RavensDagger - Black Apron - Max Level Archmaid - Chapter Thirty-Eight - Bedtime

By Jegsuu!

About lewds: Okay... we’re going to do them... but not now. 

Rosario and Cricket aren’t ready yet, imo. I do like where their relationship is heading, and I want to explore it some more. But I think if we do lewds now, it’s too early, it’ll make things more awkward than I want.

Let’s have the two dance around for a while, take things slow?

Also, I’m (not so) secretly already shipping the Princess and Lucky, but that’s a matter for later!

***

“Let me put you down softly right away,” Rosario said. “We’re not having... intercourse.”

Cricket pouted, which was admittedly very cute. Rosario could happily admit that much to herself. The bug-girl’s open and easy ability to express herself was very endearing. She never felt like Cricket was hiding anything because Cricket wore her emotions on her poofy sleeves.

“Fiiiine!” Cricket said. “Maybe some kissing and rubbing and fin--”

“We’re not doing that either,” Rosario said. She crossed her arms and stood. “I... am quite fond of you, Cricket, but you have to know that I’m not exactly looking for a relationship right now.”

Cricket grumbled, but then she sighed. “That’s fair. I don’t want to push you either. Do let me know if you start looking... and try to start looking before my hair goes white--oh no! My hair’s white already! Rosario, I don’t have much longer to live!”

Rosario rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help but smile. “How long do, ah, bug women live for anyway?”

“Hu? Depends on the sort, I suppose,” Cricket said. “My sort? We make it to fifty-ish years? Not as long-lived as humans, definitely nowhere as long-lived as pretty elven ladies.”

“Oh,” Rosario said.

For some reason, that felt like a splash of cool water across her soul. Fifty was... well, she wouldn’t consider a fifty year old young, but it was definitely upper-middle aged for a human. Someone at that age would be, under good circumstances, in the middle of their career, usually with family already. That was the age where retirement wasn’t too far off. It wasn’t young, but it wasn’t so old that life was hard. 

She had no real frame of reference for the lifespan of an elf. She could recall some vague lore about them living to be quite old. 

Would she out-age Cricket by centuries?

“I know some of us make it longer, if our Constitution is up there,” Cricket said with a tap to her chin.

“We’re raising your Constitution, then,” Rosario said.

Cricket blinked, then laughed. “I’m a [Jester], I don’t think that comes with much Constitution.”

“Your next job, then,” Rosario said. “[Soldier], [Shieldbearer], [Tank], [Juggernaut]. Or maybe we can go the [Knight] route? [Squire], then [Knight], [Runic Knight] and then [Runelord]?”

Cricket laughed some more. “You’re a gem,” she said. “I’d be very impressed with myself if I ever reached Titled in the [Clown] line.”

Rosario worked her jaw. She could understand that but... well, it irked her. She put convincing Cricket to try and gain more Constitution at the top of her todo list. Maybe not now, but it would certainly be something to look into soon. The earlier she gained more, the more gracefully she would age, probably.

“So... want me to go grab some of those blankets? I can make a little bug nest on the ground,” Cricket said. “I know how sensitive old people are about their backs.”

“We can share the bed,” Rosario said. Then she pointed at Cricket, who became far too excited about the prospect. “But no funny business.”

“But all of my business is funny!”

“Then no business at all.”

“Aww.”

Rosario took the initiative and started to undress. Of course, she was wearing a shift under everything. Not that she had to, but she wanted to dress according to the fashions and styles of the... well, she supposed it was ‘the era’. 

Okay, so, she may have spent a couple of thousand hours listening to fashion and historical dressmaking podcasts while grinding. She was a clothing nerd, as was only appropriate for a maid. 

The shift she wore dropped down to mid-thigh and frankly, covered more than some bathing suits and even more of the more risque armour she’d seen in games. She still found herself tugging the hem down a little. 

Cricket changed as well, and Rosario couldn’t help but eye the young woman up.

She was thin. Dare she say it, stick thin? The poofy sleeves and puffed out pantaloons that Cricket wore did a lot to hint at some curvature around her thighs and hips and arms, but in reality, once Cricket was down to a thin chemise and drawers, the fact was she was nothing but skin and bone and muscle.

It wasn’t even a gymnast’s build, Cricket’s skin had a rough, inflexible nature to it, with obvious ‘plates’ over much of her body except for around joints and the like.

