SCP International

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Interviewer: Dr. Valentine
Interviewee: Agent Pastoral

The content of record is presented below:

<Start of Log>

[Time: ████████ ████████, Site-ZH-02]

Dr.Valentine: Good morning, Agent Pastoral. Please elaborate how you discovered SCP-ZH-618 and brought it back to this place. We will record your description as additional content of the project document.

Agt. Pastoral: Right. Doc, you know……when my squad was tracing down Fan-Guang in previous weeks, we miraculously found a old, crypted document at their retreated habitat.
After Dr. Methale helped us decrypting the document, we went ahead to the noted location for further clues. My fellows fooled around in the old downtown of Taichung City for a full afternoon, and we eventually heard strange noises in that abandoned bakery in the condemned building; it was then covered by bush and grass. After we entered it…… 61….. c'mon. (sigh)

Dr. Valentine: Pastoral……we're still being recorded.

Agt. Pastoral: I know…… just give a second. Later, I reported the position and sneaked into the structure. Its interior was not a mess like the outside looking. Instead, a sweet smell of baked flour showed up, and I head to the origin of aroma by instinct.
Then I saw an old man in a place that should be bake room previously. Let's call this person 618-A.
618-A was a grandpa that looks ridiculous; like a old man being covered with flour as a prank. In the contrary, 618's looking was quite impressive. Need I describe that, it should mostly be like a lion? A round head with a circle of sunflower petals. Adorable like a mascot from theme parks.

I threw a bait to the ground beside them, trying to observe their reaction. 618 firstly noticed that; it turned the head and stared at the luminous ball curiously, creating popping sounds like I firstly heard out of the door. 618-A, on the other hand, reacted to all these after a while, mainly because of behaviors of 618. He then slowly raised up the hands, letting go of 618 in his arms so it can go to pick up the luminous ball on the ground.

After evaluating risk class and ensuring my route of retreat, I started trying to contact with them. After 5 seconds of silent observation, 618-A started to act, waving his dough upper limb, wanting me to sit on the chair by their side. He continually moved his mouth, like he's trying to say something. 618 just hided behind 618-A and peeped at us all the time.

This situation lasted until 618-A caressed his own throat, lowering his head with a sense of…… well, depression? Hmm…… he did give me that kind of feeling at the time. Then I just forgot all the SOP, walking ahead and sitting on the position he assigned, and started interacting with them. Come to think of this, I was too bold, even reckless to do so…… Had they not been peaceful SCPs, I may not be able to sit here and talk now, eh?

Just when I told them the fact that this condemned building would soon be torn down due to metropolitan renewing project, 618-A shook his head, indicating the stele of "YuanZu ███ ██████ Shop" on the wall, and then put 618, which was playing the luminous ball, into my arms. When I was about to counteract to his sudden behaviors, 618-A took out a eroded old diary from a tea table beside him. He delivered the diary to me like it was a precious jewel, requiring me to accept it.

Just on the moment I accepted the diary, layers of dough covering 618-A started to crumble down, as if I turned on some switch to cause all that. Soon after, 618-A fell down backwards, with the debris of dough falling apart; 618, which was in my arm, got rid of them and gave out high pitch of popping sounds, dashing to 618-A and vomiting massive amount of cement-like substance, trying to wrap up 618-A. It tried to put all the pieces back to 618-A's body, until all materials were used up…… It screamed with its whole body, putting all efforts to pat on 618-A, trying to wake him up……

That's just…… I'm sorry……

I, I just tugged him up from the remains of 618-A, hugging that ki… 618 back to our site.

What's beneath the dough layers was a dried corp……

Dr. Valentine: Stop. That was enough. Pasty.

<End of Log>

Excerpts are presented as below.

• ██ Year, 4th Month, 3rd

A-Yi hasn't been home for a long time, and I've been too tired to knead the doughs lately… I just can't stop thinking about retirement, but a salesman still came to me today… what a genius to locate such a broken ship in a condemned building.

He couldn't stop boasting off his products, saying some sodium blah blah that is a safe additive, and told me it's super cheap, the shop will go viral only if I use it. This lad was so bloody noisy that I almost used broom to beat him off my door. Stupid Fan-Guang Chemical… I forced myself to buy one back only because he's almost same age as A-Yi.

• ██ Year, 4th Month, 5th

I tried to use the… sodium something powder today. The outer crust were crispy enough, but the filling layer was as raw as shit! What the Fuck! These chemical agents can never be trusted… Fortunately, I only bought one pack of it. I dumped all the failed pastries, so wasted!

