Work Text:
"Are you Ajax McCormick?" A voice makes him perk up from the papers on his desk, startled. Before him stands a person with long brown hair tied up in a bun, with star shaped glasses resting on their head. They're dressed professionally, blazer and all, and holding a notepad.
"Yes, I am. I take it you're the newest scribe?" Ajax asks, and the person nods.
"Lotus Nickerson, she/her pronouns for right now," Lotus says, extending her hand. Ajax nods and takes it.
"He/him, are you genderfluid?"
"Yes, I am." She smiles softly, "And I've been told that I'm to be your scribe in all your future cases going forward."
"Oh, that's…news to me," Ajax says slowly, furrowing his brow. "I haven't—"
"Hey Agent McCormick!" Agent Dirani calls out, tossing a file right into Ajax's lap, "You're back on the field again, enjoy,"
Lotus narrows her eyes, "Have you not been out in the field in some time?"
"No, not in years," Ajax sighs, "But I guess I am now." He opens the file and carefully inspects the contents. It's pretty close to home, and tame, likely a warm-up to ease him back into field work. Lotus moves to peer over his shoulder, and he shifts so she can see the file easier. He will admit that his face does heat up with her so close.
"A haunting? How interesting…those are exceedingly rare these days," Lotus muses, taking the file from Ajax's hands. He doesn't protest. A haunting can escalate quickly, they'd have to be careful about what they say or do. Anything minute could offend the ghost and cause a frenzy. Again, he sighs. This is something he didn't miss about field work.
"Could be that the affected pissed off the ghost in some way," Ajax suggests, lightly stretching. Lotus raises an eyebrow, but offers no counterargument. "How urgent is it?"
"Well, it says here that the affected person is incredibly distraught and would like a solution as fast as possible," Lotus reads before shutting the file, "Are we flying out to this case?"
"Since the victim wants a quick solution, yes." He stands from his chair, pocketing his phone and grabbing a pen. "Ready to go?"
"Uh, sir—"
"Ajax is fine,"
"Right, Ajax, I already have a pen,"
"Oh!" Ajax holds up the pen, "This isn't just a pen, it's also a recorder. Helps ensure we can validate victim testimonies and/or catch a confession if the case is particularly nasty," Lotus nods, accepting this answer with grace, and the pair head out of the office. On the drive to the airport, Lotus takes care of booking their flight, which allows them time for small talk. Ajax's favorite.
"So, how long have you been with the Bureau?" She asks, not taking her eyes off her phone. Ajax thinks for a moment before answering.
"Ten years,"
"Impressive, and how many of those years were spent behind the desk?"
"The last three…" He sighs, his tone turning flat. It drudges up old memories he'd rather leave buried, if he's being honest. Lotus hums, but the interrogation doesn't stop there.
"Are you queer, in any way?" A sharp eye is kept on him at all times. Ajax nods, already preparing his practiced explanation for how his sexuality works.
"Yes, I am abrosexual, which is—"
"Like genderfluid but with your sexuality," Lotus finishes for him, and he is awestruck. No one already knows what abrosexual is, so this takes the wind out of his sails and is kind of attractive. "We're both considered 'confused' by the community, so we're sort of siblings-in-arms in that way,"
Ajax laughs softly, "Yep, I am glad I don't have to fully explain it to you, but it does—"
"Take the wind out of your sails?" Lotus grins. Okay, this is getting strange. Ajax risks a glance over at Lotus, taking her in in that brief moment, and spots a jewel necklace hanging around her neck. The stone is a type he recognizes, for he's seen it before on another agent of the Bureau, and suddenly everything makes more sense.
"You're a seer, aren't you?"
"That I am, sorry for the constant interruptions, I haven't been able to do that in forever."
"It's fine. Just try to let me speak some of the time?" Ajax says, and Lotus hums in agreement. Or that's an empty-promise hum. They sound very similar. Silence takes over for a while, and it's nice. Even if being in the field brings back old memories, the excitement of actively investigating a case consumes him, electrifying his veins and sending sparks throughout his body. He's finally back to some semblance of normal, even if he has someone new by his side, it's better than sitting behind a desk at the Bureau all day. Ajax smiles to himself, wondering briefly where this new partnership would take them. He could ask the literal seer next to him, but thinking of it himself is way more fun.
Who knows where this journey leads, he's just excited to be journeying once again.