#Based on rakan and xayah

[in-study-hell]

bird

[rebelquilled]

📱- This post will be a disaster because mobile but. Thinking about how… rito seems scared to do anything serious and edgy with Xayah and Rakan sometimes. At least when it comes to new verses. Broken covenant is close with Rakan, giving him a bit of a twist… but it’s kind of yet another skinline that Xayah is semi shafted.

And I’m saying this as someone who actually enjoys most of Xayah’s skins… but it feels like the stories crafted for them are so… surface level and vanilla these days.

Corrupted SG is the best skin not just because of the looks but it felt like the best reflection of the two.

Mainverse Xayah is not fully a hero. She is willing to let innocents die for her cause, she’s bitter and hateful. Rakan follows her while also keeping her in line but will do what he needs to her for her. Which corrupted SG reflects. Every other skin so far has like. Half heartedly attempted to make Xayah a neutral character where she’s neither the hero nor the villain, but idk it feel like they diminish what makes her exciting and mellow her out at the same time. She and Rakan are stripped of sounding dangerous and cool and left just being the forbidden love story… arcana, cosmic, broken covenant (didn’t start out forbidden I guess but lol), elderwood… even sg in a way because they were on opposing sides for most of the time lol.

Like. They can have this love story but we can make it something different, rito. And spice them up, give them their threat, their dynamic of Xayah being callous and kind of an anti-hero and Rakan a powerful not-just-the-boyfriend-who-needs-to-be-saved.

I have a lot of interest in broken covenant partially because I want to take the basics and make them way more intriguing because right now Xayah is once again just there to save Rakan lol.

And like another thought (I’m spaghetti braining right now don’t at me), they’re gunna be nerfed so fucking hard if they’re used anymore in SG just because they’re not corrupted anymore I bet. Like the two of them held off two teams of guardians alone and together while evil and they’ve learned to use their dark powers so theoretically they should now be some of the strongest of the guardians

But you know… you just know they’re gunna just be there and undermined/ignored/weakened because “lol they’re no longer needed to be the big baddies”

Outside of sweetheart, I don’t hate the skins really but. I feel like rito just throws them in half the time rather than really representing their characters and then they wonder why lol people think they’re annoying and nothing more - all this potential and they’re reduced to just their relationship 80% of the time in any skin not main. Their relationship is SUPER important but the dynamic and the balance is lacking a lot.

[thedevilsruby]

Ask (BLU Freedom Fries mini fic)

June held Bellamy close as they swayed to the soft jazz record June had put on. Bellamy smiled contently, keeping one hand on June's chest and the other wrapped around his abdomen.

"You gonna marry me today?" June asked.

"Ask me again tomorrow." Bellamy replied, nuzzling his cheek into June's chest.

"I always do." June chuckles.

It was true, June was always asking the Frenchman to marry him, sometimes out of nowhere. But Bellamy never said yes.

"Why do you never say yes?" June asked, genuinely curious.

Bellamy simply smiled, leaning up to look into June's eyes.

"Because zhen I wouldn't get to 'ear you ask." And with that, Bellamy kissed him.

[thomas-jefferson-miku-binder]

*grabs the mic* ok sit down i have stuff to say. (collection of brain farts below)

Clarifying beforehand that I am a Himejoshi first, person second, but I do find it really intriguing how most of the m/f league ships are more interesting than the slash ones. Which is a bit weird since, like most queer people, I tend to gravitate to. well. queer representation and subtext in media. Rakan/Xayah, Leblanc/Swain, Lucian/Senna, Ashe/Tryndamere, Garen/Katarina, Ahri/Yasuo, etc. have much more concise and compelling dynamics than half of the m/m ships in League.

And, of course, there’s commentary to be made. Het ships get to be explored better and more often than queer ones, so it’s not rocket science to see *why* they tend to have better dynamics. Buuut it still doesn't explain why most of the league yuri prevails over yaoi when it comes to intricacies and overall quality (taking for reference some like Neeko/Nidalee, Caitlyn/Vi, Diana/Leona, Kai'Sa/Taliyah, Scratch/Seraphine, Irelia/Liana, etc.). All the while, I can think of maybe 5 yaoi ships, at least a little canonically sourced, that have as many nuances, diversity, and conciseness.

Another point to be added is that even if the fandom gets more diverse with each passing year, a huge part of the player base is still toxic incels, to whom is inconceivable to see queer men in media because it threatens their pre-conceived notions of masculinity and what a relationship should even look like. So it becomes uncomfortable to see gay dudes in the silly video game!

Wlw relationships get to be better explored in lore because 1) it’s possible to at the same time drive a queer narrative and, with minor adjustments, turn it palpable to that same toxic player base’s consumption through fetishization, and 2) i feel like there’s a higher suspense of disbelief in society as a whole to disregard sapphic relationships as sisterly or platonic love (see the discourse that often surrounds the lesbian ships mentioned above).

And this is in no way meant to say “wlw have it better”, bad/silent representation is just as bad or arguably worse than nothing. It's just interesting to try to reason as to why League is less afraid of developing good and concise sapphic relationships while resorting to bland shit with achillean ones.

