Give me work;;

Cedric Baker • 36 • Private Investigator Occasional performer at The Merry Men & The Rabbit Hole [Member of When the Smoke Clears RPG] [I track the tags wtsccedricbaker & xgivemework]

[xgivemework-blog]

Hdufigkdksuvugkdud dumb tumblr following and unfollowing people for me Dx sorry!!!

[urchinwithnograce]

Sing Us A Song Tonight || Cedric & Annica

[urchinwithnograce]

Annica had studied both English and Music in school, so if one were to study her too long, they might realize her fondness for such things. Both being passions from a young age. She even worked at the music store here in town. Though, she also worked the news paper along with her father’s restaurant when she was needed. Modelling too, was a side job. Of course, all of this played all too well into Annica’s general opinion of herself. Jack of all Trades… Master of None… though her sisters may tell you otherwise.

When he stood she smiled, more than politely. A genuine smile, though those weren’t out of place on the young woman’s face. She wasn’t a prickly person and was actually rather cheerful when one got to know her… well, unless you took something of hers. However, as the man spoke, she rose a brow at him. He wanted to sing a duet??? The brunette was certainly flattered. “Well I- I sing, I don’ know how good i am… but I’d be willing to give it a shot… Do you have a song in mind?” Suddenly she was filled with nerves and butterflies. It’d been a while since she sang for anyone.

[xgivemework-blog]

"I knew it" he smiled, quite cheekily to be honest, Cedric gave a nod. "I have not a song in mind, I just know I'm in a mood for a duet and you seemed like the perfect volunteer for such thing." Not to mention people weren't giving any requests by that hour. And the mood was going to drop quickly if he did not do a thing.

He could clearly see the nerves filling her, even the smile she flashed him gave her away. "Do not fret, I believe you'll do it perfectly. Which is your favorite song? I'll try getting the tone and we'll do well."

The fact that he knew very little about this woman, mere technicalities for he could just deduce some, was exciting. As thrilling as he bet it was for her. He was not a complete master of the piano, but he boated of having a good knowledge of the instrument and he could play almost any song he was asked for, except for those he felt were annoying and not worthy of learning a note from.

"I'm sorry, I'm Cedric by the way. What's your name?"

[irisannwcst-deactivated20161021]

Marian rests her elbows on the table, leaning forward as she listens to Cedric spew knowledge. She doesn’t mind the man, really — or at all, actually; she quite enjoys hearing the odd fact here and the funny tidbit there, and he seems to have no shortage of them as far as she knows (though they’re not terribly close, so she supposes she doesn’t), so it works well for them, she thinks. She smiles privately to herself (he’s probably more or less too used to her constant eye rolling in his presence anyway, so best not to clue him in on the fact) while Cedric turns his attention to the piano, and in that moment he sounds wise and important, speaking about souls and stories.

Marian doesn’t say anything before the melody starts — soft but steady, building slowly with each haunting note, and for someone who claims only to know a small part of the song, Cedric seems to play flawlessly. She opens her eyes, unaware that she had closed them in the first place, and watches from where she’s sat the way his fingers glide over the keys with ease and grace. She faintly wonders how exactly Cedric came to start performing at the bars, and how he came to start playing the piano in the first place — but to say anything now and risk interrupting the sad, beautiful melody flowing through the room just seems so unnecessary, so Marian simply sits and listens as Cedric plays on.

[xgivemework-blog]

For a moment he's so immersed in the melody, his eyes closed for a while as he played. In moments like these he lets himself get lost, music to Cedric is like a haven where there's no need for explanations, yes, there is music theories, rules and what not, but as one great man in Cedric's eyes said: "I love music passionately. And because I love it I try to free it from barren traditions that stifle it" (despite Cedric's habit of having it all perfect. that is.)

He was reaching the part where he knew not how to continue and so Cedric began to compose from where the song 'ended' to him. A soft smile had tugged at his lips, his body swaying ever so slightly to go with the curves and movements of the notes, and he kept playing... Until he decided it was far too long for the song before it was not even recognizable.

His fingertips pressed the keys in a soft arpeggio letting every note fall into a pianissimo until the very last one faded in the air and for a moment, silence reigned it all.

"You were right" he said softly taking a soft breath.

