Quiet.

A day to herself... No Alli... no distractions... no snakes. All should have been well, peaceful even... but she'd had that dream again. A primal roaring in her ears. Blood...everywhere. Running, but not being able to run fast enough. Being stuck in permanent slow motion. And the lion was on her heels. The gorgon shuddered against the table she had chosen. Her food long since abandoned. Her appetite had died before it had even really started up. Tired orange eyes stared down at the floor beneath her, where limp greenish blue toes peeked out from inside her sandals.

Sleep was no longer welcome in her mind, not when it brought with it such vivid nightmares. Andrea shifted slightly, lifting her forehead from her arms, and stared down at her hands. Hands that were dressed in simple latex gloves- like always. Hands that connected to arms, arms which were spotted with black and green. Arms that had gained mass, but not muscle. She crossed those arms, her arms, over her chest and leaned into them. Her weight on her elbows... She felt thicker. Her ribs were no longer pronounced... her hips were no longer jutting and painful to some eyes. She was squishy, and she didn't fit into her own clothing. Those same tired orange eyes lifted and focused on her plate. Slices of fruit and bread... things that were simple to eat, yet she had barely touched them.

She saw movement from the corners of her eyes, and dipped her head again, reaching for her glasses while she did so. The glasses would cover up the shadows under her eyes, as well as protect others from her power. After slipping the shades on, she pushed her plate away and ran her hands through her hair. Gloved fingers lingering over the stitches still in her scalp, before she settled them against the back of her neck. It was going to be a long day... and it was only two thirty three in the afternoon.

"My-oh-my-oh-my-oh-my what have we here?" The curious crouton craving creature cackled as he creeped carefully into the cafeteria of a certain charitable venue known by many as the Sanctuary.

While stuck on the subject of C's such a surreal sight invaded his prying peepers. Was that a beast of myth he saw? One wonderful being known, and feared by that name, as a gorgon of Greek legend?! NO!

Or, rather... Yes. Could he smile, he would, but alas, he could not! So, instead. Roach simply had to take a better look.

BUT FIRST!

...

Croutons.

He skittered on up to the salad bar, took all of the croutons, placed a ladle on his head like a hat, bowed to the cooks, and skittered on to a table, where he ate, his eyes fixed on a certain green girl... She seemed not to have much of an appetite... Was she daydreaming? Perhaps about turning whole villages to stone with her terrifying sight?! My-oh my-oh my! This was unbelievable!

He'd studied them- The ancient terrors- The Gorgons! Back when he had tasty pink flesh and a mind that "made sense"(Gross, right?), he had opted to act in a production placed in Greek myth, with the magical and monstrous Medusa as the starring role!

He finished his croutons. He grabbed a paper. He opened it. He stood. He placed it in front of his face. He shuffled silently over. He put his back to the edge of the table she sat at. He leaned back. His back became a canoe, and his legs paddled him across the table's surface until he reached her, pushing off every plate his back met across the way, and causing a terrible mess. He looked over to her through his held up paper(he couldn't see her, it was in the way), and spoke as if nothing was abnormal, or out of place. "I'm a fan." He said in a very calm voice.

How would the monster respond?

Her quiet contemplation shattered when something bumped into her table, or rather, onto it. The Greek raised her eyes, squinting through her lashes as the shape that was propelling himself across the table toward her. It was... a beetle? ... a shelled insect.

A roach.

"...what the..?" People scrambled back with mumbles and grumbles, a few barely managing to catch their plates before the giant bug knocked them off into the floor. Those who had been sitting near her up and left, as well as a handful of people within the room. Apparently there weren't a fan of it.

>>"I'm a fan"

...but apparently it was a fan of her. This positively confused the Greek. "...P-pardon?" She blinked at the giant bug mutant, wondering halfheartedly if she had fallen asleep at the table, and pushed herself back onto her seat so that she was farther away from him. Sloth angled an Orange eye the bug's way, looking about as interested as a snake can. "... Do I know you?" She asked, leaning down slightly in an attempt to peek under his newspaper.

