#zedex

Specifically:

1. Ex with evil autism /hj aka, resting bitch face bc he doesn't know how to do expressions properly, no empathy/ability to put oneself in another person's shoes, has rlyyy frequent meltdowns which basically look like anger outbursts, doesn't understand hierarchy or social norms (bc he only knows evil >:D)

And thus Ex can come of as rly mean and disrespectful

2. Zed with crazy scientist autism /hj aka, masks a LOT so he started observing ppls behaviors from a rlyyy young age + has autism made him feel alienated from other ppl and a bit nonhuman/different + really intense spin in psychology = he sees all human beings as his test subjects :3333 (season 8 zed my beloved <2222)

Zed's really high masking, but despite his efforts he doesn't understand social norms fully, so he still shows the wrong reactions to things sometimes. For example, he rants a lot about his spins n doesn't realize when ppl get bored of it, he misunderstands sarcadm, he has overly exaggerated expressions, etc.

And thus Zed like a rly excited and passionate, but also incredibly weird and lowkey menacing/off putting scientist.

The big differences between them is that Zed rly loves socializing (even tho he rly struggles with it) and ex hates it. Zed is constantly ranting about his spins (mainly psychology or engineering) meanwhile ex just stares at people menacingly bc he doesn't wanna talk to them.

They also have p diff coping mechanisms:

Zed is, as mentioned, high masking and uses his spins to cope. (cause psychology lets him understand ppl better and thus mask better)

Meanwhile Ex has been alienated and misunderstood his whole life and never rly managed to mask properly. Instead he internalized the abelism he faced and leaned into the whole 'evil' persona

[context: i have autism and im projecting onto zed and ex]

When zedaph bumped into evil x in season 8 he was not expecting the guy to get so excited about seeing him. The two of them never really interacted? He had hrabbed zed and pulled him to the empire to show him around, even bringing him to his own room. He seemed so proud showing off all this progress he had made.

Zedaph had no idea what the guy was talking about but he went along with it, talking like he did know. He disnt want to be rude.

He did not expect to it leading to him being kidnapped and taken to a private nether fortress far from the hermits. Ex was there, going off about how now he could never get taken from him and they could be a happy duo safe in the neyher again! Zedapph didnt understand. He tried to explain to ex that he belonged with the hermits but ex wasn't having it. He called him "worm-man" which didn't make much sense. He talked all about these supposed adventures they had together and how he just kinda... Dissapearsd one day. How heartbroken ex had been because of it.

Ex was tempermental, that zed could very well see. He belives that ex may have confused him for someone else, but he truly wanted to help. He does his best to play into the role, helping ex.

Ex does eventually let him move freely arounf the server again (it only took about a week), as long ad hes not too far. He was worried for zed. Zed finds it almost cute, if a little scary. It was a side he had never sesn of ex.

Ex eventually confesses to him that he loves him and zedaph doesnt know what to do. He had fallen for ex but... Well it was all under a fake name and identity that was kinfa forced on him. He didnt know what to do.

💭

He doesn't want to live a lie for the rest of his life. If he's dating Ex then he wants it to be him. Not a stranger that Ex sees in him.

But Ex is volatile. Zed has seen that - the man kidnapped him! That's not normal! He's scared of what would happen if he said no, or if he tries to get Ex to understand. Ex won't listen to him. Which- Zed would like somebody that listens to him too!