In a quiet little suburb on the distant side of the big city, a lone apartment complex stands surrounded by a vacant lot and other empty stretches of land. This is the site of Nook Acres, the said-to-be "luxury apartment complex and recreational center" for those looking for a place they can find good service, friendly neighbors and a sense of satisfaction…or so the flyers said. In truth, despite being open for some time, Nook Acres has seen less than better days as no one has really come to move in. A young adult, Luca, stands outside its front doors as a tumbleweed rolls by as if on cue. Hanging above the front door sign is the leaf symbol associated with Nook Inc. but it is hung on a weird angle, looking ready to come off.
He then walks inside with a wheeled luggage bag at his side and head held high with optimism…
The Lifestyles of Nook Acres - An Animal Crossing Story
Day 01: Putting In A Little Love
Passing through the front doors, Luca is greeted to the sight of a long haired, blond woman at the service desk with the founder and owner of Nook Acres, Tom Nook, a large burly raccoon figure. She slapped her hand on the desk with spite.
"You call THIS service?! Who, in their loopy minds, gave approval for a DIRTY RACCOON to open a hotel near the city?!" she exclaimed, Nook unable to answer back due to being flabergasted "Y'know what I was greeted to this morning? Your MANGY little rodent bell hops offering me my breakfast! I'm NOT accepting food made by ANIMAL PAWS! They could have RABIES for all I know!" Tom finally stood his ground, looking the angry woman square in the eyes.
"They do NOT have rabies! My nephews, Timmy and Tommy, are the nicest, cleanest AND thoughtful boys you could ever met! I won't tolerate a guest of Nook Acres slandering them in such a manor! You are BANNED from setting foot here AGAIN!" he exclaimed, pointing a paw at her. But the woman simply huffed.
"Fine with me. Who'd come to this run-down, flea infested sink hole? ANIMALS. That's who." she laughed "Face it, NOOK. You may have gotten away with whatever little scheme you had to get this dump open…but it won't last. Go back to the woods where you belong…or I'll call animal control on you AND your "precious nephews"." She then turned away, laughing triumphantly, as Tom groaned. As she passes by Luca, he could not help but feel annoyed and momentarily stuck his foot out and caused her to trip on the way out the door. As they closed behind him, he could hear the sounds of a puddle splashing outside.
"Who taught HER manners? That's just sickening." he muttered. Luca stopped to survey the lobby, kept in pristine order by Tom and his nephews. There was a lone plant sitting in a bowl on Tom's desk, the raccoon turning away with a sigh. Luca rang the bell just before Tom left, getting his attention. However, the recent experience seems to have left him somewhat depressed as he approached the desk.
"Welcome…to Nook Acres, the place to be…for…oh, why bother? What do you want?" he sulkingly asked, dropping his manners halfway through.
"Uhh…h-hi. My name's Luca and…I'd like to rent a room please." he said "Is…now a bad time?" Tom stared long at him before shaking his head.
"N-No. Please…forgive the performance you witnessed. Normally, I am a mild mannered raccoon who is able to get along with everybody. But…recent times has made it hard to keep up appearances here." he said "In any case, I am sorry to say that we only have one floor currently available to guests. The rest are closed due to renovations." Luca watched as Tom fiddled with the things at his desk and handed him a bronze key to his apartment, the same room the horrid lady just left from.
"If you need anything, feel free to come see me…or ask for help from my nephews." he said, soon noticing Luca's bag "Do you require help with your things?" Luca glanced over his shoulder.
"No. I'm good. Thank you, though." he said. As he made his way for the nearby elevator, the sight of Tom Nook sulking to himself caused him to stop dead in his tracks. So he decided to set aside his luggage by a nearby table and pulled up a chair, surprising Tom.
"Actually…I thought, maybe, I'd keep you company. You look like you need someone to vent to." he said. Still taken back by his kindness, Nook simply smiled, touched by his generosity. For a good hour, Luca and Tom sat across from each other at the table as the raccoon laid everything out about the current situations befalling him and Nook Acres. Though he had opened this up as a temporary outing, hoping to appeal to both human and animal guests, all he had been greeted to was others as cruel or spiteful as the woman from earlier. He was hoping to expand services as things improved, hence the other levels being closed due to unfinished renovations. But because of their appauling reviews, Nook Acres has become somewhat of a laughingstock to the people in the nearby city.
"I'm…really sorry to hear that, Tom. Animal or not, NOBODY deserves the kind of cruelty you were shown." Luca responded "How long has Nook Acres been open?" As they spoke, Luca saw a glass of water being offered to him from another pair of raccoons, Timmy and Tommy. Tommy offered Tom a cup of coffee.
