#hephastus

It is harder than their initial ideas demanded. First there is the matter of structures that do not stay down long enough to stick together, then there is the matter of how to secure them. Their dreams of beautiful underwater sculptures fall through as they struggle to conjure up even a basic shelter, even in the summer calm of the waters.

So, desperate and frustrated, they pray to Hephastus.

Ithaka is famous for its dedication to the goddess Athena, most of its temples under the king's ten-year rule being lovingly dedicated to the wisdom goddess. A separate group of smaller temples honors the other gods in the main town; but the main palace and most houses are painted blue and owl feathers and trinkets and sculptures are sold in the main market- the most beautiful of artistry is reserved for Pallas Athene alone.

But the blacksmiths and architects work together to build a small shrine worthy of the inventor god; with hidden catches and rotating idols and the best of their tools and ideas burnt at the fire kept burning at the base of it.

And after a few weeks- Hephaestus blesses them.

(He cannot make up for what he tried to do to Athena in his drunkenness and on Posiedon's inescapable goading. He was young and stupid and hurt and proud and drugged- he thinks she knows this, and has long since let it pass enough to stand beside him without a second thought; but will never be able to get over his shame- so the least he can do is this.)

But Ithaka's artists wake up with the same idea in mind and rush to the shrine in the early hours of the morning to give their thanks. Then they start building- floating large stones down at the far end to mark the range, until they have raised the wall enough to drain out the waters for them to work inside. They work fast, laying down the walls within days, until it joins to where the courtyard of the main palace creeps down the side of the cliff. From the palace itself, a tunnel is dug in the main room, wrapping around the mountain through the softer rock deposits, then travelling down to the sea.

They have the blueprints Odysseus himself had commissioned for his palace, and try to add in the carvings and structures accordingly. They dare not risk more than the smallest of owls carved into the stone entrance, wary of Posiedon's wrath at his rival. They work hard, encouraged by the people, helped by the Trojan heroes themselves- and strangely, their hands never feel tired and the ideas never stop coming.

The first test comes at the start of the monsoons.

The storms roll in angry and strong, battering against the island of Ithaka as furiously as always. When it is done, the architects are dismayed to find their hard-made palace flooded and destroyed, stone displaced or missing, with one collapse of the outside barrier causing three more within.

Dejected, they burn their tools at the temple forge once more, and then go to bed.

That next morning, the youngest of them wakes up with the thought- what if we used metal to hold them together?

The royal family gives them funding once more, and they commission for marble pillars to be sent from the mainland in exchange for their raw materials; these they sink to the bottom and drain the water once more. These pillars are erected and melted into the shifting sand with hot liquid metal, until they fuse into the rock. The roofed ceiling is replaced with live kelp and seaweed, attached to the top of the pillars and bound together. The walls are rebuilt quicker- with more labour coming in when they look closer to success than before, men with guilty eyes and stubborn determination ready to do the back-breaking, risky work.

The whole island holds its breath this time, as the monsoon rolls in and the ships return. The storms roll in and-

The wall has fallen completely, leaving the surroundings unsuitable for them to put it back up, letting the water back in.

But the building stands.

The celebration lasts all day and night, with all the workers being given a place of honor at the palace table itself for dinner. Even the royal family themselves are happy, for all the disappointment of another year of failure, and are grateful in a way that satisfies them more than the money ever could.

Yet there is still the second test- the tunnel to connect to the palace.

The main digging is complete; but as they reach the end they realize they do not know how they will open it to the sea without losing men to the outburst of the sea pouring back in. The Queen twists her lips when they go to her with the problem, thinking.

"This is such a bad idea," One of the men whispers.

"Shh," Eurylochus says, striking another spear into the final barrier. Two men come forward with hammers and push it in further, and they wait until the call comes in from the surface far above from the diver outside that the spear has gone through. "Don't tempt fate."

"You are such a nice, sane man, Eurylochus," One of the men moans despairingly, and he smiles, small. "Why are our royals all mad?"

He laughs, remembering a similar conversation from many years ago. He slips the rope around the loop at the end of the spear, and feels the nostalgia twist into sorrow once more, missing his captain, his general, his brother, his king, his friend. If only he had never kept that cursed bag. If only he had the courage to step forward first, not frozen in fear and shouldered the cost instead like a soldier should for their king, for Odysseus. Had not made mistake after mistake further, ordering Odysseus out of their reach in his panic to get him to the water, not being prepared with a net to catch him both times they'd seen him after.

He kept one on his belt now, at all times.

But until the skies and seas cleared, there was nothing to do except make sure Ody had a home to return to; that he could reach.

"Let's go," Eurylochus exhales, and they all grab the ropes attached to the dozens of spears and make their way back up the winding tunnel as slowly as they can, careful not to step on even one rope or pull too hard, and risk spelling doom for them all. Hearts pounding as they walk in the eerily silent tunnel, the dark taunting them, urging them to run. But they hold their nerve and come out at the pool created inside the main court.

Eurylochus climbs out last from the pool, and smiles up at Ctimene. She looks beautiful in the Ithakan jewels once more, holding herself with more grace and confidence than much richer princesses ever had, anklets tinkling.

She nods and then turns to the rest. "PULL!"

As one, the ropes spring up tight, straining until the spears come loose and men go falling to the floor with shouts. For a second nothing happens.

Then they hear the roaring.

