if you trust your rebel heart, ride it into battle

Hello! The kaiju awake from their slumber! It is check-in week. If you have any open or incomplete assignments [see exceptions at end of post], please consider which of the three scenarios below describes you, and check in accordingly.

1. Things aren't great. You don't think you can complete your assignment(s) by 24 January 2026.
Please go to AO3 and press 'default' on your assignment(s). You don't need to comment here, or contact me with a reason; whatever reason you have is good enough, and I wish you well. If you default on your assignment(s) before the end of the check-in period, you are welcome to sign up to all future rounds, as long as you also comment on any gifts you've received.

2. Your situation is complicated and you want to ask a question.
Sure! Please contact me at mod.modzilla@gmail.com. Please include your AO3 name and your recipient's name(s).

3. You expect to complete your assignment(s).
Great! Please comment below with the following information:

<strong>Your AO3 name</strong>: <strong>Your recipient's AO3 name</strong>: <strong>Do you intend to complete your gift(s) for this recipient by January 24, 2026</strong>? (Yes) <strong>Do you plan to fulfil your assignment with one work or with two works?</strong> <strong>Any other notes</strong> (optional):

You don't need a Dreamwidth account to comment, but if you're commenting without logging in on Dreamwidth, and you want me to email you to confirm the check-in, please say so. (If you comment while logged in, you'll get a notification when I reply.)

You do NOT need to give me any details of your progress or any samples of your work as part of your check-in. I don't need to know where you're up to right now (though it's interesting!) as long as you have a plan that works for you. If you want to, because it would amuse me/yourself, consider including a line from your fic or telling me about something that happens in your fic or comic. Or a thing you've researched, or a thing that you've had to cut. Any notes you add are entirely optional.

Or just fill out the first four questions. That's fine.

If you have more than one recipient on the go (thanks and good luck), please give check-in information for each recipient. They can be in the same comment.

If you're planning to post two half-length works to fulfil your assignment, please let me know, and I'll send you a second assignment so you can fulfil both through AO3's interface. This is easier for me to keep track of than one assignment and one treat. It's okay if you change your mind closer to the deadline.


Comments are screened. I will not start replying immediately, but I'll reply to comments from logged-in DW users, and if you ask me to reply by email, I will do that.

New this year: I will also, in the next couple of days, email all participants who need to check in to alert you to this post.


Please leave your comment by 11:59pm EST, 30 November (see countdown).

If you do not comment confirming that you are still an active participant in the exchange, I will default you and send recipients to pinch hit by approx December 2-3.


Participants who don't need to check in
-People who have already posted in full (congrats!!)
-People who have pressed or who are now pressing the default button
-People who have previously participated and who have confirmed with me they don't need to check in (f, G)
-People who recently picked up pinch hits for ...

recipients:

CousinShelley