[Keqing Cosplay] Rex Lapis' Birthday Fun: Recreating the Iconic Angled Sword Stance

On a special day like Rex Lapis' birthday, standing in the convention hall holding this custom sword, the first thought in my mind was to materialize that widely memed "angled sword stance." Although it's a playful joke, preserving the character's inherent agility and valiant temperament while having meme fun was the core goal of this shoot.

The entire outfit selected the classic Liyue dark blue color scheme. The bandeau cut of the upper top fits the body closely, paired with separate sleeve cuffs and intricate neck accessories, nailing the refined elegance of a noble young lady. The bird-shaped waist accessory and layered skirt hems give a marvelous flowing feel in motion. What satisfied me most was actually the lower-body styling: these dark semi-sheer stockings adorned with white totems and flying swallow prints at the thighs not only anchor the color palette, but also add a touch of delicate vulnerability and splendor unique to 2D aesthetics in Anime-style photography, requiring extra care when putting them on and taking them off in this Stocking cosplay look to avoid snagging details.

The wig was a very effort-intensive part—gradient light purple and dark blue twin tails, paired with blue-black bows, white bead chains, and those playful cat-ear shapes on top. The wig needed sufficient volume to recreate that lightweight effect from original art, but because of the massive volume, my head indeed felt quite heavy after a full day of shooting. For makeup, to fit the character, I specially picked a soft light purple eyeshadow paired with red contact lenses; blending the eye makeup took several attempts before I dared to step out the door.

During the shoot, the hardest part to master was maintaining these high-difficulty poses continuously. In Photo 1, that posture standing on one leg with the other raised high—while the suspended leg looks casual, maintaining balance before an attack animation required my core to be engaged extremely tight. Then there's the look-back pose kneeling on one knee in Photo 3: not only did I need to keep the sword tip close to the ground, but I also had to make sure my gaze accurately found the photographer's lens. It took several tries to catch that relaxed yet focused backward glance. Other standing poses, like holding the sword horizontally with both hands across the chest or turning sideways to look back, required great arm leverage coordination with this large sword. In fact, this prop sword was much heavier than it looks; to convey the character's effortless ease, my arms couldn't be locked stiff, needing to display physical flexibility.

Lighting inside the convention hall was quite complex, and the floor was reflective, setting high requirements for the photographer's light placement. While shooting this set, there were actually many passersby and visitors nearby; to avoid blocking aisles, we snatched open spots whenever possible. Fortunately, after blurring out the background, the final Convention photos turned out very clean, with the subject standing out prominently. Cosplay is just like this: from fabric selection, wig styling, prop transportation, to on-site communication, every step requires advance planning. Yet it is the stacking of these tedious details that delivers a satisfying visual outcome in the end. This set basically restored my understanding and representation of this character; being able to interpret her combat posture with a meme-filled mindset made this convention trip a delightful success.