Co-author: Zyn
Reviewers in chat: taylor_itkin, Pecan, Hippo, MacLeod, Sly161, Kakroom, CaptainKirby
Reviewers in forums: MrAnakinSpecter, minmin, WrongJohnSilver, MrWrong (http://www.scp-wiki.net/forum/t-1810025/creepitation)
Reviewers in PMs: AbsentmindedNihilist
Author Post
Many thanks to Zyn for co-authoring this article! Her ideas and edits gave were invaluable for setting the tone and illustrating the object’s behavior. It was very kind of her to stick with me for this despite me being out of contact for months at a time. She also identified a butterfly I found.
Additional thanks to our magnificent reviewers:
- In chat: taylor_itkin, Pecan, Hippo, MacLeod, Sly161, Kakroom, CaptainKirby
- In forums: MrAnakinSpecter, minmin, WrongJohnSilver, MrWrong
- In Wikidot PMs: AbsentmindedNihilist
Hopefully nobody has too many bones to pick with this skip.
Zyn: Okay, so I've started off with some of the basics. I've localized the image and put in the new standard image block, plus cleaned up the clinical tone a bit. When we get a more solid plan hashed out for the rest of the article, we can progress with building/adding more to the current in-progress draft. Mainly I want to check with addenda right now. I think the description just needs a little more trimming and rewording, but the addenda will need the most revisions to suit the new ASMR/"skeletons flirting with your bones" route.
Lesh: Roger that. I like your tone correction for the description so far.
I guess the second addendum just serves a minor narrative purpose of introducing the idea that the SCP can be used to find long-decomposed human remains, but this is already taken care of in the third addendum with the humming.
Should bone fragments and post-skeletal remains hum or make some sort of distant,weird, sensual moan? And perhaps the skeleton in the first addendum makes weird remarks about wanting to "get naked" while flirting with the listener's skeleton before being defleshed by the crematorium oven, after which it gets more riled up.
I think this flirty angle is a really solid way to up the weird factor. An ASMR skeleton making passes at my bones and wanting to get naked is squickier to me than a skeleton wanting to be defleshed so that it isn't as warm.
Also, should ASMR be outright mentioned in the article or should it just me mentioned that the skeleton sounds feel very "close" to the listener and induce a confusing combination of apprehension and tranquility?
Also also, I like the pun "creepitation" on crepitation, but "spooky sexy skeletons" might be a better main list title.
Lesh: After looking through earlier PM's from you I saw your idea that it would be cool to "trigger some form of ASMR response via reading the article". That sounds really cool, but I'm not sure how to go about that. What are your thoughts?
It might also be neat to scratch the idea that "Sounds heard while wearing SCP-XXXX cannot be detected with external instruments and seem to exist only in the mind of the wearer" and provide some embedded audio files that reader can play. It seems like ASMR people just record themselves really close to the mic with a breathy voice, so it probably wouldn't be too hard to replicate.
Zyn: I'm not the best at writing squick, but I do think that angle (no pun intended) would make for a pretty unique angle. The embedded audio would be pretty great too, I think! Did you have some ideas for recordings?
Also, as a note since I noticed this while reading the original draft, technically SCP articles don't follow APA formatting, so there's only one space between sentences.
Zyn: Okay I've made some more base edits. I added a secondary effect that the headbones vibrate when they're close to bones that want to get it on. I've also put in some overviews of the addenda that I think we should go with.
I personally think that we shouldn't include a D-Class getting actively killed in the draft, since that sort of shock would draw attention away from the object itself. I think the Foundation could first be weirded out by the bones saying they wanted to get naked, and then later when the headbones are being moved in an object transfer they start vibrating and then someone finds out that there are some bones in the ground that were buried. And those bones are naked and they're ready to bone. More puns. etc.
In all honesty, I think all that's left to do is finalize the addenda. Most of the interview you had can be used, and the last two addenda shouldn't be longer than one or two paragraphs.
Lesh: I took a crack at writing the three addenda per your outlines. I also put the "Sounds heard while wearing SCP-XXXX cannot be detected with external instruments and seem to exist only in the mind of the wearer" back in the description in lieu of having embedded audio. Otherwise it wouldn't make sense why D-class would be needed for testing. Maybe they'd be necessary for observing an ASMR effect?
