Who are Damon, Elena, and Stefan, the triangle at the center of the show?

Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) are estranged vampire brothers who both recently returned to their hometown, Mystic Falls, Va. Damon is the bad boy who drinks human blood, while Stefan is the good guy who usually feeds on less fortifying animals. (He did go on a Homosapiens bender late last season after his teenage girlfriend, Nina Dobrev's Elena, made him drink from her so he'd be powerful enough to save them in a fight.) Damon's hobbies include getting drunk, dancing, and using his expressive eyebrows to enhance dialogue that has earned him a spot on Entertainment Weekly's 2009 list of TV's Best Bitches and the recent title of EW.com's Ultimate Sexy Beast. Stefan enjoys brooding, reminding his brother that Elena (the only human Damon cares for) will not be his, and presumably working on his rock-hard abs.