qlawdat
198693
4567
106
Sep 11, 2022 12:53 AM
qlawdat
198693
4567
106
Neuronyx
God i'm jealous of characters able to just... save people.
georgedragonslayer
WOW. Glad I didn't write that.
PackratMagpie
DeucesMongooses
Schitzoflink
My response to this whenever it's posted.
monkeyfly
It turns out I was not emotionally ready for that.
HarrisonTheViking
piratedn1nj4
But she had to clean up now.
GCRust
TinyOctopus
tiny octopus loved this. he's reading it to the tiniers tonight.
TinyOctopus
also. lipstick lesbians. lol.
gingerminge
C'mon man it's bedtime. I can't cry right now, I'll get a sinus headache in the morning.
Rovylern
I read it and upvote every time.
nomorehate
So wait, the kid's parents were superheroes right? I'm kinda drunk
devo27
Yup. The reason none of the parents picked them up was they were saving the planet.
trikucian
My daughter turns 2 at the end of October and every time I read this amazing short story I start tearing up. It should be in a book
Bacxaber
If superheroes were real, why was anyone scared?
OhIfIMust
CaptainBergatron
This gif has been waiting patiently for a decade to be used as a relevant reaction meme
MajorNikon
IHateHumanInteraction
I bet that pizza place couple were pissed...lol
FatBastardVegetarian
Gosh, I'm glad I read the whole thing.
relsky
I've read this before and I still choked up a bit. Wonderfully wholesome. Good short stories are the best.
yifin
Fuuuuuuuuccckkkk. That's a fine story story.
PiercedViking
Holy hell that was a good read. Thank you for posting it, OP.
Jagernot
TheFastpaws
Ended better than I had hoped.
allihearisnoise
Ps kids don't need to remember it directly, they just remember how they felt. Humans after all. Treat them as such. Story or not
ScarecrowSticks
EpicMeme
Wow powerful memories of better times
OurMajesty
That's some damned good nostalgia, I miss that magic, wish we would bring it back soon
Fastjack2056
2008. The World Was Just Awesome.
jimblebee
I WAS looking for serotonin. +1
mentallychallengeaccepted
Whk the fuck is sara tonin
LucidPariah
Here you go! Literally throwing head back laughing while reading www.royalroad.com/fiction/33726/first-contact/chapter/518598/chapter-one
Jesseskimo
Interesting read. No humour though in that chapter at least...?
LucidPariah
No. But when the humans start showing up they are all sorts of Fucked up and hilarious! What's disgusting and taboo to the aliens is just a
LucidPariah
Tuesday for us. Chapters are short, pacing is good. And I use the app Voice aloud reader on Android to read the page off chrome to me
The8obman
Best I can do is
v
jimblebee
LordOfTheFattys
LookinFineLayinDimes
Everything I see this I laugh uncontrollably
WaterUnderTheRocketAppliances
MidoryMoon
ThighHighsSaveLives
So I just woke up, but I gather they didn't get their.kids because she's unknowingly got a daycare of superhero kids ? And they were saving
Strangedays2026
There were a couple of variants of this the last time it popped up, this is the less flushed out, the other was more thorough at1/2
Strangedays2026
World building. They kinda hinted that despite the staff not knowing, the parents had kinda referred each other in. I'll see if I can2/3
Strangedays2026
Find it but it's been a while so don't hold your breath. The Villain Wrangler is always fun too.3/3
ThighHighsSaveLives
Villain wrangler one of my favorites
wintercoat
I like this version better. Keeping it hidden til the end makes it that much more heartbreaking and emotional, especially the epilogue.
Strangedays2026
Mhmm, should have phrased that a bit differently, the reveal is still at the end just more of "I'm glad X recommended this place."
DeltaBladeX
I enjoyed the DC fanfic version of the Villain Wrangler. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12304924/1/The-Villain-Wrangler
Penguinsandbroadswords
Thank you for recommending this, it's an excellent fic! I love when one of my favorite sites recc's another.
TheyBandit
The make a wish guy! Top notch stuff!
MidoryMoon
Heavenissize17socks
The kids caretaker, who's all grown up.
EverNotRelevant
Shit, I hope no one gave up on this halfway.
TheGreatSynan
I thought it was real for a moment, from a war zone or something. The twist made it really worth it while keeping the intense feelings.
hewhocontrolsthespice
OH COME ON! (I gave up halfway. Now I gotta go back cause of you, and it.)
