Saint Eloi - the Big Bell

Frederic's blood doesn't move ; the stake, after all, freezes the kindred's blood as well as their body (and this is why they can't use their blood when they are staked).


Lyle listens, still staring at that blood. He seems to have got most of what she had said, as he answers with a low, still serious voice.
(Lyle) I see... Not the perfect Sire, but you understood the most important parts of our society. You also know Claudia, which is a major asset in your case. "Busy", you say, with the arts ?.. That USB didn't seem like the work of an artist, but it was meticulous.

He seems "bothered" by the USB topic, as his voice got a little harsh when he named it. He puts a finger in the blood and tastes it. He lets out a groan, putting the beaker on the table, and stands up, seeming in rage as he got something out of that blood.
(Lyle) That bastard ! He gives a look to Estela. Stay here, I'll be back soon.

He doesn't wait too long, and storms out. It takes him a few minutes to step in the old room where Miri, Rufus and Frederic are. As Rufus sees the Regent enter, he steps away, lowering his head. He approaches, raising an eyebrow in surprise as he sees the prisoner has changed positions. He crosses his arms and steps closer to Miri. He speaks to Frederic, obviously. and he did notice he was still staked.
(Lyle) You'd think I wouldn't find out ? You'd think I wouldn't have noticed ? Miss De Boucher, he lied about his clan. He's Lasombra, and not Ventrue.

Miriel puzzles over the example set before her of physics being suspended by the supernatural, glancing over from the front of Frederic, to his un-bleeding back, Huh. You learn something new every day. She didn't get the desired result, but she feels she has learned something important, at the least.

She wraps her fingers around the stake, prepared to finish pulling it out when Lyle makes his abrupt return to shout at the suspended vampire. She catches his raised brow, and seems surprised by what he reveals, but she soon grasps the situation from a better informed perspective, especially considering particulars about the prisoner's behavior tonight. The new information gets an understanding nod from Miri, but she doesn't speak, unsure what direction to take this information.

She steps back from the prisoner and closer to Lyle. She asks aside, seeing Frederic in a new light, So... What now?

As they look over him, side by side, she explains the particulars of the vampire's placement, I was going to drain him, so you could have a nifty little wall-hanger to put up. You know, she glances over to the Tremere, deadpan, Spice up the place.

Estela gives a light huff when her Sire is described as not perfect. Clearly she believes that to be a gross understatement. However, she begrudgingly accepts that he'd at least taught her what he could in the situation they'd been in. When asked if her Sire had been busy with the arts, the young vampire shakes her head after a short moment. “No, he was busy on the assignment he'd been given. I think he was either infiltrating or spying. There really wasn't a lot of time for him to spend on his hobbies. He complained about that a lot.” Her voice sounds slightly nervous as she speaks, despite a reasonable attempt of the girl to sound natural.

perception+subterfuge>4:

auspex 2:

At Lyle's sudden outburst, Estela almost jumps from the beanbag, startled. She watches him storm out of the room, a baffled expression on her face. Not knowing what to make of this, she does as told, and remains where she's at.

The Tremere seems in between curious, interested, and worried and pissed. He hisses slightly, and sighs, speaking slowly with Miri. While his tone is calm, his body language is tense, frustrated. He waves it off with a longer sigh, calming down.
(Lyle) Not only that, but that.. moron. Humpf.

The Regent shows a wry smile.
(Lyle) Rufus has no taste in interior design.. Not a bad idea, torture through the Beast and thirst. You see, the Tremere usually gets their information through disciplines, and execute them. However, word that we have a prisoner have certainly reached Gosuin's hears by now. And I just might feel generous. Generous to Gosuin, that is, by giving him a culprit to sentence with a speech and whatnot.

Lyle nods vaguely to himself, and takes again his usual smile, and lighthearted tone.
(Lyle) I see, I see. I'm afraid that if he enters torpor, he's becoming useless until he awakes once more... I'll have a talk with Gosuin. Do you think there's something else to get from him ? You're more resourceful than you seem.



A voice finally resonates in the server room.
(Leopold) Lylou ? You there ?

