LMAO 'hoist her fingers in the air' is a very elaborate way of saying "fuck you" and flipping the Bird! very sad, but then ot got sweet and kinda funny-cute

This was great I needed some defiant mai

I never thought of Mai this way, probably because I think she is very pretty in her own right, but I really, really like the concept. Your prose and imagery is amazing here.

My only complaint is this: "You do have a way of stating the unnecessarily obvious." - that line seems much more like Azula than Mai, but whatever. I still loved reading this. Now I will go raid your other stories.

*claps for Mai* Her rebellious spirit is infectious and this was a joy to read.

very well written. You really captured the character

that was pretty cool. liked how you characterized mai.

"Like I care about something like that" - I was grinning like a fool at this, it's so Mai XD. I love the interaction between the two in the second half, how they have entire conversations with minimal verbalization and their body language (flick of the eyes, twitching of the eyes, lol, etc...) Great job!

Oh, this was fabulous! I also have a huge soft spot for Maiko (and Mai, in general), so I pretty much loved this whole thing. You got into her head beautifully, giving us a Mai who definitely has her emotional side but without butchering her character. That is much appreciated, because I feel like a lot of authors either go too far or just leave her quite literally as some apathetic robot.

I have to say, though, what really got me was the way you approached the idea of self-worth. I loved the use of her hair as a means of exploring these feelings. For one thing, the descriptions were gorgeous; for another, it was just a clever and understated way to tackle what can be a pretty 'hit and miss' issue when it comes to writing (and by that I mean too many people tend to go the straight-out emo-ish monologue route, which isn't my thing). So yeah, I very much loved your use of the transition between the ox-buns hairstyle to a top-knot, and the meaning behind all of that, etc. It was simple, and I think that's what makes this one-shot so much more effective.

Also, that last line was perfect. Great job! You know, every time I read one of your fics I wonder why I haven't added you to my favourites yet. Clearly need to fix that. ;)

Hey,this was great..smiles alittle..so,you did a nice job. Maiko forever!

I liked this. I especially liked Zuko's reaction. I am glad that you point out that despite the outward appearance of apathy, Mai does feel and always has. She has learn to hide it but she feels it keenly.