It was one of those days where Silas just couldn't sit around. No, he had to go out for a long ride. He wasn't sure where to, but it was just that restless feeling where he couldn't sit around at home. Not that he ever felt too lonely on these rides, but this particular time, he missed the company of his best friend and confidant, Corrin. Either that, or that pit in his stomach was because he had forgotten breakfast again (butterflies in your stomach is no excuse to not eat). Tragically, he could not afford one of those smart vans with the bluetooth connect, so he pulled up at a stoplight to dial him up.

"Ayyyy, Silas!"

"Ayyyy, Corrin!"

"What's happenin, man?" asked the friendly dragon.

"Just road tripping again," Silas answered. "I mean, if you can call it that. I've only really driven twenty minutes from my house." With a nervous chuckle, he cleared his throat. "So, uh... I forgot to eat this morning, so if you're free, do you wanna grab some lunch?"

"Of course!" answered Corrin. "I'm starving. Well, not as much as you." The two of them laughed, shortly after Corrin clearing his throat. "So uh, you mind picking me up? Since you're already on the road."

"I would never mind."

"Haha, thanks." Corrin faltered again. "Oh, uh, is it cool if I bring a buddy along?"

Something about this had a sense of foreboding. Even so, Silas couldn't place a realistic reason to be worried, so fighting his gut (maybe he was just hungry), he answered, "Of course, man."

Now, this was an extreme hunger. The kind where one feels as though, in theory, they could eat anything, yet they're still wanting a particular meal. This was the kind of pang that could only be soothed by some good old fashioned country cooking. He couldn't even propose the question before Corrin completed the thought, as if by telepathy.

"Silas, can we go to Cracker Barrel?"

"Yeah! I'm on my way to come grab you, I'll see you then." The two said their goodbyes as Silas put the phone back in the cup holder. Whatever gut feeling he had, he tried to push away, instead remembering the magic spell; Aw yeah, Cracker Barrel.

Since Corrin was inviting a friend anyway, Silas made a quick trip on the way to pick up their mutual buddy Kaze. He had been feeling a little under the weather lately, and Silas thought that nothing could cheer him up quite like some chicken n' dumplins. His theory was correct, he pulled up to the house, and Kaze busted out that door like it was nobody's business.

"Aw yeah, Cracker Barrel!" he said, in a significantly better mood than he was before.

Silas waved and returned the greeting with another hearty "Aw yeah! Cracker Barrel!" Kaze let himself into the backseat of the pickup truck. A little confused, Silas turned. "You don't want shotgun?"

"Not that I don't," Kaze replied, "I just figured you'd like your buddy sitting up front."

Silas wasn't really sure how to answer that... he was right, after all. "Well, if you're sure." The two had a riveting chat on the way to pick up Corrin. He was already waiting out front, waving and making his way down the front porch steps.

"Ayyyy! Cracker Barrel!" Corrin shouted.

"Cracker Barrel!" Kaze replied, rolling down the window.

Silas stuck an arm out the window to wave. "Aw yeah, Cracker Ba-"

There it was. That was the foreboding. Following Corrin at an uncomfortably brisk pace... was Jakob.

The ride to the good old fashioned country store was significantly less cushy as Silas imagined. Not that he thought it would be some magical experience, but the awkwardness began when Corrin opted to sit in the back with Kaze, leaving the long, silver haired butler-like man, who Silas had a sinking feeling did not like him very much, to take shotgun. He uttered not a word when Silas greeted him with "Aw yeah, Cracker Barrel!"

He felt his mouth dry up. The ride would have been quiet, had it not been for Corrin asking Silas to turn up the radio. So instead, it was an uncomfortable tenseness as Prince's "When Doves Cry" sounded through the back speakers. Even Kaze felt a sense of unease at the situation, and let's be real, he loves Prince.

"So..." Silas began. "You go to the CB often?"

"I doubt anyone calls it that," Jakob retorted.

Bonding with humor failed. Silas only chuckled a bit nervously. "Maybe one day it'll pick up, yeah?"

"I wouldn't hold my breath."

Oof.

Kaze, trying desperately to save his friend, chimed in. "So, have you ever ate there before?"

Jakob slowly turned to face the ninjabread man in the backseat. "Not once in my life."

"Ah, I see... well, it's really good."

"Quite."

Kaze sank into his seat. Is this what it sounds like when doves cry?

