This is a fun option if you use, for example, phrases in other languages in your story. I often do, and this is a nice way to give translations without having to scroll to the end of the text, or putting them in the starting notes where people have to keep checking back – or where they spoiler the story!
HOWEVER. The drawback is that the floating boxes only work when a ‘mouse’ is ‘hovered’ over the marked text. They do NOT show up on tablet or phone screens, so you’ll still need to put a list of translations in the notes for readers using those devices.
Let’s have an example.
“Qu’est ce que tu veux?”
Now if you speak French, you might know that means “What do you want?”
But not all of your readers will know that. So, you offer them a translation. And since the boxes don’t appear unless you hover directly above them, I usually add a Beginning Note to the chapter that reads something like this;
‘Hover over italicised foreign language text for translations! (Mobile and tablet users please see the Ending Notes)’
In HTML mode in Ao3, (if you try this in Rich Text mode you will get a horrible mess so don’t) the line with this example would appear as:
<p>“<em>Qu’est ce que tu veux?</em>”</p>
To add the floating box with the translation, you would select the words to be translated (that is, Qu’est ce que tu veux?) and paste in the following HTML.
<span title=“What do you want?”>Qu’est ce que tu veux?</span>
The whole line will now read:
<p>“<em> <span title=“What do you want?”>Qu’est ce que tu veux?</span> </em>”</p>
Review your work, hover over the part that requires translating, and you should see the following:
And you’re done!
I tend to set up a Word doc with all the <span> lines I want to use created in it, and then when the time comes, just copy/paste them into Ao3. Saves lots of time!
So I know everyone likes Odysseus to be a short king, and I also like to think of him that way...
But have you considered: Odysseus with absolute dogshit posture? Odysseus who cocks his hip and curves his shoulders in and ducks his head, because it makes him smaller. More unassuming. Less of a threat and more of just a nice guy, someone to trust, someone who smiles up at you and laughs at your jokes and - he's stolen your armour. Fuck.
Odysseus who is used to strong winds and rocky cliffsides, needing to duck and bend his knees to be stable. Odysseus the mountain ram. Odysseus, favored of Pallas Athene, who knows the lower your center of balance when wielding a weapon the harder you are to topple. Odysseus who tilts his head down from the glare of the sun and grins a too wide grin.
Odysseus the trickster who uses his body like he uses his words: to his advantage.
Hallo! Came straight over from ao3 after receiving your reply! I really loved reading Aspects of a Hero: Master Mode! I also happened to be the kind of person who loves what-ifs! Therefore I have a request: another chapter BUT from the perspective of one of the non-cursed heroes, specifically pertaining their reactions to seeing their cursed comrades as hylians! There is so much potential DRAMA! I’d want to hear their first impressions of each other, I’d love to hear them get to know each other again, hear how they adjust to their new group dynamics - I’d just love to see what you can do with it! Don’t feel pressured to write though! But I’m sure it’s a challenge and a perspective you’d enjoy tackling! ;)
Master of Change
Wind loved his weird family. Sure, two of them were literal animals, four more were magical creatures who couldn’t communicate with them, and one was a ghost, but grandma always said that variety is the spice of life! And, as grandma is always right, then this was a good thing!
Wind just. He loved them all. He loved Warriors, his big brother, who he had thought he’d never see again. He loved Sky, how gentle he was and how fearsome in battle. Spirit seemed custom built to be his best friend, and Wind’s only regret was that he couldn’t actually hug his ghostly brother.
Twi, despite being a literal wolf, was gentle and nurturing and always up to snuggle. Legend was a grumpy little bun bun, but Wind could usually talk him round to sit on his lap.
Four and Hyrule, despite their size, were fun and always up to cause mischief. Four was frustrated that no one recognised his sign and Hyrule didn’t seem to have ever learned sign at all, and they were slowly starting to pick up a few phrases that the rest could understand. It wasn’t perfect - they were still just beginning after all and. Well. The two were tiny.
And then there was Time and Wild. The two largest of the chain. The sailor couldn’t tell how many nights he had fallen asleep snuggled into one of their arms, cuddled up and listening to gentle purrs or the soft creaking of wood.
So yes. Wind loved his brothers. He accepted them as they were, no ifs, no buts, no conditions.
And then, suddenly, his brothers were… less weird?
They were all hylian???
Wind wasn’t complaining! Not in the slightest! He could finally hug Spirit, which was like, pretty much his entire life’s mission up until that moment. And it felt good.
But then there was the rest of them. Hyrule wasn’t a two inch tall fairy, he was a hylian guy with messy hair, ragged clothes, and seemed even more shy than before. Four was still admittedly tiny, but was the size of a child rather than a mouse, and was VERY excited to be understood again.
Wild still had his scars but was short and blond. Legend was a whole ass adult with a husband and a bad attitude. Wolfie was possibly the coolest rancher dude Wind had ever met. And Time-
Time was Mask. But, like. Old.
Wind was man enough to admit that… okay yeah. He sobbed like a baby when he realised Time was his baby brother all grown up. All this time he’d been wondering and worrying that Mask hadn’t joined them and here he was!
It was a lot to get used to. Their previous camping arrangements didn’t work now that they were all hylian, and what was more, they suddenly had Opinions from members of the chain who couldn’t speak before. Even Twilight, who it turned out was still unable to talk, was more than competent in multiple signs and both could and would use that to give his two rupees
But… it wasn’t bad. SURE it was an adjustment. Warriors looked vaguely constipated and like he needed a drink, but honestly, that was his general expression these days.But they were all brothers, and they were finally properly united.
Wind grinned as he thought over all that had changed in the last few weeks. He was snuggled up with Spirit, and nearby he could hear Time and Wild chatting quietly and laughing with Four.
Yeah, it was weird. It was a lot to get used to.But it was good. And, frankly, that was all that mattered.
