[Furina Cosplay] The Hydro Archon and the Iudex in Fontaine's Dark Night

Shooting this Fontaine cosplay set took quite some time to finalize details from fabric selection to wig styling. This time, partnering with @琼墨QM, we worked out several versions of different plans for action design and scene selection to present the sense of a slightly detached yet tightly bound connection between the Hydro Archon and the Chief Justice in the official setting.

The atmosphere of the first tavern scene is the most relaxed. To get close to the character's elegant and composed temperament, I adjusted the angle of the top hat and the fluffiness of my hair strands. The wine glass in hand was not only a prop but also key to helping me capture the character's expression. The dazzling array of bottles behind the wine cabinet and the warm-toned wooden lighting were perfect for showcasing this blue-and-white main palette dress. The dress utilizes a large area of bright blue reflective fabric and silver pattern embroidery, while being paired with white ruffled collar ornaments and tiered skirt hems. To highlight the character's lightness, I specially chose black shoes with bow ties and white lace socks. I slightly adjusted my sitting posture during composition to let the skirt fall naturally, perfectly presenting the leg lines and styling in the frame.

For the second study scene, we placed our focus on calmness and mystery. The huge bookcase behind us and the wall full of ancient books became a natural backdrop wall. Because the character has a strong sense of theatricality and dramatic tension, I lightened my breathing during the shoot, trying to convey a serenity beyond the script with my eyes. On the desktop, distressed scrolls, books, and a vintage lamp were placed, and the one-sitting, one-standing placement of the two of us formed a great height difference. At this moment, I gently rested my hand on Neuvillette's shoulder, reinforcing the long-standing trust and familiar tacit understanding between the two through physical contact; this quiet freeze-frame was actually harder to grasp the emotion than large actions.

The third set of major shots was chosen in a theatrical small indoor theater, with red velvet curtains, a giant gear clock, and a black-and-white checkerboard floor—these elements stacked together to fill the character's sense of story. Because the costume here has many layers, it easily wrinkles when walking and sitting down, so I applied anti-wrinkle treatment to my styling and put a lot of thought into fixing the accessories. When shooting the action of kneeling while holding a sword, I had to ensure a stable center of gravity while making that blue-and-gold prop sword reveal a sharp luster in front of the lens. Neuvillette's robes, paired with leather gloves and long boots, combined with his posture of sitting upright holding a cane, constructed a freeze-frame full of pressure and order within the frame space.

The details of the entire outfit are exceptionally rich. Whether it's the sequin embedding on the hem or the highly decorative bow tie on the chest, they all required close coordination during pre-shooting and post-lighting. The entire shoot was basically about adjusting positioning and muscle tension over and over again, striving to make the bones and clothing wrinkle paths naturally fit the posture. The partnership with Qiongmo this time was very pleasant; we adjusted each other's neck ornaments or tidied up our bangs on set, trying hard to stay a little longer in this world view of Genshin Impact's Fontaine. In fact, the most important part of doing cosplay is the understanding of the character itself, combined with the bearing of costumes and props, and the selfless investment at that moment in front of the lens. The final photos were able to restore the Fontaine atmosphere we looked forward to, making all the hard work worth it.