Beauty Is Found Within And Without

Life is strange sometimes. No, actually, life is strange quite often. One can never predict where the twists and turns of life will take them.

Take Ippan Josei, for instance.

Granted, few would have ever expected for the superhuman society of Japan to crumble into all-out war. The devastation, the rampaging villains, the civilians who tried to take matters into their own hands. Then followed by the heroes all banding together to take on Tomura Shigaraki and All For One.

But that was three years ago, when the hero Deku, the former Class 1-A, an armored All Might, and the remaining heroes of Japan had triumphed over the League of Villains. In the time since, rebuilding society had been difficult beyond belief. But it was a work in progress that was quite far along in its progress, to the point where a new normal had tentatively settled upon the nation.

Normal enough that a group of young women could meet up in a cafe for a Girls' Night of some drinks and more fun.

For the aforementioned Ippan, the personal strangeness came from the fact that she was here with the girls of the famed — and two-years graduated — Class 1-A. They had not been first years in three years, but everyone knew this class by that moniker, and it had informally stuck.

Ippan had met the girls when she had fled to UA High after being saved by Deku during his noble but misguided one-man crusade against All For One and the escaped inmates of Tartarus Prison. After her crybaby hero — as she would forever know him — had saved her from those scared vigilantes and comforted her, she had taken his advice and fled to find a shelter. Many had turned her away, but not the school. Deku's school.

Ippan had told her story to the faculty who had let her in, and it had spread to the principal. Nezu had summoned her and asked her to present her tale of Izuku Midoriya's bravery for his records. Then she suspected that the wily creature had spoken of her to Ochako Uraraka, who had found her and welcomed her with open arms. The girls of Class A had taken her into their own fold between their shifts patrolling outside the school and been kind to her.

Then came Deku's return to the school thanks to his classmates' efforts, and Ippan had the chance to meet him again and thank him properly.

Even after the war ended and reconstruction began, the six girls had kept in touch with her. Between finishing their schooling and internships as well as Ippan starting university, they had all made occasional time to get together to catch up. A few girls from Class B would join every now and then, but Ippan had noticed that she was invited to the lion's share of these group meetups.

As often happened, the subject tonight had turned to romance.

Mina was always happy to spearhead that topic, and often went out of her way to drive the conversation in that direction when things got, in her words, "too boring." She and Eijiro were as happy as could be and he'd taken to surprising her with any manner of jewelry with red or pink gems such as the ruby necklace she was wearing then and there, saying they might remind her that he was always with her. It also apparently reminded her how sexy she found his indestructible form, and she blushed and giggled as she said it.

Toru, as per usual, was right on Mina's tail to talk about her tailed paramour. She swooned over Ojiro's tendency to take her by surprise to hold her from behind, nuzzling his lips into her invisible neck and wrapping his tail around her waist. It made her feel special. Had she not been invisible, there was no doubt her blush would have matched Mina's skin tone.

Blunt as ever, Tsu reported that she and Fumikage were doing just fine. Tokoyami had recently taken on the goal of learning to sail, hoping to give Tsu any number of romantic or simply fun outings in the sea that she loved. Such a bold gesture had not gone unappreciated by Tsu, who croaked with affection for her boyfriend.

Kyoka was a bit more hesitant, but couldn't help smiling as she revealed that Denki had asked her to move in with him. She had turned him down, but only so that she could look into affordable hero apartments and surprise him, to which all the girls cooed and laughed at Kyoka's tsundere tendencies.

Momo was as formal as possible about speaking of her most recent dinner with Shoto's family, which also included Natsuo's most recent girlfriend and Hawks, who was dating Fuyumi. It had been a fun time, and Shoto's habit of speaking his mind had led to his usual number of brutally honest opinions that were also unwittingly sweet.

Finally, everyone turned to Ochako, whose perpetual blush deepened. "Deku let slip that he wants to ask me to marry him," she said quietly. All of the girls gasped and began asking questions, but Ochako buried her face in her hands, keeping her thumbs out to keep from floating herself in the restaurant, and weathered their storm until they all settled. "He didn't actually ask, but we were out the other night on patrol together. We came across someone proposing on the riverfront beneath the lanterns and he just-" She sighed. "He said he wanted it to be perfect when he asked me."

