Microscopic Swarm

Cowards Cry / 14

"Come on, you can't hide under there forever" Gwess said, sitting on the stool and reading a magazine.

Poking your head out from under the bed frame, you looked around the small cell, "Is she gone?".

"Yes, and she's been gone for hours now" Gwess huffed in amusement, looking back at her magazine, "So, why are you hiding from her? Got a crush and you're scared?".

"No" you groaned, sitting on her bed with your head in your hands, "You've got a stand, haven't you? How...how do you cope with it?".

Eyebrow curling up curiously, Gwess lowered her magazine and looked at your slumped body, "Hm? Elaborate a bit".

"How do you cope with it?" You repeated, "Do you have full control over it? Or does it act alone? Does it mess with your head?".

"You are so confusing" She groaned, twirling in her seat to face you, "My stand does as I please, it's as easy as that. Why, does your stand do its own thing?".

"I don't know" you mumbled, "Ever since I got this power, I've only hurt people with it. I was never this aggressive before. Sure, I had bad thoughts just like everyone, but I never acted on it".

"Ah, so getting a stand has boosted your confidence?" Gwess asked with a smirk, but her smirk turned into a frown at your reply.

"No" you answered gravely, "It's...it's so frustrating! I feel like a little kid again! Any and all confidence I had is gone, I'm scared all the time! Whenever I'm angry or scared, my power acts on my darkest thoughts. I would never do such things to people, but my stand acts on them without my control".

"Can you repress your stand now?" Gwess asked seriously, making you peer up at her and nod, "Then stop being so pathetic. They act on your desires because it's a representation of you. You aren't a saint, everyone is rotten to some degree...what was your social life like in school or work?".

Annoyed, you looked back at the ground, "Well, I had a few friends, but I didn't click with them".

"Define 'click'" she said, her focus entirely on you.

"You know! We didn't understand each other!" You argued back, your tone changing into defensive anger.

"And did you talk to them about it? Did you do anything about it?" She pressed, much to your dismay.

"No...but-!".

"There are no 'buts'" Gwess interrupted, "You lacked the ability to talk about your issues, therefore leading to you keeping your true feelings inside, your feelings of anger and loneliness".

Again, you felt tears slip down your face as the truth was slapped in your face. Kneeling down in front of you, Gwess took your hands as she looked up into your sad eyes.

"Y/n" she spoke softly, "Everyone feels angry, and everyone feels upset. Some more than others...you're a sensitive girl who never found her place - and that's okay. It's okay to run away and hide, and it's okay to fight it head-on. But whatever you do, you can't keep it all to yourself, or you'll lose yourself to your own madness".

Standing up, Gwess looked down at the top of your head, "Do you know why I was imprisoned? It's because I tried killing someone by burning down their house. I was overwhelmed by anger, and look where it got me. A stand is the physical manifestation of our fighting spirit, which usually leads to them fulfilling the desires we physically can't".

Tilting your head up, your wet eyes looked into Gwess' sympathetic ones, "Y/n" she spoke softly, "Go see the doctor. I'm sure she can give you some anti-anxiety meds. Maybe then you'll feel more in control".

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Sat in front of the nurse, you ran your thumb over the smooth surface of your fingernail, "So um...yeah...that's why I'm here" you said bashfully, looking at her knees as you avoided eye contact.

With a hum, the nurse squinted her eyes as she placed her pen on her lips. With a sharp inhaled, she turned in her chair and started typing on her keyboard, "Okay hun. So you want some diazepam for your anxiety and low mood?".

"Um...yeah?" You said, feeling a bit defensive from feeling so exposed.

"Well" she sighed, still typing and clicking her mouse, "We can't do that for you, too many druggies in here. If you so desperately want them pills, you'd have to be taken to the psych ward".

Eyes widening slightly in fear, you quickly swallowed and kept your cool, "So...what can I do?".

"Have you tried a hot bath and a cup of tea? Maybe try listening to your favourite song, or try yoga?" She smiled, twirling in her seat to face you again as she crossed one leg over the other.

Feeling your face drop, you huffed as you stood up, "You're as good as a school counsellor, and do you think I'm gonna get a bath in a prison?" you said, turning on your heel to leave the room, leaving her behind your back.

"Well, we are all trained the same. You'll just have to wait a few years till your released" she laughed, her eyes slanting maliciously as she quietly hid under the bed you had been previously sat on. A stand disc popped out of her head, landing in her now dark-skinned hand.

Under the bed was a priest, a transformation stand disc in his hand as he pulled out White Snake.

"But Y/n" a deep voice said elegantly, making you turn around in shock and face the stand floating a meter away from you, "You helped Jolyne defeat Foo Fighters, didn't you? I've seen how you fight, and I've seen how you've been avoiding Jolyne".

Frozen, your jaw slacked as your lips parted in shock. Where the hell did this stand come from? And who's is it?

"Hold on...no, you didn't defeat Foo Fighters. You fainted and had Ermes defend your body until you were transported to the medical wing. Even then, you woke up and didn't seek them out to apologise. You went back to your cell and hid from them all...How about you work for me instead? If you immobilise Jolyne, I promise you a quiet life, all you have to do is say yes" the stand monologued, raising his hand for you to take.

Reigning in your shock, you fought hard to keep yourself composed, "...Tell me your name" you said, your voice as hard as stone, matching your hard features.

"I figured we should get to be in each other's company before revealing information like that" he said, floating closer to you, "Revealing sensitive information such as one's name isn't wise in a prison".

"You know my name" you argued, your foot standing behind the other and you slowly scooted closer to the door behind you, "How am I supposed to trust you if I don't know yours?".

He stayed staring quietly, his warped eyes looking down into yours as his frown stayed on his lips, "You are a prisoner with a rough group of connections, it would keep me safe if you didn't know".

As his hand raised higher, you felt yourself grow slightly nauseous as two discs left your head, half of the discs still inside your head as you stared at the stand blankly.

"It's clear you don't trust me, so I'll just have to take the blessings you shouldn't have been granted!" He yelled, reaching forward to grab the discs.

Everything was foggy - your vision blurred as the purplish-white hand stretched towards your face. Were you even conscious? You couldn't tell, control over your body leaving you as you stared at your death.

Looking into your glazed eyes, White Snake reached for your stand disc, only for your leg to shoot up and kick his hand away. Stunned, White Snake couldn't recover from the surprise attack in time as your body twisted, rushing out of the door after slamming it open.

You weren't conscious, yet your stand acted upon what your mind couldn't make you do. Attack and run.