"It is not a merry song after all" Cedric took a pause on his speaking, his hands hadn't moved away from the keys but slowly his fingers slid down and regaining his composure his hands clasped together resting on his lap as he looked at her.  "I hope you liked it, told you I didn't know it completely"

[thatcherwicket]

Tea-riffic || Cedric and Thatcher

[thatcherwicket]

"I can tell you in ten minutes…" he muttered, going into the back for the briefest of moments in order to get a stack of tea cups. There were ten cups stacked, and he put one before each of the infusers. He pulled a bottle of sparkling water out too, for a palette cleanser. Dropping the infusers in their respective cups, he poured water over all of them, filling the cups halfway. Now that they were steeping, he could take a quick break to make his customer’s tea. 

A cup of Earl Grey later, he was walking around the counter, so he could hand the cup to the man. “Thatcher,” he grinned, offering his name, before he glanced back over his shoulder, to see how his new blend was doing, distracted by that, as he usually let his chai steep for longer. If he didn’t, the flavor would be overpowered by milk, if he decided to add it to today’s tasting.

Thatcher pranced over to the tea again, looking at the color of the steeping beverage, knowing it was almost ready, but no quite. The waiting drove him insane, he hated it.

[xgivemework-blog]

"Ten minutes, reasonable enough I shall be here" he replied.

Cedric could tell Thatcher was a rather tea enthusiast, finding the annoyance planted on his face as a curious thing to him.

"Thank you, Thatcher" Cedric smiled before seeing the man going back to the counter. "You take tea very seriously don't you?" he asked and for the first time in his life he did feel doubt jumping in his head, whether he should attempt a small chat with the guy or not. Usually people would find him arrogant in the way he spoke, or dismissed something to people, causing the small chat to end but this time, oh just this time, did Cedric found himself unsure of bringing something up.

Not that he had to, he could as well just take his cup of Early Grey – that smelled delicious– in complete silence and observe around, but there was something in Thatcher. That thing that made Cedric's eyes fixed upon the man's bouncing figure up and about in the room. It took him a couple of minutes to find out what it was: the same hotness he found in tea seemed similar to the craving for cases that Cedric had.

Interesting, he thought bringing the cup of tea to his lips. A soft blowing to avoid burning up his tongue, he was too clever for that.

[urchinwithnograce]

Sing Us A Song Tonight || Cedric & Annica

Annica was at the Rabbit Hole, she’d gotten bored sitting home and decided that, perhaps going out tonight would be a good idea. She’d danced with a few young men but they’d left, or not really been her cup of tea. So, she found herself sitting at the bar. Her first first drink of the night finally in her hand and watching the man play the piano. He played beautifully and the music occupied her mind, she loved music. And piano was one of her favorites. 

She was half zoned out, listening to the music that she didn’t catch him look up at her and attempt to catch her attention. But the second time he called out to her, brown eyes refocused and darted to the man’s face. She smiled to him before she realized he was calling her over. So, in curiosity she stood and walked over. “Sorry, I was so caught up… you play beautifully..” She laughed nervously, though her tone was polite, friendly even. She couldn’t fathom why he’d call her over. She had barely noted him calling her over, never mind why.

[xgivemework-blog]

Someone within the crowd caught his attention, doing what he always did deducing quirks and curious things from people from time to time he happened to see her. She was daydreaming though, maybe too caught up in whatever were her thoughts that she did not see him calling out to her. Cedric was in the mood of sharing the stage, a thing that he did from time to time, not many did go up the small stage at the Rabbit Hole with him whatever were the reasons.

Finally, she walked over to him and he smiled politely right back at her. Her compliment sparking the pride within him from his piano skills. "Thank you" he replied with a slight nod of his head, standing up from the piano bench to be at the same level as her like a gentleman.

"I have the impression, forgive me if I'm mistaken but I'm probably not, that you have a good voice"

"Would you like to sing in a duet song with me maybe?"

[irisannwcst-deactivated20161021]

"It would be my pleasure." Marian agrees, the amusement in her tone now evident as she doesn’t even bother to hide her small smile. She watches as Cedric settles in beside the piano, a note reverberating throughout the otherwise quiet room. For a moment, that’s all there is as she wonders what her own favorite song is — she’s a bit embarrassed at how long it takes her to name just one, when she supposes she could name any one and he wouldn’t know the difference, if it really was her favorite or if it wasn’t.

"I don’t know if you’ll know it — you probably wouldn’t want to play it here at The Merry Men either, as it’s not very merry. It’s quite melancholy, actually. Riverside by Agnes Obel?"

