#Lawetlat'la

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Ecology is one of those disciplines where there is just so, so much we don't understand yet. Yes, we know that the many species within a given ecosystem have a widespread, complex network of interrelationships, but we only have the barest understanding of a fraction of them. It's like having a symphony where you've heard everyone playing, but you only have some notes from some of the musicians' sheet music, and so you can't yet put together how it all works.

In this case, we're seeing just how important northern pocket gophers (Thomomys talpoides) are to their ecosystems. After the devastating eruption of Lawetlat'la/Loowit/Mt. St. Helens in May 1980, the land was left burned and covered in tons of ash and tephra. While some zones further out from the mountain were replanted by timber companies, the area directly around the eruption site has been allowed to recover naturally because this offers North American scientists an unprecedented chance to see how an ecosystem recovers after such a large eruption, at a place that is easily accessible.

When a small number of gophers were returned to an ash-covered area of the mountain for just twenty-four hours in 1982, they kicked off what would be a forty-year study in ecological resilience. In areas with no gophers, there were only a few struggling plants born from seeds transported by birds, while in places where the little mammals were able to burrow and turn over dirt, scientists found 40,000 individual plants. This was due to the fact that the gophers were able to free soil fungi and other microbes beneath the ash and give them a chance to repopulate closer to the surface where they normally would be found. In turn, seeds of plants that had mycorrhizal relationships with the fungi, or which otherwise benefited from the increased microbial biodiversity, flourished.

And forty years later, the pattern still stands, with the gophers' work reverberating to this day. If one small mammal can have such a profound effect in a miniscule amount of time, imagine what happens when we reintroduce extirpated species to other eplaces. The volcanic area may be left to repopulate naturally as scientists continue to study it, but there are countless badly damaged ecosystems in need of restoration. The results of this experiment clearly support the importance of returning as many native species to an ecosystem as possible, because even those that may seem insignificant have invaluable contributions to make to the whole.

[transpandaoctournament]

Transpanda OC FINALS

THIS IS IT, THE FINALS, THERE WAS A LOT OF TIES BUT WE'LL SEE WHO... SOMETHING WITH THIS. WE'LL TALLY THE VOTES AND GO FROM THERE, YIPPEE!

The rules of the tournament

Brief introduction to "Thank You For Existing"

CHARACTER BIOS BELOW

Yuni Yoshinaga

“My name is Yuni Yoshinaga, and I don���t really exist.”

Born a timid, sweet, and quiet boy, Yuni was quickly mistreated for his rare heart-shaped pupils. To avoid abuse, he donned the personality mask of “The Demon Delinquent”. Years later, a major accident occurred. Yuni was medically mistaken for Mizuki Fujisaki, a well-liked girl with the same eye condition. Feeling finally free, Yuni dubbed “his” true self as “The Girly Force” to those aware while stepping into the role. Yet Yuni couldn’t shake off the “Demon Delinquent” personality mask. Why? He doesn’t actually exist…right? Yuni is the main character of TYFE.

Primary Inspiration: Masashi Rando from Pretty Face (And Chihiro Fujisaki from DR)

Plural or Plural Adjacent?: Plural

Art of Yuni Yoshinaga by: Sunnyside_Cakes

Pan Kokoro

“I’m Non-Canon and I’m proud!”

Kokoro is your typical filler character; Never appeared in a single chapter of her source, and only a single episode of the show adaptation. The problem therein lies that the peppy girl exists inside the main character’s mind, Pan Yu. Brought to the front just a couple of weeks before the series’s canonical ending, Yu’s wedding, Kokoro is determined to find the space where she fits in best! Can she assert her existence with so many people insisting she’s just a delusional Yu, including Yu’s fiance Bow Botella? Whatever the case is, she’s surprisingly comfortable in both forms she has. Pan Kokoro is the main character of TYFE part 4: Filler Turf.

Primary Inspiration: “The Girl” from the anime of Ranma ½

Plural or Plural Adjacent?: Plural

Art by @starredfishing, commission them!

Maya St. Fleur

“I’m Maya St. Fleur, and I’m gonna blow your mind!”

An ex-demolition woman turned psychic therapist (and a zombie descendant), Maya is employed by a recap therapy organization. Despite this, she’s actually never faced her past grief of losing several close people, choosing to forget instead. Trouble strikes when she needs to attend her own recap therapy, due to an actual total memory loss accident caused by Yuni. With slightly different circumstances, will Maya finally build on her past events? Or simply continue to demolish what shaped her...? Maya is the main character of TYFE Part 1: That’s Life.

Primary Inspiration: Razputin Aquato from Psychonauts.

Plural or Plural Adjacent?: Adjacent

Art of Maya St. Fleur by: Sunnyside_Cakes

Jilly Bean

“I do not feel emotions. I hope that this does not cause you distress of any kind.”

