#as well as zarya and venture

[m-v3nus]

aging yeehan where hanzo gets a little pudge but cas goes full on bear mode yes sir

[shadykazama]

The official post about Lepus

For anyone that didn't see the previous small post, this is Lepus, my overwatch oc. She was drawn by the lovely Remonmellow on Twitter, IG, and Fiverr!

She's in the Wayfinder Society and I'll be explaining her story, abilities, and even adding some interactions with other hero's under the cut!

Lepus

“A gifted and troubled scientist with a unique perspective on life, Lepus seeks to use her research to bring understanding in the midst of conflict."

✿

Support

✿

Texas, USA (formerly), Roaming

✿

October 6th (24)

Origin

An outstanding student throughout her youth, Autumn Spellman started trouble for herself in college, getting into often violent exchanges during omnic rights rallies. Her overwhelming passion for the lives around her festered into distaste for the society that continued to cast out the innocent; she left her studies, as well as the connections she'd built behind and pursued her research independently. Without a job or a real place in the world, she found her way in the Wayfinder Society as an on site medic. They offered her resources and companionship to fulfill her research, and she gave them support in return, working as not only a medic, but a fighter as well when needed.

Lepus's research involves the movement and use of energy created by living beings. She's always been sensitive to this energy and her research focuses mainly on its uses for healing and creating understanding between humans and other living beings (animals, omnics, plants etc…).

✿

Gear

-Her gun is a low power shotgun, she wanted a close range option because of the proximity she has to get to sap energy.

-Her armor is protective against the elements and stray rubble, as well as bullets.

-Her helmet serves to help identify wounds or weak points, but it also automates her voice, making her more “intimidating” (or at least that's the purpose of it)

-Her boots have advanced padding in the bottom of them to provide comfort as well as improving her jump height.

(I imagine a lot like this, not my picture btw ^)

✿

Abilities

-Ability 1 is the energy steal. Lepus touches a target and saps their energy; it doesn't damage the target persay, they're slightly slowed and it makes them physically weaker. It would make them feel sluggish and drained, increasing cooldowns and lowering damage.

-Ability 2 the energy boost, Lepus uses the energy she stole and touches an ally to give it to them. It decreases cooldowns, makes them move faster etc. but only for a bit until the energy wears off. It also heals them, giving them a feeling of warmth and wholeness to their body.

-Ability 3 Use the stolen energy to do extra damage in an AOE. Instead of using the stolen energy to boost an ally, she can concentrate it into a grenade basically which functions like a flash bang, disorienting enemies for a few seconds. (This wouldn't be a stun, would prob just slow and literally disorient your vision)

-Passive, Bunny hop, she jumps higher naturally because of the technology in her shoes.

-Ultimate. I haven't come up with one yet, lemme know if you have any suggestions!

✿

~Interactions~

Lucio: So I'm trying to ask everyone this, what's your favorite animal?

Lepus: Rabbits, *laughs* shocking I know. I grew up with them, they're hard not to love…

Special if Zarya is the tank

(Alternative) Zarya/Lepus: Rabbits- hey!!

Lucio: Uh yeah, I can see it!

Lepus: I bet I could pull off a hat like that.

Ashe: *scoffs* Well you ain't using mine.

Lepus: Okay but if it just happens to blow off of your head in the midst of a fight and I pick it up…?

Lifeweaver: Not to worry, you have not one but two university drop outs at your sides.

Lepus: *snorts* That's one way to boost team morale…

Lifeweaver: Well it made you laugh, so I'd say it was worth it. 💖

Venture: Stick close Autumn, I know how you are with directions.

Lepus: You get lost one time-

Venture: More like half a dozen!

Lepus: Those tombs are like mazes!!

Venture: Autumn! Autumn! What's the energy feel like here? Oh- are there any ghosts?!

Lepus: I told you, ghosts avoid me.

Venture: Aw that's lame, how come?

Lepus: I always suspected it was the energy thing, buuut maybe they're just scared of rabbits…

Lepus: Hey, you dropped Rosetta again.