"Tell me he wasn't crying," Ippan giggled behind her hand.

"Only a little," Ochako defended teasingly.

"Which leaves only one girl left," Toru said, clapping her invisible hands. "So, Ippan? Any lucky guy, girl, or otherwise in your life?"

Ippan's good mood withered into despondency. All of the girls sobered at the sight, which was answer enough.

"I'm sorry, Ippan," Toru said. "I, erm, do you …? You know. Are you interested in any of that?"

"Yes." The word was short, soft … and broken.

"Well, c'mon, girl!" Mina said. "You can't tell me there's not one person you've been interested in."

Momo prepared to scold Mina's lack of tact, but Ippan raised her palm to stall her. "Honestly?" she replied, and chuckled dully and looked at Ochako. "For a while, I did have a crush on Midoriya." Ochako didn't react, and neither did any of the others. Clearly, they had figured this out already. "How could I not after he saved me?" she continued solemnly. "But that ship has long sailed. He has eyes for you, Ochako, and you alone," she added, her lips rising into a small, genuine smile before it collapsed again.

Ochako leaned over and hugged Ippan, leaning her head on the much taller woman's shoulder.

"It's hard to find a good man," Ippan whispered, "who would be with someone who looks like a monster."

"Ugh!" Kyoka scoffed, eyes blazing. "Don't even think about thinking that again, Ippan!" she snapped, earjacks rising. "You're a freaking catch, and any guy who can't see that is a waste of your time!"

"You are a kind, elegant, lovely woman, Ippan," Momo said with equally graceful and irrefutable finality. "A gem to any who may catch your eye."

"You're so darn fun!" Mina cheered.

"And such a great listener!" Toru added.

"And very cute," Tsu said, "coming from a fellow mutant-type."

"You're an amazing friend," Ochako said more softly.

As Ippan's eyes filled with tears and she thanked her friends, she didn't notice that Tsu's eyes had taken on a glimmer of planning … and mischief.

'Oh, boy,' she thought wryly, 'I've been hanging around Mina too long.'

"A blind date?!" Ippan yelped.

When Tsu had called her, it had certainly been a surprise. Not at all unwelcome, but surprising nonetheless. She'd had no idea what to expect the froggy girl to want to talk about — and she would never have expected this.

"Yes, a blind date," Tsu said over the phone. "Ippan, you are a great girl. You also seem to badly lack confidence in yourself." There was her usual candor that Ippan frankly admired quite a bit. "So what if you borrowed confidence from me? I know the guy I've set you up with very well. He is a kind and gentle soul, a heteromorph, and a close friend. And he, too, has had trouble in love because of his appearance." She paused and sighed before continuing. "Even if there is no spark, I think you could at least make another good friend. One who can relate to your struggles."

That made Ippan think. She had bonded over time with each of the girls in her own way, as people tended to do. With Momo, it was tea of all things. With Kyoka, music — Ippan's preference for classical contrasting Jiro's clear taste for rock. With Mina, it was dance. With Tooru, stuffed animals. And with Ochako, it had been Deku.

But with Tsu, it had been their backgrounds with heteromorphic Quirks. Both girls had been shunned or mocked by peers in some way for their looks and mannerisms derived from their animalistic Quirks. Both had shed tears at least once during their talks over the matter, and it had helped them become very close.

Close enough, in fact, for Ippan to trust Tsu's judgment.

Not to mention, Tsu had some experience in both dating a heteromorph in Tokoyami, and being a heteromorph who dates. Who else would know best the qualities of a good match?

"Okay," Ippan said, her voice wavering with nerves. "What do I do?"

"I'll text you the time and place later," Tsu said, a croak of happiness in her words. "Just show up with an open mind and a cute outfit." Her next words were heavy with fond teasing. "That last part won't be hard for you."

'Here's the place,' Ippan thought to herself, double-checking the address and time that Tsu had texted her a week before. It was a bistro designed for heteromorphs in particular, with furniture of varying sizes and a wide array of meal styles for any number of unusual diets.

