15776/A Question in need of Research

A Question in need of Research
Date of Scene:	02 September 2023
Location:	Metropolis University
Synopsis:	Kelly comes to Audra with a question about her transformation and realizes maybe Magic is to blame, not genetics.
Cast of Characters:	Kelly Praetor, Audra Meridian

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Kelly Praetor has posed:
3 weeks since transformation.
2 weeks since saving herself.
1 week since the public learned what happened.

Today, Kelly woke to some very interesting news brought to her by Jessica Ridgeway, her lawyer. They had the results of her blood work and a LOT of analysis. No mutant gene. No change in her genome. No reason why she transformed. It was -baffling- to say the least. That's why she reached out to someone she had a passing relationship with from her alma mater.

<<Could you come to the Quad at Metro U? I want to pick your brain for some ideas. I'll bring lunch! Just tell me what you want.>>

Now, Kelly Praetor was waiting at a table with some shade, not far from the fountains, waiting with lunch and a small cooler. Probably with drinks. Despite the summer weather, she's still in a hoodie, hood up, with jeans. If Audra had watched the news or been on Social Media at ALL lately, they would know the claws Kelly can't really hide belong to her.

Audra Meridian has posed:
As luck would have it that's a connection that's easily made. A good deal of the field work she does is for either the University or STAR Labs, for the nerds that would rather play in their pristine labs instead of facing the dangers of the natural world. Besides, she still has family in Metropolis. So it's not hard to catch her with an opening to come down to her old collegic stomping grounds.

Eventually Audra saunters up and grabs a chair for herself. "Food and a mystery, you know how to get a gal's attention," she greeted Kelly with her usual vigor. She was dressed in her usual (non-superhero) work clothes, with the worn jeans and leather blazer that have probably seen just as much chaos as the weather rig. The t-shirt under the jacket is likely one she got from Misty, as the graphic of a cartoony tornado is accompanied by the text 'Twister Sister'."

Kelly Praetor has posed:
"Mm, well, I'm trying to learn how to live a -very- new life, Audra. I appreciate you coming out though, I feel like you were always in the field instead of in the class room around here," Kelly offers, a fairly different set of eyes looking up at her from under the hood. She looks a little warm, but the fetched bottle of water from the cooler is already half empty with a few more inside.

"I'm guessing you've seen the news and me all over social media so... I'd hope my 'new look' isn't too much of a surprise." It isn't like Kelly knows about what Audra does 'after hours'. To be fair, though, the former quarterback won't be able to hide behind a mask when she gets 'started'.

Audra Meridian has posed:
"Yeah. Saying a lot has changed for you would be understating it." Followed by a soft amused snort. "Don't worry about it. Even if I somehow had not seen the media blitz that's gone up around you.. it's not the strangest thing I've seen. Trust me." Though at the moment Audra doesn't meantion just why or how she's possibly seen stranger things.

With that she leans forward a bit, resting her elbows on the table and clasping her hands together, continuing to regard the hooded figure with a curious look. Because while it had been all over media sources, it wouldn't compare to actually seeing it in the flesh... scale and blood. Dammit, that saying doesn't entirely work, good thing she didn't use it out loud. "So lay whatever it is you have on me. And we can perue it over lunch." Not that she requested anything too flashy in that department either. She's use to living on a tigher budget, even with a degree this wasn't exactly a rich and glamerous profession (and that's the way she prefered it).

Kelly Praetor has posed:
With the quad going quiet thanks to lunch being over, and additionally it being a saturday, there's not really anyone around. The food truck of the week has closed up to move on to a busier street for dinner, and it leaves the campus grounds quiet. Once Kelly realizes this, she heaves a defeated sigh, not to be upset at Audra, and then she unzips the hoodie and drops the hood. Audra was right. Pictures are one thing, but seeing it in person is another.