Venture: What?! No way!

Lepus: You've seriously gotta get a new jacket, Sloan.

Venture: But this one has so much character!!

Mauga: Miss me, little bunny?

Lepus: Not even a little bit.

Mauga: Aww you're just sour cause I almost caught you last time.

Mauga: Where's your partner?

Lepus: Why do you care?

Mauga: I just hope you're not easier to catch without your little buddy watching out for you.

Lepus: Your model is different than most omnics.

Ramattra: I was made to lead omnics into war.

Lepus: Oh…

Ramattra: Does that frighten you?

Lepus: No. You're much more than what you were made to be.

Ramattra: You claim to care for omnics, why not fight for them?

Lepus: I did, but an eye for an eye and the world goes blind. A war on this scale will only cause harm.

Ramattra: Perhaps a blind world will not forsake my people for merely existing.

Lepus: Or perhaps it'll never learn to truly see them at all.

Lepus: Your energy carries grief within you, what happened?

Illari: What happened doesn't matter anymore, it just matters that I make it right.

(Alternative) Hanzo: I betrayed my brother, as well as my clan. And now, I walk alone.

(Alternative) Mei: I survived an accident… my crew- my friends didn't make it out.

(Alternative) Roadhog: *loud gruff growl.*

Lepus: It weighs heavily on you, sometimes it's okay to share the burden…

Moira: Have you been enjoying the brute?

Lepus: So you're the one sending him after me?

Moira: No, I'm the one that suggested he takes you alive.

Lepus: Sombra, can you hack my helmet and make my voice sound like Reaper's?

Reaper: Don't.

Lepus: *mocking* Don't.

Sombra: Ooo I like her!

Reaper: *sighs*

….

Lepus: *sighs*

✿

Adding this down here, but I ADORE that their jackets match. I headcanon Sloan gifted her the Wayfinder patch on her jacket to make her feel more welcome since she was having trouble acclimating.

Also I was gonna add some kill/map specific voice lines for her but I didn't want to ramble on too much.. Anyway I hope y'all like her. 🫶

[wildissylupus]

okay so SURELY Venture isn't our only non-cis hero. Who else do you think could be Trans, Nonbinary, Genderfluid, etc? Here's my thoughts

Trans: DVa, Lucio, Roadhog, Sombra, Junker Queen, Mauga, Sanjay

Nonbinary: Pharah, Bastion, Bars, Symmetra

Agender: Zenyatta

Genderfluid: Zarya, Echo

Just not cis: Genji, Ashe, Junkrat, Moira, Lifeweaver

Fully love the idea of D.Va being Trans and Echo being Genderfluid. Also Sanjay being trans is not something I have seen before, but I love it! I'm also pretty sure that Bars is also implied to be trans? Or at the very least it's unintentionally implied.

As for fully canon, there is another non-binary character named Lynx-17, who is featured in Zarya's comic and who I hope is introduced as a support at some point.

Also I fully agree that Venture can't being the only non-cis playable hero currently. Personally I've always HC Cassidy as Trans, I also know that Reaper being genderqueer is also a common head canon. The characters you mentioned as well are high on the list of those theories and head canon's as well.

[venturelovebot]

chubby support would go so hard but i feel like they’d be shipped w venture a lot? just bc venture is canonically really strong and the trope of fat person(usually woman) being picked up for the first time since being a kid…i dunno maybe i’m projecting as a chubby person who wants venture to pick me up bridal style

I AM ALSO CHUBBY AND I WANT VENTURE TO PICK ME UP BRIDAL STYLE AS WELL

You might be right though because people ship Zarya and Mei a lot despite the fact Zarya is like 28 and Mei is 40, which isn't the worst thing ever but ya know. I'd still raise an eyebrow. Though I have no idea if Mei is actually 30 and she got frozen for ten years or if she was 40 and got frozen for ten years so maybe it's not that bad if she's actually 30 but anyway I digress

VENTURE PICK ME UP I AM AVAILABLE, PRETTY PLEASE

[blackmambaboobs]

Requests Are Open (Read First, Please)!

