Lol

Thank you very much for reading!

Thanks so much for your comments. The idea behind it was he was skeptical, so he didn't really think anything would happen. I definitely was trying to style as if it would be a Twilight Zone episode. The next 3 coming out are in the same fashion. I appreciate it!

@Loudpaintings cool. All the best with the new releases

Hi, thank you so much for reading it, and also thank you for your comments. I truly do appreciate it. I had some similar feedback from other people that read it during the beta stage of writing the story, so I have some questions if you don't mind. Typically I wouldn't have a chance to discuss the story with a reader, so it will have to stand on its own, but I am just curious since this is a good place to talk.

Would you have had the same issue if the man was sexualized, and not the woman?

I ask this because the story is 95% true. Everything in this story absolutely happened except the ending. My now ex wife lit the candle, and of course nothing happened, so the ending is fictitious. However, everything else happened from donating my hair, to the food we ate, to my nephew meeting my new dog.

Most relationships I have been in, the women have been the sexual aggressor. I have some serious anxiety regarding intimacy since I am a survivor or sex abuse, but that really has no bearing on the story, so I felt no desire to include that as a back story to the main character. If the character just happened to be in a relationship of that dynamic, is it really offensive? If the roles were reversed, she might be seen as a sex object, so it seems life its hard to portray any situation without it being controversial. Relationships like this exist, and it seems sometimes it is getting difficult to reference real life.

Also, the original version of the story had the homeless man being black, as he was in real life, but then I had some backlash over that so I changed it. In hindsight, I regret doing it. If this story is realistic enough to happen in real life, I think it should be able to be portrayed in a fictitious fashion. The ethnicity of the homeless person seems to have nothing to do with the story at all, but I didn't want people to think I was being racist.

I really do try to be a good person. I do donate my hair, I too volunteer with homeless people, I am a school teacher, and I really try and promote good behavior. I guess the big question I have is:

Should a fictional story's characters necessarily promote ideal societal values?

I am doing a social justice project with my students currently where they select from a list of Global Issues from the UN website
[un.org]
They need to research ways they can help a problem they feel is most important to them.

So for me, there is a time and place to promote certain behaviors. Does fiction really have a responsibility to have a moral message?

You are 100% free to have a differing view. I am not trying to convince you of anything, just sharing my perspective and I would like to hear yours. In fact, I feel having discussions of this nature in a reasonable manner is how we learn. What are your thoughts on the responsibility in story telling, regardless if its a novel, comic, movie, etc.?

Thanks so much!

@Ellatynemouth Thank you for the reply. You make a lot of valid points

"the sexual aggressor". What does that mean? How am I supposed to comment?

I guess I am just trying to figure out what is wrong with the sex scene. There is no lurid or gratuitous behavior and all the private parts are covered by both parties. I thought maybe you didn't like that she initiated it. I understand your point now though.

Regarding the depth of her character, she just happened to not be the focus of this story. The next comic I have is a woman main character, but I honestly don't think you will like the content. Just a forewarning since I will be posting them here =) It is a lot more explicit.

I appreciate the feedback and the well wishes. Thanks so much for taking the time to read it and respond. Take care!

Thank you for reading it!

@Loudpaintings No, thank you for freely sharing... it's #MagicPudding.