December Days 02025 #24: Gamer

Wednesday, December 24th, 2025 11:58 pm
silveradept: A representation of the green 1up mushroom iconic to the Super Mario Brothers video game series. (One-up Mushroom!)
[personal profile] silveradept
It's December Days time again. This year, I have decided that I'm going to talk about skills and applications thereof, if for no other reason than because I am prone to both the fixed mindset and the downplaying of any skills that I might have obtained as not "real" skills because they do not fit some form of ideal.

24: Gamer )

Quote and More…

Thursday, December 25th, 2025 01:16 am
fairyniamh: (Xmas)
[personal profile] fairyniamh
Merry Christmas to everyone. May you know peace in your heads and hearts. ~Fairy Niamh

Quote:

"Types really don't matter. I have been accused of preferring blondes. But I have known some mighty attractive redheads, brunettes, and yes, women with grey hair. Age, height, weight haven't anything to do with glamour."

"I never did like the idea of sitting on newspapers. I did it once, and all the headlines came off on my white pants. On the level! It actually happened. Nobody bought a paper that day. They just followed me around over town and read the news on the seat of my pants."

~ Clark Gable


Holiday Music:

Dan Vasc – Oh Holy Night:

https://youtu.be/GbHyghmxeeM?si=ffqM8KruJxt85FkU

"hold my hand, we'll push that cloud away" (leann rimes)

Thursday, December 25th, 2025 01:59 am
starandrea: (Default)
[personal profile] starandrea
Wishing you and yours a peaceful season and a lovely holiday ♥



"put a little holiday in your heart
it'll put a little shuffle in your step
give you a song that you can sing
with a melody you can't forget

and if you want to join in a little harmony
to keep the world from tearing apart
you know where to look
you gotta put a little holiday in your heart"

--leann rimes

Yuletide Reading Bingo 2025

Thursday, December 25th, 2025 03:04 am
dianafortyseven: Agent 47 on a background of fluttering glitter (Default)
[personal profile] dianafortyseven posting in [community profile] yuletide
The 2025 Yuletide collection is revealed (and I managed to finish this with a slight delay), and many of us love to read more than just our own gifts and treats. If gamification is your thing, why not enhance your Yuletide reading experience with a fun challenge?
Yuletide Reading Bingo
Yuletide Reading Bingo 2025 (Permanent link to the 2025 version)

Yuletide Reading Bingo 2023 (Permanent link to the 2023 version)
Yuletide Reading Bingo 2024 (Permanent link to the 2024 version)

With this bingo card generator, you can generate your own Yuletide Reading Bingo Card and try to finish it over a timespan of your choice. If you like, you can challenge yourself to not only reading the fics, but also commenting on them. Last year, I saw people making reclists based on their bingo cards, which is such a cool idea to keep track of the fics they read for each square.

There are no fanfic/fandom/Yuletide-negative or bashing items in the lists. This bingo card is meant to be a positive experience and celebrate fanfiction and fanworks in general and Yuletide in specific.

Screenshot of the Desktop Version
example screenshot of the desktop version bingo card

Screenshot of the Mobile Version
example screenshot of the mobile version bingo card

How to Play
Generate a new bingo card until you're (mostly) happy with the results. If some fields are duplicates or contain items you don't want to have in your card, you can then re-roll every single bingo field separately by clicking/tapping on it.
Once you have a card that fits your reading habits (or that takes you out of your comfort zone, if you want to challenge yourself), take a screenshot of the card to keep it.

Closing the page and reloading it will reset the card.

Cross off the bingo fields on your screenshot as you read (or read and comment on) fics that you think count for a field.

Items like "Fandom with over 500 works" mean works in the fandom tag, not in the collection. There are specific versions for the number of works in the collection.
Items like "Fandom with over 1,000 works" doesn't mean qualifying works. There are specific versions for the number of qualifying works.
Items like "Highest number of hits in fandom" or similar however mean in this collection, not in the fandom tag.

If a work you read has a tag that's similar but not identical to a tag on your card, let it count. There were some almost-duplicates that I trimmed.

