Roanoke fights the urge to tell Victor that he didn't need to apologize when the mohawked teen understands the reasoning behind the questions earlier. It riled Roanoke up, yes, but it also gave him the urge to assert who he's trying to be. The students' curiosity and suspicions weren't fully unfounded. While Roanoke is a former Sith, he's just Sith in title and not in deed. Even Shaw's reassurance makes the ex-acolyte feel at ease. Almost. But he can't—won't, rather—tell them the how's and why's of him coming here in the Jedi Order unscathed, no... at least not yet. He's not ready to admit that the reason why there wasn't a Master come looking for him is because that Master is dead, and Roanoke had been instrumental to her death. He's the reason why the Jedi Knight and her Padawan were able to deal the finishing blow.
Instead he smiles, still tinged with embarrassment but so, so sincere. He gratefully accepts the plate of panna cake from Shaw with a chuckle and nods at the visible happiness on Victor's face.
"T-Thanks," he mutters softly, feeling happy and content for the first time in a long while. Friends. Come to think of it...
Shaw is rewarded with a solemn shake of Roanoke's head, a negative response to the former's question. "I tried to reach out, but... I never managed to make friends," he admits, a hint of sadness that tastes like burnt chocolate laced in his voice. "I was bullied, 'cause they said I'm too... kind. And that I don't think and act like a Sith. Y'know, all that anger and hate and the self-serving deeds and whatnot." The mohawked teen sighs, adding, "And that I'm not ambitious enough, that my way of thinking doesn't align with the Sith's creed."
He takes a big bite off the panna cake and admits both shyly and easily, "So, uh, I stopped mingling, and just tried to blend in the background."
Not an easy task. He's tall, scarred, and broad. And that his mohawk and buzz cut really make him stand out like a sore thumb.
At the follow-up question, Roanoke blinks then averts his gaze. "I like it better as a Padawan. N-Not because I'm not being bullied here, or pressured into doing things I don't like. I like it better because... because it means I don't get to be a Sith anymore."
He falls quiet for a few seconds as he continues to chew on his food, before asking both Shaw and Victor in a small voice, "How... How are your parents like? I mean, if they're still around..."
It's an intrusive thought voiced out in a moment of curiosity. Roanoke's parent's cannot be considered the best this side of the galaxy, and a part of him secretly hopes that his new friends' family isn't like his.
@throwitintothefire @Victor Ryder
