You're not okay. Are you?

It hasn't been easy for you, the only good thing in your life right now is your mentor who shows you more kindness than your entire family.

With your biological father deeming you a failure and then going off and dying, your siblings calling you crazy for your dreams and inventions, and your mother getting upset with your experiments messing up the house, you were thrust into Alva's hands.

You felt horrible too, your mentor, who had never known how to care for anyone else, was the textbook definition of a hermit. Except for rare conventions, a cat, and speaking with you, he was a major shut-in.

---------------------------------------------------

Knocking on the door, the winter air was cold and biting at your ankles, threatening to infect your immune system. You had your arms across your chest as you were underdressed for this type of weather.

Of course, it's not like you had time to get dressed, one of your experiments had blown up the washroom and you were kicked out until it was repaired, which could be weeks. In the winter.

You went to the only person you could think of, Alva. When he opened the door to your cold and semi-soaked form he ushered you inside. "Come in, you'll catch your death out here. I'll start a fire and get a change of clothes."

Alva didn't even ask what had happened. He saw distress and discomfort and set about fixing what he could. He made haste too, back in a matter of moments after you sat down on the floor by the fireplace, Alva knelt, setting a folded stack of fresh clothes by you.

Silently, he lit a match and lit the wood he placed in the fire, in moments it was alight, a stark contrast to the harshness of the snow. He stood up to make tea and left you alone as a silent indication to change your clothes.

By the time he was done and you had changed, Alva sat on the floor by you, not worried about the dirty clothes and handed you a cup of tea. "You won't tell me, that I know, I'm still inclined to ask."