I felt like writing something cute today, so I decided to use this meet-cute generator and write the adorable opening paragraphs from some hypothetical story. I got this prompt in my first batch: “One character finds the lost toy of the other character’s child.” and since I’ve been watching a lot of Dream Daddy streams lately, of course I had to use it! Here’s the results:
The sun was shining, and the playground I’d sat down at the edge of to rest my feet was teeming with people. It was a lovely Tuesday in early April, and it was really starting to feel like spring. Crocuses were everywhere, dotting the world in purple, yellow and white, and clutches of coltsfoot protruded from the grass in places. It was a great day for a walk, or it would’ve been if I wasn’t wearing my new ankle boots, which were chafing up a storm at my left heel. I hoped I had some of those special blister bandaids at home, or else I was going to have a problem tomorrow.
As I looked around me, I spotted something fluffy and brown on the ground below the bench. Creasing my brow, I leaned forward to peak down under the seat. I’d expected a left-behind hat or pair of gloves, but this looked like just a big lump of short, fake fur. I reached in and pulled it up. Turning it around, I realized it was a goofy-looking stuffed capybara. I smiled to myself. It was fun to see such an unusual toy. Looking around again, I scanned the crowd for someone who looked like they were liable to have lost a toy. It was sort of a hard call to make, considering practically everyone in sight was a child or a parent, and chances were that whoever had lost it hadn’t realized yet. A movement caught my eye, slightly more frantic than the rest. A woman in a bright blue parka, a little beanie-wearing head sticking up out of it, was moving around among the playground equipment, scanning the ground as if she was looking for something.
I got up and started walking over towards her. As I came closer I could see that her raven black hair had purple tips, and that she had a pierced septum.
“Excuse me,” I said. She didn’t react, busy searching and presumably not expecting for someone to come up to her at random. “Hey, is this yours?” I asked, holding out the capybara.
She looked up, her eyes darting to my face, then my hand with the toy. Her face was lit up by a bright smile.
“Oh my god, thank you!” she said, reaching out for it. “Look, Lily, it’s Cappy!” She held it up for the child, who was being carried in a dark red wrap and facing inward, so it was hard to tell how old it was. A happy gurgle was heard. “You have no idea how much better you’ve just made my afternoon,” the woman said. “We got home without Cappy and she was just miserable and cried and cried. I don’t even really like to have her in the wrap outside when it’s parka weather, it’s such a hassle, but it was the only thing that would calm her down long enough to come down and look for the goofy thing.”
“Hey, I can’t blame her,” I said with a smile. “It’s a pretty rad toy.”
“Isn’t it, though?” she replied. “My uncle bought it for her when he went to Peru when she was a newborn and it was her favorite right from the start. A sea of teddy bears and she fell for old Cappy here. Which, honestly, I think bodes well. I always wanted a kid who appreciates originality.” She shook her head a bit. “Sorry, I’m babbling.”
“No, it’s fine, I agree. Nice to see a kid breaking the mold.”
“Isn’t it?” she grinned.
I grinned back. Now I just had to think of a reason to keep talking.
Pretty cute, no? Well, that’s my cue to go to bed! G’night!
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