"For about a year, sadly. This has been the WORST business venture of my entire life. I'm about ready to just pack up and shut this place down." he said, sipping from his cup. Luca thanked the boys and took a sip of water as well. Tom set aside his cup afterwards.
"Young man, thank you for taking the time to offer an ear to this old raccoon's troubles, yes yes. You are very kind and polite. But…this may be your only night here. After laying it all out before you, someone who is supposed to be an honored guest…makes me think I should give up. The humans of today are too hard to mingle with." he said, making Tommy and Timmy look down. As all fell silent, Luca looked around at the happy framed pictures of his previous associates on the walls as well as album covers from the talented and popular dog, K.K.
"If you don't mind me asking…who are they?" he asked.
"Oh…these kind folk? Some old friends of mine that have moved onto other, more exciting lives. Their names are Tortimer Tortoise, Isabelle and her brother Digby, the Able Sisters, Brewster, Blathers and his kid sister, Celeste." the raccoon explained "I have their pictures up as motivation for myself to keep my chin up while running Nook Acres. If you're asking why I didn't ask for their assistance, I simply couldn't. Though I have taken their kindness for granted in the past…I can't keep pestering them with every little endeavor I get into." Luca stared long and hard at the smiling expressions on Tom's friends in the photos, even spotting a grin on Tom's face himself given he was in the same shot. He then began thinking about all the kinds of drama and grief he has had buzzing about his ears from life in the city, hence the reason why he decided to come to Nook Acres. He took one last look at Tom's dejected expression, eyeing his friends' portraits, before reaching into his pocket for his phone. He quickly dialed up a contact on his list and turned slightly away.
"Hey…Sterling? It's me, Luca." he said, gaining Tom's attention "Does your uncle still offer contract services for building restoration? He does? Great. Could you send him by Nook Acres and see what he thinks? Bring Tammy along with you if you could, all right? Cool. Thanks." Tommy and Timmy looked puzzled as Luca put his phone away. He then turned back to face Tom with a hand extended.
"Mr. Nook? Though we just met, I'd feel bad leaving you the way you are now. If you still have a SHRED of faith left in the future of Nook Acres, please let me and my friends offer our help to you. My friends are other animals and I'm sure they'd be willing to throw their "paw" in the ring." he offered "I moved away from the noise and bustle of the city…looking to start a new life for myself someplace cozy. That's what brought me to Nook Acres…and, as fate would have it, to you. Let's make Nook Acres a place your old friends would flock to if they had the chance." The two nephews gasped as Tom was rendered speechless. Just then, he felt a nudging at his arm from Tommy. They silently looked at one another before Tom nodded and took Luca's hand.
"Thank you, sir…oh…I mean, Luca. You seem to know just what this old raccoon needed to hear, yes yes." he said with a smile.
~ A Week Later… ~
Time flew by as, with help from Luca, Tom had the likes of his animal friends arriving to offer help with restoration of Nook Acres and to become tenants themselves. Among them was Sterling the eagle and Tammy the bear cub, arriving with other members of their family offering their services. With how busy it eventually became, Nook Acres was momentarily closed to solely focus on renovations and clean up. Sterling's uncle was a wiz at carpentry and, together with help from others in Tammy's family, they were able to restore a few other floors in the building as well as taking every creak and groan out of the woodwork. Tammy's mother offered meals to everyone working hard while Tom's nephews were out there printing new flyers for Nook Acres, advertising everyone's hard work. It had been a long, drawn out week's worth of everyone's time, but the next week came and not only was the lobby perked up by their efforts, but everything was washed up and shined, ready for new guests to come. The group gathered together in the lobby and celebrated their hard earned victory with a toast. And when it came time to unlock the front doors, Tom offered Luca the momentous honor.
"Huh? But…Tom. You're the owner of Nook Acres. I think you should…" he said, trying to persuade him. But Tom shook his head.
"No…no. It may be my old age…but I think it would make more sense for you, the voice that helped rebuild Nook Acres…to do the honors." he said, taking a step back. They silently looked on at one another before Sterling suddenly intervened, putting a wing inbetween.
"If neither of you want to, I'd be willing to…skraww!" he offered before Tammy yanked him back by his other wing. Everyone else started to laugh as Tammy nagged on at her bird friend for "ruining the moment". Luca accepted Tom's offer and, using the front door key given to him prior, unlocked the doors and opened them alongside the raccoon. As soon as they did, a bus just pulled up at the nearby stop, unloading a few other animals from it. It looked as if Tommy and Timmy's work in advertisement was a success as they started heading for Tom and Luca.
"Excuse us…this is…Nook Acres, correct? I'd…like to request a room please." Marshal the Squirrel asked. Tom and Luca looked at one another before nodding in silence.
"Please, come on in. Let's get you all situated, yes yes." he replied.
TO BE CONTINUED…