Chapter Text
All of his life, Redd had known how to swindle his way out of any situation. He though of himself as a master of his craft. Find some art, some furniture and con some sucker into believing it was worth a million bells. But after a while, maintaining his little alley shop all alone got a little tedious. That's why, when saw that lost and confused little raccoon wandering helplessly through the streets that one practically moderate afternoon, Redd thought of it to be the perfect opportunity to inflict a little help into the store.
Being from a small town, the raccoon wasn't used to the ways of the city and quickly became smothered by the harsh and fast paced city ways. "I'll tell you what. You seem like you're a trustworthy guy, I'll offer you a job here. No catch at all. All you have to do is help me sweet talk the customers a bit into thinking that whatever garbage you're selling them is worth the weight of the world in gold. Simple. I'll even cut you in on the deals. Say...70/30."
"Isn't that lying though?" he hesitantly asked Redd.
"Lying?" Redd laughed, putting his arm around his shoulders, "Of course not. Listen hear cousin, I can call you that right? I mean, the way I see it, we're already practically family. You're just getting their confidence up to see the true beauty in everything around you. After all, you know the saying; one man's trash is another man's treasure. And here, all this trash will be turned into our treasure. To be sold at a well deserved price. I mean, coming across these fine item's aren't easy."
"Well..." the shorter man thought it over as this man, who's still practically a stranger despite calling him cousin, leaned in close waiting for an answer that would alter both of their lives forever. After all, the raccoon had no where else to go and as far as he could tell, the red haired man's offer seemed promising enough. "Alright Redd, I'm in. I'll help you."
"Excellent choice, Nookie," Redd gave him a sly smile, "I'll promise you this; you won't regret it."
But now, just hair of three years later, how was he to know that in the end of their partnership it was Redd who was the one to regret it. The once so innocent raccoon that he had fallen in love with, had turned on him as well as the two young boys he had taken in. That they had taken in. Never fall in love with your business partners he once remembered being told.
Now the words echoed through his head, mocking his every thought.
Standing in what was once their shared bedroom, he could tell that his now former partner left in a hurry. Drawers were still pulled open with their belongings scattered about with all the valuables stolen away. Their safe where they held all their extra earnings that the two of them sometimes talked about taking a family vacation on some faraway island was now emptied and left open.
"Where did I go wrong to cause him to go so wrong?" Redd spoke softly to himself, slowly approaching the safe where he noticed a piece of paper that lay inside. The word 'Redd' was written on the top fold, and with a shaky hand he grabbed hold of the note, and opened it up to reveal the two lines that had been scribbled onto the white paper:
'Perhaps you trained me a little too well
xoxo Nookie'
"No," Redd couldn't help but cry out, crumpling the paper in his trembling fish, "I'm supposed to be the one who does the swindling, not you! You were just some small town kid who didn't know where to go. I suppose this is what I get for helping someone. I'm better off on my own anyways."
But then he realized, he wasn't on his own. Not anymore. And things would never go back to how they were before. Because now he had two boys to look after, and he sure as hell didn't want them to fight to survive on the streets like he did growing up. Picking fights and conning people out of their money.
Silently the fox managed to pick himself up and peeked into the sleeping boys bedroom. "Things are going to be a lot different around here," he whispered, making a silent promise that he knew they wouldn't be able to hear.
After all, if a trustworthy raccoon could turn shady, how hard would it be for a shady fox to turn trustworthy.
And though it took quite a few years of practically reinventing himself, he finally managed to get away to that faraway island with the boys that he remembered talking about so long ago.
Changing his character, he had come to realize, was a lot more difficult when all you knew since you were a kid was now to con and manipulate yourself into getting the absolute best from the absolute worst.
But now, as he sat in the resident service building, the smell of the warm ocean breeze flowing in through the open window made him finally realize that everything had turned out alright. The boys had grown to be quite the little businessmen themselves, learning as he did in a sense.
And now, here all three of them where, on a once deserted tropical island that's quickly beginning to thrive into it's own little community. "Oh, Mr. Redd!" Isabelle's cheery voice rose from the other end of the room where she had taken to dusting off the windowsill, "The expansion of the Kitt's Kranny has finally been completed!"
"That's good to hear," Redd smiled, remembering how excited his boys were when he gave them the news of the expansion, "We should hold a celebration."
"We should!" Isabelle beamed, giving an excited clap, "Oh, I can't wait to tell the island representative when they come in."
They were always known to sleep in and miss the daily announcements.
