Noticing an idiosyncratic word choice made by two characters you *know* can't possibly be played by the same person and trying to figure out the story here.
[ I'm leaning toward coincidence but would put a chip down on 'secret-to-me alt of one knows the other'. ]
@Austin_Dern Oh god, I had so many tells on TapestriesMUCK that I wish I didn't have. >___< There was one member of the FurryMUCK wizcore I used to be really close to back in the day, and DAMNED if they couldn't spot me from any given sentence...
@zebratron2084 My wife has Columbo-like powers to spot secret alts. And is amazed every time she learns others don't. Back in FurToonia days she thought I noticed each new character she had and was particularly nice to them, when I was really clueless and just was glad to see another non-anthro hanging around.
@Austin_Dern Now, conversely, I do suspect I've got some kind of all-time record for false positives, because my friends on Taps were _constantly_ giggling about getting mistaken for me every time they stepped outside with any remotely weird latexy, synthetic, or futuristic alt. I used to have such a strong brand identity. :D
@zebratron2084 Now in personal brands: anytime a new non-anthro coati or obscure raccoon-like animal turned up people wondered. Which is silly except when I finally made a side character he was an obscure species of raccoon.
Also a semi-friend made a toon coati that people just assumed was me, or maybe was my partner. This was complicated by the toon being an occasionally insightful spoof of me so people who thought she was me, thought I was thoughtful about myself.
@Chiaroscuro I have follow-ups but also have to head out in a moment so it'll keep until after pinball league or I forget to come back, whatever comes first.
But, yeah, N_N started out as a really very direct parody of me and by the time she moved to FurryMuck had drifted some, as will happen when someone's inhabited a character long enough.
@zebratron2084 Oh, I owe 90% of my social circle to a false positive. Opossum thought I was the new character of a bookish raccoon who'd quit FurToonia forever and ever and this time he meant it days before, and stuffed me in his pouch, which is a heck of a way to meet someone.
Became friends with the raccoon when he reincarnated and, really, the opossum was right. In our friends' social ecosystems we fill almost identical niches.