With the exception of the plot and the original characters that are depicted in the story, the author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended on the franchise of Heart no Kuni no Alice and Doctor Who. I would like to profusely thank and dedicate the first chapter of Carrot Cake to peekodemeeko12. The publication and development of this story wouldn't have been possible without her help.
In the city of Westminster, there stood a vast public area called the Green Park. Even though it had been used a recreational field for the British monarchy, the land is well-loved by locals and tourists. But more importantly, the flowery hills have served their purpose as a napping spot for twenty-year-old Erin Oswald. Slowly inhaling the scent of the daffodils, the young woman raised her hand and pulled the Dunhill cigarette from her mouth. With a lazy smile, Erin exhaled a river of smoke.
"Nice weather. It looks I'll be able to sit back and relax from the stressful environment at college." She had been residing in an apartment complex near the school of her choice, but it wasn't such a bad idea to take the subway and come to a different district in London if classes were cancelled for the day. And if I am not on the campus, it may be possible for me to evade Irene until she calms down, thought the green-eyed student before she a hand through her straggly bangs. Erin sighed softly to herself. Why can't I have a stable relationship with anyone, much less a classmate from a Physics lecture?
When she had moved from her small town in Stratford-Upon-Avon to the central providence of London, Erin wanted to achieve a higher education through a degree in business. With the world the way it is right now, I need to go beyond the educational requirements of a chef. And if I have a financial degree under my belt, then I might be able to get a job in this recession. But even that is the case; I still have to do more research on other careers that tie to the food industry if there aren't enough job openings for a chef in this city. I have to go where the money is being made. A small frown twitched the corners of Erin's lips before she tapped the cigarette butt with her index finger and put it back in her mouth. Not to mention try and make friends with some of the kids on the campus. Too bad that plan did not work out with Irene. But why the hell would she be given the impression that I am trying to steal her boyfriend? I don't even know the guy! The college student flicked her hand to the side and stared the marble face of a vintage wristwatch. It's about ten minutes to noon. Since I've got about an hour before I can catch the next subway back to the campus, I might as well grab a bite to eat and see if there is a new Doctor Who novel at the bookstore. Erin smiled to herself as she weaved through wavy dark brown tresses and rubbed a sonic screwdriver that dangled from either of her ears.
The British television science fiction show had become very popular with its remake in 2005; but even though the Tenth and Eleventh Doctor were amongst her favorite incarnations of the humanoid alien, Erin had grown up with the re-runs of the series. Her uncle was especially fond of the Fifth Doctor, and had always dreamed about making a replication of the blue telephone box in his garage since he was Erin's age.
It was nice of him to make these earrings for my birthday last year, even though Uncle Sal is now spending most of his time holed up in the office at the automotive repair shop. Erin blinked for a moment before she pulled herself up from the ground. Now that I think about it, it's been almost a week since I talked to Uncle Sal. I guess I could give him a phone call on the way to the subway. The dark-haired woman raised her arms over her head and stretched, groaning in relief as she felt the stiffened muscles in her back loosen.
Erin wore a long sleeved shirt and a blue tie, complete with a dark blue four buttoned suit that was stitched with rusty red pinstripes. On her weary feet was a pair of matching trainers, or sneakers. Needless to say, she also wore the part of a college student with a quirky taste in clothing; though quite frankly, Erin did not give a damn about the latest fashion trend. She was proud to wear a suit akin to the tenth incarnation of the Time Lord. Just as Erin was about to turn on the ball of her feet and leave the park with a backpack over her shoulder, a soft voice caught the student off guard.
"For someone who is about as unpredictable as the next person, this is the only place where you would take a nap or hide from others. Or so I have heard from the grapevine." Green orbs widened with surprise for a moment before they hardened with irritation. Damn it, after enjoying a day with clear skies and a steady breeze, Irene has to come looking for me. And I don't think she wants to get a bite to eat before heading back to the campus. Erin turned on the ball of her heel and made eye contact with the person who addressed her. Nope, she is definitely not interested in having lunch with me today.
Irene Smith was a few years older than Erin; she had a petite frame with hazel eyes and burgundy tresses that stretched towards her shoulder blades. In contrast to the suit that Erin was wearing, Irene wore a lavender colored blouse with obsidian ballet flats and a matching pair of skinny pants. On the surface, she appeared to be a lovely woman with an excellent education. But from what she had heard through reliable sources at the college, Erin knew about Irene's violent mood swings and her habit of binge drinking.