The Lists
  • Canon (options like canon released this year, book fandom, etc)
  • Category (the AO3 categories and their platonic versions: F/F, F & F Gen, etc)
  • Challenge (the unofficial mini-challenges like Yuleporn, Crueltide, Wrapping Paper, etc)
  • Creator (only if you checked the "After Reveals" box; options like favourite author, mutuals, etc)
  • Discovery (various ways you could've found a fic)
  • Fandom (options like previously ineligible fandom, uncategorised fandom)
  • Length (wordcounts from drabble to 30k)
  • Meta (a fic's front-end and stats, also "citrus scale for rating" xD
  • Protagonist (and side-characters, and POV; new list in 2025 that adds items like "female/non-binary/gender-neutral/male protagonist", various POVs and such)
  • Reader (your relationship with the fic; is it your comfort fic, or your first fic in a fandom?)
  • Style (chatfic, iambic pentameter, custom workskin, stuff like that)
  • Tag (roughly 1,800 tags from the 2024 main collection; more than 100 additional tags Madness)
  • Trope (roughly 100 tropes)


What do the Checkboxes Mean?
  • NSFW is basically what it says on the tin. If you tick this box, the NSFW tropes will be added to the mix. If you also ticked the Tags box, NSFW tags will be added.
  • Tags is also what it says on the tin. It's a list with currently roughly 1,800 tags from the Yuletide 2025 main collection. Around 300 of them are currently marked NSFW and can only be generated if you ticked both the NSFW box and the Tags box.
  • After Reveals includes items that only make sense after creator reveals, such as "work by last year's recipient" or "creator is your Tumblr mutual".
Leaving the NSFW checkbox unchecked should remove all NSFW tags and tropes, but you could still come across content you find objectionable. Leaving the Tags checkbox unchecked removes all tags, but you could still come across tropes you find objectionable.

This bingo generator can be used to generate totally safe-for-work or family-friendly bingo cards, but it was created by an adult with an adult audience in mind.

If you run into any issues or come across any bugs, please let me know.
If you find something that should be in the NSFW category, but isn't, please also let me know. It's possible that I missed a few tags when I worked through the list of over 2,000 tags in the 2025 main collection. Please don't ask me to remove content you find objectionable.
If there's anything unclear, feel free to ask! I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible, but please understand if it takes a while; it's a busy time for all of us. :D

Just FYI, the platform I'm using, Perchance, added AI options for their generators two years ago. This is a regrettable decision that I don't condone, and I'd like to emphasise that this generator is 100% handcrafted chaos.

This generator is based on my Fanfiction Reading Bingo I made as a little practice piece. It's responsive, which means it should work on desktop and mobile. The mobile layout isn't ideal yet; I'm trying my best to make it better (but I'd also still consider myself a newbie and I'm learning by doing).

The background image is an edited version of this photo by Stijn Verplancke on Unsplash.

I hope you'll find as much fun in using this generator as I found in making it! <3

Have a lovely Yuletide!

Christmas Eve early post

Wednesday, December 24th, 2025 08:42 pm
silver_chipmunk: (Default)
[personal profile] silver_chipmunk
Got up this morning at 9:30 and got a phone call from Middle Brother's group home to make sure of our plans. Got everything straight and then I had breakfast and coffee and cleaned the cat pan. Then I showered and dressed.

I took the dirty kitty litter out and proceeded to the bus stop, where I got the 20 and went to the Jamaica LIRR station. I just missed a train at 12:50 because of having to wait so long for the elevator to the platforms. But the next train to Hicksville was at 1:02 so I didn't have to wait too long.

I called the group home from the train, and when I got to Hicksville it was only a few minutes waiting til they got there.

The trip home was uneventful. We got here a little after 3:00 and I put Christmas music on Pandora until 5:00 when we Ubered to the Neptune Diner.

It was very epty, hardly anyone there which surprised me, and they weren't playing Christmas music. We had a good meal, Middle Brother got his usual cheeseburger and fries and I had apple cinnamon French toast. We both had the chocolate cake for dessert.

Then we took an Uber home, and I put Christmas music on for half an hour, and then put the Clancy Brother's cds on the cd player while I Teamed the FWiB.

[personal profile] mashfanficchick called while we were talking so that was nice.

Now Middle Brother is listening to the end of the Clancy Brothers cds, an after it's over I'll inflate the air mattress and either we'll listen to Christmas music or else he'll go to sleep and I'll go to my bedroom.

Happy Christmas Eve to all!

Oh, the Kid texted, they were on their way to the airport.

Gratitude List:

1. The FWiB.

2. Got another card today.

3. Middle Brother was successfully gotten and is happy.

4. Nice weather to do this in.

5. The Neptune Diner.

6. All my friends and friends of friends.

⏾ 015

Wednesday, December 24th, 2025 06:19 pm
visualjyushi: (Default)
[personal profile] visualjyushi
Happy holidays to everyone!

