Left behind by their guardians, Boulder (the rock) and Phyllis (the plant) bond, despite their contrasts. But how will they be able to maintain their unexpected relationship?
Content Note: Some alcohol use by a plant and a rock. Be Warned. 
Era: After Season 9.
Featured: 24/2/2022 and 25/2/2022.
Won a Judge's Prize in the Crackship Contest! (Proceeds requested to be donated).
Image Only: The Image Only is a mash-up of: https://game-icons.net/1x1/delapouite/plant-roots.html by Delapouite and https://game-icons.net/1x1/lorc/rock.html by Lorc.
Chapters (1)
I can't believe you made me feel emotions for a rock and a plant
I also can't believe there are tags for Boulder and Phyllis
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Boulder, at least, is genuinely implied to be intelligent. There's basically no limit to what he can do provided we don't see him do it.
Goodness, I didn't know Phyllis was a thing (plant) until now. Is there a word for something that is as beautiful as it is silly? Because "Phyllis flirted easily," and "They shared a time with bodies quite sober," quite killed me. I enjoy the short and contextually weird, but meaningful sentences.
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Thank you!
ooh, the mix of distant/scientific and sensual/poetic is, well, poetic! a great start
agh, that of course a place dangerous for Boulder is even more dangerous for Maud, but that's not her concern here. my heart. Boulder's mother, indeed.
continuity with Mudbriar's Funeral! that does make me want to go re-read it
oof, coming straight off the ending of Mudbriar's Funeral, then. i get the sinking feeling that i know where this is going
aww. unlike Boulder, Phyllis does not accompany her mother in her adventures, and thus must have a more sheltered outlook. so understandable that she would not be burdened with worry, unlike poor Boulder
oof, that it's understandable why Derpy would treat Boulder and Phyllis as inanimate objects does not make it any less heartbreaking to watch
this seems to imply Boulder is physically alive and growing, which is fascinating
auaugh
i do not know how sexy dialogue between a sapient plant and rock should go, so this seems perfectly fine to me
aww! that is a very fun mental image
oof, that's a relief!
aww! i just love how Maud is not at all fazed by Boulder and Phyllis's love, and Starlight is understandably more so.
now this is how you do the passage of years. poetic and direct.
augh, tears in my own eyes here. just, augh. the inevitable passage of time. you know?
augh, Boulder and Phyllis in the position of children watching their parents lose themselves in their old age is what i got from this. and you say in just a few short sentences what it takes other stories entire scenes to say.
and again, you capture this facet of life, this everyday tragedy, so well in just this one sentence! it just blooms and unpackages itself in my mind, implying the entire paragraph after it and more with its nine words.
indeed, it could have.
just beautiful. just the way that the previous section ended in a way that felt like a complete statement; a full stop. a logical end to an unlikely romance that was just so circumstantial, for the pair's lack of agency in this world! always only clinging to life on that narrow strand of probability of the actions of the sapient, mobile creatures around them bringing them together. of having a mother that is so different from other ponies, so strange and special, that she is able to see the pair for what they are. ending it with "It could have been worse" would have been a perfect bittersweet ending to all this. to be close to their beloved mothers, and close to each other, but not enough to touch. it's the kind of ending i would write, wanting myself and the reader to find solace in what we can in the face of the inevitable tragedies of existence.
but then, hope inches forward.
this is everything i could have ever hoped for in a Crackshipping Contest. thank you so much for it.
Ooooh, very nice. Lovely melancholic vibes. Taking an absurd concept and treating it with absolute sincerity is one of my favourite tropes, and this is up there with the best of them.
I just saw Everything Everywhere All at Once yesterday, and there are scenes involving rocks in that that have a similar feeling. I don't know what it is about placing emotional reality onto inanimate objects it is that works so well, but it really connects. Something about the simplicity of emotion it affords, maybe? Or the way it shines a light on the complete absurdity of some of these feelings, while at the same time reminding us of their meaningfulness, despite or even because of it?
The final image is just so delightful, too. So many ideas of growth/generation/time/love/connection contained within it, wonderful. Boulder/Phyllis OTP.
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Thank you!
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Yes! And (you already know this and it is in the author's notes, but--) for those who are interested and to whom it is news, here is an index of my stories that have continuity among themselves and, essentially, to the show as well, sorted by accompanying show season: Index.
I have been wondering whether to create another blog post listing the characters involved in each story as well, since although these stories have 'continuity' the characters are often different, so the continuity is in the background and subtly tied to emotional/character growth/changes. (e.g. there is a slow burn character arc for Trixie among the stories and (as you picked up on) Maud has relationship changes). As more stories are added, the continuity will have increasing amounts of interplay!
Thank you again for the detailed, thoughtful comments!
oh i loved this!!