*het was used generally, i knooooow m/f ships can also be queer

*this is mostly if not entirely just my personal opinion masqueraded as food for thought

*feel free to reblog with your thoughts! just be polite please

[goldnhourwrites]

Tier list of champion theme songs by yours truly. Constructive and destructive criticism encouraged. I've listened to all of these dozens of times and I have Thoughts.

more info about the rankings/notes under the cut!

I ranked them by a couple different criteria:

How well they fit, represent, and convey the champion's themes, backstory, and style

How interesting and engaging they are to listen to as pieces of music

How distinctive, recognizable, and unique they are

A couple notes for certain themes if you're not familiar with them all:

A few pairs of champions share a theme: Xayah/Rakan, Kayle/Morgana, and Graves/Twisted Fate. I've put their portraits next to each other in the rankings.

The recurring Bilgewater theme makes it difficult to evaluate Gangplank, Miss Fortune, and Graves/TF relative to each other, because all three songs sound quite similar. I feel like Gangplank's song represents him the best out of those characters.

The Demacia theme presents a similar challenge, but Poppy's and Galio's themes are more noticeably distinct from each other and are more tailored to their individual characters.

This is only based on base champion themes, not themes tied to a specific skin. HOWEVER, I'm using Captain Fortune to represent Miss Fortune because a) she doesn't have a base skin theme and b) Captain Fortune is very close to canon anyways. Gangplank's theme here is Gangplank, the Saltwater Scourge (his post-rework theme) and not Captain Gangplank.

Songs are in order within their tiers.

Pantheon's theme is my #1 by a long shot. It is not close. It's so fucking good. I will die on this hill.

unrelated but if you have never heard any of them there is a very fun game you can play called Guess That Champion where you put the playlist on shuffle and guess which champion each theme belongs to. it is delightful and i highly recommend.

[mahouowo]

Ahri´s Star Charm Spread

Ever since the Star Guardian skins came out in 2016 I have been obsessed with them. I buy the skins, I buy the figures, I re-read the lore for fun, my avatar is based on their design, etc. I mean, OBSESSED. What I really like to do, as a part of owomancy, is make up spells & spreads related to the Star Guardians. Today I bring you my idea for Ahri, The Nine-Tailed Fox!

The Idea Behind it

Ahri is the Team Captain of the second Star Guardian group. She's cool and intimidating (from Lux's POV) and seems to have it all figured out. However, behind the cool demeanor is a heart hardened by grief. She (when she got released) lost Neeko, Xayah & Rakan on a desolate monster planet before leading the new team and has little time left for soft words of comfort. Tough love is all she's got.

I made the spread with this in mind. The goal of the divination session is to know how to be more charming and what doesn't help you in that regard. The answers I've gotten for friends & for myself are uncomfortable and in your face, however a fierce critic also gives fierce compliments. The first, fifth and the last three cards are there to remind you that you're not starting from zero. There are already things that people like about you and some even look up to you for. Don't ever forget that!

Because Ahri is based on the Gumiho there are nine cards in total; one for every tail. When you use her 'E' (also known as her Charm) in the game some of her tails will curve into a heart-like shape. I found it very cute and wanted to add it to the spread. I hope this will help you to be more charming!

Time to upgrade your E!

What draws people to you?

What about you is intimidating instead of charming?

What can you change to be more charming?

What mindset doesn't help you?

What can people learn from you?

What will make you feel better in general?

8. 9. What is charming about you that you don't know yet?

[skymagpie]

Top 5 ships

I am gonna guess this is about canon stuff, so I will answer canon stuff!

OC/Canon - yes all of them, I think OC canon ships are great so I am putting all of my OC/canon ships in this spot and all of the OC/canon ships I see around from friends and mutuals. If you ship OC/canon this is you too!

Kayn/Akali - this ship is my Roman Empire. I literally was willing to fight and ruin my online career for this ship. This ship is everything to me. I still have my fic that I need to finish! Like this is the ship I will give everything for. Ride or die. I've never shipped two canon characters as hard as I do these two!

Calypso/Davy Jones - it's a tragic and honestly in a way toxic relationship at the end, but it's compelling. Also I have a lot of AUs where they work their issues out so I can ship them in peace. Yes I know the tragedy is the appeal, but also I have all that cute art on my blogs from the AUs so there's a time and place for everything!

Al-An/Robin - This has to be the cutest monsterfuckery ship ever. Like if monster fucking was Disney. The perfect nerd monster man and cutesy wild girlie ship. I love them so much and there's so much art of them on my accounts!

There are a lot of ships I like and I can't decide which one I would put here because they are on the same level for me, so I will list them and I will let you pick one anon, based on your fandoms and your preferences! Just pick whichever and that's the 5th one for you on my list: Elizabeth/Will (PotC), Fennorian/Shelaria (ESO), Leona/Diana (League), TF/Graves (League), Xayah/Rakan (League), JhinZed (League), Janna/Nilah (League), Vi/Caitlyn (Leauge), Thall/Jaina (WoW), Sylvanas/Nathanos (WoW), Wrathion/Anduin (WoW), Marius/Tehd (WoW), Nazgrim/Thoras (WoW) (Oh booo booo yeah I do), Tirion/Eitrigg (WoW), Koltira/Thassarian (WoW).

