#robotruleswriting

For Borous’s look, I took inspiration from 50s outdoor wear, since I can imagine Borous out in the field conducting research on animals and collecting specimens for his mad science experiments.

Borous isn’t well versed in fashion or fashion etiquette, especially when it comes to formal wear. His suits are in the traditional 50s American sack suit style, but they look extra baggy on him because he buys them off the rack rather than having them tailor made. Formal wear for Borous is similar to Klein’s in that it’s usually solid colors, nothing flashy, preferring brown colored suits. Borous is a big fan of boots, so his formal shoe of choice is the Chelsea boot. 

His cluelessness also extends to cologne; at first, he tried overcompensating by using the most “manly” scent available and Klein told him to stop because it was too overpowering. He now sticks to the much milder Old Spice. 

His pajamas aren’t anything special, just your standard pajamas from the period (though Borous does like his stripes). 

What Borous really feels most comfortable in is his choice of casual wear, flannel shirts, khakis pants, and a pair of chukka boots. 

When he’s heading outside to conduct research, his winter wear includes surcoats, work boots (like engineer boots or Wellingtons), and flat caps. 

For the summer months, Borous takes inspiration from his favorite Westerns, wearing jeans, western shirts, and yes, cowboy boots and hats (thinks it makes him look cooler than he really is). 

What’s in his pockets?: Little things he finds on his hikes (stones, snake sheds, skulls, bones, etc.), dog treats, the keys to his basement. 

Color Palette: Earthy colors dominate Borous’s wardrobe: a wide spectrum of greens, mossy greens to darker shades like hunter green, and browns like khaki.

Mobius’s style reflects more of his eccentric and laid back attitude. Not being a fan of stuffy suits, Mobius prefers sport coats (which were considered more informal than suits in the 50s), which allows more freedom to mix and match with different color combinations and patterns. His favorite color is burgundy (usually paired with tan slacks), but he has sport coats in a variety of hues and patterns, including plaid, checkers, and even a polka-dotted one that Klein absolutely detests. If he really has to wear a suit, he’ll usually opt for a brown or tan colored suit with a nice pair of brogues to go with it. Accessories like cuff links or tie pins are usually in gold.

His love for patterns and colors extends to his waistcoats, vests, and even down to his socks. The same goes to his choice of ties/bow ties, which are usually very loud, with bright colors and geometric patterns (which were very popular in the 50s).

Mobius loves knit wear, which was also in vogue in the 50s: Knitted ties, cable knit sweaters, and knitted sweater vests (especially in argyle patterns) can all be found in his closet at Higgs.

When he’s off the clock, Mobius wears dress shirts/button downs, in a variety of colors, with some leather slippers or loafers. He loves loafers because of how comfortable they are and probably has more of them than actual formal shoes.

Although he’d prefer not to sleep with anything on, especially in the summer months, Mobius does have some nightshirts that he wears to bed when it’s colder.

Summer is Mobius’s favorite season, when he finally gets to wear his Guayabera shirts, cotton pants, and straw panama hat (a nod to my headcanon of Mobius having Latin American roots).

When he’s going to special events, Mobius does wear cologne, his go-to being Acqua Di Parma Colonia, which smells of Sicilian lemons. Zesty!

What’s in his pockets?: A tin of Mentats, crumbled up notes, a small notebook, and an assortment of candies.

Color Palette: Mobius’s colors run warm, reds like burgundy, burnt oranges, dark yellows, and golds.

Runs on coffee and pure spite. 0 absolutely needs his coffee in the morning, afternoon, and evening and can’t really function without it. Likes his coffee black. Muggy’s sole existence was simply to pick up after all the coffee cups he leaves lying everywhere.

Comes from a very rich and prominent family. Both of his parents are Nobel laureates and his siblings are also incredibly accomplished (as literal brain surgeons and rocket scientists). While his family is supportive of his dreams, the pressure of trying to measure up to their success gives 0 quite a bit of anxiety. The fear that he might be the stupid one in the family keeps him up at night.

