The body – objectified, sexualised, feared, hunted, worshiped – always the body, they adored him or hated him before they ever knew him. The body crushed him; he was its slave. He felt empty, reduced to a soulless thing.

Debilitating guilt crushed Gabriel every time he interacted with Morgan. The Ange’el’s affection for the human was weakening his mandate to control her movements and influence her decisions. His task was, once again, to deceive and manipulate. He seemed destined to betray the confidence of those he held most dear.

Manhood is, today, an uncertain, frail status that is easily threatened. Insecure men attempt to affirm their manliness physically and symbolically. Zanus’s appeal speaks to the insecurities of men raised with traditional values; men trapped in a world that is pulling the rug under their feet and challenging everything they believe in.

Your gaze is very powerful, but trust me, it won’t open that door.

I don’t see how being handsome can possibly harm a man. It’s just another cheap privilege that took zero effort to attain.

Because when you kiss your first boy or girl, you don’t want to be so caught up in your lack of self-worth that you forget to enjoy the kiss, that you forget that you deserve the pleasure of that moment. You don’t want to be so caught up in your lack of self-worth that you become an object of his or her desire, a grateful unworthy slave to his or her attention.

Who you are has little to do with how you look. You are what you know, what you can do, the impact you have delivered, and the collection of experiences in your meaningful life.

When you don’t go to the park or to the beach because you are ashamed of how you look, remember the girls and boys that live in war-torn countries that are not allowed the joys of outdoors fun.

Genes are not destiny. They may define some of your physical features and give you a tiny head start on some things, but your lifestyle, your beliefs, and your hard work are much more important.

I'm not a pet, and I don't need anybody's seed.