Bishop Hotel

Bishop Hotel
moonstraw city

This is the Bishop Hotels' Moonstraw City location. This is the company's primary location in the United Kingdom though there are much smaller ones scattered throughout the other cities and villages. It is fancy, but still family-oriented and friendlier compared to some of their locations abroad. It has a restaurant attached to the lobby and hundreds of rooms available.

Nikolette Sutton

spellmaker
ateleia

Stepping foot here after all of this time is surreal. It has had its minor renovations, but it is still so clearly the Bishop Hotel she would call her stomping grounds during her short stint at Hogwarts. Her head spins at all of the bright colors splattered across each surface, eyes caught up in the whole sight of the place. For some reason, there is a chilliness to all of it and she wonders if that is psychological or actually representative of the hotel's temperature. Something about it feels as if she was split into another universe; it feels foreign yet familiar. Her mind struggles to piece together all of the fragments of long lost memories, but she feels them and it is bittersweet. Wheeling her luggage towards the lift, she is starting to question whether she can manage coming home after all. It was a career move and had nothing to do with her overwhelming loneliness in the United States. Twenty years had passed; there wasn't an ounce of hope that she would come home and it would be as she left it. Usually not this sentimental, she gets a bit frustrated with herself and huffs as she whips her things around into the lift. Glancing at the buttons, she hits the one leading to the sixteenth floor. As an attempt to move past her sudden sense of sentimentality, she starts planning for tomorrow. *I start at 8am, but I have to-*

Zachary Bishop

cfo and heir of bishop hotels
paintedred

Zach has just finished an important meeting (he is always in important meetings nowadays) and is ready to rest back up in his room. He will begin apartment hunting soon, probably. He grew up in the hotel but understands now that it might be best to separate his work environment from his home. It would definitely be nice to put an end to all the instances of his father's employees knocking on his hotel room door and asking for him to sign this and that. The thought that his life has been so consumed by work lately reminds him that he has still yet to meet with his family; he should probably arrange to see Clarence's kids first. At least that will get rid of the baby acromantula for Diana in his room. "Wait!" he says as he sees the elevator door closing, holding a hand out to stop the doors and step inside.

Nikolette Sutton

spellmaker
ateleia

Her first reaction is to not interfere with this man's fate. Her trip from Massachusetts must have left her unnecessarily disgruntled since such callousness is not common for her, but traveling using magical technology can be taxing. Regardless of reason, it would be a thought she would come to regret, but it wouldn't matter considering how fast and fleeting it was. Swiftly, her finger raises to hit the button three times over to stop the door. A small guilt lifts off of her chest as the door retreats and the man enters, but her heart doesn't give her the courage to glance up at him quite yet. Her hand still hovers over the numbers as she questions: "Which floor?" A small part of her is saddened that this poetic venture to her room has been intruded upon by a stranger who could not possibly understand the weight of all of this, but she is polite nonetheless. Her gaze switches towards this supposed stranger and she feels impossibly mean when she does it a second time not too long after, but something in her insisted that she should spend more time on him. It's so curious and strange.

Zachary Bishop

cfo and heir of bishop hotels
paintedred

Zach, on the other hand, has had his eyes fixed on her since the moment he entered the elevator and immediately places a name to the face the moment that she speaks to him. All exhaustion immediately leaves him as his entire face lights up with recognition. Immediately, dozens of memories play in fast forward in his mind of train rides to Hogwarts and watching horror movies together at midnight in this very hotel. "Nikki." he says immediately, like he needs to verbalize her name to prove that she is real. "It's me. Zach Attack." The nickname slips out before he can stop himself and he cringes a little, running a hand through his hair. "Merlin, I don't even know if you remember that dumb nickname. Or *me*, I guess, well – " Zach cuts himself off before he can keep rambling. "Do you?" Zach smiles, but he feels very nervous. It *has* been a long time, but Nikki was one of his oldest, closest friends. If she had forgotten him by now, he would probably wallow for the rest of the night.

