4/6385 LEVEL 4/6385

CLASSIFIED

Item #: SCP-6385

Advertisement banner for Operation BACHAZAI featuring the Foundation-sponsored virtual idol named Asumi Kitagawa. Operation BACHAZAI has been relatively effective in countering SCP-6385.

Special Containment Procedures

Under Operation BACHAZAI, the Foundation is to heavily promote VTubers1, on social media platforms such as Reddit and Facebook. Concurrently, Operation BACHAZAI is mandated to mar or impair the Japanese real-world idol industry. Operation BACHAZAI defines an idol as a young Japanese entertainer trained to serve as role models of innocence, musical and dance performances, and personality.

A minimum of 10 million US dollars has been set aside to fund the Foundation's virtual idol agency, as well as existing companies such as Cover and Nijisanji. Marketing campaigns are to feature these idols using keywords such as "human", "relatable", "eccentric", and "natural". MTF-Omega-20 ("Virtualistas") is to operate the virtual idol avatars after proper training on streaming and interacting with online fans.

The use of smear campaigns is authorized against idols who use their real-life appearances. In order to decrease interest in idols, the Foundation has negotiated with idol agencies to cease featuring them under the guise of safety and privacy protocols. Social media influencers, such as vloggers, dancers, influencers, and other types of celebrities are placed under tight monitoring.

Reports of SCP-6385 manifestations and victims are to be verified and treated quickly. Victims affected by severe SCP-6385-1 infestations are to be treated through surgery and thaumaturgic neutralization processes developed by Yamagawa and Kanou (2019). The bulk of the removed instances are to be incinerated, with the rest kept in Class-C entity containment lockers at Site-356.

Afterward, the patients are to undergo extensive plastic surgery to conceal scars, particularly on their genitals. Before amnesticization, they will be scheduled for psychological screening to determine the severity of their condition and the level of admiration of their idols.

Lastly, all SCP-6385-1 instances recorded in Marshall, Carter & Dark transactions are to be documented, tracked, and neutralized.

Description

SCP-6385 is a phenomenon involving the growth of neoplasms or abnormal tissue, referred to as SCP-6385-1 instances, on a victim's body, particularly on their head and genitals. The victim is usually an individual who is part of an idol's fanclub or has professed admiration for one. The likelihood of SCP-6385 manifestations is based on the following factors:

The subject's demographic category. SCP-6385 events are more likely to affect them if they reside in an East Asian country, and if they are of East Asian descent.

The subject's obsession with idols. This factor is measurable based on how the subject scores on the Experience of Parasocial Interaction Scale, with regards to their idol.

The subject's economic status. SCP-6385 is more likely to manifest on individuals severely stressed or failing in academics, or overworked subjects from companies with extensive overtime and low standards of employee satisfaction.

The subject's level of loneliness and social relationships, measurable by tools such as the UCLA Loneliness and Oslo-3 Social Support Scales.

SCP-6385-1 instances are visually similar to pimples for three days following their first appearance. In the following days, they will lengthen and become firm. 16 days into the infestation, the subject would be covered with 10 to 15 instances, which then develop malformed legs. These legs exhibit signs of severe phocomelia, such as fused bones, incomplete sets of joints, particularly in the thigh portions, and stumps on the feet. During this period, an opaque epithelial layer similar to an endometrium will cover each SCP-6385-1 instance.

The SCP-6385-1 instances will detach from the subject's body and act similarly to centipedes. Due to the formation of their limbs, movement of SCP-6385-1 is generally limped and uneven. The instances will become flesh-colored, and each end of the instances will thicken into roughly spherical protrusions measuring 17cm wide. At this point, the protrusions begin to develop faces which resemble the idols preferred by the subject. Accuracy to the original model of the idols varies between SCP-6385 cases, with some being perfect matches and others only having a loose resemblance. Occasionally, gluteal or pelvic muscles, as well as mammary lobes and nipples, compete for space on these protrusions and on the rest of the instances' bodies.

Several limbs of an instance will increase their size to become full-sized human arms or legs. These are then used by the SCP-6385-1 instance to caress and make contact with the victim. Although sapience has not been confirmed, these instances are capable of stating words of encouragement or love to their previous host.

Current reports state that up to 342 idols have been imitated by SCP-6385-1 instances, while more than 1,000 individuals have been the subject of an SCP-6385 manifestation.

MC&D Report (10/12/2019)

Foundation plants in Marshall, Carter, and Dark (MC&D) have discovered that SCP-6385-1 instances are sold to prospective buyers mainly from Japan, South Korea, China, and the USA. Oftentimes, they are first held in 'beautification rooms,' where they are surgically outfitted with robotic limbs and dosed with memetic and amnestic agents to become more subservient and appealing.

