My First Mystery Investigation

I awoke from my spot on the ground, my trash can’s vile smell now assaulting my nose. I’m just lucky my expulsion was entirely contained in the can without any ending up on my floor or any other location.
I need to dispose of this somewhere, honestly I need a shower to rid myself of any lingering odor from this as well. I slept in what I was wearing yesterday as well, I gotta get into clean clothes.
I then remember Gretchen had said we would have daily meetings, my blood turned cold in an instant. She said I needed to make myself more presentable yesterday when I just had bed head, now I’ve got super gross day worn clothes and a smell to me!? I feel panicked as I see my clock says it’s past 9, I’m already late. I run for the door, and then notice a slip of paper beneath my door.
“NO MEETING TODAY. REST UP AFTER YESTERDAY. TOMORROW BE READY TO EARN YOUR KEEP. - Gretchen”
I sigh a sigh of relief. I’ve been saved by Gretchen’s sweet sweet mercy. Thank you sweet mercy.I place my gross trash can by my door and then begin picking out clothes for today. Some white stockings, another blouse, red jumper skirt, what more do I need? Oh, undergarments, I need to change those. Gotta break the boyish habit of wearing the same ones for weeks.
I gather it all up in a small tote bag and put it onto my shoulder. I then pick up the can on the other side so my bag doesn’t even rub against the outside of the can. I exit my room into the hallway, I don’t see anyone like usual, perfect. I walk the hall until I stumble upon the trash chute, I knew Gretchen had said it would be around here. I tie the trash bag tight and apologize in advance to wherever this goes. The bag disappears and now I’ve just got the gross can. I walk back to my door and leave it beside it, I’ll figure out what to do with it later.
I enter the bathroom, entering the showers area. I place my tote bag down on a bench across from the individual showers. Each one has their own curtain which pleases me. I need some sense of privacy now and then. One of the curtains is already closed with the water running behind the curtain, someone else must be showering as well. I don’t try to peek and see who it is, leaving them to shower while I do the same. I do end up shyly picking a shower two apart from them, leaving an empty shower between us to act as a space barrier.
As I turn the nob the raining down water is already well heated thanks to whoever started it before me. I take in the relaxing feeling as warm water flows over me, I could probably just stand here like this forever. I scrub myself down and perform my shampoo and conditioner routine without much issue. I feel pretty proud of myself for being able to get it all done myself, but when I think of Tikki grading me I do start to think I could always have done better.
As I was conditioning my hair the other shower had shut off and the other person had seemingly exited the shower and walked off. I didn’t really register it as anything notable until I turned my own shower off and pulled back my curtain to get dressed. My tote bag which I had left right there on the bench outside was now nowhere to be seen.
I stood there just my head sticking out from the curtain as water droplets dripped from my hair and off my body. That bag had my towel as well, I am now suddenly trapped in this shower alone without anything to cover myself. I remember that just outside the bath was a basket with white towels in them! I decide to risk my dignity and bolt out of the shower naked and just hope no one else is around to see me.
I take off running past the other shower stalls, entering into the area with all the baskets before you enter the bath. There, lying on the top of a shelf, are the towels. I rip one down and practically tear it apart latching it onto my body covering myself. Now with my nudity taken care of I can begin to make the covered walk back to my room to retrieve new clothes.I walk into my closet and pick out a new outfit. Once I’m all dressed I make sure I take my daily pill, swallowing the essence which feeds this new body. I still wonder if there is anything else in these besides what I’ve been told. I figure I can just go door to door looking for my clothes, there’s only three other people on this floor after all.
Exiting my room I figured I might as well go to Tikki’s door first. She must still be recovering somewhere under watch so surely she hasn’t returned to be able to steal my clothes. Still I knocked on the door and waited, but as I guessed there was no answer. Onto the next suspect!
Next I tried Clarice, my best guess for why she would steal my clothes was that King told her to for some odd reason. Maybe King is more perverted than I imagined? I knock on her door and she does come to answer after a bit of crashing sounds. King sticks out first, but then signals to Clarice it’s safe to come out. She emerges wrapped up under a blanket with a clear bedhead. “Wha-What’s up Sophia?” She asked with a yawn.I hold up my board, “I AM INVESTIGATING SOME MISSING CLOTHES. HAVE YOU JUST RETURNED FROM A SHOWER?” I had written it before I had seen her, just based on appearance I had a good guess she hadn’t left her room since we came home last night.
“We’ve been watching human television! No time to rid ourselves of our battle smell!” King swayed. Clarice slammed a fist onto his head causing him to make an audible “Ouch!”. “You didn’t need to tell her all of that! Never talk about a lady’s smell King!” He rubbed his head where she had hit him, “It’s the truth, we’re binging, no time for things like showers! You never complained about talking about smells back when you were a-”“That’s enough, King.” Clarice interrupted silencing him.“I’m sorry Sophia, ignore us. Let us know if there is anything else we can do to help.” With that we waved our goodbyes, King still rubbing his head as they disappeared inside their room.
Well, that just leaves Marcia. I hadn’t considered her the type to steal clothes, but maybe she just took them as a prank? Like a sort of sorority style hazing? I head over to her door and knock ready to face my clothing thief.
There's a ruffling and shifting as someone approaches the door. Marcia sticks her head out, noticing me, and opens the door fully stepping out. “What's up Soph? Looking for something to do?”
I hold up my sign, “I AM INVESTIGATING SOME MISSING CLOTHES. HAVE YOU JUST RETURNED FROM A SHOWER?”
She reads it, eyes flying across the lines. “I took a shower after my run about three hours ago, but I can't say I saw any clothes lying around.”
Drats, way earlier than when I had showered. I shake my head and wave a departing thank you. She doesn't seem to take any further interest in what is going on and just returns back into her room to continue whatever she had been doing.
