Nothing interesting happens for the rest of the day.

When the office shuts down for the day, she has an early dinner and checks in with Penny.

<argylecape> Hey, how's it going?

<PennyLane> I'm alright

<PennyLane> Dad's gone quiet again though

<PennyLane> How about you?

<argylecape> Stakeouts are kind of boring, I've been working on learning Dougal's computer so I can read what he types on it.

<argylecape> Interesting couple days aside from that, though. Remember Sadde, my other friend who knows Hollister?

<PennyLane> Yeah?

<argylecape> Turns out they have more going on than just mysterious Sideways related knowledge.

<argylecape> I should start at the beginning, I guess - they called me, they were freaking out about me maybe being dead, and in the voicemail I could hear them flicker - but they were still /themselves/, and worried about me and wanted to help, even in the middle of it

<argylecape> Like, I don't know enough about Picassos to be /sure/ they're safe, but

<argylecape> If they aren't it wouldn't be because they didn't want to be. And they came right back out of it.

Penny takes a few seconds, and then,

<PennyLane> Huh.

<argylecape> Yeah.

<argylecape> Anyway, it sounded like they flickered because they were so upset, so... seemed like the safer option to talk to them.

<argylecape> They're not too happy about lying to Hollister but I think they get how important this is, I told them about Dougal.

<PennyLane> Are you sure you're not infected?

<argylecape> I don't think I am, but Sadde didn't notice actually flickering, so I guess I don't know. Is there a way to check?

<PennyLane> The flickering is usually noticeable

<PennyLane> But I think most people are probably wrong about how cubism works

<PennyLane> Was just checking.

<argylecape> Okay.

<argylecape> That's a little worrying for Sadde, then.

<argylecape> Anyway, I'll keep an eye on it.

<argylecape> And there's another thing about Sadde that's less about them exactly and more, okay, this world is weirder than we thought.

<argylecape> They can shapeshift just a little.

<PennyLane> A little?

<argylecape> Yeah, they're - the word is bigender, I'm not sure you'll know what that is, it's that sometimes they're a boy and sometimes they're a girl.

<argylecape> That happens, it's not usually a superhero thing or anything, it's just how some people are.

<argylecape> But when Sadde's a girl they /are/ a girl, and vice versa.

<PennyLane> Like they change their body biologically?

<PennyLane> But only gender?

<argylecape> Mmhmm.

<PennyLane> Honestly I actually expect this is related to the cubism.

<argylecape> That seems possible. Though it seems like if someone can be just that much Picasso and no more, and be walking around fine, that's still pretty surprising.

<PennyLane> It's sort of what I mean when I say we don't understand cubism.

<PennyLane> Did I tell you about the girl selling cookies?

<argylecape> Nope.

<PennyLane> Okay so a while ago

<PennyLane> Bit before we met actually

<PennyLane> My dad and I were mapping the Sideways and we ran into this new import called Dave while we were being chased by this girl scout Picasso

<PennyLane> She didn't really know she was a Picasso, they never do, she just wanted to sell cookies

<PennyLane> And she cornered us, and we thought we were done for, but then Dave paid her

<PennyLane> Just, like. Threw money at her.

<PennyLane> She thanked him and went away.

<argylecape> That sounds like what I've heard from them, too, yeah.

<argylecape> The one in the tower had an attitude problem that I don't think had anything to do with him being a Picasso at all.

<PennyLane> Right, so

<PennyLane> Everything we know about Picassos say the girl shouldn't have vanished just because we paid her

<PennyLane> But she did

<PennyLane> So I think Picassos may... not be all bad

<PennyLane> Kinda stuck

<PennyLane> They don't really realize they're Picassos, most of the time

<PennyLane> They're stuck in a loop, a single moment forever, and if you break them out of the loop then that helps

<PennyLane> But then being a Picasso has a lot to do with how you think, what your brain's doing.

<argylecape> That makes sense. As much as Picassos do at all, anyway.

<PennyLane> Yeah

<PennyLane> So your friend knows a lot about the Sideways, spent time there, and is part-cubist

<PennyLane> That might just mean they're, you know, sort of in-between