[xgivemework-blog]

    "I like melancholy." he admits "Even though cheerful and catchy songs are favorite to most people. But did you know that every single one of us when sad, the very first thing we do is find haven in music? It is a common belief that when you are feeling down, the logical thing to do would be find merry music right? False. You'd be surprised but we seek refuge in the sad songs, it helps though." he paused his fact of the day, Marian could roll her eyes at him once more  –probably she thought he hadn't seen it– and so he decided to change subject.     "Besides... melancholic music says much more than happy ones, it pierces through the soul and tells a story" Cedric nodded, turning completely to the piano for the request, he had heard the song a couple of times in the past and he had found it beautiful.

    "I do not know the complete song", he confessed "but I have recollection of a fraction of it"

And he began to play the melody, skilled fingers moved along the piano keys evoking every note of the beautiful song that began to echo inside The Merry Men's walls.

[nadia-subira]

Nadia paused, holding the bow just a few inches away from her hedgehog. “Is this because he’s a boy? Because I’ve told Simon so many times that he just happens to like looking good!” 

[xgivemework-blog]

"Ah, if the little thing likes it well nothing to do with it right?" He laughed, genuinely at the thought of the hedgehog liking to look good on a bow. "So tell me, does he happens to like ties too by any chance? Ties are better than bows, bows are like the ultimate fancy time wearing for special occasions only."

[xgivemework-blog]

Of pianos and violins

Even though Cedric plays both piano and violin he prefers the later, somehow he finds there's nothing as soothing as the violin, leaving the piano to be his second choice if he ever had to choose, but the keys did not give the same effect. Besides, something got a hold of him when playing the piano, the building passion that brought him from a pianissimo to a forte in a matter of seconds, which caused some scoldings from Louise when his playing got too loud.

But there was something about the violin though, some bond he felt with the instrument, unexplainable, a feeling deep inside that only the sound of the violin could give him. He cannot put his finger on it, so he just let himself go with it.

[irisannwcst-deactivated20161021]

Marian lets out a huff of breath, ducking her head to hide how she rolls her eyes while she finishes her work to the sounds of Cedric’s grumbling. Once she’s disposed of the glass in the back, she comes back around to the front, through the doors closest to the stage — just in time to hear his question.

"Alan cleaned that earlier, you know," She informs him, gesturing to the instrument before letting herself be seated at a nearby table. "What songs can you play?"

[xgivemework-blog]

Whether the piano was perfectly cleaned or not, Cedric was kind of a perfectionist added to the fact that he had to be doing something, as little as it was. A rather unquiet soul he had inside, hot for puzzles and curious thing of life, but when he had not a single case in his list he took anything.  And having a nice shiny black piano was something he liked.

"Tell Alan he missed a spot" he muttered under his breath and looked up, switching the piece of cloth to his other hand, going to take a seat at the piano bench so he was right next to the piano.

"Well try me, what's your favorite song Marian?" he asked while pressing a key.

[irisannwcst-deactivated20161021]

"Yes, well, while I appreciate the concern, you needn’t worry about me. That is why they called me out here, after all. I’m decidedly much less careless than the boys, you might be surprised to learn,” Marian uses a gentler touch though, if only to ease the man’s mind while she sweeps the shards of glass into a pan with her rag. After a brief pause while she works, she speaks up again, her tone laced with curiosity. “Are you performing again this week?”

[xgivemework-blog]

"A thank you would have been just fine, that's what I get for trying to help. And people say I'm not empathetic enough" he grumbles, busying himself with the piano at the stage, cleaning it a second time as he agreed with her comment about carelessness that may as well expand to the piano care-taking. If you want something to be done well, do it yourself, he'd sometimes say.

He was just passing the cloth over the piano lid when her voice caught his attention. "Yes I am indeed. Is there any song you'd like to hear?"

[irisannwcst-deactivated20161021]

"And what would that be, Cedric? Cleaning the tables?" Marian arches a brow, unimpressed — but there’s a hint of amusement in her voice that belies her expression as she glances up at the man.

