Thai Breakfast

[a Couple Days Later.]

As the morning sun shined into her room, Anne slowly awoke from bed.

She rose up, and groaned as she rubbed her eyes and yawned softly.

She glanced over and spotted the Plantars still sleeping in their make shift beds,

and carefully got out of her bed and quickly put on some fresh clothes.

Anne then walked softly towards the bedroom door, and walked out.

After quickly using the bathroom, Anne made her way to the basement door and opened it.

She softly walked down the stairs, and once she reached the floor...took a moment to look at the dimly lit room.

Olivier had made incredible progress in a very short time.

The basement was now fully cleared out, and had been turned into a Room/Laboratory.

Against one wall were long worktables that held various glass beaker of colorful liquids,

a place where a variety of wood carvings in varied states of progression were placed

(and one where an old Desktop Computer was plugged in that Olivier used for 'research'.)

There were also Shelves just full of books, some for serious study,

while others were 'graphic novels' and Manga that Anne had gifted to Olivier.

As well as some Maps & Charts stuck on the walls that detailed Star Constellations, Alchemy Equations,

a Map of Los Angeles, and a custom made chart relating to dimensional travel and 'Multiverse Theory'.

and finally, a sofa chair in front of a smaller table where a small television was placed

(Which Olivier used for his 'further research' of the human realm.)

Anne chuckled lightly. Impressed that her basement now looked like something from a 'Cynthia Coven' movie.

She then looked at a corner where Olivier was sleeping soundly on a simple mattress on the floor.

Anne smiled as she silently approached, looking down at Olivier's still sleeping form.

She then knelt down, leaned over...and softly kissed Olivier on the cheek. "wake up, ollie...it's morning."

Olivier stirred a little, but eventually opened his Heterochromia eyes.

he slowly rose up and yawned loudly while cracking his stiff back.

"sleep well?" asked Anne.

Olivier looked over at Anne. "well enough."

"have you...cut your hair recently?"

Olivier indeed had shorter hair now (even his 'ears' that were once hidden, were now more visible.)

"yeah, your mother gave me a trim last night." said Olivier.

"I didn't want one at first, but she was..."quite persuasive."

Anne shrugged. "well, that's a MOM for you."

"um...could you please turn around so I can get dressed?" spoke Olivier.

Anne blushed. "oh...ss-sorry, I forgot."

Anne turned her back to Olivier, who then proceeded to get out of bed.

He quickly walked over to a dresser where he kept his clothes and opened it up.

After almost a minute...Anne slowly turned her head to try and steal a glance at Olivier.

"no peeking!" snapped Olivier.

"sorry!" said Anne, quickly turning back (blushing bright red.)

"Okay, I'm done." said Olivier, finally.

Anne turned and looked at Olivier, who was wearing casual earth-style clothing

that vaguely resembled his usual attire from the Boiling Isles (which was mainly an armless hoodie.)

"wow, you look nice." said Anne, smiling.

"thanks. I wanted to fit in a little better, and not draw attention." said Olivier, blushing a little.

"So...any particular reason for me getting up so early in the morning?"

"Well...I kinda want to make breakfast for the family, and-"

"say no more." said Olivier. "I have a fresh batch of potions ready to go."

"Great!" exclaimed Anne, Happy. "I'll get started right now. Meet me in the kitchen."

"I'll be there in just a few." said Olivier, as he walked over to his worktable.

Anne smiled, and soon left. Walking back up the stairs to ground level.

She quickly walked to the kitchen, and took out some pots and pans from the cupboards.

And sure enough, Olivier approached with carrier of colorful glass bottles.

"Okay, what are we making?" asked Olivier.

"Khao Neow Moo Ping" said Anne. "It's my parents favorite breakfast dish."

"cool. anything else?" asked Olivier.

"Yes, I was thinking maybe also some 'Gai yang', 'Patongo' (dad's favorite),

'Khao neow sang kaya' (mom's favorite), 'Khao tom', and 'Khanom Pang."

Olivier stared at Anne for a moment. "well...we ARE feeding two families, afterall."

"Great. Let's start with the 'Khao Neow Moo Ping', first." said Anne.

"You're the boss." said Olivier, as he placed his potions on the counter.

[One Hour Later.]

a Bedroom door swung open, and Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy poked their heads out.

"I told you I smelled something good." said Bee.

"is that...is Anne cooking Breakfast?!" mused Oum.

The Thai couple walked out of their bedroom, and followed the scent in the air.

Upon entering the Kitchen, they found the 'Frog Family' sitting at the Dinner table,

while Anne and Olivier were at the stove fixing up some food.

"Anne?...Oliver?" spoke Oum.

"Hi, mom!" spoke Anne. "Hope you don't mind, but I wanted to fix breakfast."

"umm...of course, dear." said Oum. "that is very...considerate."

