove that he feels nothing. But the cruelty is almost too pointed, too obsessive; every insult he hurls is also one he might as well aim at himself, since most of the traits he mocks in Hal are reflections of his own. Hal, annoyingly, doesn’t rise to the bait, which only makes Bill press harder, trying to claw some kind of reaction out of him, trying to see if he can push him away the same way he did with Ford.

And yet, there are boundaries to Bill’s cruelty, lines even he refuses to cross... For all his jeers, he never once mocks Hal’s six-fingered hands. Bill knows those hands are Ford’s legacy, something Ford has always been painfully self-conscious about, and though Bill will happily exploit nearly every insecurity under the sun, he will not touch that one. Not even Ford was spared of that particular insult during their “breakup”, which is something he does regret and this is his way of atoning for it: by not repeating the same mistake with Hal, especially since Bill himself has always loved Ford’s hands (although that truth now sounds like a lie to Ford due to all the distrust between them). His silence on the subject is deafening. For someone who thrives on tearing people apart, that restraint says more than any declaration of affection ever could (and what make this even sadder is that little Hal would often morph his hands to only have five fingers around Bill since looking at his usual hands makes Bill sad and Hal doesn’t want to see him upset).

Over time, his hostility doesn’t disappear, but it becomes more layered. He still calls Hal names and pretends he doesn’t care but he lingers nearby when Hal is working on something, offering a cryptic riddle that turns out to be useful, or snapping at someone who are either too mean to Hal or on the contrary a bit too nice. The contradictions pile up: he claims Hal is worthless, yet he can’t stand anyone else treating him that way. He insists Hal doesn’t matter, yet he bristles at the idea of losing him. He starts to hover around a lot more and pays more attention to him even if he pretends not to, casually using little things he learned about Hal to insult him, showing he cares in his own twisted way, showing him attention in the only way he’s comfortable doing (can’t let anyone know he likes the kid after all, especially not Ford… he’s basically a huge tsundere).

Hal, perceptive as ever, sees through all of this, but remains unfazed by it, and that’s what unsettles Bill the most. Hal just accepts him, flaws and all, and that acceptance eats at Bill, because it proves Hal is a part of him more than he ever wants to believe or accept. Bill refuses to ever admit attachment, won’t likely ever call it “love” either, but he is quietly, possessively proud of Hal. Not proud in the way Ford is (aka quiet sympathy turning into gentle acknowledgement) but in the way only Bill could be: furious at himself for even caring, yet unwilling to let go of the one undeniable piece of proof that his bond with Ford was real. Even when he mocks Hal most viciously, it’s with an edge of recognition because, beneath the cruelty, Bill knows he sees himself and Ford both in the boy. He’ll never say it out loud, but Hal is the one thing he’ll never let anyone else touch.

As for your next question, Ford and Bill’s ideas of “raising a child” couldn’t be more different indeed, and honestly neither of them are very healthy (shocking, I know)... Or, more accurately, I think it’d be best to say that they (funnily enough) share the same “end goal” of raising a child (aka raise a strong, independent and fulfilled child) but both would go wildly differently about it, shaped by their own life experience/emotional baggage and personal philosophies, but maybe not in the ways you would expect from either of them. For the sake of this scenario, let’s assume that Ford and Bill are raising Hal on Earth rather than Theraprism here. After thinking quite a while on it, I found that, based on their personalities in this AU, it would make sense for them to have a certain vision of parenting that would seem more suited for the other, as if they had switched them almost. Let me explain: I personally feel that Ford would encourage Hal to fully embrace his powers and otherworldly nature (not to do bad of course) while Bill might surprisingly be more on the fence about it and actually be more cautious about Hal using his powers recklessly, urging him to be more careful and wary of them.