Corrin, not feeling any sort of intensity whatsoever, chimed, "I'm going to try something different this time!" Now, Silas and Kaze both knew this would ultimately fail; perhaps the sides would change, but Corrin always ordered the country fried shrimp.

This time, however, Jakob turned to smile warmly at Corrin. "That sounds wonderful, Corrin." Silas and Kaze only sat in silence. This was going to be a grand old country fashioned old time, two-face butler guy or not.

Corrin swung open the truck door, bounding towards the door. "Ayyyyyyy! Cracker Barrel!" With a struggle to maintain their enthusiasm, Silas and Kaze responded, "Aw yeah! Cracker Barrel!" as Jakob continued with his deafening silence. He held open the door for Corrin, letting it go as Silas and Kaze followed behind. The waiting time was ten minutes, so it got to be one of Corrin's favorite parts of the trip: picking out things that none of them needed to buy after they all got to eat. He ran off to who knows where, as Kaze and Silas lingered near the homemade candies.

"Oh, have you tried these apricots?" Kaze picked up a plastic case. "These look delicious. I might bring some home for Saizo."

Silas nodded. "That sounds like an awesome idea. I'm kind of watching myself with the candy right now. I bought way too much for Halloween and got like... only two trick or treaters after two hours."

"For real?"

"Yeah. Corrin and I tried finishing it off the other day and we both got sick to our stomachs. I hate it, he ended up having to call in sick for work because of it."

Kaze shook his head. "Wasn't he wanting to find a new job, anyway? He mentioned something about hating waiting on tables." He then elbowed Silas. "You do inventory at the bookstore down the street, right? You could hook Corrin up there."

Silas laughed a little, shaking his head. "Uhh... if he's interested, I'll see what I can do." The two continued to look at homemade treats that they pondered whether or not they'd buy when Silas broke the silence again.

"Um... do you remember if I did something to offend Jakob?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, as far as I know, he's just like that."

"What do you mean?" Silas asked.

"I mean," Kaze sighed. "He just kind of... doesn't bother to put up a front with anyone. It got him fired from Publix."

"Ahem."

Silas and Kaze felt a chill, not even bothering to turn around. Jakob stood behind them, arms crossed. He made his way in between the two as they nervously made way for him. He seemed particularly interested in a selection of Yankee Candles.

"I uh..." Silas began. "Beach Walk, huh? I like that one, I have it in my living room."

Without even looking at him, Jakob remarked, "It sounds terrible." Silas backed away slightly, not really sure how to respond.

The intensity he felt was not severed even by Corrin, who bounded back towards his friends, announcing "they have a toucan that repeats everything you say!" He then noticed the candle in Jakob's hand before he had set it back on the shelf. "Oh, Beach Walk! That's a really good one."

"Is that so," Jakob smirked. "Well, I will definitely consider it." Silas and Kaze shared a silent look of are you hearing this shit as Silas, Party of Four, was called.

Normally, Corrin, Silas and Kaze would alternate playing checkers in the rocking chairs as they waited to be served, but instead, they sat in silence as Jakob wordlessly slid the small peg board game in his direction. There was a look of determination in his eyes as he moved pegs around, but it got hard to watch as, after attempted three times, still ended up with four pegs in the board. Corrin was also remarkably unsuccessful with this game, but remarking that he was "ig-no-ra-moose" would only get a chuckle out of him; Silas was afraid of what would happen in pointing out Jakob's losses. The waitress, sensing the uncomfortable air, came up to take their orders. They could not believe their eyes...

"Felicia!" Corrin grinned. "I didn't know you worked here! This is awesome!"

"Y-yes," she answered. "It's great to see you all! I-I was told about you... country fried shrimp, right?"

"Yeah!" said Mr. I'm-Going-to-Order-Something-New-Today.

"I'd like the Chicken n' Dumplins," added Kaze.

Silas and Jakob both looked at their menus longer than the others; Silas wanted to try something different, and Jakob had never set foot into a so called 'Cracker Barrel' in his life and had no idea what to get. Soon, they both looked up.

"I'd like to order the Rib Eye Steak."

"I'll have the Rib Eye Steak."

The two looked directly at each other, one in horror, the other in fear.

"Well done."

"Well done."

Yes. That was fear and horror. Felicia tried to diffuse the situation. "Uh... what sides with those?"

The two hesitated to speak again.

"Fried apples and mashed potatoes."

