Tap. Tap. Tap.

This was the worst punishment Vokon could have gotten. It wasn't even his fault.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

He looked outside of the window at the parking lot. Looked around his cubicle at the gray walls, the wired phone, and the boxy computer. His was the only undecorated cubicle, no pictures of family or friends, no things strewn around the desk, he knew he couldn't be staying long enough to care.

Tap. Tap. T-

He dropped his pencil. Rolled his eyes, too lazy to pick it up. It wasn't his fault. The Demon King had banished him from the world, sending him to a tiny blue and green planet called Earth. He hated it here. Everything was gray, everyone looked tired, and no one did anything interesting. He was sent to a small company that sold office supplies and was supplied with an apartment by the King and was not told when he could come home. He didn't even commit something bad, like treason, but being the King's nephew comes with more punishments and less perks. Apparently, he was "out of control," "a menace to the city of Bognor," and "making the royal family look bad". After he had gotten into a street fight with a couple of harpies, he was cursed to live here.

He looked at the clock. Thirteen minutes until five. He hated how he couldn't leave until a certain time. It made him feel small, like a sheep that needed to be herded. He couldn't even be in his actual state of being, he had to look and act like a human. He went for average. He was 5'9, brown hair and eyes, and had gone under the name of Mitch Howard. His life was painfully boring.

"Mitch, did you get the sales report?" His annoyingly cheerful coworker, Josh.

Mitch sighed, "Yeah, I did."

"Great! Now everyone who needs it has it!"

"Mhm." Usually, he would go away after a brief conversation consisting mostly of Josh talking and Mitch responding in one word. This time though, Josh stepped into the cubicle, clearly excited.

"So, I'm having like a chill, get together over at my place, and I'm inviting a bunch of people from here! So, you want to come? It's today around 6 or 7."

"Ugh, I don't know. Maybe? I might have plans tonight."

"Ooh, hot date?"

"Sure, let's say that." If a hot date was sitting on the couch eating Fruity Pebbles and looking through the endless boring shows on Netflix, then yes, he did have a hot date.

"Okay! let me know if any plans change!"

"Will do."

He glanced over at the clock. Five! Quickly grabbing his coat, he almost jogged the half mile back to his apartment. Running up the stairs and opening the door, kicking off his shoes, and finally. He transformed back into his actual self. He grew a foot taller; his skin turned a deep red with his black tattoos appearing again, and his hair got longer and turned into a silvery white color. He felt astronomically better, it was exhausting keeping up the human disguise. He went to go fix himself a bowl of Fruity Pebbles, the only thing good about Earth, until he heard a knock on the door, and then Josh's voice.

"Hey, Mitch! You forgot your sales report so I'm just bringing it over! We live in the same apartment complex, did you know?"