Instance of SCP-5233-1, perched upon SCP-5233’s left thumb.

Item #: SCP-5233

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: The location of SCP-5233’s initial manifestation has been purchased by a Foundation front company, Scientific Curiosity Projects, posing as a philanthropic organization that organizes various presentations for elementary students. The aboveground building has been refurbished into a learning center with a set of living quarters; these quarters are to be occupied by SCP-5233, its SCP-5233-1 attendants, and two Foundation handlers (one Level-2 researcher, and one Level-3 security officer or containment specialist) assigned to the area.

The basement area housing the summoning circle SCP-5233 is tied to is to remain off-limit to all unauthorized personnel. Foundation thaumaturgists studying the circle may request access during hours the learning center is closed to the public.

Each week, SCP-5233 is to receive coaching for presentation skills, conflict resolution strategies, and tactics for consuming food in a humanlike manner. As a reward for progress in its studies, an assigned dietician may allocate a weekly supply of treats1 for both SCP-5233 and SCP-5233-1. SCP-5233 is currently permitted to host three offsite school presentations each month, with up to 10 "face appearances" at the learning center during monitored educational sessions with visiting groups of schoolchildren.

SCP-5233 must fast for at least two hours before any interactions with civilians and is not permitted to transform during presentations. SCP-5233 must be constantly reminded that it is not permitted to steal footwear from guests, and that it is to alert its handlers rather than dealing with unruly children by itself.

SCP-5233-1 instances have been allocated twenty terrariums of various size and setup, with customizable nametags. SCP-5233 may request additional resources as desired; these requests are to be processed by SCP-5233’s learning center handlers. Deceased SCP-5233-1 instances are to be buried in the flower patch in the learning center’s rear garden; SCP-5233 may handle the burials unassisted if under supervision.

Description: SCP-5233 is a humanoid entity similar in appearance to a middle-aged human male, able to transform its right hand into a structure that resembles the abdominal pincers of a male common earwig (Forficula auricularia). On its back, SCP-5233 possesses a vestigial set of beetle-like elytra, covering a set of small hindwings. SCP-5233 is not capable of flight.

SCP-5233 is additionally capable of spontaneously generating various species of earwigs by opening and closing its pincer-hand. These earwigs, designated SCP-5233-1, are non-anomalous save for their unique behavior of "flexing" their abdominal pincers when given a verbal cue ("are your pincers working?") from SCP-5233.

While it only consumes raw materials consistent with an earwig’s diet, SCP-5233 can be persuaded to ingest these materials when prepared as granola bars or salad bowls. SCP-5233 demonstrates a preference to be active during late evening, and will rest during daylight hours if not occupied with other tasks.

Upon original Foundation discovery, SCP-5233 was confirmed able to understand human speech in various languages, but unable to speak fluently itself. With additional speech coaching, SCP-5233 now possesses a vocabulary of several thousand English words, and will consistently respond to the name "Mr. Wiggy".

It was later observed that while SCP-5233 does not appear to age, it will exhibit various symptoms of illness and fatigue if not allowed human interaction for educational purposes. Interviews with SCP-5233 about this condition have proven inconclusive for the most part; answers of particular note from the first interview conducted with SCP-5233 are listed below:

Question: Do you know why you are tired?

SCP-5233 Response: "Can not live with incomplete order."

Question: Does making your little friends [referring to SCP-5233-1 instances] make you tired?

SCP-5233 Response: "No they make company look out for humans and food."

Question: What can we do to you make you feel better?

SCP-5233 Response: "Close to humans make humans no harm insects."

Question: Do you remember where you came from?

SCP-5233 Response: "Ground close to dead harm abdomen parents give living."

Addendum SCP-5233-1: Prior to Foundation intervention, SCP-5233 was initially discovered reportedly terrorizing the population of various cities in the state of Arizona, specifically stealing shoes2 that had previously been used to crush insects. When questioned about these actions, SCP-5233 stated that it was fulfilling the "purposely order from parents" [sic].

