He tilts his head. "Let you?"

"I do not know by what mechanism things are set square for the invitation and I'd be able to leave, what counts and what doesn't count. If nerdy herb knowledge doesn't count, what would?"

"—ah. There is not any... specific thing." He pauses, clearly trying to think about how to phrase something. "It needs to have been... worth the while? Of whoever accepted the invitation. Me, in this case. And I cannot trick the fairy ring any more than you can."

"Oh. That's... much less alarming, actually, I was worried it was stricter than that."

"Stricter how?"

"'Worth your while' is simpler than... I don't know, needing to give you something you didn't already have, or something precious to me. My firstborn or something, maybe."

"Well, not just for stepping into a fairy ring, no."

"Right. Only if I do something stupid, like ask for a boon without trying to figure out how to pay you first. Do questions and exchanges of knowledge not count as possible payment?"

"Not ordinary ones."

"So I can actually just go, 'Hey, how does this work, what do you want, what sorts of things would actually be helpful for a fairy.' Okay." She considers this, then smiles brilliantly at him. "Hi! How does this work, what do you want, and what sorts of things would be helpful for you?"

He laughs. "Isn't the guessing game part of the fun? Come, now, just coming over and making a deal like that, that's so transactional."

She snorts, amused. "You have clearly never worked in any kind of business, transactions can be quite fun to negotiate, if both parties are dealing in good faith."

"Good faith? What stories have you been told?" he asks, with a mischievous grin.

"Inconsistent ones! It's been very frustrating, actually."

"Or maybe it's just because the fae are inconsistent."

"Then I suppose that means the fae are very frustrating, doesn't it, aren't you glad I blamed the stories instead of your pedigree."

"I think my pedigree," he says, standing up and streeeeetching—that loincloth is not actually long enough for this movement to be anywhere near decent—"is doing just fine."

That earns an actual laugh out of her, and a faint coloring in her cheeks as she looks away.

"Suit yourself. Still trying to convince me to run away with you, I see."

"Just for one night, why not? By the light of the moon I'm sure your worries can fall away." He offers a hand.

"Sure they will. For that one night. And then that can lead to a surprise nine months later, sir, or other surprises I might not welcome, so no thank you."

"Nine months? Am I so charming that you expect to be tempted into having a child by me?"

"No, but it was the first example to come to mind of unintended consequences."

"...humans can have unintended children?"

"... Yes. There are, uh, certain acts that lead to children that they can avoid, but. Yes. One of the things humans most often come to me about is unintended or unwanted pregnancy."

"Well, sex with me won't cause any children by itself," he says, shrugging. "And sex is not the thing I have in mind for a night with you."