I didn't explicitly mention ASMR. Would that be good to add in the description or as a closing note for the interview? I don't think I've gotten the "personalized ASMR" idea across.
For embedded audio I don't have any ideas beyond making ASMR-ish recordings of flirting bones, maybe from fleshed and defleshed bodies. I'd feel creepy doing it but I guess I could take one for the team. We could also see about contacting one of the SCP voiceover people on Youtube.
A recording of a rusted hinge could also be included as an example of the sound regular joints make.
Zyn: I feel like with the current content, we might not even need the ASMR angle. We can probably put in a note in the addenda of "tingly feelings" or the like, and let the audience figure it out from there if they're familiar with ASMR.
I think we should probably get the article up first, and when we know for sure it's got the upvotes to stay, we can add in the embedded audio. TheeSherm does some pretty good recordings: http://www.scp-wiki.net/theesherm-s-great-scip-dictations fairly often (and he narrated SCP-3883, which is incidentally one of my co-authored articles). I think we can ask him to record some of the flirty bones material if this article does well enough on the mainsite.
It's late and I'm tired right now, but I'll take a look at this again tomorrow if/when I have time, since I may be meeting up with some friends in the latter part of the day. Thanks for writing up the addenda!
ASMR stuff!
"The ASMR route sounds great and the skeletons saying "you look lovely tonight" and other romantic banalities is the perfect combination of weird and creepy. Even the casual mention of ASMR recalls all my memories of watching strange people do strange things wayyyy too close to the microphone on the weird side of Youtube.
It's not particularly relevant, but there's this one ASMR channel where some guy eats all these weird objects beside a venus flytrap with googley eyes, all shot from a first person perspective. I can't just not link this.
I also like the idea of advertising similar accessories. The very idea of hearing my eyeballs squirm around sends shivers down my spine."
More ASMR ideas from Zyn
"I thought of this in response to MrWrong's comment about "why headphones"? And I was thinking, what if someone tried to do "personalized ASMR", as in sounds specific to certain people? Because your bones are special, and no one else has your bones, right? What better way to get that relaxing good tingle down your spine than to listen to something you'll always have around you?
And then it either went wrong or it went too far.Then towards the end the skeletons "say" things that give you tingles, like "hello dearest" and "you look lovely tonight" and other standard date-fare maybe idk I was building off the "gives you tingles" response from ASMR. I'm just hoping for something that's unpredictable.
I'm thinking that the way to get readers interested is to trigger some form of ASMR response via reading the article, and then maybe have an advertisement in the box containing a poll for other similar products - such as a pair of glasses that let you hear your eyeballs moving in their sockets, or workout earbuds that make you hear the air in your lungs and heart."
Zyn's addendum outlines
- Interview from the D-Class near a dead body. ASMR mentions (but likely without saying ASMR). Bones talking about getting naked.
- Foundation discovers old bones in ground after site transfer causes headbones to vibrate intensely. Dig the bones up, and it turns out they're happy to be free and want to start boning other bones.
- Foundation gets a letter in the mail saying that hey, you've used the headbones a fair bit, do you want to try workout earbuds that let you hear your lungs or a bluetooth that lets you hear the sound of your eyeballs?

Image of SCP-XXXX, as displayed on original packaging.
Item #: SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX is to be kept in its original promotional packaging and held within a moisture-controlled storage locker. The location of this locker is to be at least 20 meters from any biological laboratories or Foundation gravesites.
Personnel with Level-2 or above security clearance may access SCP-XXXX for experimentation. Prior to any testing of SCP-XXXX, written authorization must be provided by a researcher currently assigned to the object.
Description: SCP-XXXX is a pair of plastic headphones with a purple matte finish. A yellow graphic of a smiling skull is present on the outside of each speaker. SCP-XXXX does not possess any identifiable method of audio input. Power is supplied by a pair of AAA batteries housed in a compartment over the left speaker; an on/off switch is present on this compartment.
