Blinky Galadrigal stared at his reflection in horror.

Two eyes. No tusks. No claws. No glorious basalt sheen.

"Half the perspective, double the blinking," he muttered.

A magical experiment had gone terribly wrong, leaving the troll scholar trapped in a human body. He adjusted his oversized glasses as a knock sounded.

"Enter, if you please!"

When his visitor arrived, Blinky gestured helplessly at himself.

"You'll forgive my... unconventional appearance? A minor mishap with a transmutative sigil."

His smile softened.

"I have studied humanity for centuries. I never realized how fragile it feels to be one."

A pause.

"Now, if you don't mind, I am in desperate need of tea."