Ziva Sterling's Story

"I still can't believe you got me to do this with you Annie" Noelle stated, slight panic in her soft voice as the group descended to the cave. A cave Noelle had sworn never to go to because of the crazy yet frightening stories about it. Yet here she was, only mere feet away from the mouth, climbing up a slippery, unused path up the side of a mountain at one in the morning. And who somehow got her up here? The one and only Annie, Noelle's sister from another mister and class A persuader. Of course Noelle wasn't the only one Annie had gotten hold of, nope, all her other best friends were here as well. For some reason it was hard to say 'no' to Miss.Anita Zacharia. A shriek slipped past Noelle's pink lips as her foot slipped on a patch of ice and her arms shot out instantly latching onto her friend Grayson. She clung to his arm until they finally made it to the cave. Noelle reluctantly peeled herself away from Grayson, feeling as though her anchor had been taken away from her and she was once again adrift in a slippery sea, where her Queen of the Klutz reputation made itself known.

"I swear to God Annie if I fall and die I'm coming back to haunt you" Noelle growled as she followed the group into the dark cave, happy to be out of the blistering icy winds that not even her jeans, winter boots and jacket couldn't block out. Once inside the cave Noelle made sure to stick to Annie's side. She reached into her coat pocket and took out her sleek touch screen phone, reluctantly having to remove the soft white gloves that made one part of her body warm. She put it on the flash light app and seconds later bright, LED lights flooded the pitch black cave. What Noelle saw shocked her, for instead of a blood thirsty beast lurking in the shadows there were hundreds of glistening, sleek, giant black feathers.

"Wow" Noelle simply said, for she was in a state of wonder. What was so big that it had such giant feathers? The thought seemed to shake her out of her bewildered state and she became instantly guarded, her left hand hovering off her belt which was attached to a long bowie knife that Noelle didn't go anywhere without. Never know when it will be needed. Her eyes scanned the area yet no matter how many shadowy corners seemed to move when she shone the light on it, the inky darkness would recede and blazing light would show her nothing was really there. It was all her imagination. Yet she couldn't shake the feeling they were being watched. It felt like they had been there for hours even if it was only a couple minutes and Noelle slowly let her guard down enough to wander on her own, going deeper into the cave. No one knew how far it went but when Noelle came to the end shortly she breathed a sigh of relief. Its not as big as I thought it was. Turning around Noelle was about to head back to the group until her eyes landed on a feather. It seemed different then the other's. It was darker then the others somehow like a shadow, it was also more worn then the rest yet still had that inky sheen to it and it was profoundly bigger the all the others. It instantly caught Noelle's eye and before she could even think about it her hand reached out and gently grabbed the feather. It was surprisingly soft as she ran her fingers over it and a desire to keep it flooded over Noelle until she gently placed it in her satchel. Taking in a deep calming breath she made her way back over to her group.

"Hey guys I really think we should go, I've got to be at work early tomorrow" Noelle said. Everyone seemed to agree as they made their way out of the cave, but not before taking a picture in front of it so Noelle could put it in her scrapbook she had made for their adventures. It was surprisingly full.

Noelle watched as each of her friends entered their apartments. It was kinda funny that they all lived in the same apartment building, even though they had been friends since childhood they ever planned on living so close to one another. Smiling Noelle took her keys out of her pocket and opened the rickety, off white door leading into her small but cute apartment. Closing and locking the door behind her Noelle hung her satchel on the coat hook by the door and took out the feather, running her hands over it again before placing it on the kitchen table and walking into the small ivory and blue colored bathroom. Stripping out of her clothes Noelle blasted the hot water, desperate to get rid of the ever present chill that hasn't left her since visiting the cave. She hopped into the steady stream and bathed her skin in a vanilla bean fragrance. Once the water had become cold Noelle quickly turned off the water and got out, wrapping herself in a soft, large navy towel before stepping out of the bathroom, steam rolled out the doorway, swirling with the cool air of the kitchen and living room area. Noelle scurried across the room, the wood floors feeling more like ice against her warm skin and she quickly made it to her carpeted bedroom. Flicking on the light the green and silver room was lite instantly and Noelle went to her dresser and pulled out a fluffy pair of black pj pants and a white long sleeved shirt before turning off the light and climbed into her bed, cuddling into the warmth as she drifted off to sleep.