Howdy! I’m in the mood to write Reader insert stuff and wanted to let you know what I will and won't write! But first, introductions! A little bit about me: I'm Rot, 20, I use they/them pronouns and have been writing since I was young! I love to write about the fandoms I hyperfixate on and share my work with others that are into the same stuff as me! Note: I will often go without writing for weird lengths of time and that includes answering requests. This is due to my Executive Dysfunction and other mental health issues, so please be patient with me! I also like to post my drawn art on here as well from time to time!

Fandoms: ⭐ FNAF: Security Breach: Monty, Chica, Roxy, Freddy, Sundrop, Moondrop ⭐ Star Wars (The Mandalorian, The Book Of Boba Fett, Clone Wars, etc'): Boba, Paz, Fennec, Din, Plo Koon, Poe, Kylo, K2SO, Grievous, Han, Darth Maul ⭐ TF2: Engineer, Sniper, Spy, Scout, Medic, Heavy, Demoman, Soldier, Pyro, Ms. Pauling, Saxton ⭐ Transformers (TFP, TFA, Gen 1, RID2015, and MTMTE): Any ⭐ Call Of Duty: Konig, Ghost, John, Soap, Alejandro, Rudy, Gaz, Keegan, Roach, Valeria, Krueger, Graves ⭐ Overwatch (1, 2): Reaper, Sombra, Soldier 76, Tracer, Genji, Hanzo, Reinhardt, Ramattra, Zenyatta, Maximilien, Cole, Doomfist, Mauga, Lifeweaver, Mercy, Moira, Sigma, Venture, D.Va, Roadhog, Junkrat, Widowmaker, Lucio, Zarya ⭐ Poppy Playtime: Catnap, Dogday, Huggy Wuggy ⭐ Pressure: Painter, Sebastian ⭐ Marvel: Ultron, Tony, Steve, Bucky, Wanda, Natasha, Bruce, Sam Wilson, Loki, Deadpool, Logan, Colossus, Venom, Eddie, Doc Ock, The Spot (Spider-Verse), Miguel (Spider-Verse), Spider Noir (Spider-Verse), Peter B. Parker (Spider-Verse), Cable ⭐ JJBA: Jotaro (Adult only), Jonathan, Avdol, Polnareff, Holy, DIO, N'Doul, Rohan, Bruno, Abbacchio Risotto, Ghiaccio, Jolyne, Ermes, Weather Report, Anasui Monsters/Creatures: ⭐ Centaurs ⭐ Elves ⭐ Demons ⭐ Angels ⭐ Orcs ⭐ Dragons ⭐ Hybrids ⭐ Nagas ⭐ Harpies ⭐ Mermaids ⭐ Vampires ⭐ Werewolves ⭐ Cyclops ⭐ Driders ⭐ Gargoyles ⭐ Ghosts ⭐ Aliens ⭐ Robots/Androids ⭐ Shadow beings ⭐ Anything tentacle related ⭐ Dullahans ⭐ Kitsunes Will Write About: ⭐ Smut ⭐ Suggestive ⭐ Angst ⭐ Fluff ⭐ SFW ⭐ Violence/Gore ⭐ Dub-Con ⭐ Anything mental/physical health conditions or illnesses related (as long as I'm familiar with the said condition or illness) ⭐ Anything death related ⭐ Different cultures or traditions (as long as I'm familiar with said cultures or traditions, I'm not trying to stereotype or offend others in any way) ⭐ Self-harm scars ⭐ Alcohol ⭐ Drugs (Only about Weed and Shrooms) ⭐ Smoking/vaping ⭐ Anything medical related (as long as I'm familiar with it) ⭐ Group sex ⭐ A/B/O (Omegaverse) ⭐ AUs Won't Write About: ⭐ Incest/Stepcest ⭐ Rape/Non-Con ⭐ Pedophilia  ⭐ Zoophilia/Beastiality ⭐ Self-harm/Suicide  ⭐ Cheating (infidelity) ⭐ Any kinks or fetishes related to scat, urine, feet, death, vore, ageplay, or CNC ⭐ Substance abuse or addictions ⭐ Orgies ⭐ Anything Proship/comship related ⭐ Anything that encourages or agrees with illegal and/or harmful activities ⭐ OCs/FCs Note: I only do gender neutral Reader (unless you specifically request AFAB, AMAB, or Intersex) and will only do four characters at a time for multiple character headcanons! If you aren't sure if what you requested is allowed or you have questions, just ask! I'll gladly let you know! If I write about a topic or subject (medical, cultures, etc') incorrectly, please be patient with me and inform me!