Afterward, they are presented on stage to audience members obligated by MC&D to carry glowsticks and fan paraphernalia. Concurrently, developed instances of SCP-6385-1 will perform Japanese pop culture music with a considerable level of accuracy, albeit with distorted voices. Their style of dancing is also stiff, owing to the quality of their robotic implants and limbs.

MC&D tends to use staggered scheduling and breaks to rotate the idols for costume changes, position side performers clad in mascot costumes, and prepare props such as fireworks, ribbons, and steam machines. MC&D's style evokes kawaisa2 aesthetics. During the two to three-hour performance, the SCP-6385-1 instances perform 20-25 songs and medleys.

On specific schedules, instances of SCP-6385-1 perform together with backstage operators utilizing neural and electronic implants to smoothen their performance. In these groups, the instances occasionally fall on each other, interlocking their frail limbs and emitting high-pitched moans resembling apologies. MC&D personnel also monitors incidences of the idols' tendency to undergo fecal incontinence or loss of bowel control.

Audiences, which are mostly composed of businessmen, typically react with a mild memetic and euphoric hysteria (i.e. by cheering, joyous screaming, crying, waving glow lights, and occasionally minor physical reactions such as developing nosebleeds or vomiting).

At the end of their performances, personnel would transport them to a specialized room for either auction or direct purchase. Based on witness reports, unwanted SCP-6385-1 instances would be stripped of their robotic implants, essentially reverting them into their worm-like forms. They are then designated as "肉虫", or "flesh worms", packed into plastic bags and incinerated at special waste facilities.

The three most common idols imitated by purchased SCP-6385-1 instances are Eimi Takaraka, Iori Hideyama, and Saya Sakimoto, all of whom belong to idol groups such as AKB48. Approximately 12,000 instances have been sold worldwide. Despite the instances' extreme uncanny valley features, obtained sales reports involving them have detailed a constantly rising demand, with multiple investments funneled into augmenting them robotically or genetically. Notably, Japanese, South Korean, and Chinese corporate entities and private individuals compete for the top spots with regards to these investments.

Aviatica Report (01/15/2020)

The Foundation procured an exposé from GoI-503 ("Aviatica")3 concerning the purchase and upkeep of SCP-6385-1 instances. The exposé detailed the routines of a buyer using the pseudonym "Aidorou Taku"4. It additionally revealed further insights involving the nature of MC&D's transactions and treatment of SCP-6385-1 instances.

Foundation representatives to Aviatica have negotiated the postponement of the piece until the Foundation sufficiently accomplishes the goals of Operation BACHAZAI.

The transcript of the piece is provided below.

FILED UNDER DOCUMENT TYPE AVT-01

01/15/2020

AVIATICA

Freedom in Flight, Fighting for the Light

1/10/2020 | ISSUE 23, VOLUME 10

AidoruAdore: The Art of Caring for Japanese Idol Worms

COMFORT PILLOW. Aidorou Taku, an AidoruAdorer, uses this pillow to calm himself down to avoid urges against his AidoruAdores, which he sees as 'pillars of purity.'

By: Ezekier Terreno Altavista, Senior Aviatican Field Reporter

Dressed in salaryman clothing, Aidorou Taku pats the head of Saki-chan, one of his AidoruAdores, as it uses its robotic limbs to stiffly walk towards him with a sweet voice. Yumenocchi, another AidoruAdore, tries to compete with Saki-chan, despite missing two of its limbs - according to Taku, the limb was sent to repairs. These AidoruAdores are 'images' of several idols from his favorite idol group, AKB48.

Love worms its way to the heart - this is the guiding principle of AidoruAdores, the most recent in Marshall, Carter, & Dark's foray into Japanese idol culture. These AidoruAdores cost between 15,000 to 30,000 dollars each, excluding maintenance. AidoruAdores have certainly wormed their way into the life of Aidorou Taku, the CEO of a tech company primarily operating in Osaka, Yokohama, and Tokyo. In his home, Taku currently houses five AidoruAdores, which are semi-robotic, worm-like creatures styled after the faces and mannerisms of Japanese idols currently in vogue.

Taku also takes pride in being able to produce homegrown AidoruAdores. 'Baby' AidoruAdores occasionally emerge from his skin's acne, and he has to avoid his other AidoruAdores due to their jealousy.

"These other…, eto, Aidorus, they somewhat don't like competition unless they have bonded enough. So they will try to squish or bite the pimple-like stuff my baby AidoruAdores come from, and when that happened with Saki-chan once, I had to rush to the hospital as if I got bitten by a dog," Taku said.