0's family had high expectations, so when he became a Big MT executive, they were all very proud of him. Klein in particular was happy to have 0 onboard because 1) it gave Big MT an air of legitimacy to have the son of such a prominent family working there and 2) MONEY. 0’s parents are very generous with their donations to the company’s coffers. To Klein, it doesn’t matter that 0 is incompetent and a terrible roboticist, his true purpose is that he remains at Big MT for his cash cow parents.

Wanting to change his name from “Oh” to “Zero” as a tank stems from the time 0 was human, when he wanted to go by a new last name to shake off the name he had inherited from his family. When 0 introduced himself, everyone would automatically associate him with his famous family, overshadowing the identity he so painstakingly tried to carve out for himself. So 0 made-up a new last name, one that was wholly his and his alone, so people could remember him for his own merits. When 0 was lobotomized by Mobius, he forgot both his family name and his new one, but the want for his own, unique identity was so strong that a fragment of it remained in his recursive loop.

Not stupid by any means. 0 does in fact have above average intelligence. However, although he is smarter than the average person, 0 is not quite at the level of genius like the rest of his colleagues. 0 is basically smart enough to understand that he doesn’t quite measure up and that realization also adds to the complex he already has about his intelligence.

0’s snark and sarcasm are often deployed to mask his own anxieties and deep seated insecurities. Well, and that he also genuinely thinks he has the most common sense out of the entire Think Tank. His sarcastic quips and snide remarks draws ire from his colleagues, who for the most part don’t appreciate it (except for 8, who finds it funny). It also drives 0 crazy that Borous doesn’t seem to understand sarcasm at all.

Although he has trouble concentrating, 0 flat out refuses to use Mentats like 8 and Mobius, because he’s paranoid that Mentats and other drugs will give him brain damage. Just coffee for him, thanks.

Is a night owl. Prefers working in the wee hours of the night and morning, when no one else is around (and can judge the quality of his work). Occasionally likes to take midnight runs to local dinners to grab some burgers and fries (the grease, it fuels him).

Knows how to play chess because that’s what smart people are into. So if he knows chess, obviously he’s smart. Obviously.

Out of everyone in the Think Tank, 0 butts heads with Borous the most. They both went to American High together but kept to different social circles. Borous had the reputation of being a teacher’s pet and for being an awkward and weird loner, while 0 was a tryhard in the “too cool for school” crowd and drove around in his brand new robin's egg blue Corvega that his parents bought him. Borous resented the fact that he worked incredibly hard in school to earn his A+ streak, while 0 barely skated by in his classes and was still able to earn scholarships and intern in places Borous could only dream of, all thanks to his parents’ connections. 0 on the other hand thought of Borous as a poor, lame, friendless loser, fearing that if he ever became too nerdy, he would end up exactly like him. Of course, this is a pot meet kettle situation since they’re both big dweebs.

When Borous and 0 do fight, they pick at each other’s insecurities. Borous focuses on 0’s incompetency with robotics and insults his intelligence, while 0 calls Borous’s creations stupid, and if he’s feeling particularly vicious, will call him a virgin loser. They occasionally will get into physical fights with one another, with 0 losing each and every time because he is a little weenie.

Is a coward when it comes to the more dangerous aspects of their work and drags his feet as much as he can to avoid anything potentially hazardous. Oddly enough however, 0 is really into horror films.

Has a dark sense of humor. Along with being sarcastic, 0 jokes about death and about wanting to off himself whenever the workload gets too intense, so not exactly the most sensitive person in the world. Whenever he’s feeling particularly low, 0 bullies Muggy by putting dirty cups juuuuust out of reach and the little robot’s expletives make 0 feel just a bit better about himself.

0 utters the most curse words out of anyone in the Think Tank, usually when he’s exasperated by something or pointing out the obvious (Fun fact: Mobius and 0 are the only Think Tank members that curse in OWB!).

A fan of Chet Baker and the cool jazz genre. On quiet nights, sometimes you can hear him humming along to songs while he’s working on his Securitrons.

A big dork that tries incredibly hard to be cooler than he really is. A performative smoker when other people are around, but as soon as their backs are turned, 0 will be hacking his lungs out. Drinks socially, but gets drunk easily and will, more often than not, make an ass of himself.