Estela also notices easily that Lyle left behind him also his computer bag. There are certainly interesting things in there. That, and Leopold doesn't seem to see in the room. But how he saw Estela and how he knew Lyle was with her...

Miriel has certainly taken notice of Lyle's posture and body language. She crosses her arms and maintains a calm, detached exterior, to lend neutrality to the environment while Lyle calms himself. She waits to smile only when he does in response to her joke, as a sign that some of the initial frustration has passed.

She smiles passively while Lyle supposes what to do with Frederic, shifting slightly while he talks about her torture technique. She has something to say, but she waits until he finishes speaking entirely, Actually, I was bleeding him because he wouldn't shut up about wanting to die... I doubt because of the torture, she smiles more genuinely from the awkwardness of that particular situation, I was hoping you'd get back soon to see it and help make sense of it. I'll tell you more about what he was doing in a bit, but first I'll share what I've gleaned pertaining to tonight's events.

Despite the fact that he's a haughty little provocateur, she glances to Lyle again to communicate through eye-contact that she has been in some sort of contest with Frederic while he was gone, to her annoyance, but that whatever Frederic was using to poke back has been disarmed in favor of Miriel's questioning, He's still undeniably resourceful.

I wasn't able to get direct answers from him the more specific my questions became, but he did not fail to answer each; tonight's break-in attempt was self-motivated, she nods in Frederic's direction, He became aware of what he described as a "Nodite" artifact. She looks to Lyle for any sort of reaction, as the word means nothing to her, He admits he has no idea what he would do when he gets it, or what it could do, but that he was willing to figure that out later, in his own time. I asked him about why there was a ruckus in Theo's domain tonight, besides the ex-chantry, to which he replied that fucking with the Brujah is good fun- The way he presented what he said indicated that Theodore's domain was worth checking, in relation to this artifact, she brushes some of her hair behind her ear, regarding Frederic while she continues to relate what she's extracted, When I pressed further about whether information he had explicitly suggested he check Theodore's domain, he answered ambiguously, though I'm sure it was double-talk- she looks back to Lyle, Said that would be a question best asked of the Brujah or the Tremere.

The expression she wears is serious, as she relates the last of the information, I don't care about finding out the particulars about that- Such an answer only tells me that he's dealing with clan-specific information, and that can be a dangerous thing to have. It's also something that can only be had from very specific sources, her voice is calm and impartial as ever, but she wants to see if Lyle can think of anyone who may have passed information on, Depending on who it is Frederic is in contact and who you know of who knows as much about the artifact to pass on its hypothetical whereabouts down to two locations in this city, we may find his source. Otherwise, he probably won't say. She looks back at Vonzel, He also wouldn't reveal his connection to Alicia Vandenstree, but all indications point that it is unrelated to tonight's events. He seems to have the warm-fuzzies about her, but is in a definite state of heartbreak, she throws Lyle another pointed glance, Odd for who he is, no?

But back to why he interests me, "interest" here means "confuses, utterly," Despite constantly- Constantly requesting or demanding his final death, each wound inflicted on him tonight, he healed up. She lets that sink in for a second, A fair deal of his blood loss has nothing to do with actually being cut as much as that, she sounds partially amused by this fact, and partially deeply confounded, Even when torture officially stopped, and I communicated that I'd need to bleed him out to be able to get over some personal holdings about actually snuffing out things with a personality by turning him into a husk, he continued to try to heal up, instead of burning blood as I suggested to speed up the process to the death I promised him. The way she says it shows she had no intention of killing him, but that it relates to the fact that she thinks his resourcefulness is of a potential value, He may have been prolonging his torture, and worsening his own hunger for the sake of helping to cultivate his own discomfort. He also never had interest in talking further about Ms. Vandenstree unless I was an immediate threat to her, after his hypothetical death. I took that away, and he had no more interest in discussing her. Besides deepening his own hunger and reenforcing his threshold for future punishment, he seemed to tease himself with that, psychologically.

