Can a magician with Extended Masking cover Quickened spells while still appearing as a mundane/non-magician? The text states that spells and foci so covered appear as "normal fluctuations in her magical aura" - the word 'magical' seeming important.

Specifically, we have a Grade 3 Initiate (Magic 9) with three Quickened spells (Increase Agility, Increase Reaction, and Increase Reflexes). Can the character mask himself as a mundane or is appearing as a Magic 6 magician (or adept...) the best option availalbe to him? Either way, there should be no traces of the Quickened spells unless the Masking is pierced.

This is probably an easier question: Is it possible to design an Ally Spirit and a Binding Focus for that Ally Spirit together at the same time? The intention would be that the Binding Focus would be the original Spirit Formula for the Ally Spirit. It seems thematically appropriate, but is it legal?

I'd say yes for the first question since a quickened spell is just a spell being sustained by karma (so it is more costly than a sustained spell normally is).

For the second I'd also allow it. I'm not sure about the rules but I'd make it a little more difficult to craft than a normal binding foci but significantly easier to bond due to its limited effects.

Considering that Extended Masking is an advanced Meta-Magic I think I'd allow it to cover up Quickened Spells while still looking 'mundane', although the Aura might not look 'quite' right fluff wise it wouldn't stand out enough to send up alarms.

I agree as well. I think the spirit of the Ex. Masking rules were to allow the covering of sustained spells, foci, etc. while still appearing mundane. You're right, the specific wording doesn't seem to reflect that, but perhaps the SM Errata will help out there.

As for the second question, I don't know that I would allow it. If I would, like the other poster said, it should be harder to make but easier to bond. Frankly, though, I'd just talk the player into crafting a normal Binding focus and using it during the ally conjuration and binding as normal unless there's a rule with respect to ally conjuration which prohibits the use of bonding foci.

what about normally sustained spells? are they visible, when masked?

I'd forgotten about that. Either way, though, making it an enchantment with an aspect for the bonding of this ally seem to me to be more restrictive than the normal 50/50 on to off ratio for most geas (to which the RAW compares aspected enchantments). Thus, I'd still allow it since the player is still working thematically within their concept and really just making the focus less useful than it would be otherwise. Especially since binding foci are, iirc, one of the more easily bonded foci with respect to karma costs.