Damon/Meredith - The Odd Ship :)

posted by Bynamearose

For alot of the Damon/Elena atau Damon/Bonnie fans, Damon/Meredith seems to be a little bit, well…on the strange side. To be frank, most don't see the ship as legitimate. Partly, this is because the main triangle…rectangle…whatever - is Stefan/Elena/Damon/Bonnie/Matt, and Meredith is almost neglected in that aspect. Another contributing factor is that Damon has been changed throughout the Return series, and this could very well lead to a character…more appropriate for Damon/Bonnie…or Damon/Elena, for that matter. Well, for anything that could be berkata on their behalf, I think there are a few very legitimate reasons that support Damon and Meredith as a couple.

1)Meredith is no weakling.

She’s as elusive as she is confident and mature, which provides what is perhaps the best challenge for Damon. While Bonnie swoons with Damon’s words, Meredith is perhaps the exact opposite. Her steely resolve is not Lost on him. Damon is wary of her, disturbed sejak her inner strength, and rightly so. She knows exactly what he’s capable of (nearly first-hand experience) and doesn’t give an inch if she knows differently. To put it simply, she’ll stand up to him, and it’s not a one-time occurrence.

2)Like Damon, Meredith appreciates a good back and forth.

Damon likes word games and, from the small interaction with Tyler Smallwood, Meredith mentions that she likes them too. The one thing most D/M peminat-peminat agree on (besides, of course, that they are Scrabble champions…) is that this relationship would be an eternal game with one challenging the other and trying to see how far the other can pushed. Be warned though, this can often lead to large amounts of crack.

4)Keep the change, please.

For some, growth is necessary. However, to grow is a choice atau experience that the person (doing the growing) must make for themselves. As berkata sejak Poppy, a fellow Damon/Meredith shipper, “People are not a pair of new shoes atau jeans. anda don't "get used to them" atau "break them in". If anda Cinta someone, anda should Cinta for what they are, as they are, not for some nebulous potential anda imagine them to have.” I think one of the most relieving things about Damon and Meredith is that they wouldn’t/aren’t trying to change each other. They’re comfortable in their own skin, and it’s kind of refreshing.

sephmeadowes and samjhart like this

samjhart Although, I can see why some ppl ship them, I think potentially they are an extreme ship for me. Not because Meredith is willing to stand up to Damon, for me its because Damon doesn't have an attraction to her but rather [i]fear[/i] in context - that makes for some pretty interesting scenes. But for me, Damon Salvatore, at least in the books has enough common sense not to be around her more than necessary or rather not to jump into a relationship with someone he knows isn't tolerant of who he is as a person. In any form

Bynamearose [i]"But for me, Damon Salvatore, at least in the books has enough common sense not to be around her more than necessary or rather not to jump into a relationship with someone he knows [b]isn't tolerant of who he is as a person. In any form [/b] " [/i] Well, we don't actually [i]see[/i] that. The perception many people have is that Meredith hates Damon, but, up until Nightfall, they had little to no "fearful" interaction. I think Damon being afraid of her is a little over the top, frankly. But, that's Nightfall for you. No where in the books is it said/infered that Meredith is intolerant of [i]who[/i] he is. Does she care if he goes out and kills someone? Yes. However, Damon makes it very clear in Dark Reunion that he doesn't kill unless forced (e.g. Mr. Tanner)... I think Meredith carries a wariness about her, no doubt. However, I think, considering she let him feed on her in Shadow Souls, her opinion of him has changed to something more than "intolerance." But, that's just my opinion.

samjhart [i]I think Damon being afraid of her is a little over the top, frankly. But, that's Nightfall for you. [/i] I actually found that this tied in very nicely in 'Midnight,' actually complimenting Damon's instincts ;D [i]Well, we don't actually see that. [/i] No in all honesty we don't. But we do see a reserved Damon not ready to get into Meredith's good graces like he does with other girls. There is something puts him on his guard around Meredith - like he knows that Meredith is not hesitant about crossing lines. Her mind is though does hold strong feelings against him, doesn't cloud her actions at the appropriate time. That's what makes her so damgerous Hmm..the feeding in Shadow Souls, it didn't surprise me, nor did I feel that within that incident Meredith's earth shifted in accordance to Damon. It was an action that was required, and in consistence with Meredith's characterization..she'd do pretty much anything to get the job done. Within her limits - that I admit, she has to push in very extreme circumstances

