But, I joined the attic with this one, and that's why I will always cherish this story... I was so very nervous at posting I was practically hyperventilating 
Pillow Talk
by Weyoun
Night time in Suldenessellar. After a long day's work helping to rebuild the ancient city, the Half-Elven Fighter-Mage Karis was quietly laying in his bed holding his love. His face was half buried in her hair.
"Karis..." Her sleepy voice eccoed melodically in their quiet room.
"Karis.... Are you awake?"
"Mmmmm...." An other sleepy voice replied.
"Karis, stop that!" She chuckled. "Don't you think you have had enough exercise today?" Viconia flexed her tired body and turned to face her love. He smiled mischievous at her. "Well... I'm as awake as you want me to be."
She smirked. "Well, that is good to know. But, I was wondering..... Karis, when can we be away form this miserable place." There was a touch of urgency in her voice. Karis pulled her a little closer to him.
"Karis, I am unwelcome here. Those Darthiir, they....they stare at me when I walk by. They look at me from the corners of their eyes. Always, I am watched and...and some have murderous looks in their eyes, as if I am game for the hunter. I know Ellesime has forbidden them to harm me but I..I don't want to stay here any longer than necessary."
"I guess you must be feeling a little surrounded. The Elves here are a little more conservative than I'm used to, but don't worry. I think we can leave in a few more days. The city wasn't as badly damaged as it looked, and Minsc and I both have strong backs. Besides, Jan's newly invented pulley system has really helped to speed up repairs. Amazing how quickly he put it together."
Viconia grimaced a little and rolled on her back. "That insipid moronic gnome. We took a decanter of Evermead and a tray of warm bread up to our room for a 'quiet' evening. How much more of a hint does the fool need!"
Viconia's eyes flashed a furious red in the dark room as the over-mimicked the culprit's voice. "Oh, Kary, Vicky, am I disturbing you? Well, I'll just get my Flasher from the table and I'll be out of your hair, much apologies. You know, I once found my cousin Beeloo in a compromising position just like the two of you are in now. I remember it quite clearly..."
"And that's when you threw the tray at him." Karis interupted her with a laugh. "You hit him square in the nose. I hope it's not broken. Besides, you forgot all about it a few moments later."
Viconia smirked and shifted on her side. "Well, I for one hope I did break it. Either way, that buffoon will think twice about disturbing his betters again.". Viconia took on a more serious tone and looked at the window in the far corner of the room. It had started to rain. The falling water trinkled along the glass and the dull sound of pounding water on the roof eccoed noisily through the room.
"You're always like that, you know."
"What do you mean?"
"Always thinking of others first, before your own well-being. You live the life of an adventurer, the life of a hero, and so do the others. To me it seems a stange life, filled with ambiguities."
"Oh, come on. You are as much a hero as all of us. Don't tell me you didn't enjoy the ceremony in Trademeet, or the fact that your likeness is now gracing a statue?"
"I do like the glory, but it is fleeting. We'll be the talk of the town for a couple of years, but one day, a new group of heroes will come and take our place. Our deeds will be forgotten and once again I will be just another drow to be hunted down. It's happening here even now, less than a week after we killed Irenicus."
She turned away from Karis. "Those ingrateful Darthiir...if it wasn't for the fact that Irenicus took your soul, I would have let them all perish." Her words were lined with anger.
Viconia softened and looked back at Karis. "But you would have never let them suffer that fate would you. I sense you really want to be a hero, but not for the glory or even the riches. What is your driving force? Any drow male of your prowess would be an over-confident boaster, praising his own abilities, yet even in the heat of battle you never do. Always calm, yet confident. What is your secret, half-elf?"
Karis faced her and smiled softly. "I probably was the only child on Toril who looked forward to bedtime. Gorion would tell me stories about great deeds...about fighting evil...about love, respect and friendship. Even though he hid it well, I knew he sometimes threw in a tale of his own adventures. I so much wanted to be like him. I learned to be patient and calm. Even though I felt strong anger, when Sarevok killed him, I didn't fall into darker emotions. I stopped Sarevok to prevent a war, not out of revenge. The first time I did feel a truly dark emotion, though, was indirectly related to you actually."
This surprised her. She inched a little closer to him. "Oh?"
"Remember Anomen?"
"That Rivvel Lout?"
"That's the one. You made a pass at him and he acted upon it. And he insulted Gorion to boot. It was the first time I felt pure rage. I was so jealous I was ready to kill him where he stood. I could barely control myself long enough to ask him to leave."
