Interview time: Lissa!

Hello everyone and welcome back to another interview from the cast of Hench. I’ve had some personal circumstances come up in my life, and I haven’t updated my blog in a few weeks, but I’m back at it now. There probably aren’t many people waiting for this content, but for the few fans out there; thank your for your patience. Let’s begin.

“Joining us today is another handy henchman; Lissa Todis.” I nod to the short woman with curly hair across the table from me.

She smiles broadly and bounces in her seat. “Well hi there y’all. It’s great to be here and to have the chance to talk to everyone.”

I chuckle. “You’re certainly in good spirits today. As I understand it you’re the more level-headed voice of reason for the story, it’s interesting to see how cheerful you are while being the common-sense dispenser.”

Scratching her chin, she shrugs. “I think it’s important to keep morale up, don’t ‘cha know? If I’m smiling then maybe others will be too; that’s how I like to think of it.”

Nodding to her rationale, I scan through my notes. “Huh, it says here that you can read minds. Is that true?”

Her cheerful facade flickers and she looks aside. “I knew you were going to mention that at some point… and no not because I read your mind, because it’s my most infamous feature.” She sighs and rubs her forehead. “It’s not intentional, and I only have limited control over it, but I can pick up on surface thoughts.”

“That’s remarkable, and somewhat frighting if I’m being candid.” I lean back in my chair and cross my arms. “Where did you pick up such an odd talent?”

She puts her hands in her lap and smiles, though her expression looks a touch bittersweet. “Had it since I was born. I’m a Gourdin, so us folk have the ability to sense emotions more or less. I just have it so strongly that I can extrapolate thoughts from it. It’s not well understood, or much appreciated in Gourdin society; so it’s the reason I left the island and the clan.”

I squint my eyes and tilt my head. “Gourdins? Clan? Care to clarify what those are for our readers?”

“Sure, it’s simple really. There are four major ethnicities that have their own states on the continent: Gourdin, Emry, Rukh, and Uwan. My homeland is an island under the Gourdin confederacy, which is a chaotic collection of clans. Basically our ethnicity and our love for food is about the only thing that unites us.”

I nod. “Interesting; seems like you carry with you a rich cultural heritage”

She laughs and shakes her head. “That’s a fancy way to say I seem weird to you.”

Stifling a cough of surprise, I flip my notes over and change the topic. “So, what would you say was the hardest part of the story for you?”

Lissa looks upwards while she considers the question. “I guess it would be helping my friends endure their emotional turmoil. Things take some dramatic turns and I had to convince them to find their better selves at times.”

“Not the answer I was expecting,” I respond.

She shrugs. “Yeah, the physical peril was harrowing and all. But, in the end it’s the pain and sadness I recall being harder to deal with.”

“Everybody see things differently, I suppose,” I say. “So if that was your hardest part, what was the best part of the story for you?”

Smiling, she chuckles. “Would you believe it’s the same thing? Well, other side of the coin really. While helping my friends is hard, it’s also rewarding. It’s like the old saying goes ‘by helping others we find ourselves helped.’”

I smile in turn. “How poignant, but it makes a certain sense.” I check my notes one last time. “Okay for our final question; what do you think readers should know going into this story?”

She takes in a deep breath and leans back in her chair. “I guess the most important thing to keep in mind is where people are coming from. Everyone has their story, and that shapes how they see the world. You have to respect that.”

“More poignant wisdom there; you really do have the voice of reason on your side,” I say. “And, that’s a good place to end our interview today. Thank you for sitting down and sharing your perspective.”

“Thanks for having me!” Lissa says cheerfully.

I turn aside and face the audience. “That’s all we have for you today, but join us next time when we’ll have a chat with Themis the dragon. I hope I make it out alive from the interview!”

“Yeah she might talk you to death,” Lissa mutters.