[overwatch-situations]

Could you please do Symmetra, Mercy and Zarya getting their s/o a pet (of your choice) for birthday/anniversary? Please and thank you

Symmetra

Your shared home was nice, yes, but she often felt that it was kind of empty

You felt that emptiness, too, when she was away, like the whole house was dull and lifeless

She hated the idea that you were lonely

With your anniversary fast approaching, she thought that now would be a good time to start looking for a pet

She wanted, more than anything, to make your anniversary special

So she started researching, looking for fairly social pets

She felt frustrated at first - no animal she found seemed quite right for your home

She leaned back in her chair, trying to think of what to do

Then she remembered it: the bird feeder that you had tended to in your first apartment together

She thought about how well you had taken care of it, and the fondness you had for the birds that gathered around it

With a new found spark, she turned back to her computer

Finally, she had narrowed her search down to a few options

She called out to you: “My dear, please come here for a moment.”

You made your way down the hall

She gave you the tiniest smile and angled her computer so you could see her screen

“So, darling,” she started, “I know you don’t like being all by yourself while I’m gone. I was doing some research, and I thought that you might find a bird to be a suitable companion.”

“I would love a bird,” you chirped. “I was actually thinking earlier about the birds from our last place!”

Satya grinned wider, turning the computer back towards her

She beckoned you to come around the table, so you were near her

“Come take a seat,” she said. “Come see if you like any of these types of birds.”

Mercy

She always knew you wanted a cat - you were hardly subtle when you gushed about how sweet the cat that lived across the hall was, or in the way that you stayed awake looking at adoption profiles of cats at the local shelter

Honestly, she liked the idea of having a pet, too

So when the neighbor mentioned that her cat would soon be having kittens, Angela was inspired

She thought that, with your birthday coming up, this would be the perfect time to get a pet

She made the decision to surprise you

One evening, when she knew you wouldn’t be home until late, she ventured across the hall and knocked on your neighbor’s door

Your neighbor hardly opened the door before Angela was asking about the kittens

Your neighbor was a little surprised by how much interest Angela was suddenly taking in the cat, but answered willingly

Eventually it was revealed that the cat was carrying four or five kittens, and that she would be giving birth any day now

Angela was thrilled by that news

“My partner’s birthday is in a little over three months,” Angela started. “Do you think it’s possible for us to adopt one of your kittens?”

The cat had slipped out of the open door at this point, and Angela knelt down to her, scratching her ears idly

“Oh, sure,” your neighbor replied. “That shouldn’t be an issue at all!”

Your neighbor leaned down, rubbing their hand along the cat’s side gently

Raising the pitch of their voice slightly, they addressed the cat: “Say, that wouldn’t be a problem at all, would it, Peachy?”

The cat meowed loudly, and Angela couldn’t help but chuckle a little before standing up straight to look your neighbor in the eye

“Thank you so much, really. My partner will be thrilled to hear about this.”

“Well, I’m so glad to be of help,” your neighbor grinned. “If you’ve got any questions, don’t hesitate to give me a holler.”

Angela thanked them again, before turning back to your apparent

She couldn’t wait to give you the good news

Zarya

Zarya had always wanted a big dog, so when you told her that you wanted a pet she was overjoyed

Your anniversary was coming up fast, and she thought that it would be a perfect opportunity to get a pet

She called the local shelter and arranged to meet a few of the dogs

Her heart was soaring

For several days she was postively beaming but refused to tell you why

“You’ll see,” she promised with a wink

When the day came, she could hardly contain her excitement

“Darling, I have a surprise for you!”

