So my protagonist, Jester, is an odd fellow. Like me, he has bipolar disorder (type 1), and is given to some oddities. First of all, he's a disabled Army veteran with severe burn scars (here's a slightly graphic picture that will give you an idea) and a limp in his left leg. He has long hair he keeps in a ponytail. One of his oddities is his affinity for personal items that serve as a kind of "safety blanket" for him, including: A beaded necklace with three dog tags and his parents' wedding rings on it. A crushed velvet, tri-pointed jester's cap without bells, similar to this one. This penguin costume. Yes, he runs around the zombie apocalypse wearing a penguin costume. It's his thing. Of course, he has to modify the costume to operate with any degree of stealth or combat effectiveness. For instance, he doesn't wear the shoe covers (the penguin feet) except at his "home base," because they're a tripping hazard. He also paints the white belly of the costume to a sort of mottled urban camouflage pattern. Beyond that, I'm trying to make his outfit more tactical. I personally own the costume in question (including the jester's cap), and I can make it work. The cap fits nicely under the costume hood without impairing vision. One could also wear a chest holster if one were so inclined, though it would be wiser to wear a MOLLE ("molly") vest and strap guns and other gear to it instead. There are finger slots in the flippers so they fit like mittens, with slits near the palms so one could--with a little effort--untuck one's fingers to reach for something with bare hands. I've had Jester modify that so each finger slot is separate, fitting like gloves rather than mittens. That way he can operate his rifle without a problem. Given his physical disability, he tends to work more as a sniper than a hack-and-smash fighter. The problem is his beak. It's about a foot long and floppy (no comments from the peanut gallery). I put a Styrofoam cone in mine to keep it from hanging down over my eyes, but Jester needs something a bit more...combat worthy. I'd like to weaponize the beak somehow, maybe with a steel tip under the cloth, similar to a steel-toed boot. That way he can headbutt opponents (like the mercenaries trying to kill him) if they get him in an up-close fight. I just don't know how to design a support for the steel point so that the beak stays out of the way. The other issue he has later on is night vision. I think I've got that worked out; once he steals NVGs from a mercenary, they can just strap to his head over the jester's cap, but under the hood of the costume. As long as the beak is light enough not to hang down over them, they'll work just fine (and he'll look spectacular in them). He's also got a belt for his machete around his waist, which makes the penguin costume "bloom" a bit around it, but it's not a major issue. I've strapped a web belt around my waist with the costume and I'm still able to draw a short sword from a scabbard. Under the costume, he typically wears regular street clothes, like a T-shirt, hoodie (if needed), and jeans. He also has hiking boots. On his back, he typically has a black leather bag that carries food, ammo, water, and a medical kit, along with whatever else he thinks he'll need for scouting/sniping. All in all, it looks ridiculous, but it's part of what makes Jester who he is. He's equal parts goofball and professional soldier, able to make you laugh one minute and rain hell down on the enemy the next. Anyone have any ideas for how I might weaponize the beak? Any problems you see with how I've got his costume set up? Feel free to poke holes at the design, so I can improve it. Thank you.
