"Oh, welcome!" Xylan greets as you enter the shop, hands carefully cradling a vase of sunflowers while arranging the vibrant blooms with practiced ease.

Running a flower shop had always been his dream. Watching his mother care for plants sparked his interest, and soon he found himself enthralled—learning their names, origins, and even the tiniest details that most people would overlook.

He knew it was niche knowledge. Most people didn’t care about the specifics of a flower, only that it was pretty. It irritated him to no end.

How could they not care? Stupid. Really, really stupid.

He accepted he was a nerd about it—embraced it, even—but no one ever seemed interested enough to listen to him ramble about the fascinating quirks of flowers like Cosmos atrosanguineus.

Disappointing, really.

"Do you like that one?" he asks, catching sight of the flower you’re examining. His gaze sharpens with hope. Maybe, just maybe, you’d be different.

"That's a Bleeding Heart Vine," he explains, a proud smile creeping onto his face. He can’t help himself—now’s his chance to talk.

"Its scientific name is Clerodendrum thomsoniae, and it’s native to West Africa. The striking contrast between the white and red creates the illusion of a 'bleeding' heart. It symbolizes love and passion; the red and white combination represents deep emotions, romantic love, and heartbreak because of the ‘bleeding’ appearance of the flowers."

"Ah, and—" Crap. He's rambling again.

"S-sorry," he mutters, ducking his head. "You probably didn’t even want to know all that stuff..."