[ the use of a formal address is partly habit — it's all mister and miss, sir and ma'am, my lord and my lady where he's from — but mostly it's meant to tease her. it's a sign of affection, really. proof of how much he likes her. schoolyard tactics. first names are reserved for more serious situations, when he really wants someone's attention or to stress a point, or if he forgets, in the heat of a moment, to be coy.

at present, they're still just having fun while learning how to be friends. somehow, despite their differences, it comes easily with roxy. it could just be simple attraction, but it's always felt a little deeper than that with her. perhaps it's because she's not a shallow person, and cassidy's never been content to remain in the shallows.

despite their differences, they also have a few important similarities. the way roxy takes stock of her environment is something cassidy learned to do from a young age. if you weren't careful on the docks in bristol, you risked getting press-ganged. if you weren't tuned into your surroundings when you stepped foot in a tavern in port royal or down a side street in nassau, you risked getting jumped. constant vigilance is a survival skill. so is not trusting someone you've just met.

so her request ( demand? ) doesn't surprise him, but he feigns a shocked look all the same, placing a hand over his chest. ] Miss Morton, you wound me to my marrow, you do! What kind of villain do you think I be?

[ secretly, he's impressed by her savvy, not that he tampered with her drink. because he didn't. ]

Here now. [ he places his own glass in front of her, and holds out his hand for hers. ] I'll show you I'm no ruffian.