She looked over herself at the knee-length, foxy-orange dress she'd picked — the irony that the color of natural foxes was a contrast to her own fur color not at all lost on her — with black flats and a denim jacket, her hair tied back into a platinum bun held in place by a hair stick, with her bangs left to frame her face. She clenched the clutch purse that Momo had loaned her some time ago and pointedly never asked her to return, steeled her nerves, and entered the larger-than-normal door to the right of the standard entrance.

'I'll know him when I see him,' Ippan thought over the other part of Tsu's message.

The bistro was moderately full, with both normal-looking people and clear mutant types all enjoying the homey atmosphere of wood-paneled walls, polished concrete flooring, and wrought iron fixtures. The bar in the back was staffed by a man and a woman who looked like a cat and an Afghan hound respectively, both with friendly smiles and who greeted her as she entered. She glanced at the menu and made her order, taking a number before finally looking for her date.

'I'll know him when-' Ippan's thought was interrupted when her eyes settled upon the only familiar figure in the room, sitting with his back to the door in a booth at the far side of the cafe. She blinked and cautiously made her way over in case she was mistaken. Not that it was likely given such a distinctive profile.

"Mr. Shoji?" she prompted as she approached.

The man turned to face her, revealing the famed blue mask of the Tentacle Hero: Tentacole, Mezo Shoji.

Shoji looked up at her approach and blinked. "Josei?" he asked, his raspy voice full of clear surprise.

"You didn't know?" Ippan asked.

"Tsu wouldn't tell me a thing except for the time and place," Shoji admitted. "She just asked me to trust her. And, well," he shrugged, "how could I refuse that?"

"I can relate," Ippan said shyly.

Shoji stood from his seat and bowed, offering Ippan a look at his own attire. He wore a sleeveless white button-up under a teal waistcoat that matched his mask, dark slacks, and matching dress shoes. Not for the first time, she wondered what was under the mask he always wore. It was considered one of the greatest mysteries of the modern hero world.

"Please, sit," he said, gesturing at the seat opposite his. She did so and he waited for her to situate herself before returning to his spot. Ippan smiled a little as she realized it was a somewhat clumsy act of chivalry.

"May I ask you a question?" Ippan asked as she settled herself.

"Sure," Shoji replied. "That's part of the reason we're here, right?"

"Do you …?" She hesitated a bit, knowing how this question could be interpreted, but decided to power through. "Have you … been on many dates?"

"No," Shoji said, weaving his fingers on the tabletop, his eyes on them. "No, I have not." Ippan expected that to be the end of the usually taciturn man's answer and began to open her mouth to apologize … but he kept speaking. "I grew up in a small town where many of the people feared and hated mutant Quirks," he explained. "Needless to say, no girl would have gone out with me even if I had asked." He began fiddling his thumbs, and Ippan had to hold back a surprised giggle at the sight. "When I reached UA, I was more focused on my training and simply finding companions than romance. And with everything since, it's been difficult to break the routine. So … yeah." He looked up to meet her eyes.

"Sorry," he said. "Tokoyami suggested I be transparent on a date." He paused and then asked, "What about you?"

"I grew up in the city," Ippan said. "I was sometimes bullied because of my appearance. I had a few times where I was asked out and then laughed at. I had a few actual dates later in school," she huffed a rueful laugh, "after I started to fill out. But they were all after a notch on their belt, not me." She gripped the hem of her dress before relaxing. "I suppose that means we're in the same boat."

"Hardly," Shoji rebutted, though there was a distinct hint of teasing in his stoic tone. "You at least have the bad to compare. All I know is the last ten minutes."

Ippan couldn't hold back the next giggle that came up, laughing into her hand. "I guess that's true." She bit her lip and couldn't help but brush her bangs aside as she thought. "Do you have any hobbies? I, erm," she prodded her index fingers together, "I mostly read."

"Would you consider physical conditioning a hobby?" Shoji asked, his eyes smiling. "Or part of work?"

"Work," Ippan said definitively.

"I've also taken up drawing and painting in recent years," Shoji admitted. "Several of my old classmates have hobbies that contribute to or compliment their Quirks. Sato bakes, for example, and Ashido dances. I draw using my tentacles to watch a subject and my canvas," he formed eyes at the ends of two tentacles, "at the same time. It also helps increase my attention to detail."

"That's very clever," Ippan commended.

