On Neeko Sexuality, from a League lorehead’s perspective.
This is both quite related and quite unrelated to the discussion about Neeko sexuality at the moment. However, as a league Lorehead, I find it quite logical that Neeko is homosexual.
First, take a look at one of her quote when mimicing male champions
Male sho'ma feel... strange?
Two things are established here:
At some level, male sho'ma (spiritual essence) have something distinct from female sho'ma YET similar between different.
Neeko is not as enthusiastic about this as when she mimic female sho'ma.
Point 2 is very important, but is also where we have to step a bit out into the real world.
It is established that for a tran person, staying in their birth gender have negative impact on their well being. If we accept that Neeko have gender and that gender is female, then by mimicing a male, she effectively become a tran person in reverse, that is, she is put in a gender she doesnt feel herself as.
You can argue about real life if you want, but by point 2, we can say that in the setting of Runeterra, Riot choose to go with that establishment (in another word, this is a case of "word of god"). Thus, with high level of certainty, we can say Neeko dont like to become male, not just because they smell bad or anything, but because she dont enjoy it AT A SPIRITUAL LEVEL.
Now, back to the point of sexuality and romantic interest, it is unlikely Neeko would turn into her lover or anything, so the point might be irrelevant. However, if you look at Neeko biograph, the part about her people as a whole:
Their harmonious society blended seamlessly with the spirit realm, so that their sho’ma—their spiritual essence—could intermingle with other beings through mere proximity, and even help them mimic other physical forms.
The bold part show that at their default level, an Oovi-Kat intermingle with other being sho'ma just by being near them, and mimicing is just an extension of that at a concious level, by borrowing some of that sho'ma. In fact, if you go a sentence further, you can see an interesting thing:
No secrets existed between the Oovi-Kat, but few were as curious, resilient, or energetic as young Neeko.
She developed a fondness for games, hiding... thoughts to see if others could find them.
This show that for Oovi-Kat, to not mingle with another being sho'ma require concious efforts, enough that as a society, Oovi-Kat dont do it.
All of this, together, mean a being like Neeko SHOULD be homosexual, that is, to held romantic feeling for someone with the same sho'ma as her:
An Oovi-Kat have a sense of self, including at some level a sense of gender.
At the same time, by being near another being, an Oovi-Kat take in that being sho'ma by default, requiring concious effort to not do it.
Finally, an Oovi-Kat, or at least Neeko, doesnt enjoy borrowing and using sho'ma of the gender they are not.
All of this show that, should Oovi-Kat choose a mate who they spend a lot of time with, it is to Neeko best interest that she is homosexual.