My ending point is that he is someone who is very good at gathering information he should not have, and equally good at knowing how to really bother people. If these things are utilized correctly, he can be more of an asset than a headache, but that all depends on his motivation. If he's going to be impossible about it, then he can get what he thinks he wants with his final death- If he's going to be smart about it, then we can use him if we can stand him, which is only good considering how important intel is to us after these attacks. Whether or not he's truly motivated by torture in the sense that he's a pervert, I can only guess- But there is something he will work for that is probably well worth your time to find.

When the disembodied voice suddenly rings through the room, Estela yanks her head up from where it had rested on her hands. She blinks a few times and around her and then to the monitor. She stands up from her seat and walks over towards it, her eye falling on the bag Lyle had left behind when he'd rushed out the door. Her gaze lingers for a few moments, curiosity on her face. However, she pushes it to the back of her mind.
Coming to a stop next to the office chair the Tremere had used, Estela looks around for some kind of microphone. Seeing none, she momentarily hesitates, then shrugs. “Not sure if you can hear me....can't really see a mic, but perhaps it's build in somewhere? Anyway, Lyle ran off a moment ago. Something to do with what happened tonight. I can see if I can find him if you need him for something.”

The Regent observes the Toreador when she gives her report, following her eyes. He doesn't blink, even if he did so the night before because he was a little more careful and mindful of "looking human". He looks away every now and then, to Rufus or to Frederic. He also waits for her to finish to give up his own opinion and answer to a few doubts or questions raised.
(Lyle) Fine. So he wants to die... See, that moron is bound to the Harpy. And the harpy is bound to him ; I would have thought they'd taken their precautions against it... Resourceful or not, the Camarilla is the Camarilla : lying about one's clan and attacking a domain doesn't qualify for mercy.

He shrugs and smiles, as if distracted.
(Lyle) A nodite artifact is an object of magical powers of some sort, which isn't a book. The "nodite" adjective is quite a rare word to use ; it comes from Nod, an obscure biblical land (I could give you a whole course on theology and history, but it will have to wait). I take it that he used that word ? I'm not even surprised. As for this one artifact, I can see what he's talking about. It's a long and boring story which traces back to about a hundred a fifty years ago. It caused Vranken's death by Jacob's hand. Said object was recovered a few years ago and is safely kept in the Chantry.

He gives a longer look to Frederic as he said so.
(Lyle) His information seem a little overdue. It doesn't matter. On the other topic, the Beast doesn't always agree with the suicidal thoughts of the Man. The bond he has to a Toreador isn't really helpful, and by wishing his death... That, or he has had a nice and well-made brainwash. Either way..

He shows some wryness in his discourse. He seems awfully detached, despite understanding fully everything he was told, and everything he said himself.
(Lyle) Wanting to die is the easy exit. And certainly the only solution between the bond, the Sabbat, and his lies to the Prince.

Auspex 2, Perception + Subterfuge>5:

Leopold answers, cheerful and joyful.
(Leopold) I hear you loud and clear. You're.. "Estela", right ? I'm Leopold, I'm Lyle's "special friend".

He laughs at his own words.
(Leopold) Yeah right, sorry. I don't know how Lylou built this place, after all, it is a chantry, so we'll just shut up and accept the magic, alright ? I don't "need" him, depends, actually. How good are you with using a computer ? I need you to make a few cabling around, 'cuz I need more RAM.

Estela nods with a grin when Leopold guesses right, before realizing that he probably can't see her. “Yep, that's me,” she adds hastily, her own voice cheerful as well. It seems Leopold's positive mood is affecting her own. “Nice meeting a friend of Lyle's. Though you're going to have to explain the 'special' part if you don't want this mind of mine wandering to places it probably shouldn't!” She joins him in his laugh.

“Eh, magic or not, it works. Let's take one thing at a time to wonder about, alright?” She looks around, eying the numerous cables strewn about in one chaotic mess. At least, it looked like a down right mess from her point of view. “I know how to use a computer and some surrounding basics. I never actually worked on installing them, or went any deeper into their workings than was necessary to be able to install programs. Ram's some kind of memory right?” She ponders for a moment, then nods to herself. “Yea, I guess I can help you out. Providing you'll tell me exactly what to do. If anything goes wrong, I'll be blaming you!” While it sounds like she doubts this will happen due to her cheerful tone, there's also honesty in what she says.

