[Nian cosplay] Arknights, 3rd Anniversary Birthday Ramblings

It's been three years now; around September 9th every year, I celebrate this Sichuan sister's birthday. This time, I revamped the costume, wig, accessories, and makeup—a massive upgrade all around. My earliest makeup was fairly simple, but now the red eyeshadow blending, the painted texture of the red horns, and the sharpness of the claws are all vastly improved, and the full dragon horn headpiece sits much more securely. Outside of work, I first visited Hypergryph's offline campus recruitment, then went to the Beijing Arknights Only convention. I shot a Nian & Dusk duo Cosplay photoshoot, hung out with Dusk, joined a massive Sui sibling group shoot, and even performed a fierce anime dance, which really felt true to her persona. Upon returning, my home was utterly taken over by dragon plushies, leaving me pondering where to place the massive 1.5-meter plush, while a mini Nian sits on my office desk bringing me joy every workday. As the weather cooled, wanting to stay warm at work, I simply wore my dragon plush onesie to the office—turns out the room is packed with Arknights players, easily enough for two Mahjong tables, making for lots of fun banter. The happiest moment this year was fulfilling my wish to achieve max potential on Nian; seeing all potential nodes lit up on a 6-star operator truly felt like mission accomplished. In my current lineup, the final slot for the four seasons is always reserved for Nian. The group shoot was an absolute blast—getting bossed around by all the older siblings, sprawling out here and lounging there. Lounging anywhere and everywhere was completely in character; they kept joking that any random patch of floor will sprout a mini Nian and that the real Nian had arrived, and receiving that kind of recognition made me genuinely ecstatic. During the recent shoot, studio work proved far more exhausting than location shoots. To convey Nian's languid arrogance, I relied heavily on poses leaning against railings or props. This time I paired red thigh-highs with white boots, leaning into a modern techwear aesthetic. Crafting the dragon horn headpiece took plenty of thought; considering the movement across various sets, structural stability was paramount. The makeup emphasized eye glitter and reddish under-eye blush, ensuring great payoff both under outdoor sunlight and indoor warm lighting. We aimed for perfection throughout the shoot—whether sprawling across the red maple set or sitting on stone garden pavers, every pose was adjusted repeatedly for the best angle. In short, documenting this birthday tribute: may our little chili dragon keep thriving until the world turns into a chili pepper.