But The Ball is Already Rolling
“Civilization, at last!”
A huge grin took over Trixie’s face as she looked around her surrounding, ignoring the few odd stares she was getting. True, the destination was vastly different than what she had in mind before all of… this, but it was certainly better than the constant dirt brown road, the hateful sun beating down on her pelt, and the drowsy plain of grasses. It was no Manehattan, and it didn’t smell like one, but Trixie was grateful nonetheless.
Right now, she was in some sort of a town square. There was a fountain in the middle, children playing around it, and people frolick about on their own business. By the way they were dressed—fashionably outdated, in Trixie’s opinion—they looked like someone from the lower hierarchy. She didn’t know how their society worked, but Trixie hazarded that they were the equivalent of plebeians.
Trixie frowned. Definitely different from current Equestria, and more akin to Old Equestria, if Trixie was right. History wasn’t her finest subject. Shaking her head, Trixie pondered where she should go—her answer came in the form of a loud yawn, and a rumble of her stomach. Trixie smacked her lips together. An inn. Preferably with proper pony food.
Trixie thinned her lips, and stared at the signs posted around the place. A boutique there, a quill-shop here. The occasional pictures were self-explanatory, but the words themselves looked like a gibberish mess of a jumbled language. “Blast,” she muttered under her breath.
Her eyes fell upon an armored figure on the side of the square. A sheathed sword dangled aloft on their belt, and a lantern in his hand. With their uncovered face, Trixie hazarded that they were both a he and a guard. Trixie smiled. Guards tend to be helpful when they were helpful, though not-so when they were not being helpful.
Under her illusion, Trixie swaggered up to the guard. It wasn’t the best illusion she had woven, but under the circumstance, Trixie thought she had done a good job. Using Zero as her template was inevitable, and changing her pink hair with Trixie’s blue hair was easy, but without a mirror to see herself, Trixie wasn’t confident.
“Excuse me, sir,” she called.
But if there was any deformity, the guard either didn’t show it or didn’t care as he looked down at her. He blinked, eyes to her hat and cape, and then back at her. “How can I help you, miss?” he grunted.
Trixie sniffed at the guard’s tone. “Could you point Trixie to the nearest and most reasonable inn around here?”
The guard blinked, and then looked at her again. There’s a gleam in his eyes that Trixie wasn’t entirely sure what it meant. He smiled. “There’s always the Charming Fairies Inn, milady. Scarron’s the owner. Big man, hard to miss. He’s always reasonable with prices…” the man paused, thinned his lips in thought, and proceeded to give Trixie the inn’s direction.
Trixie frowned as she listened to the man. Nodding along, and making sure her illusion would follow.
()_()_()
For an inn, Charming Fairies seemed rather tame for a name compared to the many others she had encountered. There was a wooden sign dangling from the inn; an image of two tiny ballerinas with intertwined legs and arms—on their back, a pair of butterfly wings. There’s more gibberish letters below them, which Trixie supposed was where the ‘Charming Fairies Inn’ was written.
The light filtered out from the entrance, and there was a loud enough bustle that Trixie could still hear them from here. Laughter, talking, and the such. Things you would undoubtedly encounter in such establishment. For the briefest moment, Trixie pondered when was the last time she had slept anywhere aside from her wagon.
A very long time ago. Trixie grumbled under her breath, tilting her head up to glare at the twin moons. No carpenter was going to be awake right now, and Trixie rather doubted the same wouldn’t apply to many others. A cold freezing wind blew over her, and Trixie hurriedly pushed her way inside Charming Fairies.
It was blessedly warm, and Trixie took a moment to relish in it. Then she opened her eyes.
Charming Fairies was… festive, for lack of a better word. People—most of them males—sat about the tables. Plates of food—is that meat? Yuck!—were served before them, and Trixie noted that some of them were drunker than the others, by their red face. They didn’t even seem to notice her entering, too deep as they were in their own conversation, .
Trixie looked around. Stopped. Blinked, before rubbing her eyes. They were still there. They, being the waitresses dressed in Prench maid outfits. And not just any Prench maid outfits either, but the skimpy ones—the ones that covered too little than should be.