For FORD, that stems from his own lifelong struggles with shame, difference and rejection. He knows what it feels like to be treated as a “freak” for something you can’t control (his hands, his intellect, his obsessions), and he doesn’t want Hal to inherit that same cycle of self-consciousness. So Ford, in his quiet, weary way, tries to give Hal the freedom and encouragement he never had himself: telling him to be curious, to explore, to see his oddness as strength rather than shame. Of course, this isn’t entirely selfless: it’s also Ford projecting, trying to heal old wounds by making sure Hal doesn’t repeat his mistakes. It’s a mix of pride, ego, and fear. On one hand, he sees Hal as the fulfilment of a power fantasy: the child he wishes he could’ve been when he was young and ostracized for “only” an extra finger and an unusual mind. Hal’s strength, strangeness, and otherworldliness are things Ford wants him to embrace fully, because if Hal can grow into himself without shame, it validates Ford’s own lifelong struggle for acceptance. But it’s also not just pride. Ford knows better than anyone the cruelty of rejection, how peers can vilify you for something you never chose and he fears how the world will treat Hal, who is so much further from human than he ever was, and far more gentle. Ford is torn: he doesn’t want Hal crushed by the same bitterness that marked his own life but he also wants him to live somewhere he doesn’t have to hide. That’s why Ford pushes for raising Hal off Earth, somewhere he might “fit” better (especially since Ford himself never felt like he belonged anywhere) while Bill fights him on it.

For BILL, it’s projection of a very different kind: not pride, but guilt. He knows first-hand how dangerous power and desire can be when they’re left unchecked, how easy it is to slip from “curiosity” to “destruction,” even without malice… He sees too much of himself in Hal for comfort. Bill’s way of parenting is steeped in denial and mockery, but when it comes to Hal’s powers he’s surprisingly firm: don’t be reckless. Be careful. Where Ford pushes Hal to embrace himself, Bill wants him to restrain himself instead. His caution about Hal’s powers come from his own buried, unresolved trauma from accidentally destroying Euclydia as a child, a wound that clearly never healed, no matter how much bravado he puts on (as evidenced by the fact he called himself a “monster” when alluding to his past with Ford). Even with the best intentions, Bill knows how dangerously easy it is to misuse power: for him, urging Hal to restrain himself is a twisted kind of protection, a way of trying to keep Hal from repeating his original sin. And while Ford wants Hal raised away from Earth, Bill ironically clings to Earth as “home.” It’s the place he spent centuries (I think?) yearning to reach, the place where he met Ford, the one anchor that still feels real to him. For Ford, Earth is family but never comfort, but to Bill, Earth is “home”; not because it’s safe, but because it’s where everything that mattered to him happened. Keeping Hal tethered there is Bill’s way of anchoring himself too, because if Hal belongs, maybe Bill can pretend he does as well. He’ll still deny caring, but his harsh “lessons” are his way of trying to shield Hal from himself and from making the same mistakes Bill himself did.

So while Ford pushes Hal toward full self-expression and away from Earth, Bill pushes him toward caution and insists on staying there. Both are trying to “protect” him in their own ways but, in reality, both are reliving their own wounds through him… :( Save this child pls

If you somehow managed to get here, first of all: congrats for reading through all that lol I got a bit too invested (just a bit 🤏) I hope I properly answered your questions even though I digressed a few times haha This was much longer to make than anticipated but really fun to think about! If I somehow managed to miss the mark or was unclear about something, I’d be happy to clarify it for you :) Thanks again for your lovely ask and have a wonderful day! <33

[thyenemybeloved]

Still one of my favorite pieces I've made! Have this small timelapse, as a treat :) Also rip that hand still haven't added it in after so long lmao

[thyenemybeloved]

Family therapy is going GREAT :DD

Hal is just happy to be here :) Being his cute self while kicking his lil feet <3 (Also not Ford lowkey rocking that cream turtleneck wth???)

Axolotl highkey wishing he could be anywhere but here lmao it speaks in glowing pink comic sans ms and no one can convince me otherwise sorry not sorry I don't make the rules

[thyenemybeloved]

HI HiHiIHI HIII I LOVE UR ARTSTYLE AND THE LIL BABY HALFORD, so cute! I noticed Hal has an ankle monitor, is he dangerous or are the staff at Theraprism just being cautious cus yknow- being Bill's kid

HIIIIIII OMGG THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR KIND WORDS <33 !! I'm so happy that you like my art and that you're interested in learning more about my lil guy 😭🥹

Glad you noticed the monitor! Actually, Hal, Ford and Bill all have one! Bill, well, for obvious reasons lol, Ford because he was deemed dangerous because of his intellect and his collaboration with Bill, and Hal because of a mix of both.