Miriel nods softly as she listens. Lyle's unblinking eyes don't seem to be of a bother to her; after all, the undead can take a break from pretending while in their private spaces. She herself can't help but continue blinking or respiring without consciously controlling it, because of her age or how the curse hasn't made her to appear fully as an animated corpse.

The Regent's care to explain a bit about the artifact interests the Toreador. His question aside about whether "nodite" was Frederic's exact terminology receives an affirmative nod as he goes on. She becomes visibly uncomfortable or puzzled as his discourse seems to reveal only more she is unfamiliar with, pertaining to someone's death by Jacob. The name Vranken does not at all ring a bell. When Lyle mentions that the artifact is in Tremere ownership, she smiles about the way he says it.

Miriel mouths the word "brainwash?" bemusedly to herself as Lyle discusses the particulars of Frederic's suicidal wants.

Satisfied with his information about Vonzel's predicament, she nods, Death, then.

Auspex 4:

Auspex 2:

She wonders still what their next step will be, What do we tell about the results of our questioning tonight? Making Gosuin feel good about squashing a Sabbat vandal and a liar would be good for morale after the last attack, but it's already apparent that tonight's events pale in forethought or genuine menace to the community. If what he's being punished for doesn't make much sense, in that it is only known he cropped up and felt like breaking shit and got caught, the gesture would be shallow and short-lived. Much of the information floating around out there after phone-tag tonight suggests this was not a Sabbat endorsed attack, by sign of their unpreparedness- Which turns out to be true, by the moron's admittance.

She uncrosses an arm and taps her chin in thought, I'm more concerned about how what we may share would affect security pertaining to this item and its new placement in your Chantry. Would explaining that he was in fact on a robbery mission that failed because his information was old tip off others who aspire to take this item to modify what they know? Certainly there's still an interest in it out there, even if it's being kept alive by misinformation, as evidenced by this one's actions tonight. She looks to Lyle for ideas, or whether he is concerned at all. She seems willing to help.

The Mage laughs as he hears Estela's responses and guesses. He tries to help out.
(Leopold) Yes, RAM the living memory, where all the transit is. Dead memory is your hard-drive, where you store stuff. I've got plenty of dead memory, but I've got not enough space to open shit, so I need a bigger table.

It goes on to a much more complicated explanation of what's the use of RAM. He stops soon enough, recalled to reality.
(Leopold) By the way, I know most stuff about you guys, so don't worry. We got our own Masquerade thingy going around too. Anyway ! I'm going to be a little clearer, alright ? So, I need you to find a computer, a CPU, a laptop, a phone, whatever, anything, to plug it in so it gets electricity, to turn it on, and cabling it to the server through some RJ45 cables (that's your regular internet cable, you know, like phone cable, but bigger). There should be a rooter somewhere, so follow the cables and you'll certainly find it. Lyle's never short on hardware around him anyway.

Indeed, there are all kinds of cables everywhere. There are also lots of CPU boxes that were.. cannibalized, to say the least. But there's Lyle's phone plugged in on the table, through its white branded cable, to something way behind the monitor, also known as that no man's land of computers (certainly where all the cabling is done to connect the server to "outside"). Maybe there's a way to plug the phone, the Ipad, and maybe something that's in that bag to the server.

Per+investigation >4 and INT+informatics>4:

Lyle's phone buzz:

The Tremere crosses his arms and allows himself to rest slightly on the table, in a way that he's able to see both Frederic and Miri. He listens, showing he's listening by making eye contact, letting out a "hm". He's still awfully detached.
(Lyle) It's not about punishment, it's about getting rid of a threat. And we'll probably to throw Vandenstree to trial as well, for having engaged herself into this kind of relationship. She betrayed the Camarilla by doing so, and not only once, but three times. She's a threat to our safety as well.