Foundation investigators assigned to the case eventually tracked SCP-5233 to an infrequently used school storage building, the basement of which contained a diagram similar to summoning circles used by associates of the Serpent’s Hand. Footprint sweeps of the surrounding area seem to indicate that only entities wearing child-sized footwear had recently entered the basement.

Foundation thaumaturgists examining the figure noted that the workmanship seemed to have been done by two individuals; some of the sigils were crudely drawn, while the rest were refined. Study of the circle’s enchantment criteria has identified runes pertaining to the concepts of "insect", "guardian", "human form", and "elusive". The English phrases "teach all the bug bullies a lesson" and "bring Wiggy back" are present seven times in the circle, written in the same handwriting.

The center of the summoning circle currently houses several items: a deceased adult male earwig missing its pincers, a set of pincers presumably torn off the aforementioned adult earwig,3 and a DK Eyewitness series Insects children’s encyclopedia.4 To maintain SCP-5233’s current existence and compliance, these items have not been disturbed. However, the containment team was able to determine the original owner of the encyclopedia based on a nameplate on the front cover; the student in question (Hayden Montgomery) was noted to have left the school district approximately one week before the SCP-5233 sightings became common.

Addendum SCP-5233-2: Archived disciplinary paperwork indicates Hayden was a 3rd grade student who frequently exhibited truancy issues, and would often attempt to leave school boundaries with his neighborhood friend Jean-Pierre Lefèvre. Both Hayden and Jean-Pierre required additional attention due to "not being able to get along well with peers". Furthermore, an unusually high interest in bugs was noted, in conjunction with a report on an incident that resulted in suspension of both children after they violently assaulted an older student. The older student in question (whose name was not recorded), had allegedly removed the abdomen of an earwig, intending to keep it as a "souvenir". Hayden and Jean-Pierre had demanded that it be returned, as they had been attempting to raise the earwig as a pet.

Foundation undercover agents within the Serpent's Hand have made inquiries with the anomalous community, and have determined that Jean-Pierre Lefèvre was a recent initiate into the Insect Mages guild, following the teachings of his father5 who had been a summoning prodigy. Hayden Montgomery, having taken part in the ritual that resulted in Jean-Pierre's qualifying for the guild, was granted the protection of said guild and his family was moved elsewhere.

It is currently believed that SCP-5233 may have potential use as an ambassador to the Serpent's Hand, should members of the group seek to reunite it with its creators. Containment thaumaturgists are continuing to study SCP-5233's summoning circle, to determine additional loopholes in its contract criteria and ensure SCP-5233's continued association with the Foundation.

Addendum SCP-5233-3: Approximately six months after the renovations on SCP-5233's containment were completed, Foundation custodial staff uncovered what seemed to be a small gravesite in a remote corner of the basement. Buried within a pile of dirt, marked with a computer printout of a picture of an earwig, was a Tupperware container labeled "Wiggy's House". When presented with the container, SCP-5233 recognized it as "my home" and requested to keep it. SCP-5233's handlers agreed to fulfill the request.

SCP-5233 was then asked if it recalled any events pertaining to when it lived in the Tupperware container, and if it desired to seek out its original caretakers. After a slight pause, SCP-5233 responded that it did not remember anything important, and that it "was not worried" about Hayden and Jean-Pierre. SCP-5233 then redirected the conversation to happily discussing the enthusiasm of its most recent visitors, particularly a trio of students who inquired about assisting with the feeding of the SCP-5233-1 instances.

Footnotes

1. Fresh soft fruits, leafy vegetables, and wilted sprouts.

2. According to background investigation, while the majority of stolen footwear seems to have been obtained from front porches or shoe stores, a small number of incidents involved SCP-5233 knocking down civilians to steal their shoes.

3. SCP-5233 displays extreme discomfort when questioned about the pincers.

4. After obtaining a non-anomalous copy of the same encyclopedia, Foundation personnel noted that SCP-5233's initial vocabulary consisted solely of words found in the book's text.

5. Foundation agents were unable to uncover any information regarding Lefèvre's mother, aside from the insistence that she was "very human", and "long gone after the family couldn't adjust".