The biggest debate amongst Think Tank fans: Goatee or no goatee on 0? Personally, I do interpret 0’s canon appearance as having a little soul patch. 0 thinks that it makes him look so cool. I also like to think 0 has it as a way to try to compete with the facial hair of the other Think Tank members (alas, nothing will compare to Mobius’s bountiful beard). Klein remarked that the soul patch made 0 look like a “goddamn beatnik” and told him to get rid of it, but 0 stubbornly refused, in his own small act of defiance.

Not the best boss to have if you work at Big MT. 0 routinely claims credit for his employees’ work as his own and will outright steal ideas from his engineers. Also finds workplace accidents funny, which his employees don’t appreciate.

Enjoys stargazing. 0 is actually pretty good at identifying constellations and planets. Based on his “All those spectra… so soothing” line which I always thought was cute.

Used to be a part of American High’s AV club as the school news anchor, a role that he slips back into once in a blue moon, usually when Klein is pissing him off.

Doesn’t enjoy the human experimentation work at Big MT, not so much out of a sense of empathy, but because he freaks out that the test subjects will murder him first. If given a choice, 0 would rather avoid the human testing altogether.

Why does 0 hate Mr. House so much? I explained it a little here, but basically 0 was a huge fan of Mr. House when he was younger, and had sent him a holotape demonstrating modifications he made to RobCo robots, hoping to win his approval. About a week later, he received a cease and desist letter by RobCo lawyers to stop messing with House’s proprietary technology, threating him with a lawsuit. Ever since then, 0 has hated House with every fiber of his being.

Probably one of the kindest members of the Think Tank. He’s well-liked by his underlings for being a chill boss. The only downside is that he’s forgetful and gets distracted easily, which leads to his employees having to bear the brunt of his half-finished projects.

Can be a brooder but usually only in the privacy of his office or home. Mobius is the kind of person that acts funny and chipper publicly, but can get depressed when left alone. The way he deals with intrusive thoughts is to throw himself into work and using Mentats to an excessive degree to keep him focused on that work.

The opposite of Klein in that he needs caffeine and Mentats to keep him focused on work, otherwise his mind wanders and gets lost in a thousand other things that are NOT work-related.

Very forgetful and disorganized even before he was a Think Tank. Has reminders and sticky notes everywhere at his desk but often forgets to check those reminders.

Is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. I love the idea of Mobius having ancestry from Latin America, Spain, or Portugal, but I lean towards Portuguese/Brazilian ancestry mainly because he reminds me of Pedro II of Brazil.

Mobius is atheist like most of the Think Tank, but he was raised Catholic. He still can’t really shake that sense of Catholic guilt that was instilled in him as a child, especially when he’s doing something he knows is immoral.

Likes naps. Is often sleep deprived and Mentats get him through the day.

Naturally just a big, strong guy. Uses his strength to help break up the fights that crop up from time to time at the Think Tank, especially between 0 and Borous.

Very introspective, almost to his own detriment. It's probably a reason why he self-lobotomized himself later on.

Mobius’s specialty is mostly in robotic engineering, but he’s also incredibly gifted in mathematics and physics. I like to think he has some kind of combo PhD with all three of those subjects.

Goofy sense of humor. Likes puns and dad jokes.

Has a big sweet tooth. In-game you see a lot of Nuka-Cola items around his spaces so he definitely likes soda, but Mobius also enjoys pastries and baked goods too.

Likes to be a mentor to others when he has the time. 0 receives a lot of his mentorship because of their shared robotic specialties but 0 never seems to quite grasp Mobius’s lessons.

Mobius absolutely loves Muggy. Thinks he's is the best thing 0 ever invented. He sometimes kidnaps Muggy when 0 is away just so he can have the little robot as company.

Was once a university professor like Klein. He really enjoyed teaching but he was an outcast among the faculty of the university for his eccentric and unconventional ideas.

Before he became a Tank, Mobius was curious about almost everything. This sense of curiosity led him to some interesting avenues including experimenting with different drugs when he was younger. Was always curious about the possibilities of the human brain in particular. He applies what he’s learned about neuroscience and psychology to his robotic and AI projects.

A very empathic individual, which is not a great quality to have when you are experimenting on unwilling human subjects. Struggles a lot morally but ultimately justifies it as being a “necessary evil.” War, after all, makes monsters of men. He just wants the war to be done with as soon as possible.

