[Exusiai the New Covenant cosplay] That Blazing Red Edge in Arknights

For this Exusiai the New Covenant cosplay photoshoot at CP32pre, I put a lot of thought into the details of the costume and accessories. The floating white halo you see was actually a huge test of patience: to keep it stable above my head without looking awkward, I had to constantly coordinate head angles with camera positions. Whenever the halo slipped off, it required repeated adjustments—getting the lighting effect just right truly took a lot of sweat and trial and error. For the Red hair twin tails, I chose fibers with a subtle sheen; to fit the character's lively personality, I deliberately kept distinct layered bangs in front, which not only flattered my face shape but also preserved the styling's integrity when the wind blew.

The black leather jacket used this time is adorned with rich silver metallic badges and ornaments. The red piping along the collar, cuffs, and pockets visually echoes the long, dynamic, and highly reflective red-and-black gradient streamers in the frame. Against the cold, hard industrial backdrop of steel trusses and concrete walls, the satin fabric readily caught the ambient light to create shifting highlights and shadows, giving the overall outfit rich dimension. The lower half features a white mini skirt paired with over-the-knee socks for a crisp White thigh-highs outfit look; the black tactical thigh straps not only enhance the techwear aesthetic but also visually flatter body proportions. Combined with black-and-red platform ankle boots, it allowed me to look sharp and crisp during various tactical combat poses with a much steadier center of gravity.

In terms of props, the custom yellow-and-black rifle was extremely eye-catching. The elongated rifle body, paired with tactical fingerless gloves, heightened the character's combat presence. During actual shooting, balancing the prop and maintaining proper perspective in the frame required close coordination with the photographer to avoid blocking key badges on the outfit with the long barrel. For instance, when shooting that low-crouching pose holding the rifle, I had to precisely control the muzzle orientation while maintaining a stable center of gravity, preventing the skirt or thigh straps from shifting due to the wide movement.

What I truly enjoyed was the authentic, energetic atmosphere of convention Event photo sharing. Even though attendees frequently passed through the steel-structure venue in the background, we managed to filter out most visual clutter to keep the frame as clean as possible. Adapting to the light and backdrop during shooting required quick adjustments in positioning and poses; the high-saturation red and white popped brilliantly against the gray environment. The strong midday sun cast crisp, sharp shadows, allowing the photographer and me to utilize natural high contrast to accentuate character contours—this direct, hard lighting uniquely suited the character's decisive, sharp nature on the battlefield. Standing under the blazing sun all day in this costume was indeed physically exhausting, especially while carrying such a long prop and maintaining expression and composure, but thankfully, quick candid bursts captured several wonderfully natural light-and-shadow moments. I personally adore the final seated shot: it not only delivers an effortless sense of poise, but also clearly showcases garment layering and details, while highlighting the smooth texture of the White thigh-highs outfit and leg lines. The finished set's crisp, vibrant aesthetic left me thoroughly satisfied, making me look forward to unlocking even more possibilities for this Arknights character in immersive cyberpunk-style ruins in the future.