She inquired about their level of acquaintance. He always thought it a strange question to ask. Why would you ask someone else if you knew them? If you looked at them, and had no clue who they were, would it not be obvious in most cases that you didn't know them? He considered slapping this woman. He folded his paper in front of him, set it to the side, lifted up his hand, and by the time it got nice up and high, the urge had faded away. Instead, and leveled it with her, and held it out to shake.

"No you do not, but I know you. Not by name, of course, but by character. I must say I'm a fan of your work!" His antennae bent over and lay flat above his eyes, lifting and falling, as if they were waggily eyebrows.

He then shifted to a sitting position on the table, eyeing her closely for a moment. "Tell me, I am curious as to your experiences in juxtaposition to my own, how does it feel to be a monster?"

He leaned forward, and placed his elbows on his knees, plopping his chin into his hands. His focus was wholly on her, awaiting her answer with the utmost interest.

She stared at the offered... hand, for a second before reaching out hesitantly to shake it. What on each did he possibly mean, by saying that he was a fan of her work?

Perhaps he had seen her when she worked at the floral shop, and was referencing her stone flowers? ...She could think of nothing else, that he'd have seen. "...Thank you.." Highly confused, she withdrew her gloved hand and folded it neatly with it's twin in her lap.

"Tell me, I am curious as to your experiences in juxtaposition to my own, how does it feel to be a monster?"

He may as well have slapped her. His words stung more than his hand ever could have. Andrea was mightily caught off guard, not only by his question but also by the way he had asked it. Like it was a completely normal query, and not rude in the slightest. She stared at him for a few moments, almost unbelieving, while her subconscious jumped at the chance to point it's finger at her and scream SEE! SEEE!!

"Excuse me?... I am not a monster!"

She had spent too many nights staring at her ceiling trying to convince herself that that very statement was true, to have some... bug.. wander over and call her one to her face. Even if she feared it was true...

"Excuse me?... I am not a monster!" What was this?! The perfect picture of the petrifying greek gorgon seemed somewhat offended by his acceptably abrasive yet accurate assessment of her appearance.

In short, she didn't like him calling her a monster! Now this was strange! Strange indeed! Perplexed, the giant cockroach sat up straight, tilting his buggy little head to the side just a little, and speaking in a slow, measured tone.

"Not... A... Monster..." He crossed his legs, and folded his arms, staring at the girl. "My dear. Have you looked in the mirror lately?"

The great big bug hopped nimbly from his seating, and paced around the gorganic young lady, sizing her up as he walked. "You must see what I refer to... The horrifying fangs, sharp tools meant for biting into prey, bleeeeeeeding it of it's lifeblood. The wiggly hair, almost... snakelike? The morbid green tint to the skin, like a corpse sitting in the sun." He stopped behind her, leaning in to whisper wistfully "You, madame, are quite the monster."

Her hackles rose. Sloth hissed as her stress levels rose. Had she looked in a mirror lately? Her lips drew out into a thin annoyed like, and she stiffened in her seat. He was mocking her. Pointing out the very obvious flaws in her appearance.

He continued, before she could fire something back at him. He pointed out her hair, her skin, her teeth.... apparently all signs of her monstrous nature. One gloved hand flew up to cover her mouth, more importantly her fangs and though he had left her field of vision, she could feel him circling around her.

Her snake curled tighter around her neck, but she ignored it for the time being. She was temporarily shocked into silence. Everything he had said... she had said to herself a thousand times. She had researched Gorgon's in her younger days, the Medusa. She lacked certain qualities that common mythology associated with the... monsters... but others she honestly couldn't hide from.

...and then there were the dreams. The garden and all of her... No. She shuddered, and slapped her palms down on the tabletop. "No!" Standing, she turned swiftly and faced him. "I am not a monster. I have seen monsters, and I am not like them!" Images flooded her mind, her parents, her friends.... Saph. What her dream self had done to them.

No... she was not like the Lion man.

"I will not stand here and be accused of something so horrible, by someone who does not even know me!" The white serpent shifted on her shoulders, hissing loudly once more.