[shinjisdone]

Hellooo. Well, this isn't a request or anything, don't worry. I was just observing the way people 'made an s/o' to Thorfinn based on your wonderful, stupendous fanfic, Dante Alighieri could never— anyway, I have a very different vision of an 's/o' for Thorfinn, let's go:

Actually, it might not be that different, but my 'OC' is based on certain characters (of course) who have a certain kind of 'vibe' like Thorfinn. I don't think Thorfinn would need another cold person in his life, you know? He doesn't need someone like him, he needs someone different, someone who makes him realize things and reflect. Not necessarily older, they can be the same age, but with different perceptions of life because of their different upbringings, and that's where the key is.

I'm not going to go into too much detail about my OC's backstory unless it's relevant, so we'll leave it aside for now (and I don't feel the need either, it's a considerably different backstory from Thorfinn's, but it makes the least sense for them to interact together). One of the characters that fits well with Thorfinn is Megumi Fushiguro from Jujutsu Kaisen. He is an extremely kind and empathetic person, he just doesn't show it, but he also doesn't hide that he cares about people, he may say that he is selective in who he saves, but he never gives up regardless. Megumi hates bad people, he said so himself, so if someone like him met Thorfinn for the first time, they would feel a lot of disdain from his attitude and indifference towards the others, but the more time they spend by each other's side, the more he realizes that Thorfinn... isn't that bad, you know? And they starts to be more careful with their words, starting to worry about him against their will and to see him as a kind of friend.

Now the other character... well, I think Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad would fit in well too. Jesse has that whole 'would-be-gangster' attitude of his, but everyone knows he's the best boy with lots of love to give in his heart. Someone like him at Thorfinn's side would be a big problem: they wouldn't stand each other! They would always fight, annoying each other, but when they realize that one or the other gets hurt or gets very sick, they stop fighting and start, let's say, 'enduring' each other's existence. Thorfinn has never been a heartless monster, in fact, he has a lot of heart and, for those who have read the manga, you already understand that he had tried to save a lot of people, he cares about people, he always has, he just has an emotional block. I've been through that myself, and I still have a little, that's why Thorfinn is someone so 'relatable' to me.

I don't think there's much else, but to close with a flourish: Xayah from League of Legends. She was literally released together with another champion, called Rakan, and they are a couple in the game, they have interactions together, etc. Xayah's someone cold and cutting, but around Rakan, she's a sweetheart (not leaving her personality aside, of course). She's protective and very mature, and honestly, Thorfinn really needs someone like that in his life. To protect him, man. He doesn't have the strength for that. He needs to be taken care of by someone first, someone mature enough to realize that his whole bully stance is just a shell, and she sees through it, and even though he refuses her help because he can't accept it (yes, he doesn't refuse because he wants to, he refuses because he can't accept it), she persists until he gives in and lets him take care of her. This reminds me of two phrases from her Redeemed Star Guardian skin, 'Love is beautiful—annoyingly, frustratingly—beautiful', and 'Please, the darkness is so last-season'. The first sentence says it all by itself, but the second one is as if she said that being emo is no longer worth it and that he should embrace his true self, which was hidden beneath many, many layers.

Anyway, I wrote a lot of text! I apologize, but I hope I made my idea clear here 🫡 it's night here, I have no idea what time it is for you, so have a good day/afternoon/night/early morning! See ya, continue being the incredible author that you are, your fanfic is a pleasure to read <3

putting on me reading glasses again

first of all thank you oh my goodness teh honor

Thorfinn being with someone who is different and brings up different perspecives and appraoches to his everydays problems and challenges IS key and very important for him to form a bond imo! Einar to that is an great example to that!

big fat fkning applause to the first example, honestly Megumi such a great example for an "side of the same coin" s/o for Thorfinn. Someone who is capable of good and kind acts and chooses who deserves them based on who they are BUT still bears a big enough heart to share their kindness with everyone aka cannot really give up on people even when they tell themselves they have to. It would confuse Thorfinn soooooo much since they probs end up doing what is right at the end of the day even when it actually pisses them off and they cannot explain why they did the things they did lol. A lot of discussions would follow as they both open up and try to dig into their souls on why they do what they do and who they truly are inside.

I dont know abotu Breaking Bad but someone who is a 'wannabe viking' would so funny lol. Maybe someone who takes on the persona to seem intimidating and scary for survival? Thorfinn sees through them respects them EVEN LESS than the real vikings, calling them a imposter, a joke, an honorless wannabe warrior and coward, and it would end up in lotsa bickering lmao. Perhaps once both have the balls to show their humanity, their 'weakness' they come to connect and maybe help each other survive in a world where you have to play the role of the hunter and not the prey to live and to 'win'.

Again, also know nothing of LoL, only everything Arcane covers/takes inspiration from (season 2 in november woohoo!) but someone mature and willing to help??? Yes, please. In fact imo Thorfinn would not only need that in general, but also need that to open up. Nothing else on the sea is like that and someone who cuts down enemies and treats him with soft yet chafed hands that would confuse but slowly feel welcome to him. And 'Love is beautiful—annoyingly, frustratingly—beautiful', mwah mwah that is just so War Arc Thorfinn it hurts. Let him have an uh actual mature adult in his life that cares.