He knows it's water, Eurylochus knows it has to be water- but it still sounds like a hoard of monsters, the shouting of a battlefield, the cyclops when he stole the lives of their friends in his fury. He can't help grabbing his wife and pulling her back, shouting for a retreat as the water rushes through the tunnel and bursts out in a terrible din into the pool, filling it to the top and then overspilling off the sides immediately.

For a heart-stopping moment, Eurylochus watches the water catch onto the feet of the people around, rising and rising, and he remembers Poseidon's cruel smile as he crippled and cursed Eurylochus' brother and thinks it's going to drown us all-

And then the tide recedes, and the water crawls back with it.

The plan worked. The palace of Ithaka now creeps down into the sea, enticing their wayward king to find his way back home, swim back to them and be happy, even if they never solved his curse.

If we’re to say that Greek and Roman Demigods are diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia when it allows them to concentrate in battle, and being able to learn Ancient Greek/Latin more easily respectively, then being the same could be seen those who are diagnosed on the Autism spectrum

That said, Autism can vary with a range of symptoms and severity, with either some on the list or all of it, so it is dependent on the individual.

I think the routine at Camp would be beneficial as they provide a routine and organized lifestyle; though probably more so in Camp Jupiter if you want a more rigid routine then say Camp Halfblood.

I’d imagine with hyperfocus, they are incredibly specialized which does provide an advantage for a demigod. It could be their godly parent domains allowing them to be very powerful not in terms of raw talent, but because they’ve tried and experienced what they can over and over again, going over possibilities and impossibilities, succeeding and failing, so their technique becomes more and more improved. Even not in their parental godly domains, whatever other hyperfocus,  it still provides a large advantage; whether its sword play, archery, weaving, and etc, all of it has a place at camp and more often than not, it does end up being useful. 

Hyperfixation isn’t too unusual at Camp, whether you’re on the Autism spectrum or not as it's common with ADHD, so there’s a place for somebody and they’ve probably seen a large variety at this point.

In general, info-dumping and going on long rants wouldn’t be that out of the ordinary at either camp when each demigod has their own area of hyperfocus or specialized knowledge. There are always people to connect to about your topic, whether like minded individuals or just people who are willing to listen- especially if it's related to Greek/Roman Mythology or a hobby. If one of your hyperfocuses is monsters, you’re going to get so many accounts and details from campers about them, and there are plenty listening to you and inquiring your knowledge because its going to be very useful. In fact, no one is going to blink an eye and just accept that’s just part of your personality. I’d imagine if this were New Rome, many would be taken as scholars and could be placed in appropriate places where their skills could be best used and cultivated.

In terms of sensitivities, it’s a double-edged sword where it's an advantage on the field in battle or during a quest, you easily can pick up changes and potential threats or changes, allowing you greater advantage of your surroundings in case of enemies. However, once you’re off the field and are not in any actual danger, there is a chance of being overstimulated with all the games and events that can happen, so carrying headphones or earplugs is still necessary; though I’d think it's possible to acquire them in Camp if you don’t bring them from home to camp or lost them somehow. I’d imagine you’ll be given some special plugs when you learn about your sensitivities to Chiron, that or the Hephaestus/Athena cabin can help you with certain specifications.

There’s one sensitivity you don’t have to worry about is the basic camp t-shirt that’s always just the right texture somehow. There are plenty to go around and buy if required so you can always wear it everyday.

Before the minor gods were granted Cabins, being an autistic minor god-demigod is going to be difficult with how cramped the space is in the Hermes cabin, especially it’s a cabin full of ADHD demigods, but people will try to give you space or give you opportunities to decompress when you need it.  If they need to hang a hammock hanging from the ceiling raft, they’ll do it- the Hermes demigods are very handy you know.

I’d imagine if things do get too overwhelming, you’re welcome to sit by the fire if it helps you, or go to the forest with the satyrs and nymphs, allowing you to be with nature. Or if you need to do a repetitive task, they’ll let you weave baskets or tapestry, or brush the pegasus’s manes.

Any potential sensitivities would not include anything with your godly parent’s domain in general, because as a demigod of those related domains, you can’t be negatively affected by it. For example, if you’re a child of Iris or Apollo and may worry about all the bright, kaleidoscope of lights being too overstimulating, that’s not going to be that much of an issue.

When you gain your first beads and many more, they end up being a perfect stim tool, and the leather strap that holds it can take a lot of wear and tear if you tend to gnaw on things. This may also lead you to go through a lot more camp shirts, so it's a good thing there’s a large supply. And if you need different stim tools, the Hephaestus campers are more than happy to make you some. In fact, they may ask you to stress test it. 

Literal vs figurative communication; when an autistic demigod fully steps into the world of gods and monsters, it might be tough cause its harder to distinguish if someone is being sarcastic or metaphorical, as many on the spectrum take things at face value. For example, are they lying or telling the truth when the pine tree that acts as a protective barrier for camp is actually Thalia, a daughter of Zeus? And imagine those who aren’t involved in the Greek/Roman world and joking about some monster when they’re off camp, and taking those words very seriously and thus being on high alert.

Prophecies would be extremely difficult because more often than not, they’re pretty much the extreme of figurative language and full of riddles while being vague in nature.

This is more so in Camp Half Blood but I’d imagine the children of Apollo, the Hypnos cabin, the Dionysus cabin, and other such related cabins would be able to diagnose those who have yet to be diagnosed on the spectrum, among other thing related to mental health. That or Chiron himself will step in if you need some help and alternative teaching. The Centaur has been a teacher for hundreds of years and has taught many heroes and has seen a variety of people of all kinds, so helping an autistic demigod wouldn’t be the first time.