He uncrosses his arms, taps his pockets as he was looking for something, then sighs and lets out a "damn". He doesn't seem to care that much anyway, and continues on.
(Lyle) I don't mind keeping quiet or speaking about that object, the Hotel's protection are far much better than here's. Jacob will probably thank me if I said we have it, after all, I don't think he'll like having curious wandering in his territory. Whoever organized this, be it Vonzel or not, is certainly under the orders of the Sabbat, even if he denies it (I would, too). It doesn't matter if they're victim of some manipulation, or if they were Dominated, they are a threat and we have no time for compassion. We, Kindred, have lived more than we should have to begin with. After all, we're predators...

He adds, somewhat disappointed, thoughtful and probably thinking about other problems.
(Lyle) You'll tell Gosuin whatever you want, he's not going to believe a word out of my mouth anyway. I'll give him a call and ask him to organize a trial in a couple of nights or so, until we get our hands on Vandenstree. I'll also have a talk with Jacob. And try and keep my sire out of this.

The idea that Tarcisus may get or be involved seems to displease the Regent quite much. He frowns and puts a hand on his eyes an instant, as if to get rid of a headache. He sighs and crosses again his arms.
(Lyle) The reasons do not matter as long as the Camarilla is concerned. That does not mean we will stop there and not try to prevent further actions. He gives a stare to Miri, then smirks. Tell me, Miriel, how did you came to gather such knowledge ? I wanted to confront you to the realities of our world, but you seem pretty much aware of it already. Primogen Darvault will be so disappointed...

Miriel tilts her head as she listens to Lyle, sharing eye contact with him as he speaks. She glances askance and speaks softly, almost in a whisper or a sigh as he goes on, It's going to bother me until I know why... Truly, she understands the seriousness of the situation, but his supposing over whether Vonzel was Dominated doesn't help her curiosity over the connection between Vonzel, Vandenstree and tonight's theft attempt.

Her expression stays neutral, even as Lyle shares his two cents about how they as a collective are overdue for death, anyway. She nods, it's true. She blinks softly in understanding that the report is left up to her as she mouths a silent "okay."

She realizes she's being observed more closely, and smiles when he asks about her, teasingly even, You're how old, and still unfamiliar with the pretty troubled girl cliche? She likes to kid with him, but still thinks on his question seriously, tilting her head to the other side as she looks back at him.

She raises her hands to hold the back of her head as she stands, sighing, Don't be disappointed, though. I'm quite naive, still. What I know barely skims the surface. I'm in a new reality, and I have a lot of studying to do. You'll have your chance to horrify me yet-- Like you did with the crybaby, she smirks.

Lyle observes more carefully Frederic. He finally shows a more genuine smile.
(Lyle) Actually, you could keep quiet to Gosuin about the blood bond, if you wish. When he'll die, it'll disappear and Vandenstree will snap out of it. Maybe. This is a major boon a few neonates could put to profit.

He nods to himself, having made the decision.
(Lyle) I'll reveal nothing that you haven't already. Either way, you'll have plenty of time to be scared and spooked about what we're capable of doing. Time will come.

Miriel's eyes shift uneasily from Lyle to Frederic as he offers his smile and suggestion. She offers her own awkward smile after he says "time will come," uttering a small exclamation, You're so ominous! She squirms where she stands, but her smile betrays that the idea excites her.

She regains her composure, standing straighter, Guess I'll get started on my report. I'll be passing it on that the artifact has been safely kept in the new chantry, if you don't mind. Maybe it'll keep things a little more quiet around here, especially at Theo's.

She nods to herself, then looks to Lyle, Were we waiting for Duncan to return?

The Tremere Regent nods, confirming Miri's capacity of saying or not saying whatever she wanted.
(Lyle) I do not mind. You can tell anyone whatever you want concerning this incident, just try and keep a track of who knows what and keep me informed. Yes, we'll wait for Duncan. I must go back to the servers, however.

He gives a look to the Gargoyle, and as he catches its eyes, he addresses Rufus, speaking again a little more slowly and trying to make clear sentences.
(Lyle) The Brujah can enter. Guide him here when he arrives. About this one, he makes a move towards Frederic, take him to the cellars, feed him twice and put him in a box. He stays staked.

The Gargoyle takes an instant to lower his head and nods, understanding. He approaches Frederic to untie him.
(Lyle) Very well. I should be back soon. I'm afraid Leopold may get distracted...

