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Photo of SCP-4256 before testing
Item #: SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX is contained in a low-security lockbox, placed inside of a standard containment locker. Due to the inert nature of SCP-XXXX when it is not in use, the only requirements for containment are consistent with that of a non-anomalous tattoo machine.
Description: SCP-XXXX is an antique Waters brand, coil-style tattoo machine. Labels on the machine list the Waters U.S. Patent Office Number, as well as Detroit as the city of manufacture. The machine is in incredibly poor condition, with rust and fraying of several crucial components. Despite this, the machine operates flawlessly, and accepts modern tattoo ink. The machine is equipped with a single tattoo needle. Analysis has revealed this needle to be made not out of the standard stainless steel, but human bone. In contrast to the rest of the assembly, the tattoo needle is in perfect condition, with detailed examination unable to find a single imperfection. Efforts to remove the needle have failed, and have been discontinued due to concerns of causing further damage.
Under normal circumstances, SCP-XXXX operates much as any other standard tattoo machine. Its anomalous properties are revealed after the individual holding SCP-XXXX hears the phrase "I want a tattoo that means something". Variants of this phrase, such as "I want a meaningful tattoo", "I want meaning behind my tattoo", and "I don't want a tattoo without meaning", have also been shown to produce the effect. Immediately after the phrase is spoken, the user of SCP-XXXX, now designated 'The Tattooer', enters an unresponsive trance, and begins to tattoo whoever spoke the phrase, now designated 'The Subject'. As soon as SCP-XXXX comes into contact with the skin of the Subject, the individual enters a similar trance. Both the Tattooer and the Subject do not respond to outside stimuli, including pain, noise, light changes, threats, or the substantial passage of time.
The tattoos done by the Tattooer are created without applying a stencil or freehanding a template, as is standard with the normal modern tattoo process. Despite this, the tattoos observed during testing are deeply complex and time-consuming, and to date have been done at least once on every limb, the head, and the torso. SCP-XXXX does not require ink refills during this process, and is able to create shading, details, and color which would normally require multiple needles and different inks. In addition, the previous skill of the Tattooer has no apparent bearing on the quality of the tattoo application or design. During the process of tattooing, the Tattooer constantly repeats a simple phrase or set of phrases in the Subject's native language, whether or not the Tattooer was previously able to speak the language. These phrases are consistent in their philosophical and condemning nature. For examples of tattoos done and phrases spoken, see the attached Testing Logs.
Upon completion of the tattoo, both the Tattooer and the Subject exit their trances. The Tattooer often expresses confusion at the passage of time that has occurred, and displays no recollection of their work. The Subject, in contrast, reports experiencing a state similar to paralysis, while claiming to have retained the ability to speak. This level of lucidity contradicts observation during testing, yet Subjects have proven their ability to recall events that took place during a test. Subjects also consistently report experiencing severe pain during the process. Previously tattooed Subjects claim that tattoos received during testing are exponentially more painful than non-anomalous tattoos.