The box SCP-XXXX was originally packaged in promotes the contents as "HEADBONES", subtitled with the text: "Hear What Your Skeleton Has To Say!!". No information pertaining to a manufacturer is present. The back of the box is printed with the following:
X-rays let you see bones, but haven't you and your friends always wanted to HEAR them?! Now you can with HEADBONES™, the only way to hear what your skeleton has to say!! Just put them on, flip the switch, and you'll finally live the dream of listening to the AWESOME SOUNDS that all-natural bones make!!
Your bones are SPECIAL, because no one else has your bones!! What better way to get that nice, relaxing tingle down your spine than to listen to something you'll ALWAYS have around you?!
Don't be a LAZY BONES!! Try on a pair of HEADBONES™ today!!
When SCP-XXXX is powered on and worn, its wearer perceives a loud grating sound coming from all moving human skeletal joints within 20 meters, including their own.
Sounds heard while wearing SCP-XXXX cannot be detected with external instruments and seem to exist only in the mind of the wearer. Larger joints (e.g., knee joints) produce louder sounds than smaller joints (e.g., finger joints). The sound has been described by test subjects as akin to "nails on a chalkboard" or a "rusted door hinge", typically causing distress or mild annoyance but in some cases has resulted in severe nausea and headaches.
If a wearer has worn SCP-XXXX consistently for an extended period of time without removal,1 the individual will perceive the motion of any nearby mandible joints (including their own) as shrill speech containing complaints of excess warmth and being smothered. Speech ceases with cessation of mandible movement. (Revised, see addenda.)
In several cases, wearers have additionally reported hearing sensual moans and other "erotic noises" originating from nearby skeletal remains. When such vocalizations can be heard via SCP-XXXX, the object will vibrate intensely until worn by a human or distanced from the remains (see addenda for experimental observations).
Addendum SCP-XXXX-1: Example experimentation involving SCP-XXXX in close proximity to remains of a deceased human individual.
Experiment SCP-XXXX-14 involves a single D-Class personnel member, D-4689, stationed in a cell below a soundproofed single-chamber crematorium oven housing a nonanomalous corpse. During the experiment there are no other personnel within a 20 meter radius of D-4689; the experimental room is monitored via CCTV cameras.
D-4689 is fully restrained (bodily and with additional wire support at the jaw) to prevent joint motion except at right wrist. D-4689 is instructed to listen to sounds from SCP-XXXX, and to raise his right hand upon hearing any recognizable speech. D-4689 does this approximately 2 hours after SCP-XXXX is turned on. 30 minutes later, the crematorium oven is remotely activated. After another 30 minutes, SCP-XXXX is removed and D-4689 is unrestrained and interviewed.
The following is a portion of the post-experiment interview transcript of subject D-4689.
<Begin Log, skip to 00h-03m-01s>
D-4689: For hours and hours there was just this… scraping sound. I heard it each time I breathed in or out. I think my ribs felt a little weird then. Kind of shivery and tingly, but not in a great way.
Dr. K███: At approximately two hours in you raised your right hand. What do you recall hearing then?
D-4689: There was this nasty voice all the sudden. Kinda like the scraping noise, but suddenly it was words. Kept saying it was all wrapped up in something… Christ. And my wrist made an awful scrapey sound too when I moved it.
Dr. K███: Do you remember its exact words?
D-4689: Yeah… Yeah, it said 'All wrapped up. Let’s take it off.’ Just those two sentences over and over for a few minutes. Sounded really close up, like it was inside my head. Made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Then it… changed.
Dr. K███: Please continue.
D-4689: It went quiet for a little while. I thought it was over, but then it started again. It still sounded awful, but I think it was… satisfied? Relaxed? Started saying, "Oh yeah" and moaning over and over 'til the headphones cut out. Never said anything else. [pause] I really don’t want to do this test again.
Dr. K███: Thank you for your cooperation.
<End Log>
Addendum SCP-XXXX-2: During a transfer from containment at Site-██ to the recently renovated Site-██, SCP-XXXX was noted to vibrate intensely while the Foundation motorcade passed through the intersection of ████████ and ████ in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The object’s power switch was in the off position at this time.
