#criston and rhaenyra
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the way they use criston's cape to showcase the nuances in his relationships with rhaenyra versus alicent is so fascinating to me. rhaenyra takes his cloak off without asking. alicent puts his cloak on, but only after criston asks her to. rhaenyra does not understand the weight of what she takes from criston; while criston trusts alicent to return what rhaenyra took. getting at the ways in which both alicent and cirston have been in unbalanced dynamics with viserys and rhaenyra respectively and how criston respects alicent because he knows she can truly understand what it's like for him in this regard.
#criston cole#criston#ser criston cole#ser criston#rhaenyra targaryen#rhaenyra#alicent hightower#alicent#alicole#guys what is the rhaenyra x criston ship name???#alicent and criston#criston and rhaenyra#hotd#house of the dragon#hotd spoilers#house of the dragon spoilers#hotd s2 spoilers#house of the dragon season 2 spoilers#house of the dragon s2#hotd s2#hotd s2 e1#house of the dragon season 2 episode 1
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A lack of Nuance for Rhaenyra and Criston.
I don't know when this fandom came together for the group agreement that anything that occurred between these two should not be viewed past superficial lenses that draw to the worst possible conclusions for them both, but I didn't sign it.
This fallout is so emotional, bitter, and unfortunate that to only see it within the views of making these characters, the worst versions of themselves is a disservice to one of the better plots the writers wrote.
Their Society
Rhaenyra and Criston exist in the intersections of women and men and princess/heir and knight. The assumption that any necessary conclusion about their dynamic can happen outside of either one of these dynamics leads to really reductive takes. For example, everyone's favorite misinterpretation, their sex scene.
Rhaenyra is a woman. She is the property of her dad and then her husband. She doesn't escape that as heir to the realm. Had Rhaenyra married anyone who didn't care about her or put their explicit permission with her about her virtue, she would've been devalued in that relationship.
Screwing a princess, the heir, especially, is crazy. He put his life at risk doing that. Not to mention him being a Dornish King's Guard. Not only is he expected to be a sexual deviant, but he's sworn an oath to be celibate. So when they do sleep together, he's breaking a sacred oath with the underlying stereotype that he would.
Because he is a man, his consequence would lie solely on him breaking his vow, not with sleeping with Rhaenyra. In one of the craziest hypotheticals I've seen with y'all come up with, if Rhaenyra said Criston assaulted her, he's an oath breaker who deflied a princess and a rapist. She is still viewed as less of a prized bride without her virtue.
Like book Lancel, who says,
"A Frey girl, and not of my choosing, she is not even a maiden."
There is a stigma that virtue makes a girl more or less desirable.
The risk for each of them would never be equal for many reasons, but the risk is still there and does involve consequences. It holds as much risk for each character as it could given their positions.
Our Society
Power imbalance
He knew her at 14, and she chose him to be her protector at 15, and he's been that for her about 4/ 5 years when we see them consumate their relationship. He's older than her and more experienced.
Rhaenyra holds a lot of power as well. As a princess who appointed him to his position, there could have been a sense of obligation or coercing purely based on the what-if consequences if he had said no.
The back and forth in our world is the ability for either party to truly consent, a debate that, although it holds a lot of nuance, y'all can't seem to process past each other. These ideas co exist and make the dynamic interesting.
Emotion
These two are each other's closest companions at this time. Rhaenyra has been formal and frigid towards Alicent, and Criston is her constant company. She's also been on tour to find her husband, with him being her closest confidant.
The escalation of their relationship and denial or regret for either of them after sleeping together has them losing that relationship.
It's an extremely delicate boundary they both risk when they start to sleep together, one that is eventually lost.
The SA Part
I just wanna talk.
Coercing, as I understand it, is the most extreme thing you can say happened between them. You'd still be wrong.
The risk I mentioned earlier applies to both of them. If Criston had turned her away, which he could've done after she kissed him, she would've lost that same emotional dependence.
A breakdown of what happened:
She starts to open her top, he says stop, and she does.
She then starts to take off his glove cuff thing.
She looks at him, raises his head, and kisses him again, something to which he fully responds to and they start doing what they do.
At no point is there a lack of understanding that they could stop. Neither of them want to stop.
Then you say the helmet and door thing before so I'll allow it.
If he took up his helmet and walked out, she wouldn't restrain him. She'd be hurt and rejected, but she would not force him.