The Tremere makes a movement showing he's leaving, but he lets Miri enough time to ask or tell him anything.

Duncan and Carrion turn into the Rue Sainte-Eloi, and Duncan pulls the motorcycle into the lower street level, just before the stairs. Carrion hops off a little before the motorcycle stops moving, causing Duncan to glance back briefly with with a "WTF?" look on his face. But he doesn't comment as he parks the bike, and dismounts.

Further down the street, police lines and a few sawhorses with amber lights on top are blocking off the front of the church. However, the side door that Lyle led them through earlier is still accessible. Duncan leads Carrion up the steps and over to the small green wooden door, pulling out his phone along the way. He pauses a moment, and since there is no obvious doorbell he knocks on the door a few times... and then slaps his palm twice against the stone beside it, for good measure. Despite the lack of any visible camera or microphone, he speaks to the door as though someone was listening.

Um, this is Duncan. Regent Kersten invited me back. I have a guest; a Nosferatu named Carrion. You might ask the Regent if it's okay for her to come in, too.

Without waiting for an answer, Duncan sends a brief text message on his phone. While he is typing, he talks to Carrion:

I'm betting there's some kind of warning system, whether it's hi- or low-tech. I definitely don't want to walk in uninvited, though.

Storyteller:

Carrion's eyes scan the area as they approach, when Duncan slows down the bike to stop she lets go of him and pushes her palms against the seat to hop off before the bike comes to a complete stop. When Duncan gives her a look she looks away.

Perception & Subterfuge >5 or Auspex 2:

Carrion takes in her surroundings once more watching the police lines and the shadows with equal mistrust. Her body seems tensed like a coiled spring ready for something bad to happen. She follows Duncan to the side door she can't help but quirk an eyebrow at him when he begins talking to the door but doesn't question him on it.

Yeah I hear the Tremere have a deadly sense of humour when it comes to that kind of thing...

Miriel nods as the Regent begins to excuse himself to return to his servers, Will do.

She watches as the Gargoyle begins to move to untie Frederic, and then smiles to Lyle when Leopold is mentioned, Distracted?

She sees that he has paused from leaving in the case she needs something, and so she steps aside, I hope Leopold has been able to resist whatever may distract him; I'll see you later. She smiles and offers him a wave goodbye.

She seats herself at the long table when he is gone and glances around the room thoughtfully, seeming to finally get her chance to admire the architecture. She can't help but watch the Gargoyle after some time.

Estela listens to Leopold elaborating on RAM, clearly tuning out halfway through when he becomes exceedingly technical with his explanations. Out of politeness, she does give the occasional 'hm' or 'uhuh' to signal she's still hearing him. The young vampire can't help but give a laugh when Leopold claims knowing most stuff about vampires, mostly because of the abrupt change in his subject. “Then you probably know more than me! I feel like I've been dumped into the deep end of the pool by a group of bullies, and I'm not wearing any floaties to keep me from drowning! Now, let's see what I can do to help you out here.”

She clasps her hands together and looks around, eyes trying to make sense of the masses of cables. It doesn't take her long to notice the mentioned cables and pull them free. Estela momentarily makes an attempt to fully untangle them, but gives up with a sigh and a head shake. “Got the cables.” she says out loud, knowing or at least suspecting, that Leopold cannot see what she's doing. “So that's one thing down. Now for the hardware.....” Because of the cannibalized state of the CPU's, it takes Estela a few moments before realizing exactly what they are. Finding the right slot to insert the RJ45 cables, the young vampire hooks them up to what appears to be an oversized router. “And I think that's done it.” When Lyle's phone buzzes a bit, signaling a new message, she casts a short glance at it, but refrains from opening and reading the message. “Did that do it?”

The Tremere confirms, seemingly tired and way too used to his friend.
(Lyle) Distracted. Worse than Tarcisus...

He lets out a sigh and disappears behind the door.
Barely a few seconds later, Rufus seems to have been alerted by something. He has barely had the time to untie Frederic's arms, so he's still hanging upside down, chained. The Gargoyle moves fast and basically melts into the floor, disappearing.

