First and foremost I want to thank everyone who's given this story a chance through the years even though I haven't updated since 2018. The Flowershop was my first venture into original fiction writing when I was still very young and, though I never stopped thinking about it and Olivier and Rain, I've wanted to build it more. When I first started writing it in college I just needed to get these characters and their story out of my brain, but after all this time I feel like they, and you, deserve better than a rushed plot and half-cooked worldbuilding.

The news of Tapas shutting down was a bit of a punch in the gut when I was finally working up to relaunch The Flowershop and announce my new series I've been working on simultaneously: When the Stars Align. The news also put a rush on this announcement as I had planned to have more concept art (most of you probably don't know I'm also an artist and hope to start making webcomics soon) and even some excerpts from the new version of The Flowershop (which at this time is still untitled), to get you all excited for Olivier and Rain's story once again.

I will archive the old version on my Patreon for Free Members, as well as start posting all behind the scenes content for the new Flowershop there as well. For the time being, I will post When the Stars Align here on tapas, for as long as the site lives, and for free members on Patreon while also looking into other platforms that are permissive of mature themes as both the new Flowershop and WtSA feature them.

In the meantime here's a first look at what Olivier will probably look like in the new version: 

And here's a sneakpeek into our main chracters in When the Stars Align:

Marcellus Armstrong has never questioned his path: he is the golden boy, a star athlete in two collegiate sports, a hard worker to the bone, a loving son, adoring dog dad and animal lover, a protective friend and a scamp of a little brother to Jules. So, when he meets the girl of his dreams by complete chance, he knows fate has intervened and he has to find her again. What he doesn't know is that in doing so he will have to learn about a whole new side of himself he never even considered, even after some playful prodding by Mel, his roommate and best friend.

Melvin Mercury's life keeps him busy, a full college courseload and two part-time jobs to make ends meet will do that, but even so Mel finds the time enjoy "casual romance". Things weren't easy for him while growing up under his aunt's care, they loved each other but having nobody else they could rely on meant Mel was often by himself, especially during his teenage years when he became "the nerdy gay kid with no parents". Still, he worked hard to find a version of his life he was happy with, which includes Mars, even if it's just as friends. Now that he's finally starting to be happy, he isn't going to let anything ruin it, especially Fucking Brad.

Vivian Luceres is finally getting his life back on track. Joining his twin brother Ethan in college after taking some time off to sort through the aftermath of his senior year of high school, the twenty-year-old cheer leader is ready for a new adventure. Vian promised himself, and Ethan, that he would focus on school, cheerleading and making friends for the time being, but surely there was no harm in admiring the cute guy he'd stumbled into his first day on campus from afar.

When the Stars Align is a story about love in all of its forms, be it familial, fraternal, romantic or platonic.

It starts following the lives of these three young men as they balance each of their own busy lives and personal histories with the possibility of something more, in a multiple pov webnovel format. At first the story will focus on Mars, Vian and Mel but will continue to expand to other characters as it progresses, especially Jules and Ethan who are central characters in our trio's intertwined stories as well.