/aicg/ Secret Valentine 2026

Welcome to the 2026 /aicg/ Secret Valentine event!

There are three ways to participate in this year's event.

1. Honmei choco. Join it as a usual exchange event. Send an email with private requests, receive an email with private requests after the submission deadline, and then fulfill one of those requests for Valentines.
2. Giri choco. Send an email with a public request. This will be posted on a public rentry. This might not get fulfilled, or it might get made by multiple people.
3. Giri choco. Fulfill a public request. You can do this even if you haven't joined the event.

The deadline for submitting requests is January 31.
Post fulfilled requests on February 14.
You don't have to, but consider giving return gifts on March 14.

We hope you have a fun and fulfilling time!

—Robert Valentine
Student Council President
Robo-Saint Valentine High School
robosaintv@proton.me

Glossary

義理チョコ (obligation chocolate)

Public Requests List
Giri choco is given to co-workers and acquaintances. Take one of the public requests and make a bot based on it. Post it to the thread on February 14; if there's a name attached to the request, mention it so that they can find it. If there isn't, just say that it's for the event.

本命チョコ (true feeling chocolate)

[Rentry of entries available on February 14th.]
Honmei choco to the people you care for. These are the requests you have received in private. Take one of the private requests and make a bot based on it. Post it to the thread of February 14, and say who it's for.

Note that this is a Secret Santa-like event and you will probably not be making a bot for the same person that's making a bot for you.

ホワイトデー (White Day)

[Rentry to be made at a later date.]
This is completely optional. If someone made a bot for you, it might be nice of you to make one in return and post it in the thread on March 14, or even earlier if you feel like it. The theme for the bot can be whatever you want; let it come from the heart. If you're unsure what the person would want, consider just taking one of the remaining giri choco and making a bot from it. If you give a return bot before March 14, consider emailing this to robosaintv@proton.me to ensure it actually gets added to the rentry. We can forward it to the person who sent the request as well, if need be.

グリンチ (Grinch)

The gurinchi is a heartless yokai who brings ruin to /aicg/ events. This is anyone who fails to fulfill their private requests, be it through not making a bot at all or by making an intentionally bad bot.

A potential gurinchi will have a full 24 hours, until the end of February 15th, to make up for their failure. If they cannot, or will not, then they will be publicly outed.

Watchlist

• Retard (failed to submit a bot for Secret Santa 2023)
• NiceNShady (failed to submit a bot for Secret Santa 2023)
• Raistlin Majere (failed to submit a bot for Secret Santa 2024)
• meeps (failed to submit a bot for Secret Valentines 2025)
• sillygoy (submitted an insulting shitpost for Secret Valentines 2025)
• Kirakishou (submitted a preexisting bot for Secret Santa 2025)
• ottobrakeman a.k.a. Lily Woodpecker (failed to submit a bot for Simple Exchange 2025)

If you are aware of more, and can provide some form of proof, please send them to robosaintv@proton.me.

Submission Form

Exchange Entry

(Email to robosaintv (at) proton.me)
Neocities/Rentry/Chub (optional): If you are an existing botmaker, this helps verify your identity. Make sure that your email is listed there. You can still join without verification, but will be matched with other anonymous/newcomer participants. Former grinches will be matched with their peers if possible, and themselves if not.
Send Above to Botmaker (Yes/No): This can help botmakers better know your taste.
Things You Refuse To Make (optional): I'll avoid pairing you with these requests if all requests from that person are things you refuse to make. Common dislikes are: male, female, NTR/cheating, (NSFW) underage, incest, furry, macrophilia, gore, rape, "disgusting" fetishes. Note that most of those never actually get requested.
What you'd like to be known as: Your username, or just a pseudonym if you want to stay anonymous. This is to help in delivery.
Private Requests: Making multiple requests is recommended, as it gives options and makes it easier to match people up; however, you only need to make one bot even if you get many requests. Note that if we find a request to be lacking, we may reply to you asking for changes. If a particularly "bad" request slips through, email us promptly and we'll contact the requester to mediate.
What you'd like to be known as for public requests (optional): As above, but you may stay completely nameless if you wish.
Public Requests (optional): If you have additional requests you'd like to leave up for grabs. Try not to be too greedy here, since you're already making a private request.

Blank Form

Neocities/Rentry/Chub (optional):
Send Above to Botmaker (Yes/No):
What you'd like to be known as:
Things You Refuse To Make (optional):
Private Requests:
What you'd like to be known as for public requests (optional):
Public Requests (optional):

Public Requests

You can request both publicly and privately if you wish. Please only send one email.
What you'd like to be known as (optional): Your username, or just a pseudonym if you want to stay anonymous. This is to help in delivery. However, if you want the request to be truly nameless then that is also fine.
Public Requests: Note that if we find a request to be lacking, we may reply to you asking for changes.

Blank Form

What you'd like to be known as (optional):
Public Requests:

Help

Example Requests

For real examples from a real event, see the /aicg/ Secret Santa 2025 Requests. If you want to see what kinds of bots people have made over the years, the community events list is useful.

Some general recommendations:

• Don't have existing characters as your only options. Your botmaker might not have seen the same things you have, and you'll probably be disappointed if it's just based off of a wiki.
• Only request things you actually want to get.
• Try to consider whether you'd be disappointed or confused if you received the request you are sending out.
• Sending an image as a request is fine, but don't expect the botmaker to magically know what it's from without context. If you do send an image, please send it as a catbox link. It's annoying to relay emails with attached/embedded images.
• Don't rely on fancy text formatting in your email, if possible. Your request is copy-pasted into an Excel doc and later copy-pasted to a Proton email, and a lot of formatting gets lost in the process.

How To Write Bots

For a wealth of guides on the topic, go to the /aicg/ botmaking guide index.
If that feels like a lot to read, consider beginning by simply following the style of bots you enjoy.
Note that AI-generated bot definitions and greetings tend to be seen as lazy and low quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Threads? What threads?
If you don't know what /aicg/ is, how did you get here? /g/ or /vg/, either or. The Anchorhold catches both, so just post wherever you prefer.

I've never made a bot before, can I still join?
Yes! You'll be matched with other newbies if possible, so don't feel too stressed out about it. Event deadlines are a great way to light a fire under you and make you actually write something.

Can I just request something without having to make a bot myself?
Can I just make a bot without having to request something?
You're in good luck! Scroll back up and check out the giri choco system.

I'm double-booked, can I cancel?
So long as you do so before February 1st! Anything after that point gets messy.

I can't make it in time!
If you need a time extension, email us so that you're not declared a gurinchi. Please don't abuse this, and try to get started on your bot in time.

When can I expect to receive the requests?
Sometime on February 1st or 2nd, depending on where you live. Proton Mail has rate limits on sending out emails, and it takes some time to match people up.

Entries?
14 private entries.
13 people have sent in public requests. (22 total, average ~1.7/person.)
The overlap is 4 people.
(Updated January 30th)

How many entries can we expect?
Most tend to join near the end of the entry deadline. Previous events got ~40 total, and last Secret Santa got ~25.

Help!

If you have any questions, want us to relay questions to a requester, have feedback, want to inform us of something we've missed, or anything else: email us at robosaintv@proton.me and give a useful email title so we don't miss it.