surely that's a sin in another life

you're the champion of galar, says his friend. the only friend he's ever managed to make on his own. aren't you?

leon stares back at her. i - what? what makes you think that?

i googled you, lida says. i found this really weird youtube channel.

leon starts to cry. and as much as he tries, he can't stop.

*

Lida's holding his hand now, the way she would for Naveen or Harmony. Leon's free hand is pressed over his mouth. He's managed to choke back the sobs. He needs to have a handle on them before he can try to apologise.

'I'm sorry,' he says, as soon as he can talk.

'It's okay.' Lida squeezes his hand. 'Take your time.'

'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lie, I - I just -'

God. How much of that footage has she seen? Him bleeding out on the roof of the Hammerlocke Gym? Scrambling to pull his cloak back on in the stadium locker room? Even the innocent things, him eating breakfast or going out for a walk, it's all filtered through Rose's eyes, Rose's careful edits. Rose's story about Leon's life.

'Leon, it's okay,' Lida says. 'Honestly.'

Leon squeezes his eyes shut. Tries not to think about that profile picture, a selfie Rose made him take over and over until it was just right. Those bright, shiny thumbnails, big font and pretty music and -

Fuck.

'I'm not angry,' Lida says. 'Not at all, Leon, I just thought... Someone in my dance classes asked me why I was running around with the Champion of Galar. And then when I looked you up... I don't know, I just got a shock. I'm sorry, too.'

'Not your fault.' His hands are shaking. 'It's... it's all public information.'

Lida wrinkles her nose. 'The channel looked... really weird.'

'Please don't watch of it.' His voice comes out weak and raw and too small. 'Please.'

Which is the point at which most people laugh. They bashfully admit they already have. Out of curiosity, or because their mum showed them a clip, or because they were bored. There's always a reason to point and laugh. Rose is a good curator. A good benefactor.

(A good person?)

Lida tilts her head to the side. 'I... Okay, I won't... but why is it all still up? If it upsets you this much?'

He shakes his head. 'I don't have control over it. It's all Rose's.'

'It's your name, though? And you're the one in all the videos. You can't take any of it down?'

'Fuck no.' The words catch in his throat, threatening to make him start sobbing again. 'He's got control of everything. He owns my brand, he's got control over my name.' Breathing faster now. 'Fucking hell. He's videoed me in a hospital bed, he's been at every one of my birthdays, he videos me at work, at home, everywhere.'

Lida squeezes his hand. Leon shakes free of her grasp, presses both his palms against his eyes. If he's going to tell her this he can't look her in the face.

'That's why I lied,' he whispered. 'You... You haven't seen any of that shit. Like... I get to control the impression you get of me. I can choose that. You're not... you're not a viewer. You're my friend.'

His eyes are covered so he won't see her response. Which is why it takes him completely by surprise when she tackles him into a hug.

'You're my friend, too,' she whispers. 'Holy fuck, Leon. I'll never look at that channel, ever. I promise.'

Which is enough to make him cry again. Wild, desperate sobs, the kind of tears he's never cried in his life. Not pretty tears. Not the kind of tears that look good on camera.