Two days later, Dr. K███ and field agents returned to the intersection with SCP-XXXX under the guise of road workers replacing a damaged water pipe. SCP-XXXX again vibrated with frequency increasing with proximity to the intersection’s center. Dr. K███ donned and activated SCP-XXXX, upon which vibration ceased and a “flirtatious beckoning” voice was heard instructing Dr. K███ to “come over” and “get naked with me” while moaning intermittently.
Skeletal remains of a 30-40 year old man, estimated to have been buried for 20 years, were found approximately 1.5 meters beneath the intersection’s center. After in situ analysis showed the remains to be nonanomalous, local police were notified of their presence.
Use of SCP-XXXX for Foundation recovery missions is pending approval.
Addendum SCP-XXXX-3: On 15/04/2013, Dr. K███ received the following letter at her personal residence. No return address was present and attempts to identify the sender have thus far been unsuccessful. Of note, the envelope the letter was sent in appeared to be clumsily-handled, with an additional excess of postage stamps.
Greetings valued HEADBONES™ user!!
You’ve used your HEADBONES™ a lot, so we hope you’ve enjoyed them as much as we do!! If you LIKE the AWESOME sounds your bones make, then you’ll LOVE the TUBULAR sounds your other body parts make!! Check out more of our INCREDIBLE products below!!
- BLUEBALLS™: Spice up your workday with the only bluetooth headset that lets you hear the SENSUAL sounds of your eyeballs rolling in your head!!
- LUNGBUDS™: Get your energy pumping with the only workout earbuds that let you hear the VIGOROUS sounds of your alveoli!!
- GUTSTAR™ (NEW PRODUCT): Embrace your inner exuberance with the only microphone that lets you SING DIRECTLY to your entrails!!
We also apologize but want to clarify that we are not legally responsible for any harassment you may or may not have suffered from inappropriately-behaving bones. These are not part of the intended relaxation experience provided by HEADBONES™. Please do not hesitate to try out our other products!!
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SCP-XXXX |
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Item #: SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX is to be kept in its promotional box and held within a moisture-controlled storage locker. Personnel with security clearance level 2 or above may access SCP-XXXX with written consent of any researcher currently assigned to it.
Description: SCP-XXXX is a pair of plastic headphones with a purple matte finish. A yellow graphic of a smiling skull is present on the outside of each speaker. SCP-XXXX does not possess any recognizable method of audio input. Power is supplied by a pair of AAA batteries housed in a compartment over the left speaker. An on/off switch is present on this compartment. SCP-XXXX components otherwise resemble those of a conventional pair of closed-back circumaural headphones.
The cardboard box SCP-XXXX was originally stored in promotes the contents as "HEADBONES" subtitled with the phrase "Hear What Your Skeleton Has To Say!!". The box possesses a color scheme matching that of SCP-XXXX. No information pertaining to a manufacturer is present. The back of the box contains the following message:
X-rays let you see bones, but haven't you and your friends always wanted to HEAR them?! Now you can with HEADBONES™, the only way to hear what your skeleton has to say!! Just put them on, flip the switch, and you'll finally live the dream of listening to the AWESOME SOUNDS that bones make!!
OH YEAH!!
Don't be a LAZY BONES!! Try on a pair of HEADBONES™ today!!
Batteries not included.
When SCP-XXXX is powered, its wearer perceives a loud grating sound coming from all moving human skeletal joints within 20 meters, including their own. Larger joints (e.g. knee joints) produce louder sounds than smaller joints (e.g. finger joints). The sound has been described by test subjects as akin to "nails on a chalkboard" or a "rusted door hinge." Sounds heard while wearing SCP-XXXX cannot be detected with external instruments and seem to exist only in the mind of the wearer.
While wearers typically feel only distress or annoyance when alone or close to few others, the object's effect causes severe nausea and headaches when the wearer moves their own joints too quickly or is in a crowded setting. The sounds do not decrease in intensity with distance or when their perceived source is behind a physical barrier. They however stop abruptly when the source is beyond 20 meters from the wearer.