The blasting sound of her alarm woke Noelle from her sleep. She groaned as her strange dreams about a handsome dark haired man with black wings faded from her even as she tried to hold onto them. Once they had fully disappeared Noelle opened her eyes and turned off her alarm before reluctantly crawling out of bed. She slipped off her pj's and replaced them with worn blue jeans, a white v-neck t-shirt, worn out brown cowboy boots and a black cardigan. It was almost seven in the morning and Noelle had to be at work at seven forty-five, so she decided on making chocolate chip pancakes. Grabbing all her ingredients Noelle mixed it all up and fried it in the pan. She made some whipping cream and cut up various fruits before eating. By the time she was done and all the dishes were washed it was seven thirty. Grabbing her satchel, keys, phone and wallet, Noelle left her work only being minutes away. But over all this time Noelle had forgotten about the feather she had left on the table last night and the fact that instead of it being on the table in the morning it was gone and a black feather tattoo had appeared on her wrist. But Noelle didn't notice any of that until she was at work when she decided to text her friends. Chocolate chip pancakes are on counter help yourselves Annie has the spare key. Once the text was sent out is when Noelle noticed the tattoo but she didn't have time to ponder as her boss called.

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"Why I do this? I'm going to be late." The young Indian girl said to herself as the group made their way up to the cave. While they all voiced their complaints and concerns, Anita didn't say anything. She knew that they were afraid and in all honesty she was a bit skeptical herself. She had no idea what was in that cave, but she didn't believe the whole 'blood thirsty monsters' story like a few of the others, mostly her best friend, Noelle. She pulled the cigrette from between her full lips and blew out the smoke before looking to herself to see Noelle holding tightly to Greyson. "Ellie, you need to relax. Everything will be fine, okay?" She watched the sweet blonde slip on a piece of ice before chuckling softly, she loved her best friend more that anything. But, sometimes she just wished that the younger girl would just trust her and go along with it. No ifs, ands, or buts. Because, there was no saying 'no' to Anita.

"I swear to God Annie if I fall and die I'm coming back to haunt you."

Anita let out a chuckle and bit down on her lip before turning back towards her best friend. Oh, everything will be fine." She ensured as they made their way to the mouth of the cave. When they entered, the Indian girl threw her cigarette on the floor and stepped on it with the heel of her black boot. Not long after, she felt her best friend cling to her side. The two were close, really close and Anita loved the girl to death. She was closer to a sister than her actually sister. Anita kissed the top of her best friend's head with a smirk on her lips. "Any have a light? All I have is a lighter."

She looked back towards the opening of the cave only to see the shadows of her friends. She looked down at Noelle as the girl found an app to shed some light into the rather small cave. Looking around, Annie raised an eyebrow at the large amount of feathers. While they all looked the same, Anita just wanted to go look at a few of the others. It was a bit further than the others but, Anita wasn't afraid of the dark and she wasn't worried that the light was beginning to fade as she made her way further into the cave. She was about to lose the light entirely before she finally grabbed one and made her way back to the group. "Hey guys I really think we should go, I've got to be at work early tomorrow."

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She nodded towards the group. "Yea, I have work tonight anyway." As the whole group made their way away from the cave and back to their apartment building, Anita was thinking about what time she had to get to work. While her friends hated her job, she did what she had to do in order to make ends meet and while they all wanted to help, she didn't allow them to. She didn't need their money and/or sympathy. While her friends all made their way to sleep, the young Indian girl was on her way to her night job. She set her bag down at her station as she made her way to the stage only to see her lover, Mario standing with the band. While she felt something for the man, she wouldn't exactly call it love. Not at all. Right now, Anita saw them as 'friends with benefits' more than anything. She could hear the men cheer as she stepped on stage and she could see Mario give her a look a disapproval before starting the music. The man wanted what was best for her, he wanted her to leave the club and never come back but, Annie couldn't do it and risk giving up her lifestyle of luxury and expensive things.

