Himari Yamamoto was weeping in her Tokyo apartment. Her girlfriend Tiffany had been missing since the day before yesterday. It wasn't like Tiffany to just vanish, and Himari didn't know what to do. She'd already tipped off the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, but they weren't finding anything so far.
Himari reflected on happier times. She'd met Tiffany Greene a year and a half ago. Tiffany had been an American conservationist of some kind, here in Japan for some project related to Mount Fuji. Himari had fallen in love for the foreign woman's unbridled enthusiasm for all things pertaining to nature, her love of Studio Ghibli movies, and her kindness and compassion for absolutely everyone she met. And now this perfect girl seemed to be gone, probably murdered. Fresh tears filled Himari's eyes.
There was a knock on Himari's door. Himari dried her eyes and got up to open it. It was Izumi Yonemura, a good friend of both Himari and Tiffany. Izumi had a rather androgynous look to them, which was only right. They were non-binary (or X-gender, as the Japanese call it). Himari honestly couldn't tell what Izumi's birth gender was. They had a large bulge in their pants like a man, but they also had sizable breasts. Their voice and face were feminine, but their shoulders were square and broad. Izumi was an intriguing mystery. Even Izumi's job wasn't entirely clear, but they claimed it involved agricultural technology.
"I heard the news about Tiffany," Izumi said, sounding concerned.
"I just can't believe she's gone!" Himari wailed anguishedly.
"It's worse than you know," said Izumi. "Tiffany was involved in supremely great work, and her disappearance could be a cataclysmic disaster."
"For who?" asked Himari.
"Heaven," said Izumi. "There's something you need to know, Himari. Tiffany and I are celestial beings. To the Christians, we're called angels. In Shinto, we're known as kami. In Japanese Buddhism, we're what you call ten."
"You mean like Taishaku-ten?" she asked, referring to the popular Buddhist deity.
"Yes, he's one of us," said Izumi. "So are Amaterasu and Michael the Archangel... and so are Tiffany and me. Tiffany's real name is Tarfiel, and I'm actually called Inari."
"Inari?!" gasped Himari. "The kami of foxes and rice?!"
"That's me!" Izumi grinned. "You don't believe me, do you?"
"I... don't know WHAT to believe," Himari gasped.
"I'll just have to show you," said Izumi. Their body began to morph. The androgynous Japanese person began growing white fur all over their body while their head became that of a gorgeous fox and their feet became vulpine paws. As the angel grew to eight feet tall, nine bushy fox tails sprouted behind them, floating in the air. Four eagle wings unfurled behind the white-furred fox angel as a silver halo wrapped in vines appeared over their head. "Do you believe me now."
"I... I do!" Himari gasped, kneeling before Inari.
"No time for bowing!" Inari said, helping Himari up. "We have to find Tarfiel." They conjured a shining portal of holy light.
"Where are we going?" asked Himari.
"Heaven," said Inari. "I'm probably breaking at least six rules by taking a human there for a reason other than creating a new angel, but I never really did play by stupid rules. Take gender, for example. Why pick one or the other?"
"I'm going to visit Heaven?" Himari gasped.
"Yes, now please hurry along," said a nervous Inari. "I'm really concerned about what could have happened to Tarfiel."