"Well, while there's not all that much teaching per se to do - the basic idea's simple - you won't be able to practice at home so you might as well plan to stay here a while."

"Yeah," he says. "I'm learning the language but it's really weird. Probably easier to stay a while."

He sits down.

"Do you want to start with a fairylight or something else? They're very easy but maybe redundant."

"I think it depends on what other things there are?"

"Temperature stuff. Purifying water's easy. I found plant growth pretty easy but I'm a very planty fairy."

"I think purifying water would be good if I plan on staying in Fairyland for any extended period of time? Since it might have little bits of– stuff in it, otherwise. Food claims: beware and whatever."

"Yeah, that's the reason to do it. Do you have any with you?"

"Uh, yeah, but it should already be potable – I don't know what sorts of things this purifies out?"

He gets his water bottle out of his bag anyway.

"You can still use it as a target for practicing the spell even if it's already pure."

And she walks him through all the stupidly huge number of things about where he is and where the water is that affect how he will cast this spell on it.

He pays attention! He has a good memory, most of the time.

And then the spell form itself - that part is deceptively simple - and now he can just practice. Promise will hang out - she doesn't want to leave the gate standing open all the time. She has some paper to amuse herself.

He will practice! Rather diligently.

She'll sit here all day if he likes.

He has a break for food, but yes, he would like that.

"Is there a good way to know more exactly when you're going to want to come practice? You probably shouldn't be unsupervised in Fairyland but leaving the gate standing open isn't a good long term plan."

"I could have a look about getting you a clock, if you don't have one, and then we could arrange to meet at the same time each day? Or do you mean which days, because– probably most of them if you're okay with that."

"I don't have a clock. I will want occasional skip days to do things like go to a library - it's far away - but otherwise this is fine."

He nods. "Okay then – you don't have electricity, as far as I know, right? If I get one with batteries it should be okay but they'll need replacing every so often; I don't know about mechanical ones."

"Well, I don't know either. We don't have electricity."

"… Batteries should be okay, I'm pretty sure batteries are a thing in this mortal world and I'm sure I can find a– battery clock somewhere." After fumbling with the language. Or something. Ugh. He can deal.

"Okay."

He gets up. "That's probably it for today, then? Thanks," he says, smiling.

"See you tomorrow."

Through the gate he goes.

He's back the next day, as expected, with a battery-powered clock and some batteries.