InfOracle
Me too. Glad I did tho
Arcian
Me with ADHD:
BluePaladin42
I almost did. Glad I didn't.
johnnytox1n
Right? Glad I didn’t go and do the scroll. This comment saved it. Well done, Citizen.
sinkingfeeling
I nearly did, damn my curiosity
TheOnePristineMonk
I almost did. I have kids in daycare. Tough read. End is great
sylkysmooth
I did. Felt too samey to every other "realistic end of world" thing that's come out the last few years so I was just "meh."
SocoFox
I've read this dozens of times and I always will.
kojenk
I am thankful to this person for not breaking our hearts, which is what i was expecting.
DrMissAnonymous
Oh I totally did, But I’m also the type of person that can literally just walk away during a mid-series premier and never look back lol
[deleted]
[deleted]
EverNotRelevant
If you read on further, you might get it
AprilSpectrum
To her family's home, not her home
cakeycakes
The daycare worker's mom lived 4 hours away. She wanted to see her kid before the world ends, but the worker couldn't leave those seemingly
cakeycakes
Abandoned kids.
cakeycakes
Next time, try reading it all before commenting. You look a little silly.
shinythingsgood
It was an overheard fellow workers conversation, why all her coworkers left. Likely an adult whose mother lived in another city
badgerwedontneednostinkingbadgers
I read it as it’s a four hour drive from the day care to where the narrator’s mom lived
silviechan
Its the workers nun that live 4hours away, plenty of people dont live 4hours close to their parents as adults.
DrMissAnonymous
This is a wild comment to read out of context. Where I gave up reading had nothing to do with a nun lol
silviechan
Mum* thank you phone auto correct
Valkyr1987
The app crashed on me halfway through and I had to search the title to finish it
errrikblack
So the kids' parents are the superheros?
ThomasThundersword
bingo
DonteHaversham
The kids' parents were staving off a global event, and they went to save the world, hoping their kids would be safe. Seems selfish at first
DonteHaversham
But I mean saving the world for your kids is better than saving the earth protecting them and the world bites it. It's logical
johnnytox1n
That’s my take.
Kehy
Seems so. That's why they couldn't come get their kids
astinus
Oh damn, good thing I don't work in a daycare I guess, I'd prolly be looking to assure they don't suffer like 10 minutes in
Zeterai
It's a good twist. You really feel how angry the girl is at the seeming abandonment, but the reveal shows it's exactly the opposite.
Overextendeddullard
She says that the kids were pretending to be superheroes, they had superheroes on the brain...waiting on their parents.
ShamanOfHigh
Was suspenseful until "a guy handed out a bunch of pizza". Their motive
unexplained/impersonal, way too juxtaposed to the slow burn drama.
vegivamp
If that needed explaining, you may not be very good with people.
ShamanOfHigh
If you don't know why a MacGuffin needs explanation/foreshadowing/backstory, you may not be very good with writing suspenseful narratives.
vegivamp
That's not a mcguffin, that's just someone showing empathy. You know, just about the most human emotion there is.
OhNoDontTouch
he was driving by and saw her and the kids playing outside the school/daycare and asked what was up. she explained the situation and he→
OhNoDontTouch
→took pity. dude likely had no real connections of his own to attend to, and what else are you to do when the world is ending?
ShamanOfHigh
"had no real connections of his own to attend to" is the part that makes it stand out. Way too convenient, lack of obstacle or dilemma.
OhNoDontTouch
that describes an unfortunate amount of people, and it's not strange that they'd want to do something to help someone, even if it is→
cakeycakes
This. And he walked off without getting in his car again, makes me think he went to go end his life before the meteor did.
DjQwakQwak
I hope not, he is just as big a hero as the day care lady
JStengah
fiainglas
I have to read this every time it comes around. I guess it’s just to well done it’s worth the emotional distress.
DougForcett
Yep. That sums it up.
TheGrapes
neogeo0823
Came here to post this, but it was hard finding the comment button, and you beat me to it.
coolbrood
Ah, the ancient ritual persists.
wisher1977
@op
Sh4dowWalker96
The only comment this post needs.
Duskz
I am SO glad they allowed us to end on a good note. Just had a newborn, was dying inside thinking of them in this situation.
FlissFloss86Gaming
Pretty sure I'm glad I didn't read past the first paragraph
beoluves
pheran
Honestly, you should read the entire thing.
PeteyVonWho
Absolutely read the whole thing. I had to get halfway through before remembering what happens, but it's very good.
rainehdaze
No, no, it's good.
Kehy
Is a feel-good at the end. I'm just WAY too hormonal for this
beoluves
Spoilers!
Kehy
*inhales, about to go on a hormonal rant before ice cream is shoved in my face*