If a single wearer has worn SCP-XXXX for an extended period of time varying from several hours to weeks without removing it, the wearer will perceive the motion of any nearby mandible joints, including their own, as shrill speech containing complaints of warmth and being smothered. Speech ceases with cessation of mandible movement. (Revised. Speech resumes upon defleshing of skeleton by natural or artificial means. See addenda.)
Attempts at communication with the perceived voices have always been unsuccessful as they do not react to any known stimuli. (Revised. See addenda.)
Addendum 1:
For experiment SCP-XXXX-23, D-4689 is fully restrained to prevent joint motion except at right wrist. D-4689 is instructed to listen to sound heard from SCP-XXXX, upon which a radio-controlled on/off switch has been installed to prevent D-4689 from hearing anomalous sound during the object's fitting and later removal by research assistants. Jaw of D-4689 is wired shut for the duration of the experiment.
The cell above that housing D-4689 is soundproofed and contains subject D-5735, due for termination after committing [REDACTED] while in Foundation custody, held within a single-chamber crematorium oven fitted with a standard canister of nitrogen asphyxiant. Jaw of D-5735 is unrestrained. During the experiment there are no other personnel within a 20 meter radius of D-4689.
D-4689 is instructed to raise his right hand upon hearing any recognizable speech through SCP-XXXX. D-4689 does this approximately 7 hours after SCP-XXXX is turned on. Five minutes later, asphyxiant release is remotely activated. Upon cessation of vital signs from D-5735 approximately ten minutes later, oven is remotely activated. After another 30 minutes SCP-XXXX is turned off before D-4689 is unrestrained and interrogated.
The following is a portion of the post-experiment recorded transcript of subject D-4689.
<Begin Log, skip to 00h-12m-01s>
D-4689: For hours and hours there was just this awful screeching. Could've sworn something was on top of me, but I couldn't see anything. It was like a bunch of rusted rebar being scraped together. Worst thing I ever heard.
Dr. K███: At approximately seven hours in you raised your right hand. What do you recall hearing then?
D-4689: There was this nasty voice all the sudden. Like the noise, but suddenly it was words. Kept saying it was all wrapped up in something… Christ. And my wrist made an awful scrapy sound when I moved it.
Dr. K███: Do you remember its exact words?
D-4689: Yeah… Yeah, it said 'All wrapped up. Too warm.' Just those two sentences over and over for a few minutes. Then it um… changed.
Dr. K███: Please continue.
D-4689: It went quiet for a little while. I thought it was over, but then it started again. It still sounded awful, but I think it was… happy? Started saying 'Thank you.' and 'Good cold.' over and over until the headphones cut out. Never said anything else.
Dr. K███: Thank you for your cooperation.
<End Log>
Addendum 2
For experiment SCP-XXXX-29, D-2907 is fully restrained in cell one floor above morgue for nonanomalous corpses at Site-██ for 12 hours. During the experiment there are no other personnel within a 20 meter radius of D-2907. Subject recalls hearing no sounds through SCP-XXXX aside from a dull hum coming somewhere from their left.
Testing of soil from adjacent courtyard has revealed a trace presence of human bone fragments. A subsequent forensic investigation was concluded when misplaced Foundation mortuary records were found indicating that the cremated remains of Agents █████ and ████ were scattered there in 1935 after their deaths defending Site-██ from [REDACTED].
A small plaque has since been placed within the courtyard in recognition of the agents' sacrifice.
Addendum 3:
For experiment SCP-XXXX-30, Dr. K███ and research assistants enter cemetery near [REDACTED] under cover of darkness. Humid climate of cemetery predicted to cause complete decomposition of skeletal remains within 30 years after burial. Burial vaults are not employed at cemetery in question. Dr. K███ records sounds heard with SCP-XXXX in addition to those of her and the assistants' joints.
Dr. K███ dons SCP-XXXX and passes over graves younger than 30 years in age. Dr. K███ notes hearing 'Very comfortable', 'So cool now', 'Feel better', and similar phrases repeated continuously from sources perceived below ground.
Dr. K███ moves to older section of cemetery and passes over graves approximately 50 years in age. Dr. K███ notes a contented humming sound from sources perceived below ground.
Use of SCP-XXXX for Foundation recovery missions is pending approval.