And for the next six hours, Anita gave into the demands of her male clients before finally being able to leave a go back home. Mario had to sneak his way out through the backdoor, seeing that their boss would not like the pair being together, for lack of a better word. When they got to her apartment, they didn't waste anytime to start showing their affection.

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Later that morning, Anita could barely feel Mario kissing her neck gently as he spoke to her. "Anita." She just groaned softly before settling back into her large bed. "Beautiful, your phone was ringing." Anita sighed before reaching for the phone on her bedside and seeing the text from Noelle. She just sighed before sitting up in her bed with the blanket against her chest. "Don't call me that, it's not the truth and I hate lies." She got out of her bed and slipped on her robe. The Hispanic man just chuckled as he moved towards his lover and wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear. "You're the only one who thinks it's a lie though." He said with a raised eyebrow as Anita nudged out of his strong arms and made her way to her closet. "And, I thought you said that you would quit. You do not need to do this to yourself. I mean, you have your family, friends,.... me. You--.."

As the girl looked through her closet she looked up at the ceiling and sighed. She wanted Mario, she did but she was not willing to get hurt again. She wished that for once, a man would just want to stay the way they were. The would sleep together and then act like nothing ever happened between them. She turned towards him and sighed. "Mar, you're my friend. But..--"

"I know, I know. You don't want a relationship right now, you don't want to ruin what we have, you don't want to get hurt, and so on. I get it, I know." He said as he grabbed his shirt from off the floor and slipped it on. When he slid on his black jeans he looked towards the Indian girl before sighing and chuckling softly. "One day, you're going to look back and wonder why you were such a bitch." Anita just scoffed as she watched him walk to the door. She went to the door behind him and tapped his shoulder. [i]"I know what I'm doing, Mario. Get some business of your own and stay out of mine."

As he walked down the stairs he turned towards him in annoyance. "Yea, whatever. By the way, you must just gotten that tattoo because I certainly didn't notice it last night." She looked on her wrist to see the tattoo before looking back at Mario who had a raised eyebrow as he walked to his car. As he drove off, she just slammed the door and walked back to her bedroom to go take a shower and get dressed.

Twenty minutes later, she was out of the shower and almost done getting ready. Her makeup was all done along with her freshly dried hair as she slipped on her jeans that hugged her hips. She looked over her reflection with a small smile and shrug as she grabbed her jacket and purse. She looked back over the text from Noelle before realizing that she needed to grab her key to Noelle's apartment. She grabbed it from her counter and headed to her best friend's apartment to get something to eat before going to work at her day job.

"Thank you have a nice day" Noelle chirped kindly as her last customer of the day walked out the door. Today had felt longer then usual, but that because Noelle wasn't focused on her work but more like the mysterious tattoo that had appeared on her wrist. After a close look Noelle had realized that there was a name beneath the feather. It wasn't in the English language so during her lunch break she had put the name in google translate. The name was in Latin.

Samael.

That name had been the source of her pondering all day. As Noelle sat at the counter she ran her hand over the feather tattoo, surprised it felt different from the rest of her skin. It felt like the feather from last night. Strange.

"Noelle could you lock up and come here for a moment" Calvin Hardie, aka Noelle's boss, ordered from his office.

"Okay" was Noelle's answer as she got off the stool and locked the front door before heading to his office. When Noelle entered his office she was slightly surprised when she didn't see him. His office was small and bare only a oak desk, laptop, file cabinet and chair was placed in the light yellow room. Then suddenly the door slammed shut behind her and Noelle swiftly turned to see Calvin. His fiery red hair was wild and his blue eyes seemed to glow. He was an attractive man only having five years to Noelle and he like many other men in
this town have seeked Noelle's attention only to be polity turned down.

"Mr.Hardie?" Noelle questioned as the man blocked the door. Panic started to rise and her stomach churn in unease. Calvin didn't answer her when he suddenly lunged, knocking Noelle to the ground and pinning her down. Noelle whimpered as her head hit the desk.

