Today on Things We Need To Hear: Not only romantic relationships can own love month. Quality Time is all month/all year, kids.
If anything, love month should be dedicated to our good ol’ ride-or-dies, too. Think your vent buddy, 24/7 real taker, all-nighter bud or just someone who lives up to the label’s OG meaning—they’re here for you no matter what. (Whether you’ve known each other for three months or seven years is NBD, really.)
Chances are, however, they wouldn’t be able to physically pull up this year. Though it sucks to be away from them, you can still catch up someplace Ms. Rona can’t crash. Right, the internet.
If you’re tired of the occasional Telegram games and song swapping at 2 a.m., we’ve compiled a list of peak internetcore activities guaranteed to extend your friendship-span. Ride-or-die certified, FOMO-free, with ounces of screaming sold separately? Everyone’s #FreeToLove after all, so block the 14th.
Throw a Flash Games Party
If the sight of “Among Us” coaxes out a “that’s so 2020” reaction, you know it’s time for a change. Our advice though is to head back to your roots. Nothing beats the absurd and cheeky Flash Games of our times that don’t demand too much brain power.
See who gets the highest score in WorldZ or Fleabag vs. Mutt. Or maybe play Naruto Dating Sim or Office Lover Kiss to fit the theme. A little competition will help you discover each other’s traits more. Not to mention prove that you can survive any storm—even if it comes in a heated scoreboard.
Create an online care package (a.k.a. meme folder)
Creating playlists and film lists is sweet, but making meme folders? God tier.
Compiling online goldmines that reveal your deep-seated impressions for each other screams thoughtfulness, and can even give you some laughs on bad days. To pump up that folder, you can also pencil book a peer review session of your curated memes for each other. Same vibes with your high school open forum, but funnier.
Launch an MS Paint tournament
A total scatterbrain on V-day? No worries. Pick up those (virtual) brushes and paint cans, and splash your headspace on MS Paint’s glorious canvas.
Set a prompt for every round, interpret it the way you want, and work on your masterpiece while playing a special love-themed soundtrack. Bonus: Why not try making portraits of each other?
Catch up with each other via PPTs
One year of quarantine means missed birthdays, coffee dates and after-party conversations. Sometimes, a call from your ride-or-die won’t suffice either, and texting in chunks might not do justice to your stories (read: small wins at independence and new bands you’re stanning).
Well, why not do the classic? Max out PowerPoint’s abilities to narrate your life’s recent events. Color it campy as you wish, and attach a few photos in case your ride-or-die missed your IG stories. Report in detail and remember to jot down minutes.
Impersonate each other in cute RPGs
In case you didn’t know, Gen Z’s first loves Club Penguin and Neopets are up and running. Now, here’s a challenge: Why not swap identities with your bestie, then play together?
Hang out in igloos, interact with strangers, and customize your characters with the POV of your ride-or-die. Make decisions based on their ever-intriguing psyche, and ensure that they’re happy about it. Or, at least, satisfied. It might come off as a personal attack, sure, but nothing beats that kind of friendship test.
Maintaining friendships might be extra tough this plague year season two, but small acts online are grand gestures in the bigger picture. Don’t let anyone tell you that these interweb-borne efforts aren’t enough because each boosts your ride-or-die-o-meter. At the end of the day, #LoveBuildsLove—no matter how small or grand.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CLOSEUP