[ no one sees themselves the villain of their own story. pirates are no exception. they all have things they tell themselves so they can sleep at night, some of them possibly even justifiable. in this instance, cassidy wouldn't have been so incensed about being robbed if the items taken from him hadn't been his most valuable, and if the person who took them hadn't been someone he used to care about greatly. the crime against him, in addition to thwarting his carefully laid plans, stirred up the pain and humiliation of an old betrayal. it left him in such a state of desperation that when he was offered a way to fix it, he took it.

and it was fixed as promised. for a while, it seemed like everything was going to turn out all right. but maybe that was just cassidy showing his age. either way, it was that false sense of security that landed him right back here, asking a steeper favor than last time.

but he tamps all that down. roxy's presence helps, as does the alcohol ( of which he's going to need more, very soon ). for now, he swirls the little bit of dark liquid that remains at the bottom of his glass as he listens to roxy's answer. the first one makes him smile, more of a smirk, really, but it's happier and more amused than the one before it. he never got much of her story before; some things, it seems, never change. he's just going to have to try a little harder.

at the second answer, what seems to be the true answer, his look softens. he leans forward, one of his necklaces — the only one not made of gold and silver, with a heavy pendant on it — dangling in the v of his shirt. ] That's a nobler venture, if you ask me, lass. Most the world's not worth saving, you see.

[ sitting back again, he downs the very last of his drink. ]

Pray tell me, what is it they're needing protection from?