I spent part of my day tagging along with my spouse while they got tattoos. Coincidentally, I've been eyeing the work by another artist at the same shop, so I decided to make an appointment with them for early January while we were there. I technically shouldn't be spending that much money, but I think it's okay to treat myself for once. January is also my birthday month, and the tattoo is something I've wanted for a while. It will be Free! (anime) related, because that series is near and dear to my heart.

While I was waiting for my partner, I ended up finishing Volume 5 of the No.6 novel series. I've been slowly working my way through all of them, and every time I get back to it, I feel my love for No.6 (and specifically, Nezushi) being reignited. Reading the novels just offers so much more insight to the characters and their relationships with each other. Being able to see Shion's inner thoughts about Nezumi and vice versa has been making me feel deranged.

Short Vol.5 ramble... )

Anyway, at our house, we won't be doing much in terms of celebration other than eating really, but I hope everyone is able to enjoy their holiday :)

Yuletide 2025 Anonymous Period

Wednesday, December 24th, 2025 04:14 pm
yuletidemods: A hippo lounges with laptop in hand, peering at the screen through a pair of pince-nez and smiling. A text bubble with a heart emerges from the screen. The hippo dangles a computer mouse from one toe. By Oro. (Default)
[personal profile] yuletidemods posting in [community profile] yuletide_admin
Hello, Yuletiders–as you may have noticed, the anonymous setting on the Yuletide collection, which should hide all author names until reveals on January 1st, does not seem to be working as expected, and shortly after our planned works reveals, we had an unplanned reveal of author names. We’re very sorry for this unexpected breaking of anonymity!

We’re reaching out to AO3 to help us resolve the problem. In the meantime, we have updated all works manually, and author names should now be hidden again. If you notice we have missed any, please reach out to us privately at yuletideadmin@gmail.com.

Again, our apologies–and we hope you enjoy the collection!

Yuletide Madness is scheduled to reveal at 9 PM UTC on 25 December, but this may be delayed if necessary to ensure author anonymity.

ETA: We know many of you have received email notifications to say, "The collection maintainers of Yuletide 2025 have changed the status of your work [work] to anonymous..." This is a result of us updating them manually to hide author names, in order to achieve the same effect you would expect from reveals in an ordinary Yuletide. Sorry for the confusion! You can safely ignore these notifications; we will reveal author names on January 1st, manually if we have to.


Schedule, Rules, & Collection | Contact Mods | Participant DW | Participant LJ | Pinch Hits on DW | Discord | Tag set | Tag set app

Please either comment logged-in or sign a name. Unsigned anonymous comments will be left screened.

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Yuletide Haul 2025

Wednesday, December 24th, 2025 04:51 pm
petra: Text: Archive of Our Own: Squee shared is squee squared. (Squee - Squee shared)
[personal profile] petra
Galavant:

Note the part where this is tagged as Original Music Composition! I GOT A GALAVANT SONG FOR YULETIDE!

There is a bug de-anonymizing the collection, so with any luck, my author will be willing to post more than the sheet music and save me from my current predicament of "I can sorta sight-read but not that well." I love the Madalena voice in this, so perfectly discontent with her amazing lot! and there's MUSIC!

Madalena's Ballad of Vast Success (1264 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Galavant (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Madalena (Galavant), Brief ensemble Galavant cast appearance
Additional Tags: Character Study, Inspired by the song What Am I Feeling (Galavant), Original music composition, Post-Canon
Summary:

Madalena stood on her balcony, in her castle perched high on a cliffside overlooking her vast and endless empire. "This is the best life has ever been. Everything I wanted is now mine... Yet sometimes it seems that there's something out there that eludes me, something I can neither buy nor take. But that's crazy! Who would dare deny me? Deceive or defy me? None at all! Well, almost none!"



Galavant 2:

The share button isn't working on Tad Cooper, a Life, which is an adorable summation of the life and times of Tad Cooper, as one can imagine from the title. I enjoyed the POV the author chose!

Slow Horses + Rivers of London:

My other Yuletide author took me up on my deep and soulful desire for Slow Horses + Rivers of London, and does great things with the interaction of law enforcement and Regent's Park, and the various characters. Spoilers for Diana Taverner's fate if you've only done the first book/show, but nothing that will surprise anyone. I love the way the mundane and magical intersect here:

The Spirit of Regent's Park (2370 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Slow Horses (TV), Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Thomas Nightingale, Diana Taverner, Jackson Lamb (Slow Horses), Emma Flyte, Molly Doran
Additional Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Yuletide Treat, add some magic to your spy show
Summary:

Newly minted First Desk Diana Taverner visits the Folly to find out who this Thomas Nightingale fellow is, and learns a few things about London that are closer to home than she expects.



