Disclaimer: I do not own any of the SCP Foundation Mythos or any of its characters. This story is written purely for enjoyment. No profit is being made.
Author's Note: The intercom message regarding SCP-131 is borrowed from the "SCP-131 (The Eye Pods) illustrated" video.
It was a normal day at the SCP Foundation facility, or at least as close to normal as such a place could ever get. There were no containment breaches, no unusual behaviour from any of the strange, anomalous entities that resided there, whether or not by choice, and no emergencies of any kind. As such the various scientists, security personnel and Agents were going about their regular daily tasks with a slightly relaxed air.
SCP-999, also known as the Tickle Monster, slithered through the stark, utilitarian corridors of the facility, eagerly looking for someone to play with. It had ran into a few Agents and tickle wrestled with them, but they had only been able to play for a few minutes before leaving. All of them had apologised, saying that they had work they needed to catch up on. SCP-999 didn't mind; despite its young age it knew how important the work its friends did was. That was why it always tried to cheer them up whenever it could. Well that and playing with them was fun of course. It paused and looked up as a voice came over the intercom.
"Attention to all staff, please be aware of SCP-131 today. After an accidental encounter with SCP-999 this morning, they are extremely energetic and are moving around the facility at very high speeds. Security are currently trying to contain them for a 'cool down' period. If you do see them, please leave ample room for them to pass you so you don't risk a sprained ankle. Thank you."
SCP-999 gurgled happily at the mention of its new friends. Playing with the Eye Pods, as they were also known, had been a lot of fun. It hoped they could all play together again soon.
Just then it stopped as it abruptly sensed something. Someone nearby was in pain and deeply sad. SCP-999 gurgled again, this time lower and softer, then immediately set off again, sliding down the corridors as fast as it could move. Whoever the person was it wanted to help them. They needed a friend.
The room was empty save for a chair and a desk upon which lay an open chalk-white drawing pad. Upon the top page was a fifteen centimetre black and white drawing of a young woman clad in a summer dress and with long hair worn in a ponytail. She was huddled into a ball and sobbing uncontrollably, monochrome tears flowing down her pretty face. For this drawing was alive.
SCP-085, or Cassy as she preferred to be called, had believed herself to be fully human. Only recently had she learned the truth about herself and it had utterly devastated her.
A researcher had come into the room where she had been answering questions from a professor and had placed an innocuous-looking piece of paper onto the desk. Curious, she had transferred herself over and started reading only to find that it was a report of the containment procedures needed for her, including a full description of what she truly was.
I'm not even real she thought miserably. I'm just a drawing. Not real at all.
She wondered what the SCP Foundation would do now. Throw me in a fire I suppose. After all it's not like anyone would miss me. I'm just a drawing.
A faint sound reached her ears. She stopped crying and lifted her head as she tried to make out what it was. It sounded like a soft squelching. With growing trepidation Cassy stood up and looked fearfully at the door. She couldn't see anything unusual but the squelching was coming from there. It was then joined by another sound, that of a high-pitched gurgling and cooing noise.
The floor… It's coming across the floor she realised.
Her eyes bulged as something rose up into her field of vision. It was an amorphous blob of gelatinous orange slime, its surface rippling faintly. As she stood frozen with fear the blob formed itself into a dome-like shape. Still gurgling and cooing, it leaned forwards and peered down at her.
Cassy screamed in terror.
SCP-999 gurgled in relief as it managed to squeeze the last of itself under the door. It had been a tight fit even with its malleable body but it had managed to get inside. Now it could cheer up the sad person. Except there was nobody there. For a moment SCP-999 looked around the room in puzzlement, its gurgling growing quieter. Then it realised that the sadness it was sensing was coming from the desk in the middle of the room.
Curious, it slid across the floor and up onto the chair. It looked down at the desk and saw a drawing pad laying there. On the paper was a drawing of a young woman that was moving, her wide eyes looking up at it.
Another SCP to befriend. Wonderful! It cooed eagerly. The drawn girl responded by throwing her arms up and opening her mouth wide but it couldn't hear anything. She then began running all across the page.
SCP-999 paused briefly as it wondered how to have a tickle fight with a drawing. Then it resumed cooing as it reached out with a pseudopod, making it finer and narrower as it neared the surface of the paper.