Nikolette Sutton

spellmaker
ateleia

An immediate alarm registers on her face before its flames are doused with the overwhelming sensation of everything coming together, falling into place at her fingertips. Her mind has been consumed with the hours she has spent here with her best friend- with *him* and he is here. Her heart flutters, but she grins and accepts that there isn't a moment to hesitate. "*Do I?* God, as if I could forget my Zach Attack." she gushes, but she feigns disappointment at the same time. It is a little offensive to believe that she could ever forget- as if he has not been at the forefront of her mind since stepping into this building and as if he has not drifted into her thoughts periodically for decades. "It has been a long, long time." *I wish it hadn't been.* Despite this somber thought, she grins again and appears absolutely encompassed by this development. Reaching over, she instinctively hits some of the floors to give them more time. She doesn't care for subtlety; she wants more time with him and for some reason she worries it will stop when one of them leaves. "Where have you been?" Nikki asks as if she isn't the one who left in the first place. It occurs to her after she says it, but it stings to the point she can't even manage to cringe at it. "Don't tell me you still live here," she laughs.

Zachary Bishop

cfo and heir of bishop hotels
paintedred

Zach cannot help but laugh once she pushes a bunch of the buttons just to give them more time. It is so silly – as if he is going to let this end once one of them gets to their floor. He is so thrilled to see her; he wonders immediately if she is just visiting the UK or if she has come home at the same time he did. What perfect timing. "Oh God, no – well, actually, I *am* living here right now. But I haven't been this whole time – " Zach is fumbling over his words and he suddenly feels sixteen again. It's very embarrassing and he clears his throat as if to regain some composure. "I actually just got here from New York. I moved over there when I was twenty-six." he says, sounding a lot less frazzled. "I'm trying to find my own place at the moment, but I've only been back a week? Eight days. I don't know. Things have been busy. Where have *you* been?"

Nikolette Sutton

spellmaker
ateleia

A curious frown appears as she listens to him stumble over his answer before coming to the conclusion that he had been so close to her the whole time. A hopeful smile replaces the frown as she continues to catch every syllable- every breath his sentences hold. And when he finishes, she laughs and claps her hands together once in amusement. "Boston," she answers simply. "My mother moved us to Jersey to live with her sister. After graduation, I attended this spellmaking program based in Brooklyn, then settled down in Boston at twenty-three." Her voice is unwavering as if she has rehearsed this, but it comes from a pride over her accomplishments. Knowing where she came from, a pleased feeling wells in her chest whenever she relives this time when independence had graced her without burdening her with the full force of adulthood. Except it is different this time because there is this revelation that this reunion could have happened sooner. It is a mix of depressing and enlightening to know they were so close to each other for a decade's time and had no clue. The world is small. "I was offered a promotion overseas, then you are witnessing the rest," she finishes her brief retelling before grinning and waving one of her hands down her body. Afterwards it lands in the blonde messiness atop her head.

Zachary Bishop

cfo and heir of bishop hotels
paintedred

Zach has never been particularly good at keeping his thoughts to himself, and thus he vocalizes immediately what is on his mind. "So we were so close this entire time." he says, looking thoughtful. The elevator dings and stops at one of the many floors that have been selected, snapping him out of his thoughts that he could have reunited with his best friend so much sooner. It is probably for the best before he starts moping about it to himself – he would very much like to focus on Nikki right now, who he is so delighted to see. "A spellmaking program?" he asks, sounding interested. "That's *so* amazing, Nikki. All I've been up to is well – all this." He gestures around them. They've known since they were young anyway that this would be his fate; at least he is enjoying it a lot more than he thought he would be. "So, we've both moved back at the same time then?" he muses out loud, "Huh. Kinda like fate, don't you think?"

Nikolette Sutton

spellmaker
ateleia

Feigning surprise, her brows raise and her mouth parts as she glances around the compartment. "Fancy that! Who would have thought you would grow up to repair elevators?" she teases, grinning and reaching over to give him a loving nudge in the arm. It's a passive, brief moment of contact; it only dawns on her after the fact that that was the first time they had felt one another in twenty-one years or at least in any tangible fashion. Her teasing and the subsequent nudge serve to distract from his wistful commentary on their previous arrangements, which she would rather not ponder over and regret. Any anxious thoughts swirling around passively in her mind are quelled when he mentions fate. "I think we are tied together by a red thread," she answers, blurting it without further thought. Her hand raises again, but this time to extend her smallest finger out in his direction as if this action would somehow bring this string into view. "I have been wondering what this has been for *ages*," she adds, grinning at him before she gives an expectant glance down at his own hand. A foolish part of her tries to figure out if a ring sits on his finger and her face begins to flush the second she catches herself.