She was positively glowing as she buckled her seatbelt

A look of confusion crossed your face when she tossed a blindfold into your lap

“Zarya, what is this?”

“Don’t worry about it,” she laughed, patting your knee. “Just put it on. It’s part of the surprise.”

You obliged, still confused but willing to humor her

After some time, you felt the car stop and Zarya patting your shoulder

“You can open your eyes now, my darling.”

You pulled off the blindfold and rubbed your eyes, taking in your new surroundings

The two of you exited the car, Zarya slinging her arm over your shoulders as you walked into the building and up to the front desk, and you were suddenly aware of the sound of barking from somewhere deeper within the building

Realization dawned on you as Zarya greeted the woman behind the desk with a wide smile, explaining that she had spoken to someone over the phone, and that she was hoping to meet some of the dogs

“Oh my God, baby, you didn’t-” happy tears stinging at your eyes

“I did, my love,” she declares proudly

“Thank you,” you choked out, burying your face into her shirt. “Thank you so much!”

“You’re welcome, darling,” she chuckles, stroking your hair gently. “But now, we have some dogs to become acquainted with.”

[raptorific]

How has the Overwatch story moved forward since launch? I'm not doubting you, I just hear a lot of people say it's standing still and you usually explain things pretty clearly

Great question! So basically, at launch the in-universe Status Quo was very different than it is now. Here’s some of the beginnings of the plot threads, just a few things that were true in the “present day” of the game at launch, and through many of the early animated shorts and comics:

Ana Amari was presumed dead, as was Jack Morrison, as was Gabriel Reyes. Jack and Gabriel being alive was known to the audience, but not to any other known characters in-universe. Ana was seemingly presumed dead by everyone. The three characters were all in separate places at this point. 

Doomfist had been defeated in battle by Winston and was now seemingly in prison. 

Brigitte traveled with Reinhardt but did not engage directly in his crimefighting. She repaired his armor and treated his wounds but did not join the fight herself. 

Bastion was wandering and exploring the wilderness alone following his post-crisis awakening

Torbjorn and Zarya wouldn’t be caught dead with an omnic

Following an attack on Gibraltar by Reaper, Winston has sent out a Recall, summoning any available Overwatch agents back to service. Initially, only Tracer is shown to respond. 

Sombra is a behind-the-scenes member of the talon organization. She’s mentioned, but neither the audience nor the majority of the major characters know anything about her including “is she even real?” or “is Sombra one person or multiple people?”

Volskaya is a well-respected defense manufacturer who Zarya looks up to and is viewed as a hero. 

Now, since launch, a lot of these things have changed. For example:

Ana Amari sends a letter to her daughter Fareeha informing her that she’s alive and explaining why she faked her death, and resumes vigilante activity. 

In the course of this vigilante activity, she encountered Jack Morrison doing the same thing, and the two of them did battle with Reaper, discovering he was actually Gabriel Reyes. Reyes escaped the skirmish, Ana and Jack began working and living together at the Necropolis. 

Doomfist escapes from prison.

Doomfist assaults Numbani killing the Omnic police force and steals his gauntlet from the Numbani heritage museum. 

As a result of Doomfist’s assault on Numbani, a young Efi Oladele recovers the remains of an OR-14 and rebuilds it into a new robotic superhero specifically designed to be effective against Doomfist. 

Doomfist reunites with his team, assassinates a Talon higher-up, and meets with the Talon council (Moira, Sanjay, Reaper, etc) to resume his role as De Facto leader of Talon. 

Reinhardt and Mei receive and respond to the Overwatch recall.

After trying unsuccessfully to convince Reinhardt not to return to active service, Brigitte Lindholm resolves to train and become a superhero in her own right, upgrading herself from Alfred to Robin, so that she can make sure that she is able to protect her beloved but foolhardy godfather. 

