#akirusu0

Names arent really something you USE in Koyol’s society. Names are titles like Baker or Soldier with a personal twist- Koyol as a King was named Koyol, and the word itself doesnt have a MEANING beyond “king” but it was a name he changed as he held it. It means “snake” and “king” and “merchant” and “killer” and “explorer” but litterally, it only means King. 

Because names were titles, they werent used to refer to people to their face. When your speaking to Karpe- “The Baker” literally- you do not say Karpe to Karpe’s face. Using peoples names was... intimate. you were speaking to what they are in their core. Instead people made up nicknames- and these changed rapidly, from person to person, joke to joke, flirt to flirt.

Per example- Koyol has a boyfriend name Myrus. Koyol only ever says the name Myrus when Myrus is not around, because to him, that’s kind of indecent. When Myrus is around to witness Koyol speak, Koyol uses a nickname. Kyatel, Kotri, Kyhon. These are all derivates of words in his language that once meant love, lover, or loved one. Myrus’ specific nickname is Kyatel (derivative noun of “loved partner” or “loved mate” or “mine, loved”), and Koyol uses this word to refer to Myrus when Myrus is present, or to call to myrus directly. Instances of actually using Myrus’ name would be reserved for in private, just the two of them, or no one else around that Koyol is not comfortable enough around. 

It’s not explicitly and intimate sexual thing, either. Koyol and Sayrus are best friends. Koyol does not use Sayrus’ name in Sayrus’ presence either, but as they are extremely close, Koyol uses Sayrus’ name sometimes when they are alone or if Koyol is particularly comfortable with the company. Sayrus’ nickname is Kyhon (derivative noun from “loved one” or “beloved family member” or “essential member”). 

Koyol’s people never recognized eachother with names or with nicknames, because there could be countless Karpe “Bakers” in town and it was very uncommon people would understand who you refered to with your nicknames out of the Karpes that were present. An essential piece of the way they referred to eachother was Pronouns- not gendered pronouns, but pronouns of rank and refrence. It was a complicated structure used with Name Titles, sort of like descriptive repuations, and this structure does not translate into most languages. An example was Bessmertnyy Koyol; The pronoun Bessmer was synonymous with ageless and tnyy was with unkillable. (Bessmernyy itself in irl means immortal, which is the simplified definition Koyol uses)

To describe which King people were talking about, they called him Bessmertnyy Koyol. To his face, they used any number of words. 

Koyol has since stopped using Pronouns in this way, because it often does not make sense to people to refer to others with discriptive pronouns when people have custom personal names. He doesn’t have to describe to anyone which Sayrus he is talking about. And people use pronouns around here specifically to refer to gender, so the point seems moot. He did however adopt his pronoun, Bessmertnyy, as a last name to adapt to the contentions of names people use. He’s had millions of names, though, so Bessmertnyy is more of a fallback if he doesnt have something better. This is also why Koyol adopted the nickname “Kyle” because technically, calling him by Koyol is just calling him “king” and most people do not like that once they understand it’s a title. If asked- his name IS KOYOL, and he will say so, but Kyle is also appreciated. Both feel intimate to him.

Watch him get flustered if a friend says his name to his face, or says it while he’s doin somethin else in the room. Flushes all nice. it’s cute.