It was raining when Nimmie finally arrived at Sir Nicholas Chopper's Mansion. The house was a gaudy looking thing created of mashed together architecture designed only to display wealth. Sir Nicholas Chopper. When Nimmie knew him, he was just Nick. Her Nick. 

She sighed against the grate, letting the rain fall on her face in warm and thick droplets. This was foolish. What had she come all this way for? To yell at the metal man who abandoned her? The task was a ludicrous one. She traveled by foot and cart for just over 25 days to get here from her humble home in Verdantport. Foolish or not, she wasn't going to turn back now.

She pushed the gate open and walked the wet gravel path to the front door of Nick's new ostentatious home. A large tin knocker shaped like an owl stared at her. "I don't need to be judged by a metal bird right now," she muttered under breath and shook out her black curly hair. With only a moment's hesitation, she reached for the knocker.

"Nimmie?" The door opened before she could even knock, and standing before her in all his glory was Nick. This wasn't the Nick she knew; he was wearing a plush velvety smoking jacket and looked recently polished.

"You've been nickel-plated." She said matter-of-factly and without emotion. 

"Why don't you come inside?" He said, letting out a sigh, purely for the dramatic effect. It's not as if he had a breath to let out after all.

Nimmie silently and awkwardly made her way into Nick's grand home, and he led her to the den. She took a seat next to the burning fireplace, where a sleeping orange housecat was curled up for warmth.

"I keep blankets for guests if you are still cold." Nick offered.

"You have time for guests, but not for me?" Nimmie replied quickly, staring at her muddy shoes.

"Why are you here, Nimmie?" for a moment, a mere collection of seconds, a single question, the metal man in front of her sounded like the one she had loved for years.

"You never came back, Nick. I waited for you. You went on your grand adventure. You left me that letter..." She looked up and into his reflective face, tears finally welling in her eyes. "You never came back."

He held her gaze for some time, allowing her to see both the new Sir Nicholas and her Nick, somehow existing in the same strange liminal moment. "I'm glad to see you got the medicine." 

Nimmie grit her teeth and stood up.

"Yes. I got the medicine, Nick, and I'm glad to know you went on some grand adventure to heal my heart, just to break it!" 

"Nimmie-"

"Maybe you should go on another grand adventure to find a heart for yourself!" She was yelling now.

"I'll tell my maker," he said, his voice dripping with acid.

"This is my fault?! Are you seriously blaming this on me? Fuck you. Goodbye, Nick, congratulations on being a hero of the world and all that. You clearly outgrew your design potential," and with that, she rushed out the door and out into the rain.

Nick chased after her screaming apologies, but the rain hit his joints hard, and he rusted mid-step, crashing into his manicured lawn. He would stay there, trapped in his own regret, until his servants found him the next morning. His guilt, however, would not leave him for all his days.