and because I was too cheap to spend $15 on cheap, cumbersome claws... I find myself shortly after, as this nagging idea to take an old leather pair of gym gloves along with the collapsible cup idea

(hollow/tiered) like errr here picture=1000words :

and then of course thanks internet somebody already did something more appropriate in a different way : Retractable claws (equipment)

which inevitably leads us to now, 3 hours later... as I sit, neck deep in mutilated straws, chop sticks, duct tape, plotting to take things waaaaay too far.

Welcome to the black hole that is cosplay.

it's like every project I ever do takes on some flavor of this. I still keep thinking tiered/like old radio antennas or something would be better and allow full wrist range of motion, but don't really want

something metal, and then I just keep thinking "just put duct tape over cardboard and be done with it", ect...

and it's always the LAST step. I have 2 parties I hopefully will attend at least, and probably will help a friend take her kids trick-or-treating, and if I don't have claws I just know everyone will be like:

"HAR HAR, you're wolverine huh, where's your claawwwwws??" if I don't do something for this last step...

hah that's so awesome I'm half tempted to just do that, dayum!

do that with a plastic fork. problem solved.