Bynamearose "Hmm..the feeding in Shadow Souls, it didn't surprise me, nor did I feel that within that incident Meredith's earth shifted in accordance to Damon. It was an action that was required, and in consistence with Meredith's characterization..[b]she'd do pretty much anything to get the job done.[/b] Within her limits - that I admit, she has to push in very extreme circumstances" I agree. However, if she "hated" him, I doubt she'd offer up her own neck, as Bonnie told Elena - people were lining up (and getting paid) to feed Damon. Meredith giving him blood was NOT necessary, and was a show of, at least, respect. "There is something puts him on his guard around Meredith - like he knows that Meredith is not hesitant about crossing lines. Her mind is though does hold strong feelings against him, doesn't cloud her actions at the appropriate time. That's what makes her so damgerous" Let me re-phrase. Being [i]as[/i] afraid as he was felt over the top. [i]Midnight[/i] toned that down quite a bit, thankfully. "(...)we do see a reserved Damon not ready to get into Meredith's good graces like he does with other girls." I think Damon not putting the moves on Meredith - which, let's face it, he tried to charm Bonnie in the Original series ([i]it worked[/i]) and later romanced Elena like his brother was non-existant - is a show of sensibility. Like I wrote in the article, Meredith won't swoon at false-bravado and I think him respecting that adds a healthy tone to the relationship. But, yet again, just my opinion ;)

samjhart ^Can I be totally honest? Even though I'd never imagined them together, in [i]Midnight[/i] there was a hint of perhaps Meredith felt that she had misjudged Damon but yet was weary of him. I liked that alot. Yes, I do like the fact that Meredith doesn't fall at his feet as it balances out the series as it shows a character in his immediate company that he can't control. As for SS, yes, Meredith giving blood can be seen as a peace offering to him or even an embodiment of their uneasy alliance but does that mean Meredith would be ready to accept Damon as a guy-with-many-layers-that-I-have-to-give-a-chance-to'? I doubt it because to me, at least I read that scene the same way I read Stefan drinking from Meredith. Meredith did what she had to do, because it was expected of her. I always felt that even though no one actually say (except perhaps Bonnie) Meredith would things her friends expected of her, which is the irony of her character to me at least. The most independent of the girls is most controlled by everyone else's expectations. To me, so she hasn't really broken out from that..and in DD she was I think doing what was expected of her as Damon was doing so much, they had to keep a) the pretense up b) to humour Damon who was the only one capable of saving Stefan. I never really read that much into it.. But yeah I guess it could be a sign of respect I guess (which I always think is stretching it considering how much Meredith disapproves of Damon trying to seduce Elena OR Bonnie) But if I'm honest, you are starting to convince me, even if Damon/Bonnie are still my OTP! Btw..I love reading your opinion. Your responses are so intresting to read!

Bynamearose [i]Btw..I love reading your opinion. Your responses are so intresting to read! [/i] Thank you. I can't stand when people start getting rude/don't use facts to support their arguement, so I try to keep my replies clear and consise. [i]As for SS, yes, Meredith giving blood can be seen as a peace offering to him or even an embodiment of their uneasy alliance but does that mean Meredith would be ready to accept Damon as a guy-with-many-layers-that-I-have-to-givve-a-chance-to'? I doubt it because to me, at least I read that scene the same way I read Stefan drinking from Meredith. Meredith did what she had to do, because it was expected of her. I always felt that even though no one actually say (except perhaps Bonnie) Meredith would things her friends expected of her, which is the irony of her character to me at least. The most independent of the girls is most controlled by everyone else's expectations.[/i] Well, I think if Meredith started going "OMG. I JUST REALIZED THAT YOU ARE A [i]SAINT[/i] INSIDE OF A [i]SINNER[/i]. I LOVE YOU." I'd laugh and pitch my book out of the window. However, I think Damon and Meredith have like minds and, if nothing more, a good foundation for friendship. I can't really say whether I think Meredith does things because she's expected to. I think Bonnie/Elena are aware of how much Meredith distrusts Damon (and probably had [i]some[/i] inclination that she wasn't comfortable with feeding) and wouldn't expect that of her, since they had other options. That said, we don't have a clear picture into Meredith's mind when it comes to how she judges herself vs how she is judged by others. I think that is the [i]show[/i] of an independent mind, which I would, under normal circumstances, consider Meredith. But, who knows, right? Anything's possible. [i]in DD she was I think doing what was expected of her as Damon was doing so much, they had to keep a) the pretense up b) to humour Damon who was the only one capable of saving Stefan. I never really read that much into it.. But yeah I guess it could be a sign of respect I guess (which I always think is stretching it considering how much Meredith disapproves of Damon trying to seduce Elena OR Bonnie)[/i] Well, respecting Damon as a person would entail separating him from Meredith's view of vampires as murderers. (The same way, I think, Meredith respects Stefan as a person.) I'm not saying she entirely trusts him because of that moment - or that they have a peace treaty going, but I think it's a step in the right direction and [i]far[/i] away from the assumption that she is intolerant of him. [i]I read that scene the same way I read Stefan drinking from Meredith. Meredith did what she had to do, because it was expected of her.[/i] I would buy that explanation for Meredith feeding Stefan, simply because Meredith has little to no suspicion of Stefan, and was willing to feed him in DR. However, both of those occasions did not include many other options (i.e. many other donors.) Like I said, Damon had plenty of other options, and ended up, after feeding, giving her the fox key. That, also, was a show of trust. In SS, Damon asked Meredith to look after Elena. I think one of the things most DM shippers enjoy is that Damon sees Meredith as capable, which you don't find much of in DE or DB. He takes her seriously. [i]But if I'm honest, you are starting to convince me, even if Damon/Bonnie are still my OTP![/i] LOL. Well, I won't apologize for starting to convert you, but I can respect that :)