The Dragon Rider AU

[socksonameme]

The Dragon Rider AU Meme

Do you have the heart to tame a dragon, and to make it your soul-bonded companion? Or - from the other side - will you tolerate a human giving you commands? Now is your chance to find out! Transport yourself to a world where dragons and people live side-by-side, closely bound by their duty to protect one another and their cities and villages from the threats beyond. Some bonds, be they between humans or dragons, are stronger than others...


Prompts

1. Hatching
Perhaps you met your dragon companion at its birth, knowing it from the moment of its very first breaths. How will you train your dragon, and what do you think of your fellow dragon-keepers?

2. Taming
Of course, you could always go the challenging route, and catch and tame your dragon in the wild. Many would-be riders make the attempt, but few come back in one piece. Some even say it is the dragon who chooses you.

3. Telepathic Bond
Dragons and their riders might communicate with one another via a telepathic bond, sharing each other's thoughts, memories, and emotions. Sometimes, the riders of two closely bonded dragons will be able to do the same.

4. Training
It's important to keep you and your companion in tip-top condition, from flight training to battle drills. Of course, this includes making sure your dragon's claws and scales are clean and in good shape.

5. Battle Flight
This is it, the moment you've been training for. You're fighting monsters, hungry parasites that fall from the sky, or perhaps even other dragons. Will the bond between rider and dragon be strong enough to endure?

6. Injury
You or your dragon companion or injured. How can you stay calm when it feels as if a part of you is suffering?

7. Mating Season
Hey, dragons are wild animals. It happens. Of course, bonded are you are, sometimes dragon friskiness bleeds over...

8. Wildcard
Anything goes!

Comments

J'onn J'onzz 👽 DC

[yourfavorite]

[ One of his favourite forms is some kind big ol' dragon so he can be the partner in this situation. ]

rhaenys martell targaryen | asoiaf/got | ota

[kelitsos]

link | breath of the wild | ota

[hylife]

[ the rider. open to all prompts, including 7 ]

Arthur Morgan - Red Dead Redemption II

[unshakencowboah]

[RDR2 but with dragons? Where's this DLC? lmao Could be either a rider or a dragon (ability to shift into a humanoid form). Anything shippy is 20+, otherwise OTA]

taiki | the twelve kingdoms

[taikirin]

Raihan | Pokemon SwSh

[draigon]

[He's literally known as the Tamer of Dragons, of course he'd be a perfect dragon rider! He'd give the utmost care and respect to whoever his dragon is.

Alternatively, he could also be a dragon! I prefer him to be a shapeshifter who can turn into a human, although he'd still have some scales/horns/tail left over. All prompts are good with me, but I'm a little iffy about 7, so let's talk that one out first.]

[chimerad]

[bond with a grumpy stone dragon what can also shift humanoid sometimes?]

[hylife]

[ oh, yes please! Link is so good for grumps... let him silently care for you in spite of the lowkey verbal abuse ]

[chimerad]

[hell yea hell yea -- would u like to lean into any particular prompt? i'm good for any/a mishmash of a few to weave a fun yarn as you please c:]

[hylife]

[ how about 6 (injury) to start, with 3 (telepathic bond) for flavor? Link could easily get injured doing something dumb and self-sacrificial, or he can dote on an injured dragon! ]

[chimerad]

[modify/add au flavor as u see fit!]

That was stupid.

[this is not the first time Zelgadis has thought such a thing, and clearly it was not going to be the last. unless, at the rate this small fool was going, Link was keen on leaping into the jaws of death headfirst before the dragon could catch him.

...granted, there was not going to be a whole lot of catching if Zel had still been snared by trappers' chains, so while it was stupid the lengths Link went to free him and get the both of them out of there, it...well...

...engh. whatever. the point stands that even if it was necessary, it was stupid.

that aside, Zel's been able to get a fair bit of height and distance from their near-demise, skimming through the low-hanging clouds, briefly craning his head down to survey the ground below for signs of more trouble before his attention could turn again to his injured rider. he wants to berate him more, but honestly? he's afraid he's in more trouble than he seems. Zel can still smell blood.]

Are you listening? Hey.

sansa stark | game of thrones

[ladydire]

( If you think I'm here for Dany/Sansa... you're right, but I'm also open to AUs of any kind! )

[hylife]

Yeah.

[ Even his mind-voice sounds listless, but Link has been listening. With the adrenaline of the fight fading and the pain that lances through him with every beat of the dragon's wings, it's all he can do with what remains of his focus beyond maintaining a white-knuckled grip on his companion's reins while he slumps against that stony neck.

Besides, he's used to being chastised. Link can't even disagree. If he hadn't made a single stupid move, he wouldn't be injured.

Still, he can't let Zelgadis worry over something like this. He will heal, and they're still together - that's what matters. ]

Just hungry, heh.