He literally takes his cloak from her, contemplates his movement, and lets it go to remove his shoulder pads. The visual language plays into him, choosing desire over honor, not him being forced into something he doesn't want to do.
At no point are the visual, audio, or character actions indicating assault or coercion.
Let it die here, please.
The Incel Accusations
I'm gonna be disrespectful before I'm serious again.
Fabien's mug? Involuntary Celibate? There is no correlation between those two questions.
Stop it. Let's be serious and say it, 5 minutes in a room with Criston, any 1 out of 3, would put an end to those accusations, and I'm tired of y'all acting like it wouldn't.
Words lose meaning all the time, but incel would mean he's a violent misogynist who takes his inability to have sex out on women.
He's might be homophobic (a joke) but he's not a woman abuser. His closest relationship in the show is Alicent, and it was a mutually beneficial decision they came to that to maintain his deeply respected position as a King's Guard, with which he returns to his vow of chosen celibacy.
The one time he uses a slur against a woman, he's trash-talking Rhaenyra with Alicent, saying it and immediately corrects himself with a pause in the conversation, saying it's beneath him.
They are both angry, but he corrects himself for going to a place beneath their conversation, showing that he respects her contribution and their discussions enough to be weary of vulgarity.
Criston, as a character.
Criston, as a character, is loyal, loving, and emotional. We see this with the way Alicent speaks to him, the way he speaks to Rhaenyra, even the conversation with him and Daemon. He's a reactive and emotional man.
We see the darkness in that with Ser Joffrey and Lord Beesburry. With the way we see him holding that grudge against Rhaenyra. We see it with the way he interacts with Rhaenyra's kids through Alicent’s.
Him wanting to run away with her isn't him desperately trying to seek comfort with his abuser.
It's him trying to come to terms with the fact that he's made a big, emotional sacrifice, and he can't justify it within himself.
His proposal doesn't align with her wants, and they fall apart. He's reactive and emotional and blames her. It's still his conflicting beliefs and actions.
He attacks Joffrey because of that. He tries to kill himself because of that. When Alicent finds him, she becomes a beacon in which he can earn forgiveness, away from Rhaenyra and can set the conflict to rest within himself. He chooses the King's Guard.
And he's loyal to that forgiveness to a fault, something Alicent knows, which is why she can vouch on, "with everything you feel for me,".
Is he wrong? Yes, on multiple occasions, but he's allowed to be. He's a flawed character in a flawed society.
Rhaenyra, as a character
I've never seen a character so consciously misrepresented by her fans and detractors. She's either Satan herself or the mother Mary reinvisioned. Let's go over this.
She is entitled. She uses that entitlement to her benefit. She is emotional but logical and plays to her strengths. She also has a dimension of naiveté all throughout her life. She's living to a fault.
Step by step for everything.
She sleeps with Daemon at his wife's funeral
She gains her father's favor in a fight against her maimed brother and disrespected son where she openly acknowledged it.
She let's Rhaenys think that she killed her son to marry Daemon and let him buy into the fire and blood sentiment because she knows him.
She leaves King's Landing for six years and expects her highly contested crown.
Her weakness is always the people she loves. From episode one to episode ten, it is her way. With Alicent, the best example, she always forgives her and always pushes past any ill intent to gain her favor back.
Their Interactions
So we have a spoiled naive princess who loves people entirely, and her companion, whose loyalty she comes to rely on, so much that she risks her reputation with him and who becomes her closest confidante.
She names him a King's Guard and her guard, and they get closer. He's attentive and caring to her, and she's loving and naive.
When they fall apart, he views her for reasons said above as a representation of his temptation and straying from his current path. She used him for her own gain and didn't want their relationship to progress past what he was deeply ashamed and conflicted over.
When they drift apart, he causes a highly dangerous event, killing her husband's lover, creating a bridge in their early marriage that she can't afford to mend with the expectations of her as heir. He abandons her and becomes close to her friend, who even though she reached out to her, still not trusting her. He then completely gave Alicent that loyalty, leaving Rhaenyra alone at a tumultuous and anticipated time in her life, isolated.
Love and Loss
They loved each other. Argue with your family members, and maybe they'll care about your rebuttal, but I don't. They love each other in very similar ways they go on to love the people they truly love.
It was young and emotional and naive, and when it was over, in its place, grows confusion and bitter resentment.
Rhaenyra has to move on for the sake of her kids and new life, but Criston can't because his life now is in opposition to who he used to be, which is symbolized by Rhaenyra.