Following an assassination attempt on Katya Volskaya’s life, Volskaya lies to Zarya about Sombra’s motives and sends Zarya to covertly neutralize her. In the process, Zarya discovers Sombra’s true identity and befriends an omnic named Lynx-Seventeen. In the confrontation with Sombra, she learns the truth, that Katya Volskaya is a war profiteer dealing on both sides of the war. This, paired with her tempestuous friendship with Lynx-Seventeen, causes her to rethink both her hatred of omnics, her trust in her human heroes, and her unwavering loyalty to her country. 

Bastion’s travels bring him to Sweden where he encounters Torbjorn, who actually sees something unique in him. This also causes Torbjorn to question his stance on omnics, and he cautiously allows Bastion into his home for protection and examination. 

Now, these are only some of the areas in which the story has advanced since launch. They do a fair amount of backstory work too (almost too much, but I don’t mind) and a lot of the updates are simply filling in the past, like telling us Moira is a person and that she’s responsible for Gabriel’s condition, showing us Uprising and Retribution, even the flashbacks confirming how Ana “died” and how she survived could be counted under that (although I count it in ways the story has moved forward in the present day, since it wasn’t just the “she is alive” reveal, at least two story-advancing things have happened on that storyline since the reveal). 

But what I’m saying is basically that if someone went into a coma right after “infiltration” and woke up today and asked me about how the story has moved forward since Winston hit the big Recall button, I’d have a lot to update them on even if I excluded all Pre-Recall flashbacks. It seems like not a lot has happened because Overwatch, the work of fiction, is practically never updated, so in the two-year period since launch, only maybe a few months have passed in-universe. I’m used to this because I watch the Venture Bros, which has been running for 14 years and only about 2 years have passed for the characters, but not everyone is as patient, which is understandable. 

I’d say the main issue, and the only legitimate inconsistency, in the lore is the schedule at which it’s released. We have enough information now to know we’ll get a big background lore drop every spring, approx. four new heroes a year feat. Origin videos, and an animated short at Gamescom and another at Blizzcon, but the comics, the main part of narrative-advancing lore, are released on such a sporadic pace that except for the Archives comic, nobody really knows when the next one is going to drop, ever, until it’s dropped. Everyone is always shocked when a new comic comes out, which isn’t great. 

Most comics are released on a monthly schedule, but I’d even accept a quarterly or semiannual schedule so long as it was consistent and made clear to the audience. My advice to Blizzard would be to hold off on the next comic until they can lock down a release date for the next comic after that, and then at the end of every comic it should pull a James Bond and be like “Overwatch will return this April with a new comic.” They don’t even have to give a date, just say what month a comic will be out and they wouldn’t have to hype anything. 

[twinmiki]

The Woman Behind Period Underwear Wants to Make Bidets a Thing

BY VALENTINA ZARYA on March 9, 2017 12:30 PM UTC via FORTUNE MAGAZINE

Archived Link: http://archive.is/46gGA#selection-317.0-341.26

Miki Agrawal likes to say she’s in the business of the “three Ps.”

The first P is for period—or, more specifically, period underwear company Thinx. Co-founded by Agrawal in 2014, the startup makes reusable panties that hold up to two tampons-worth of liquid, eliminate the need for maxi pads, and promise to keep women clean and dry during menstruation.

The second stands for pee (as in, urine): Agrawal launched ICON, a company that makes a similar product to Thinx, but geared toward women who struggle with incontinence, in 2015.

The third and final P stands for, well, poop and represents the serial entrepreneur’s latest endeavor: Tushy, a high-tech bidet attachment.

Agrawal’s pitch to consumers is that Tushy is a more sustainable, healthier, luxury toilet experience. Or, in her words, it is “a way to clean your butt that doesn’t cut down trees, that doesn’t give you all these issues and ailments, that gives you an upgraded experience.”

According to Scientific American, Americans use 36.5 billion rolls of toilet paper every year, which amounts to 15 million trees. Moreover, the process of making the rolls requires nearly 500 billion gallons of water. Bidets, on the other hand, use about an eighth of a gallon of water per use (compared to the four gallons the average U.S. toilet uses per flush).

