It's not a death glare, but seeing the immediate and telling effect his jab has on his teenage friend does make him feel a little guilty. It was a good joke! Just... maybe a little misplaced.
"I don't know," he tells Darcy. "I really don't. Maybe I'm being the idiot by assuming that anyone aboard could possibly be normal." Which is his attempt at apologizing without apologizing, because that's... terribly embarrassing to have to do in front of a stranger. "Nobody I've spoken to has had anything remotely resembling an average life. For all we know, Stede and his crew have some kind of as-of-yet-unseen magical powers."
Hmmm...
"Say, Lucius, you wouldn't happen to be able to summon fire in your hand or maybe... I don't know, cast charms on people? Maybe you're uncannily good with tarot cards? You can tell us if you're known for witchcraft." He is, unfortunately, desperately serious.
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"I don't know," he tells Darcy. "I really don't. Maybe I'm being the idiot by assuming that anyone aboard could possibly be normal." Which is his attempt at apologizing without apologizing, because that's... terribly embarrassing to have to do in front of a stranger. "Nobody I've spoken to has had anything remotely resembling an average life. For all we know, Stede and his crew have some kind of as-of-yet-unseen magical powers."
Hmmm...
"Say, Lucius, you wouldn't happen to be able to summon fire in your hand or maybe... I don't know, cast charms on people? Maybe you're uncannily good with tarot cards? You can tell us if you're known for witchcraft." He is, unfortunately, desperately serious.