She felt her cheeks flush, her legs stumbling back to the exit. One of the waitresses noticed her before she could escape, and Trixie released a tiny squeak as the female approached her. Compared to Zero—and by proxy, her—this one looked noticeably larger, both in size and torso department. Her brown hair reached down to her waist, and she wore a blue too short set of Prench maid uniform.
“Welcome to Charming—” she paused, her mouth clicking shut as she stared at Trixie. “Aren’t you a bit too young, milady?” her eyes widened, and she hastily clapped her mouth shut. Her cheeks were red.
“What?” Trixie bristled, before glaring at the girl. “Excuse me, but Trixie is a perfectly grown, and healthy adult!”
She nodded quickly, her smile straining. “Yes! Of course.” she bowed deeply. “My deepest apology, milady. My name is Jeanne,” she looked up. Almost nervous. Trixie ponders if the girl had anxiety problem. “Is there anything we can help you with?”
Trixie sniffed. The scent of alcohol made her cringe, but she couldn’t help but salivate at the food. Fried greasy goodness, and warm caramelized onion soup with assorted vegetables. She didn’t have her lunch, did she? Or was it supper, now? Trixie shook her head. “Trixie needs a room for the night,” she replies.
“Oh,” Jeanne smiled. “Of course! Please take a seat, milady—I should call Jessica for this. Mister Scarron had eaten something disagreeable, you see.” She gave another bow.
Trixie opened her mouth, but before any word could be said, the brunette was already bouncing away into the kitchen. Or at least, Trixie thought the door led to the kitchen. It was at the back of the room, and where else would that lead to? Regardless, Trixie huffed, barely audible in the crowd, and looked for a seat.
She found one. Blessedly devoid of any lifeform that she could see, and carefully plopped herself on it. The last thing she needed right now was breaking her illusion. Goddesses know what these brutes would do to her if they saw her pony-self.
The smell of food was becoming more and more tantalizing now. Her stomach yearned for food. Peeking at the plates, she scrunched her nose in disgust. Some of those dishes weren’t even something she would touch eat, much less eat. She had met ponies who did, but she never understood those ponies. Still, she could spot a few that she could eat. Warm onion soup. Eggs. Prench fries.
Thankfully, Trixie didn’t need to contemplate the wisdom of launching herself on another’s table and act like a particularly rabid mongrel as she saw the—presumably—kitchen door open through her periphery. There was the same brunette girl from before, and another beside her. She had a long black hair that reached down to her back, was noticeably larger in the chest area, and blessedly wore something decent. That alone was enough to put her on top of Trixie’s admittedly short list.
The pair parted away after a brief and whispered conversation. Jeanne, the wearer of a disturbingly perverted outfit waved at Trixie, before hurrying after a customer’s call of ale. Or whatever it was these men loved to drink. The one wearing a barmaid made her way to Trixie, tiny hops in each of her step.
“Hello, welcome to Charming Fairies,” she tilted her head curiously. “Jeanne said you wanted a room?”
“Indeed.” Trixie confirmed with a confident nod. “Trixie would want a room for the night to retire,”
In Trixie’s opinion, the girl’s smile seemed to grow bigger at her affirmation. “That’s great! Oh, you can call me Jessica,” she offered a hand. Trixie stared at it for long. Unless she wanted to break her own illusion, she wasn’t going to shake that. Jessica’s smile faltered, clearing her throat as she dropped her hand. She shuffled in place. “Right. So, if you could follow me? I’ll take you to your room,”
Trixie nodded in reply, and trailed behind Jessica as she climbed upstairs and into a relatively empty corridor. Relatively empty in that there were just a few receptacles here and there with vases of flowers on top in varying state of ‘alive’. The noise from the main room had been muffled, but she could still hear the ever-present noise of the merriment below.
Trixie cringed. “Trixie suspects she will not be having any fitful rest,”
“Hah,” Jessica responded, before waving her arm. “You shouldn’t worry, milady. We’re closing the bar anyway… once father is done with his business in the back, that is.” she grimaced at that, before stopping. Trixie thought Jessica wanted to ask something, but unfortunately for her, the hall wasn’t long, or long enough to hold the conversation and they soon stopped in front of a door.
“Anyway,” the both of them stopped before a door, which aside from the bronze-like knob, and the number oh-oh-six, looked fairly nondescript in Trixie’s opinion. She procured a key from her belt-pouch, and clicked the door open, before pushing it open. “Here’s the room. It’s not much,” she admitted. “But we’ve cleaned the room just today!” she added cheerfully.
