#dnd lonan

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Felt like doing another mini mood board, just for Lemon and Lonan u_u They live rent free in my mind.

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So I found a song (Anna Bates - “He said / She said”) that gut punched me with how perfectly suited it was for Lemon/Lonan if they’d gotten to be friends and form romantic feelings naturally. Instead their parents went “hey get married we want connections/money and you’re our only kids…..also you gotta make an heir after you get married them’s the breaks get to it”, so that slow burn progression from friends to lovers didn’t get to happen. Basically I’m just rambling about how well they actually could have worked together if things hadn’t turned out the way they did because I have some severe Lonan brainrot again lol. 

No crazy spoilers really except more info on Lonan as a person and his “friendship” with Lemon before the events of the MiV session AND some sandboxy thoughts about where it could have gone if they’d had the chance for their relationship to grow naturally outside of their arranged marriage (ie. current sandbox thought is him showing up at the tower also having run away and both of them hiding from his family, staying in Lemon’s room and maybe helping with arcnane RnD lol).  

LYRICS: 

He said  / I’ll hit a man if I have to honey / But I faint at the sight of blood / So I’ll protect your sweet heart darlin / But you might have to pick me up 

Canon - Lonan is a socially inept shut in academic, boarding school his whole life type of guy. He does not do well with the sight of blood and tends to just outright faint or get very woozy. He was bullied a bit by the others in his wizard schools, but mostly he kept to himself and just tried to avoid people. He got a bit roughed up at school, but he’s never really been in an actual fist fight before

Sandbox - After he and Lemon had bonded if someone did try to hurt her, he just might throw a punch first and think later. He’d get his ass handed to him, since he for sure is not a physical fighter at all, but he’d sure try. Lonan would be…kind of painfully aware that Lemon does most of the protecting, and wants to help but has zero idea how. So he’d see red, throw the punch, and think that was a dumb choice later. It would still fluster Lemon seeing him fight for her though lol

She said  / I am small, but I’ll carry your body  / After you’ve been seeing bright red  / And I’ll feed you bread and strong hot coffee  / And we’ll put your mind to bed 

Canon - Lemon in canon still has so much guilt about leaving Lonan behind. They’d only just started to be friends before she was sent away, and even though she’s glad to be free and away from her mother she is still very worried about him. He may have been an ass when they first met, but after a bit of time Lemon came to find out his situation and realize he was just as stuck as she was. They commiserated a bit over that and got to bond a bit as friends, but then things came to a head with their engagement party and Lemon was shipped off before they could really come together. 

Sandbox - If Lonan had gotten hurt trying to protect her he’d get fussed over so much by Lemon. Lemon is very aware that she is only three feet tall, but she physically outclasses Lonan by a decent bit (he’s got 9 she’s got 13) and she’d be just as overprotective of him as she is any of the people she loves. Lonan would get healing, and fed, and then she’d end up having to make him lay down and put his research down long enough to rest. I can very easily picture Lonan sleeping on his back closest to the wall with Lemon sitting up against the headboard with a book and her hand in his hair, like a physical wall between him and danger. 

He said  / I am gentle, yes I swear it honey / I will be gentle till I die / But oh bless the face of a cold cold man / Who goes and makes you cry 

Canon - Lonan looks like an asshole. He was just born with a broody mean mug, and his upbringing in boarding schools with strict teachers along with either distant or outright mean classmates didn’t polish his social skills well enough to compensate. He is actually a very gentle sweet boy, but he is so very bad at social cues and has very tall walls built up to try to protect himself from the inevitable disappointment of getting close to anyone. It’s easier to be alone so that’s what he says he wants. Lonan tends to come off as a know it all slightly prissy asshole, and that’s normally enough to put people off enough to leave him alone.

Sandbox - Lonan and Lemon to start would have one of those “I can be mean to them but don’t you dare hurt them or I’ll ruin your life” friendships, but the second it tips over into romance Lonan would put himself in time out the second he accidentally makes Lemon genuinely feel even slightly bad. He would never intentionally hurt her, the banter isn’t supposed to hurt after all, but they both would end up accidentally emotionally bruising each other a bit. After they’d cooled off they’d come back together to talk about how not to have it happen again. They’d be weirdly good at talking things out together, because they’re both scientists at heart and would tackle laying out their problems in very similar ways. 

She said  / Don’t go getting yourself in trouble now  / I need you home alive  / But to be fair I ain’t felt so safe here  / In a long long time  / It’s been a long long time

Canon - Literally this line. Lemon does worry about Lonan, he was forced into the whole arrangement just like she was, and his relationship with his parents is clearly so strained it’s barely existent and not healthy. Between her mother emotionally abusing her and the minimal physical abuse with the whole kneeling on grits thing, Lemon hasn’t felt safe at home for years. Having her engagement arranged to Lonan and dealing with the Harlow’s in court only exacerbated that. Once she’d gotten to know him a bit she felt like he could be a safe person to be around, especially considering what happened during their engagement party when he did keep her safe. By the end they were so close to being actual friends she was not happy they couldn’t take him with her, but that would look enough like eloping to the courts they’d have ruled in her mother’s favor and that just wasn’t possible. Lonan said it was fine, but lemon hated leaving him to the wolves like that. 

Sandbox - Lemon is a fairly clingy person once she’d dedicated herself to someone. Not suffocatingly so, but she is incredibly physically affectionate and takes so much comfort from returned physical affection. She may be the more dominant personality in their relationship, but the amount of comfort she would get from curling up with him at night would be so very welcome. It may get to the point where she couldn’t sleep well without him or at least a reminder of him with her like a scarf or stuffed animal.