[xgivemework-blog]

    "Why, unless you want your hand with cuts I advice you not to clean it so carelessly. Someone broke a glass a while ago over there."  His gaze narrowed at her expression, after all he meant to save her from a minor accident, but painful nonetheless.      "Someone attempted to clean it but you can clearly see the small shards of glass stand out in the light"

[thatcherwicket]

Tea-riffic || Cedric and Thatcher

[thatcherwicket]

"Earl Grey," Thatcher muttered, making a mental note to get that- as soon as he was done with this. Earl Grey they had plenty of, a popular choice, and it would have made more sense to make the customer his cup now. There was already water heated to the right temperature, as he’d made two pots for his experimentation. And the tea was on display, just inside the counter that Thatcher was working on, but the man was focused. It didn’t occur to him that making the other tea now was an option. 

In front of him were different components, the usual blend of darjeeling they liked best at the shop, cloves, ginger, cardamom, vanilla beans, which were one of his favorite things due to the smell, nutmeg, and cinnamon chips. The perfect ingredients for blending together a chai tea to keep one warm during the cold, Maine winters. Exactly what he needed, suffering from the cold as much as he suffered at the smell of coffee.

"Chai," he looked up from the tea, putting each of the little piles into a different tea infuser, quickly scribbling notes regarding the ratios on a post-it, and placing it beneath the infuser, before going on to the next one. Ten infusers sat in front of him by the end, with a pile of the same combination beside it, incase he needed more later. "Winter chai. It’s new. Or will be. It’s not finished yet."

[xgivemework-blog]

Cedric looked at every ingredient on the surface, he had knowledge of tea of course, knowledge enough to make a decent cup of tea for himself when Louise was not at home and when not feeling his time could be used in a more useful thing; so when he found out she was around he usually got a way to convince her to make him a cup and if he failed, well... The was CuriosiTea.

"Chai" he repeated, truthfully intrigued as Thatcher continued to prepare the drink he was telling him about. "Winter Chai, sounds good for the time of the year. A little bit to obvious but fits" his sight followed his every move, he had no better thing to do and after all he'd go sit at any table later.

"Let me know how it works out, I'd like to taste it. You've given me lovely tea cups in the past I have to say. But I'm afraid I cannot remember your name for the life of me."

[xgivemework-blog]

"I wouldn't do that if I were you" Either he's just saying it, or there's a reason behind his words. One can never know with Cedric Baker.

[thatcherwicket]

Tea-riffic || Cedric and Thatcher

Thatcher was manning CuriosiTea alone at the moment. It was halfway between the morning usuals and the lunch rush, which meant that it wouldn’t take more than him to keep up with any orders that came by. And with Mira and Dorian both not even ten minutes away, it didn’t matter if there suddenly was a boom of activity, he could call them in to come rescue him.

He hadn’t even bothered going to the back of the shop when he decided to take the quiet time to blend new teas. He’d gone to get the components, true, but then he’d brought them out to the front, to sit at the counter. The front of the shop already smelled strongly of tea, but the scent only intensified as he began to blend, the sheer amount of flowers, leaves, and other things permeating the air. It put a smile on Thatcher’s lips, and he began humming to himself, fully devoted to his work. Some people painted, others danced. Thatcher blended. 

He was almost done with a new blend, creating different mixtures with different proportions of this to that, when the door open, prompting him to look up. “Can I help you?” he asked the man, a regular at their shop, though the name escaped Thatcher, tea taking up the vast majority of his conscious mind. He needed to sample, to see which tasted best, before he could clean up and focus on anything else. But, alas, a customer!

[xgivemework-blog]

Cedric had been in his headquarters far too long, so long that Louise had tried to kick him out but in a way more gentle manner. You're far too pale, you need a little more color. Have you tried going for a walk? It's lovely in this time of year!

Of course his answer had been a tight smile, who on Earth thought it was a lovely time in winter? Let alone, catch a little of color in this time of the year. "That woman has gone nuts." he muttered under his breath as he pulled the collar of his coat up to fight against the winter chill. What he needed? A nice cup of warm tea and there was only one place he could think of when the word tea came to his mind.

Walking down the street he made his way to CuriosiTea, –the name still struck him funny to the clever choice of words for the shop's name-, he did not pay attention to the other people walking around him nor he gave the slight of glances to any customers inside, if there was he didn't notice and if there were, he didn't mind. All he wanted was a cup and a cup alone.

"I'd like a a cup of Earl Grey please" said Cedric, answering the clerks question while looking around for a table to sit at when an specific scent caught his senses.  "Could you tell me what tea is that one you're blending? Smells delightful" For a man set in his manners, this inquiry had even surprised Cedric himself.