Zachary Bishop

cfo and heir of bishop hotels
paintedred

"I will have you know I am one of the - if not *the* - best elevator repairmen in the world." he says, going along with her joke. He holds up his own hand when she raises hers, very pleased with how easily she went with his musings on fate. It has always been easy to get along with Nikki, though – they were best friends growing up for a reason. He does not see how that dynamic would change between them, even after years and years apart. "Now that we're closer, at least the string won't need to strain as much. Poor thing." he remarks, "Do you think you'll be settling down here, then? Or will you be moving back?" he asks, "Because *my* move looks like it'll be permanent. Clarence and Cressida's kids are very adamant that I stay – it's fun being the cool uncle." he says. There's also the whole matter of inheriting the billion galleon hotel franchise, but Zach doesn't really think that will be much reason to stay. If you have money to burn, you can base yourself anywhere. It doesn't really matter. "And it would kind of suck if we're meeting just to be separated again. We'd keep in touch this time, though."

Nikolette Sutton

spellmaker
ateleia

*Poor thing,* she muses to herself, imagining petting the string as if it were some magical pet. A bit blinded by the question, she isn't afforded the opportunity to linger upon the thought that he would want to maintain contact this time. It doesn't settle into her chest as any sort of intense feeling as it should. "We would have to. Why wouldn't we?" A pause later and her faint brows are furrowing in the middle of her face. "Why didn't we?" she blurts out, raising a brow curiously before her expression collapses. It occurs to her that a large reason she was so accepting of her departure was her budding feelings for Zach, who was not the person to target those sorts of feelings towards. At least not at the time considering he was rather lenient with his affection. "If only Clarence and- what's her name? If only those two had been born earlier," she says, grinning as she attempts to gloss over the subject. "It's nothing to be concerned over anyways. Hopefully this move is my last. I can't stand hauling my life around so much." Nikki huffs a bit dramatically, but she smiles at him to show it's not that serious. "So, you're the funcle," she claims, laughing at the term. It's so disgusting in sound, but Zach does seem to be the *funcle* sort. "No children of your own?"

Zachary Bishop

cfo and heir of bishop hotels
paintedred

"I don't know why we didn't stay in touch, actually." He tries to recall what was going on at the time and remembers that was around the time he and Cedrica started dating. In hindsight, it is laughable that relationship was even a thing when it had been so obvious all along that she was pining after his brother. He has a vague recollection of Cedrica saying something about their friendship, but it was so long ago that he can't be sure if he's just imagining. "But it doesn't matter now. At least we're back together again, right?" He grins. "And no, no kids." he confirms, "My ex-wife didn't want any and it's not really my place to make a decision like that for her. It's fine. I was a lot busier with work before so I don't think that I would've been able to be a very good dad anyway." Zach makes a face. "I wouldn't have wanted to be like, well, *my* father." Zach thinks having kids now would be much better anyway – he has found that the higher you get up the corporate ladder, there is less and less you actually have to do. He would be able to spend more time at home, then. "Do *you* have any? I'd be very disappointed if you did and I was not the godfather. You *know* I would get them the best gifts."

Nikolette Sutton

spellmaker
ateleia

His handling of the issue is admirable- rather responsible. It seems awfully common that one partner forces the other into the lifelong commitment of having children. Her parents come to mind, but she quells that thought for now. Mimicking his, her expression ties up into one of disgust at the mention of his father. One thing they share is terrible parents or at least highly questionable ones. It becomes difficult to maintain when she falls into a fit of laughter. "Me? No. No," she insists, grinning and huffing a sigh. "We never made it past engagement, but my former fiancée- It would have required a bit more than an accident to have children with *her*, so it was never on the table." Shrugging, she seems unaware of how she stressed that she was with a woman, but it's important given that having children would have been so much more difficult for them. "I wouldn't have been a good mother either. I haven't thought about it too much." Why should she? Her reevaluation of motherhood hasn't occurred in some time, but should she ever have a stable home and hopefully a partner by her side, then she would consider it. "But if there was a little Sutton somewhere, then of course you would have found out. I would have found you somehow."