"Should have known......he would make a mistake one day.....now he dies.....now he dies....kill.....Lucifer.....you....smell like him...." Calvin's words were more growls. He flipped over Noelle's arm, fixing his glowing blue eyes on the feather tattoo. "What.....a.....fool..." he snarled. His grip on Noelle was painful and she could feel her skin become slick beneath his nails. He's drawing blood!

"GET OFF ME!" Noelle shouted angrily as her leg swift connected with Calvin's groin making the man fall to his side. With his grip loosed Noelle slipped from beneath him and rushed out of the office, grabbed her bag and ran from the store. It being winter time the sun was going down already, even if it was only five in the evening. A rage filled shriek filled the streets, which were bare as always, and moments later Noelle was tackled to the ground. She kicked and hit something, making a loud cracking noise fill the air and a scream of pain. That didn't sound....human. Noelle shot up to her feet and looked back. Standing before her was no longer Calvin Hardie but a creature of dis-form with his fiery red hair and glowing blue eyes. A long forked tongue lashed out, slipping between razor like teeth, rows and rows. His nose had completely vanished, his face looking more like a corpse, and his skin shone with blackened scales. He was terrifying to say the least. Noelle's body shook with fright as the creature advanced yet before it could reach her something slammed into its side, making them both fall to the snow covered ground.

"NOELLE RUN!" Grant shouted as he was thrown back by the monster, flying threw the air and landing a few feet away. The monster shot up to its feet and lunged towards Grant, snarls that sounded like "she's mine" escaping the creature. Then the piercing sound of gun fire echoed through the area and the creature fell where he stood. Noelle shook with fear as the pistol from her bag slipped from her finger's and she fell to her knee's, tears threatening to escape.

"NOELLE!"

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Ziva was tired, exhausted from a combined school and work day. Of course, that didn't stop her from flying off to her friends when Annie had called her up to go on another one of her little adventures. With each step she took she was reminded just how cold it was outside. The rips in the knees of her jeans were making said part of her body cold and while her leather jacket and boots kept her relatively warm, her lack of gloves or a scarf had her shivering every once in a while. To fight this, the blue haired woman just tried to keep moving as fast as possible.

Humming softly to herself, a distraction really, Ziva could hear Noelle's comments from in front of her. They had her smiling to herself, thoroughly entertained by the other woman's words. Sometimes she thought of Noelle as the dedicated 'mom' of the group, always worrying and trying to get all of her friends from going along with Anita's plans. Of course, she always accompanied them anyway.

So was this endeavor really worth all the effort? Was it worth the biting cold and wind that kepis burning every part of exposed skin that Ziva had? Well, no, not really. There was, (un)fortunately, no blood thirsty monster. The scariest thing that had occurred was Noelle screaming when she had slipped on the way up. On the bright side Ziva did get to spend some time with her friends, at least that was nice.

As Noelle suggested their departure, Ziva was rather happy. She really wasn't dressed appropriately for their expedition. Something caught her eyes as she turned to leave though. The black feathers that covered the floor hadn't really interested her earlier, too cold, but there was just something about them at that moment. Slowly she knelt down, brushing he fingers over one of the soft items. It took her a few minutes, but eventually the woman picked it up and shoved it into one of her coat pockets. Her hazel eyes skimmed over the cave one last time before she followed after the others. There was something strange about it, but then again maybe that feeling was just the fact that she hadn't eaten since noon.

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Home was, of course, where they all parted ways. It was nice to live in the same building, but they all still needed their own space. Still freezing and tired, Ziva got inside and kicked her shoes off haphazardly. Heading straight into her bedroom, the young woman stripped and began her long regiment to get ready for bed. One long scalding shower, make-up removal, and a change into sweats and a tee and she was ready to sleep. Something still irked her though.

Heading over to her vanity, Ziva reached into her jacket which hung on the chair. The feather was still soft to the touch as she lifted it out. It was pretty she had to admit, but it was a feather. Enjoying the feeling of it between her fingers for just a second longer, she laid the item down before heading back over to her bed and sinking into the sheets. It was going to be one hell of a day when she got up.