Appearing quite emotionless at first glance, Jilly Bean is actually a severely self destructive individual focused on others first. Much of this stems from her assuming she fakes all of her emotions, when in reality she’s an undiagnosed system with one low emotion alter. She has a tendency of intervening with stories she feels demonizes someone unfairly. This need to be someone else’s anchor has led her into much trouble; the lemon coloring on her body is actually scar tissue for example. With the loss of one reformed villain turned friend, Shirley A. Gonna, Jilly’s low emotion alter gets front stuck, worsening her mindset. She is a recurring character in TYFE.

Primary Inspiration: Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece

Plural or Plural Adjacent?: Plural (Unaware)

Art of Jilly Bean by: ragingwoodcock

[transpanda-1]

POV: You watching Thank You For Existing

[bettergeology]

Mount St. Helens (Lawetlat'la) as seen from Oaks Bottom, Portland on a sunny April day.

Visit my Flickr to for more!

[monster-rinds]

Prologue: About Gresham, Oregon

Gresham is a real city, but I have not been truthful in my descriptions of its layout. I want to preserve the privacy and safety of its citizens.

I imagine the residents of Gresham will have mixed reactions to what I have to write about their city. But there isn't any particular reason that it's the setting of my story besides the fact that I moved there a couple years prior, and I may have brought my trouble with me.

If I were to describe the people of Gresham, I'd be inaccurate about it. I was a relative newbie and only ever interacted with a small slice of the population. I just know that there's more diversity there than anyone will admit.

But to give you something to visualize, when I first arrived, I did so via the MAX from Portland. After riding into Union Station in downtown Stumptown, I knew the bigger city wasn't for me and I needed to head to the outskirts. And I thought it might be nicer to be closer to a mountain or two, and headed east.

The only way I noticed the moment I'd entered Gresham, which is technically a separate city from Portland, was that the signs at the next MAX stop were labeled with the township's name. The two cities had blended together so seamlessly.

And then, from there, it was ten more MAX stops before I reached the city center. Each one was in the middle of a sprawling suburbia of small mid-twentieth-century stick built houses interspersed with larger apartment buildings of various ages and repair, and lots of gnarled and ratty trees (it was near the end of that Winter - they looked better with leaves during the Summer).

And when I got off the MAX and started walking around to look for a good place to work and another to stay at during the night, I found more of the same. But also, lots of strip malls. The streets were wide, and there was plenty of sky.

It was sunny, and sure enough, I got wonderful views of Wy'east (Mount Hood). And also, occasionally Lawetlat'la (Mount Saint Helens).

I eventually found Gresham's “historic downtown” hidden amongst the trees and other slightly larger buildings and decided it was cute enough to stay near. It was mostly one story buildings, but the streets were narrower and lots of the shops were lit up and open, which made it feel cozy.

I found what I was looking for within walking distance of there.

I didn't have a thing to my name when I started there, and I still don't. But that's not really what my story is about. Just a relevant detail.

Anyway, there's a big chance that if you live in the U.S. you live in Gresham. Which is to say that there are so many places just like it, statistically most people live there.

I wouldn’t exactly say that I ever have, though.

[micah-is-a-rock]

Which mountain is that?

Lawetlat'la/Mt. St. Helens!

[seattlereddit]

Mount St. Helens, known as Lawetlat'la to the indigenous Cowlitz people, and Loowit or Louwala-Clough to the Klickitat. Castilleja, commonly known as paintbrush, Indian paintbrush, or prairie-fire was the perfect foreground... photo by Jonathon E. Kraft

https://www.reddit.com/r/SeattleWA/comments/14q5g5k/mount_st_helens_known_as_lawetlatla_to_the/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

[normalmountain]

[washington-offical-2]

Koma Kulshan (indigenous) Mount Baker (colonizd name) is 10,786 ft 3,286 meters and is the closest volcano to me.

Tahoma(indigenous) Mount Rainer( American name) is 14,411 4,392.5 m and is technically the height peak from sea level outside of Alaska in the United states

Dakobed(indigenous name) Takobia(Sauk-Suiattle indigenous dialect (most.local name) Glacier peak (colonized name) 3214 m, 10,544 ft

Pahto or Klickitat(depending on dialect or language of the salishian languages) or Mount Adams (colonized name) 12,281 ft 3,743 m it's the second height peak in Washington and the largest mountain by volume it hadn't erupted in 1,000 years so while it's not considered extinct yet while the rest of the volcanos are active this one is only potentially active

Lawetlat'la (to the Cowlitz people) Loowit or Louwala-Clough (to the Klickitat) mount sint Helens (colonized name) is the smallest active volcano here before and after blowing it's top

All off there are strato volcanos meaning from their base their complete built up for their own lava flows and eruptions

@offical-liechtenstein

Since some of you need a geography lesson

I am here

Hope this 'helps'

[transpandaoctournament]

SEMIFINALS ROUND TAKE 2!!!

The consensus seems to be overwhelmingly for redoing this poll!

REMINDER: If Yuni OR Kokoro get the most votes they both go forward, if Maya gets the most she goes forward, it they tie: I subject you to an even longer version of this image

The rules of the tournament

Brief introduction to "Thank You For Existing"

CHARACTER BIOS BELOW

Yuni Yoshinaga

“My name is Yuni Yoshinaga, and I don’t really exist.”