"You mentioned reading," Shoji noted. "Any genre in particular? I'll admit that I'm not particularly well-read."

They started discussing literature, with Ippan beginning a list of recommendations for Shoji, which he gladly accepted with the comment, "One must always look for self-improvement." This moved on to music, which they both admitted they had little aptitude for but appreciated — Ippan preferring classical and Shoji, of all things, having picked up a taste for classic rock from Kyoka.

Their food arrived as they were beginning to move on to the topic of preferred foods, appropriately enough. Shoji had a bowl of chicken ramen while Ippan was served a meat-covered okonomiyaki pancake. They both snapped chopsticks and prayed the traditional "Itadakimasu" before taking some moments to eat before resuming conversation.

Ippan kept one eye on Shoji as he took his first bite, somewhat hoping for a glimpse under his mask, but he grew a mouth at the tip of one of his tentacles and ate that way. Ippan felt a mix of disappointment and acceptance for his privacy before continuing her meal.

After some time of silence, Ippan picked up the conversation. "Shoji?" she prompted, and he hummed in acknowledgement. "Is there … a reason you got the cheapest option on the menu?"

Shoji froze in place, his chopsticks halfway to his tentacle-mouth. He sighed through his nose and replaced the noodles as the mouth was reabsorbed into his tentacle. "I mentioned my past before," he commented, and she nodded with some trepidation. "Because of all of that prejudice, I grew up with very little. I kind of … forced myself to get used to it. To accept that I didn't need excess." He chuckled softly.

"Back when the dorms were first implemented at UA, everyone had a fun kind of room judging contest. I hadn't added anything, in fact I'd taken out everything but a sleep mat and a kneeling desk, and Todoroki observed that I'm a minimalist. Which is certainly true." He gestured at his bowl of noodles. "Then again, Mishairo hadn't added anything to his room, so I had company in a way."

Ippan gave a sad chuckle, unsure how else to react. "I'm sorry. That question was insensitive."

"It was valid," Shoji said tonelessly.

"You have a right to your privacy," Ippan commented.

"I chose to answer the question," he pointed out, a faint smile in his tone. He gestured to her own food. "And you? Is the meat preference personal or part of your Quirk?"

"I'm not sure, honestly," Ippan giggled. "I just know I prefer meat and fruit."

This led to the inevitable discussion about their Quirks. Shoji was somewhat reluctant at first to describe his Dupli-Arms, but that was more due to most finding it unsettling. When Ippan showed nothing but positive interest, he was more willing to talk. On Ippan's end, her Quirk provided not only a foxy appearance, but her unusual height and senses similar to a fox.

"A foxy appearance," Shoji said, parroting her words. His eyes crinkled above his mask. "I could certainly agree with that."

Ippan blushed lavender at the roundabout compliment. "I suppose I walked right into that one," she said with a shy smile.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were fishing for the compliment," Shoji replied, then laughed. "But I do know better. Tsu and the rest of the girls have spoken of your humble nature." He drummed his fingers. "Actually, they've kind of hinted that it's less healthy than that."

"We're all our worst critics," Ippan said lightly, though there was a weight behind her words that she could not hide.

"Especially heteromorphs," Shoji agreed. He curled his hand into a ball before relaxing and very slowly sliding it along the table to place his fingertips against Ippan's. "For what it's worth," he said gently, "I don't just think you're 'foxy,' Josei. I think you are quite beautiful."

Ippan blinked slowly, her blush returning even stronger than before. She twitched her fingers and placed them over Shoji's in something like a half-handhold. "I can't judge your face, Shoji," she said softly, "and I can live with that. But," her eyes roamed a bit, "your arms are really attractive." She giggled. "And your hair."

"My hair?" Shoji asked in surprise.

"The style suits your mysterious vibe."

Ippan's nose twitched as she caught a change in his scent. It smelled like … embarrassment? She tried to hide a smile at the idea that his mask was hiding a blush of his own.

They continued to talk as they finished their meals, with topics ranging from their shared friends, to experiences after the war, and even to Ippan sharing the latest gossip from UA. After the war, Nezu had offered her an internship as his assistant during the rest of her university, and she had stayed in the position even after graduation. She, herself, believed he kept her on partly because he so enjoyed riding on her very tall shoulder.