Trixie peered inside. True to Jessica’s words, it wasn’t much. A small bed here, and a wardrobe there. A desk, and a window which looked down to the road. But Trixie expected as much. Had she wanted a room with marbled floor and a Princess-sized bed made from clouds, she would’ve looked for a hotel, and wasted hundreds of bits—of which she did not have.
“Trixie believes this is good enough,” she said after a while. The noise from below would need to get used to, but if Jessica was honest, then it won’t be something to be concerned of. “Ah, and how much would this cost?”
“Eh…” she made a strange gesture with her hand; like a scale or some sort, tilting left and right. “How about ten sous for a night?” she ventured.
It occurred to Trixie that she didn’t know what matter of currency ‘sous’. She shuffled on her legs as she gave the girl a considering look. Normally, bits were the accepted universal currency. It was, after all, made of almost-pure gold, and no other nations could boast such richness. But then again, she wasn’t in the same universe anymore, was she? “Do you accept bits?”
Jessica blinked. “Bits?”
If Trixie didn’t care for her current facial structure, she would’ve slapped herself. Instead, she settled with cringing. “Gold, Trixie meant to say. Gold coins, that is.”
Jessica stumbled back, her eyes wide as dinner plates, and Trixie wondered if she had somehow offended the girl’s ancestors or something. “S-so ecus?” she stammered.
Trixie furrowed her brows, before shrugging. “If that’s how you call your gold coins in here, then yes,” she nodded. “Ecus.” With that said, Trixie maneuvered her illusion to reach into her bag, at the same time, the real her did the same time, and pulled out her pouch of emergency lifesaving in one motion.
Jessica looked like she was about to pass out. Ill, rather, as she pointed at her pouch. “Well, that’s still a lot. Lot himself would be jealous on how lot you look like you have.” she bit her lips. “They’re all real gold, right?”
Trixie nodded. “As far as Trixie knows, that is,”
“What do you mean?”
“Trixie would not know if the government had lied to her, or if she had received fake gold,” she shrugged at that. “Here, take a look,” with that said, she opened the pouch and tossed a coin out. With the illusion she was wearing, it was harder than it seemed.
Jessica proved to have a relatively good reflex and caught the coin mid-air. With the way she was pinching it, gold glinted off the dim light. Trixie couldn’t see it, but she recalled the images on the coin like her flashy illusions. One side was of Celestia’s sun, and the other was the moon, which was also Luna’s moon, as recent events had revealed. Tiny letters were printed around the edges, detailing its making.
“I-I’ve never seen this print, before. You’re a foreigner, then. ” Jessica concluded, twisting the coin around her fingers. “And it also feels like gold. If slightly heavier,” she paused, taking a deep lungful breath, before looking back at Trixie’s eyes. There was something in Jessica’s eyes that Trixie wasn’t quite comfortable with. “Well then,” she said finally, breaking eye contact. “Gold’s gold, even if it’s foreign gold. I should probably talk with father about this first - he knows these things more than me. Until then, I’ll count this as an ecu, so…” she pursed her lips in thought. “Two, er, three weeks? I suppose. Including food, of course,”
Trixie scrunched her nose. “That’s long. Trixie believes she won’t be staying here for long.” she paused for a thought. “... Three days, give or take.”
Jessica hummed. “That would be thirty sous, then. Ninety sous as change, unless you need something else?”
Trixie perked. Her stomach would have spoken first, if she hadn’t. “Absolutely! Trixie must request a bowl of onion soup, and some toasted bread, if you would!” she grinned. “Oh, and Trixie doesn’t need the change. Consider them as tip, so to speak.”
Jessica blinked. Her jaws opened, then closed with a loud click. “Sweet summer child.” she shook her head. “I’ll just keep it in your tab, yes? If you need, I don’t know, the entire floor? But I’ll get your order up quick,” she added, pacing out of the room.
“Oh, and don’t forget the water!” Trixie called over. “And knock first, yes?” With that, she closed the door, and twisted the key to a click. She waited until she couldn’t hear the footsteps, before her smile fell along with her illusion.