[chimerad]

[Zelgadis gives a scoff at that, puffing a bit of icy air out his nostrils. it's a common response to Link's well-intentioned or just plain empty-headed bravado, but this isn't followed up by scorn or critcism.

he sounds bad, and no matter what he says, Zel's going to worry. and while neither are strangers to harm, it's usually just surface-level scrapes and cuts. not something that smells and sounds this...deep.

after a few wing-beats, Zel starts to angle back below the cloud line, exposing their view of the world below. he has to believe there are no dangerous eyes trained upward this far away, because he can't keep flying at such a high altitude, stealing precious air from his rider. his person. Link's his person, he has to make sure he's alright.]

There's someone you know who can patch you up, then? Which way? Hey--

[hylife]

[ Link can feel the concern rolling off the dragon in waves. It's... it touches him, just to know that Zelgadis cares this much, despite the usual brusqueness. Not that Link has ever truly doubted their bond, but he can't help the little swell of fondness in his chest when the dragon's snort rumbles in his ears.

Still. ]

I can take care of it.

[ Mipha... Mipha could heal him, but the time it would take to reach her... Link's gut is telling him that he would be better off bandaging his wounds, first. His eyes close for a rest, just in time to miss the horizon coming back into view as they descend. ]

Just find water.

[chimerad]

[this is all Link's damn fault -- the injury, the caring about him, the whole flying around together in the first place! dammit, Zel had been more or less resigned to self-imposed exile before this, you know? and now Link's going to fade and leave him alone after all that effort?

like hell!]

Hold on, then.

[he'd make more careful, scenic dives were the circumstances different, but he can't risk freefalling and Link losing hold, either. so it's a more-or-less middleground of both as he angles his body and wings to descend, sharp eyes peering across the land for not just water, but security. he's not going to drop Link in an open lake, for gods' sake!

thankfully, he spies a glimmer of water amongst dense trees, and he angles his flight path to spiral back toward it. the stony, dense form of the dragon doesn't really do well for delicate landings, but he does his damndest to get the makings of a feather landing, even if it does still yield a weighty thud once four legs are on the ground.

the second he's down, Zel's head lifts and turns to peer directly at his rider, eyes sharp and searching while he crouches, lowering a wing in an offering to slide down.]

We're here. What else do we need?

['we' being 'him', but look. shut up. they're a team. don't read into it.]

Túrin | Tolkien Legendarium | OTA

[manelf]

[He has some experience with dragons... but nothing good. Maybe something more positive is in order.]

[songstressedout]

[ OOC: Preferably the rider, but hey, if you want her to be the dragon I'm down. ]

[hylife]

[ The dragon's efforts to be gentle don't go unnoticed or unappreciated by Link, though a pained grunt still makes it past his lips when their landing jostles through his body. It's the first audible sound he's made in some time. Still, Link pats the tough hide of Zel's shoulder before he slides down.

He knows how his dragon can go down like a hammer. ]

Softest landing yet.

[ He offers a small, wan smile in response to Zel's intense stare, one arm clutched to his side where the blood has seeped through his torn tunic. Hiding it, at least until he is forced to nudge his pack from his shoulder. Then Zel will see how far the stain has spread.

Link continues to move, however, with only the occasional wince and small beads of sweat gathering above his brow as he rummages through the pack for a pot and bandages. ]

A fire to boil the water.

[chimerad]

[that elicits an aggravated huff from the dragon. of course fire, because it's always something he, the stony ice dragon, can't immediately assist with. if only he could, somehow, grow fingers and limbs like a man and strike flint for Link. help bandage, stitch things up...

he has vague memories of old tales of dragons and other beasts changing to such forms -- more like dreams, really. he can't say he knows the ins or outs of it himself, so all he can do is yearn in annoyance as he noses at Link's pack, trying to nip at its fabric and upturn it to at least "help" by scattering all the necessary and unnecessary things around.]

This one? [he snuffs loudly at something he thinks might be flint, but it's hard to tell with his big ol' rocky snoot messing up his eyeline.]

Anders | Dragon Age | OTA

[rebelhealer]

[The rider]

Grand Admiral Thrawn | Star Wars | OTA

[admiralchiss]

[Can be either the rider or the dragon]

The Dragonborn | The Elder Scrolls | OTA

[fireandhoney]

[Probably the rider. M/M for shipping]

Elma | Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid | F/F, F/Futa

[allshecaneat]

(She's the dragon. Although she's more of a harmony dragon, on the side of maintaining proper order and whatnot, trying to tame her won't be easy unless you get on her good side!)

Liora | Flight Rising | OTA

[liorafae]

[She's the dragon, although she's a little small to ride, but she can have a special bond with the "rider." Or in her human AU, she can be the rider.]