#c:lancaster

Stinkey

Excellent question, and one I've not thought of yet, so let's shop it out!

I think the biggest control for fae foods making their way into our world is simply who can travel here- I don't know the specifics (there likely aren't any,) but only folks with the magic and the know-how to purposefully come here can make it, bit of a "one direction is easier than the other" thing, you know? That said, I think it only makes sense that a fae critter with devious- or simply mischievous- intent COULD bring items, including food, here.

What happens if someone here were to eat said food? Well... an earlier idea I had for Lena was that she was transformed into a fae critter by doing exactly that, sort of a Spirited Away situation, right? "Don't eat offered food in the faewild" is kind of one of those classic Fantasy Laws, and I always like finding ways and explanations for those things in my own work.

I think the same could still apply, but I also think it's probably VERY varied- maybe the intent behind the food matters in this case- if it's something a mortal just stumbled across, it might not do anything but, y'know, taste pretty good! But if the intent was for the food to be transformative, to be fattening, to have any number of effects on the poor soul who consumed it, well... cursed items are cursed no matter how they're obtained, right?

Also, further addressing the whole merchant thing: what’s the funniest customer he had done business with?

Lancaster is indeed a merchant! Or, more accurately- he's the fae equivalent of one, which is to say he's somewhere between a shady merchant and an outright djinn.

He specializes in offering mortals goods and services that speak to their hearts- items they've most desired, things of sentimental or aspirational value- of course, what the "customer" doesn't know is that these things are almost always "cursed" in some way- usually resulting in said customer taking on a new form... but always a form that, deep down, they wanted desperately.

So he's a bit of a contradiction, yeah? He's a shady, stinky fella who is sketchy as they come... but at the end of the day, he's probably the most customer-friendly magical businessman you could hope to encounter!