*

What I wrote:

2 stories!

Spot either and I'll write you a drabble. One of them is so me it hurts and the other is less obviously so but still extremely Petra.

[admin post] Admin Post: Snap, Reccle, Pop! Rec Index Post 2025

Thursday, December 25th, 2025 10:01 am
morbane: pohutukawa blossom and leaves (Default)
[personal profile] morbane posting in [community profile] yuletide

Recs: in general

The main Yuletide collection has just opened, with Yuletide Madness to follow shortly, so it's time to think about recs (recommendations)! It's traditional to kudos or comment on works and tell their anonymous creators that you liked them. It's also traditional to tell other people about the Yuletide stuff you like. There are many different ways to share your recommendations for works.

On AO3 itself
You can bookmark a story and add the bookmark and its notes to the Yuletide Recs collection. (Note: This is not the same as the main Yuletide collection.) Detailed tutorials can be found here and here.

In Discord
At the Yuletide Discord, you can post recs with very brief comments in the #yuletide-recs channel.

Here at Dreamwidth
You are welcome to post recs to this community Please follow the guidelines:
  • Any individual post to the community must contain recs for at least 3 separate works.

  • You can put the full text of your recs post in a post to the community, OR you can post your recs on some other platform, then put the link in a post on the community or in a comment to this post.

  • If your post is long, consider cut text code (DW) or details code to compress your text.



Recs: central/index post


THIS POST can also serve as a hub for recs. You're welcome to reply with your recs (especially useful if you don't have a Dreamwidth account). Or you can ask for recs that follow a theme, or just make a comment linking to a recs post elsewhere. Collect Your Recs Here!
tags:

Yuletide 2025 is live!

Wednesday, December 24th, 2025 02:59 pm
yuletidemods: A hippo lounges with laptop in hand, peering at the screen through a pair of pince-nez and smiling. A text bubble with a heart emerges from the screen. The hippo dangles a computer mouse from one toe. By Oro. (Default)
[personal profile] yuletidemods posting in [community profile] yuletide_admin
Yuletide 2025 Collection Is Live Here!


Enjoy 1539 works in 992 fandoms! (The number will go up as wranglers canonize fandoms - this will take a little time, though.)

The reveals process takes a little while to work in a collection of this size; if a story in the collection is still a mystery work an hour after opening, please let us know.


Finding works
You can find your own gifts on your AO3 gifts page: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YOUR-NAME-HERE/gifts, or by searching the box at the top of the collection works page for the full name you signed up with, or by checking your email if you get email notifications from AO3. Note: your email notifications may bundle together, and it might look like you only got one gift, when in fact you got more.

You can browse the collection by tags or by fandoms. Some fandoms are new and may not show up immediately (wranglers are working on this) or where you expect them; please check labels such as Original Work, 19th Century Historical RPF, Object and Concept Anthropomorphism, and Unspecified Fandom. More info about Unspecified Fandom here.


Anonymity
Yuletide is an anonymous exchange until creator reveals January 1. Please don't give away what you've written. When logged in, you can, if you want, reply to comments on your own works, and you will show up as Anonymous Creator until the authors of the collection are revealed.


Commenting!
Please comment on your gift(s) to let your writer(s) know you appreciate them. We also recommend commenting far and wide to spread the comment joy around! You may enjoy the challenge of a comment bingo card [update for this year's link!].

AO3 changed default comment settings last year. If you want to make sure people can comment on your gifts when they aren't logged in, you may need to change a setting on your work. More information here, under 'Your comment settings'.


Recs
Making work recommendations is a tradition. Please see more information at the participant community ([community profile] yuletide) about where you can post your recs.


Madness
For those still writing, the 2025 Yuletide Madness collection will stay open for new stories to be posted for 24 hours. It will close for posting, and open for reading, at 9pm UTC 25 December. If you're looking for prompts, there's a roundup of links here.


Problems
If there is something wrong with your gift or you have another concern, please contact the mods at yuletideadmin@gmail.com.



Schedule, Rules, & Collection | Contact Mods | Participant DW | Participant LJ | Pinch Hits on DW | Discord | Tag set | Tag set app

Please either comment logged-in or sign a name. Unsigned anonymous comments will be left screened.

tags: