Level at the beginning of day 16: 17

What I learned since last time:

• Nothing

Day 16 included another game with an insane comeback – it lasted 55 minutes. We killed the Baron (twice) and Elder dragon – I got the last hit on it! Which I know doesn’t matter, but still! I got to level 18 with Soraka and got an A+ (first A+ I’ve gotten since I graduated high school), and managed to make it until almost the very end without dying. In the next one, the other team played super aggressively – two players ambushed me as I was walking to my lane within the first minute of the game. (How did they even get down there so fast? Teleport? If so – why?) But we still won.

We also had a couple of games where either our team or the enemy team surrendered. I really don’t understand the point of surrendering. You never know when one of those insane comebacks is going to happen, and I live for those. Those two games I played like that made me understand why people watch pro sports. 80% of games are totally predictable and boring if you’re not the one playing, but every so often something amazing happens, and I guess it’s more likely for amazing things to happen in pro play.

Later that night, I decided to look into masteries and items a bit, and I came across a guide to play Soraka in mid-lane. Now, while I agree that’s possible, I don’t think that’s an especially good idea, but it was certainly clear to me that the person who made this thinks and plays like me. For starters: “stole an ally’s CS by accident? CLAIM IT WAS COMPLETELY INTENTIONAL AND THAT YOU ALSO ****ED THEIR MOTHER.” Yep. Sounds like me. Or my thoughts, anyway.

What can I say…I’m just not cut out for support. I’m a showoff, and I get too excited. I feel confined and like my shine is being purposely dimmed in support. But I’m still not quite good enough for other positions, so support it is.

I just don’t understand why supports can’t be helpful AND kick ass and take names. Like, if you don’t want me taking your CS and kills…be better?? Aren’t ADCs supposed to be naturally good at killing stuff and not-so-good at staying alive? I don’t know. (Again, things I would never actually say, because I’m nice. Ish. Nice-ish.)

I use my W and ultimate on allies as frequently as possible when needed, and as far as I’m concerned I think that’s all I should have to think about, because if ADCs are ADC-ing properly, they should have no problem getting all the kills as long as I’m protecting them, because that’s just what they do. Then I found this comment on a forum arguing about this very issue: “First thing, just because the person is in the support role does not mean they aren’t allowed to get any CS. If they are just going out of their way to get all the last hits, I’d say you’re not very good at playing adc.” In addition: “The only way a support can steal CS is if you are gonna miss it anyways”. EXACTLY.

The thing about me playing Soraka constantly is that I’m getting really good at her, which means that situations where I’m a better player than our ADC are getting more frequent. So maybe I should purchase another support champion to make things harder for me. That might get me out of this weird in between stage I’m in right now. (Can you even believe what I’m saying right now? Little miss “can’t play video games to save her life” wants a challenge.)

Anyway, the main point of this is that I decided that I will try to build my own mastery page for Soraka based on how I tend to actually play, rather than how other people say I should play, because the support guides I was looking at for her just didn’t sound like me at all. Which is not to say that I won’t still do research and incorporate in elements of my findings…I’m just not going to go straight by the book.

On Tuesday, I only had about an hour, and was there ever a lot to cram into one hour. The new free champions were released, and for some reason there were twice the usual amount. They had some kind of special going on where they were featuring a whole bunch of assassins because of some Blood Moon thing, which meant SO MANY MID-LANERS. It was my dream come true. Why must all my dreams come true the week that I have no time? Luckily a few were ones I’d already played, but most I hadn’t. To prioritize, I decided to not play any champions who cost under 2000 IP because I could just buy them. Aside from ones I already owned, that only applied to one, Sivir. So I did buy her. Then I decided to not play anyone under 4000 IP, which only applied to 3 I didn’t own, Katarina, Karthus, and Kassadin.

So basically my prioritization idea was a mess. In the end though, I ended up only playing

one, Ahri. That sucked but if I was going to get to play anyone I’m glad it was her. She’s one that my boyfriend HAS shown me before, and I’ve long suspected that she would be my favourite. She’s SO BEAUTIFUL AND CUTE AND SEXY AT THE SAME TIME. Not to mention FLUFFFYYYYYYYY. Would she measure up to my expectations in terms of fighting ability and strength? Answer – yes. AND she’s good for mid-lane. Done and DONE. I love her even more than I love Akali and Lissandra, which is a lot.

I didn’t even get to play a full game with her because my boyfriend came home EARLY without letting me know first. There was about 5 minutes left of the game when he walked in the door and I just slammed my laptop shut and leapt up from the table, electing to perch casually on the edge of the couch. When he asked me why I had my laptop on the table with a mouse (which I never do), I told him that my boss asked me to edit a video for work and that I thought it would be easier with a mouse. Not a total lie – she really did ask me to edit a video, I just wasn’t planning on doing it outside of work and I really didn’t need a mouse. I think he bought it though.

(Of course, I wasn’t really helping my cause when later that night I walked by while he was dead in a game with cookies, held them out to him and said, “Death snack?”)

I just assumed that I wouldn’t receive any benefits from the game since I just quit, but when I checked on it later, my account still recorded it as a victory (way to go, rest of the team!) and gave me the IP and XP. That seems a bit unfair, but…I guess it’s a good thing for me.

I really, really hope I’ll be able to squeeze in at least a few more games here and there this week, but based on my boyfriend’s schedule it’s looking like I won’t. Maybe the extra champions at least will stick around for a bit longer…a girl can dream, right? I do have time on Monday…I think they’ll still be there then? I think. Not positive.

Several days off means it’s time for more research. I have a pretty good grasp now on how the actual game works, so I think it’s time to dig a little deeper. My main goal for the next several days is to learn more about items and which ones are best for the champions I own. (Perhaps I’ll write them down in my notebook to glance at during games if I can’t remember.) Then, I’d like to build out item sets for each of them (should also do some research on how that actually works) as well as mastery pages. Runes I think I’ll save for later because I think you need IP to buy them, and, lol.

I’m getting so tempted to use actual money to buy Riot Points to get more champions (especially since I’m trying to save money right now, and there’s nothing that makes me want to spend money more than that), but I’m wondering something – can players transfer IP to other players? I know you can send RP. I’m wondering because my boyfriend is drowning in IP because he literally owns everything you can spend it on (as of now). He has like 70k; I checked his screen last time it was up on his laptop. I’m sure he would love to transfer them to his beautiful, adoring girlfriend…if that’s a thing.

Level at the end of day 17: 18

Hours: 4.5

Games played: 5.5

Champions played: Soraka, Veigar, Kayle, Akali

Death snack of the day: Sour cherry blasters