fandomhigh | Networking to Success: Wed, Period 1 (5/14/08)

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Networking to Success: Wed, Period 1 (5/14/08)

Nathan? Wearing a suit and tie as always.

"Welcome to Networking to Success," Nathan said. "I'm your teacher, Nathan Petrelli. You can call me Mr. Petrelli. That includes those of you who may have a more... informal relationship with my brother, Peter." Why no, he wasn't looking at anyone in particular here. Not at all.

"Unless you're hoping to live the life of a hermit, you're going to need to know how to network. That is, you're going to need to meet people, make a good impression, learn how you can help them and how they can help you.

"With today's class we're going to start with the basics." Nathan grinned. "This is one of the few classes where introducing yourself actually is part of the cirriculum. But we are going to put a spin on it."

Nathan passed around a handout. "Handshakes are an important part about introducing yourself. As you can see, how you shake hands can make or break your first impression. So I want you to go around and introduce yourselves to one another. That's name and a fact about yourself. Doesn't have to be fancy. Where you're from or your favorite hobby is fine. Do all that with a handshake and let the other person do the same to you. Try to get as many people as you can. The more you learn this week will help you with next week.

"I'm here if you have questions. Or you can talk to Lana, who's the TA."

[OCD is up! Go nuts!]

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Hinata's eyes widened as she flushed and looked down and tried to resist the urge to bow. Why did they have to shake hands? What sort of--why couldn't she just bow?

"A-ano," she stammered, reaching out to take Turtle's hand in a very nervous and unpracticed hand shake. "I'm Hyuuga Hinata. Hinata's m-my first name, and it's v-very nice to meet you too."

"Oh, no," Turtle said, backing off on her handshake a little so that it wasn't too firm, because you'd want to match the shake as best you can; didn't want to overpower the other person. "You'll want it to be firmer than that; that's way too light! People will think you're nervous!"

Some details...were utterly lost on Turtle at times.

"I-I'll try better," Hinata promised, looking mortified, "I-I've never had to s-shake hands before."

Because bowing made more sense.

"You'll definitely want to practice," Turtle informed her, nodding encouragingly. "It takes practice. You need a delicate balance of strength and softness, especially if you're a girl. It's really lame, I know, but it's true. Too strong and people will think you're pushy; too soft, and people will thing you're weak. You never want to seem weak."

Hinata was quietly of the opinion that most of the time she was weak, even though she was trying to change that.

"A-ano, I shall abide by y-your experience," she said, "but girl's aren't treated the s-same?"

Turtle sighed heavily. "Nope. No matter what anyone tells you, people, at least in the business world, are always going to be more judgmental of a girl than they are of a guy. So we have to work harder. I don't mind, though, because I know that no matter what, I'm still awesome, and I'll show them just how awesome I am."

"I-I'm sure you're quite a-awesome," and though the word felt weird to say, Hinata did agree with the sentiment there, "b-because confidence l-like that must come from s-something."

It was, really, a compliment.

Even if it hadn't been, Turtle would have taken it as one. "That's right! And there must be something that you've got that you can be confident about, too, right? I mean, that's the key, really, confidence. Even if it's just one thing, if you let that pull you, then it'll show!"

Turtle...might have been walking on cloud nine as she realized she'd managed to hone in on the shy one and could totally help her bust out of her shell and be another example of Awesomeness, all thanks to her!

Yeah.

Confidence was not a problem with Turtle Wexler.

All of Turtle's confidence was, in its own way, comforting. If she could not be confident, Hinata tended to quietly cheer on those that were.

Hinata positively froze and just sort of blinked haplessly at Turtle when she registered the fact that she had, in fact, been asked a question like that.

What was she good at?

"I-I don't go back on my word?" Hinata tried tentatively. And, well, that one was true.

"Ohhhh," Turtle smiled and nodded in approval. "That's a really good one! Not enough people have that. I try to be the same way, but sometimes it's not so easy." Her nose wrinkled slightly, and then she nodded once more. "Definitely one of my favorite traits in a person."

That? Had Hinata blushing.

"A-ano, I-I mean, it's important..."

And she just trailed off hopelessly muddled in her head. How did you explain something like that? And explain it well?

Turtle nodded yet again. "Definitely. If you don't have your word to stand on, you don't have anything." And she gave Hinata another encouraging smile. She liked her, even if she was really shy, but Turtle was also getting visions of a project in her eyes. She loved a project...

"You're really new, right? Just come in? How are you liking Fandom so far, Hinata?"

"V-very new," she agreed, with a bob of her head, "and I-I think I like it." That was a cautious opinion. "E-everyone has been very nice, a-and I didn't mind the tortoises."

She'd fed them even.

"I still don't know what I thought about the tortoises," Turtle admitted with a wry smile. "But, I mean, I'm a little biased, what being called Turtle and all. I don't like other things of similar natures stealing my thunder."

"I-I don't think they'd have s-stolen much of it," Hinata said, "I m-mean, they were so small and only talked g-gibberish. N-not much of a comparison to y-you at all."

"Oh, but there were a lot of them," Turtle pointed out, "so I suppose that just boils down to the quantity over quality debate."

That got a smile. "I-I'm certain that o-one of you can a-accomplish more than all of them w-working together."

"You know what, Hinata?" Turtle asked, grinning at the other girl. "I think me and you are going to get along juuuuuust fine. So, tell me. Usual info dump. Who's your roommate, which cabin are you in, and who's your big sib? I gotta know who's showing you the ropes around here."

Besides, clearly, obviously, her now.

Hinata much preferred questions like this. Flat answers, no room for improvisation, and no chance of being wrong either.

"Hoshi-san is both my roommate a-and my big sibling, and Reno-san has s-said that he'd beat up anyone who b-bothered me," Hinata said, and Reno's offer was sweet even, if it came to an actual fight, Hinata was more than able to take care of herself, "a-and I'm in Draco."

A long considering pause.

"Y-you?"

"Awww, I like Hoshi!" Turtle said with a nod, and a little bit of a blush that was no body's business, thank you very much. "She's good people. I'm in Andromeda, myself, you should swing by some time! I've been here so long that my big sister, Buffy, doesn't go here anymore, but Kaylee's my little sister this time around. And Ella's my new roommate. They're all really nice people, too."

"I'll s-stop by at least o-once," Hinata promised, "a-and I'm sure they're all v-very nice."

"And I'll try to swing by Draco at some point, too," Turtle nodded, and smiled.

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Networking to Success: Wed, Period 1 (5/14/08)

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