Art: Mai and Katara (training)

[lizbee]

My final (belated) contribution to the womenlovefest.

(Katara was sketched from a panel in the Lost Adventures comic -- I don't believe it included her legs, which seem here to be an argument for judicious cropping -- whereas Mai was drawn from memory.  Which is why Katara appears to have some life and movement in her, while Mai, not so much.  Although that's somewhat appropriate.  DRAWING IS HARD.  Harder than making words, even.)

Comments

[terajk]

Aw, I love it--especially their faces!

[lizbee]

Thanks! I was pleased with their faces.

[unjapanologist]

Awww! I love them together.

This made me think about whether or not Mai would train with a partner. Maybe I'm just pulling whatevers out of the air here, but her fighting style seems very unsuited to sparring. The only non-lethal or at least not highly dangerous attack she has is pinning someone to scenery by their clothes. Katara, for instance, can also pin people down and thereby end the fight (except if her partner is a firebender), but she has a range of other attacks that will make the sparring last longer and don't run the risk of accidentally killing or gravely injuring the other person. Perhaps Mai spars with blunted knives?

And she doesn't seem to have any defensive moves, except to stay at a distance and dodge. I don't remember -do we ever see her engage in close-range combat, or even hand-to-hand? How would she block, if there's an attack she can't dodge?

*wants to write Mai-Katara sparring fic now*