With a long-suffering groan, Trixie slumped onto the floor. The gradations of browns on the hardwood suddenly looked interesting than ever, though the drunken commotion from down seemed to worsen. Tugging her saddlebag off her, Trixie chucked it over the bed. The following whoomps told her that she had hit the spot.
“Aurgh,” Trixie grumbled, before pulling herself off the floor, lest she became a puddle of blueberry goop―though it sounded tempting―and hobbled to the bed. She laid her chin on the mattress, and hummed contemplatively. It felt comfortable enough. “Rooftop. Check. Now Trixie simply needs a wagon, supplies, and a map.”
Trixie paused, remembering, and then the smile came back. “And maybe a couple shows for the memory, of course.”
()_()_()
Colbert was a man of many things. Depressingly, most of those many things were regret, guilt, and some bizarre concoctions of others. Like that sensation of having a coitus with someone who looked eerily like your mother. Or grandmother.
Still, he supposed that was also one of the main reasons why he was here. Atonement. Well that, and he had always wanted to teach. Contribute to the world one last time that didn’t involve piling up more misery. Though he supposed, depending on which path his students would walk in the future, he could still cause much misery, however indirectly. But that was Future Colbert’s problem. And maybe even Afterlife Colbert’s problem, and right now, he was Present Colbert, and thus any misery he would cause in the future wouldn’t be Present Colbert’s responsibility.
And he was rambling. Shaking his head, Colbert focused on the amulet dangling around his hand. Cold grey metal glinted off the light, and the red ruby-like gems seemed to glare daggers right at him. Despite himself, Colbert couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable.
In all his years, Colbert never thought himself being a kleptomaniac. Stealing the amulet under Miss Louise’s nose―though he doubted she even cared―was not something he would do. But in the end of the day, Colbert was also a man of curiosity, and try as he might, he couldn’t shake off the curiosity from the amulet. Or his eyes, for that matter. Something tickled in the back of his mind. Something soft, and warm…
Someone knocked on the door.
Colbert didn’t jump from his seat, but his heart nearly did. His eyes flew wide, and he looked at his window. The sun was up. Colbert cringed, rubbing his face awake. “I didn’t sleep, did I?” Nobody answered. He felt a slight twinge at that. “Thank goodness today’s Void day,” sighing, he slipped the amulet into his pocket, and rose from his seat -- snatching his staff along the way.
A man stood right behind his door. Decades younger than him, tanned skin, and garbed in a bare-boned armor. The guard from last night, Colbert recalled, and he downed the flash of irritation from being abruptly woken up―even if the sun was already up―like one would to a particularly belligerent puppy, and quirked an eyebrow.
“Something I can help you with?” he tried sound awake, though if it failed, the guard didn’t look particularly caring.
“Professor,” the guard dipped his head in greeting, before lifting his eyes up. His voice was dull, like the buzzing of insects. “I’m in need of assistance,” he shuffled, and Colbert saw nervousness in his eyes. “Miss Louise came last night, and slept in the wagon for the night. We’re not sure if we should…” he trailed off, before shrugging his shoulders.
Colbert sighed, rubbing his face once more. Both expected, and unexpected. Expected in that he knew the Vallière was particularly willful girl―a trait which ran along her family, he noted wryly―and fervently inquisitive in nature. Perhaps more so than usual. Unexpected in that the Vallière girl was, in lack of better word, a teacher’s pet and wouldn’t go against professor’s say-so. “I’ll deal with it,” he said. “Please lead the way.” A pause. “Forgive me if I sound particularly… snappy, yes?”
The guard shrugged. “None to forgive, Professor,”
The walk through the corridors was thankfully uneventful, and boring. With the lack of students, Colbert guessed that they were either still asleep or preparing for the day, or he had really lost the time. Considering the sun was still over the horizon, Colbert hedged on the former.
It didn’t take long before he was standing on yesterday’s summoning field. His hand slipped into his pocket. The cold morning chill blew over him, waking him up as he tried to reign in the yawns. The wagon was as untouched―loosely speaking―as he remembered it, and in the morning-light, he could spot the smudged remains of what used to be the summoning circle―blasted as it was by the Vallière’s explosive performance.
He knocked on the wagon’s entrance. It wasn’t locked, but manners were invented for a reason. The guard stood far to the side, and the professor noted that his partner was missing. “Miss Vallière,” he called out.
