Volume 16 - The Mountain, Chapter 122 - What's in a Name?

Yuisu yawned and rubbed her eyes several times while she assigned the maid work for the day. She sat at the inn's front desk, sipping coffee and trying to stay awake. It was only 7am and she was a bit hungover from the night of partying before.

On the other side of the conversation, Sya was alert and cheerful, or at least as cheerful as her uptight nature allowed, and Rem was bright-eyed and bushy-eared. She'd been on call through the night, but she didn't need much sleep; a sugary breakfast was all Rem ever needed to wake up.

After going over which cabins were occupied that day, Yuisu leaned on the desk for support and said, "Sya, I'd like you to make a deep-scrub pass on all the bathrooms today, and Rem, can you review the ledger and make sure we've got all the month's stays recorded properly?"

"Uh…" Rem and Sya said simultaneously, both looking a bit confused and concerned. Their cat-like ears flicked in unison, which the sleepy Yuisu thought was the cutest thing.

Rem looked up at the much taller tiger and said, "You say it. You'll be more diplomatic about it."

Sya nodded, then pushed her glasses up her nose and said, "Miss Yuisu, we think we'd both be more effective if those assignments were reversed. Rem can use her magic to clean quickly and I consider myself very skilled with details and numbers."

After a second of silence, Yuisu slapped a palm to her forehead. "Duh, that makes way more sense. Yeah, do that instead."

Rem climbed up on the desk to get a better look at Yuisu. "Are you feeling okay? Maybe you should go back to bed," she said, peering into Yuisu's sleep-deprived eyes.

Sya also leaned closer, placing a large paw on the desk near Yuisu's hand. She said, "Rem and I can handle all the inn's duties today, so you need not worry about that while you sleep."

Yuisu considered it for a moment, then shook her head. "No, I need to go talk to Hakuto about something. Maybe I'll take a nap after that."

"Alright, Boss," Rem said, then she hopped down from the desk and started for the kitchen. "I'm gonna fill a backpack with snacks to refill my magic as I work."

Yuisu envisioned the tiny gremlin lugging around a human-sized backpack and giggled aloud at the thought. That only managed to confuse Sya.

"Are you sure you're alright, Yuisu?" Sya said, her pale blue eyes full of concern.

Yuisu patted the back of Sya's big, soft paw. "I'm fine, but thanks for looking out for me." She stood up, managing to not wobble when her hangover headache flared up. Then she excused herself and started for the front door to find Hakuto. Behind her, Sya shook her head and sat down at the desk, then pulled out the ledger to review.

As Yuisu opened it and stepped into the cool morning air, she thought, I really wish Haru and Hakuto got along better. I don't know if I'll be able to find her without Haru's help, but that would just scare her away…

It turned out that her worries about finding Hakuto were unfounded. She'd barely stepped off the front porch when a small white rabbit came hopping out of the underbrush by the tool shed. Then in an eye-watering blur of movement, Hakuto suddenly transformed into her larger form. She was already clad in her red shrine maiden outfit with her strong and beautiful legs prominent beneath the short skirt.

"Good morning, Yuisu. Can we talk for a moment?" she asked.

Yuisu said, "Sure. I was actually on my way to find you, since Rem told me you wanted to talk. What's up?"

Hakuto glanced around suspiciously and added, "I'd like to talk somewhere without that bird around."

Yuisu smiled awkwardly. She didn't really like hearing her lovely girlfriend referred to as 'that bird'. She tried to stay pleasant and said, "Uh, she's still asleep inside. But we can get some distance and talk in the new picnic area if you'd like."

Hakuto smiled. "That'd be nice."

After they reached the little meadow and sat down at one of the picnic tables, Hakuto said, "Now before you get too hopeful, I still haven't decided whether to join the Exchange Program. I'm used to gradual changes over seasons and years, so the thought of doing something so big has me a little… overwhelmed."

She took a deep breath and added, "I guess I just need more time to think about it."

"No worries. Take your time," Yuisu replied. "But if this isn't about that, then what did you want to talk about?"

Hakuto nervously thumped one large white foot on the ground as she spoke. "It's about the name of this mountain. I don't like it."

"The name of this mountain? This mountain has a name?" Yuisu asked.

Hakuto nodded, sending her huge ears flopping back and forth. "Yes, every mountain has a name, though some are not known to mankind. In either case, names have power, and I don't like that my mountain's name is still associated with the previous mountain god. I also fear that some of the tributes and worship that I should have received over the years may have been sent to him instead."

"Okay, I guess I understand what you're saying, but I'm not sure what I can do about it," Yuisu responded. She didn't actually understand the part about receiving worship at all, but she didn't want to derail things with questions.

Hakuto said, "I'd like you to petition your village elders. They can change the name then inform the shogunate's mapmakers."

Yuisu stifled a giggle at the dated terminology. It wasn't Hakuto's fault that she hadn't left the mountain since the early Edo era. "I guess that would be the city council these days. I'll go see what I can do." Then after a brief pause, Yuisu said, "By the way, what is the current name?"

