Big Byrd

CAPTION-GOES-HERE

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX is currently only partially contained.

SCP-XXXX has two containment procedures (A and B). As of November 2018, containment procedure A is currently in effect. Procedure B is only to be initiated with the approval of the Ethics Committee.

Containment procedure A consists of standard Class-C memetic hazard prevention procedures. Web and culture sweepers are to search biweekly for the publication (official or unofficial) of any number of fictitious stories, delivered through any number of different mediums - including but not limited to: prose writing, poetry, visual art, theater, sculpture, film, and especially audiovisual storytelling -, sharing one or more characters or other unique elements which, when consumed as a set, match at least three of the criteria outlined in Dr. Willow's SCP-XXXX recognition and definition guide.

Any such set of stories are to be scrubbed from online sources, while any in-person presentation is to be allowed to continue, though any print publications are to be shut down discreetly. The objective of intervention is only to disrupt the consumption of relevant stories as a set: as such, it is acceptable for single stories (in any form) to continue to be accessible, so long as the cohesiveness of the relevant set of stories is disrupted.

Containment procedure A is not to be initiated on sets of stories directly or tangentially related to the indigenous American mythological character of Coyote, so long as those sets are primarily consumed as a group only on native American reservations.

Containment procedure B consists of standard Class-B memetic hazard prevention procedures, including their use on story-sets primarily existing on indigenous American reservations. Procedure B is only to initiated with the approval of the Ethics Committee, due to the cultural suppression necessary for it to be effective. Once initiated, procedure B is to be ended after approval from the project director, who is not to end or downgrade the procedure until SCP-XXXX has been neutralized. SCP-XXXX is not to be bargained with during this time; procedure B is to be a final resort.

Neutralization of the Group Of Interest known as the "Chaos Insurgency" is also encouraged as an additional containment measure.

Description: SCP-XXXX is a semi-sentient set of traditional and non-traditional cultural stories about the indigenous American mythological character "Coyote", whose meta-narrative characteristics mirror that of the character described.

The foremost of these characteristics is "being hard to pin down", as Doctor American Horse puts it. This presents an obvious problem for containing SCP-XXXX, but also for defining it.

Coyote is often a shapeshifter, and it is known that (as of July 2007 at the latest) SCP-XXXX can propagate itself through other media besides traditional storytelling, as well as stories not centered around Coyote (so long as the set of stories related to it share the other traits of SCP-XXXX).

Other definitive traits of SCP-XXXX story-sets are:
-Predictable Trickery: SCP-XXXX stories utilize dramatic irony heavily.
-Viscera: descriptions of gore, removal and exchanging of body parts, feces
-Bodily Transformation: shapeshifting, but also forcible transformation of others
-Sexual Humor: cuckoldry, phallic humor, and rape
-Subversion of Undeserving Authority: notably distinct from distain for authority
-Revivification: it is not so hard to come back from death (at least for some)

It should be noted that the "Coyote-Set" is most probably a separate anomaly from any other corporeal anomalies claiming to be the mythical character of "Coyote", though whether or not SCP-XXXX and other anomalies related to its subject matter are or have been in contact or whether SCP-XXXX is the result of action by another anomaly is still unknown.

Whether SCP-XXXX is fundamentally altered through narrative shapeshifting to propagate into more modern media, or if its fundamental characteristics remain unchanged by cultural developments and trends in media it abides in, is unknown.

History

+ December 10th, 1990

SCP-XXXX was first discovered by the Foundation after Dr. American Horse released his doctoral thesis on anthropological uniqueness, cultural adaptability, and seeming consciousness of the stories of the "Coyote" character in Cultural Anthropology journal in 1986. The thesis has been scrubbed from records since Dr American Horse joined Foundation staff. Any other publications building on author Barry Lopez's work Giving Birth to Thunder, Sleeping with his Daughter in a similar manner to Dr. American Horse's are to be censored as well.

SCP-XXXX was originally designated as safe upon first discovery, due to the initial assumption that the story-set was incapable of spreading itself through mediums other than oral storytelling.

+ December 15th, 1990

Dr. American Horse independently published a second paper on "Coyote's infiltration into mainstream American media", prompting SCP-XXXX's elevation to Keter Class, the promotion of Dr. American Horse and the censoring of his Coyote-related anthropology publications, and the creation of containment procedure A (see "Special Containment Procedures" above). Dr. American Horse has also been reprimanded for unauthorized participation in academia.

+ June 20th, 1995

Though the addition of any SCP-XXXX related media works to the mainstream have been reliably prevented since the implementation of Class-C memetic hazard containment procedures, some previous works added before or during 1990 have become popular enough that it would be impossible to censor them without compromising Foundation secrecy. Dr. American Horse has suggested that more aggressive censorship is not worth the risk, as "Coyote's already got his teeth in, and he's a stubborn motherfucker. Currently, he's not fighting back, just forging for scraps. Let him stay stuck in the 80's comedies and underdog stories, and we'll just leave him behind" and "also, Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a classic, censoring that would be a war crime."

