City of Mist

Emily used to be in my midwifery class when I was victor and when I became Victoria, we were partnered up a lot and she didn't see me as a player and I didnt see her as just another hot girl. We bumped fists at my behest and worked well together, she thought this class went well with her sociology and how she could use it as a topic to write about. Still not sure what she meant.

I found out emily was missing when she didn't show up for the 5th lesson which although was completely out of character, I was never good at noticing if anything was wrong with others. Something I am trying to rectify.

She enjoyed studying at different places and although she did not make friends, her face became familiar to baristas, librarians and teachers. Basically anyone who was in a place with a table another thing about her that I'm still not sure about.

I have been using the fact that I have unfettered access to all mothers at the maternity wards to ask around, under the guise that I am calming them by making conversation pre or post birth.

How do I know Emily?

Ash works at the college library as an assistant, performing inventory and clerical duties. Emily frequently checked out the older copies of class books. Ash could have sworn she witnessed Emily at one of the comic cons in the next city over, but their conversation was brief and didn't advance the two to the level of friendship.

How did I find out she was missing?

Ash discovered that Emily went missing from a Facebook group's post. She had never personally posted anything, but was invited by a fellow classmate. Through spending long minutes endlessly scrolling, she stopped at Emily's picture, posted by a concerned roommate.

Minor details:

Emily would check out expensive books and laptop computers often. She never carried her own, so it is assumed that she cannot afford them. She enjoyed the quieter parts of the library, where there was a lack of foot-traffic. One night, she returned her laptop and forgot to erase the history. She lived a solitary lifestyle and it showed, as there were several explicit sites recorded. Ash made certain to wipe the data for her, instead of turning her in.

What am I doing in response?

Ash is going undercover, pretending to work for the school's press and asking questions around Emily's apartment complex. Her first goal is finding which apartment Emily lived in and convincing her roommate(s) to let her in.

Yes it was why they paired up because due to her not having good luck with friends everyone already had a partner that wasn't her, so as the teacher Vic paired with her. Jokes on everyone else because it meant Emily had a partner who knew what they were doing.

Victoria had been warned about such surrogates. Although they were giving birth to the baby they were not the actual mothers and to treat them as such especially during labor tended to blur the lines a bit. But counter wise to her they were still in some form of pregnancy so they got all the same things the others did, she would even give them an ultrasound picture unless the real parents said no. It was a part of being a midwife she had yet to learn properly.

''Is there a way she could of gotten hold of your company where her interest of 'hosting' would be put on file like a phone call or a face to face interview?. Do you think you managed to warn her off?''

After doing an in-depth background check on the elusive Emily, Blaise decided to investigate her dorm to see if she left any indication as to where she went. The girl certainly didn't seem smart enough to cover her tracks after a stunt such as this so he wasn't expecting this to be much of a challenge.

He arrived on campus by limousine wearing one of his less garish suits; just a simple black jacket and grey shirt combo, nothing that will draw too much attention once inside.

Blaise approached the dorm to find a rock propped under the entrance quite conveniently; perhaps he should bring up security measures at the next council meeting? After climbing the stairs and finding the room number of Emily, he picked the lock on her door and opened it.

In a metropolitan city, a college can average 5 thousand students who live on campus. Floor plans for such buildings don't include names, as students are more temporary than the buildings housing them.

Ash checked her phone, walking into the dormitories after a few other students. Sitting in one of the chairs, she texted Emily's roommate, stating that private, student investigator and she would like ask a few questions regarding Emily. She would be downstairs in the lobby.

Then there was a text alert from student journalists, stating that someone had shown up in a limo. They were identified as a bigwig, but no such official announcement of a visit was made. This day was very strange.

Thankfully, she had come prepared, dressed in a dark green fedora with a white stripe around its base. A white shirt, with the collar popped, was restrained by green suspenders. One golden-buckled belt and an unbuttoned, olive green suit vest with two golden buttons was matched with pants. She wore a short length wig, blonde hair just past her nape and partially covering her eyes. Ash's loafers were polished, but on the cheap side.

Blaise took a quick picture of the note on the whiteboard and went into (what he assumed to be) Emily's room to take a closer look at the place.

The 'C' that wrote Emily the note was most likely a roommate given that she had access to the dorm room that no one else had. Blaise hoped that he wouldn't have to use his 'gift' on her if he was caught but he couldn't quite afford any loose ends on this investigation.

The room was a puzzling one indeed.