“Wow, for someone who was so uptight, you sure do ogle,” Cricket said.

Rosario cleared her throat. “Forgive me.”

“Oh no, I like the attention, stare away!” Cricket struck a pose, finger up to her lip and hip cocked, then she shifted, trying to look demure, before she shifted again and raised the hem of her oversized sleeping shirt.

“Just... get in the bed,” Rosario said. 

“Yes, ma’am!” Cricket said with a snapped salute.

Rosario was the big spoon. It was just how it had to be when she was two heads taller than Cricket. The act was... very awkward. She was aware of her body and the way it shifted and how much space she was taking up, and most of all how much contact she was making with Cricket. Every place where skin touched burned.

She was afraid to talk, else Cricket might clock just how embarrassed she was at the moment.

Fortunately, Cricket could talk enough for a crowd. “You’ve never told me too much about where you’re from and all that,” Cricket said. It wasn’t quite a question, but it had the makings of one. “I’m from Lithos. Actually, when we finish crossing the mountains tomorrow, that will be the furthest from home I’ve ever been, even though the troupe travelled a lot.”

“The troupe?” Rosario asked. She shifted slightly. She had an arm under the pillow that Cricket was using. Fortunately,  high stats meant that it was probably not going to fall asleep. 

“Mhm! The Most Wondrous Troupe of the Agoir Gymnastical and Fantastical Wanderers!” Cricket laughed, then pressed herself back a little. “Mm, squish.”

“That’s a name,” Rosario commented while ignoring the squish.

“Yeah... it was a mouthful. We had three tents, including a big one. Ah, you might not know a lot about troupes, but it’s a lot? We were the second biggest in Lithos, and one of the biggest in the world!”

“I’m hearing a lot of ‘weres’” Rosario said.

“Yeah,” Cricket said. “We had a [Beastmaster] and some [Tamers] and a couple of really good [Master of Ceremonies] and of course, [Clowns] and [Jesters] and [Acrobats]. I actually started as an [Acrobat] myself. I have six levels in that. But [Clown] was more my calling.”

“What happened?” Rosario asked.

Cricket was quiet for a long time, her breathing so even that Rosario started to wonder if she’d fallen asleep. She was almost surprised when Cricket spoke again. “We had a contract in Alpta. Not quite in the city, but in the North City part, where all the nobles hobnob. We were way off in Agoir when we got word, so it was going to be a long trip over.”

Cricket sighed. 

“We picked up some people. That was rather normal. We travelled a lot, and a good few of us weren’t useless in a fight. We had [Guards] and could keep safe. And bandits don’t attack troupes.”

“There’s an agreement of some sort?” Rosario asked.

“Nah, we’re too poor. I mean, a troupe might have some gold, but most of it is locked up in equipment. Bandits want gold and silver and maybe supplies. We had the last, but unless they wanted to pawn off oversized coloured tents... ah, no, they weren’t an issue. Sometimes monsters, but again, we were big. Monsters would keep away from all the noise and the smell of the tamed monsters in their cages. And yeah, sometimes people would come along with us.”

“They were trouble?”

Cricket shrugged. “They brought trouble with them. We made it to some small town and were ambushed by these important people. The guards from the town stood by and watched. The people had the law on their side. They arrested a bunch of us. More ran, and then the [Ring Leader] stood up and protested a little too much. He was labelled as a rebel and executed. Some of the others too.”

“I’m sorry,” Rosario said.

“Heh. The worst part is, I knew he wasn’t. None of us were. I guess some had sympathies, but never more than that. But yeah, that’s more or less how it all went down. I’m sorry that it’s not so interesting of a story.”

“No. Thank you for telling me,” Rosario said.

Cricket half-turned so that she could look up to Rosario, even in the dark. “What about you?”

“My origins? Not even as interesting as yours.”

“I can’t believe that!” Cricket said.

“It’s true. I’m just someone that likes seeing numbers go up, that’s all.”

“Hmm.” She sensed that Cricket didn’t believe her, but the bug wasn’t willing to press her about it.

Somehow that silence stretched on. Cricket moved a little, and somehow she simply fell asleep. The day had been a long one for her.

Rosario slowly, gently, wrapped an arm around Cricket and pulled her in a little closer. 

She was warm.

***