Karis let out a deep sigh. "Well, frankly, it scared the hell out of me. It took some soul-searching to come to terms with that. It was only a shadow of things to come however."
Viconia turned her back to Karis, again staring at the window. The room suddenly seemed a little smaller to her, and just a bit darker than it was before. She slowly whispered, more serious than before. "Karis, It...It was one of my games. I was probing...I wanted to see how you'd react. I wanted to see you angry. I'm...sorry, if I've caused you pain."
Karis pulled her close again. "Hey, don't worry about it. It helped me prepare somewhat for losing my soul." He kissed her hair. Karis' words somehow made Viconia feel a little better, though she didn't know why.
"You know, when I discovered I was a child of Murder back in Candlekeep, it didn't really matter to me. Nothing really changed...I was still the same person as I had always been. But when I lost my soul...there was nothing there to keep the taint at bay. It was like a pure evil squeezing my heart, seeping into my mind and it was... horrific. I felt so...empty, so drained. My darker emotitions ruled me, I was losing my mind to rage and also the fear of that rage."
"You hid it well, Karis."
Viconia turned to face him again, and noticed the pain in his eyes. "Not well enough. I almost killed you back in the Asylum...You and the others. I couldn't control the rage any longer and fell into the taint." Karis ran his hands through her beautiful long hair and carressed the skin behind one of her delicately pointed ears. "I couldn't live with myself, if I'd harmed you. You were the one that renewed my resistance to the taint, my love for you kept the evil at bay. The Drow are wrong, Viconia. Love can give great strength."
Viconia felt a little elated by this, and yet a little uncomfortable. Hearing his words somehow warmed her. She was unsure what to say to him. "I...I don't know what to say to that. I am...flattered, I think."
He noticed her confusion and continued to talk. "I could have become like Sarevok. To care about nothing, but oneself or power. Not caring how your actions end the lives of others. Sarevok's war would have cost the lives of thousands. All for a fool's dream of power. Unlike those self-righteous gits of the Radiant Heart, I make no illusions as to know what evil actually is, but I see what it makes people do. Slavers taking children from their mothers, brigands killing others for a few coins, corrupt nobles fleecing the peasants to line their own pockets. Leaders plotting to conquer their neighboring lands. Murderers roaming the streets at night. Evil is everywhere...and it can seep into everyone's heart. And it can drag you down, until you can sink no futher...until your only companions are hate, greed and paranoia...such an empty, lonely life." Karis looked deep into her eyes. How beautiful her mysterious dark eyes were. Her confusion was gone, replaced with...was it understanding?
"I once lived that life, Karis. Though not as much now as before. Even in Drow culture there are certain degrees of evil. My sisters plotted elaborate schemes to dispose of rivals, but then there was my youngest sister Galna. She was more like Sarevok, rising to power through blood. She was a fanatic devotee of the Spider Queen, even by Drow standards. Even Valas didn't dare cross her. We once found one of our sisters eviscerated in her bed. Galna left no evidence, so Matron Ginafae couldn't punish her. I'll spare you the fates of her many husbands. Eventually she fell by my hand though. I angered her so, that she didn't notice a spider until she crushed it under her foot. The Matron sacrificed her shortly afterwards. Her death wasn't a great loss."
"I'll bet. In any case, now you know why I wanted to be a hero. Perhaps it was a sub-conscious desire to fight the taint of Bhaal. Maybe it were the tales Gorion used to tell when I was young, or perhaps it's just my nature. I don't want to be evil myself."
"Yet you embrace it in your bed." Viconia teased, though rather tiredly. "You are an ambigious person Karis...the more I learn about you, the more mysterious you seem. Someday I'll figure you out, Karis." She seductively raked the finger along his arm "Or perhaps you are simply trying to redeem me?" she probed.
"No, I'm not. I love you just the way you are. In a way we are both looking for the same things. You've lost so much and now you seek peace and a place to call home. I'm looking for those things too, yet our ways to find what we want are slightly different, though it seems to me you're not out for world dominiation." There was a flash a mischief in his eyes "Unless there is something you want to tell me?"
Viconia chuckled and inched a little closer to Karis. "Perhaps I shall reveal my master plan to you one day...lowly male. But for now, I'd rather stay with you for a while."
Karis embaced her and Viconia promptly dozed off. He looked out the window and saw it had stopped raining. He looked back at Viconia and noticed how peaceful she looked when she slept.
"I love you, Viconia" He whispered in his ear, and fell asleep himself.