Oh dear, did he seem to have the emerald hued beast at a certain loss for words? Joy!

Some part of him, not so deep down, was taking the utmost joy in the painful thoughts he could practically feel swimming about in her skull. He licked his chops at the exquisite imagery her mental anguish provided.

Her giant snake showed itself; dirty proof of the monstrosity before him. Joy indeed! He loved playing these little games. What was the world worth if you could not seek to better yourself through the deprivation of others. It was clear to anyone that this girl was sweet as pie, but he was more of a cake man himself. He marked this thought; if it was the last thing he did, he would turn this woman into the monster she appeared to be.

"There you go again, lying to yourself. There are many kinds of monsters out there, and you may not be like some of them, but you are your own special brand, you." He paused, and walked around her as her snake followed his every move. He took a set on the table once more, and eyed her sunglasses.

"Not... Particularly bright in this room, is it my dear? Forgive me for being blunt, but you don't strike me the primadonna type. One might come to the conclusion that you wear those glasses, either to protect yourself from prying eyes, or to protect the world from prying eyes of your own..."

He crossed his legs again, and took his previous laid back position. "You are right, though... I don't know you... Perhaps I could try, though? Tell me... what is your name?"

>>"There you go again, lying to yourself. There are many kinds of monsters out there, and you may not be like some of them, but you are your own special brand, you."

Her own special brand? She shivers, partially with anger... partially with fear. It was prodding into the depths of her fears... and she didn't like it. She felt like a cornered animal, ready to snap at any moment, or go running for the door. She had never felt such a wave of... hate before... Like she just wanted to... to..

>>"Not... Particularly bright in this room, is it my dear? Forgive me for being blunt, but you don't strike me the primadonna type. One might come to the conclusion that you wear those glasses, either to protect yourself from prying eyes, or to protect the world from prying eyes of your own..."

...To hurt him.

One hand reach up and gently touched the corner of her glasses. Gloved fingers hooking around the edge. She could so easily take them off and end the conversation. So easily... and yet, she knew she couldn't. It would only prove him right if she allowed her anger to overwhelm her better judgment.

>>"You are right, though... I don't know you... Perhaps I could try, though? Tell me... what is your name?"

The flood of mixed feelings shifted suddenly. She didn't know how to deal with this... big man. One moment he was stalking around her, the next he was politely asking her name. Some of the bubbling anger dissipated, and she was left trembling, and frightened. "...A.. Andrea..." She spat, her teeth still clenched, and she blinked. Why had she given him her name? She honesty didn't know.... perhaps it was due to the manners her parents had bred into her, that she had felt compelled to enlighten the man on who she was. He didn't deserve it, though. "...My name is Andrea."

She wouldn't know it, but a look of exquisite pleasure rushed over his features as her hand began to stray to the frame of her glasses.

Yes! Turn me to stone where I stand! He thought as he nearly drooled in anticipation, instead drooling in disappointment as her hand refused to remove them as she answered his question instead of turning him to stone.

Andrea was her name? Not as interesting a name as he'd have hoped for. He supposed it would have been too convenient for her to be named Medusa already.

Oh well, it didn't matter at all. He had to get home soon, and people were already filing out, as it was getting a little late for food time. He stood on the chair next to Andrea's

"Let me tell you, and anyone who will listen. I am a monster driven by compulsion. If I see something I want it is mine, If someone bothers me I eat them, If I want to break something, I will break it without hesitation... And compared to the type of monster you are, I am a saint.

"Do you know why, Andrea? The answer is simple... At least I am honest. When people see me, they run, or they don't bother me. You? You play innocent, act coy... One might even think you were a good person... You know better, though... My dear gorganic freak... Let me tell you which kind of monster you are..." He stepped down from the chair, his back to her, and turned slowly. "You are the most pathetic and cruel type of monster. The type that lies about it."

He reached over and grabbed his news paper from the table, giving her a swift nod. "Good day."

The giant cockroach then danced on out of the sanctuary, his day made jolly on the broken back of any joy one spotted green girl might have had remaining in her life. Maybe he would find a baby to steal some candy from; that was always fun.