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"I don't think Kaa-san would send Hana and Garrick," Shiro mused. "She's already teaching them herself, and Tou-san can teach them things about this world ... though I'm sure they would probably fit in better than the rest," he added quickly, agreeing with Lin's suggestion. "And for Faith and Hope it would make sense, Baa-san is still the headmistress and all ... but Kaa-san just wasn't brought up in such a culture."

He shook his head. "She didn't even feel right sending the rest of us, I think. She just did because she couldn't keep up with our education."

At least, that was how he felt.

Ura laughed at Miyuki. "I could tell you, but it wouldn't make any sense to you," he grinned. "It's technology, something you're probably not going to see a whole lot of in your life. So don't worry too much about it."

Shiro nodded. "Yeah, I think that goes for most of the family, though. We all stay as close as we can to home until there's something we can't learn here."

He grinned. "Except for you, that is."

Ura chuckled at Miyuki and nodded. "Hai, that's a good way of looking at it," he agreed. "That's one of the things that makes our world so different from Earendil's. They don't have any of that stuff there. It's not a bad world, though. Just inconvenient sometimes."

"You can say that again," Shiro murmured softly, almost wistfully.

He would love to be able to stay in Arda for long periods of time, but his work here required his attention - especially after her had invested so much money and so many home improvements towards it. He simply couldn't stay gone for longer than a few years in Arda at a time.

Ura blinked at Miyuki, smiling bemusedly. "You know," he murmured, "you're so much like your mother sometimes it's scary."

He flicked one ear and reached to take the tablet away from her - since she seemed to have forgotten it was even in her hands, and it was an incredibly expensive and sophisticated piece of equipment.

"So, how's your father doing?" he asked conversationally, hoping the question would distract her from the tablet.

"Count me in," Shiro replied without hesitation. "There is no way I'm letting a trip like this happen without me! I'll take my tablet with me, it's solar powered for the most part, so I don't have to worry about it dying on me. And then I can get some of my other work done."

He muttered something about encryption software under his breath.

Ura flicked one ear. "I think we're going with you," he commented. "That's what Shiro's thinking, anyways."

He looked over his shoulder at his other half, then looked back at Miyuki. "Yeah, we're going with you."

Shiro grinned. "Good. Then I'll finish this program before we leave, and then I'll only have one left to do while we're there. Ura ..."

He turned towards Ura, and seeing that he was distracted he reached out and plucked his tablet from his hands.

"Hey!" Ura protested, but Shiro shook his head.

"I need to work," he said flatly. "All you do is play on it."

It looked as if Kaito had fallen asleep, curled up in a ball, his wings over his head, but he spoke up then, lifting one wing slightly so he could see out from under it.

"What are you planning on doing until the next trip, Lin?" he asked.

"Well, it's good to give something to the people that you love," Shiro grinned at Miyuki. "And you love your ada, right? Just like he loves you, and your mommy loves you. I'm sure that whatever you pick out, your ada will love it."

He didn't bother asking what it was that Lin had for Earendil. He would find out soon enough, he was sure, and if not well then it wasn't his business anyways.

"Well, it's understandable that he can't," Shiro pointed out. "It's one thing for us to go there, we don't miss much of what's going on here. But for someone from there to come here? They could visit for a few days and miss a year of their life. Not to mention, he did promise Aunt Luthien that he would never come through the portal."

He smiled at Miyuki. "And I think that's a great idea, Earendil really likes music. Make sure it's a good tune, eh?"

Shiro chuckled. "Yes, best give him a chance for that while you can. She'll grow again before long, I wager."

Well he wouldn't wager for real, it wouldn't be fair on his part.

"At any rate, let me know a few days before you head off again so that I can get ready," he grinned. "Take care!"