[Still, there was no screaming. No panic. Just... calm. She kept hold of the beach ball- something she could use as a metaphorical shield, perhaps. Garry must have just arrived, right? How long had passed for him, since he burned her portrait? Did he manage to leave the gallery, in the end? Did Ib?]

Mhm. Evangeline. She's been really kind to me. She's always seen me as 'real', as a friend even before I said she was family...

[She trails off. Evangeline, at least, already knew what she was- but she hadn't been told the extent of what went down in the gallery. Her body tensed up, watching him with suspicion. To hear that Evangeline had spoken kindly of her, though? Her expression faltered, a small smile one moment to pensive worry the next. Would he have tried to tell her otherwise?]

...What did you say to her?