The Many Fates Of Nate

4 The Vulture's Nest

Nate stared in the mirror in horror, contempt and disgust.

It looked like something out of a terrible, abysmal and dismal dream. The worst part is the reflection staring grimly back at him was him, dressed completely in a black tie, along with black trousers and an uncharacteristic comb-over.

He looked like, ironically enough, a lawyer or an investment banker. He could barely recognise himself. And that's the worst part. He felt uncomfortable with the clothes he was wearing, constricting his movements like they were strangling him, depriving him form oxygen. He was tempted to incarnate it, but the thing cost more than Wolfingham Palace. So this insipid event better be worth it, especially if said event is as grandiose as meeting your girlfriend's dad, a milestone which you'll remember for the rest of your life, good or bad. Either way, Nate would have to carry the baggage, and it wouldn't be long before the rest of his family found out, ridiculing him.

Speaking of, Nate's folks were well aware of this event because the boy's mum is omniscient, but not omniscient enough in she found out where he got said suit. Daran was proud of his son and rooted for him to succeed. But when Nate asked for some gadgets to help on his date, he said no. That was the last he talked to him before leaving the following day, which was today.
Now all that's left is him, his mum and his siblings. His siblings were naturally ignorant and obnoxious about the date and it didn't help that Nate's mum offered him shoes to fit the suit.

But for obvious reasons, Nate refused and decided to go barefoot. Not the best way to represent yourself but the ram genuinely doesn't care. The last thing he needed was his dignity revoked, too.
It's crazy how after everything that happened, this is where he ended up. Of all the things to celebrate slaying Damain, this was the last thing Nate had in mind. Somehow, Katrina managed to convince Theo to give Nate a chance, and he orchestrated them to have reservations at some restaurant. Although upon the surface level that's an insurmountable amount of good luck, Nate still sees it as a loss, because he has to be on his best behaviour. One step forward, two steps back.
It goes to show that the odds are constantly against him, and the world always has it out for him, beating down on him mercilessly like a punching bag. It was like that since he was born, and It will continue for the rest of his life. Not anymore.

To compensate, he flexed his muscles in the mirror.

"Nate! Stop admiring yourself and get downstairs!"

It was Katrina. Nate turned and saw her standing in the doorway, wearing a dress as white as snow. Her hair hung down to her shoulders with alluring blue eyeshadow and red lipstick.

"Dad's waiting. We're about to leave."
"I'll be a minute," Nate responded.

Nate was still adjusting his suit to fit accordingly, clenching his teeth in the process. But the suit was fighting against him. It was like being in a stray jacket, which is symbolic since this event is going to drive him crazy. Or at the very least soul-draining.

It's bad enough that he has to wear formal attire that goes against everything he stands for, now they're going to the most snobby, uptight and pompous place on the planet, that being the Vulture's Nest - or, to abbreviate it, VN, which sounds infinitely worse.

Nate had never been to VN, but he had heard horror stories about the many scandals they were involved in. From not paying staff equally, to overpriced meals to even revealing pretty messed up stuff behind closed doors, it seemed that VR would be the last place the three would go. But due to their grand reopened, they rechristened the place, winning everyone back. They've reopened. Apparently. But Nate isn't buying it.

It's something that still had him on edge when he, Katrina and Theo drove to the place via hamster ball in chilling and awkward silence.
The father had her daughter deliberately take a shotgun while he left Nate at the back.