As Anne's parents sat down with the Plantars, Olivier spoke: "Anne, could you hand me the red potion."

"Sure...(Anne grabs a beaker of a glowing red liquid) Here you go."

Olivier took the potion, and pour some on the pan of food he was fixing. "thanks."

"Oh, could you hand me some Soy Milk, please?" asked Anne.

Olivier levitated a carton of milk, and moved it in Anne's direction. "here."

Anne smiled as she took the carton. "thank you."

Anne's parents watched this from their seats, feeling deja vu as Anne and Olivier worked together.

It actually reminded them of when they first opened their restaurant before Anne was born.

Back then, they just had a stand on the street and didn't have a building yet.

They had to work together (and, work fast) with the odds stacked against them.

It was bitter work...but the results were worth it.

And while it was difficult, the couple still remembered it quite fondly.

Watching Anne and Olivier now...it made them feel a little nostalgic.

"Okay...just one more, and we'll be done." said Anne.

"I'll go take what we finished, and put it on the table." said Olivier.

"please do...I need more space to work." said Anne.

Olivier used his magic to levitate pots of food and clean plates and utensils to the dinner table.

Everyone sat back as Olivier placed the items down, and proceeded to put food on their plates.

"POLLY WANT YUM-YUMS!" exclaimed Polly.

"Don't be greedy. there is plenty for everyone." said Olivier.

Bee took a piece of the homemade Thai Food and took a small bite.

The man's eyes then shot wide open as he froze as still as a statue.

"honey?" spoke Oum. "How does it taste?"

"I think I just ascended to True Enlightenment." spoke Bee.

"what?"

"TASTE IT."

Oum shrugged and took a bite of the food...and then HER eyes widened like saucers.

"by the great heavenly Buddha...this is incredible."

"So, you like it then?" inquired Olivier.

"Like" would be an insult. I have never tasted Thai like this before." said Bee, still stunned.

"I've tasted Anne's cooking before...but it was NEVER this good!" spoke Oum, awestruck.

"It's probably my potions that you are tasting." said Olivier.

"And while the ingredients that I used are better than the ones I had in Amphibia,

it was still tricky for me to recreate my mother's original formulas."

"Oliver!, I could use some help." called Anne.

"Coming!" called back Olivier. "enjoy the food."

As Olivier walked back to help Anne, both Bee and Oum looked at each other.

"are you thinking what I am thinking right now?" asked Oum.

"Technically, that is hard to say for certain...but I think so." said Bee.

[Later]

Anne yawns as she opens the front door and heads for the mailbox

...however, she is stopped by the Plantars.

(("Where you going, Anne?")) spoke the Frogs all at once.

"Uuuhh...the mailbox." spoke Anne.

"Sounds exciting!" said Sprig, While he shakes up Hop Pop. "Can we come? Please? PLEASE!?"

"Uuuhh...Yeah. I guess." said Anne.

(("YAY! WOO-HOO!")) exclaimed the Plantars, as they ran inside to to put on their disguises.

As Sprig, Hop Pop and Polly come out dressed as humans, Anne resumes going to the mailbox.

"You know..." began Anne "I used to only get the mail to intercept my report card. Buy these days-"

Anne stops as she quickly finds that the Plantars are not there. "HUH?!"

Anne looks to see Polly standing in the middle of the street,

waving at some older children riding a scooter and tricycle.

"Hey, smallish humans!" called Polly...only to dodge when the teenagers

narrowly nearly run her over. "HEY! WATCH IT! You overgrown stinkbugs!"

The kids stop short, and look back at Polly. "What did you call us!?"

Anne quickly runs over, and grabs Polly. "Sorry, sorry..." said Anne, nervously. "She's just...a baby."

Anne puts Polly in her bushy hair, and quickly runs off.

"Weirdest baby I've ever seen." said the kid on the tricycle.

Anne marched off, and immediately began looking for Sprig.

She then finds him...getting waaay too close to a woodchipper.

"Ooh!, that looks like fun!" Sprig (stupidly) tries to dive into the machine.

"SPRIG, NO!" exclaimed Anne, grabbing her friend.

Anne pants as she looks, and sees Hop Pop...talking to a strange looking man.

"A free vacation?!" spoke the old frog. "Just for listening to your talk? Well, sign me up!"

Anne runs, grabs Hop Pop and quickly carries the whole Plantar family back in the Boonchuy house.

Inside the house, Anne marched into the living room and angrily drops the frogs down.

She then stomps off to the kitchen, opened the fridge and chugs some orange juice.

"uh-oh..." spoke Olivier (who was with Mr. Boonchuy at the stove) "I've seen that look before."

"Something wrong, kiddo?" asked Bee.

"Where do I start?!" exclaimed Anne, angrily. "Polly nearly got in a fight,

Hop Pop was seconds away from getting scammed and Sprig almost got turned into wood chips!"