When raising these baby AidoruAdores, he has to take them to special MC&D outlets to outfit them with robotic contraptions, although he occasionally leaves them in a natural, worm-like state for fun.

Taku is unbothered that his AidoruAdores are crude caricatures of his favourite idols. He reasoned that the 'originals' are people out of his reach due to his face, overloaded work, and awkward personality.

"I work since sunrise and go home at sunset. Setting aside the idols, all the women I know and meet are also workaholics because ano, that's the Japanese way. Most of us don't have time for each other, and I doubt that an otaku like me would be accepted. Even if I marry one, I think I won't be having a warm welcome at the doorstep. Although society might hate them, my AidoruAdores will never complain, and love me for who I am," he said.

"Plus, they do not complain about my treatment, and they enjoy the life I gave them. Out there, they won't survive, right?" he added. "So it's not slavery. It's just a mutually healthy relationship between them and me."

Independent Aviatican tests have confirmed that AidoruAdores are not competent to give consent. Furthermore, the AidoruAdores demonstrate that they do not have a fully human self-awareness or consciousness.

"Look at it this way. They are idols, not slaves. I am simply their manager and father at the same time - in fact, some of them came from me. Wouldn't that be a better description?" he added.

A "Wholesome" IdoLife

Taku starts off his day by waking up at 4:45 AM. Occasionally, one of the AidoruAdores pounces on his stomach, repetitively uttering flattering statements.

"When you think about it, they're really like children, but damn, they're quite heavy for idols," he chuckles. "I once thought, you know, shouldn't idols be conscious about their weight? Anyway, I guess that's the price of the robotic limbs to make them… more acceptable."

He then prepares a breakfast of curry and omelet for all of his AidoruAdores, who tend to use their mouths more than their limbs, unless Taku sternly warns or electrocutes them. He then orders Shimada, his MC&D maid, to replace all of their clothing with brightly-colored and chic skirts, as well as long-sleeved t-shirts, parkas, and hoodies.

"You know, I'm a decent idol fan. It's a big no-no for me to have impure thoughts towards my AidoruAdores, and I really try to keep myself at bay when it comes to them. Plus, even if I somehow get too drunk and try to do something to them, MC&D has installed a few deterrents in their sacred areas," Taku said. "MC&D has this perception of honor and innocence regarding Japanese idol culture, since they're a foreign company, that I don't know how to feel about."

Additionally, Taku recounted that one time he tried to remove their clothing by himself, he became too apprehensive after seeing their slender, worm-like, and segmented bodies. "I guess this is the 'illusion' that MC&D warned me about. It's fine though. What matters the most is their cute faces."

He then goes to work in his company, where he spends the next 10 hours programming, participating in scrum sessions, and handling business deals. He sports a stern look during work, sometimes becoming agitated due to a severe lack of sleep and exhaustions from previous overtime work. To check on his AidoruAdores, he then accesses the remote surveillance in his home.

"Ahhh, you really need to watch over them. Sometimes they get too rowdy, and sometimes they uhmm… pick flowers (a colloquial idol term for urination or defecation) suddenly. Unless I want my house to smell bad all the time, I have to remotely punish them via electrocution or drug injectors embedded in their skin. I don't want to trouble Shimada-san too much," he said. As much as possible, Shimada provides a 'normal human life' to the AidoruAdores, despite them behaving more similarly to pets.

Furthermore, he likes to peep at the idol 'training sessions' organized by Shimada, where the AidoruAdores are given makeup, conditioned to sing, dance (to the best of their ability given their robotic limbs), and make crude skits. Taku sighs, saying that these training sessions are expensive and require special chemical injections. "MC&D promised me though, that these idols really have potential to make it big soon."

Working overtime and having to bond with investors over drinks, he then goes back home at 9 PM, where he is greeted with his AidoruAdores. He spoke fondly about how the AidoruAdores sometimes collapse into a pile at the doorstep, although he is worried about how their robotic limbs scrape with each other.

During his remaining free time, he then tunes into livestreams of his favorite idols, while his AidoruAdores also swarm him. He related about how his AidoruAdores imitate the dance moves and songs, which he uses to gauge how future idol training sessions will proceed. Afterwards, the AidoruAdores are tucked into their pajamas, and then lead to two special rooms where they sleep.

By the time the weekend rolls around, Taku occasionally takes out some of his AidoruAdores, dousing them in MC&D concealing agents to prevent public recognition. "It's such a shame, they're really cute girls," he said. He brings them to MC&D-sponsored maid cafes, anime and comic conventions, and parks.

