Nora smiled a little. She knew, a little too well, the effects of not taking time off.
"When do you usually get a search?" she asked, wondering if this - outing, she guessed she would call it, it definitely wasn't a mission - would cut into opening time at End of Line. Though, she realised, nobody would really realise her absence anyway. They might realise that Bit wasn't there, but that was it.
“There’s not really a specific time frame. But I do tend to get more anytime from the morning till… a couple of cycles before End of Line usually opens.” he chuckled at the irony of that fact. “Must be pretty lucky for that to work out.”
Nora nodded, somewhat relieved.
Cor smiled back before draining the rest of his drink. “Well, just let me know when you're ready and I can take you. I’m sure getting your helmet fixed won't take long once we get the tools.” he said, thinking how… limiting it would be if his helmet, or mask, had been broken like hers was.
"I'm ready… whenever, to be perfectly honest," Nora said, picking up his empty glass and her half-full one before standing up and heading over to the sink. Bit floated after her. "End of Line can open without me, besides."
“Alright.” Cor nodded and stood up. “Don't worry. I’ll try to get you back in time. End of Line may be able to open but I don't think it needs to. Not with how important you are to it.” he smiled at her.
Nora nodded and washed the glasses, setting them out to dry. "When will we leave?"
“If you're ready, we can leave now.” he offered, not trying to pressure her in any way.
"Good," Nora said with a smile, heading for the elevator.
Cor smiled back and followed her out. “Eager to get it fixed?” he teased lightly.
Nora nodded and opened her mouth, almost telling him the real reason she was so anxious to get it fixed before she caught herself and said, "Visibility is low with that crack." At least she wasn't lying.
“Understandable.” he nodded, accepting that answer since he’d had his visor cracked on his helmet before too. “Plus, it's not really safe to drive around with.” Cor found himself smirking a little at the fact that Nora would most likely have to hold on to him the whole way there.
Nora pressed the elevator button and nodded. She remembered having cracked her helmet before, and Kaira had repaired it… the memory was bittersweet.
Cor stood beside her in the elevator, leaning against the smooth glass slightly. He could almost tell something was on her mind but didn't know how to approach it. It… felt personal. If that made any sense.
The elevator slid smoothly to a stop at the city streets; Nora stepped out and was promptly replaced by a few giggling programs.
"Which way?" she asked Cor.
Cor smiled as he wove his way past the incoming programs and joined Nora at the street. He snapped open his baton and mounted the lightcycle. “This way.” he answered smoothly, inviting her to ride with him.
Nora would, in other circumstances, have refused such close contact, but a faint tingling in her spine urged her to get on behind him. She did so, curling her fingers around his shoulders, unsure of where else to put them. Bit floated next to her bun.
Cor smiled at the touch, tempted to lean back and kiss her if he could. Maybe it was just because of how cuddly they had been last night and earlier that bolstered his confidence this way. It was admittedly selfish of him but he… kinda wanted people to see them together. Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, he carefully started driving. “Hold on back there.”
"I will," Nora assured him, noting programs taking second glances at Cor and her. A faint smile tinged her lips.
Cor smiled at her answer and sped up a little, still being careful for her sake. Without her helmet… He didn't want to risk anything happening. But he didn't want it to be a dull trip either.
As they neared the Outlands, Nora, deciding it would be safer - and something deep, deep inside her was telling her, besides - tentatively wrapped her arms around Cor's chest. Bit was still next to her neck, out of the wind.
Cor's lines flickered pink as she held him but quickly calmed down, taking the last turn towards the familiar Outlands. “Smart move. Terrain gets a little rough here.” he warned gently before flipping a switch near one of the handles, allowing his lightcyclye to maneuver better off Grid.
Nora watched as he drove, impressed with his skill on the terrain. She had never really driven off-Grid, and never on the bumpy stuff. Assuring herself that it would be fine, she pressed herself a little tighter against Cor and squinted into the darkness.
It had honestly been a while since Cor headed out this way. The last time was a few cycles before Sam Flynn had appeared. Despite that fact, he still knew his way around out here. He made a quick double-check to make sure his lights were on bright and was driving much more carefully than he normally would since he very rarely had a passenger out here and didn't have to worry about being followed.
Nora looked around at the stark beauty of the Outlands, at the thin crust of snow covering the ground. Hermes' Recogniser would have to be hidden far away, to not have been discovered for so long, she thought.