IC - Tewfik's Spice Shop

[Timour Rukov]

Timour crosses his arms and appears to sulk in the seat, furrowing his brow and setting his jaw.

"Aw c'mon....I'd really rather beat the door down or have Caroline go sweet talk him." He says it in an offhanded way, to no one in particular, as his own determined way of whining.

OC Continue on with it....Timour knows he's not going to win this argument....but he'll whine regardless that he can't go in guns and brawn style.

[Raiko]

Tewfik’s Spice Shop
3:10pm – Thursday 29th January, 1925

A notice displayed in the shop door reads simply ‘Al-Sayed’s Finest Spices – open Mon-Sat 9:00am to 5:00pm.’

Inside the shop there is a fine aroma of exotic spices, al-Sayed’s stock is of high quality. A single staff member, a tall slim Egyptian man with a moustache wearing a Fez stands behind the cash register. Rows of bottled spices are on the shelves behind him and around the other walls of the shop.

As well as the front door, there are two other doors out of the shop, one immediately to the left of the entrance appears to lead to a staircase, another at the back of the shop probably leads to a storeroom, as it doesn’t appear strong enough to be a back door.

OOC,[color=#ff0000][u]OOC:[/u][/color] I’ll post a floorplan tonight. [quote="DSIGFUSS"] an occult spice shop [/quote] Please make occult and/or cthulhu mythos rolls if you wish to check the stock for “occult spice.” :P

[Laraqua]

Maksim saunters along the road, checking for alleys or other convenient hidey holes to leave the others in while he and Caroline pretend to fancy each other. Awkward...

[Decrepit]

Caroline tags along with Maks, doing the best she can to both seem nonchalant, like a girl in love with her man, and a canny detective "casing a joint." Feeling ill-suited to both roles, she's sure she comes off as a fraud to anyone who might see her.

"So ... um ... I'm not sure you've ever told me about ... um ... life at home? Like, what it's like where you grew up?" Her awkwardness turns statements into questions.

[Laraqua]

"Nope, I never did tell you about any of that stuff," Maksim says, then pauses once they're well out of sight of the shop windows. "Grew up in Russia, went to fancy schools, fancy parties, did a lot of reading in giant libraries full of books written by authors who were largely full of themselves. How about you?"

[DSIGFUSS]

Spoiler:

ooc - rolled a 49: Pass occult spice check lol

[Raiko]

Tewfik’s Spice Shop
3:13pm – Thursday 29th January, 1925

The investigators spend a few minutes browsing around the shop and Nethaniel keeps his eyes open for anything that looks occult; the only vaguely occult oriented materials though are items that would be found in any decent spice shop. There is nothing on the shop floor to indicate that this shop is out of the ordinary.

The proprieter keeps his eyes on the perspective customers, eventually asking, “Are you ok? Is there anything that I can assist you with?”

[Decrepit]

"Nope, I never did tell you about any of that stuff," Maksim says, then pauses once they're well out of sight of the shop windows. "Grew up in Russia, went to fancy schools, fancy parties, did a lot of reading in giant libraries full of books written by authors who were largely full of themselves. How about you?"

"Oh, you may think I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth, but, really, if it weren't for Beth, I don't know where I'd be. This life that I lead--used to lead--I owe to her and her taking me under her wing." She whispers in his ear, "How are we doing? Are we fooling anyone?"

[DSIGFUSS]

Nethaniel thinks for a bit, unsure how to start his distraction. Instead he decides to just dive in and let the almighty sort it out.

Oh indeed! I am looking for some wormwood. I've a friend or two in town and I was hoping to surprise the lads with some inner exploration if you catch my meaning?

Nethaniel fights the urge to clean his glasses. He crosses his arms behind his back and walks past the proprietor. He thinks out loud as he begins his fake spice searching, continuing to talk in hopes that the proprietor will follow.

You've quite a selection here my good man. Perhaps you could make some suggestions on some home made flu remedies while I've got your noggin'? Me mum's got a bad case of the whooping cough and me dad's depressed that he married a nag. Ha Ha Ha! You don't have anything for that do you sir? For the nag bit that is? I imagine a whooping cough remedy is a dime a dozen in a place like this now isn't it? Now something to make me mum keep shut! Now that's something I'd sell me molars for now isn't it?