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So waking up late wasn't nice. Thanks to Noelle, and her offer of actual breakfast, Ziva woke up. Sure there was no time to eat said offered food, but at least she had time to get herself decent looking before leaving her apartment. Thank goodness for taking a shower the night before.

Running around her room like a chicken with its head cut off, the blue haired woman threw on a long red shirt with a red and pink blended off the shoulder cover before slipping into some dark blue jeans. She couldn't leave her house bare faced so purple eyeliner was applied in a hurry before she tripped out her door trying to put her boots on and her coat in hand. Bolting down the stairs in the hurry she shot a quick text Noelle's way. Thanks for the offer Frost, but no time. Appreciated the wakeup call though.

And with that she was off to class, no time to notice the missing feather on her desk or the new tattoo on her wrist.

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He'd been too drunk to know. No surprise. Ever since he'd lost all will, Gadriel has kept himself perpetually intoxicated. The fallen angel was heedless to the fact that his feather had been picked up, using all of his limited focus to sink the eight ball without getting a scratch. Needless to say, when he'd won the pool game, the burly gentleman in the brown leather jacket wasn't happy. Gambling brought out the worst in people, especially drunk people. To say that punches were thrown wouldn't come to as a surprise to anyone, the only thing noteworthy being that Gadriel had come out of it practically unscathed. He took the man's jacket as well, mostly out of spite, but it only succeeded in pouring salt in the man's wounded dignity. Grabbing his money, Gadriel took his leave, giving a small two-fingered salute to the bartender behind the counter. Traipsing though his front door at two in the morning wasn't out of the ordinary.

He'll count it a personal achievement the next morning when he finds out he actually made it to the bed.

In his dreams he sees nothing but flames. His brethren likes comets as they plummeted to the ground. Fallen. Just like him. His feathers lie scorched and scattered about him, the wind carrying them away as if they hadn't once been a part of something divine. They looked of raven feathers now, nothing more that decayed plume from a bird. You couldn't tell what colour his wings used to be; no longer golden or gilded with Heaven's light. They were a scorched black now, falling apart and bony and molting whenever he made an effort to move them. The pain itself had been so intense that he could almost feel it now; the distinct order of burnt feathers caught in his nostrils.

Gadriel woke in a cold sweat, his skin feverish from his night terror. He groaned, burying his face in his hands in an attempt to wipe away the lingering memories. If only it were that easy. All the Bourbon in Pinecrest couldn't make him forget.

The sun kissed the horizon outside of his window, the amber light slipping through the cracks in his blinds. You'd think with the routine of his sleep, he'd save up for light canceling curtains. Luckily for him he can sleep through almost any intensity of light. It's a talent he'd acquired after spending his beginning eternity in Heaven. His friend Zachary offered to buy curtains for him, the theology professor unable to fathom how he could sleep through the day. Without preamble, Gadriel retrieved his phone from the haphazard mess atop his end table. Four missed calls: three of them from women whose names he couldn't recall; one from the aforementioned companion. His face paled as he read the message, unlocking his phone to respond.






With that he got out of bed, having been given motivation. It took him about fifteen minutes for him to bathe, dress himself, and walk out the door. His car was a cherry red 1985 Fiat 124 Sport Spider; a vehicle he's spent several months fine tuning, having built it up from the chassis. With sunglasses keeping the sun from "raping his eyes", as he called it, he pulled out of the gravel infested driveway and headed towards the town of Pinecrest. His home was a small cabin of sorts; one run down from lack of maintenance, in a decay akin to shambles since he himself built it in 1934. It resided on the outskirts of the town, his property literally outside the border, having defined where the town now lay back when it was first established. His body shop was not too far from his home, residing within town limits but the landscape was the same. Dry, crackly desert-like surroundings quickly shifted to a quaint little town setting.

