[Priestess cosplay] Retouching photos to give off Kal'tsit deja vu, Arknights casual outfit details maxed out

Today, looking closely at the computer screen at this set of feature photos shot a few days ago at Chaoyang Joy City, everything originally went smoothly, and I felt the poses and expressions were quite on point. However, the more I looked, the more I felt something was off. It wasn't until a friend threw a screenshot of Kal'tsit at me that it suddenly dawned on me: this expression and temperament practically turned Priestess into Kal'tsit, and I almost burst out laughing myself. I originally wanted to retouch away a bit of that stern, cold feeling, but ended up finding that the more I retouched, the more it headed in that direction. This is probably metaphysics under the same worldview.

All joking aside, to prepare for this costume this time, a lot of effort was indeed put into the fabric and tailoring. The light blue shirt was chosen from a fabric with subtle texture, which neither looks too rigid nor loses the seriousness of a uniform. The three-dimensional feel of the bowtie was also specially set and treated with a hard interlining inside, so even when walking or posing outdoors, it doesn't easily collapse. The most eye-catching part of the outer cape is the circle of transparent PVC material splicing at the cuffs. To restore that texture, the black binding along the edges was double-stitched to prevent curling, and the overall drape was adjusted several times to ensure an ethereal flow when walking. I also cross-referenced the original artwork for a long time regarding the placement of the black webbing and metal buckles at the waist; the size and texture of the rings had to match. Although the details were tedious, the effect presented in front of the lens was truly fantastic—full of layers without appearing bulky.

For the lower body, I paired it with high-density black stockings. This material has a great texture under indoor lighting; not only does it flatter the leg shape, but it also resists reflection, which echoes nicely with the cool techwear style in the original artwork when paired with silver Mary Jane shoes featuring cross straps. To find the silver texture of these shoes, I ran to several places before finding a satisfying style. Regarding the wig, to trim out that natural shoulder-length thickness and better flatter face shape, I spent over half a day thinning it out bit by bit, and the curve of the forehead bangs was also repeatedly test-worn and adjusted to retain that slightly quiet academic feel from the original artwork.

Since it's the casual outfit styling from the original art, lacking overly exaggerated weapons or props, the shooting focus of this entire photo set fell squarely on capturing temperament and expressions. During the shoot, I purposely chose a quiet wooden staircase scene, which, paired with the natural light filtering from outside, brought out that overall serene atmosphere. Although I rarely try roles requiring such restrained emotions, the photographer kept guiding me during the shoot to blank out my gaze, carrying a slight sense of detachment and aloofness, keeping the back straight while relaxing the shoulders, so as to present that natural scholarly posture.

This accidental mix-up resembling Kal'tsit turned into the biggest source of joy for this photo set. In fact, when portraying the character, the makeup and styling themselves had already tried their best to lean towards Priestess, but the connections between these two characters in their settings probably subconsciously influenced my state in front of the lens. Regardless, being able to touch upon the charm of both characters through this work was also a very interesting experience. The next time I shoot an Arknights character, I might really need to consider making a cameo appearance as the other.