Under the hoodie Kelly is wearing her Meteors jersey, her last name and number on it. The bag full of the pair's mutual lunch is slid over, as is the cooler, but not before opening it and tugging out something a little different. It's a small glass vial, chilled, out of a small insulated case of it's own which will be handed over in a moment. "So... I don't know if you have any ideas but I got some really interesting news this morning. Whatever happened to me? It wasn't from genetics. When I was taking all the tests I was in college, to put the naysayers to rest, I had my DNA mapped and scanned for any x-genes or whatever their called. My DNA -still- matches to my time before. Whatever happened, the doctors are saying it isn't a mutation. It's something else. ... And they don't know what else they could look for. ... So, if you or someone you know has any ideas I'm willing to give permission for a bit more research."

Audra Meridian has posed:
As the lunch sack comes out Audra reachs over to retrieve hers. "Eating lunch out here on a weekend. Brings back a few memories, but nothing relevant to the topic." She starts to unwrap it, not at all phased by the new look Kelly is sporting. "Well, if they ever decided to remake the Jurassic Park movies you'd be a shoe-in." She's not trying to make light of the situation, but just keep it from getting a little too serious.

It's when Kelly pulls out something other than more food that gets her to pause, and regard it with greater scrutiny as an explaination is given. As much as passes for one, since it doesn't really have an explaination. "Okay that -is- different. A definite physical change, but it wasn't an X-Gene."

She pauses to bite into her meal, chewing through it thoughtfully. Fingertips of the other hand drumming against the tabletop until she finishes. "Now keep in mind this is a bit out of my field." She raises the hand with a finger extended towards Kelly. "You can rule out it being an X-Gene, but no change in your DNA doesn't necessarily rule out it being a mutation. There are other ways those occure. You could very well be the first of this kind. Or the first known one. Of a kind that was always there rather than changing the genomes."

Another pause. "Or there's always magic." Which is probably the strangest thing to hear from her before she resumes eating a bit.

Kelly Praetor has posed:
"You know, I knew someone was going to crack that joke but you're the first. . . Pretty sure you won't be the last, however." Kelly grabs her own part of lunch and starts to dig into it, listening. She had a feeling that this may have been beyond Audra's realm of research but she had to try. "The doctors said they'd send out feelers to see about different types, but so far they haven't received anything that would confirm that kind of mutation. That's when I decided to reach out. I just want to make these idiots insisting that i've been a mutant all along, eat their words. I have took every available test in Highschool, my time here, and before I got into the league. I just have this feeling its something else." That's when Audra brings up magic.

"... seriously? I mean, I yeah, maybe..." why didn't she think of that sooner?! ... But who would she even TALK to about that kind of thing? "Damn... I wouldn't even know where to start there.."

Audra Meridian has posed:
"Pleases me to be the first." Audra holds that finger up again. "To be clear when I said always there, I meant as in something that didn't have to change what was the core of your genetics." Not wanting to be confused with the people trying to claim this was something Kelly kept a secret to her advantage.

The subject of magic seems to hook and stay though. "Most people probably wouldn't, especially when... you know. Lots of pressure. Scrutiny. Saying the wrong thing could of complicated the matter." She eats a bit, gets a drink to wash it down, then sets the meal aside. So she can rummage in a few pockets and belt pouches. It's hardly a utility belt, but some utensiles are just better to keep close at hand. "Let's just say I've had a few experiences with the matter, and as a scientist it's just easier to accept it, not think too hard about it, and move on... Ah." She finally finds a notepad. The actual paper kind. Easier to make and share notes than text sometimes. "We might be able to find you a help or two."

Kelly Praetor has posed:
The raptor does similar with her lunch, finishing off a new bottle of water before everything is set aside. "Ah, well yeah, with the exception of- .. I forget his name, Strange? The one that was a doctor. Other than him I haven't really seen a lot of people that use magic. Or maybe I just haven't been paying attention. That will probably change a bit, now," Kelly decides as she offers the vial, not really expecting Audra to do anything with it, but it seemed like the polite thing to do.

"Huh, all your field work has put you a bit close to some fights, I'm guessing. I saw one pretty up close and personal about a week ago. . . that's the reason I'm all over social media now. I just.. I don't know. People were scared and all I did was stand by a door. It doesn't feel like I did anything special."

