Penn flinched as his fork scraped the plate, eyes darting to look at the three others with him at the awkwardly long table in the middle of an over-zealous dining room. They all remained quiet, eyes downcasted while focusing on their elegant and quiet eating. Penn had a hard time swallowing his mouthfuls because of the thick tension.
Even glancing over at Daniel did nothing. He hadn't spoken a word since they moved from the sitting room to the dining table. Penn was unnerved by how quiet the Esper was. Every so often, his parents would make a backhanded comment while smiling sweetly at Penn. Like leading a cow to slaughter, they only seemed to be attempting to find ways to convince the Guide to bond with their only child.