Zachary Bishop

cfo and heir of bishop hotels
paintedred

"Ah, so there was no incentive to find me regardless?" he teases her. Zach does not feel bad at all that it has taken them this long to reunite; he is very much a live-in-the-present type of person and does not see the point depressing himself over what has already passed. "Children seem very difficult anyway. Clarence's children are already a handful – his youngest keeps texting me and insisting that we should put up a hotel on the moon. She even gave me her aunt's number. Her aunt as in the *Minister for Magic* – I'm not sure if you know but my sister-in-law is a *Yaxley*. Well, ex-sister-in-law? I'm not sure if there's a term for it, but she and Clarence..." He grimaces. "I'm sure you've heard about that whole... issue." Nearly the whole UK has. He is still not entirely sure what to make of what happened, though he will be meeting up with Clarence and Cedrica soon and he is interested in hearing their side of the story.

Nikolette Sutton

spellmaker
ateleia

Her eyes roll into her head at the tease, swatting her hand in his general direction. When the topic regains its focus, her eyes widen. "His youngest?" she questions, one brow raising as she stares up at him in wonder. When the door opens to one of the random floors, she turns to ensure no one is there to intrude. "Merlin, how soon did Clarence start pumping them out?" The comment is made in amusement and less so out of judgement as she gives Zach an expression of exaggerated horror. Maybe she is immature (and there isn't much of a question to it), but the thought of having children who are old enough to text does seem to be a genuine horror. "I haven't. I don't pay attention to the issues of famous millionaires and billionaires," she comments, lips tugging up on one side as her brows shoot up quickly. Besides, what business did she have following the ongoings of wealthy British people when the Americans have enough chaos of their own? "It would feel a bit ridiculous following the Bishops through the paper anyways," she adds with a modest smile.

Zachary Bishop

cfo and heir of bishop hotels
paintedred

Zach himself still cannot fathom how Clarence came to the decision to have children so young, and *he* was the one so excited to have his own family when they were younger. At least Kaia makes a wonderful mother. "His eldest is sixteen – twins, actually." he remarks, smiling fondly when he thinks about the pair. Felton is a great kid. Leighton is... also a great kid. He loves them both equally, he thinks with certainty. The hesitation, even if it was just in his mind, makes him feel guilty nonetheless. Leighton will grow out of it - whatever it is - soon enough, anyway. Even Zach is embarrassed of who he was at sixteen. "Ah, so you didn't hear about the affair?" He does not feel guilty discussing such things with Nikki. It has been a decade since they last spoke but he once again feels like a teenager telling his best friend a secret that he had sworn not to tell anyone else – best friends don't count as just 'anyone' anyway. He grimaces a bit thinking about the whole debacle with Clarence. "Do you remember Cedrica?"

Nikolette Sutton

spellmaker
ateleia

Her mental mathematics is strong and it occurs to her incredibly fast that that means Clarence was *nineteen*. Genuine horror appears and she turns to glance into the shiny reflection of the elevator shaft. Her double is blurry, but she can sense her own unease regardless. "Merlin," she whispers, but then the affair reaches her conscience and any gentleness seems to disappear. How despicable. Her brows furrow together, knitting her nose up into the mess of disgust. "Affair? That is such—" There is something about the entitlement of predatory and wealthy men that seems to summon affairs to them. Nikki resists the urge to express this, biting at the fleshy part of her cheek as she remembers that Zach is also an absurdly wealthy man. However, she would argue that Zach is not nearly as large of an asshole (or much of an asshole at all) and is also not the CEO of a business that monopolized the tech industry. "Disgusting, but...yes, Cedrica- Hackman or something," she answers, smiling miserably as she tries to remember her. "Blonde- and two-faced. Mean." A small pause and she frowns. "*Her?*"