When investors or military officials would come to Big MT for demonstrations, Mobius would play into the whole “Evil Mad Scientist” shtick for show. He’d wear his signature red lab coat, a pair of black gloves with skulls engraved on them, matching black boots, and an eyepatch just to look more intimidating. Coupled with his height (I’d imagine he’s at least 6 foot), and his villain-style monologuing and theatrics, he cut an imposing figure and won a lot of investors over with his act. Little did they know he’s actually a big softie at heart.

Loves science fiction of all types: Movies, books, pulp magazines. Not surprisingly, Isaac Asimov is one of his favorite authors. A lot of Mobius’s inspiration for his inventions comes from his favorite stories.

Klein likes everything to be high quality and fancy. You can kind of see glimpses of it in his charging station room and at his house in Higgs, with the paintings and Persian rugs. I always imagined him a little frou-frou, but in that classy, old man kind of way. Likes fine wines, good food, expensive whiskies, nice colognes, good quality cigarettes. Will outright refuse anything that he considers cheap or at the very least, will earn you a snarky insult.

As a result, the events and company parties at Big MT are quite nice because of Klein’s high standards. Rest assured, what Big MT lacks in workplace safety and ethics, makes up for excellent catering and party entertainment.

Never dresses down, except in private. But you best believe his pajamas are made of silk. I like to think he wears a nightcap to bed (the ones with the little ball at the end) only because it’s kind of silly looking.

Knows how to speak French fluently. A nod to how French used to be the major Lingua franca for scientific research but also because he loves his French wines.

Alcohol is Klein's biggest vice but he keeps his drinking in check most of the time. The only time his drinking becomes a problem is the rare times he’s sad about something. Depressed Klein just soaks in his bathtub for hours, with a wine bottle in hand.

Very much The Establishment. Old school, conservative way of thinking. A foil to Mobius’s more liberal, free-spirited ways.

Klein is very patriotic. Technically canon with Ulysses’s logs and the big ol’ flag at his house at Higgs, but I like to think out of all of the Think Tank members, he’s the one who really pushed for the military contracts at the start of the war out of a patriotic sense of duty and was a major force in changing the trajectory of Big MT. Gets along very well with Borous in that regard.

Klein’s patriotism stems from being part of a long line of government bureaucrats and military men, so he does genuinely think he’s doing questionable science for the good of his country.

His science specialty is chemistry, leaning more towards organic chemistry. I based it on the fact that you can find his glasses at a chemistry set at the Think Tank, but also because I like to think he’s responsible for the Cloud in Dead Money.

I like to think he was involved in the pharmaceutical industry before working at Big MT because Big Pharma Klein seems…right to me?

Super dry sense of humor. It’s not often when Klein cracks a joke, but when he does, nobody can really tell when he’s actually joking or not. But if you catch just a hint of a smirk, you know he found something humorous.

Used to be a university professor. Did not like teaching at all and was really only there for the research. He was reviled by every one of his students for being incredibly strict and condescending. Probably made a good number of students cry. Never go to his office hours, he’ll chew you out.

Klein is one of the most focused of the group. He can just wake up from bed and get to work right away. He can spend hours at the lab, laser focused on only one task. But he does appreciate winding down at the end of the day with a drink or two to help him relax from all the busy, stressful work. Do not interrupt Klein Wine Time, that time is sacred for him and he will not hesitate to yell at you if you do.

Will hold grudges FOREVER. And can be very petty, even for minor offenses.

Very fond of the color Klein Blue, which Mobius personally takes note of.

Knows how to rub shoulders with important people. His arrogance and self-assured demeanor are an asset when he’s busy trying to convince the military brass and investors with deep pockets that yes, giant insects and Robo-Scorpions are incredibly useful for the war time effort.

I think all members of the Think Tank struggle with their emotions, but Klein is the kind of person to suppress any and all emotion, especially negative ones. Can be very, very cold, even to people that he likes (like Mobius). For Klein, what matters most is the bottom line (winning the war with their inventions and scientific advancement, with some personal pride thrown in).

Klein has no hesitations in cutting corners when it comes to workplace safety so he can save funding for more “important” work. Does not feel sorry at all for any of the employees who die due to cost saving measures.