A fair conclusion
They are characters. Stop being weirdos about them. They are both deeper than y'all, allowing them to be and had a really dynamic place in each other's lives. They are both greatly misrepresented by their sides and foes. And y'all would have a lot more fun if you didn't do that.
#hotd#house of the dragon#rhaenyra targaryen#criston cole#criston and rhaenyra#rhaenyra x criston#my kids#criston you are the visuals#hotd criston#hotd rhaenyra#queen rhaenyra#ill miss yall#a song of ice and fire#i had to watch those scenes again to do a breakdown#im not doing that again for yall#the sa thought never sat right with me
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lord take all of their suffering & give it to criston cole
#hotd#house of the dragon#rhaenyra targaryen#alicent hightower#helaena targaryen#game of thrones#criston cole
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best hotd tweets so far
#hotd spoilers#house of the dragon#hotd#rhaenicent#rhaenyra targaryen#alicent hightower#anti criston cole
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Listen, Otto realizing that he helped put a moron on the Iron Throne and then going through the five stages of grief before dipping is peak comedy, bro really fucked around and then found out.
#thoroughly enjoyed today's episode#helaena babygirl i'm so so sorry for all of this#also apparently you can't spell delusional without criston cole#all my homies hate criston cole#also rhaenyra this episode?? emma d'arcy the actor that you are#and i would in fact let olivia cooke slap me#also peak acting from her goddamn the acting is just incredible this season#also THE FUCKING STITCHES ON THE BABY'S NECK BRO#fishgills speaks#house of the dragon#hotd#house of the dragon season 2#hotd season 2#hotd spoilers#spoilers#house of the dragon spoilers
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𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒’𝓈 𝓃𝑜 𝓌𝒶𝓇 𝓈𝑜 𝒽𝒶𝓉𝑒𝒻𝓊𝓁 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒢𝑜𝒹𝓈 𝒶𝓈 𝒶 𝓌𝒶𝓇 𝒷𝑒𝓉𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝓀𝒾𝓃, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓃𝑜 𝓌𝒶𝓇 𝓈𝑜 𝒷𝓁𝑜𝑜𝒹𝓎 𝒶𝓈 𝒶 𝓌𝒶𝓇 𝒷𝑒𝓉𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝒹𝓇𝒶𝑔𝑜𝓃𝓈…” ❤️🔥
#house of the dragon art#house of the dragon#hotd art#aegon ii targaryen#rhaenyra targeryan#helaena targaryen#daemon targaryen#aemond targaryen#rhaenys targaryen#jacaerys velaryon#otto hightower#corlys velaryon#larys strong#baela targaryen#rhaena targaryen#criston cole#tessarion#seasmoke#team green#team black#game of thrones#fanart#digital art#illustration#asoif fanart#tumblr fyp#aegon fanart#the last supper
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The Casting BTS ✨
#house of the dragon#dragon#hotd season 2#hotd#rhaenyra targaryen#daemon targaryen#alicent hightower#aemond targaryen#aegon ii targaryen#helaena targaryen#viserys targaryen#criston cole#otto hightower#lucerys velaryon
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big brown eyes. long dark hair
rhaenyra targaryen. you have a fucking type
#didnt put daemon since she said the only reason she was with him was coz she wanted to steal his gender#so yk#rhaenyra targaryen#alicent hightower#mysaria#harwin strong#criston cole#house of the dragon#hotd#hotd season 2#in a competition for having a type and my opponent is rhaenyra targaryen
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Let's see, Aegon was right about...
1. Considering smallfolk
2. Securing Harrenhal before Daemon builds an army
3. Securing Grover Tully's support after Lucerys' death
4. Burning the blockade sooner
5. Wanting a dragon to accompany Criston and Gwayne (they could've killed Moondancer and captured Baela)
And STILL many people are saying he was a dumb king! Even with him not recieving any preparation, his ideas would've eliminated the biggest problems that the Greens are facing now.
