Thorn Princess

Happy Valentine’s Day!

No grand pronouncements about life or my mental health in this one - I’m feeling good and, I think, looking pretty damn good, and sometimes that’s the beginning and end of things. Thank fucking god. I DO want to talk about what an experience it was getting these shots, though, because I have a feeling I’m going to make it onto someone’s “tiktok cringe” or “instagrammers in the wild” page.

It’s been unseasonably warm here in Chicago for the past couple of days, and I’ve been itching to do a pretty photo shoot on the Chicago Riverwalk for a while now. I work in the loop and often take a walk there on my lunch breaks, and I decided it would be super convenient to take photos there after work.

I’ve been taking photos of myself in public for a long time now, and I’m generally pretty comfortable with it. I didn’t really count on how different the experience would be when wearing something like… well… this…. instead of vintage, or at least something more closely resembling real clothing. It wasn’t crazy busy, but there were plenty of folks out for walks or leaving work a little early to enjoy the sunshine, and some of them were kind of weird! I get it, I’m dressed outlandishly and posing and running back and forth to my camera, but whereas before maybe one or two people would watch and ask a question or compliment me, I had a lot of gawkers, several anime fans asking who I was cosplaying or telling me how much they love SpyxFamily, and one creepy older guy who took video of me for a couple of minutes before coming up and saying, “can I ask you a question?” I told him no.

I wasn’t exactly bothered by all of it, but it did make me a tad self-conscious, and I wasn’t sure how well the shots were turning out because I was trying to work quickly. Once I uploaded them to my computer, though, I was over the moon with how well they turned out. There are a couple of poses that I would have liked to have gotten that I didn’t feel comfortable doing in this costume and situation (kicking and jumping seemed like a recipe of overexposure), but I feel like a walking Valentine in these photos. You know what they say - the fastest way to a man’s heart is right through the chest with something pointy.

Costume Details

I got this Yor Forger cosplay from Miccostumes, and especially considering the price (on sale for $30, but usually $40), it’s a really great cosplay. The size Large I got fits perfectly, including the length, which isn’t always the case when it comes to bodysuits. I also love the fact that it has a snap crotch - no more getting naked just to pee! I don’t care much for the lacy thigh highs that came with this version of the costume - I actually sort of wish that I’d bought this one, which has a nicer waist cape and stockings - but that’s really the only negative that I can come up with.