An expression of pure disgust appeared on Hakuto's normally cute face and she spat, "Tenguyama." It seemed she still harbored some significant hostility toward the old tengu that had dumped his job on her hundreds of years prior.

"And what do you want it changed to?" Yuisu asked.

"Anything else. Whatever you want, really."

Yuisu blinked at that. She'd been expecting a specific answer. "Oh, okay. I'll put some thought into it."

Yuisu needed to buy some supplies for the construction project anyway, so she took her little red pickup truck into town by herself. She stopped by the hardware store first, quickly grabbed the wood and screws she needed for the last handrail, then drove to the town hall and parked.

She'd visited that old brick building a few times over the years, mostly to get business and construction permits for the inn, but she wasn't sure which department to visit this time. Thankfully, the receptionist was quite helpful.

"Changing the name of a mountain? Can't say I've heard that request before, but I think you'll want the Zoning & Land Management Department. Not that it's much of a department. It's just old Ibaraki up there," the receptionist said, then she pointed at the stairs on the north side of the building. "Upstairs. He's the last door at the end. You can't miss it."

"Thank you very much," Yuisu said, bowing slightly. Then she crossed the open room and climbed the polished wood stairs, her footsteps echoing loudly.

As the woman had said, Yuisu couldn't miss the room she needed. The hallway was just a straight shot to a window and while there were several doors along the way, there was only one near the end. She knocked on the simple wood door and didn't have to wait long for a reply.

"Come on in," said a gruff voice.

Between that voice and the receptionist calling him 'old Ibaraki', Yuisu was picturing an old bearded man. She opened to door and was surprised to find a man who looked middle-aged at most. He had neatly styled black hair and wore a crisp blue suit, and he was seated behind a large desk that was absolutely covered in maps and other documents.

"Uh, hello, sir," Yuisu started. "I have an unusual request, and the receptionist sent me to you."

"Alright," he said in his deep voice. He gestured at the chair in front of the desk and said, "Take a seat and we'll see if your request is really as unusual as you think it is. I've seen a lot in my years, after all."

Yuisu did as instructed, wondering if Ibaraki was actually old, or if he just acted like it. She tucked a lock of her hair behind one ear and said, "I live on the east side of town, up on the mountain, and I'd like to change the name of that mountain, if possible."

He blinked a couple times, slowly, as if deciding whether the request was odd enough for the title of 'unusual'. Finally, he said, "Hmm. Not a common request, that's for sure. What's the current name?"

"I'm told it's called Tenguyama," Yuisu answered.

Ibaraki nodded slowly and started riffling through the piles of maps on his desk. "That sounds familiar, but I'll admit that the names of the smaller mountains don't come up often." Then he pulled an old and weathered map from near the bottom of the pile. "Ah, here we go."

It was a topographical map of the region that focused more on the terrain and elevation than roads or buildings, but it did have labeled landmarks. He pointed at one of the smaller mountains that formed the east side of the Okayado valley. "That's Tenguyama, alright. You said you live up there?"

"Yep, on the Nakahara property that I inherited from my uncle, Ichiro."

A spark of life appeared on Ibaraki's face for the first time since Yuisu entered the room. "Ah, Ichiro was a good man. I suppose I should introduce myself properly to his niece. I'm Jounouchi Ibaraki," he said. "But just call me Ibaraki."

"I'm Yuisu Nakahara," Yuisu said. She thought that the family name Ibaraki matched his curmudgeonly air much better than the youthful-sounding Jounouchi.

"Back to business," Ibaraki said, then he opened a laptop that had been hidden in the piles of paper. It wasn't a particularly new computer, but it still looked very out of place next to so many old documents and maps. "I'm pulling up the residence list, in case this request affects any other landowners."

"Oh, okay," Yuisu responded. After that, the room became uncomfortably silent, with only occasional clicking or typing sounds from Ibaraki on his computer.

After a painfully long moment, Ibaraki grumbled, "This network is terribly slow. While we wait, would you mind if I ask you a question?" His excessive formality suggested that he wasn't used to making small talk.

"Not at all."

"Why do you want to change the name?"

"Uh, you probably won't believe me if I told you," Yuisu said, looking bashful.

Ibaraki did his slow-blinking thing again and said, "I've seen more than you'd think. Just tell me, please."

"Alright, if you insist," Yuisu started. She took a deep breath, then rattled off, "There's a mountain spirit living on my property who takes the form of a rabbit or a rabbit-like woman. She's been trapped there since the previous god of that mountain tricked her into taking the job a few hundred years ago. The previous spirit was a tengu, so I would guess that the mountain was named after him."

Surprisingly, Ibaraki didn't seem the least bit surprised. "Ah, and the current spirit wants a name more suited to her. I see…" He intertwined his fingers and thought for a moment, then added, "Likely some concern for misdirected worship, I bet. Yes, this is all very logical."

Mountain gods and misdirected worship are logical? Yuisu wondered. This guy is taking this better than I did, and I'm surrounded by liminals all the time.

"Ah, the search is done," Ibaraki said, turning his gaze back to the laptop screen. "It looks like you're the only private landowner on that mountain. The rest is municipal-owned nature preserve, and your nearest neighbors are actually on a different mountain's slope."