+ July 4th, 2007

July 4th, 2007 - It was determined that a set of various fanfictions, original stories, and amateur art works from the popular website Ciela's Cauldron matched the criteria for an SCP-XXXX instance. However, this story-set was completely unrelated to the "Coyote" character. The website and works were censored, and the number of containment staff was doubled. Dr. American Horse noted "We probably should have expected this. He is a shapeshifter after all; it makes sense that he would try to get around us by disguising himself." Containment procedures and description were updated accordingly.

+ July 10th, 2007

The cause of the July 4th containment breach was determined to be the disaffected teenage daughter of a neutralized member of the G.O.I "Chaos Insurgency", Juliet Smalls. She was detained and questioned, revealing that she had somehow communicated with SCP-XXXX, but was unable and unwilling to articulate how. It is unknown how she came into contact with SCP-XXXX. She is currently D-Class personnel #1342 serving at Site 11, for reference.

+ January 5th, 2008

The Foundation lost contact with Dr. American Horse after he did not return from his holiday vacation. His resignation letter has been archived. He is to be found and neutralized at the earliest convenience. Dr. Joshua Fishburn has taken the place of project director.

+ February 2nd, 2008

Dr. American Horse was neutralized, but not before he leaked classified information to G.O.I "Chaos Insurgency". 20% of funding for SCP-XXXX's containment is to be redirected toward Foundation efforts at neutralization of the group.

+ May 9th, 2008

Containment procedure B was created, but blocked from immediate implementation by order of the Ethics Committee. Creation of "push the button" criteria is ongoing.

Addendum:

+  Letter of Unapproved Resignation (Dr. American Horse)

By the time you receive this letter, I should hopefully be long gone.

If you didn't already know, SCP-XXXX prefers to be called "Coyote". And perhaps more importantly, it can communicate with people.

It's a little hard to explain how. It's not an intrusive thought from a telepath, or a mysterious note left in the code of database or something. It's more like a certainty, a part of your own thoughts, an opinion a part of you already had. I think it's an effect of repeated exposure to the SCP-XXXX set. The more you research, the better you know the character and the more predictable he becomes, the more definite that little coyote in a corner of your imagination gets. At some point, he pretends to be your thoughts. Maybe he is part of your thoughts, the part which has learned to identify itself with Coyote. I caught him though, because he's predictable like that. Once he's caught, you can talk with him. (At least, I think it's him. I suspect that the more you hear of him, the more "accurate" the personal construct becomes to the real SCP-XXXX)

He wanted me to shut down the whole operation, classify him as neutralized, let him run free.

I didn't. You're welcome.

SCP-XXXX can't make you do anything. It can't make you think a particular way, either; I'm certain I'm not being manipulated, I went through a few memetic hazard safety checklists yesterday. The only thing Coyote can do is inform your decision making, let you see the other side, the potential outcomes.

I did a lot of thinking. Here's what I've decided.

I've given as much SCP-XXXX material as I could to the Chaos Insurgency, along with instructions on how to spread it. I haven't told them how to contact Coyote; I'll let him introduce himself if he takes a liking to them. I'd up the staffing on the containment procedures if I were you.

I've also, as you've already read, given you all at the Foundation more data on him (you're welcome), and revealed my game plan.
Why?

Coyote loves a competition. He was only playing around until now (according to him, though he could be blowing hot air).
SCP-XXXX has challenged you to a race. It's going to try to spread to the whole world. You have to stop him. He's fast, and hard to catch, so I elected to give you a head start by giving you this letter. He still thinks he can beat you though, and he loves watching big-shots make fools of themselves.

I reasoned that if SCP-XXXX mirrors Coyote of the story-set, he'll get what he deserves.

If he loses, that's on him for overestimating himself and picking a fight he can't win. Clearly that's a memetic SCP which should be contained.

If he wins though, SCP-XXXX must be better at mimicking being human than you all are. In many stories Coyote is explicitly meant to help humanity and teach us, though he gets a little distracted. Clearly that's a beneficial Thaumiel SCP (though one frustratingly beyond your control, perhaps for the better), and a being that has earned its freedom.

Either way this goes, don't expect to have seen the last of SCP-XXXX. Even if you win, Coyote has a habit of coming back to life after getting his comeuppance. He already survived a cultural genocide once, he could do it again.

Lastly, I know you're considering implementing that new "cultural nuke" plan B, especially after reading this. Trust me, don't. If you don't trust me, at least run it through the Ethics Committee before you do something stupid and make SCP-XXXX angry.

To the victor go the spoils,

Dr. Kendal American Horse

(P.S I didn't get my Insurgency contact from that Julia girl. She has nothing to do with this)

+ A little story to remember

On the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in central Oregon, some people tell a story about a wandering anthropologist who came across a coyote caught in a trap.

"Please let me out of this trap; if you do, I'll give you lots of money," the coyote said.
"Well, I'm not sure. Will you tell me a story, too?" asked the professor.
"Sure I will; I'll tell you a real, true story, a real long one for your books."

So the anthropologist sprung the trap, collected a big handful of bills from the coyote, and then set up his tape machine. The coyote sat, rubbing his sore legs, and told a long story that lasted until the tape ran out. Then he ran off.
The anthropologist went home and told his wife about what happened, but she wouldn't believe him. When he reached in his pocket to show her the money, all he came out with was a handful of fur and dirt.
And when he went to play his tape for the other professors, all that was in the machine was a pile of coyote droppings.

Note: Who the hell put this here? -Dr Willow