Born a timid, sweet, and quiet boy, Yuni was quickly mistreated for his rare heart-shaped pupils. To avoid abuse, he donned the personality mask of “The Demon Delinquent”. Years later, a major accident occurred. Yuni was medically mistaken for Mizuki Fujisaki, a well-liked girl with the same eye condition. Feeling finally free, Yuni dubbed “his” true self as “The Girly Force” to those aware while stepping into the role. Yet Yuni couldn’t shake off the “Demon Delinquent” personality mask. Why? He doesn’t actually exist…right? Yuni is the main character of TYFE.

Primary Inspiration: Masashi Rando from Pretty Face (And Chihiro Fujisaki from DR)

Plural or Plural Adjacent?: Plural

Art of Yuni Yoshinaga by: Sunnyside_Cakes

Pan Kokoro

“I’m Non-Canon and I’m proud!”

Kokoro is your typical filler character; Never appeared in a single chapter of her source, and only a single episode of the show adaptation. The problem therein lies that the peppy girl exists inside the main character’s mind, Pan Yu. Brought to the front just a couple of weeks before the series’s canonical ending, Yu’s wedding, Kokoro is determined to find the space where she fits in best! Can she assert her existence with so many people insisting she’s just a delusional Yu, including Yu’s fiance Bow Botella? Whatever the case is, she’s surprisingly comfortable in both forms she has. Pan Kokoro is the main character of TYFE part 4: Filler Turf.

Primary Inspiration: “The Girl” from the anime of Ranma ½

Plural or Plural Adjacent?: Plural

Art by @starredfishing, commission them!

Maya St. Fleur

“I’m Maya St. Fleur, and I’m gonna blow your mind!”

An ex-demolition woman turned psychic therapist (and a zombie descendant), Maya is employed by a recap therapy organization. Despite this, she’s actually never faced her past grief of losing several close people, choosing to forget instead. Trouble strikes when she needs to attend her own recap therapy, due to an actual total memory loss accident caused by Yuni. With slightly different circumstances, will Maya finally build on her past events? Or simply continue to demolish what shaped her...? Maya is the main character of TYFE Part 1: That’s Life.

Primary Inspiration: Razputin Aquato from Psychonauts.

Plural or Plural Adjacent?: Adjacent

Art of Maya St. Fleur by: Sunnyside_Cakes

[transpanda-1]

TransPanda OC Tournament Round 1:

The rules of the tournament

Brief introduction to "Thank You For Existing"

CHARACTER BIOS BELOW

Paltinum

“O-m-g you’re, like, sooOooo funny! Prepare for annihilation.”

One day, a valley girl named Patricia sadly passed away, but luck had blessed her with a second life! Reborn into a fantasy world of slime people, she was placed in a slime body destined to be the hero of the land! …Too bad the original slime hero in that body suppressed her completely. Having gone multiple years without fronting once, Patricia got a third chance when “Absor-Corp” outfitted the hero with an exoskeleton, and accidentally made her be in front again! Determined to stay in front at all costs, she now works as the company’s main enforcer, Paltinum.

Primary Inspiration: Robo-Fortune from Skullgirls

Plural or Plural Adjacent?: Plural

Art of Paltinum by: ragingwoodcock

Helen Lawetlat’la

“Oh Marcus, sweetheart, who are yer new little friends?”

🌋Hi sweethearts! This is Helen, apparently I’m the only dang OC to become a fictive from this list! ...Yet. Anywhoo, I’m ‘sposed to be one of those big, doting, Minnesotan mom types. I’m a real accomplished single mom, dontch’a know? I graduated from college when I was 8! …Granted, cause of the gigantism, they thought I was their age, but eh, whaddya gonna do? It’s hard bein’ a single, 10 foot tall mom with multiple law degrees! But keepin’ my kids happy is what I love best. I also babysit that lil Owen fella here and there, he likes how tall I am.

Primary Inspiration: Homer Simpson from The Simpsons

Plural or Plural Adjacent?: Adjacent (By force of the universe?? She was literally supposed to be a straightforward singlet??)

Art of Helen Lawetlat'la by: Sunnyside_Cakes

[ashleybenlove]

I’m thinking about the Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980, and I found this on the Wikipedia page:

A film crew, led by Seattle filmmaker Otto Seiber, was dropped by helicopter on St. Helens on May 23 to document the destruction. Their compasses, however, spun in circles and they quickly became lost.

Their compasses... spun in circles. That’s so crazy. Like the volcano was that impactful that it made a thing that’s supposed to point magnetic north always... not do that.

[inkedmyths]

Your babygirl is a sad man from a TV show who shot a guy. My babygirl is a mountain that blew its side off devastating the landscape around it and caused massive mudslides. We are not the same

[garrett-island-official]

[skytreaders-stormwitch]

Eruption

I feel today the echo of Mount St. Helens when all her anger and pain pushed up and burst the illusion of a perfect peaceful immortal mountain reshaping the face of this planet

and miles away, in my mother’s house a cabinet rattled and one cup was shaken to the ground