After eating lunch and having a few too many glasses of wine Iskandor blurts out, "Just so you know, I'm not the same Iskandor you know... I lived a life elsewhere, died at a young age and woke up in this body... but I do have the same memories and emotions, the emotions may be dulled a bit though... Oh I also have a voice in my head that's both helpful and unhelpful..." However saying this suddenly sobers Serena up a bit.
"So I'm drinking with a stranger that looks like someone who had stalked me and was a total perv and has all the same memories..."
"Yeah, I get a 2nd chance at life, I don't know if the Iskandor here died or something else happened but I always wanted to find myself in a world of swords and magic."
"So, in your other life did you also drop information that makes others totally reevaluate their opinion of you?"
"I only had a few friends and family I hardly talked too... Not even a single girlfriend within the 25 years there, and same goes for the Iskandor from here... I'm glad to actually have people here for me, you, Hikari, Lar, the Savants to an extent."
"So I take it earlier you made up something logical that wasn't exactly the truth to explain your combat prowess?" she inquires.
"Yeah, luckily I adapted quickly to the body and stuff..." He says. The faster metabolism of a dragonborn slowly sobering him up along with the conversation.
"Sober up enough so you can cook, It's almost 4 and I'm not sure on what you'll need to make."
"I have an idea but I have no clue if it will turn out..." He informs.
"Then let's go now so you have time to work out the kinks."
"Kinks you say..." he responds and starts a mischievous laugh only to get hit in the back of the head. "Deserved that..."
"Now let's get going." she says, picking up the usuable parts of the boar that have been packaged neatly.
"For the first time since I got here I'm craving something other than apples..."
"That's an odd craving."
"Especially since I hardly eat apples, much less red apples... I usually have the yellow ones or granny smith apples, the green ones." He says, opening the door to his place. Only to see Lar doing a handstand while Hikari tries to make her fall by tickling her with her tail.
"This is by far the weirdest thing I've walked in on..."
"Opals?" Serena asks.
"Yup..." Lar replies, flipping back to her feet...
"Serena, Hikari, Hikari, Serena." Iskandor intrduces. "Now tell me what the hell Opals is."
"The card game we were playing, it's not official but no one plays without wagers." Lar informs.
"So, how do I play?" Iskandor asks.
"You learn the hard way." Serena informs.
"Alright, deal me in." Iskandor says.
"Consider it done." Lar says, dealing 7 cards to everyone and adding their names to a hat.
"Theese don't appear to be the standard 52." Iskandor says, seeing his hand of 2 fish, an opal, a person, a chariot and 2 apples.
"I'll pull out the names, Serena vs Me." Lar says, drawing the names.
"Since you drew my name first I go first." Serena says, laying down 2 cards.
"bamboo and Lantern." Lar guesses
"Nope, double fish." Serena corrects, placing the fish in the deck and taking 2 of Lar's cards.
"Damn you..." Lar murmurs.
"I'm the queen of Opals." Serena jokes, writing down her score as Lar does the same to keep track.
"Now Hikari and Iskandor." Lar says.
"Can I at the very least know what cards there are?" Iskandor asks.
"I wasn't so lucky." Hikari says laying down 2 cards.
"Fish and apple." Iskandor guesses to see Hikari reveal an apple and bamboo, the apple gets put in his hand and the bamboo gets put back in hers. "Now do I write down the scores?"
"Yeah, we compare then for each face off after the game so we don't try card counting and guessing cards based on the score, I'm not sure if all play it like that though." Lar says as Hikari writes her score and Iskandor writes his.
"Now Iskandor vs Serena." Lar says.
"Alright, so I lay down two cards, let's see how this plays out."
"Diamond and Lantern." Serena guesses.
"Double fish, used your own trick against you." Iskandor reveals, taking two cards, an opal and a royal letter.
"You won that round, I can tell you that." Serena tells Iskandor.
"Looking at the scores Serena beat me, Hikari narrowly beat Iskandor and Iskandor won against Serena by a landslide."
"Lar, you now shall serve the next week of my meals for free." Serena says, giving her demand for winning.
"Iskandor, if you go exploring and such, my wish is to join you." Hikari states.
"All I want is a fair shot at winning your favor... If that's not too much to ask." Iskandor tells Serena, with only them knowing the hidden meaning.
"You should've asked for a kiss or something." Lar says, amusement in her voice.
"Way too risky..." Iskandor states without explanation.
"How would a kiss be risky?" Lar asks.
"Let's leave that question unanswered for now, let's just leave it at theres more than meets the eye."
"Well, time for you to make that dinner you said you'd make." Serena says, changing the subject.
"That's a rare thing, he hardly cooks." Lar says.
"Well that will change, I'll start cooking more often, I won't claim to be the best but I do know a thing or two." Iskandor says while heading to the kitchen. "No looking now, pull out the lacrima-vision or something. I'm gonna cook the best meal I ever cooked."