Toilet paper is also distinctly unhygienic, Agrawal argues. “You’re smearing poop up your backside and sitting in fecal matter all day long. That’s literally what you’re doing.”

Finally, Tushy promises an experience far removed from the “geriatric contraptions” that most think of (if they ever think of) bidets. “It’s like the Nest meets iPhone of bidets,” Agrawal says of Tushy, which is a small, $69 gadget that attaches to any regular American toilet.

While there’s little research comparing the health benefits of bidets vs. toilet paper, Agrawal’s argument is compelling enough to have attracted half a million dollars in seed funding, led by venture capital firm Propulsion Capital and with participation from angel investors Luke Sherwin and Neil Parikh of Casper and Zachary Werner of Poln.

Subscribe to the Broadsheet, Fortune’s newsletter for powerful women.

Agrawal knows that toilets aren’t exactly the sexiest industry, but that doesn’t deter her—in fact, she welcomes the challenge. “It was so crazy to understand that in the $15- $19 billion period/feminine hygiene category there have been only three major innovations in the twentieth century,” she says of Thinx.

“And in the incontinence category—a $6.9 billion category—there’s only Depends and Poise and these diaper-like products that nobody really likes to wear. One in three women have [incontinence issues] and they’re so uncomfortable talking about it—it takes seven years for them to admit to a doctor that they’re incontinent.”

What both of Agrawal’s earlier companies have in common is addressing a problem most consumers would prefer to ignore. “Both brands are looking at taboo categories‚ they’re looking at the space of periods and pee, spaces that people are very uncomfortable talking about,” she says.

So it seemed natural to her that the next area she should try to disrupt is the “poop space,” as she calls it. Having grown up with an Indian father and a Japanese mother, Agrawal began using bidets at a young age. “I feel icky when I have to use toilet paper,” she says.

Agrawal knows that most Americans will be resistant to the idea of ditching TP, but she is willing to take the time to educate them.

“I think that’s the way to change mindset and change culture—by using innovation, by using creative, beautiful, aesthetic design, and by talking about it in a way that’s accessible and relatable,” she says.

[rivetingrogue]

@calvindile tagged me in this meme! explanations under the cut but first I tag @amouisrafel as well, ha.

all of these are quick play, by the way. I’m lv 97 and still haven’t ventured into competitive oops

sometimes

Junkrat is my up-and-coming fourth main because apparently of all the heroes I wanna learn he’s my top priority, but I usually pick my mains over him (plus he’s very popular)

Zarya is someone I really want to get behind so I’m trying to get better, but I can’t let go of D.Va and sometimes switch to her halfway through

Tracer is really hard............. I have no spatial awareness whatsoever but I am determined

when needed

Reinhardt is not someone I’m interested in getting good at but if absolutely no one else will go tank and there’s a choke point that’s impossible to get through, I’ll do it

though usually other people will pick him first, bless them

Zenyatta I’ve almost only played in mystery brawls so far, except for once when I picked him to practice and as a secondary healer, and it was fun so he’s moved up on my priority list

would rather sudoku

Hanzo is the lone sniper on here only because he doesn’t have a scope; I suck at all of them

Torbjörn: I have no idea where to strategically place those turrets

Bastion: boring, and I don’t want to be that guy

undecided

Mercy and Ana I enjoy playing in mystery brawls but right now have no acute interest in intentionally picking. Maybe in the future

Widowmaker has a scope AND an assault rifle AND a poison mine AND a grappling hook!

the rest I’m still very much on the fence about

[jazzworldquest-blog]

USA: Fatherhood has put saxophonist Jackiem Joyner in a funky mood

Fatherhood has put saxophonist

Jackiem Joyner in a funky mood

The spirited first single from the “Main Street Beat” album is named for his daughter, Trinity.

