[Cartethyia Fleurdelys Cosplay] Willing to Fall into the Abyss Wearing Glory

Today at Firefly ACG Expo, I wrapped up the convention photo shoot for Cartethyia Fleurdelys cosplay from Wuthering Waves. This character's original design carries strong visual impact, defined mainly by a cool, proud, yet resolute demeanor that sparked a strong desire in me to take on the challenge. The costume features a blue-and-white gradient underskirt paired with a black techwear inner lining, creating a visual effect of Anime-style fashion that is crisp and richly layered. During crafting, the white cape section used fabric with slight rigidity to maintain a flowing silhouette contour, while the golden chest buckles and jacquard texture details relied on metal hardware and meticulously cut lines to replicate the original design to the fullest.

Regarding headwear, the thorn-like blue structure was crafted combining heat-shrink sheets and EVA foam. Topped with golden tips, its overall center of gravity required specialized adjustment; otherwise, the leverage principle would easily cause the entire headpiece to tilt when worn. In truth, the putting-on process was quite tedious this time, including the black neck piece on my neck, as well as white armlets and blue long gloves on my arms. The tightness at every point needed careful tuning for comfort to support me walking around and posing at the convention venue for extended periods.

Of course, the most central component was the weapon in hand. Its main body consists of a dark, twisted branch-like structure with irregular edges, yet it offers a comfortable grip. Wrapped around the weapon's frame are translucent light-blue effect pieces, which display a wonderfully cool texture under natural light. Since the prop itself is quite large, finding the balance point was essential; otherwise, holding it up for too long would strain my wrist. During on-site Cosplay photography, the photographer captured many swinging and frozen motions—especially those few frames facing the camera directly, where eye contact was crucial for restoring the character.

To align with the character design, I wore blue contact lenses and long pointed elf ears, paired with long light-blonde hair, which instantly brought out an otherworldly fantasy aesthetic distinct from ordinary people. At an outdoor venue like an ACG convention where foot traffic is dense, passersby and booths frequently appear in the background. Capturing a relatively clean background truly tests snapping ability and composition. I really love the dynamic feel of the cape when blown by a gentle breeze, which added a touch of grace to the originally cold styling.

Every time I embody such a challenging character, doing thorough homework on body control and costume presentation is essential. For instance, keeping the core tight while standing prevents fabric wrinkles where belts and shoulder straps connect, presenting an upright posture. I am accustomed to testing several angles after makeup setup to see how light lands on accessories. These detailed nuances in styling often set the baseline for final shoot quality. Although complex studio lights were not used this time, relying purely on natural light at the event, that authentic, vivid convention photo atmosphere gave it a unique charm. At the same time, avoiding environmental clutter helped restore the character's sleek sharpness on the battlefield or in the wild.

As a styling that emphasizes posture and expression, it offers me an opportunity to briefly step into the shoes of this destiny-laden character in reality, making for a thrilling experience. Every fold of fabric and every thread of blue light on the prop hides a story, and being able to tell it in my own way is the greatest charm of cosplay.