"And that means…?" Yuisu asked.

"It means we only need your signature to submit the request, and since I'm the sole authority here, I can approve it immediately."

"Oh, that's wonderf—"

Ibaraki interrupted, "But I do need to approve of the new name. Do you have one in mind?"

Yuisu fidgeted in her seat. She had a name in mind, but it was rather self-serving and embarrassing. "Uh, I was thinking 'Yuriyama', or 'Lily Mountain', based on the mountain lilies that grow there."

"Or is it based on the name of your business, the Mountain Lily Inn?" Ibaraki asked with a knowing grin. It seems he'd spotted her inn's name in the database. "I'm not sure how I feel about using a mountain's name like an advertisement. Could you imagine if we renamed one to 'Ski Mountain Kobold' or something?"

Yuisu blushed and looked down at her lap. "Ah, of course."

"On the other hand, the name 'Yuriyama' is neither garish nor a particularly direct reference to your business, so I'll approve it." He printed out a form and passed it to Yuisu, along with a pen. "I already entered the name. Just sign at the bottom there."

Yuisu signed her name, then looked back up and asked, "Do I have to pay a fee or anything?"

Ibaraki shook his head. "No. We've found it's actually more cost effective to streamline our processes than to bog them down with fees and formalities."

Yuisu passed the form back and Ibaraki signed it as well. Then he said, "It's official. Tenguyama is no more, and the new name is Yuriyama. It may take a few months or even years for various map printers and online maps to get the update, but I think your mountain spirit friend will be satisfied."

Yuisu nodded, stunned at how Ibaraki was already so comfortable with supernatural stuff. "Ah, that makes sense. Thanks for your help."

"Not at all. Just doing my job. It was nice to meet you, Yuisu."

"And you as well." Yuisu bowed slightly, then left the messy, cozy room and its unusual occupant.

Yuisu parked her truck in the driveway and went around the back to get the lumber out. Before she could even pop the tailgate, a blur of white and red flashed out of the bushes and practically tackled her.

"Hakuto?!" Yuisu yelled in surprise. "What's going on? Is something wrong?"

The 'tackle' was actually more of a tight hug. Hakuto let go and stepped back, then said, "Sorry about that. Nothing's wrong, I'm just so excited! I could feel it, you know. The second it happened, it was like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders!"

"Could feel what?" Yuisu said, still a bit stunned by the sudden physical contact from the normally reserved Hakuto.

"The mountain's name! I could feel when it changed to Yuriyama. Pretty name, by the way. Mountain lilies are actually very tasty, especially the fresh buds."

Yuisu blushed brightly at the mental image of Hakuto nibbling a very different kind bud in a very 'yuri' way. She shook the lewd thought out of her head and replied, "Wow, I didn't think you'd know the new name already. This magic stuff is all new to me."

Hakuto raised one eyebrow and the ear on that side stuck up straight as well. She said, "I never thought of it as 'magic', since it's all so natural to me, but I guess it kind of is. Sometime I'll show you some of the other things a mountain spirit can do."

"Oh yeah?" came a voice from behind Hakuto. It was Haru, standing tall and trying to look imposing. "I'd like to see that as well, since all you've done so far is transform into a rabbit." Haru wasn't trying to be mean, but her predatory and protective instincts were fired up at the mysterious rabbit woman's presence. To Haru's primal inner nature, Hakuto was both prey to pursue and a potential threat to keep an eye on.

Hakuto spun around to reply. "Uh, well, I can do a lot more than that," she said, unsure how to handle the hostile harpy.

"Like what?" Haru asked.

A mischievous grin appeared on Hakuto's face as she got an idea. "Oh, you'll see, in time." Then she defiantly turned her back on Haru and told Yuisu, "Thanks again, Yuisu. I'll see you around!"

Then in a flash of blurred movement that was uncomfortable to watch, Hakuto became a small rabbit again. She darted under the truck, then leapt from that cover into the bushes and disappeared.

Once Haru lost track of Hakuto, she turned back to Yuisu, only to find her with an unpleasant scowl on her face.

Yuisu let out a long breath and said, "Haru, do you really have to give her such a hard time?"

"What? I was just asking her to back up her claims with some proof." She crossed her wings and tapped one talon on the gravel-covered ground. "And besides, we don't know what she's really up to. Rabbit spirits are notorious tricksters, if the Japanese legends are to be believed."

Whatever. I'm too tired to argue right now, Yuisu thought with a sigh. Then she changed the subject and asked, "Can you help me take this wood to the work site? I was hoping to get the last handrail built today."

"Sure!" Haru said cheerfully. "I'm off work today, so I can even help you build it if you want."

"I'd love that. Thanks," Yuisu said as she pulled Haru into a warm hug. Despite the minor drama with Hakuto, Haru was still amazing and dependable. As she nuzzled into Haru's long white hair, Yuisu added, "And a nap together afterwards would be very nice."

Haru blinked and said. "I'm not tired enough for a nap."

Yuisu nipped at Haru's ear and whispered, "I can fix that."