SHERMAN OAKS (8 May 2017): Delivering on his promise to “Evolve,” the title of Jackiem Joyner’s last soul-jazz album, the saxophonist became a father since his 2014 release, an elation-inducing experience that informs the music he wrote and produced for his new Artistry Music set, “Main Street Beat,” due June 30. The first single from the funky, dance inspiring, Motown-influenced session that will be shipped to radio this month is the exultant “Trinity,” named for Joyner’s first child whose presence on the track is voiced by Steve Oliver’s incandescent acoustic guitar. 

Joyner approached crafting “Main Street Beat” with a three-pronged purpose. “I wanted to create something upbeat, fun to listen to and something to dance to. ‘Main Street Beat’ originally started off as a straight funk record that eventually became some of that, but a whole lot more as I allowed the creative process to have its way with me,” said Joyner, a Billboard chart-topper who plays tenor, alto, soprano and baritone saxophone on the date, often enriching the tracks by laying layer upon layer of horns to form a powerhouse sax section.     

The exuberant album opener, “Main Street,” exemplifies the mighty wall-of-horns approach with Joyner playing lead harmonies on alto reinforced by his sax section. Instead of tracking individually, Joyner brought the band – drummer Raymond Johnson, bassist Darryl Williams, electric guitarist Kyle Bolden and piano player Carnell Harrell - into the studio to record six tracks old-school style, including “Back To Motown.” Nick Colionne guests on “When You Smile” to flash his cool electric jazz guitar on the infectious mid-tempo R&B cut. Taking his alto sax chops out for a strut, Joyner cranks up the band for a fiery funk romp down “Southside Boulevard,” one of three tunes that adds Nikolai Egorov’s trombone muscle to the horn section. On a pair of urban joints – “That Good Thing” and “Don’t Make Her Wait” – Joyner plays soprano sax. He takes full command on the stormy “Addicted,” playing every instrument heard on the moody number. “Think James Brown on tenor sax” is how Joyner describes the super funky “Get Down Street.” A pair of high-energy pop-R&B covers – Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop The Feeling” and Bruno Mars’ “Treasure” – complete the outing, songs Joyner elected to record based upon their buoyant, positive nature, which he says mirrors his young  offspring’s personality.    

“My little girl played a huge role in inspiring this album. Having Trinity around during the writing process sparked an enormous font of creativity and really kicked my writing into high gear. The first single, named after her, really captures the excitement and joy of being a dad as well as the exciting little girl that she is. Trinity was right there in the studio during a lot of the writing process. Her jumpy and bouncy upbeat little self is really reflected on this album,” said Joyner, who will launch the record with June concerts in Cincinnati (June 9 at A Celebration of Black Music), Birmingham (June 11 at Jazz in the Park), San Diego (June 25 at Mediterranean’s Jazz and Supper Club) and Philadelphia (June 29 at South).  

The release of “Main Street Beat,” Joyner’s sixth album, coincides with his tenth anniversary as a recording artist. His 2007 debut “Babysoul” earned Debut Artist of the Year honors from Smooth Jazz News. Two years later, his sophomore set, “Lil Man Soul,” spawned two No. 1 singles on the Billboard chart and won the Song of the Year trophy for “I’m Waiting For You” from the American Smooth Jazz Awards. His self-titled 2010 album solidified his position as a consistent hit-maker. Revisiting his non-secular roots, Joyner issued the gospel-jazz “Church Boy” in 2012. “Evolve” placed his infectious melodies amidst futuristic electronic sonicscapes. Joyner’s music isn’t his only creative effort that ventured into extraterrestrial territory. Last year, the Norfolk, Virginia native who resides near Los Angeles authored his first book, the science fiction novel “Zarya: Cydnus Final Hope (Book 1). For more information, please visit http://ift.tt/1hjoWuO.

“Main Street Beat” contains the following songs:

“Main Street”

“Back To Motown”

“Can’t Stop The Feeling”

“Trinity”

“When You Smile”

“Southside Boulevard”

“That Good Thing”

“Treasure”

“Addicted”

“Don’t Make Her Wait”

“Get Down Street” via Blogger http://ift.tt/2pzpWbq

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