"It looks like the place is closing," Shoji finally noted, one of his tentacles having grown an eye that he used to scan the bistro. "May I, uh, escort you home?"

"It can't hurt to have a hero walk me to my apartment," Ippan teased and gathered her things. Shoji hesitated before extending a triple elbow to her. She laughed with delight and hooked her arm through his, following his lead as she gave him directions. They talked and even joked some as they walked, the sense of camaraderie pursuing them.

Soon enough, they arrived at her apartment and stopped at the door. Ippan bit her lip and removed the stick from her hair, letting the tresses cascade like a platinum waterfall. "So … this is me," she said softly.

"So it is," Shoji said, looking up at her — as tall as he was, Ippan was still almost a head taller. He stood with his six arms behind his back, and Ippan had the distinct impression that he was avoiding fiddling with his hands. The idea was endearing and she couldn't help a soft smile.

"Is it too soon to ask you to lower your mask?" she asked, brushing her hair back from her face.

"Yes," he said, gently but firmly. "It is."

"Can I ask you to make a mouth here?" she asked, placing her fingers against one of his tentacles. He lifted his eyebrows, but did as she asked. Her cheeks burning lavender, Ippan gently guided the tentacle upward … and placed a gentle kiss against its lips. Shoji gasped with widened eyes at the gesture, but didn't back away.

"Can I see you again?" Ippan asked.

"Wh- Y-" Shoji seemed at a loss for words for a moment before he composed himself. "I would like that very much," he replied. He offered her a scrap of paper with his cell number on it, which Ippan took with an even wider smile.

Ippan unlocked and opened her door and moved to enter … then swooped down and placed another kiss on the side of Shoji's head, between his mask and hair. Then she darted inside with a giggle and closed the door behind her.

Shoji stood there in shock for several long moments, brushing his fingers over the spot where she had kissed his cheek, the skin seeming to burn pleasantly. And that was ignoring the tingling on his tentacle tip that she had also kissed. He'd had no idea that Josei could be that bold. He shook his head with bemusement as he walked away for his own home.

In her apartment, Ippan leaned back against the door and slid down to sit with a long, satisfied sigh. She'd surprised herself with her boldness, not just Shoji. Not just … Mezo. She giggled to herself as she felt the sparks from their date begin to settle and catch, starting a delicate blaze of attraction.

She really owed Tsu for this.

Mezo tossed and turned on his futon in his barren bedroom, his thoughts filled with the wonderful woman he'd spent the evening with. He was no hormonal teenager anymore, but there was no doubt that he was vastly inexperienced in romance. He was self-aware enough to realize that he was very much attracted to Josei … to Ippan … but wondered if his heart or his work could sustain this budding relationship.

He blinked as his phone chirped with a message and he decided to check it.

It's Josei. How does Monday for coffee sound? If you're not working in the morning?

Mezo smiled, the spread of his lips visible without his mask. He typed out, I look forward to it, and shut off his phone before placing his six arms behind his head and settling into a doze, his thoughts and dreams filled with teal foxes and white waterfalls, all with the background of soft, bubbly giggles.

Whatever the future held … he would not pass up this chance at happiness. And he had a feeling that … Ippan would not, either.

This ship struck me like a lightning bolt and it would not stop bothering me until I wrote it into existence. Honestly, I'm not sure how it hasn't gotten even a little more popular. But, that leaves it open for fanwork trailblazing ... by me! Hope you all like the dynamic I came up with.

*The title is taken from a line from the prologue of "Beauty and the Beast": For beauty is found within." I somehow found it fitting for a date between heteromorphs.

*The idea of Shoji's true face being a public mystery was partly inspired by Kakashi Hatake of "Naruto."

*Shoji's hobby is completely my own idea. I was considering other Quirk-related hobbies and it hit me like a bag of bricks. Plus, it was too perfect not to use on a first date.

*I just couldn't help the "foxy" comment. It basically writes itself!

*I couldn't decide whether to have Ippan close the date with a kiss to Mezo's tentacle or above his mask, so I decided to do both. I like how that turned out!

As always, I hope it was a fun read! Leave a review if you like! And may your own inspirations flow freely!