[hannahyeaman]

What inspired your current book (published or WIP)?

In April 2017, League teased "The Harpy and the Phoenix." A lot of people at the time theorized it as a new Quinn skin, haha, but it ended up being dual released champions.

Lovers.

I was instantly curious as to why they only had one wing, so I started jotting down ideas for a story. I only wrote a very short clip at the time, but I revisited the concept in January 2019. Initially, Roshan was a lackadaisical guard and both he and Mika lost a wing. Opposite wings. But as I wrote and edited, it was no longer necessary for him to lose a wing, so I decided against that. Roshan was also supposed to be corrupted by the end of book one (when it was a duology), but then Riot released (corrupted) Star Guardian Xayah and Rakan in September 2019, so I axed that path too. As much as SOUL-BOUND started from X/R (primarily this particular teaser), it's not a fan fiction.

Mika's not a rebel. She's a sheltered princess like Rapunzel from Tangled. She's brash. Tsundere (thanks to watching Toradora during revisions). She's on a quest to heal her corrupted world and just so happens to meet a very charismatic vagabond. Roshan is largely based off my husband in a lot of ways. He's the golden retriever in our black cat/golden retriever relationship, so I made Roshan the sunny one.

I gave them a sun and moon dynamic to help name them. Their meet cute happens in a tavern because of Taylor Swift’s song "Gorgeous" since Roshan has ocean blue eyes and Zayn was originally Mika's betrothed.

Anyway, they've been my passion project for 5 (technically 7?) years and finally published them! I hope it reaches others and finds its audience. I hope if you're a Xayah and Rakan admirer and give their book a chance, you like them too.

[ohnoitstbskyen]

Xayah's Best Skin: Star Guardian Xayah does just about everything right

Xayah is another of those champions I just don't feel like has any really great skins. She also doesn't have anything really bad, but she is often hampered by the fact that her base design and most of her skins rely so heavily on a duality with Rakan as the counterpoint that creates interest, so considered on their own, they just don't express their full potential.

Star Guardian does have that problem, her brash pink and even her idle pose is supposed to be contrasted against Rakan's cool teal, for example, but it remains probably her best standalone design nonetheless for the simple reason that one, she looks convincingly enough like an animal-themed magical girl villain, and two, she looks like yeah with a few color changes and a slight wardrobe change she could probably be turned back into a peppy colorful good Star Guardian. So concept successful, and I do like the touch that she's just a bit more sexualized than the good guys. Like, classic magical girl trope, executed without being overbearing about it. Nice.

[ahleezeruinavt]

Me and my friends made a tierlist on how good a champions cooking would be if they made you a meal.

Some parts are memes just because we thought it'd be funny but we do have some explanations and rules we went through with this. - This is all based on what they'd cook for US, not other champions. For example, Xayah and Rakan probs make great food for each other, but not for others. - Champs who are giant in size will still have the ability to cook with utensils and proportions of their size. - Characters such as Kayn and Varus were rated as all 3 people together, not as individuals. For Varus speciffically we think that Kai and Valmar would respectively cook very good food, but all 3 of them thinking together would just be a mess. - Everyone from Yone to Annie is a Non-Malicious "Not Eating" rank. As in, we just don't think the food would be good, but just because their cooking probably sucks that bad or they don't know how to cook. Everyone from Bel'Veth and lower is malicious. As in they would do something to tamper with your food. - F tier are more people who would eat out (barring fizz and gnar who would just give you quality raw food) or probably don't know how to boil water without burning it. GP, Graves, and MF all fall under the "would probably order out" category. - D Tier is typically just either unseasoned or the food wouldn't be that good. For some characters (such as Orianna and Blitz) it's more of a "A for effort, but the food still isn't great" - C is either okay food or a "they cook well only to prove they're better than someone else at it" tier. Rammus is in there because his food would be "okay" i'mfunnypleaselaugh - B is geniuenly good food. Would comfort you. Make your worries melt away. - A is the fine dining. Their food is just amazing. - S is just god-tier food. Probably would make you ascend to another plane of reality if you had some.

[charmerquilled]

Basics

FULL NAME. Rakan NICKNAME. The Charmer, The Golden Dancer, Show Off, Showman GENDER. male . HEIGHT. 6'9'' AGE. 200+ Years....give or take. He lost count. Appears 28 ZODIAC. Leo SPOKEN LANGUAGES.  ionian & vastayan