#aegon ii targaryen#pro aegon ii targaryen#house of the dragon#house of the dragon season two#house of the dragon season 2#hotd season two#hotd season 2#hotd#house targaryen#the targaryens#game of thrones#house hightower#the hightowers#alicent hightower#aemond targaryen#daeron targaryen#otto hightower#gwayne hightower#criston cole#team green#team black#the greens#the blacks#larys strong#rhaenyra targaryen#daemon targaryen#house velaryon#the velaryons#sunfyre#vhagar
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Petition for all team Black and team Green fans to not be at each other's throats this upcoming season, and instead, we all just root for our favorite war criminals in peace? And normalize liking characters from each team and just have a preference on teams? Because that sounds like a fun time to me, thank you 🫶
#house of the dragon#hotd#team black#team green#rhaenyra targaryen#alicent hightower#rhaenys targaryen#jacerys velaryon#baela targaryen#rhaena targaryen#aemond targaryen#aegon ii targaryen#heleana targaryen#daemon targaryen#otto hightower#criston cole#cregan stark#hotd2
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Criston Cole fought in one battle where 3 dragons were present and fought each other and was like “Oh I get it now…… I ain’t shit”, and that’s literally the best his character has been all series, and probably the best character Arc in the entire season!!!
#daemon targaryen#hotd spoilers#house of the dragon#house of the dragon spoilers#rhaenrya targaryen#team black#aemond targaryen#aegon ii targaryen#daemon x rhaenyra#daemrya#criston cole
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Screwing a princess, the heir, especially, is crazy. He put his life at risk doing that. Not to mention him being a Dornish King's Guard. Not only is he expected to be a sexual deviant, but he's sworn an oath to be celibate. So when they do sleep together, he's breaking a sacred oath with the underlying stereotype that he would.
Hi could you clarify what you mean by Cristin being a sexual deviant here as I missed the nuance
I don't think he is. I want to clarify that.
But the first thing Alicent says when she sees him is that he's Dornish. This is time when Dorne hasn't joined the seven kingdoms, and even though Criston was born in the Dornish Marches and more than likely wasn't raised with that Dornish influence (hence the reliance on the faith of the seven and their virtues. He's a marcher. ) he still has to deal with appointed stereotypes.
Like in the books, the Marchers think the Dornish are liars. As a dornish kid who had to grow up in that hate , he seemed to simply assimilate with the marchers because he seemingly tried to ignore all the stereotypes we've come to know (except that passion).
So, in that point, what I'm trying to say is that King's guard or not had it been found out he would've been profiled. Feudal stereotyping.
He's putting his life on the line because he'd be an oath breaker fitting all the expectations of the Dornishmen. Who again is not a part of the seven kingdoms.
It's not a part of the narrative that the writers chose to highlight, but I think it is important.
To me, this also shows a trust in Rhaenyra he has that he'd be willing to do it, but we knew this.
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Alicent and Ser Crispy Cream having a righteous flirty session.
Meanwhile Gwayne Hightower:
#House of the dragon#hotd#hotd spoilers#hotd season 2#hotd season two#alicent hightower#criston cole#alicent x criston#alicent Hightower x criston cole#gwayne hightower#gwayne Hightower x reader#hbo#hotd fanfic#alicent x reader#alicent#rhaenyra x alicent#alicent x rhaenyra#aemond targaryen#aegon targaryen#hotd meme
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Aemond baby, get behind me.
#house of the dragon#hotd#pro team green#team green#anti team black#hotd critical#hotd thoughts#pro aemond targaryen#team aemond#aemond my sweet boy#prince aemond#aemond one eye#aemond targaryen#hotd aemond#anti hotd#anti rhaenyra targaryen#hotd hbo#pro criston cole#anti rhaenyra stans#anti team black stans#anti daemon targaryen
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House of the Dragon Playing Cards
The King and the Queen
The Cast-Aside Queens
The Queen's Right-Hand men
The Second Sons
Daughters of the Rogue Prince
The Innocent and the Guilty
The New Hands
The Warden of the North
By Dvincii
#house of the dragon#aegon ii targaryen#rhaenyra targaryen#rhaenys targaryen#alicent hightower#daemon targaryen#jacaerys velaryon#aemond targaryen#lucerys velaryon#baela targaryen#rhaena (daughter of daemon) targaryen#helaena targaryen#otto hightower#corlys velaryon#criston cole#cregan stark#fanart#insta art
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Alicent Hightower, Criston Cole, Harwin Strong, Daemon Targaryen, and now Mysaria?
Rhaenyra is an absolute MENACE and her pussy game is unmatched, I am in awe
#those are literally the hottest characters (other than herself)#(Criston the character is awful but still hot goddamn)#house of the dragon#hotd spoilers#game of thrones#rhaenyra targaryen#rhaenicent#daemrya#rhaenyra x mysaria
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