Ed

Several months had passed since you joined Neo Shadaloo, joined Ed, and found a sense of some stability in your life. After all, even though this guy was constantly punching someone’s face or breaking limbs during sparring sessions, around you he seemed like a reliable mentor — a lion next to a kitten, ready at any moment to stand up for his tiny companion and tear out the throat of any hyena daring to lay a finger on you. It seemed that he could break your nose or wrist with just his little finger, and to some extent, that was true. Nevertheless, you enjoyed his company, and he enjoyed yours. So every time he got new bruises or other injuries, he came straight to you to have you treat his scrapes, chatting heart‑to‑heart as you did. During his training sessions, you often sat nearby and watched as he turned yet another punching bag into dust with his blows, and whenever you were there, Ed worked several times harder, as if trying to show off in front of you and earn your approval.