Physical Characteristics

HAIR COLOR. White feathery soft hair with red accents on the front bangs. Hair is always styled back. EYE COLOR. Light blue. Though when magic is at its fullest, it can change with emotion. BODY TYPE. Lean and lithe. Built for speed and running. Strong legs, arms and upper body. Muscles seem evenly distributed, like a work of art. VOICE. Appealing. Friendly and open - His confident and uplifting tone makes it easy for some people to trust and listen to him. But it can get a bit grating to an enemy since he is built for loud distractions. Other times, his voice can low and serious. Sultry even. DOMINANT HAND. Ambidextrous. POSTURE. upright and ready to go! SCARS. well. He definitely has quite a few JUST because he is both a fighter and a thrill seeker ( and probably got a few in bed too, xayah marks him and draws some blood with claws lbr). Usually, he has the magic and the traditional medical know how to tend to a scar so it wouldn't leave a blemish on his skin. But he allowed more and more to stay on by the time he and Xayah ( @rebelquilled) fell for each other, because she found them sexy. TATTOOS. he has something much like this. They are very intricate and delicate in design. Brilliant emerald greens and golds were chosen to match his plumage upon his cape. They are detailed around his shoulders, and they will lead to his back and form wings. This was something his TRIBE in particular did back in their heyday. When magic was plentiful and humans haven't encroached upon their lands quite yet. They had a special technique that involved both nature and magic, and was a right of passage to go from child to adult. The colors were always chosen based on the individuals unique plumage and patterns along their feathers. When Rakan uses his magic, the golds within the tattoos will glow since they are rooted to a magical essence. But the art was unfortunately lost to the times once his tribe died out. BIRTHMARKS. none . He used magic in the long past to hide the blemish from his skin. MOST NOTICEABLE FEATURE(S). His feathery red striped ears, his dazzling GOLD feather cape that swishes behind him, and his red, long tail for balance. His bird like talons as feet. Feathers dotting his form here and there. Sharp, animalistic fangs. Animalistic pupils that can both grow and dilate into slits.

Childhood

PLACE OF BIRTH. The coastal, tropical region of Ionia HOMETOWN. The coastal, tropical region of Ionia SIBLINGS. none . PARENTS. Both are full blood Vastayans. However, they are currently unknown in whereabouts, and possibly dead.

Adult Life

OCCUPATION. Vastayan Rebel Fighter against the Noxian invasion and those who seek to destroy magic. CURRENT RESIDENCE. Ionia as a whole. He is consistently on the move. CLOSE FRIENDS. He has a few close friends within the rebellion, but he also has a many human friends too. It's what earned him his 'blood' traitor nickname from his tribe. RELATIONSHIP STATUS. At one time while single, he was a go with the flow type of guy who would partake in one night stands and be the general party guy who everyone knew him as. But once he joined the rebellion, that side of him came to a stop, as he wanted to make a true difference for his people. In canon with @rebelquilled , the two didn't mix well as she was almost hateful to him at the start, and he would defend himself if words or actions went too far. But over time, they did fall for each other. In canon, they are actively together. FINANCIAL STATUS. He is rich in his looks. But in all seriousness, he has enough to pay for food and pay for a room for himself and xayah when needed. So enough to get by. He actually has a bit saved up from his time as a wandering vastayan, those tips added up over time. Though he can be a reckless spender at times if something catches his eye. He will steal from the dead bodies of his enemies, or take what isn't being used anymore from any destroyed villages he may come across. DRIVER’S LICENSE. CRIMINAL RECORD. murder | unsolicited wild parties | theft | destruction of quinlons / towns VICES. Pride

Sex and Romance

SEXUAL ORIENTATION. hetero PREFERRED EMOTIONAL ROLE. submissive | dominant | switch PREFERRED SEXUAL ROLE. submissive | dominant | switch LIBIDO. normal . TURN ON’S. biting, scratching, marking, pinning, aggressive or gentle kissing, trailing hands on the body, ear biting, wing touching TURN OFF’S. degrading | humiliation | unnaturally ripping out feathers | any play that is overly unhygienic | unable to handle his wings, feathers and beast like appearance LOVE LANGUAGE. physical touch, gift giving, words of love and affirmation. RELATIONSHIP TENDENCIES. Rakan is LOYAL to the core. He is with his s/o for life if the relationship is ongoing. However, due to his naturally flirty and charismatic demeanor, some others may try to make advances or think he is making a pass. His S/O must realize that this happens ALL the time, and that it doesn't mean anything. Because he'll never cheat. His S/O will always be his one and only.

Miscellaneous

CHARACTER’S THEME SONG. The song used for him in W.ild Magic . HOBBIES TO PASS TIME. singing, dancing, feather cape upkeep, hair upkeep, skin care routine ( look the man is very hygienic) , training, cooking, finding shiny things ( he has a collection), playing the lute LEFT OR RIGHT BRAINED. right . PHOBIAS. autophobia . SELF CONFIDENCE LEVEL. Oh it's higher than a kite and he can outshine the sun. However, due to his ADHD, this can sway. Sometimes the kite is higher than the clouds, but at times, that very kite can crash to the ground. He hates those days. VULNERABILITIES. He has memory issues. Mainly due to the fact there are times he is simply not paying attention, and at other times, he doesn't care for what is being said. Thus, information can go into one ear and out the other. So... if you have a plan, expect him to be your wild card ( because he'll definitely forget steps along the way and go to the beat of his own drum ). He can also have the biggest mouth, and speaks his mind, even against those who are in powerful leader positions. This in turn can get his tail into trouble.

Tagged by: @pitgritted !!

Tagging: @rebelquilled , @stahri-light , and whoever else wants to do this!