"Saya-chan even once found one of her, ano, one of her fellow AidoruAdores in an alley. That AidoruAdore was missing all of her limbs, had a gouged out eye, and was crawling the best she could. She looked really broken, crying for her master. So, eto, I had no choice but to take her, and here she is," Taku said, pointing to Yumenocchi. He explained that upon bringing Yumenocchi to an MC&D store, he was told to keep it until they locate the buyer.

Aidoru Pride

Taku takes pride in how he treats his AidoruAdores. He recounted horror stories about how other AidoruAdorers mistreat and use their AidoruAdores, and how they tend to be disposed once the idol they are imitating are no longer famous, or have committed 'sins' such as getting a boyfriend, having a sex scandal, coming out as lesbian, or otherwise deviate from their expected demure and pure personas they have.

The maintenance he needs for his AidoruAdores can also easily reach thousands of dollars per month, due to the robotic limbs rusting or the AidoruAdores' organs failing. One time, when his funds ran low, he had to accept some of his AidoruAdores being in their 'worm' forms. Taku admitted that his AidoruAdores worming around disturbed him, especially because their faces looked pristine.

"As a true idol fan, you have to accept them for who they are, and these AidoruAdores are the personifications of those idols. But… you really need to provide for them to maintain their idol image. No one likes to raise and love worms, unless they're really cute," he said.

The Foundation has amnesticized Aidorou Taku, identified to be Yoshii Sawagiri. Meanwhile, all of his SCP-6385-1 instances have been neutralized. The Foundation is considering proposals to collaborate with MC&D, offering profit sharing from the proceeds of Operation BACHAZAI in exchange for reducing sales of SCP-6385-1.

Operation BACHAZAI Report (04/10/2020)

Promotional material featuring VTuber Serin Seri, registered to the SCP front company V-Dream.

Extensive Foundation testing has determined that SCP-6385 manifestations are less likely to occur with idols present in cyberspace or virtual settings. Market analysis indicates that virtual idols can present considerable competition to the entrenched figures of the idol industry. Next, a study by Kawahara et. al. (2020) indicated that via proper VTuber memetics, individuals prone to parasocial dependencies can be better controlled, particularly if the VTuber is more casual or acts more contrary to standard idol behavior5.

Additionally, anti-memetic Foundation agents can be easily loaded into VTuber streams, while the lack of physical contact or extensive discussion about the real lives of the VTubers further limit the scope of SCP-6385.

Thus, the Foundation launched Operation BACHAZAI, which currently has 250 corporate VTubers registered to different companies under its helm. Operation BACHAZAI is also connected to 1450 more independent VTubers. Furthermore, companies under Operation BACHAZAI are heavily discouraged to produce content appealing to one-sided or parasocial relationships. Idols under their helm are also mandated to employ doublethink, by both emphasizing their humanity and their mere existence as digital entities.

Importantly, however, VTubers still produce SCP-6385-1 manifestations, albeit at a considerably lesser rate. A follow-up study by Kawahara et. al. indicated that underlying societal issues surrounding idol culture and the dearth of romantic relationships in East Asian countries are the root causes of SCP-6385 manifestations. However, BACHAZAI leaders are split on addressing them, citing potentially heavy interference with East Asian standards of normalcy.

On the other hand, MC&D has considered SCP-6385-1 instances affected by Project BACHAZAI as undesirable, due to severe uncanny valley features resulting from the translation of 2D to 3D features. Due to the uncanny valley effect, victims of BACHAZAI-affected instances are likelier to report them to authorities out of extreme fear, disgust, or horror. Foundation containment estimates indicate that this phenomenon is generally satisfactory for increasing the containment rate of SCP-6385-1 instances.

Lastly, BACHAZAI-affected SCP-6385 manifestations induce high amounts of psychological idol-related trauma in victims. With proper application of memory manipulation agents, the chances of these victims withdrawing from the VTuber and idol cultures can skyrocket, curbing future SCP-6385 manifestations. Project BACHAZAI is aiming to introduce more VTubers with exotic designs and appeals that would manifest a stronger uncanny valley effect and thus, harsher trauma.

Footnotes

1. Internet personalities who hide their real-life appearances with avatars based on modern Japanese animation. They are the virtual counterpart of Japanese idols.

2. 可愛さ. Japanese phenomenon of cuteness.

3. An anomalous group of journalists catering to free speech in the anomalous world.

4. Based on Japanese aidoruotaku or idol otaku.

5. To illustrate, audiences generally expect Japanese idols to be 'flawless' in terms of extreme modesty, a robust illusion of care for their fans, consistently satisfactory performances, and heavily curtailed emotions to suit a highly positive tatemae or public image. VTubers can potentially subvert these expectations.