• ██ Year, 4th Month, 15th

Weird noises increased these days, and materials in the store often vanished out of no reason. What kind of stupid thief will come to a broken shop like this? However, if they were also a family in poverty, I'd love to share my dinners with them. My son has passed away, and A-Yi is working in Taipei… What a boredom to dine alone everyday.

• ██ Year, 4th Month, 16th

When I was preparing sacrifices to pray for Tu-Di-Gong today, I saw a… strange puppy, maybe kitten? It was feasting my pastries for rituals. I was mad… but I decided to forgive it for its lovely look when it finished the meal. A-Yi picked up my phone call tonight, unexpectedly. He told me that it might be a Pekingese pup or a pet abused by the previous owner… He is still imaginative, as usual.

• ██ Year, 5th Month, 1st

I decided to name the puppy "A-Bing". He doesn't eat anything but sweets. When I tried to take him to doctor, he would run over the house so that I couldn't catch him. What a jerk. But it's really a happy moment to have A-Bing beside me, making me recall the old days of raising A-Yi. A-Yi is coming back for reunion next week! I must prepare a great feast for all of us.

• ██ Year, 5th Month, 11th

How ridiculous the thing is…… Flight hijack, what an absurd news…… But that face on the newspaper, is, is my A-Yi…… A-Yi…… Fuck, why you try to take everything away from me! Fuck!

• ██ Year, 12th Month, 21st

I found this journal under the table today. Aye… I can't even hold the pen well after the business was closed. Maybe I can go to meet A-Yi soon as well? But what about A-Bing at that time? More households are emptied these days. Everyone has left, right?

• ██ Year, New Year's Day

There are just me and A-Bing this New Year. I gave him a red envelope for keeping him safe. A-Bing just bit it without a thought, then he spit out right away. That expression was just…… I haven't laughed so happily for a while. Hope I can keep this peaceful life with A-Bing all along.

• ██ Year, 3rd Month, 13th

I can still remember A-Yi's first reaction when he came back to Taichung last time; he yelled at A-Bing and called him an alien, later I knocked him on the head. Come to think of that, A-Bing's behavior are indeed getting more weird than before.

Initially, I complimented him for standing up just because I thought it was lovely, but he has been walking with two feet more often lately…… What's more, he can even stand on the stool and observe me baking the pastries. What can I say…… weird things still happen on me even at this old age.

• ██ Year, 4th Month, 8th

Lately, I've been thinking how plausible it could be to teach A-Bing making pastries. Just in a week, he's been making progress from staring at me like a moron to helping me kneading greasy doughs. Though, he would sometimes eat the ingredients when I didn't notice, or wrap the filling with the wrong side of crust…… Dumb ass, how could you do it the wrong side after eating that many pastries.

I was feeling more satisfied comparing to the days when A-Yi left me. Is A-Bing a gift from heaven just for a lonely old man like me? I no longer care whether A-Bing is a yokai or not…… I spent all my pension and bought all ingredients A-Bind may need, and I've required the factory to routinely send materials here, only if A-Bing can live happily ever after. If this works, I will be a little more relieved when I go to see A-Yi, right?

Dr. Valentine (supervisor of the project) and Agent Pastoral has permitted SCP-ZH-618's specific requirements after a detailed discussion. The item required for the following resources:

• A set of heating oven for kiln baking
• Cooking equipment of baking
• A merchandise display cabinet with glass cover
• Materials for product packaging
• Ultraviolet sanitizer
• Hygiene assistance

On-site Director of Security has permitted the application after samples provided by SCP-ZH-618 are qualified as safe food.

Content of a recovered letter:

For my grandchild, A-Bing,

If you are reading this letter, that means you've found a good person to take care of you, right?

I must apologize to you…… I don't know how old A-Bing is, but I'm crystally clear that my life has come to the final mile.

If you go to the new home, you must behave well! No longer childish behaviors like we used to have before! Also, maybe you can try to bake a Sun Pastry for your new family? After all, my A-Bing is a private successor of Master Lin! I almost forgot to mention: I put the compensation of Brother A-Yi in an envelope under my rocking chair.

Now, you, the one who's reading my last words. Please hear to my plea: although my grandchild, A-Bing is not an ordinary kid, do take good care of him, please. He loves sweet stuff. If he's doing bad, you can also scold him once for a while. I believe you, who A-Bing chooses as the next caregiver, will surely be a warm, friendly person. I just count everything on you. Thank you.

I'm sorry, A-Bing…… My dearest grandchild.

There is no eternal accompany on this world, so A-Bing must learn to be brave. I know you can make it.

Yours ever
Grandpa