huh. now that I think about it, I do think I conceptualise jonah/elias as aroallo, without even really intending to. his attraction to Jon may take on features and conventions to romance in places but it is not a straightforward romantic attraction at all.
there’s pride in his creation, a magnetic draw born of their shared affiliation with the Watcher, an appreciation for someone who understands him more than anyone else. a fondness for him as a whole. the desire to not just guide and nurture but almost consume and posess Jon. sexual attraction, yes. but. none of that is… inherently romantic.
and as for jonah as a much younger man… well, no man he sleeps with will expect a committed relationship of him. they know better than that. He cares without necessarily loving, and maybe that can just be written off as not wanting to sneak around in an imitation of courting when nobody will acknowledge them for what they are. jonah, quietly, knows that that is not the case, but does not correct anyone.
(“love” sits wrong on his tongue. he adores, he cherishes. he does not love.)
one thing that drives me crazy about fanon perception of Jonah is that people ignore how passive he truly is. he is the Watcher through and through! he observes and watches before he acts. his control issues stem from his own fear of mortality and being a victim. he wants to be in control to ensure his own safety not for the love of the game! which is why he isn’t a Web avatar! he also doesn’t have a short temper nor is he violent! Gertrude and Leitner are exceptions because they explicitly threatened his safety. but they are exceptions! not the rule!
i thought martin’s reasoning for being the one to kill elias sounded weird and didn’t really make sense, so i went back and read the transcript of mag 193 and i can confirm it’s dumb because
1)
Text ID:
ARCHIVIST
I could kill his body, sever the link, break The Eye’s power, and Jonah Magnus would die.
MARTIN
Okay, that sounds good but…?
ARCHIVIST
But, that wouldn’t actually harm The Eye itself. And with him gone it would… it would choose a suitable replacement.
“With him gone” / “If we kill Jonah Magnus” : there is no indication that it’s jon killing jonah that will make him take his place, in fact it seems pretty clear that it’s more about jonah being dead and leaving a void that needs to be filled
2)
Text ID:
ARCHIVIST
His body is vulnerable. At least to me.
“At least to me” : the probabilities are high that jon is literally the only one who can kill jonah? i honestly don’t think martin could do it and as they need to be perfectly coordinated they really can’t afford to take that risk
And finally
4)
Text ID:
MARTIN
You’re not listening. I mean, if he kills Jonah, then knowing our luck he’s just going to end up taking his place in the Panopticon, isn’t he?
GEORGIE
[Sighs] Good point.
MARTIN
He can come up with me, but when it actually comes to Jonah…
BASIRA
You’ll have to be the one to do it.
MARTIN
Yeah.
ARCHIVIST
Martin… I don’t –
BASIRA
Have you got this? We can trade if you don’t think you can do it.
jon immediately raises an objection, but i guess we will never know what it was because everyone just ~looves~ ignoring his imput on decisions that directly affect him :))))
ALT
