#i really like writing the destiny trio as like. a group of friends who inevitably influence each other

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Destiny Trio - Love Languages

Headcanons and analysis on Sora, Kairi and Riku's love languages and the way they show their appreciation.

I started writing a draft with this very same prompt for the orgxiii but my god, i forgot how time consuming it is to write for 14 people all at once without repeating myself too much

so i'm taking a break from that by doing the exact same thing with less characters lmfao

Giving: Acts of Service, Physical Touch

Receiving: Gifts, Quality Time

[Acts of Service]

Sora is a bleeding heart through and through, so it makes sense to me that his first and foremost love language is acts of service - one way or another, he's always doing things for the sake of others, both big and small. Without a doubt, Sora is the type of person who would gladly give you the world and ask for nothing in return.

Because he's willing to help anyone, it's extremely easy to see Sora as gullible, naive and easy to take advantage of. And that might've been true when he was younger! However, those closest to him know about that stubborn streak of his: every day, Sora wakes up and actively chooses kindness over everything else.

This intense mindset is what drives him forward, it's also what makes Sora so reliable. No matter the situation, he'll always be there for those he cares about.

He'll be there if you need someone to help you with chores or to keep you company during sleepless nights, telling you all about his adventures until you fall asleep. He's the one staying behind on the island, looking for that good luck charm Kairi gave you, the one you lost while playing on the beach. The second he hears you're sick, or lonely, or feeling bad in general, he's at your doorstep calling out your name, so that you can tell him how to help. To him, the best feeling is knowing that his loved ones are cared for and safe, that they don't have to worry about anything.

And because he makes friends wherever he goes, it means he has many, many connections. If he can't help you out directly, then chances are he knows someone who absolutely can.

Out of the group, the one who gets carried away the most is Sora. So in this case, acts of service is a double-edged sword - he'll stop at nothing to help others or to do what he believes will soothe their pain, even if it means sacrificing himself for it.

One of my favorite portrayals of Sora is seeing how years of being "the chosen one" affected him while growing up, to the point where he doesn't see any alternatives to martyrdom because he's so used to carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. So whenever he wants to show someone that he cares, he does it through acts of service because - in his eyes - there's nothing else that he can offer other than being helpful and fixing what's wrong. Because he's supposed to being the one to save everything and everyone.

[Physical Touch]

This love language isn't as loaded as the previous one - Sora is just a naturally touchy-feely, clingy person!

He's usually leaning or touching his friends and loved ones in some manner, either by having an arm around their shoulders, holding their hand, linking arms, leaning on them, etc... You name it! Hell, this isn't even limited to people Sora knows or cares about, because he'll also be pretty friendly and casually affectionate with people he just met.

His welcoming aura, paired with the incredible hugs he gives, makes Sora an absolute machine when it comes to getting people to eventually drop their guard, no matter how hesitant they may be towards physical contact. The main example to this is Riku!

Of course, if confronted directly about boundaries and such, Sora would respect them to the best of his ability and make it an habit of asking for permission before doing anything.

Also I lied, there is a bittersweet tone to Sora's affections.

It might not seem like it, since he's extremely casual with physical touch, it means a lot to him. In a way, being able to reach out to people, know they're right there next to him, that he can actually hug them, helps ground Sora.

I imagine he becomes even clingier over the years, a side-effect to constantly losing his best friends and all the people he's befriended in his journeys. One would expect physical touch to be a love language he likes to receive instead of give, but it all ties back to Sora's inability to let himself be cared for.

Perhaps he re-contextualizes it as him letting others know that he'll always be there, that they're the ones who can reach out for him and he'll actually be there - as opposed to him needing their presence to feel whole and calm. Who knows!

Giving: Gifts, Words of Affirmation

Receiving: Acts of Service, Quality Time

[Gifts]

Kairi is also very openly affectionate with her loved ones, but she shows how much she cares about them through gifts.

Typically, she tries to get small, cute and useful things to her friends - perhaps erasers shaped like fun animals, hair clips to keep the hair out of your face or some scrunchies, sometimes it's things she knows you've been eyeing for awhile. Sometimes it's matching lunchboxes! Kairi is extremely attentive to her surroundings and those around her, so her gifts tend to come in at just the right moment. Like Sora, she likes to make the lives of her loved ones a bit easier and more colorful.

Her love for lucky charms and trinkets is known by almost everyone on the islands, but contrary to popular belief, Kairi only makes them for very special occasions - they're very meaningful gifts for her, after all! In her words, if she were to give everyone she knows one, they would lose all their magic.

Like the ones she gives to Sora, these charms are meant to represent a promise between her and her loved ones - that you'll come back safe and sound to her, that you'll never forget her. Because Kairi is used to being the one left behind, these charms are a way for her to be with all the people she has to say goodbye to, even if its just a very small part of her.

It also goes without saying that Kairi always gives the best gifts during any event that requires them, like Secret Santas, special holidays, birthdays and so on. Even if you don't know what type of gift you'd like, she'll figure it out. It's almost scary!

I also like to think that she's quite good at arts and crafts (and that's why Naminé is so artistic) as well as writing, so she'd include very heartfelt notes with her gifts.

[Words of Affirmation]

In KH2, we see that Kairi was very eager to start protecting Sora and Riku in return instead of staying by the sidelines, the culmination of all those themes about being left behind over and over - so I like to think that words of affirmation is Kairi's secondary love language because it's more of a skill she's had to develop over the years.

She was rarely allowed the chance to do anything for herself, but she knows that people will listen to her words, if that makes sense?