"Good afternoon, Irene. May I ask why you have come all of this way from the campus to find me in the Green Park? I was under the impression that you had lunch date with your boyfriend today." asked Erin in a placid tone. Irene's hazel orbs glowed with anger; if there wasn't a cigarette dangling from the corner of her mouth, Erin would have bitten her tongue at the words she had used. There I go again, putting my foot in my mouth; where it does not belong!
"I did not have a lunch date with Tobias, Erin. In fact, he broke up with me this morning!"
Erin raised a hand over her mouth and removed the cigarette, steadying her gaze at the woman in front of her. "You have my condolences, Irene." Why is she even telling me this? I have already told her that I do not care about her boyfriend because I do not know him. From what I had heard through the grapevine, Irene's lover was a student in my Biology class. Then again, I've never paid attention to any of the other kids in my classes. I just did the assignments and went back to my apartment. Even though the dark-haired college student had promised her uncle that she would try to expand her circle of friends, Erin was very careful about whom she could trust. If she counted off the number of people that she considered "friends" with her hand, Erin would probably still have more than a few fingers up. Until she came to the heart of merry old London, she had been content with the company of Uncle Sal or some of the other men that worked at the automotive repair shop.
What more could I possibly want from this world if I have my family and a few close friends? Speaking of which, I also need to give Cordierite a phone call. The last time I talked to her, she was celebrating her niece's sixth birthday party with the family. I wonder if the little munchkin got the birthday card I sent to in the mail. I did send it to her before I buried myself in my room to get that project for British Literature done.
Before Erin's mind could drift off towards any more thoughts or tasks that she needed to finish by the end of the day, she was brought back to reality with the echo of Irene's shrill voice. "I don't want your sympathy, you bloody bitch!"
Ah, that's right; I forgot that she is still here. Erin exhaled smoky snake from her mouth as she listened to Irene's ire. Really, does this woman have anything better else to do than try to intimidate me, much less initiate a confrontation in a public area like the Green Park? From the corner of her eye, Erin saw a few people watch their conversation with a raised brow before they quickly turned their head away from them. I have told her before that I'd be more than happy to sit and listen to her for hours if she has any grievances with me. But unfortunately, I do not have the luxury of doing such a thing today. I have places to go, and people to catch up with on the telephone before I head back to the apartment for another nap.
"Erin, are you even listening to me?!"
The wavy-haired woman blinked owlishly at Irene for a moment before she shook her head. "No, I am not listening to you, dearie. To be honest, I could care less about the 'heartbreak'," Erin emphasized the word by bending her fingers into a quotation symbol. "You have just gone through; much less wonder why Tobias decided to break up with you. If my memory serves me right, you are the one that tightened the leash around his collar when your relationship with him got serious. So isn't it possible that Tobias broke up you because you were smothering him with too much affection. And if you trusted him a bit more, than maybe he wouldn't have left you-"
SLAP.
The green-eyed student winced slightly at the impact from Irene's hand. Ouch! For someone who does not have a lot of physical strength, this girl can certainly hit someone. I suppose I should consider myself lucky that she struck me when she is sober. I would hate to think how Irene would act if she were drinking.
"You have some nerve giving me advice on romantic relationships, Erin, considering the fact that you do not have a boyfriend!" A small sneer twitched the corners of her mouth before Irene continued to antagonize the dark-haired woman. "Then again, who the hell would want someone like you, if they could have someone like me?"
Erin stared at the blue-eyed classmate with a deadpanned expression and leaned down towards the ground, lifting a leg to relinquish the glowing end of her cigarette. "Irene, do you ever shut up? I have told you before that I would be willing to listen to your problems for hours on end, but there are errands I have to take of before the next subway arrives at the station. And now, if you will excuse me," Erin turned on the ball of her heel. "I shall see you in class tomorrow. Have a good day, Irene." But before she could walk any further from the older classmate, Erin felt something grabbed her by the scruff of her shirt collar. A low growl rumbled in the back of her throat before the green-eyed chain smoker craned her head towards Irene. "Damn it woman, what are you doing-ACK!"
Erin squawked in surprise as she felt her body tumbled towards the ground; but instead of falling into a field of bloomed daffodils, the dark-haired college graduate was being hurled into a large chasm. But the hole was not there when she arrived at the park. So how is it possible for me to jump, or in this case, be pushed through a cross-dimensional portal without the TARDIS?! If I had the time machine, then I'd at least know that I wouldn't be crushed from the impact! Erin thought hysterically as she continued to dive down the chasm.
I hope you have enjoyed the beginning of this new project. Please send feedback or thoughts on the story in the form of a review. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to read Carrot Cake!