[rebelquilled]

i feel like the saying "organized mess" sort of applies to xayah as a "monster" ( i say monster loosely because it's not the proper term... in the long run i'm merely using it to mean an othering from humanity ). basically the inherent nature of the vastaya is beast. instinct and nature and chaos govern their base behaviors, personalities, and relationships. however, for most, the dilution of their vastayan blood with humanity allow for the more deeper connective reasoning and hierarchy that most animals/creatures/nonhumans don't really reconcile with. xayah very much is attuned with this, as are most vastaya, but the exact variations can come depending on the bloodline, tribe, nurturing, etc. the lhotlans are more akin to the wild sort, and value their freedom, traditions, and tribe. while not cut off from the world, they didn't often branch too far outside of their preferred territories. at least not until the upheaval of wild magic forced them to, which greatly stems into the anger xayah feels. everything has quite literally displaced the essence of her piece of the lhotlan tribe. it is personal, and she adapts in the beastly manner of her vastayan blood. defend, protect, fight. it causes her reasoning to sometimes seem non existent, and this is a strong reason for why rakan is a valued aide. it's not that he's less feral than xayah - he can be just as chaotic if not more in some aspects - but he has a greater time balancing the more tamed instincts in order to find the best course of action for everyone involved. hers are geared towards her one fight.

[league-of-skins]

Arcana Xayah and Rakan

One half of a perpetually incomplete whole, Xayah has found her love not in the world of the Higher Arcana, but the Lower. As she strains to meet the fated Rakan and pull him upwards towards herself, their tension frays and forms discordant knots—setting the stage for something new.

One half of a perpetually incomplete whole, Rakan's fated love was not in the Lower World, but among the Higher Arcana far above. As the two rush to meet betwixt the lands of their birth, fate bubbles and boils over—a roiling sea from which a new order may emerge.

It’s a double feature!

General Information:

Price: 1350 RP Tier: Epic Release Date: April 14, 2022 Skinline: Arcana

Credits (Xayah):

Concept: Yanie Yang Splash Art: Marie Magny Model: Siao Sia Animations: Awen Yu Tech Art/Rigging: Crane Wang VFX: Huanmo Ju SFX: [I wasn't able to find credits for this position] Artist Lead: Duy Khanh Nguyen

Credits (Rakan):

Concept: Yanie Yang Splash Art: Marie Magny Model: Sylph Pang Animations: Kuma Hu Tech Art: Rongcheng Sheng, Chen Lai Rigging: Jason Sun VFX: Jianqi Huo, Yingfeng Zhao (concept) SFX: James Shen Artist Lead: Duy Khanh Nguyen

Concept:

I honestly don’t really understand Arcana’s lore and I find it visually impossible to differentiate between the higher and lower arcana but I can forgive that because I find Broken Covenant to be stylistically worse. Visually, Arcana simply appears more cohesive.

Several of Rakan's and Xayah's skins are based on the star-crossed lovers trope. With that being said, Arcana is at least unique in it not being good vs. evil like Broken Covenant or Star Guardian, but more of a hierarchical difference. It is interesting that in all of these instances, Rakan seems to be the one getting the short end of the stick.

All in all, I haven't really liked any of Xayah's or Rakan's skins since Elderwood but, for Arcana, at least, it is not at the fault of its concept.

Design:

I love the colors. I also love how Xayah’s cape ends are a little sharper than Rakan’s and how whole her cape goes from red to black, Rakan’s is the opposite and goes from black to red. I honestly think Rakan’s design has too much going on, especially in the top half, but it’s much more obvious in his chromas. I do like the stripe on his pants though.

Splash Art:

Thematically, their posing makes sense with Xayah being above Rakan and I do enjoy the half wing imagery with their capes. The issue is that it doesn't look good on the loading screen. The concept arts look so much better and while A is my personal favorite, I do love C's heart frame as well as the implication that Xayah succeeds in ascending Rakan so that they can be together.

Model:

I think Xayah looks absolutely wonderful, mostly staying true to her concept design. I really like the subtle cape changes as well but I’m very happy they kept the gold, feather-like layer at the top. I also quite like how Rakan’s arms turned out but some of the arm bracings do contribute to the noise. And, of course, Rakan wants to be loud and contrasting to Xayah, but I think in the context of this skin it’s better to rely on more subtle differences like the capes. I think having them look so similar and striving for that cohesiveness is done away by having to make Rakan “flashier” simply because he’s Rakan. And I believe that thought extends to their chromas as Xayah utilizes more muted colors in her clothing with occasional brighter hair while Rakan’s chromas are all bright and bold.

Chromas:

I'm not sure how chromas are made, but it's a little disappointing how the colors don't match well to each other despite the base skin accomplishing it fairly well. Something I especially enjoy is their contrasting capes, but the uncoordinated colors don't accomplish the same effect in their chromas.

Catseye: I can excuse the hair colors but Xayah's clothes are much more orange while Rakan's are obviously yellow with purple accents for no reason. His hair also looks really bad.

Obsidian: They look good individually but lack the matching colors.

Pearl: Much more cohesive. Probably their best chroma together. The colors on both are gorgeous and Rakan's hair looks wonderful.

Rose Quartz: Both are nice but the pinks don't match.

