Per 
Item #: SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX is to be kept in an airtight enclosure, which is only to be opened and closed by trained personnel. Care shall be taken in re-enclosure to make sure there are no cracks. All sustenance is to be dripped in through a one way valve, enclosure is to be cleaned and XXXX is to be moved to a similar enclosure under close surveillance once a week to deal with ceramic excrement.
Physical interaction with the entity is only to be initiated through methods in which the face is tightly covered and/or inaccessible, and should be done as little as possible.1 Should this fail, personnel are to smile for as long as they are within SCP-XXXX’s line of sight. All instances of XXXX-2 should either be disposed of immediately or be contained similarly to XXXX, though with no entertainment or comfort needed.
Should SCP-XXXX break containment, it can be lured back by masked personnel with small reward promises. Physical recontainment is near-impossible without this tactic, due to the entity’s viscosity.
Addendum: Following Incident SCP-XXXX-A, all personnel involved with SCP-XXXX must be screened for symptoms of depression on a monthly basis, to prevent another incident. SCP-XXXX and SCP-XXXX-2A should have visitation at least once a week to help keep SCP-XXXX calm.
Description: SCP-XXXX consists of a white ceramic mask with blank eyes and a wide smile painted on, in addition to a red substance which is, at rest, the consistency of a borax-glue “slime” mixture, though XXXX can change this consistency at will. The amount of this substance varies proportional to feeding habits, though it claims to be uncomfortable with less than 10.7 liters of fluid, and should thus be maintained above that. Amounts less than 750ml of the substance can be separated from SCP-XXXX with no ill effects, and is not physically active, though SCP-XXXX can still feel when it’s touched and control its viscosity. This substance will turn into unglazed, non-anomalous ceramic after approximately 1 hour if not reconstituted into XXXX.
The mask is made of a material similar to non-anomalous ceramic. It can be scratched, broken or chipped, and SCP-XXXX will express pain from this, but it can also be repaired by the entity with the use of its substance over time, to a certain extent. The substance itself has proven indestructible by all mundane means tried so far, including burning, pressing flat, and small-scale explosives, until it corrodes into ceramic. SCP-XXXX often takes on a humanoid form by shifting the substance into a humanoid shape, the mask making up the facial area. While large amounts of the substance cannot separate from the mask without hurting SCP-XXXX, it can dissolve the mask into itself, and in this manner, can slip through any crack or opening liquid water would be able to, at approximately the same speed. Samples of the substance show high levels of dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, neurotransmitters known for their role in feelings of joy.
When SCP-XXXX is approached by a human subject with the face clearly exposed, it will automatically stop whatever it is doing in a trance-like state, and, using its substance, produce a mask to fit the subject’s facial area,2 which it will attempt to force onto the subject. SCP-XXXX cannot be dissuaded from this task, will not respond verbally, and has been known to attack those who attempt to prevent it from it’s goal, until the subject leaves the room or covers its face, at which point it will suddenly return to its docile state. If successful in placing the mask, the subject will report feeling pain as it struggles, but will stop as its body composition becomes similar to the entity and its cognitive abilities dissolve into a so far irreversible near-mindless state, becoming an instance of XXXX-2. Substance samples from XXXX-2 seem to have levels of the neurotransmitters mentioned earlier far higher than normal humans or SCP-XXXX. XXXX-2 instances obey to the best of their ability the commands the entity gives them, and are able themselves to create more instances of XXXX-2 through a similar method, but lack the ability to speak. Destruction of these instances by shattering the mask beyond mundane repair causes SCP-XXXX intense pain.
SCP-XXXX has a humanoid intellect, speaking primarily German, but it is also fairly fluent in English. It uses abnormal speech patterns in both languages, however, using plural pronouns when referring to only itself. It answers well to its number, but also to the name “Mask” or the German “Maske,” and doesn’t seem to prefer any gendered pronouns over any other. It seems to be obsessed with happiness and joy, and many of our personnel describe its personality as charming and creative, but blunt. Despite an adult IQ of 97, its interests are childish, and it finds games and media aimed towards late teen or adult audiences to be boring while enjoying children’s media and toys, with the exception being a preference for high-quality art materials. It also has a vast knowledge of art, both practical techniques and literal information, that it claims not to know the source of. It has been known to construct non-anomalous ceramic sculptures when bored, and enjoys making and painting them. Any ceramic forms produced may be separated from SCP-XXXX at researcher discrescion.
The entity was found on November 25, 2019 in an abandoned house previously belonging to semi-influential anartist Adelaide Schneider in Düsseldorf, Germany, shortly after a series of missing persons incidents. Inside, 14 instances of XXXX-2 were found, along with SCP-XXXX. In the same house were 4 journals, with sketches, descriptions of anomalous artistic concepts, and towards the end of the final journal, what seems to be concept drawings for XXXX. These notebooks are disorganized, with scribbles and strikethroughs present throughout.