[russxtrinity]

A Helping Hand I Open

Russ sighed deeply, adjusting the medical tape on his hand. He winced slightly as he unrolled it. Why was he such a dumb ass? His brothers were constantly asking him and he still didn’t have an answer. He knew he was going to get hit from the first second he opened his mouth but for some reason he couldn’t stop himself. People who were cocky and arrogant just got on his nerves especially if they were picking on someone. The good part is that he wasn’t too badly hurt, all his limbs were working properly and he wasn’t too bruised up. All that had really been hurt is he had a bruise on his cheek and his hand was cut from a glass that had broken. The fight was relatively tame compared to a few others he’d been in. He began to rewrap the tape but for some reason it wouldn’t stick properly and kept falling off. “Hey um… you wouldn’t happen to have a first aid kit on you?” He asked the first person he saw. “Or anything sticky really.”

[xgivemework-blog]

"Aid kit?" Cedric parroted the question, yes, he had heard the other man, his repeating was a mere reflex of surprise by the given question in fact. His brown eyes scrutinized the man's figure, a fight, of course.

A punch to the face causing that bruise and the wound on the hand, obvious signals of a fight; taking in note the build of the man's body, no wonder a brave fool would try either to dare him or acted fool enough to be beaten by the almost untouched man in front of him.

   "Anything sticky that I can think of at the moment is gum, and I doubt you'd like that would you?" Cedric answered without much interest, trying to be polite by no ignoring him and replying something instead.    "Have you tried getting an actual bandage? You don't really need tape to keep it in place if you know how to roll it.

[whenthesmokeclears-rpg]

Cedric Baker || 36 || Private Investigator || OPEN

Character: Sherlock Holmes/Basil of Baker Street | Sherlock Holmes/Great Mouse Detective

Personality:

→ Brilliant, Good-Hearted, Brave

→ Moody, Apathetic, Arrogant

Background:

Freak. Genius. Asshole. Brilliant. Cedric Baker has been called all these, and more throughout his life. It was always hard to be a genius, to look at other people his age and see sniveling, snot nosed brats who were still learning to read chapter books, while he was sitting there reading Tolstoy. In the original Russian. It quickly formed an impassable gap between Cedric and kids his age. Between him and most people. Even adults couldn’t keep up with the bright boy, and when a eight year old was decades ahead of one intellectually, there tended to be many feelings of animosity. His parents pulled him out of public school halfway through the second grade, leaving him to be home schooled. Cedric, for one, did not at all mind, happier to be able to learn at his own pace, in the privacy of his rooms. It was a bit more problematic for his parents, however, who had to deal with the fire alarm going off at odd hours of the day and night due to their son’s scientific curiosity.

Cedric was more intelligent in everything, not just his studies. Other than maths and sciences, he’s interested in the arts. Painting and music have always drawn his attention, leading him to study them as well. He was a protege on the violin, as well as an accomplished pianist, from a young age, doing everything from playing to composing, in every style and genre imaginable. He even performs sometimes, occasionally playing the piano at bars like The Merry Men or The Rabbit Hole in town. A few other things fascinate him as well, psychology being one of the biggest intrigues. He’s always puzzled over what goes on in the funny little heads of humans, and though he understands the anatomy of the brain and body, they still don’t make sense. Logically, he understands, and can predict what most will do. But personally, it is hard for him to relate to other people. Cedric diagnosed himself as a “high-functioning sociopath” as a young boy, though he’s never bothered asking for a second opinion on that. But there is one thing more interesting than mere, moronic mortals. Criminal psychology.

When Cedric was nine, he read about a murder in Portland in a newspaper, one his parents hadn’t intended he get his hands on. From that day onwards, he wanted to solve the murder, convinced that the police department was filled with too many idiots to ever get it right. That case taught him exactly what he wanted to do. He didn’t want to be a famous composer. Being a scientist wasn’t for him. Politics and power lost their interest as well. He wanted to solve crimes. Interesting ones. Cases that the police couldn’t. To prove how smart he was. And maybe to meet someone as intelligent as he was, one day. Someone who he could have a conversation with, even if they were a despicable person. He has yet to meet one, no one in the small town of Storybrooke able to hold his attention for long. But he hopes that one day, a client will walk through the doors of his office, in need of a private investigator, and lead him to the second greatest mind in the world. One day.

Despite being a know it all, Cedric doesn’t know who he truly is the well known detective from London. Some genius he is…

Relationships:

Louise East - Landlady

Faceclaim: Robert Downey Jr.