Ruby: I really don't understand this one as the base skins are already very red. Xayah just doesn't look good with blonde hair and Rakan has barely changed. Again, their clothes don't match with Xayah's being orange again while Rakan's are almost a pinkish red.

Sapphire: I actually quite like Xayah's. Once again, Rakan's hair looks terrible.

Tanzanite: Once again, the colors don't match. Xayah's is more of a magenta while Rakan's is a much clearer purple. I dislike his hair.

Turquoise (Xayah): Pretty nice.

Emerald (Rakan): Emerald chromas aren't really supposed to look nice, but it's decent.

The biggest issue is that the colors simply don't match and that in giving Rakan the Emerald chroma, they each have a chroma that they cannot match with their partner. I think they did a really good job of contrasting Xayah's hair with her clothes and I appreciate how the colors are quite simple. Rakan, on the other hand, suffers a lot from the two-tone hair and it becomes difficult to make it look nice. Similarly, his much more decorated and complicated attire makes the many accents sort of overtake the chroma. I think the most obvious example of this is in their Sapphire chroma where while Xayah's yellow accents are more minimal, Rakan's are so prominent that they have to extend to his hair.

Animations:

No new animations aside from individual recalls. No new joint recall.

I really love Rakan's recall individually. Xayah's is extremely similar to Ahri's with her spreading out the tarot cards and picking one but their differences in personality are evident.

VFX:

I think Rakan's passive effects are beautiful with the red and yellow colors. My favorite ability is probably his W (Grand Entrance). I really enjoy the inclusion of the apple tree that's also present in their splash art, alluding to Xayah's efforts to ascend her lover as well as, of course, the first sin. I also love the charm effects from his R (The Quickness).

Xayah's particle effects are also beautiful. I really love her E (Bladecaller) root effects with the tarot cards floating around her opponent. Similarly, their inclusion in her R (Featherstorm) is also gorgeous.

Rakan's glowing effect on his cape is so well done and I really enjoy how the patterns on both of their capes appear to be moving down like stars falling from the sky with Rakan's being much more rapid than Xayah's. I think it's a wonderful detail. The visual effects are by far the highlight of these skins.

SFX:

Nothing too revolutionary, but they’re nice. You’ll most likely notice the visual effects more but I believe competent sound effects are the backbone of good visual effects.

Voice Over:

No new voice overs.

Value:

I personally would never buy this skin nor Broken Covenant. I think it's ridiculous that you can't get its full value if you choose to play the game effectively and utilize their Lover's Leap passive. I think it's even more ridiculous that Riot not only ignored this feedback, but did the exact opposite and completely scrapped their joint recall animation. I'd like to mention the Redeemed Star Guardian skins but I believe it warrants its own post.

I believe the precedence of Rakan and Xayah having unique joint recall animations was first set with their Sweetheart skins (their release skins, Cosmic, uses the base animation). In that skin, the animation is much simpler than their individual recalls, but still sweet and new. I'm not expecting them to make every new joint recall as elaborate as Elderwood's, but to scrap the idea entirely when Sweetheart Rakan and Xayah exists makes it seem like they're giving up.

[teeto-peteto]

You once said that the institute was Mean Girls but with LOL champions and I want you to know I can’t stop thinking of a new champion going through the cafeteria/lunch room scene or someone has a ‘burn book’

So, you know, thanks. Also, your discussion about Yasuo and Ahri is making me consider an Odyssey one shot.

i never leave home without taking a sip from my 'iconic mean girls scenes' juice. I have a bunch of scenarios with the champions and the movie. Much more than id like to admit.

For the cafeteria room, its funny to put them by regions BUT its way funnier when you clasify them... like for example the table of the 'sexually active couple's' that Janis mentions in the movie but its Xayah/Rakan, Lucian/Senna and those untold relationships in league like Jarvan/Shyvana and Garen/Katarina, Cait/Vi... Fortune/Illaoi if you ask me...

For the Plastics... im obsessed with Ruined King characters and they would definetly be the plastics but if i had to move on from that... Its probably Ahri as Regina George? Just cause shes the most popular one... Allow her to be sassy and mean for a bit. Probably Kai'sa as Gretchen cause shes also a popular pick and Lux as Karen cause she fits on the sunshine lollipops and rainbows blonde bimbo. Not good picks on my behalf basing only on rating picks and popularity but i couldnt think someone more fitting. Maybe Qiyana or Evelynn as Regina? Dont know.

For other tables... we definetly have the sassy edgy killer's table with Jhin, Pyke ... maybe Thresh too? Shaco, Zed, Nocturne? Talon?

The loud Zaunitans table with Jinx, Zeri, Ekko, Seraphine... Dr Mundo can fit...

The gym obsessed table with Braum, Pantheon, Garen and Darius... Illaoi and Sett... Trynda...

The ones that are too big to fit the room and have to eat outside like Cho'Gath, Galio... Aurelion Sol, Malphite...

The kid's table with Annie, Amumu, Gnar, Milio and Fizz messing around... Vex by mistake...

The lovecraftniang horrors like Bel Veth, Kha Zix, Vel'Koz, Fiddlesticks...