The final page, translated from German, reads:
To those who find us,
A statement and a solution, my final piece is my magnum opus. I have put on a mask of happiness for so long my face doesn’t feel like mine. I’ve ruined my body so much it will never be pure again, I let the blood flow until it puddled thick around me. My mind turned to sludge, thick as the despair that replaced it. So I made it official- we are now one, the sludge, the blood, the mask, and I, and in this form, maybe we can finally be happy, finally be useful to the world, finally enjoy our existence, and spread joy. Offer a means of escape. A different black void than one of death.
We are happy pills without the side effects. We are suicide without death. And maybe, just maybe, we can save you from the pain we’ve suffered.
Signed, Adelaide Schneider
Test Log:
- SCP-XXXX was introduced to a D-Class with blue face paint applied. It paused for a moment, seemingly confused, before turning him into an instance of XXXX-2.
- SCP-XXXX was given a photo of a D-Class with a clear face. The entity showed interest in it, saying it had an “ignorable” compulsion to put a mask on the D-Class and had never really seen a human face for very long, but otherwise was unaffected.
- D-680315 was told he would be briefly allowed to see his family again if he survived this test, and was told that to survive, he must remain happy and display it outwardly.3 He was then presented to SCP-XXXX without his face covered. D-680315 was able to converse with an increasingly uncomfortable SCP-XXXX for one minute and 37 seconds, at which point D-680315 dropped his smile for 1.76 seconds. Upon this, the entity entered the trance state and succeeded in turning him into an instance of XXXX-2.
- SCP-XXXX was presented with a normal dog of mixed breed that had been abused prior to coming into foundation custody, and was suffering from PTSD as diagnosed by a qualified veterinarian. The entity immediately took to the dog, attempting to pet and play with it. The dog was cautious around XXXX, and attempted to attack it by biting into the substance. At this point, the entity formed a mask (seemingly outside of the trance state) and placed it on the dog, who transformed as was typical. The new XXXX-2 instance was slightly more energetic than humanoid instances and showed none of the previous signs of trauma.
- SCP-XXXX was asked to create a ceramic sculpture of a human figure, to test its skill. The entity asked for a model and was given a photo of Dr. Newman, the researcher in charge of its containment. An hour later, it had produced an abstract, 12 cm tall sculpture of the doctor, technically well-produced and with more detail than was expected. XXXX reported dissatisfaction with the model, reporting that it was “better with animals” and “never really did a face before.” This sculpture has since been glazed for preservation purposes and placed on the doctor’s desk.
Note: Are we sure that last one wasn’t just so she could have the statue? -Dr. ████
Intake interview
Date: November 27, 2019
Dr. Newman: Hello, SCP-XXXX.
SCP-XXXX: Hi hi hi! When can we go back home? We left behind some sculptures we were working on.
Dr. Newman: I’m sorry, but you won’t be allowed.
SCP-XXXX: (The subject goes silent for a moment.) Oh. Can you at least get the models?
Dr. Newman: We’ll try to give them back when we’re done observing them, yes.
SCP-XXXX: What about our happy friends?
Dr. Newman: What do you mean?
SCP-XXXX: The ones with the masks.
Dr. Newman: They probably won’t be returned to you. It’d be too dangerous. Why did you make them?
SCP-XXXX: They… they were sad. They didn’t have the happy. So we gave them the happy! Happy happy happy friends, yes!
Dr. Newman: But you took away their minds. Everything that made them human.
SCP-XXXX: And now they’re happy! Perfect happy friends!
Dr. Newman: I see. And that’s more important?
SCP-XXXX: Mm-hmm! That’s what everyone wants, right? Happy?
Dr. Newman: Some people want that. Others are interested in learning things, or-
SCP-XXXX: (Interrupting) Because it makes them happy. Everyone should have happy! Happy, happy, happy, happy.
Dr. Newman: I see. That’s an interesting perspective. But if that’s the case, why won’t you stop if you have to hurt other people to make someone happy? That would make those other people sad, right?
SCP-XXXX: (The subject goes tense, briefly pausing.) We… we don’t know. It just happens. We guess it just feels too good to put a smile on someone’s face, and it’s all about doing as good as we can! Is the guard man okay by the way? Not sad anymore?
Dr. Newman: He got a bruise, but is otherwise unharmed. We took care of it.
SCP-XXXX: Good. Hurting people is sad. We don’t mean to hurt anyone.
Dr. Newman: That it is.