It takes the Gargoyle a short minute to travel all the way to the back entrance of the Church, which is usually the priest's entrance. He makes himself be seen by Duncan and Carrion, by barely showing his head on the stone. He disappears a couple of minutes, and comes back to open slightly the door. He speaks low, carefully, and doesn't come out. He lets himself be seen through the crack of the door.
(Rufus) Duncan is guest and can enter. Master Kersten forbids no-Tremere to enter, but tonight is exception and he says yes.

He opens a little more the door, to allow them to enter. He closes the door behind them. He guides them inside, but he doesn't enter the actual part of the church, full of policemen and investigators. It seems Rufus isn't quite at ease as his domain is restrained and "invaded", but he's accepting the situation, probably because of Lyle. However it's clear he knows the place by heart. He moves behind the church, to what where the walls of the city once upon a time, and when the Bell tower was an entrance door. He puts one of his hands on the wall, which makes the stone move like if they were a door. Duncan easily notices that it seems the stones react to the Gargoyle as it reacted earlier to Lyle.
The same bluish lights appear in the core of the wall, showing the way towards the bell tower. They do not disappear, however.
(Rufus) You have to follow the color blue. It will lead you to guest Miriel. I am one with the stone.

He indicates the inside of the wall, guarding the entrance to it. Despite he has crouched and has folded his wings, it's clear Rufus is too tall and massive to enter "normally" through the passage.

Duncan:

The mage lets out a very very significant moan and then laughs when Estela finishes up the cabling.
(Leopold) Oh yeah gimme moar RAM !.. It's perfect, thanks dude !

Lyle enters at that one moment, raising an eyebrow as he heard his friend's voice. He shrugs and smiles at Estela.
(Lyle) I should've known he'd get distracted...

He approaches his usual seat, take his phone and gives it a look. He reads it, and allows himself a short answer.
(Lyle) Everything fine ?
(Leopold) Totally ! And I'm not distracted. Everything's cleaned, pal. Anything else ?
(Lyle) No, nothing else. Thank you for your help. What about you ? He addresses Estela. What were you doing exactly ?

Estela raises her eyebrows at the moan, but can't suppress a chuckle though she definitely appears to try. “Heh, anytime.” At hearing Lyle's voice, the young vampire quickly rises from her position next to the router and smiles widely at him. Catching herself doing this, she feigns clearing her throat and plays a little with her earchain to give herself the time to recollect herself. During the brief conversation between the two, she moves back to the beanbags, plopping back down in the one she'd used before. When the Tremere directs his question at her, she blinks, a look of mild confusion appearing on her features. “You make that sound like you suspect me of having done something horrible in the span of a few minutes. I wasn't doing much after you stormed out moments ago with no explanation whatsoever. All I did was help Leopold get some more RAM when he asked for it. After he was done explaining all the little details about it.”

By the time Rufus appears, Duncan is finishing his text message. Before he can put the phone away, there's a a slight buzz as Rufus opens the door. After taking a second to read the message, the phone goes back into Duncan's pocket, and he greets the gargoyle.

Hello, M. Rufus.

There is no answer, but Duncan didn't seem to expect one. He enters the door, and follows the gargoyle as it leads them behind the church and into the secret parts.

When the gargoyle opens the inner door and gives instructions on how to proceed, Duncan will nod in acknowledgement.

Thank you, M'sieur. The Brujah then passes through the doorway without hesitation.

Carrion jumps when Ruffus appears; she manages to squash the impulse to take a step back and speaks but it's more to herself than anyone else.

Bloody hell! They weren't joking about the gargoyle huh?

When the shock wears off a little she dips her head in silent greeting to Ruffus and follows behind Duncan taking great pains to remember everything she can about the layout of the place.

She does very little to hide the anger as they go past the church section but it's not clear where the anger is being directed at.

When they reach the inner door she hesitates for a moment obviously wanting to ask Ruffus something but thinks better of it. She pulls her phone out and sends a quick text when she's finished she looks up at Ruffus and speaks to him.

Pierre:

...Thank you Ruffus.

She pats Ruffus on the arm and carries on through following Duncan.

Perception & Awareness >4: