Are you and your significant other what some people would classify as geeky? You have a hard time doing the conventional date thing with a lot of loud people buzzing around you? Problem is, truly geeky people don't enjoy what the rest of the conventional population enjoy. And more often than not, geeks are into many, diverse things that aren't normally considered appropriate for a Hallmark holiday like Valentine's Day. But fear not, my friends, for we have come up with a set of activities that you and your partner can enjoy together on Valentine's Day, strengthening your relationship and furthering your love for each other and all things geeky!
Watch RoboCop in the Theaters
But not before watching all three original Robocop moviesin an uber-violent tongue-in-cheek 288-minute marathon of cyborg ass kickery! After enjoying the awesomeness of the original RoboCop trilogy, go ahead and watch a couple episodes of the 1980 cartoon series. The cartoon series is to soften the blow of the impending disappointment that is the 2014 RoboCop remake, especially with the original still fresh in your minds.
After seeing RoboCop 2014, the two of you can go online and rant about how the remake can't live up to the originals.
Play Laser Tag
But get carried away...
Images are from here, and you're going to want to see the rest of the images.
Imagine coming to a Laser Tag arena, but coming all decked out in full Mass Effect cosplay? Everyone is going to freak out! Of course, the dude can go in as Shepard and (assuming you're in a conventional heterosexual relationship) the girl can be any one of Shepard's strong female costars. Liara, maybe? Or even Ashley?
Raid Time!
The biggest hassle the normals are going to have to deal with is the traffic. This year, Valentine's Day falls on a Friday, which also happens to be a payday. It's like a perfect storm of people desperately trying to get from point A to point B and fucking up all the pathways in between, while they blame everyone else as the cause of the traffic build-up.
Why not meet up in a virtual date place instead? Go set join a raid as a couple. This is also an exercise in teamwork and trust. Do you trust your boyfriend's level 80 Engineer to back up your level 80 Elementalist? Is your girlfriend going to tank for you with dedication? Well, time to put your theories to the test, yes?
Here's the catch. You have to gift each other the most valuable/ highest level/ rarest tradeable loot in whatever game you play. So, I guess for Marvel Heroes, that would be an Uru-Forged item.
An alternative to this if you're not online gamers is to pick out a board game and spend the night doing other tabletop activities. *wink wink*
Build a Diorama
Let out your artistic selves and create an awesome scene within a space no smaller than 4x3 feet. The bigger, the better. The more detail and care you put into your joint project, the longer it'll take and the longer it takes, the more time you guys get to hang out with each other. Building a diorama together not only strengthens your bond while cultivating creativity and cooperation, it also enriches your love for your mutual hobby.
Pic taken at ToyCon 2012.
This is even better if you collect different toy lines. She likes My Little Pony, and you like Figma toys? Perfect! Create something together and combine them. Who knows, maybe you'll put together something that can be good enough to be featured at Collecticon.
Alternatively, if you're not into collectibles, why don't you try some sketching? Even if you're no artists. Draw a picture of each other. This is your SO so you'll have to put in your absolute best effort or you'll be experiencing a few lonely nights.
Book Exchange
There really is nothing like snuggling up to your significant other while spending quiet moments together, lost in the worlds within the pages of a good book. Why don't you just spend Valentine's Day at home or at a bookstore? Here's the idea - you buy a book for each other, one you think they'll enjoy.
Now cuddle up somewhere and read it together.
Normals, especially extroverts, might think this idea is weird. To them, it seems like a waste of a perfectly good date, let alone a special Valentine's one. In their minds, it doesn't make sense to be with someone yet immerse yourself in something else entirely. If you're a normal and you're reading this, you're just gonna have to trust me on this one. To introverts, this is probably the perfect date. You get to be with someone you love, still enjoying their company, but you aren't being "crowded" either.
My girlfriend and I are going to be enjoying a nice dinner and we'll be testing out some photography equipment in low light environments (read: we'll be taking pictures at night). She recently acquired a camera and we're going to see if the light sensitivity is really up to snuff.
UPDATE: Here is one test shot with the NX1000. Pretty cool.
So there you have it - a quick guide on how you geeky couples out there can spend your Valentine's Day. Whether you go for the more traditional route, or a slightly more eccentric nerdy approach to your V-Day date, we here at GeekOut wish you all the best.
To everyone: Be good. If you can't be good, be safe.