The Vastayan table, the hot asians table (just like in the movie), the yordle table, the 'we are literally animals', the 'we have too many skins' table, royalty table... shuriman god's table..., darkin's table... you can name a champion and has its table... i could spen hours. Point of Mean Girls x League is to ridiculize and simplify the characters. Like we know that canonically in actual lore, the sassy edgy killer table would be in literal civil war killing each others and stabbing, buuut its funny thinking about them sharing a salad or changing trays because they are picky eaters...

its my selection BUT id love to read more classifications perhaps mine is bland ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ im thinking about one with the art kids, like Gwen and Sona and more characters... dunno

[thedubiouspeach]

New Layout New Me!

I think it's only fair that since I've been nothing but an enigma on this site that I properly introduce myself!

Hi! My name is Bliss! I'm a 25-year-old LGBTQ+ & Neurodivergent writer. I am a Jhin main first and a human never. My fixation is primarily Jhin-centric, but I tend to hop across a multitude of fandoms!

Said fandoms include:

League of Legends (Jhin-centric interest)

Baldur's Gate 3 (Astarion-centric interest)

Psycho-Pass

Jujutsu Kaisen

Sonic The Hedgehog

91 Days

Sun Haven

Buddy Daddies

Blue Exorcist

Yuri On Ice

Kuroko no Basket

Soul Eater

Dragon Ball Z

Steven Universe

Avatar: The Last Airbender / The Legend of Korra

Suitor Armor

Gangsta

Castlevania

I'm a hopeless romantic and throw together ships whenever possible because it's fun and I enjoy exploring dynamics. I sometimes find myself in Rarepair Hell and it is of every fault of my own.

Current ships and their ship names if they have one in my mind's eye:

Jhin / Rakan - Golden Lotus

Jhin / Pyke - Red Water Dreams

Jhin / Yone - Method Acting

Jhin / Yasuo - Freelance Artists

Jhin / Varus - Sacrilegious Shots

Jhin / Vladimir - Crimson Affairs

Jhin / Pyke / Rakan - Weight In Gold

Jhin / Rakan / Yone - Standing Ovation

Jhin / Rakan / Yasuo - Travelling Show

Jhin / Pyke / Rakan / Yasuo / Ezreal / Akshan - The Men Pile

Irelia / Xayah - Kingslayers

Irelia / Xayah / Akali / Nilah - Sparring Practice

Irelia / Xayah / Akali / Nilah / Neeko - Battle Born

Xayah / Sett - Fisticuffs

Shusei Kagari / Shinya Kogami - Kissed Knuckles

Satoru Gojo / Kento Nanami - See No Evil

Hiromi Higuruma / Kento Nanami

Satoru Gojo / Kento Nanami / Hiromi Higuruma

Yuji Itadori / Megumi Fushiguro

Yuta Okkotsu / Toge Inumaki - Speak No Evil

Jun / Dr. Wornhardt

Jun / Vaan

Dr. Wornhardt / Jun / Vaan

Jun / Vaan / Donovan

Jun / Van / Donovan / Dr. Wornhardt / Darius

Rei Suwa / Kazuki Kurusu

Ryouta Kise / Yukio Kasamatsu - Kisamatsu

Daiki Aomine / Taiga Kagami - Kagomine

Kotaro Hayama / Shun Izuki

Kotaro Hayama / Taiga Kagami - Hot-Head Express

Katsuki Yuuri / Victor Nikiforov - Victory/Victuuri/Victuri

Shadow the Hedgehog / Sonic the Hedgehog - Sonadow (duh)

Goku / Vegeta

Rin Okumura / Renzou Shima - Cotton Candy Complications

Shiro Fujimoto / Mephisto Pheles

Nero Vanetti / Angelo Lagusa - Russian Roulette

Katara / Zuko

Trevor Belmont / Alucard / Sypha Belnades - The Usual Suspects

Death the Kid / Crona

Pearl / Bismuth

Sapphire / Ruby

Boundaries:

I won't participate in ship discourse. I just won't, it's not worth it. I have my reservations on certain things and Imma keep it to myself.

What I will do is participate in fandom, fandom activities, and the occasional discourse about the shows/games/comics themselves!

Interests & Hobbies:

When I'm offline I tend to read here and there.

I write mostly romantic/ship-related fanfic and even original works with original characters! Occasionally, I post poetry when I'm in A Mood(TM).

It's an absolute delight to talk about all of my characters that I've taken so much time to craft <3

I make playlists on Spotify and Youtube based on stories I've written, favorite characters, favorite ships, and original characters! I'll be adding those links to my Carrd once I have them both up-to-date c:

I'm not entirely sure what I should be posting on Tumblr? This site is very awkward for me and I feel a tad isolated every time I open it. So if anyone has any ideas of what they'd like to see or a better way to be more engaging drop me an ask!

I might make a post for snippet requests and whatnot that y'all can choose from as well! It'll take a bit, but it'll be up eventually lol.

If you wanna find me anywhere else like Twitter, AO3, Commaful, Wattpad (Idk why, but it's an option), and more then you can find my Carrd in my bio!

Thanks for reading this far and getting to know me! If you have any questions then you know where the ask and DM buttons are c: