Repurposed appartment

[Louis Briggs]

Louis' eyes narrowed. He felt like telling Irelia that he hadn't created this mess of a situation they were in.
"Hello, sir, madam?" the operator on the other side if the line asked.
He gritted his teeth, before taking a deep breath. "Oh, thank all, she's alright," he said, doing his best to sound relieved. "I'm sorry," he continued, "False alarm."
"That's alright, sir, better we're not needed. Have a nice day."
Louis' expression turned stormy again as he disconnected the call. He'd held Irelia's pleading gaze the entire time. "We're getting that looked at," he told her, indicating her wound. "Today. Whenever you're ready."
He rose to his feet, gently helping her up and getting her a chair. "Did I... 'Zap' you just now?" he asked, referring to the earlier jolts he'd felt.

[Overseer]

She seemed relieved that he disconnected the call and sank back a little in his arms. "I think you did. My face feels a bit...strange." There was no blame in her eyes, only regret.
"That was stupid....I'm sorry. " She said as tears started rolling down het cheeks.
Her head turned away from Louis in shame.
"You must think I've gone nuts..." She said with a small voice.

[Louis Briggs]

Louis, who had turned around and was about to walk away, paused and looked at Irelia over his shoulder. "Well... Yeah," he said, after a moment of consideration. "But so am I for listening to you just now," he added, as he continued making his way to the kitchen, "So I guess that makes us even."
He paused again in the door opening and gave Irelia a stern look. "Don't get up."
He opened the refrigerator and, using what meat and cheese he could find, proceeded to make Irelia a sandwich, before pouring her a glass of orange juice.
When he returned, he offered her the food first and placed her drink on the table, before grabbing himself a chair and sitting down in front of her. "So," he said after a while, leaning slightly forward, "Do you think you've gone nuts?"

[Overseer]

With shaky hands she took the sandwich and took a small bite before she shrugged slightly. "Maybe.....I'm not sure....cutting your wrist for the sake of research and guilt....sounds pretty crazy."
Her blue eyes looked at Louis with a sadness that he could not completely place.
She looked away and took another bite. "I...." She wanted to say something but then reconsidered. Her healthy hand reached for the orange juice to drink it and when she had taken a sip she said. "I feel guilty for....first getting excited and not think about the implications for you. I am....." She swallowed.
"When I could not be busy with the artifacts these last months I dreamed about them. It's only because I couldn't get to the artifacts that I could let it go slightly, but now I am constantly thinking about them. Even when...Stan was there I was the one who had made many more breakthroughs than Tarsus has in the past. Not that I told Stan that." She managed a painful smile.
"That makes me.....the expert." Her smile faded and her sadness returns.
"And I can't stop....I don’t want to. Even though I know there might be a point where I...." She swallowed and didn't finish her sentence.
"I couldn't tell Ethan, or Nick, nor Isaac. I knew it wouldn’t change things. He, we need someone who can figure out this puzzle."

After her rambling she looked at Louis again. "I am going to make sure you will be okay...we will get a grip on this. I promise." She looked determined although her face was still looking quite pale.

[Louis Briggs]

Louis held Irelia's gaze for several seconds, before calmly reaching for her face. He stopped, reconsidered what he was doing, and dug into his pocket instead. He pulled out a handkerchief and dried her tears.
When he was done, he handed it to her and leaned back.
"No," he told her, in a tone as soft as the piece of cloth in her hands and as unyielding as the armor he wore.
She gave him a puzzled look.
"No," he repeated, folding his hands in his lap. "We are first going to make sure that you are okay. My worst case scenario, I have to wear gloves and a warning sign that says 'no petting'. Your worst case scenario, right now, you lose your mind, and I'd say your grip on your sanity isn't as strong as it once was."
There was no condemnation in his voice, only the kind of concern that came from friends.
"You said the artifacts affect our brains. That means we have to check ourselves regularly to make sure we're still us." He frowned, worried that his last words didn't make sense.

[Overseer]

It was as if for a moment she wanted to protest to what he said and opened her mouth but then closed it after noticing Louis's expression. Aftet thinking for a few seconds she nodded. "okay...." she replied to the statement Louis had made.
"I... Think I am myself. Tobias would have noticed if things were... Mystical. So it is probably just me. Little old silly me. " she gave Louis a warm smile as her cheeks got a bit more of the color back. " Thank you Louis.... Lindsey is a lucky woman to have you." she gave him a bright and genuine smile thst was reserved for friends you trusted.

. "I won't do this again, I swear." she gave him a serious look. "do you think.... We all need therapy?" she asked him with clear doubt in her voice

[Louis Briggs]

Louis thought about it for a moment. "Nah, I don't think that's necessary," he said, without looking Irealia in the eye, "But I've never been one for councelling."
Ethan had always been there when he needed advice, back in the day. He realized he'd come a long way since then.
He looked up and smiled at her. "I know a guy who went to a therapist on a regular basis, and he ended up with multiple personality disorder, but who knows? It might work for you." He extended his hand. "If not, you can always try me."
Irealia's smile brightened as she shook his hand. "Thanks."
He held her gaze for a moment, hesitating. He wondered who Tobias was, but decided not to ask right now.

[Overseer]

Irelia held his gaze for a moment and she smiled. "What do you offer, a personal trainer who can get me through tough times by making me hit a punching bag or a listening ear to a friend?" She asked half jokingly, not meaning to offend him.
"Just thank me after we made this gift of yours something you can use to change the world. " she said with a serious tone but with a happy smile. Her expression showed that she was feeling relieved.
Then a thought popped up in her head. "Should I tell Isaac...?"

[Louis Briggs]

... Change the world.
The words resounded in Louis head, causing his gaze to wander down.

"No," he replied, looking up at Irelia again, "I'd like to tell him myself." He thought about it for a moment. "But if you could find out just what it is that happened to me, I'm sure it'd be a relief for both of us."
He gave her a hopeful look.

[Overseer]

She slowly got up and nodded. "I will. I promise! " little wobbly on her feet she walked over to the workbench before she laughed and turned around. "You stil wanted to have me being looked at right?"
After taking a few steps toward him it was as if she froze for a second and stared at a point behind him before she shook her head and looked ar him with a weird expression.

After a short silence she said. "When Ethan meets Senator Hawke...be very careful...ok?" Her eyes looked away from his as she walked to the closet to get her coat.