Being Bill's kid as you said, he definitely has some frightening powers and the staff are worried he might not have full control over them because of his relatively new existence (it's a bit more complex than that but I don't want to ramble too much lol) He definitely inherited Ford's resourcefulness as well, on top of being a clever kid, so it's the worst combination possible, which gives the staff all the more reason to worry. I'd say he's dangerous because he has the potential to do a lot of harm, just like his dads, but not because he's an active threat, if that makes sense.

The only silver lining to this whole fiasco is that Hal is a very well-behaved child, so much so that people often wonder how he turned out so well after spawning from two of the most dysfunctional guys to exist lmao. So it's mostly them being cautious but they're mostly afraid of Hal accidentally using his powers rather than intentionally causing harm out of malice.

If anything, he's the staff's favorite for being so cute and easy to handle and most people at Theraprism try their best to accomodate him, given that he hasn't done anything wrong and just had the bad luck of being born the child of Bill and Ford (he does love his dads though, although it's more complicated on their side since he was unexpected) Axolotl is especially fond of Hal, which is super funny because both Bill and Ford constantly make him cry on a aily basis for being so difficult and mean/rude to him haha

Sorry, I ended up rambling anyway >< I hope you don't mind it too much but hopefully I answered your question :D Thank you so much again for asking, your enthusiasm really made my day!! You're awesome sauce 🫶🫶🫶

[thyenemybeloved]

When you're begrudgingly coparenting in Theraprism-

Meet Halford E. Pines or Hal for short, Billford's accidental child. He's themed after a shooting star/comet/flame and is somehow the sweetest, most well-adjusted being despite his parents messy relationship lmao

I don't really have a name for this AU but I do have a storyline planned and most character relationships thought out, so feel free to ask anything if you're curious and I'll do my best to answer them! :)

First time drawing Ford, I've got that old man engraved inside my brain

[thyenemybeloved]

Hades and Persephone

This year's the year of the snake so I thought there would be no better time to continue working on this sketch of Johannes I started ages ago but never finished lol

He's supposed to be holding a pomegranate and is often compared to the Devil, hence the title (Persephone is the snake, I think it suits her <3)

I really need to do a proper character sheet for him because he's starting to look more and more like Mads Mikkelsen, it's kinda eerie but also kinda funny lmao

[thyenemybeloved]

The Ringmaster

I still got a couple of OCs I haven't posted about so here's Loyal (also called Mr Loyal or Headmaster)

He comes from my story called Carnival Train, he's the train's Conductor and the circus/carnival's Ringmaster/Headmaster.

He gives off massive dream pixie girl vibes I know but we love him for it <3 He's a huge prankster, super petty and honestly pretty mean-spirited (basically a huge child lol), especially at the beginning of the story but he gets better eventually.

Tbh he's very much inspired by the Mad Hatter, especially Tim Burton/Depp's version (which I think is obvious lol) but he's still very dear to me <3

[thyenemybeloved]

The Crow and the Spider

Even MORE Ocs, the grind never ends smh

Meet Special Agent Corvus Crowell and "Father" Gossamer W. Spyderson, from yet another one of my stories called ONLY HUMANS! Which is essentially my own twist on Beastars/Zootopia/[insert any media with anthropomorphic animals], more or less.

It started as a light-hearted, silly buddy cop story that then devolved into a full-blown heartwrenching political thriller in a regency setting somehow??

One is a hater, the other a troll (guess which is which) I love these two idiots to pieces, you have no idea

Also, fun fact: both of them are hybrids!

Close ups below:

[thyenemybeloved]

Sweet as peaches

Just a lil update 👀 Still a work in progress but I like how it's turning out so far! Now you can finally see what my Trip looks like :D