The Emperor's gaze lingered on Abdel. The Bhaalspawn's crude jokes and exaggerated comparisons could not bring a smile to his face. If the Emperor had ever possessed a shred of humor, it had been very, very long ago. Back when he still had a body capable of walking the mortal world, he would occasionally tell an utterly absurd deadpan joke. By the time his Thunder Warriors, Adeptus Custodes, or Primarchs understood his complex, profound jokes, they generally could no longer bring themselves to laugh.
The only person who could fully understand the Emperor's meaning and smile knowingly was Malcador, Chancellor of the Imperium.
Sure enough, seeing the Emperor's expressionless face, Abdel stared hard at him and forced a smile, trying to show his teeth. Even the Bhaalspawn himself could not tell whether he was putting on a brave face or playing along. "Oh~ Oh, all right, all right, buddy. What can I do for you?"
"The beast within your body is trying to devour you, Man of Original Sin, Bhaalspawn," the Emperor said slowly. "You must learn to control yourself, or this will not be the last time you turn a dagger on your companions."
"Hey~ Buddy, you came all this way to see me over something like that?" The words immediately made Abdel uncomfortable, and he complained, "Why interfere with my freedom? Just because you're taller and bigger than me? I don't even know what kind of hybrid you are. A Goliath? A giant god? You've got to be some mongrel, or how else could you be that tall?"
The Emperor: "..."
"All right, all right, you're bigger. You do the talking." Seeing the Emperor remain silent, Abdel more or less understood that his teasing had once again failed to strike a chord.
*This mongrel really didn't have a