Cosplaying The Silent: My AnimeNYC Experience
The Silent was the first character in Slay the Spire that I fell in love with. I had briefly tried all the other characters, but The Silent’s moveset quickly resonated with me. There’s just something so cool about her - she’s a deft rogue, one who cloaks herself in shadows and employs shivs and poisons to take her enemies down. She’s a huntress, a crafter, an alchemist, and an acrobat - she’d do so well in Elden Ring. (I mean, can you imagine? I’d summon her incessantly.)
She just radiates cool!
…and…here’s my cosplay!
It’s funny because it’s the one card I never choose, but it’s a regal pose, isn’t it? Before the convention, I didn’t practice the pose, which was a bad idea in hindsight. I’m actually quite reticent about taking pictures. I think it comes from seeing the bad ones and I kinda just wince. (Of course, you all mostly only get to see the good ones!) Nonetheless, for someone who was ironically unprepared (way more unprepared than I wanted to be) for her first cosplay, I don’t think I did half-bad. I arrived at the convention at 5PM though! I was having a bad few days and almost didn’t go, but I cobbled everything together as quickly as I could and I’m so happy I did. I finished tagging all the Paper Kranes (a relic that buffs your character) I’d folded, and that took way longer than expected, but I made it!!! Albeit somewhat unprepared and in a rush. I really needed some [Well-Laid Plans] - lessons for next time!
I gotta say, without my boyfriend’s support I might’ve just slouched over in despair and not gone, but he was like, “C’mon, let’s go!” I’m thankful for his insistence! He’s kinda like a Mr. Peanutbutter-type, if you get the reference.
I was extremely shy about taking pictures. It thrilled me when people recognized The Silent, but I was internally kinda freaking out when they asked for photos. It was worth it though. A couple weeks later, someone reached out to me to share the photos they took of me and The Ironclad. That was REALLY rewarding; I’m super grateful for that. Throughout the convention, I was pretty uncertain of the pose, often thinking “Is this right? I don’t know if it looks good. Do I bow this low? How about this high?”
This one turned out alright though! Thanks Jacky for sending the pictures!
Even though we arrived at the convention pretty late, a lot of people recognized us! :o People would whoop, “THE SILENT!” or if I had my back turned, I’d hear murmurs of, “Is that The Silent?” The same recognition happened with The Ironclad, though naturally, I was more attuned to whispers about The Silent. :)
We carried a bunch of relics to hand out to people who recognized us - not only did I craft the Paper Kranes, but also the Paper Phrogs! By the end of the night, we ran out (I worried that I had made too many, so I ended up tossing them to anyone who would say anything about Slay the Spire).
One of the sweetest moments for me was when two little girls, maybe 7 or 8, came running up to me with their dad in tow, asking me if they could take a picture with me. I was surprised, because I was like, wow! These two little bundles of joy play the game?? I asked them if they did, and they responded that they didn’t, but they really liked my costume.
My heart MELTED. I found it really flattering. They thought my costume was COOL? Seems like they recognized The Silent as the bad bitch she is! That one stuck with me. Kids beaming because they love the work you’ve done? There’s nothing quite like that. Why is it so validating??
When it came to taking my own pictures, I was self-conscious and a little embarrassed. But what’s there to be embarrassed about?? It’s a CONVENTION! Everyone’s wearing incredible costumes and shamelessly taking pictures everywhere. Yet, a lingering feeling of sheepishness remained. Alas, I only got a few taken because I was like ok ok, enough that’s enough right? But gosh diggity darn it, I do wish I had taken more. 😔 Gah, I let my shyness get the best of me.
It reminds me of the first time I streamed on Twitch and one person I knew was like, “LOL you kept covering your face”. I was self-conscious, okay?? But eventually, I stopped hiding my face! I’ll be less camera-shy in the future if I keep practicing, I hope.
makin’ schmoooooves
Oh my goodness, and I wanted to take pictures of the back of the cosplay because it had a spine! I didn’t make the spine myself, but I’m proud of it anyway. Why? Because I fortuitously found it randomly at the worst Walgreens I’ve ever been to. They’re literally always out of stock - no Covid tests, no lotions, no cosmetics, no Funyuns. >:( Sometimes I’ll just walk into a Walgreens or a CVS or a Duane Reade for fun (yes, for fun) because I like to aimlessly browse, and this particular time I came across an aisle of random novelty items and there was a shitty plastic SNAKE SPINE. This Walgreens can’t keep toiletries in stock, but a snake spine? Yes. Please, make it make sense!!
I love that though, the best things I have are often the most cherished because they were found by pure happenstance. What better way is there to get things than by simply living life? They’re little reminders that we can get lucky, that the universe can be kind to us.
I wanted to show the spine off, but the thing about the cloak is that it’s diaphanous, so you can pretty much see right through it. I was excited to view the pictures taken from my back, because I was like, SPINE, but then when I saw the pictures, I was like BUTT. -.-
Overall I had a wonderful time, and my experience inspired me to do more cosplays, take more photos, and try to bring the characters I love to life. It was a bit overwhelming, but I have no regrets going or cosplaying. It’s worth it to push yourself out of your comfort zone, and this was definitely one of those times. Things like this extend beyond just gaming and cosplay - they’re also about connecting with others, growing as a person, and having the joy of finding something that truly makes you happy. I don’t just want to slay The Heart, I also want to strengthen my own. :)
I’m also going to do another post about the cosplay later - a more detailed one centered on the props I used. So have [Vigilance]; I’ll [Follow-Up]!
Notes:
I just wanted to include a little tidbit for y’all Slay the Spire lovers out there. The first deck that completely clicked for me was The Silent’s draw/discard moveset. It’s like having a really massive infinite combo - I could have a deck of 40 cards and just keep going. I was like HOLY SHIT, this is impressively broken, and I had so much freaking fun. It was that satisfying. It was like having an epiphany - or might I say, reaching [Apotheosis]? :) just had to keep playing, and now I’m a member of Spire Slayers Anonymous, because this game is unhealthily addictive. After that, I was determined to reach A20 with her before any other character. For probably my first 50-100 hours, I’d *only* play her and no one else. I was smitten, she was my betrothed.
It’s also a pleasant surprise when I encounter others who play StS too. Once I was on a plane on the line for the restroom, and as I walked down the aisle, I saw someone playing on their Switch. I couldn’t help but express my excitement and told them I was obsessed with the game.
I also was playing on the subway recently and this person standing in front of me took note and said to his friend, “____ LOVES that game,” - it’s amazing to see the recognition.
Hopefully I’ll have a chance encounter with some of you playing this game, and I’ll applaud your [Good Instincts]!
Bonus:
I present to you…dun dun dun…The IRONCLAD!