It took another set of knocking, and a couple calls before Colbert heard various crashing noises from inside. The door swung open to admit a startled-eyed Louise. Frayed pink hair under the sloppy cone hat, and ruffled coat from sleep. “Professor Colbert?” she asked, breathlessly. Then she blinked. Realization set in, and the girl grimaced. “Oh.”
Said professor returned with a bemused smile. “I would not say I am particularly angry, miss Vallière―”just slightly annoyed”―but I am disappointed that you didn't listen to my message,”
The girl shrank. An achievement on its own, considering her size. “M-my apology, professor, but I needed to―”
Colbert cut her with a sigh. “Thankfully, there is no harm done. But I suggest you prepare yourself for today, Miss Valliere, and…” Colbert trailed off, recalling what followed after breakfast. His eyes glanced to the wagon. What was he going to tell her? Bond with the wagon? “Accompany me to the city after you are done with your breakfast. Consider this as punishment, Miss Valliere,”
Colbert forced a sigh through his nose. Well, he had been planning to the city anyway, and it was always nice to have talking companion along the way.
Louise blinked. “O-of course, professor!” she stammered soon enough.
Colbert nodded his head. “I will be expecting you near the stable,”
The girl nodded, and forced him to sidestep as she stumbled out of the wagon. Thankfully, on her feet. She puffed, and huffed, giving him another nod before she rushed back into the wagon.
Colbert stood there, feeling as though he had forgotten something. And then wished he had forgotten it entirely. “I should talk to Headmaster about her mother,” he murmured, rubbing his face, and tightened his grip around his staff.
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"I should talk to the Headmaster about her mother."
7670265
Fixed!
A zero no tsukaima crossover... wow, just wow.
I have never seen nor heard of whatever this is a crossover with.
That's ever stopped me from liking a story before, so it won't now.
To be honest, I never would have thought I would ever see a crossover between mlp:fim and Zero no Tsukaima, let's see how it goes. (Although, if that lemon-sucking pope from the last season shows up...
Well, let's hope he dies quick)
I feel very sorry for Louise here she not only screwed up her summoning but it rejected her and took off. Now her class thinks she faked her summoning and she has nobody she can turn to. She really needs to meet Trixie and they need to talk.
TRIXIE HORSE
ah i see... it's trixie instead? interesting... i've yet to see season 4 of zero no tsukaima tho.
7670371 Zero no tsukaima
7669599
Hill of Swords is still the gold standard for Familiar of Zero crossovers IMHO. And it's funny that I have read tons of them while never bothering with the source material, but I think it shows that there is a good foundation there if you replace all the anime harem nonsense with like actual character development and world building.
7670455 That's what i liked about him the most to. Something i do personally as well. So that made his character relatable to me at least.
I'm loving this so far and I can't wait for more.
There are so many ways this story could go, and I can't wait to find them out.
I hope zerbst( was that the red head's name?) doesn't try to take trixie from Louise (thought I doubt she swings that way), there are so many questions I want ask in regards to the main story line of the anime, but at the same time I want to be surprised with the direction you go in the future chapters. Best of luck and have fun writing!
7670371 I don't think this the type of displacement fic that you think (not in the sense of involving a certain merchant or anything similar), the only "displacement" going on in this story is how trixie is transported to another planet/universe, sans magical macguffin/cosplay item.
7670477
What? You do not like Overlady?
Oh this is going to blow up so magnificently
Hey, just wanted to say congrats for the featured story! It's really good, looking forward to how it progresses.
-Sugar Quill
Ah, I remember that anime like it was yesterday. Definitely reading this later.
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.
You can lead a horticulture but you can't make her think.
ZnT+MLP = READ!
7668468 Don't forget the BDSM Tsundere and the Mark with magicial brainwashing.
and so continues the cherished tradition
7670546
*waves hand about frantically*I do!Ido!
7670477
the anime is not fit for human consumption but the light novel supposedly does have some
Hill of Swords is a travesty though.
Really good work so far, will be looking forward to future updates.
I WILL READ THE FUCK OUT OF THIS SHIT
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Zero no Tsukaima had a lot of firsts for me in the world of anime
As I love both of these, this crossover was very welcome. You captured all the characters extremely well and this is a rather unique way of going about the plot. Poor Louise though. Hope it works out for her soon.