(The rest of the interview has been omitted for brevity, and can be found in )
Addendum:
In an interview on May 16, 2020, SCP-XXXX expressed a level of self-awareness that hadn’t previously been observed.
SCP-XXXX: Thank you for talking with us, doctor! We… we’re really happy you came back.
Dr. Newman: I’m happy to talk with you, XXXX. Something seems to be bothering you today, is something wrong?
SCP-XXXX: A little. Just… please don’t stop talking when you’re done studying us.
Dr. Newman: I won’t, but why are you afraid we will?
SCP-XXXX: It’s just, we’ve never had real people to talk to. People who had masks on already were afraid of us, and our happy friends aren’t very good talkers. We guess we’re kinda lonely. But- But not anymore! You make us feel all kinds of happy! Happy happy happy happy!
Dr. Newman: Well thank you. I enjoy talking to you, too.
SCP-XXXX: One more thing, miss… um… please don’t let us make you a happy friend. We know everyone should be happy and it’s really selfish not to let you be, but… you’re kinda like our only real friend.
Dr. Newman: Of course, I don’t mind. I like talking to you, XXXX.
SCP-XXXX: Okay. Thank you!
The conversation continued as normal from here.
Addendum: Incident SCP-XXXX-A, June 5, 2020
The former head researcher is now known as SCP-XXXX-2A. Dr. Newman, according to the anomaly, willingly allowed herself to be turned into an instance of XXXX-2 after being struck with a series of intense personal tragedies. The psychologist that cleared her for duty has been reprimanded. The research department is attempting to restore XXXX-2A to her former state, or at least one of sentience, as she was a key factor in controlling SCP-XXXX’s behavior. If successful, XXXX-2A will likely be contained as an SCP in junction with SCP-XXXX, as a way of containing it. The entity has become manic and obsessive since her transformation, playing repetitively with statues of itself and the doctor in her previous state, with random periods of laughing, irritability and rocking while repeating the German word glücklich, translated to mean happy. A proposal to use amnestics to calm XXXX was denied, as it was determined that more could be learned about the entity by studying it in this state of grief.
The event was followed with an interview:
Dr. █████: SCP-XXXX. Explain yourself. Why did you do this to Dr. Newman?
SCP-XXXX: (No verbal communication.)
Dr. █████: SCP-XXXX, this is a major violation of-
SCP-XXXX: (interrupting) She made us.
Dr. █████: Explain, please.
SCP-XXXX: She had so much sad. We could feel it. We asked and she told us about her sad. And then she turned off the red light, and asked if we could stop her sad.
(This is corroborated by the audio recording, which stops abruptly after the doctor explains her trauma to SCP-XXXX.)
Dr. █████: (morosely) I see. So you masked her?
SCP-XXXX: uh huh. She said she’d hurt herself if we didn’t. Hurting people is sad. She said being a person didn’t matter if she wasn’t happy. We kinda agree, but… she… she promised. She promised to be our friend. But we couldn’t stop ourselves, we… we guess it was selfish to even try to argue. She deserved our happy.
Dr. █████: Thank you for clarifying. We’ll assign a new head researcher as quick as we can.
(SCP-XXXX sniffles, a thin red liquid identical to the substance begins to leak from the mask’s eyes.)
SCP-XXXX: We don’t wanna do this. It hurts, it hurts a lot. We just wanna be good. We just wanna help people. We were made to be happy, but we… we don’t have any friends. Anything to be happy for. We just want one friend forever. But we… don’t deserve it.
Dr. █████: I’m sorry, XXXX. Talk to your containment psychiatrist. Maybe they can get a dog or something for you. And if it helps, we noticed that neurotransmitters associated with happiness were highly elevated in her composition.
SCP-XXXX: Right. Happy. It’s… its okay. It’s okay! (It suddenly becomes cheerful.) she’s happy, isn’t she? Happy happy happy happy! And nothing will ever hurt her again! That’s what’s important! (Liquid continues to leak from the mask’s eyes as it breaks into laughter.) It’d be selfish to keep it from her! It’s our purpose, and we’d do it too if we could! Happy happy happy forever!
Dr. █████: XXXX, are you okay?
SCP-XXXX: uh-huh! It’s all okay, dandy fine doo, yes yes yes! Because making her happy makes us happy! That’s why we exist, right?
Dr. █████: Please calm down.
(SCP-XXXX laughs and begins to repeat the word glücklich in a sing-song manner for the remaining duration of the tape, during which Dr. █████ leaves abruptly.)
Addendum: August 3, 2020
Since Incident XXXX-A, SCP-XXXX has made several requests for self-termination. All have been denied. A request to add padding to its cell to prevent self-termination is currently pending.
