I got it!

I've decided on my totally non-sexy Halloween costume.  I'm going as King Rat.  Yes, King Rat from the novel King Rat by China Mieville (whose prose makes me swoon).  The anti-sexy.  I am dressing as a man (or rat--it's pretty ambiguous) who once led armies of rats, and I'm totally embracing the whole "sewer denizen" image.

My fiance and I were at a Halloween Express earlier today trying to pick out costumes.  I quickly became frustrated with the women's side.  Mostly because we're dressing up for a Halloween festival.  Which is outside.  At night.  In the fall.  So no, I'm not going as a stripper.  But even the men's costumes were pissing me off.  Why must they all be designed for dudebros???  WHY???

I was about to give up and say forget the whole thing.  I was not willing to settle for pirate or vampire, even of the non-sexy variety.  That's when I looked down at a plastic cauldron full of squishy rats.  And it hit me.

So I bought rats and make up.  Tomorrow I will head back to my favorite craft store for material for the trench coat (though I'll be taking liberties by shortening the coat--I still have to be money-conscious).  I'm pretty sure I can assemble it in time for Halloween.  I thought about breaking out the rat coat, but that was inspired by the novel as a whole, not by the actual character.

Anyway, I'm having more fun putting my own costume together than I was trying to buy some pre-made (and poor quality) costume.  I'll keep you all updated.