Redd held his smile as he went back to work.
After about an hour, he found a good place to stop his work, got up and stretched. "I think I'm gonna go for a little walk," he announced, seeing as it was a pretty slow day and all his work was practically finished.
"Oh, are you going to check out the grand opening?"
"I think I might. See how the boys are doing with their new shop and all. You need anything while I'm out?"
"No sir! I'm all good," she shook her head, causing the little bells in her hair tie to jingle, "Thank you though!"
"Of course," he said before slipping out the front door.
Standing in the center plaza, he placed his hands on his hips and just took a moment to take in the crisp, clean air. "So much better than the city," Redd said to himself, watching as a butterfly made it's way by.
Treading across the grey brick path, he fixed the small ponytail he somehow managed to keep throughout his now professional life. It fit in better with this island life and he could finally start wearing something other than suits every day. Back in the day, he never had to wear such things to make a sale...
Redd quickly shook his head to erase the though out of his life. That was then, a much darker time. But now, he was here. Humming the tune of K. K. Jongara, Redd made his way to the Kitt's Kanny. "Welcome!" the two boys spoke in unison when he stepped through the door.
Realizing who it was that walked in, the two cheered, "You made it...it!"
"Of course I did. What would make the two of you think that I would miss out on the grand expansion of my own boys shop when I'm only just a short walk away. What kind of father would that make me out to be?" Redd put the back of his hand against his forehead and spoke dramatically, causing the two boys to giggle. "So how are things going around here?"
"Great...great!" they both grinned.
"Great," Redd smiled as well, "No issues so far?"
"Nope," Tommy shook his head.
"Well, there was one," Timmy corrected.
"...one," Tommy agreed, suddenly remembering.
"Oh? And what might that be?" Redd could almost feel his old, aggressive ways starting to poke up at the thought of someone mistreating his boys.
"Someone came in trying to sell some fake art...art," they both said.
Redd fell silent for a moment, memories of his past life flooding back into his head. Memories of a certain someone, and staring at these two boys that somehow managed to look so much like this certain someone without even being related to him, was making the memories all that more unbearable. "Was...what's the description of this person?"
"It was one of the villagers on the island...island."
OK, that makes more sense I suppose, he thought to himself, then asked, "Did they say where they obtained this art from?"
"Yeah, they said he looked like us...us!" the two seemed hurt by admitting that, "But we would never do that...that! We're good and wouldn't scam people into buying fake art...art!"
"I know you are," Redd gave them a smile, doing his best to suppress any sort of negative emotions for their sake, "I'm proud of you two for not buying the art. But I think I have to go now. Sorry to cut this short, but there's some island matters I must attend to."
"OK," they both nodded and watched as he walked out the door, "Good bye...bye!"
"There is absolutely no way he made his sorry ass onto this island," Redd spoke to himself through gritted teeth, scanning the edges of the island through the thin layer of trees.
He could feel a hot anger rising up inside of him. He hasn't felt this angry in years. Ever since...
And now he's back after all these years. The fox balled his fists as if that note he found in the safe all those years back was still being crushed in his grip. The warm breeze of the ocean did nothing to calm him down this time. And step by step he made his way onto the beach.
Step by step he made his way across the island to find the thief that betrayed him in a way he never imagined anyone ever could.
He was blinded by anger. Everything that he had repressed for the past eleven years had made it's way to the surface. He knew his old self was starting to rise back from the ashes. And there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Ignoring the curious and worried looks of the island residents, he somehow made his way to the secret beach on the northern end of the island and there he was. He had found Redd here, of all places, after all these years.
He was stationed up on top of an old, rickety looking fishing trolley, leaning against the railings with his eyes closed. He didn't open them until he heard an angry voice yell from on the beach, and only then did he only half open his eyes.
"Tom Nook," Redd spoke in utter disgust, as if the name he hadn't spoken since the last time they saw each other, came out like poison on his tongue, "What the fuck are you doing on my island?"
"Do you ever think of the times we spoke of taking vacations on an island like this?" the raccoon asked, avoiding the question, "Yes, yes, I would imagine you would."
"I fucking swear, if you weren't safe up on that boat I would've had my hands around your throat by now," Redd snapped up at him.
"Oh is that so?" Tom tilted his head, speaking nonchalantly, then threw back the lever that was fixed next him.
A second later a ramp extended out from the side of the boat and landed down on edge of beach about ten feet from Redd, "Then come and get me, cousin."