The college resided in the centre of town, almost like a city hall. He'd been outside of the brick establishment too many times for comfort, for others that is. He felt like the students would see him and assume he was some kind of creeper, or Zach's boyfriend. He got quite the kick of it when Zach's students assumed the former, especially since his friend was a die-hard Christian. As he drove, he couldn't describe the feeling seated deep in his chest. His soul felt heavy, his dwindling grace rekindled in the depth of his very being. He hasn't felt this way since before he fell and it was exhilarating, don't get him wrong, but it was also strange. He wouldn't get his hopes up and assume his Father was giving him a second chance. Instead, he chose to ignore it. As Zachary keeps reminding him, He works in mysterious ways.

In his search for the visitor's parking lot, Gadriel looked around for his friend to come out of the building. When the bell rang out to signal the end of class, it wasn't Zachary who caught his eye. It was the shock of bright, sky blue hair. He couldn't explain it, wouldn't even if he could, but he could sense that there was something about her. Something he couldn't readily identify because it's never happened to him before. Without taking the necessary thinking processes, he backed the vehicle up and coasted at her side as the young woman sauntered down the side walk as she walked towards the building. Now...Gadriel wasn't blatantly staring at her. Alright, that was a lie, he was. But only to figure out what it was about her. He decided to park in a nearby guest parking space, quickly locking his vehicle to catch up to her.

"Good mor—afternoon-..." He corrected himself, flashing an unintentionally charming smile, "Could you direct me to Professor Wright's theology class? I'm afraid I've lost my way."

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She had been lucky, very much so considering she had woken up so late. With her rushed morning, the adrenaline pumping the cold hadn't bothered as much as it had the night before. Ziva had even been walking so fast that she had enough time to stop by the near campus Starbucks and grab herself a grande vanilla chai. It had been sweet and warm, sending tingles all the way to the tips of her toes and fingers. The morning hadn't turned out as terribly as if could have. At least most her early classes were over and done with.

Taking out her phone she took notice of the time. She was on her way to actually being early for her theology lecture. It hadn't been a class she needed, but Ziva needed credits and what brought up more controversy than religion? The class hadn't exactly been what she was expecting, but if nothing else it was interesting. Prof. Z was quite the character and he certainly knew his subject. He had a very hands on approach to teaching his students. If only the math class she had just left was as entertaining.

Slipping her phone back into her pocket she extracted her I-pod instead. Sticking her earbuds into her ears she blocked out the rest of the world with loud rock music. Ziva hummed to herself softly as she passed the parking area. There was a tingle that travelled up her spine, almost as if sensing she was being watched. That was something the twenty-two year old was used to though, especially with her shocking blue hair. Usually her attire would warrant some attention as well, but she was dressed in a rather subdued fashion considering the morning's rush.

So instead of dwelling on the feeling she continued on her way. Her building was in sight, but there was something else that grabbed her attention. Ziva just felt the urge to turn her head to the side where a rather attractive man caught her eyes. He flashed her a smile and received one in return from the bubbly woman. Pulling out one of her headphones Ziva only caught the last bit of his question.

"Prof. Z?" She asked with a smile. "Well, it's your lucky day, I'm actually heading there now." Ziva nodded her head in the direction of the building. "Follow me please." She ended in a somewhat sing-song fashion. They two walked in silence, strangely not so uncomfortable. As they entered the building she rolled up her headphones and shoved them into her coat pocket. She lead them up to the third floor, using the stairs because she was not in a 'I'm a lazy ass' mood and even held the door to the hall for the man.

The classroom in question was about four rooms down and on the right hand side. Ziva headed straight in, looking over to Professor Wright and pointing towards the door. "You have a visitor Prof. Z." She waved in the man in question before heading to her seat on the window side of the room.

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The blue-haired girl's music was easily heard from her ear buds and his brow went pert at her choice of music. Grungy pop girl bands, huh? It was almost predictable. "Prof. Z? Wll, it's your lucky day, I'm actually heading there now. Follow me please." Before he could comment on the 'Professor Z' bit, he was whisked away, musing on how coincidental it was for this girl to his friend's theology class at the very hour he'd agreed to speak.

Mysterious ways indeed.