I had investigated all the suspects now, and all of them came up with nothing. Who took my clothes then? I feel like I'm going crazy, I know I brought clothes into the bathroom with me and someone else was in there showering when I arrived! So who was? Did staff use our showers as well? I figured they had their own areas or were like living off site? As far as I know there are only four of us living here, so how can it be that someone was able to steal my clothes? Could one of the girl's be lying to me?
I shake my head, I refuse to suspect any of my friends of the crime. If they say they didn't do it then they didn't do it, nothing more to investigate there.
As sad as it is to say I may just have to accept that the outfit is lost forever and I'll be more aware going forward in case I ever get to encounter this mysterious clothing thief again. It sucks to just let them win, getting to do who knows what with my clothing! The staff all wear doctor coat things so it's not like I'll ever be able to spot my skirt in the halls and then call them out on it.
Honestly the most upsetting part is it isn't even just that I lost an outfit that I really liked and meant something to me, it's also just so an attack on my privacy and safety. I mean I was naked only a stall away from whoever did this! They totally invaded a safe space and dirtied it by stealing my clothes! And what if they also were a creep and like peaked or something! They totally have attacked a space I was able to feel safe in! It's just so frustrating that I have no way to get any justice!
I can do nothing else but return to my room defeated. I flop onto my bed halfway and slowly slide down the edge and end up on the floor lying there. All this dumb clothes stuff has really ruined my morning, I have no idea what I want to even do now. I think about things I could do, but I can't stop thinking about being robbed, I just can't drop it. With almost a sound of annoyance I climb back to my feet and head back out my door.
I leave my room and head for the door, I'm finding Miss Gretchen or some other staff and I'm getting to the bottom of this. There's gotta be records of who comes up and down these elevators so at least I can get a name if they really are someone sneaking into girl's dorm areas to steal girl's clothing.
I get to the elevator and try the down button, but nothing happens. My eyes fell on the keycard slider, did someone tell me you needed a staff card to use the elevator? Yesterday it worked fine to get to the morning meeting, but are the scheduled uses the only time I'm allowed to use it? Stupid, that would be super stupid. What if there was a fire or some other emergency! 
I'm huffing and puffing at this point as shameful as that is to admit. I just feel so frustrated I end up kicking the doors a few times, which turns into a bunch of times. I'd probably be yelling too if I was able to, instead my rage tantrum is a mostly silent affair mixed with the sound of my flats hitting the elevator doors.
I  continue doing this as another minute passes by, running again towards the doors to do a jump kick when the doors suddenly open. I'm surprised, but I chalk it up to someone being able to see me and wanting to see what it was I was so desperate to tell them. I enter the elevator and the doors immediately close behind me. I don't get to select any buttons before we're moving downward, I assume it is taking me to a staff member. The thought that I might be in trouble with the staff crosses my mind, but I feel like having someone steal your clothes while you're naked is a pretty good reason for being upset. Rock solid defense if I do say so myself.
The elevator doors begin to open, there is no chime alerting we’ve reached the floor. I stare towards the open doors, seeing nothing but darkness outside. I get down on my knees and slowly reach out to feel for a floor outside the elevator, my finger tips find a slick cold floor. The elevator shows no sign of moving again, wherever it has taken me it would seem it wants me to get off.
I weigh my options, either sit down in this elevator and wait for it to eventually move again and free me, or I can begin walking off into the darkness and see where I have ended up and why.
The adventurous spirit wins over my worries. I bet the no lights just means I’m the first one on the floor this morning and there’s a lightswitch somewhere along one of these walls. I step out of the elevator, one foot in front of another as I walk to the side until I reach a smooth wall. I walk along it deeper into the darkness as I search for a light switch.
The wall goes straight for a good while, when I think to look behind me I can no longer make out the elevator's faint glow anymore. Then I hit into something, head first right into a wall. I rub my forehead and feel that the hallway has now turned, continuing on. Now following along my new wall deeper into wherever we might be.
I begin to see a glow ahead of me, the signs of the opening of a room down the next hallway. I pick up my pace moving as quickly as I can while still being careful with every step to not miss any drops or objects. As I speed walk I occasionally begin feeling doorknobs along the wall, I don’t give them any thought as I head towards the brightening glow. I reach the room’s barrier and step inside, I brush past what feels like an open door. My eyes begin to adjust to the low light present. Even a little light is more than no light like I had been in previously.
The room’s glow illuminated enough to see all four corners of the small room, as well as the shape in the center. A small figure standing in the near center of the room, with chains hanging off of them running down to the floor.
I step closer and the figure turns to face me proving it is alive, they appear to be a girl about my age. They have darker skin and long whitish hair running down to their waist. They are wearing simple clothes, plain and ordinary like undercloth you’d wear something over. As I get closer I can see deep bags that have formed under their eyes, they look practically mistreated in this dark spooky room.
I only now realize I left my board behind in my room while I was lying on the floor. I raise a hand to try and greet them, the sound of chains moving echo as they step back from me.
“Sophia, you’ve made a mistake coming here.” She says through flaky chapped lips. I’m taken aback that she knows my name, I suddenly wish more than ever I was able to pour out my hundred questions without the need of my voice.
“Who are you?” A familiar voice asks. I spin around and see Fool’s Knight has appeared on its own and has asked one of my questions for me.
Chains slide across one another as the girl shifts her posture. “Hm. Who am I?” Her head rocks back and forth as she seemingly thinks. “I am D’Claire-na, and I am a Magical Girl similar to you in some ways.”
Floodgates of my mind open. Why was there a random Magical Girl chained up on this pitch black floor!? Just what have I stumbled into by just trying to find who stole my clothes!