"The mashed potatoes and fried apples."

Felicia was shaking. "B-buttermilk biscuits or m-m-muffins?"

There was an immediate response.

"Biscuits, please."

"Buttermilk biscuits."

"G-got it! Thanks!" Felicia ran off, leaving the four sitting at the table in stunned silence. Jakob rested his head against in hand as Silas broke out in a cold sweat. Neither said a word, and Kaze only hoped he would be able to taste the sweet, sweet dumplins soon. Corrin silently thought to himself damn, I should have ordered some fried apples. At least once the food arrived, there was no need to talk! It was all eating. Corrin went to town on his shrimp, but still openly lamented not having any fried apples.

"Oh, do you want some of mine?" asked Silas, preparing to slide the bowl his way, only for Jakob to beat him to it.

"Here," he announced. "I knew you liked them, so that's the only reason I ordered them."

Silas raised an eyebrow. "You don't like them?"

"Of course not," said Jakob. You know, like a liar.

Corrin shook his head. "Thanks, but I might just snag some of Silas's. I know you freakin love those apples, man." Jakob sighed, moving his bowl away. They all thought that that was the end of it until Corrin, after getting another mouthful of shrimp, was like "You'd lie about not liking your favorite fried fruit? You really hate him that much?"

Jakob didn't face Corrin. Kaze's dumplin fell off his fork and Silas shifted in his seat slightly in a fight or flight response.

Corrin set his fork down. "I really wanted to share the Cracker Barrel experience with you today, Jakob. Silas, Kaze and I love it here, and I know you're upset about getting fired from Publix, but you don't need to go lying about it to prove a point or anything. In fact, I thought maybe you'd actually get along with my friends once you knew you had similar taste in food. But, you know, whatever."

For once, it was not Jakob who created an awkward silence. The other three men sat there, thumbs fidgeting, unblinking, leg bobbing, as Corrin went back to snagging some of Silas's apples.

Jakob broke the silence. "I... I really do enjoy fried apples. I came because I discovered that they had them here." He took a breath. "I suppose... if you like them too, then you must have refined taste."

"I like them too," added Kaze.

"That's fine."

"Aw, yeah."

Here was Corrin's real favorite part, mentioned once before; the actual purchasing of things from the gift shop he did not eat. He dragged Silas over to the aforementioned talking toucan. "Hey, hey, check this out," he began. Leaning towards the toy, he said "For Hoshido!"

The toucan repeated at a faster pace, For Hoshido! For Hoshido! The two boys burst into laughter, the way only two tired college-age guys could after listening to a twenty dollar talking toy that absolutely neither of them needed. Corrin wiped away a tear and took a breath. "Hey uh... I didn't realize it would be this awkward today. I'm sorry."

"You're alright," Silas answered. "Your heart was in the right place. A friend of yours is a friend of mine, yeah?" He scratched the back of his head. "Well I mean, maybe someday, right?"

Corrin only chuckled. "Um... actually, I was just nervous about going two on two today."

Silas raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Corrin paused for a moment as if he wanted to say something else, then shook his head. "I mean... ugh. I need a new job. Didn't wanna weigh you down with that talk."

"Not at all!" Silas responded. "Corrin, we're friends. You can always vent if you need to. Actually... I didn't want to seem pushy or anything, and you're welcome to say no... there's an opening at the bookstore I'm working at, and the starting pay is pretty good..." Silas wasn't sure why he felt so nervous. "I could... if you want... I could put in a good word for you."

I could put in a good word for you! I could put in a good word for you! Repeated the toucan, as the boys broke into hysterics once again. Wiping his eyes again, Corrin beamed. "I would like that a lot." The boys,clearly having not learned their lesson from Halloween, both picked out candy they certainly did not need and met back up with Kaze, with a pack of apricot candies and a much better mood after having some good sweet dumplins. Silas reached for his wallet to pay for the meal, but Jakob put up a hand.

"Allow me," he responded, setting the Beach Walk Yankee Candle on the counter.

Silas smiled. "Thanks, man." He went to put the wallet away before remembering he was going to buy all that candy. He smiled to himself, thinking about how differently this day turned out from what he imagined. Some old country cooking was just the thing to bring everyone together. As the men all went outside, Corrin stopped for a moment, then rushed over to two rocking chairs surrounding a checkers table.

"Silas! Silas! I'll get you this time!"

Aw yeah. Cracker Barrel.