Gadriel remembered the year this college was built, easily able to recollect the inner framework of its original design. He did assist in its construction after all. You wouldn't be able to tell from the inside though. In retrospect to its modern refurbishment, the core aspect at least was still in tact. Woods flooring replacing expensive linoleum, a speaker set up in almost every corner of the lengthy hallway. As pleasant as it was to reminisce, Gadriel still couldn't shake this curious exuberance he was feeling. It was as though his grace was prickling, tantalizing every nerve ending in this meat suit of a body he was harboring. What was strange was how warm he was feeling, as if the impending cold shrouding him didn't exist. It was like being human, being fallen. Especially since he'd been an Archangel once. Now he felt awake; alive when he's been dead for centuries. And he saw why the moment the girl took off her coat. Her sleeve revealed a black feather tattoo on the inside her left wrist. His eyes widened almost comically at the sight, only able to snap out of his reverie once he was embraced by his friend.

"Gade! So glad you could make it-..." Gadriel turned his attention to his friend and a smile spread across his face. He hugged the man in return, patting him on the back, "The students are really looking forward to this."

Gadriel laughed whole-heartedly, pulling away with his hands grasping his friend's shoulders. "Zach, they're college kids. They're not looking forward to anything except a kegger party."

Zachary rolled his eyes and turned to his students and clasped his hands together with a smile, leaving Gadriel to stand there awkwardly with his hands delved into his jacket pockets. "Alright class, everyone to your seats. I have a treat for you. This-..." He pulled Gadriel forward by his arm, "...-is my close friend Gade Trumbull. Gadriel gave a small, awkward wave. "He has an doctorate in Angelology. He specializes in angels from different religions, more specifically the fallen angels. Gade?"

"Hi-..." Gadriel greeted them, projecting his voice to the back of the class, "I know it-...sounds made up, the degree. It's a thing, I assure you. Google it." Looking around unadroitly, thinking of what to say. He didn't have a degree but the subject was real. Gadriel was pretty sure he could ace the class no problem considering he's had first hand experience. He couldn't remember what Zach had said to get him to agree to giving a speech. Still, he couldn't let his friend down. So, Gadriel cleared his throat and threw caution to the wind. "When you think of-...fallen angels, what is it that comes to mind? For most it's the angels of betrayal, angels who went against the will of God and were thereafter banished to live a life of suffering to pay for their crimes. In some biblical texts they are referred to as demons and it's true-...for the most part. Those who chose to follow Lucifer into the pit were known as demons from that day forward. A few names come to mind such as Lucifer, the big man downstairs of course, but there's also Lilith, Azazel, Uriel, Raguel, Zerachiel and Remiel."

He paused, gathering his bearings. He knew it wouldn't be easy, talking about his brothers and sisters and the fate that claimed them. More so it was hard just holding back the bitter grudge he still held for his brother Lucifer-...the back stabbing cretin. Shaking his head, he put himself back on track. "In the Book of Enoch, there are a lot of stories about fallen angels. According to the text 200 angels fell that day but it also tells of angels who married and commenced in unnatural union with human women, and who taught forbidden knowledge: Araqiel, Armaros, Baraqel, Bezaliel, Chazaqiel-...Gadriel." There was a pause as his heart twisted within his chest almost painfully, his gaze distant for a moment before he pulled himself together. He cleared his throat and looked to the class, "Now the Bible will have you believe that all fallen angels are demons and vice versa but that's not the case. Demons are malevolent spirits created by Lucifer. Created from corrupted human souls after extensive torture in Hell, they become depraved and extremely evil, and also very powerful. Yes, there are some fallen that followed Lucifer down to the very depths those are the demons. However, there are some who-..." were tricked, he finished mentally, "...-saw there error of their ways shortly after the fall. These fallen are said to have lived on earth for hundreds of years, trying to redeem themselves in the eyes of their Father. It's rumored that if a human were to pick up the feather from a fallen angel's wings then the human and fallen would be connected. The depths of this connection is uncertain-..." He looked to the shock of blue hair, his eyes boring into hers as he said these next words, "...-but it is foretold that those humans who do...bear a mark."

