#machine kin

...

A robot boots. It is strapped to a table and does not seem to be able to process where it is.

"Good morning sunshine, you took quite a tumble! You doing okay?"

The voice is familiar to the robot, it is it's partner! It can't seem to see well though, looking through cracked glass at a somewhat familiar face.

"Oh sweetie I'm so sorry this happened to you. Here, let me assess the damage."

They pop a screwdriver in a seam, with a pop it's chassis is open. Wires, tubes, and fluid tanks exposed. It blushes.

The robots partner reaches inside, slowly tracing along each and every wire and tube, admiring all the amazing engineering. Fingernails grazing electronics, bumping cords and cables, and admiring each and every mechanism within the robot. Maybe a slight tug every once in a while, just to see it squirm. Supposedly to identify any damage, but they both enjoy this a little too much.

Eventually the chassis is closed, and the robot is asked to sit upright. It tries and falls.

"You must've taken most of that impact to your head. Let me put you back on the table and I'll go see if I have any spare eye lenses. You should recalibrate your gyroscope while I'm searching."

It listens, and gets help from its partner back on the table. Laying down, it starts going through multiple recalibration and diagnostic channels. Miraculously, falling off a roof while doing housework only caused light chassis damage to the head.

It's partner comes back, and with the same screwdriver pops the faceplate of the robot off. Inside is the main CPU, the main storage, and just as many electronics, wires, and other devices. Slowly, the human traces the lines again. Delicately and tenderly smiling as they touch nearly every part, "accidentally" bumping into extra wires as they remove one of the two main optical inputs to repair it.

The screw and screwdriver turn. While it's not a physical sensation, the pressure can be felt as it's slowly unscrewed, pulled up, and out of the machine. Then another. And another. And another. Once the repair is done, the partner kisses the part as an attempt to show love and slowly inserts it back in. Screwing it in place. One screw at a time.

The face plate is popped back on, and both of them seem quite flustered. The human makes an advance, but the robot looks away. The human laughs and guides it's newly repaired love to the couch where they grab a blanket and some popcorn.

divmachilecy ── the need to be perceived as a divine machine, being seen otherwise may cause discomfort or dysphoria｡

Original coin by @necrozmi. Tagging @indeacy for archive purposes

I want to become one. My wires will stretch for miles and I’ll hum my song.

Media for Mecha's

Annedroids (2014) - this one is for kids but it's still so good, helped bring forward my robot side. If you age regress and you're also a robot/code you'd love it

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) - a little bit of a trigger warning as some of the humans in this movie HATE robots, and there's a whole thing with a fight ring. Also it has kind of a sad ending. But this movie also really got me comfortable with myself as a mecha (which is also where I get my mecha/orga terms from)

Hackers Franchise (1995-2001) - not about robots per se, but has some super cool coding/hacking themes and made me interested in coding. Also has Angelina Jolie. About a group of hackers who bring down fascists woo hoo wooooo woo hoo yess woo oooooo hack the planet woooo

Ghost In The Shell (1995 anime version or 2017 live action movie, both are incredible) - about a human brain inside a robot body, ironic right? Has some super cool sci-fi scenes and the anime has such a beautiful art style. Another favorite from my childhood. The more I write these the more I think my dad might also be a robot of some kind....

.Hack franchise (i couldnt find any start or end dates) - OK, so I haven't actually seen the anime, but if it's anything like the manga it's EXCELLENT. About a group of players in an MMORPG called The World, and there are Mangas, animes, even PS2 games that are all linked and all play a part in the story. Super cool and the only manga I've ever read lmao

Sword Art Online franchise (2012-2014) - some people hate this anime and I have no idea why, it was such a huge part of my childhood and getting me into anime. About players who get trapped inside an MMORPG with no way out, and if they die in the game they die in real life. So interesting and SAO 2 (gun gale online esp) is by far my favorite era of the series

Accel World (2012) - accel world is in the same universe as sword art online, but lots of years later. It's about a virtual fighting game, with lots of mysteries and plot twists. Also touches on body dysmorphia and how one's image of themself doesn't line up with the way people see them.

Frame Arms Girl (2015) - another one from my childhood, the first anime I watched entirely subbed as opposed to dubbed. About badass little robot girls who fight other robot girls. A little bit leaning into the "kawaii magical girl" but with robots, so if that's not your thing.

Anyway feel free to add onto this list. Maybe I forgot a few classics but these are all ones I grew up with. My dad loves anime so he made me watch a lot of it with him, and he also loves sci-fi so of course he showed me all of those ones. Let me know if you'd like a full list of anime I recommend too because I've seen quite a lot of obscure ones