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If she was being ridiculously unhelpful, Talulah didn't care. She did not want to remember. A bad thing had happened and she wanted to forget. Hoever it was hard to forget when Vlad was in your face demanding answers.

She looked shocked by the rough treatment, her eyes flying wide as he shook her. But she did not try to escape his grip… not until he reached for the package. “Stop it!” She twisted away from him; desperately holding onto cloth wrapped knife. Tali wasn’t even sure why anymore; it was such a terrible item. But it was hers. She had taken it. That night...

“He was going to hurt Lilt Albridge and I couldn’t let him do that so I followed him and then he died…” And Talulah burst into tears.

Tali's attachment to that object was too odd to ignore, but the rather abrupt expiry of said murderer in her summarised story struck Vlad as even stranger. Using his regular Estra mental filter, he plainly ignored her pleas, still focused on the emerging details of this rather bizarre encounter. " - then he died?" he queried, the possibilities ticking through his head. How? "Surely you didn't kill him - who did?"

For a brief moment Vlad considered whether Mr. Faris was a key player in this sordid story, but with Tali's eye-witness account and her current obstructive over-emotional state, he shelved it for future reference - instead, his eyes fell upon the blade and he rapidly assessed its worksmanship.

"Talulah," he said steadily, "give me that knife." A brief glance up and he found her again, almost in tears, and sighed.

"...please." The crow growled, a little less stern than before. He was - just that bit - unwillingly impressed that she'd been toting a rather potent weapon around all this time. "I know a few craftsmen, and I could ask around to find who made or bought it."

Estra had been staring at the knife in unmitigated horror; Tali had been carrying that around all this time? A-and he died? Her mind did not get as far as 'who died', only that it must have been unbearable for the goldfish, and, oh. She folded her up urgently as Talulah turned to her, even the sweeping wings of her dress seeming to curl around the girl. Vlad could deal with it, she hardly wished to look upon the gleaming silver more.

Bella only watched helplessly as the two fought, but a gasp escaped her lips as she watched Tali reveal the silver dagger within the bundled cloth. Why... was she carrying such a thing?

Memories of that night flashed through her mind, visions of that golden cage, those... city people. She had so many questions, but she wasn't sure if now was the time to bring it up, a-and...

Loud popping sounds startled her, and she jumped and gave a small squeak. She quickly whipped around, and identified the source being the pot of stew simmering on the stove. It seemed it was starting to boil over.

"U-um, I-I think the stew is ready..." she stammered, hoping it would change the topic of the conversation.

Talulah did not respond to Vlad again, she merely turned her face away, and when Estra rushed off to tend to the bubbling pot, Tali followed after her. “”I’ll get some bowls.” She said quietly after the stew had been saved, grabbing four from the cupboards and putting them within easy reach of Estra.

Watching as the three began to setting up the table only made her feel more left out, as she wasn't sure what exactly to do. Would it seem out of place if she started helping out? But... she wasn't really sure what she could do... but wouldn't it be rude to just sit and let them serve her? No, that wouldn't do either...

Completely at a loss, she only stood off to the side as to not get in their way, and watched quietly as everything was being prepared. At least... they weren't fighting anymore...