Vibria does the "pick-a-lock, throw away the key" gesture and returns to her study of the door. Her lips are still moving, but no sound comes out.
Carmen nodss and smiles, then continues
Come out Gemma! I just want to talk to you!
(You guys are killing me 
)
A few long moments of silence pass. Finally, Gemma emerges from the other door, and tosses a slender coil of silk cord at Carmen. "Yours, gratis," she comments. She jerks a thumb at Esteban, and blithely remarks to Carmen, "Tie him up with that, and unless he has over ten magnitudes of Corpus resistance, he won't be able to speak for sun duration... he can still make noise, mind you-- he just won't be able to form words. Should allow you to correct his appalling lack of decorum, and solve your frustrations at the same time. Only four charges left, but that should be ample time to teach him some manners."
Carmen picks up the cord, turns to Estaban...
It's for the good of the covenant sweetie. I will owe you a favor big time. I'll even do that thing while wearing that thing with the thing while you...
Gemma clears her throat delicately. "I didn't mean now... At least, not here. There's an empty house down in the village we maintain for guest use, though, if it can't wait. But otherwise, just take it as a souvenir."
okay 
whew
Vibria continues her examination of the door, pointedly ignoring Gemma. Although she does somehow manage to glare at her out of the corners of her eyes.
After an exploded Folk Ken roll, Gemma arches an eyebrow at Vibria. "Well, since that door is occupied..." she muses aloud, and ushers Carmen, Esteban, and Bernhard through her office, and into Caduceus' studio. She hands the magi Aegis tokens as she does so.
While passing through the office, Esteban and Carmen both notice Marie Norris' quill on the desk.
Unless Vibria notices anything about the door, or hears anything on the other side (Per 0 + Awareness 3 + Keen Vision/Sharp Ears 3 + die roll of 3 = 9)), she will hustle over to the others and go in with, or just after, them. Hopefully getting a token.
She takes a good look around the room, looking for valuables, magic items, valuable magic items, etc. ((Per 0 + Awareness (spotting things of value) 4 + Keen Vision 3 + die roll of 4 = 11.))
Hold that thought!!!
I gotta go to sleep, then to work, then sleep, go home, sleep, go to work, go home, then sleep.
Then I can respond enthusiastically on Sunday
(This is my standard weekend routine. Because public transportation sucks, I can't catch the train to the suburbs until dawn, so I find a spot in the castle to take a nap for a few hours, catch train, get home, sleep only a few hours, then back at it. All my hours are crammed together on the weekends (weekends include Thursday now 
))
Carmen commands the quill to write...
This is the quill I was speaking of.
(Wouldn't you need to investigate it to find out the activation method first?)
"Oh, this? Yes, it was a gift from an acquaintance. A friend of Anselm's, in fact. Gave it to me when I broke my wrist a while back. Caduceus set the bones and healed the damage, but it has never quite felt the same ever since, and it pains me to write or paint."
(We allready know that, it has been our council records pen ever since Marie made it)
Anslem's friend, who might he be?
(Suspicion: why would Vulcanus call himself Anslem when he is supposed to be a dedicated Flambeau?)
She pauses in thought. "I'm not sure I remember the fellow's name... some Flambeau peregrinator who came here claiming hospitality for a week or so. Claimed to be a friend of Anselm's, though not in Caduceus' hearing. Short, chubby, mouse-brown hair."
(Perception + Folk Ken against an Ease Factor of 17 to detect that she's not being truthful.)
Per +1, Folk Ken 2 (+1 if she is Jewish), die roll 1d10=9, plus 2 points of Confidence, equals 18
Yep, she'd been very open and free when she said it was a gift from one of Vulc's friends, but when pressed on it, she shows signs of discomfort. She's GOOD, clearly, because she does make eye contact and that would have sounded plausible to nearly anyone-- but those lavender eyes flick away from Carmen's just a little too fast while she describes the "unknown peregrinator."
(If you're going to attempt to play along as though you believe her, I'll need a Com+Guile roll.)
Com -1, Guile 3 (playimg coy) 3, Die roll 1d10=3, equals 6.
Think hard. What was his name? I lost my father to Twilight when my covenant was attacked and looted. The attacker stole this pen and many other items, such as the flying carpet I mentioned. But more important, they broke my heart by zapping my father into twilight with a wand. I need to find out who it was, so that I may bring them to justice. The name of this pereginator friend of Vul... of Anslem. This is the clue I've been praying for.
"If he's mixed up with any shady dealings, I'll not be the one to betray him," she says firmly. "There is no amount of silver in the world that's worth crossing him." She maintains proper decorum, but she is very clearly afraid. She twists a ring around her finger nervously, then closes her eyes.
"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" she looks up, all traces of fear and discomfort gone. "Oh yes! The studio..." she opens the door from her office and invites everyone in.
[hr][/hr]
Vulcanus is not very sociable, as magi go. Bernhard knows all of the magi his cousin considers friends that are formidable enough to warrant such an extreme response from Gemma:
- Andres of Flambeau, of the Valdarian lineage. Kindly old man, acts real nice, but Bernhard recognizes killer instinct, and this guy has it. He's like Jean Reno in "The Professional." He's Vulc's mentor, and lives at (as-yet-undetermined Iberian covenant).
- Philippus Niger of Flambeau, the Defensor of Durenmar. An Apromorian Knight who organizes Flambeau involvement in Crusades. Of the three, Bernhard knows this one best, as (IIRC) Bernhard went on at least one of those Crusades. PN introduced Vulc to Egon, and Vulc still feels like he owes the guy a favor.
- Stentorius of Tremere, leader of Fengheld. They've done a number of favors for each other over the years, and Stentorius sees a lot of his own youth in Vulcanus. He gave Vulc a lab text for the labware-creation ritual, and despite that it was a gift, Vulc felt the need to repay him (which meant more work for Bernhard... zug zug).
As to whether any of them would be giving Gemma gifts... Andres always liked her and encouraged their relationship, Philippus seemed to think she was a waste of space, not to mention of Vulcanus' time (but then, he seems to think that of all women who aren't Flambeau magae), Stentorius never seemed overly fond of her (but made use of her abilities and saw her salaried by Fengheld).
Oh, my, Gemma. That is a beautiful ring! Where ever did you get it. Can I see it?
Com -1, Guile 3
1d10=1
I bet it would look good on me...
1d10=1
Let me try it on...
1d10=7
= 30
((Carmen isn't going to put the ring on. She is conning Gemma into giving taking it off))