The thing that appeals to me about Elias as a villain is that, if you’re not on the way of his ambitions, you’re fine. Sure, maybe he’ll get a bit of a kick out of reminding you of that one time you embarassed yourself in front of a crowd, or something, or call you out on a white lie that nobody had ever noticed amidst a meeting just to catch you off guard, but otherwise? You’re good! He’ll be a bland, boring boss, seemingly not very keen to get involved in a mess even if he really should, and that’s it.
The thing that appeals even MORE about Elias is that, IF you are linked in any way to his own ambitions, he might grow fond of you. Or, rather, the fact he might have to use you or hurt you, OR that you might hurt him does not change the potential for affection he might hold for you. He’s a SENTIMENTAL man who, at the end of the day, is still incredibly selfish. He can both recognized he lived side by side with Gertrude for fifty years, and kill her in cold blood a moment later. He can end the world having used Peter, Martin and of course, Jon in a way that was incredibly personal and horrible AND actively wish/reassure that they might/will love it in this new world he’s forcing upon them.
The definite thing that sells me on Jonelias, of course, is that for a villain that’s so used to being passive, AND is known to be sentimental, there’s no way in hell he doesn’t love Jon by the end of the podcast. He’s in too deep, investing years into ensuring and witnessing Jon’s path to forced godhood. Besides which, by the end of it all, Jon could surpass all those he had loved before, by the mere fact he’ll be Elias’s perfect mirror and equal!!!
they share a DOMAIN. That’s fucking love in the apocalypse, I’m pretty certain. Elias had carefully took the thread the web was offering him and was the one who wrapped them around his own wrist and then Jon’s
throathand.Anyway, I love him, and I love him being utterly enamoured with Jon, and I love him only losing Jon in canon because he waited too long, because he was being careful and patient and too passive again along the way waiting for their big happy ending together.
(and i love literally every and any story where Jon still loves him anyway, martin or not, apocalypse or not, etc.)