"That's probably fine but you'd be safer adding an adjective if you're going to go around talking to people who've never met another leaflet before. But if this is new to you what do you do?"

"We use nicknames, like I said. It works fine where I'm from."

"...Maybe I should be asking where you're from."

"Qu- an autumn afternoon forest."

"An autumn afternoon forest. Does it... become an autumn nighttime forest and then an autumn morning forest?"

"Once in a while it'll do a daycycle, yes."

"...I am not even sure what kind of solar system could have such a planet."

"It isn't a planet."

"I have never heard of wherever you're from."

"I've heard of the mortal world but not of your kind of fairy."

"Well, how about this. I'll show you a map and tell you about the locals and you can tell me about your magic not-planet and how leaflets work. Sound good?"

"Sounds good."

"Well, so you're closest to Chequy Tower, which has open borders with most other nearby fae settlements and loves tourists. If you're just visiting, all they ask is that you not steal anything or break anything or try to kidnap anyone or defraud anyone. If you buy property there or stay more than a year and a day, you will have to pay taxes and follow some additional laws. And... I've got a big map inside if you feel safe coming in?"

"Shouldn't I?"

"Uh, I'm not going to hurt you and there's no real reason I would but in some places it's conventional to be wary of strangers' houses and territories and if you're in one of those places it's also conventional not to invite people in, and this isn't one of those places but I don't know what to expect from you."

She tries to make an unobtrusive little fairylight, somewhere beyond him so she can see it and he can't.

This works as normal.

"I'll come in."

In the room immediately inside there's a wooden table, a vase with flowers, a television set, some cabinets, and a big poster on one wall displaying a regional map, with Chequy Tower near the north edge, with settlements shown west and south of it. The whole east edge of the map shows a forest and arrows pointing off the poster labeled "to Vanera" and "to Sarvon".

He has things to say about the various fae settlements shown. "This one's nice, they've got a garden theme going on and sometimes they rent the place as a setting for movies, but the laws are pretty draconian and I wouldn't want to live there. This one is weird people with human pets or something, a friend of my cousin lives there. This one's really big, thousands of fae, amazing library, famous university, they have this system where you have to pay to visit but they'll pay you back if you don't break any laws while you're there. This one is honestly kind of terrifying..."

"Human pets," she remarks neutrally in case that elicits more detail.

"It's not my thing at all so I don't know. I hope they're well-treated but then I would hope that, wouldn't I." He almost doesn't sound bitter. Almost.

"Would you particularly? Is that to do with being a changeling?"

"People say so, anyway. I don't know. I think some people come out of it hating them and I kind of do too so maybe that's just a stereotype. But there are some things you can do in a human lifetime and it seems like a waste if they just spend decades being miserable and then die."

Nod nod. "What's terrifying about the terrifying one?"

"Really concerning legal system, mostly. Plus not very much actual concern for... the things I personally think a legal system is for. So, you could easily end up spending entire centuries in a dungeon, but I believe they actually had a murder there once."