Audra Meridian has posed:
"Could say that. You'd be surprised how often what looks like a natural disaster was started by something with weird powers that no one saw. Or was redacted from the public." It's technically the truth, too. Audra had a few run-ins with aliens, cryptids and other strange things before she re-centralized on the Metro-Gotham-NYC triad. She wags the rear of the pen at Kelly. "If you're not seeing it just means they're good at hiding it."

She jots on the notepad, then pulls it off and passes it over to Kelly. Info for one Nettie Crow in Gotham. "She's a bit of an old koot but don't let that fool you, she's still a sharp one. If anything she can help you get a better track on it than I can, if it is a magic thing."

Kelly Praetor has posed:
"So I am quickly learning. There's not really a lot of options for me in my current situation, and after that media blitz, well... I won't lie. It felt good to feel people stand behind me again. I tried to do what I could for the city from the field. Now the field is different, probably a little more dangerous, but it doesn't bother me. ... I mean... I can move fast now. Like. Really fast." Pause. "Not Flash fast, but .. more than I could before. I should try to clock it.." slight tangent, but she comes back to center after a moment.

A note. With info. Huh. "Nettie Crow, huh. Well, I suppose I'll have to stop over and see what I can find out." Then back to Audra. "Did you want this too or no? It's fine either way. This was a total shot in the dark to be honest. I was out of ideas."

Audra Meridian has posed:
"And agile. Football was more than slamming bodies into each other, afterall." Audra picks up her food to finish. "Now doubt you'd be able to hold your own... if you decide to get into that sort of thing." But what would she know of picking up the crimefighting hero business?

Well, more than she's been letting on, but it will get there. Just because the courtyard is mostly empty on the weekend she's not going to just go flashing the alter ego around in public.

"The sample? You better hold on to it. People with better insight than me will probably want to see it."

Kelly Praetor has posed:
The vial is put back into it's chilled case in the open cooler. Another water bottle is pulled out before Kelly closes it, suddenly pondering a lot more options. After a moment she pulls off the necklace she's always wearing. It's no secret, she's worn it since her high school glory days. A fossilized claw on a necklace, from her dad. "Well, I guess I have one thing to show them already."

Audra Meridian has posed:
Audra Meridian tilts her head at the necklace. "Never know, that might be related. Or might not. At least now you've got some options to look into." She sits back to work on the end of her food. So the conversation takes a little longer to continue because she's not the sort to talk with her mouth full. "And it may just be me, but hey, if it made you feel good helping and having people appreciate you, that's a fine reason to do it. Appearances don't matter when it comes to disasters. It's all in what you can do."

Kelly Praetor has posed:
Drink! Then Kelly decides to reply, "True, true. I'm still finding out what I can do to be honest, but it mostly seems to be a lot of speed and agility beyond what I had. ... And well," she holds up a clawed hand. "These don't seem to break. Like, at all. And if I wanted to I'm pretty sure I could carve this table in half," she notes before setting the hand down. "I'm not too sure how to figure out if I can do other things, but I figure I'll find out when I need to. And if that time is when I'm helping someone around here, then so be it." Ponder. "Hell I should probably think of a name. I don't expect I can keep a lid on it but hey, may as well do what the romans do."

Audra Meridian has posed:
Audra Meridian chuckles a bit at that. "Even if a secret identity isn't possible in your case, it's still a cool codename the media can call you by. They seem to like that." She makes a fancy gesture hold up and spreading her hands. "Headlines got to have pizazz." Then almost fumbles the end of her lunch, so quickly nomfs it down before it actually gets dropped. "I know it was rough for you, but don't let it get you down. You'll figure out what and were to go eventually. You're a clever gi--" She stops herself. No, bad Audra, you already made the Jurassic Park reference. "A clever person. Unlike what most people expect of footballers."

Kelly Praetor has posed:
    "I'm not using that," Kelly is quick to respond to that one in a pretty stern tone, but she smirks shortly afterward. "Anyway, we had lunch and you gave me an idea or two so, thank you. I'll keep you updated."