Learning a character's name through other characters?

[Chronatosis]

I'm just curious how people generally handle this. To give an example of what I'm talking about, a PC mentioning another PC by name that was rp'ing in the group but has since left. Do most people play this out as if this was legitimately gained information of the mentioned character's name, or is it treated as a hint and you have your character confirm the name later?

[Tsidkenu]

Legitimate, although you then need to place a description to a name. Without that second step, it's still metagaming to see "X" name floating above character and then saying, "Oh, hey X! Y was talking about you!"

If Z confirmed it was definitely them with RP, though, then you can consider identity confirmed! I do it this way a bit... hear about someone, poke around and eventually someone else will introduce them in some convo, identity confirmed. Not that they know you know

[Chronatosis]

Ok. That's what I was thinking. I was definitely treating it as more of a hint, but not confirmed. I just didn't know how to generally work around that.

Though that does also bring up the situation I was in the other day where ~4 or 5 characters were talking about X before they approached. X approaches and due to the nature of the situation there is/was no need for them to introduce themselves. However, upon asking the group if that was X, they all confirmed but X did not confirm as well. In a later situation, X character approaches me and rp's as if I knew their name but I still didn't consider it legitimate information since they hadn't said themselves. It made it slightly awkward rp. (Woops) Should have I just taken the group at their word then regardless of X's silence at the time?

[Tsidkenu]

Why not? How is it different to that dreaded 'real life':

You're at college and you keep hearing about this amazing girl named Brittany. All your friends talk about her but you've never met her; you don't even know what she looks like! You go to a frat party and lo, everyone is talking to Brittany there, life of the party, using her name frequently. She never once confirms that it is her, and then she turns and looks at you. "Hey there," she greets you with a playful wink.

What do you say? Would you know enough that you can be fairly close to certain that she is indeed the Brittany of which you've heard so much?

Same IG, just through text & avatars!

[Chronatosis]

Ah! Very good point! Again, sort of figured that was the case, but still wanted to make sure I wasn't going to assume something that isn't normally assumed. Thank you!

[aaron22]

Tsid.

Can I be your Brittany?