7671244
Is also unfinished because the author died before he finished the series. Hence why Overlady is a fusion, it would be impossible to finish the story otherwise.
And why stories were Louise ends strangled in another world are popular, because at least they don't repeat canon that much.
7670272 I think it's still there
But
Just a little thing I notice
Oh man! This looks very promising!
7670371
Dood, don't like don't read. Simple as that.
7671433 "Strangled"? I mean, yeah I've seen a few stories were the summoned creature/person didn't take too kindly to being summoned then branded a slave and something like that happened, but did you maybe mean "stranded"?
Loving the story, the plot and characterization is very well done. I'm also eagerly awaiting the sight of Louise running into Trixie during Cobert's errand, or at least I think that's what's going to happen. Curious to see if Louise goes the demanding route or if she actually gives Trixie a plea from the heart... Also curious to see the fireworks (
, heh, that's ironically descriptive of both of them in different ways.) that are bound to happen when two prideful girls like them spend any amount of time together.
Nitpicking part 3 ;)
Shouldn't those two be swapped to make more sense?
For a clarity it could also by specified "Some of those dishes/meals/etc." (and not "plates" from sentence before this one)
+was
I have a feeling that you wanted to convey that he was amused, and not "confused" here.
7671433 wait really.
*Two minutes of research later*
Can I go cry over the philosophical sadness of an author dying before he finishes his story now.
7671433
Yeah the creator of Familiar of Zero died before he could finish the series.
3 Chapters and the two MCs haven't properly met yet, you tease!
Interesting story you have in any case so keep it up good sir!
7671804
Bemused doesn't mean confused, it means 'put to thought'. Being confused is included in there, but it can also simply be ... musing.
7671450 I think "Trixie stared at the Pink Beast, eyes wide as dinner plates, and muscles taut and ready to spring out any given moment." makes more sense ^^
I'm a fan of ZnT, so I was really looking forward to this once I saw it. The story concept is neat, and it definitely has a lot of potential, but it needs a lot of editing. There are a huge number of really basic grammatical errors, especially in verb tense, repetition, and purple prose.
I'd definitely like to come back and read this once it's been polished up a bit, but as it is now I'll have to give it a pass.
I just hope that this fic does the setting justice.
Halkegenia as a setting has tons of potential, not just as background for some harem comedy.
Though I wonder, are there any myths about unicorns and purity in Halk? Cause Trixie would either reinforce or disprove them by how she continues to do whatever it is she's doing.
7670371 why you salty?
7671433 wait what!? The story is unfinished and the author died? But I just started reading it and enjoying it so far, I'll continue reading in respect to the original writer, but are the chapters not written by him/her worth reading?
7671531
No, it's right. If I recall, Void Day has Early Classes, and the rest of the afternoon was spent as bonding time with your Familiar. Colbert was in luck that he didn't have any class to teach during the day.
7672403
The creator of Familiar of Zero died before he could finish the series. You know the part of this crossover that isn't the FiM part?
7672663 ah, forgive me. I thought you meant the writer to the hills of swords fanfic. My mistake.
7672467 no belive me I have re watch zero no tsukaima like 6 times already, all the 4 seasons (omg I am such a freak), void day is basicaly Sunday because at that time in japan school was from Monday to Saturday and only Sunday was off class. The day you mention was a special day to bond with there familiar but it wasnt the void day.
Very pleased and surprised to see a zero crossover -- thumbs up and tracked.
7672717
Oh shit, you're right. Juat checked the LN. Well, fuck. Imma fix that once I'm on my computer.
Actually you should put that is a Zero no tsukaima crossover in the title -- it might draw more people who didn't realize what it was.
7668980 Except his status isn't a slave. Saito is her familiar. He is, as far as the law and culture are concerned, part of her. And yet, he is never once treated as such by anyone other than Louise. Who only treats him as such during their first few days together when she's still trying mesh her idealized image of what a Familiar is with this seemingly random commoner that she has found herself responsible for.
As for her attitude, she really just has a lot of insecurities and a short temper..
7673073
It really didn't help Saito that he was pretty idiotic early on. I mean, reading back on the LN, he basically rubbed Louise's nickname on her face. If I recall, he also nearly raped Louise while she was sleeping under the assumptions that she wanted sex no matter if she says no, and overestimated their relationship. Granted, Louise was giving mixed signals, but still.