Why are you here?

Why Did You Do It?

Radley wasn't a bad person.
Well, he was. He tried to take over the world twice and kidnapped a lot of people, but that was about it. Nobody had gotten hurt, per say. In fact, most people on the cruise ship didn't seem upset about the situation, just worried about their friends or muttering about the ruined festivities. The only person that seemed genuinely angry about the situation was Cori, who would constantly rant on about "That no good turnip boarding my ship without permission!"

Sure, Radlynn knew he was a bad guy, that she had a pretty good reason to hate him, but she just couldn't. He was nothing but nice to her, considering the circumstances.

Even just looking at him now, sitting cross legged on the other end of the couch, flicking through TV channels, he didn't look dangerous at all. She'd seen Sarge, or whatever that onion guy's name was, and Luau LePunch, and they at least looked menacing. And sure, Radley did look pretty intimidating when he tried, but right now, dressed in sweatpants and a turtleneck, he was anything but.

It was weird.

So why was he 'evil' then? Radley seemed like the kind of person who'd like to just live a quiet life away from people rather than an evil villain who wanted to bend the world to his will. It just didn't make sense.

The question nagged at her brain, teeming with increasingly ridiculous answers. She frowned in frustration just thinking about them. The curiousity was killing her.

"...Radley?" Radlynn spoke up. He turned his head and looked over at her.

"Hm?" He answered. "Do you need something?"

"No, uh-" she hesitated. "Can I ask you something?"

Radley shifted on the couch and arched a brow, curious. "Sure."

"It's kinda personal, though." She added. He frowned.

"Um- al- alright...?" He looked confused.

She cleared her throat before pressing on. Too late to turn back now. "...why do you want to take over the world?"

He stiffened and stared at her for a few moments, like the question had hurt him. He glanced aside and set the remote down, fiddling with his hands anxiously. "I-" he swallowed, and made a clicking sound with his tongue. "I- well I um-" he looked up at her. God, he felt terrible all of a sudden. Guilt seemed to swallow him whole in an instant.

Radlynn watched him cross his arms, squeezing his forearms tightly with his shaky hands. He stared at the ground, still mumbling and trying to figure out how to answer a question like that.

"You don't- You don't have to tell me," she murmured, trying her best to sound comforting. "I'm sorry, I really shouldn't have-"

"NO- no you deserve an- an answer." Was he shaking? "I did- I did really bad, HORRIBLE things to you and everyone else I-I-" he swallowed deeply and tried to steady himself. "I just- ...I guess I just wanted to...to..." He trailed off. Radlynn stared at him, feeling worse by the second. She should've known asking would upset him.

"Radley-"

"I wanted to feel important." He finally cut in. She tilted her head. "Nobody- Nobody has ever cared about me, I mean- I mean why would they?" He pushed one of his leaves out of his face. "I just- just wanted someone to care about me, about my existence! That's all- that's all I've ever really wanted, I suppose..."

Radlynn moved closer to him on the couch. Radley looked at her, fear apparent on his face even if she couldn't see his eyes. "I'm sorry." He mumbled. "I'm sorry I-I-" he forced himself to look at her even though it made not crying even harder. "I hurt you and I hurt everyone else and I can't be redeemed and-" he tried to swallow his sobs, his tongue feeling like sandpaper in his mouth. "I'm a horrible person, aren't I?" He finally murmured, his voice soft and resigned.

She frowned sadly. "Radley," this wasn't a villain sitting in front of her. It was a scared, lonely person that needed help. "It's okay- you didn't- didn't hurt anyone." She rested a hand on his shoulder. He didn't flinch at the contact, which was a good sign. "I'm okay. You didn't hurt me, and I'm not mad about anything you did."

He didn't say anything, just squeezed his arms tighter and looked away from her. She brought a hand up, placing it on his face, and moving it back towards her. "I..." He sounded like a scared child.

"It's okay." Her other hand rested on his shoulder. "You're alright."

He sniffed, and swallowed back the sobs threatening to escape him. "Please, please not now, not in front of her." He thought. He reached up and rested his hand against hers, pressing the warmth closer against his face.

Her arm went around his neck, hand rubbing his back soothingly. He relaxed against the comfort, soaking in her warmth. "I..." He didn't even know what to say. She shushed him and moved closer.

Her hand pulled away. Radley tried to keep it against his face, keep the warmth and comfort for just a little longer. It didn't matter anymore if she thought that was weird, he just needed the affection.

Her arms wrapped around him tightly, and suddenly her body was against his, covering him in warmth like a blanket. He tensed, unsure of how to react to the sudden intimacy, then slowly hugged her closer.

Her face brushed against the side of his, gentle and soft. The proximity, the affection, it was too much for him. Radley grit his teeth and tried so, so hard to stay silent as tears finally escaped him. He shook and held her closer, whimpers slipping past his lips. Then he finally broke, soft, breathy sobs coming from him after all this time.

Radlynn didn't speak, didn't protest, even when she felt dampness from Radley's tears soaking her shirt. She sat there patiently, just waiting until his tears subsided into sniffs.

Radley definitely wasn't a bad person, she didn't see him that way.