[Laraqua]

"We don't need to fool anyone yet, my dear, it'd seem silly if we lurked out here for hours, I'm going to wait until closing time before we pretend to swoon, but you are doing very well," says Maksim. "As to the silver spoon, mine was platinum and diamond encrusted..." He smirks, giving a little shrug, but there is a twitch at the corner of his lips as though a memory, unbidden, was rising within his mind.

[Timour Rukov]

Timour has followed Nathaniel's lead, into the shop, and bumbles about like an elephant in a glass house, looking very much like a sore thumb.

He feigns interest in the curio cases for a while, staring long and hard at a crystal he spotted that he likes the shiny reflection of. In it, he can see Nathaniel walking away with the shop keeper, and stays just close enough to keep his ear trained on the conversation. If the shop keeper follows, he slowly inches closer and closer to the cash desk, to spot a few 'black books' or other personal telephone directories the store owner might keep by the till.

[Raiko]

Arbour Street, Soho - Outside Tewfik’s Spice Shop
3:15pm – Thursday 29th January, 1925

Maksim and Caroline spot a narrow archway that appears to lead to an alleyway behind the shops on Arbour Street. It is only about twenty feet away from the entrance to al-Sayed’s Spice Shop so it would also serve well as a place to lurk/smooch later on.

OOC,[color=#ff0000][u]OOC:[/u][/color] Sorry Laraqua, I missed your query earlier. :oops:

Inside Tewfik’s Spice Shop.
3:15pm – Thursday 29th January, 1925

Al-Sayed looks flustered, “But sir! These are finest spices, from Egypt and the Orient...”

“...not the stuff of hokum and herbal remedies.” He steps out from behind the counter and follows Nethaniel into the corner, leaving the till unattended for a moment. “But I believe that many people swear by these roots,” Tewfik takes down a small glass jar from one of the shelves, “grind them up and a small pinch of them should be sufficient.”

He hands the small jar to Nethaniel.

Glancing at the counter, Timour notices that there is a black ledger book beside the till.

OOC,[color=#ff0000][u]OOC:[/u][/color] Note, there’s absolutely nothing suspicious looking about the Spice Shop, everything appears to be as it should be.

[Decrepit]

OOC,Apparently [b]Maks[/b] has already tired of [b]Caroline[/b]? Who's [b]Catherine[/b]? :)

[Raiko]

OOC,[color=#ff0000][u]OOC:[/u][/color] Oops, fixed!

[Raiko]

OOC,I think we're waiting on Trixie inside the store: Will Timour do anything with the book, or is he just noting it's presence? If Timour doesn't take the book, are you all leaving the shop? This was just a quick scouting out of the inside wasn't it? Outside the shop: Are Maks and Caroline checking out the alleyway to see if there's an accessible back entrance to the shop?

[Timour Rukov]

OC

Spoiler:

Sorry for the holdup!

Timour takes the opportunity to snatch the book from its spot by the til. He folds it into his suit jacket and crosses his arms in front of him so that it won't move round underneath.

Then he slowly makes his way through the shop, pausing to look as though he's shopping in the different cases and shelves. He watches Nathaniel closely, and when he seems ready to leave, joins him at the door.

[Raiko]

OOC,Trixie: Please make a [i]conceal [/i]skill roll for [b]Timour[/b]. Might not matter if he fails ([b]Tewfik [/b]would still need to pass a spot hidden check).

[Decrepit]

ooc,I presume we'd be looking for a back entrance, yes.

[DSIGFUSS]

Nerthaniel keeps the shopkeeper busy for a few more minutes. He asks him some questions on how he should prepare the roots and interjects at any point if the shop keeper's instructions could be explained further. Nethaniel then buys the spices and exits the spice shop.

Thanks guv!!. Me mum thanks ye too, or she will once these roots take root if you don't mind me making a jolly good one at your the expense of your wares! Ha!. Cheerio and all that!

[trixie]

OC Failed the roll