Zachary Bishop

cfo and heir of bishop hotels
paintedred

Zach laughs at the description of Cedrica, not taking much offense because she considers herself a bitch and proud of the fact. "She wasn't *that* mean back then. At least she wasn't to me." he says, still feeling the need to defend her though it's been so long since they were in Hogwarts. He has heard that Cedrica could be difficult but it never occurred to him that she was capable of such behavior towards other people. "Though that's probably because we were dating at the time." he lets out a laugh at the idea. It's fine. She's with the right brother now. "*So* odd just looking back on it. But yes, her." He frowns. "It was a whole mess. I honestly feel pretty bad for his kids. At least my divorce wasn't as much of a shitshow. We ended on very good terms, actually. I'm invited to her wedding in November and everything." Of course Zach is the type to remain on such stellar terms with his ex-wife.

Nikolette Sutton

spellmaker
ateleia

An eyebrow lifts curiously, but she hides much of her surprise behind a teasing smile. To think that those two were ever a couple is bewildering, considering how warm Zach is compared to her chilled attitude. Or it's possible she isn't giving her enough credit except her involvement with the affair would hint that she was generally on point in her assumptions. "His poor children," she adds with a small nod. It seems appropriate to recognize that it must be difficult for them especially being so grown and aware. Her eyes flicker down towards her suitcase before seeing which floor they are on. "Her wedding? That's exciting. Weddings are great," she says before laughing at nothing in particular. "I attended my ex-fiancée's two or three summers ago actually. Look at us: Team Healthy Exes." Nikki winks before letting out another half laugh. It's for the best that she has such an amicable relationship with someone she spent so much of her time with. How people can just throw that out the window is beyond her.

Zachary Bishop

cfo and heir of bishop hotels
paintedred

"Team Healthy Exes." he repeats with a little laugh. Zach is of the same opinion that one can't just toss such an important relationship out the window like that. It would be very heartbreaking, he thinks, to hate someone you once loved so much. He is pretty certain that they are nearing her floor, not that it concerns him much. They will *have* to meet up again after this. "Are you seeing anyone now?" he asks. He feels like the question is innocent enough and he is genuinely curious. How could he not be? Nikki was his closest friend growing up, and his first crush too. He almost adds something about how he would be excited to give someone the 'if you hurt her...' talk, just to clarify that his intentions are entirely platonic (there had never been any indication growing up after all that she was interested in him in that way, and it is more than likely that she views them as siblings) but Zach holds his tongue. The question is innocent now but he is intelligent enough to know better than give possible cause for miscommunication or doubt in the future should the nature of these intentions ever change. "I'm curious." he says, instead.

Nikolette Sutton

spellmaker
ateleia

It doesn't occur to her that she should genuinely be suspicious, but her old habit of teasing him means she is inclined to do it again. It feels inappropriate though considering how casual the conversation has been. For once, she doesn't want to seem too presumptuous. "No, I'm not," she answers plainly before smiling and glancing at the glowing number *15*. It spurs her into action, pulling her phone from her pocket and swiping it open. Opening her contacts, she extends the device out to him. "Add your number, then we can get dinner sometime soon and catch up more." Nikki grins, lifting her brows excitedly. It doesn't occur to her to reciprocate the question at this moment because she's too caught up with ensuring they will be able to reach each other after this. It's not that she doesn't care because she very much so minds if he is seeing someone, but that can wait for over dinner. "I'm not letting you get away *this* time, *Zach Attack*," she adds playfully.

Zachary Bishop

cfo and heir of bishop hotels
paintedred

He still has a couple more floors to go before reaching his suite, and he manages to take her phone and enter his number before the door closes on them, but he holds it open again so that he can say his goodbyes before they part ways again. At least this time it will not be for long. "You say that as if I'm the one that left." he teases. It's obvious he does not hold that against her. He hands the phone back to her and lets go of the button holding the doors open. "I'm gonna hold you to that dinner, yeah?" he tells her, grinning as the doors close. "I'll see you around!"