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For Lemon (Art Ask) 🌸🩹 :)

🌸 Draw your OC in a flower crown This was a lot of fun to do because I figured out I can just use nail polish and my dotting tools to make flowers on paper like I would on my nails :D It makes for a pleasing texture I think lol. The first run of this I tried drawing honeysuckles and poppies, but the honeysuckles looked kinda like little weens so I started over and just did fun colors >>’

🩹 Draw your OC being patched up Couldn't think of much in game outside of Kanti/Isgrac healing Lemon in a fight, so backstory it is! Context: Lemon’s mother gave her Something during the engagement party, and Lonan got her away from the party crowd to let whatever it is pass. Lonan is annoyed, confused, and kind of embarrassed about the situation but Lemon is also the closest thing he has to a friend so he won’t let her do anything Foolish. Savio knows what it is though, and is teasing Lonan over his predicament. Fun fact, the cut of Lonan’s jacket makes him look broader then her really is! That boy is a noodle. Not pictured is moments after this, Benji picking Lonan up by his throat and threatening him while Danya checks on Lemon.

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Lonan upon meeting Lemon for the first time. What Lonan meant to say: “We could be a good team and fill in the places the other is weak.” What Lonan actually said: “You’ll make a good wife. I don’t know how to cook.”

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Because it’s been rattling around my brain and won’t seem to leave, here’s some thoughts on the Runaway AU for Lemon. No spoilers just exploring if Tadhgan was brave enough to leave town with Lemon, and Lonan went with them to escape his family because…Lemon is the only person he knows outside of his family. What other choice does he have? 

Lemon would most likely have been a twilight cleric in this AU, getting to lvl 3 when the trio flees the Five Shires. They’d start taking on odd jobs to make ends meet until they could find an adventuring guild far away from the Five Shires, and use fake names while trying to stay out of trouble.  

Tadhgan and Lemon officially start dating fairly soon after running away in this au! They have….a little bit of trouble keeping their hands to themselves sometimes >>’

Poor Lonan walks in on one too many make out sessions so he starts sending in his familiar Squeak (a potoo bird) or Savio (his spellbook personified into a black cyclops cat) to make sure it’s safe to come in. Squeak tends to dive bomb them and starts nuzzling Lemon’s cheeks, while Savio floats in and starts sassing them. Lonan and Aodhan(Tadhgan’s drake) start to hang out more during this as well, and Lonan appreciates having a warm quiet presence around while he studies his spells. 

Sooner or later Lonan starts actually bonding with them. Long magic theory debates with Lemon and gentle lessons on social interactions with Tadhgan start to make him think of them as friends. After they bond when he supports them from the sidelines in a fight he starts to get…distracted. They’re sort of pretty fighting side by side, taking hits meant for each other, and then both of them rushing to his aid and putting themselves in between him and danger…..they are very aesthetically pleasing to watch and Lonan doesn’t know what to do about that.    

In the middle of one of Lemon and Lonan’s verbal sparring matches Tadhgan looks at them and realizes he’s in love with both of these headstrong intelligent people, and he has to leave the room he’s blushing so much

Later he brings it up with Lemon, and while she is a little embarrassed she admits she also has feelings for him and Lonan. The two lovebirds start plotting on how to start testing the waters with Lonan

After many MANY attempts at subtly flirting, Lemon finally bucks up the courage and just tells Lonan that she and Tadhgan would like to court him, all while Tadhgan is blushing brilliantly in the background

Lonan self combusts, agrees, but makes them tell him every time they flirted with him all the while Savio makes fun of him for not noticing. Lemon does tell him each instance, also teasing him lightly but grinning the entire time because she's so happy. Tadhgan tempering her teasing with him admitting he’s just so happy Lonan is interested 

Lemon/Lonan= Enemies->Rivals->Friends->Lovers, full of sass but moments of softness between them, no one can tease the other while they’re around because they’re the only one allowed to be mean to them. Lemon tops 80% of the time, and they initiate fairly evenly. Lonan is the little spoon.

Lemon/Tadhgan= Childhood friends->Lovers, just so stupidly soft, lots of jokes and laughter, dancing and never sleeping apart, unintentional competition between them (which ends up as both boon and bane for Lonan in many ways). They switch fairly evenly and Lemon initiates the most.

Lonan/Tadhgan= Black Cat Nerd/Golden Retriever Jock, Lonan is so prickly with anyone but Tadhgan or Lemon, meanwhile Tadhgan is a social butterfly but will leave the crowd in a heartbeat to hang out with Lonan. They also switch fairly evenly, but Tadhgan tends to lead while Lonan is more likely to initiate.

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Lonan after meeting and instantly offending Lemon decides to go back to his library to study because people are Hard and books make Sense. Savio wants to tease his boy for being socially stupid. Squeak is up on top of one of the bookshelf’s attempting to scheme but all they have so far is bring snack to make up for being rude.

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Opps have some more character brain rot.

This is Lonan Harlow and his rude sarcastic spell book Savio. Savio named himself, and is a faithful companion to the shut in wizard boy despite his teasing. He also has a potoo familiar who insists his name is Squeak and is afraid of mice.

His parents raised him away from the criminal side of his family, mostly sending him away to boarding schools or distant family, so he has very little idea what the Harlow Family actually does. He knows they have something to with with merchants, but that’s not really his concern. Lonan is so socially awkward he comes off as Rude, and since he has Savio -and Squeak too he supposes- as a friend he doesn’t really see the need to make an effort. His goal is to keep his parents off his back by doing his duty as the oldest (and only) son, and create new spells in his downtime. He is happiest nose deep in a book researching spell development.