WORD. Damon likes people who slap him around (lol). He is contemptuous of people who treat him as superior (to the point of punishing them for it), and he grows attached to people who treat him as inferior. It's 100% compatible with your theory that he's a natural submissive. IN CONCLUSION. The quickest way to Damon's heart: Treat him like shit. :)
Also agreed about Damon's love for Elena. I honestly don't think there's any point in S1 where he's truly in love with her. He feels love for her as a friend (plus he's attracted to her, obviously). But he's completely unused to feeling pure affection for women in that way, so his poor brain warps it into something sexual. HOWEVER, IN S2. Elena totally falls off that pedestal to him. She starts displaying Katherine-like manipulativeness towards him, as well as suicidal ideation reminiscent of his own self-destructive tendencies. Because Damon is a weirdo, the more disillusioned he grows with Elena, the more he loves her. You were totally right when you described their relationship as being one of consistent disillusionment and true friendship simultaneously. Damon is disillusioned with Elena for the entirety of S2, and that is what cements his love for her.
I'd even go so far as to say that also applies for Elena's feelings for Damon. I believe she was being completely honest in 2x01 when she insisted she had no romantic feelings for him. (An attraction, sure, but nothing out of her control.) But the more she sees how truly damaged he is, the stronger her feelings for him grow. Of course, this is completely fucked up no matter which way you look at it, because it essentially means that she didn't fall for him until after he'd done a number of horribly abusive things to her. But on the flip-side, there is something very honest about the progression of their feelings. In essence, the more they've gotten to know each other (in the ugliest of ways), the more they care.
TL;DR Elena and Damon are in love with each other's damage. This is the "something" that binds them together. IT'S AS PLAIN AS THAT.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2011-11-30 08:51 am (UTC)Also agreed about Damon's love for Elena. I honestly don't think there's any point in S1 where he's truly in love with her. He feels love for her as a friend (plus he's attracted to her, obviously). But he's completely unused to feeling pure affection for women in that way, so his poor brain warps it into something sexual. HOWEVER, IN S2. Elena totally falls off that pedestal to him. She starts displaying Katherine-like manipulativeness towards him, as well as suicidal ideation reminiscent of his own self-destructive tendencies. Because Damon is a weirdo, the more disillusioned he grows with Elena, the more he loves her. You were totally right when you described their relationship as being one of consistent disillusionment and true friendship simultaneously. Damon is disillusioned with Elena for the entirety of S2, and that is what cements his love for her.
I'd even go so far as to say that also applies for Elena's feelings for Damon. I believe she was being completely honest in 2x01 when she insisted she had no romantic feelings for him. (An attraction, sure, but nothing out of her control.) But the more she sees how truly damaged he is, the stronger her feelings for him grow. Of course, this is completely fucked up no matter which way you look at it, because it essentially means that she didn't fall for him until after he'd done a number of horribly abusive things to her. But on the flip-side, there is something very honest about the progression of their feelings. In essence, the more they've gotten to know each other (in the ugliest of ways), the more they care.
TL;DR Elena and Damon are in love with each other's damage. This is the "something" that binds them together. IT'S AS PLAIN AS THAT.