"Help! Someone help me! It's going to eat me!" Cassy screamed in terror as she ran frantically across the plain white surface. A small part of her mind that was still thinking rationally knew it was pointless to cry for help since nobody would be able to hear her, but she couldn't help herself. Her terror intensified as she saw that the blob was reaching towards her with a thin tendril. Horrifying scenarios filled her mind as she imagined the paper she inhabited being absorbed and digested.
The tendril followed her around for a moment before catching up with her. It lightly touched her stomach and began moving up and down rapidly. At once Cassy began to giggle. She stopped running and laughed harder as a giddy euphoria came over her, all fears and sadness melting away. The feeling of joy only increased as the tickling continued.
SCP-999 gurgled in delight. While it wasn't quite a full tickle fight, it was still fun and most importantly the drawn girl was feeling better.
The door opened and in walked a Foundation scientist, Dr Young. She was a tall Caucasian woman with shoulder-length dark brown hair and green eyes.
"Good day Cassandra" she said. "I hope you are feeling… What? SCP-999, what are you doing here?"
SCP-999 hopped off of the chair, slithered over and greeted her with an enthusiastic bout of tickle wrestling. She laughed happily.
"Yes I'm glad to see you too SCP-999" she managed to say between giggles. "I'd like to play with you some more but I need to talk to SCP-085."
SCP-999 pointed one of its pseudopods at the table. She nodded. "I see you've met her. Please wait in the corner a moment."
The little blob obliged and she walked over to the desk. {Good day Cassandra} she wrote on the pad.
"Hello Dr Young" Cassy replied, moving her hands in the corresponding sign language as she spoke.
{How are you feeling?}
"Much better. I think the orange blob did something when it tickled me."
{Wait, SCP-999 was able to physically interact with you?} Dr Young wrote in astonishment.
"Yes. I was scared when I first saw it but now I think it's really nice."
{Remarkable. Tell me all about your interaction with SCP-999.}
"Sure."
Dr Young delivered a full report of the incident to the 05-Council, describing how SCP-999 had been able to not only sense SCP-085's emotional state but also to effect said emotional state in the same manner as it did humans. The discovery that SCP-999's ability to bring joy could effect a non-biological life-form that occupied a 2D world was of great interest to the 05-Council. After some review they approved letting SCP-999 visit SCP-085 regularly to observe if it could treat her depression.
Sure enough it did exactly that. While she was still lonely, being the only one of her kind, Cassy's depression faded and her outlook on life became far more positive. For its part SCP-999 was of course happy to help its new friend despite their ability to interact being limited.
A few months later Cassy was driving her Ford Mustang around a drawing of a highway when the door to her containment facility opened and Dr. Young entered. She parked her car and stepped out.
{Good day Cassandra} Dr Young wrote.
"Hello Dr Young."
SCP-999 slithered onto the chair and rose up into Cassy's view, making its usual happy coos and gurgles. She giggled and said "hello to you too SCP-999." The little blob cooed with greater excitement as if it had heard her words despite them being inaudible.
Dr Young watched and took careful notes as SCP-999 extended a pseudopod and tickled Cassy's stomach, making her hunch over with laughter. After a few moments she signed "stop" and SCP-999 obliged.
{I have a few tests I'd like to run} Dr Young wrote on the paper. {But first SCP-999 has a present for you Cassy.}
"A present?"
{That's right. SCP-999 drew this for you.} She smiled as she recalled picking up SCP-999 for the session. The little blob had pointed with one of its tendrils at a piece of paper on a nearby desk. Another researcher had told her that the little blob had gotten hold of some crayons and used them to draw on the paper. Intrigued, she had decided to bring it to SCP-085. One of the benefits of being authorised personnel she thought as she placed the paper onto the desk.
Curious, Cassy transferred over to it. She found herself on another white plane like the one she'd just exited but this one was full of multicoloured squiggles. To her of course they appeared as solid threads suspended in mid-air. As she made her way through the squiggly lines she found that amazingly, SCP-999 had managed to leave enough room for her to clamber around them without getting stuck.
Cassy smiled. "I love it. Thank you SCP-999" she said.
SCP-999 gurgled happily and bounced up and down on the chair, delighted that its friend liked her present.