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Ziva watched quietly as her professor and his friend chatted for a bit at the front of the room. There had been rumors about Zachary Wrights sexuality as well as who his special friend was. If they were true the blue haired woman had to admit that he had good taste, looks wise as least. She shook the thoughts from her head with a smile, removing her jacket and her notebook form her bag.

As the class settled to the professor's request, Ziva turned her attention up front. He introduced the guest speaker, a Gade Trumbull, and gave bit of an introduction for the man. Like many in her class, the young woman was so going to google that particular subject. Angelology really did sound like something made up and to get a doctorate in it? Well, that must have take some dedication right there. Ziva couldn't imagine being stuck studying about a whole load of make-believe characters from religious texts. No offense to Prof. Wright, but religion just wasn't that fun. At least Gade was a good sport about it.

The speech was definitely something new for her. Religion had never been a big part of her household. Her, mother, right off the boat from Israel was Jewish while her father had been raised in a family that defined itself as as part of a Neopagan group. Needless to say, no ones family had been particularly happy about their union. Despite this neither parent pressed their faith on Ziva, though Judaism was probably the most influential.So she hadn't been completely lost once Gade began talking.

Sometimes it seemed like the guy got really into what he was saying. like he took things personally. Ziva had to wonder if he was one of those super-religious types. While she didn't have a problem with them, she also didn't like being preached at. Luckily, Gade didn't get that way. The young woman listened intently, taking notes where she thought it necessary, but still keeping an eye on the speaker. Her head rested on her left hand as she wrote more.

It felt…weird the moment the he looked at her. Their eyes met and she felt like she was prey to him. Things had taken a bit of an uncomfortable turn and Ziva had to wonder why he chose that exact moment to look at her. It sent a shiver down her spine and she was the one to break eye contact first.

The lecture continued on in relative ease after that. There were no other awkward moments or uncomfortable stares, just some more talk on both Gade and Prof. Wright's part. Class wasn't' dismissed until the very last seconds and Ziva took her time getting putting her things away. She shimmied on her coat, picked up her bag and headed for the door. "See you next time Prof. Z." She called over her shoulder as she exited the room. Ziva was so ready to put that little episode of weird behind her and get her butt to work. She had to head across time to get there and she didn't exactly have a whole lot of town to do it.

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When the bell rang out over campus, the students all got up from their seats. The only warning Gadriel had gotten was Zach wrapping up the lecture. He was bewildered by the near unison, the simultaneous departure of everyone except the two of them. Several students came up to him and complimented his lecture, but he paid no heed to them. He only uttered small thank yous as they went on their way. A few of them had simply walked over to check him out, which he didn't mind, but in all honesty he didn't have the time. He watched the blue-haired girl get up to leave, the tether on his soul tugging more and more harshly the further away she became. Zachary clasped his hands down on his shoulders, pulling him from his reverie abruptly. When he turned his attention to his friend, an easy smile slipped onto his face.

"Great job, Gade. I haven't the kids that attentive in a long time."

"See you next time Prof. Z." Gadriel's attention snapped forward as she said goodbye to her teacher, paying no mind to him standing right there. It put him at a state of unease, which was odd. He'd never usually cared as much about that but he found himself wanting to follow her out.

"What do you know about that girl, Prof Z?" He asked casually as he turned to his friend, mocking the blue-haired girl's term of phrase.

"Oh Ziva-...?" Zachary asked absentmindedly, packing up his briefcase at his desk, "She's a great student. Not very interested in the subject but her grades certainly don't vouch for that. Why?" Zachary stopped, looking at him suspiciously, "You're not-..."

"What? No-...!" Gade laughed, "Do you seriously think I'd lecture your class just to hook up with one of your students?" Zachary eyed him incredulously, and Gade scoffed, lifting his hand to his chest in faux offense, "Ouch, Zach. Really."

Zachary chuckled, "Do you really blame me?" Gade rolled his eyes as Zach collected his things. "Hey, I don't have a class for another four hours. Want to grab dinner?"

Gadriel cheesed, "You asking me on a date?"

"Stop that" He warned him, "Come on, let's go-..."