"Wait." spoke Anne's mother. "Sprig is made out of wood?"

"Last time I checked, Sprig wasn't a "Grimwalker." said Olivier.

"What's that?" asked Bee, curious.

"never mind...just stay focused on on your mixtures, Mister B."

Bee looked back at a small, black cauldron that was on the stove burner.

He was in the middle of adding ingredients to mix his own potions (with Olivier tutoring him.)

"so, I add the egg then?" spoke Bee.

"yes."

"(*groans*) I'm just so exhausted trying to keep them all alive." said Anne, tiredly.

Oum laughs. "Sounds like being a parent."

"The trick is to ease them into the world." began Bee. "Slow and steady like how I'm easing this egg into-"

Bee tries to crack an egg into the Cauldron...but by his force, drops the egg and half its shell into it.

This causes a small discharge that puffs smoke into the man's face.

"ooh. too bad, Mister B. Now we have to start all over." said Olivier.

"Dang it!" exclaimed Bee.

"Just be patient." spoke Oum, softly. "This is all new for them."

Anne shrugged. "You're right. Slow and steady."

As Anne left, Olivier breathed out. the Witch Boy then extended his fingers, and counted silently.

"three...two...one."

(("AAAAAAAAHHHHH!"))

Anne suddenly screamed like a Banshee (causing everything made of glass to vibrate.)

"Okay, Mr. Boonchuy. We'd better put the potion mixing lesson on hold for now." began Olivier.

"uhh...yeah. I figured as much." said Bee. "good luck."

Olivier walked into the living room where Anne was scolding the Plantars like they were unruly children.

"...YOU THREE WILL BE DEAD IN TWO DAYS!" exclaimed Anne.

"Is that a threat?!" retorted Polly.

"You okay, Anne?" asked Sprig.

Olivier walked behind Anne, and grasped her shoulders gently. "Anne, calm down!, no sense turning blue over this."

"I am BREATHING just fine, OLIVER." growled Anne.

"no, I meant the OTHER kind of turning blue." said Olivier, emphasizing. "the kind that YOU can do specifically."

Anne breathed heavily...but eventually calmed herself down. "alright...I'm okay now."

"Here, Take this free stress test I got from that guy." said Hop Pop, handing Anne some paperwork.

"damn." said Olivier

Anne's eyes burned bright blue as she slapped the papers from Hop Pop's hand.

"OKAY, that's enough!" Olivier's hands glowed golden/yellow as he levitated Anne

and the Plantars away from each other and into different seats present in the room.

"We are going to CALM DOWN. and CALMLY discuss this problem...and HOW to fix it."

"Fix what?!" asked Hop Pop.

"Well, for Starters: Your Gullibility." said Olivier.

"SAY, WHAAAT!?" exclaimed Hop Pop. "I am NOT Gullible."

"Hopediah, my mother is not only a great witch, but ALSO a great Con Artist." began Olivier.

"If she were here right now, she would describe you as: "easy pickings."

Hop Pop crossed his arms "That is completely ridicul-"

"I literally just nabbed your wallet while you were talking just now." said Olivier, holding up Hop Pop's wallet.

Hop Pop stared blankly, looked in his pocket...and then blushed. "okay, you MIIIGHT have a point."

Olivier then turned to the younger frogs. "and, THEN there is the two of you..."

"AND WHAT THE FROG IS WRONG WITH US!?" exclaimed Polly, loudly.

"you have a bad temper, that's what." said Anne, monotoned.

(("I DO NOT HAVE A BAD TEMPER!")) shouted Polly, her face turning red.

Both Anne and Olivier looked at each other with unconvinced looks.

"Actually, you DO kind of have a temper problem, young lady." said Hop Pop.

Polly pouted, knowing this was an argument that she couldn't win.

"O-KAY..." spoke Sprig. "so, what is *MY* problems that you think I-"

"You keep TOUCHING things, Sprig!" exclaimed Anne.

"Dangerous things." added Olivier.

"But, I like to touch things!" argued Sprig.

"And, *I* like having a best friend (*shouting*) WHO ISN'T GROUND BEEF!" retorted Anne.

"AHEM!" Olivier cleared his throat loudly. "I think the point that me and Anne are trying to make,

is that while you three all have different bad habits, it all stems from one shared flaw..."

"Which is?"

"You all have a serious Impulse Control Problem." said Olivier.

"In other words: Little to NO Self-Control." added Anne.

The Plantars tried to argue against these accusations,

but Anne and Olivier were standing firm like a pair of strict parents.

"You guys need to learn how to control yourselves." said Olivier.

"By training you all at once at the most Chaotic, and Dangerous place that I know." said Anne.

Olivier cast an unsure look at Anne, Feeling concerned at what she was planning.

[End of Part Eleven]