Chatting With...
By Nicole
As all of you might have heard, this issue revolves around getting to know more about the SOUP staff. So, we get to write about ourselves. I was happy to hear this after having to go all over the place last month for an interview. This time, I'd be able to stay all cozy in the SOUP HQ. This might and might not include some blankets, pillows, and food in my little cubicle. I have to be comfy to work!
But sadly, I had to leave my lovely cubicle to actually go interview someone else on staff, because I definitely wasn't going to interview myself! Such a ridiculous idea and no fun at all.
I had decided to interview our dearest SOUP Editor. Alisha, Dei, Deidra, Pansy's wife. I'm sure you know her; I mean, she has been on hex for quite some time. Seven years, I do believe. As you might read in this issue's Letter from the Editor, she's not as busy here in the SOUP HQ. This made it much easier to be able to get more of an in-depth interview with her than I did with my subject last issue; just pretend you know what I'm talking about, at least. I can't look like a complete wreck or else they won't let me out of the HQ next month to snag an interview with someone!
Anyways, back to the interview with Alisha. After an initial fight over who got their mug of coffee first, we settled down in her office so we could actually hear ourselves over Tyler and Lu's argument over what color streamers to hang up for this month's publishing party.
" What made you join HEX?" I asked my first question, waiting for my coffee to cool a bit.
"Oh goodness, that was 7 years ago! I think I was just looking up Harry Potter stuff one day, and stumbled on to the site by accident, and filled out the application on a whim." I could already see this interview taking a turn down memory lane; seven years sure seems like a long time to me!
" So, I'm sure you definitely have a special place. Where do you like to hangout on HEX?"
"Over the years it has changed a few times, but I enjoy the Slytherin CR and the A/G forum the most. I think because those forums are filled with lots of pretty people and things." She sounds like a gypsy to me, what do you guys think?
"This question is such a fitting question for you, since you've been here so long. What's your fondest memory from the past 7 years on hex?"
"Slytherin winning the house cup for the first time 2 years ago. I can't even tell you how proud of Slytherin I was then." At first I was surprised to hear this as an answer since I even can remember this (how can I not?), but then again, it is such an important part of Slytherin as a house.
I decided to continue with HEX as the topic with the next question. " What is one thing that you would change about HEX, for whatever reason?"
"I wish people would stop leaving Slytherin. Really, why would you leave the house that wins at everything? I just don't get it." Truly a good question.
"So, what's your favorite part about being the editor of SOUP?" I sipped my coffee, waiting for her answer; by now my coffee was the perfect temperature.
"My staff. I seriously have such a wonderful group of people, and I have loved every single second of putting this team together. I love seeing people get together, and collaborate in surprising and fabulous new ways." We are quite an amazing bunch of people!
"Okay, okay. Enough about HEX, now I know there are quite a few of us who would love to know more about you and your wife. What do you like about Pansy?"
"Pansy embodies everything that I love about Slytherin; ambition, cunning, pride, and of course, beauty. She's a wonderful person, and I'm very lucky to have her. She's way out of my league, but she chose me anyway." Sounds like a lovely love story, don't you think?
"Do you two ever get tired of each other? I mean, you are both on SOUP staff, so you're around each other a lot."
"Of course we do, we are Slytherins. Sometimes our ego's clash, but usually we can work it out in private. We try to keep our marriage out of the workplace as much as possible. Though, between you and me, I like being able to look at my beautiful wife behind her desk as she writes. It's really, really sexy."
" As a couple, what do you and Pansy do together in your free time?"
" We're really quite quiet, honestly. We cook, we shop, we read. Pansy and I make sure we spend at least a few hours apart, but other than that. Our evenings after work are spent doing what I imagine everyone else does. I know you were probably expecting some grand and fabulous affair, but our routine is sweet and simple. It's quite nice." We really are finding out a lot, now, aren't we?
"Your daily routine seems simple and homey, but where is one place that you've always wanted to travel?"
" Egypt! I would love to see the Valley of the Kings, and the museum in Cairo." This would be an exciting adventure, count me in!
"Well then, what is one thing you have always wanted to do?"
"I want to travel more. Alas, time and money are two things not in abundance in my life." Make Egypt number one on your list when you can, for sure.
"What are your hobbies?"
"I like to read, write, Photoshop, music, and I'm teaching myself how to sew and do couponing." I don't know about any of you , but I have no idea what Photoshop is nor what couponing is. Must be some Muggle things.
I checked the clock only to find that we still had plenty of time left for more questions even though my coffee was all gone. Oh well, I'd have to wait for more. "What's your favorite color?"
"At the risk of being cliché, I like the color green the best. It looks great on me, and it's always been a very comforting color for me." Green is quite a brilliant color.
"What kind of food do you like?" Now that I didn't have any coffee, my mind was wondering to its partner. Food.
"I like simple foods, like a nicely grilled cheese sandwich, cheeseburgers, macaroni and cheese, and pizza. You know, the classics." Well, isn't our Alisha such a simple-loving person.
"I'm even curious as to this next question. What're your pet peeves?"
"People who go overboard with slang and talk in aLtErNaTiNG caps. That's ridiculously annoying." Annoying indeed. I'm pretty sure we have the English language for a reason.
I couldn't believe there were only a couple questions left to choose from! "What type of person would you describe yourself as?"
"I'm really quite introverted. I much prefer to sit by myself some place quiet, and read or listen to music. But I'm also quite ambitious, so occasionally, I end up quite conflicted as to what I want to do with myself." Ambitious. I like it.
"Now that the interview's almost over, I know it's quite relaxed in here, but where is your favorite place to relax at Hogwarts?"
"At the risk of being cliché, the Slytherin Common Room. It's dark, and usually quite nice. Also, we throw fantastic parties." Eh, who cares about clichés when we can find out more about a person through an interview?
With the answer to my last question, I decided that I'd head to the common room to work on throwing the interview together (which was quite a good idea, I found out, which is probably because the squishy chairs and pillows are much better to sit in to relax than my office chair in the HQ). Anyways, Alisha is quite the Slytherin! Proud, ambitious, fashionable, quiet. She's a whole mix of things that suits Slytherin (and SOUP-like we could live without her, pffft).
Now that the interview is over, I'm off to find another fabulous person to interview next!
-Nicole