Emily left her phone charger but took her backpack, indicating that she had intended to come home - perhaps she was on her way back from classes? Needing more clues to build a scenario on, Blaise walked over to the calendar to see if anything important was happening soon.

Blaise tutted to himself at the lack of a find and carried on with his search.

Perhaps the bookshelf would provide a more fruitful find; a diary or notebook would tell him exactly when she was last active given her lack of social media access.

Ash popped up her hat with a flick of her thumb and stood up. She pulled a small card case from her suit pocket and clicked it open, handing Carla a card, "Private eye, call me Miss. We don't use real names in the business." She had printed off the cards late last night, stealing the design off an official card and editing her name onto it.

Ash produced a pen and a hand-sized notepad, "I heard your roommate went missing. If it's alright with you, I'd like to talk about her." Looking up from her notepad, "When and where did you see her last? I assume your college dorm, but if I'm wrong, let me know."

''Between her and god eh? Well then 'bilhah' have a good day'' She bid the expectant woman good day before heading home where she could use her laptop writing an email and making a phone call asking them if they had an inquirer called Emily.

While on hold she made her way to her midwifery classroom to look over Emily's work to see if there was any visible pattern of lowering effort in her work after 5 lessons. As such thing was a signal of depression.

Blaise took pictures of the encrypted pages for the last week or so before Emily's disappearance and hid the diary back under the mattress. He had enough to work with for now.

He left the dorm room and closed all of the doors that he had opened and headed back downstairs.

''Well shit'' She cursed as she put her phone away. ''Emily girl, what was it I not getting? Please don't tell me I failed as a teacher.'' Maybe if she looked back at her sociology work from her last year she could get a better look at things before she went of the books for this.

She quickly walked down the corridor fidgeting with the torture contraption that was a 'bra' she hated them, arriving at her teachers class. ''Hey you know emily? Well I was hoping to get a look at a piece of work from each month if that's ok.'' She thought she felt something off for a minute but ignored it and wondered if she should go 'one of the guys' or turn on the charm but beverly would be pissed.

Ash lifted her brows and was taken aback, "Carmen San Diego? I'm Firo Pro--" Holding up her hands, she turns her head to the side and closes her eyes briefly, "That's not important, I apologize." Glancing towards Carla, she begins to write, "Monday, mhm. Do you know if she has any family or close friends nearby? Someone or somewhere she would visit in times of stress?"

Ash wrote a few more notes, then glanced around at the ceiling of the main lobby, "Hopefully, that's all that happened to her." Maybe there were cameras in the main lobby..."Where did she like to shop? In town, out of town, retail, or high class?"

Ash frowned and shook her head, "I'm sorry, I didn't know." Mulling over her bottom lip, Ash stared at her notes and her eye was caught by the finely dressed man. She stared at his backside as he left, but then brought herself back to Carla, "I will check in with the sociology department, to see if I can find more information. Would you mind if I looked around your dorm?"

Ash gave a few nods, then searched the room for the RA desk, "Perhaps we should convince the RA to attend." She eyed the desk for some time, before glancing away, "But let's go to your dorm first. I'm...I'm running out of chutzpah."

''Well, I am also one of her teachers'' Victoria sits across from him, her legs crossed. ''I teach and practice midwifery, I'm Miss Booth and I'm looking into her absence'' She extends a smooth and (reluctantly) manicured hand to him. ''Pleasure.'' She felt disapproval in the back of her mind as she prepared to flirt if need be and there was the feeling that something was off about him.

''Of course my credentials are up to date, there's no problem there. You may check if you like '' It was not the first time she was regarded with shock for her age, a number of students and other teachers also did so. She let her fingers run along his desk, uncrossing then recrossing her legs as she saw other women do with Victor back when.

''I think any teacher or instructor has had a fair amount experience with that though I will admit to being a very new one myself.'' She scooted herself closer looking into his eyes for the illusion of transparency. ''Why would I try to make you pliant you already said you would give me the work as long as my credentials are up to date. Which they are so I don't need to manipulate or lie to you Mr. Jenkins.''

''Thank you very much, but please don't get the wrong idea.'' She clasped his hand, she had no intention of sleeping with him for physical reasons. However flirting gave her a flash from a not so distant past. She also remembered a time when Victor seduced a much older woman who was a teacher. They liked having the advantage, she wondered if it was the same for male older teachers. ''I got what I wanted from you and I still flirted with you, I would hope that answered more. But if I am overstepping then I am really sorry. '' She made look of guilt for making unwanted advances.