Since Kuvira is a (so far) minor character what were some aspects of the little we know about her that helped you create of her backstory?
There really wasn't a lot to go on from canon, which is a fact I like to embrace. I like being able to take minor characters with general key points and figure out how they navigate it.
In canon, we know she's a dancer and captain of the guard. It was pretty easy to take that, along with the was Zaofu encourages its citizens to reach their full potential, to infer that Kuvira takes her work and art seriously. Part of me really likes the thought of her having the slightest knight-in-shining-armor mentality.
A lot of my original character building was done as Kuvira being a foil to metalclanmamabear's interpretation of Suyin, and the aspect of them being in a polyamorous relationship.
Suyin's a very free spirit and very in touch with her emotions. I want to take that and turn it upside down, for Kuvira. She's not good at saying how she feels, unless she's truly comfortable with you. She takes her job and work very seriously. She sees art as something to master to better herself and extend herself where Suyin uses it as a way to free herself.
That being said, I didn't want dance to be her only creative outlet; so I picked painting. I think she picked it up on a whim, wanting to scribble on the walls of her home, but it sort of blossomed from there. It's how she unwinds and relaxes.
On the other hand, she works herself to the bone. She gets off her guard duties only to work strenuously at her dance. It seemed sort of natural, to me, that she'd harbor a coffee addiction to nurture this. She's shit at cooking anything else, but damn can she brew a pot.