Like, let's be honest: as close as the Destiny Trio might be, growing up with two boys who will constantly fight for your attention is kind of tiring - the amount of mediating Kairi has had to do from a young age is amazing. So that awareness, paired with the fact that she was adopted by the mayor of the islands, made Kairi very aware of the effect her words would have on people, whether she liked it or not.

She's always been kind and considerate, but her words tend to be a little sweeter because of this whole thing. Whenever she sees someone in need of a listening ear, she'll be very gentle, allowing the other party to steer the conversation to whatever they're comfortable discussing with her.

Her advice is always solid, but it might feel a little distant to some, like she's specifically choosing to say the safest things for your situation.

This is something she outgrows as she becomes older, the current Kairi doesn't have to suppress her own stubbornness anymore, after all - she calls it how she sees it, and might tease you from time to time, but she always make sure that you feel heard, seen and cared for, passionately talking about how much you inspire her.

And this is also where her letters come into play! It's way easier for her to put thoughts and feelings into a letters or notes, because she does get flustered over rambling and gushing so much about her loved ones.

Giving: Acts of Service, Quality Time

Receiving: Words of Affirmation, Physical Touch

[Acts of Service]

Riku is a stark contrast to Sora and Kairi, he struggles with being as openly affectionate - both verbally and physically - as them, which leaves him with two love languages that don't necessarily focus on either of those two things.

He shares acts of service with Sora, but Riku helps those he cares about specifically to repay all the kindness and patience he's been shown. And in this aspect, he's more similar to Kairi - instead of grand gestures, both prefer to do little things to make others happy.

In fact, Riku doubles down on this. He's proud to know others rely on him, whenever someone might approach to ask him for help, but he greatly prefers helping from the shadows (less embarrassing and less chances to get flustered that way). He'll wake up early to make breakfast or make whatever necessary preparations for the day, just so that you can take a few extra minutes in bed. If you need to run errands, he's most likely taken care of half of them already so that you only have half of the work left.

To differentiate him more from Sora: Sora is on your doorstep the second he finds out you're sick, but Riku is most likely the reason you never got sick in the first place because he's probably been fussing about you wearing enough layers.

One thing I love to headcanon about Riku is that he's great at everything and anything - as long as he's doing it for someone else. He'll put in the extra effort if needed, but really he'll only succeed if his motivation is helping someone he cares about. And because he makes sure that no one sees his failures (if possible), it makes Riku come across as this perfect guy, which is most likely what fueled his rivalry with Sora when they were kids.

[Quality Time]

Because of the chaotic life he's led, Riku appreciates the quiet moments even more.

Whenever he feels restless, or whenever he sees his loved ones stressed and in need of a break, Riku won't hesitate to pull them away from their responsibilities into an impromptu date. You will hang out with him and you will relax or so help him.

Like every person native to Destiny Islands, his first instinct is to seek the nearest body of water (if the ocean isn't that easy to get to). An empty beach, river or lakeside on a sunny day is the perfect way to relax - whether you want to swim around, walk along the shore, or just dip your feet into the water and talk until the sun sets.

He's never been one for large crowds or huge outings with dozens of friends, so one-on-one time is perfect for someone like Riku. If you ever need someone to just sit with you in absolute silence, you can count on Riku to be there for you. If you need that to be a daily or weekly occurrence, he'll set up seven alarms to make sure he's never late.

You'll get to see Riku's most vulnerable side, when he trusts you enough to show that he genuinely wants to be closer to you - even if all you two do is talk about groceries, what you'd like to do next week or to show you the funny shit Kairi and Sora text him when half-asleep. He'll stumble over his words at times, apologize for the smallest of things that you never even noticed or thought were an issue, like getting a little sassy and regretting it instantly because what if you weren't as close as he thought you were, etc.

All in all, under all those layers of nonchalance and effortless perfection, Riku is one huge mess, but he trusts you enough to know that. And he'd be over the moon to know you also trusted him enough to lower your guard around him.

[heaartsavior]

Boop boop This is very long and I’m sorry if I left anything out or it doesn’t make any sense. Spoilers for the game under the cut!

WOW WHO’S SURPRISED THAT I DID THIS AFTER THIS SHIT THEY PULLED ON MY BABY GIRL??? I’m not. Here’s my fixer upper for whatever the fuck they did to Kairi.

♡ The battles, the stories, losses and all the glories

Kairi travels to Radiant Garden with Lea to train under Merlin, who puts them in a pocket dimension so that they may safely (and thoroughly) learn how to properly wield their keyblades. During this time, Kairi learns the fundamentals of what it means to hold this title and how she can eventually take on the task of taking the Mark of Mastery exam. She learns the history of what is told of the first Keyblade War, remembering the stories that her grandmother used to tell her when she was very young.

It is also during this time that Merlin teaches her how to harness her powers as a Princess of Heart, should the Power of Waking fail, they would have another alternative to turn to. Through the research that Ansem the Wise, Even and Ienzo send to her about their research, she is able to inevitably learn how to use her powers of light to turn the tide of battle as a fail safe.

Kairi and Lea are given gummiphones almost immediately after Sora, Riku, and Mickey receive theirs. With the new technology (well not new to her, she’s had a phone before), she is able to talk to Sora and Riku as much as she likes. Though she does keep her letters a secret, still writing them almost like they are her diary. During Sora’s travels, Kairi sends him updates on what progress her and Lea have made, as well as sending pictures in a group chat that they had created for the three of them. She becomes a social media fiend, posting pictures on their little guardian network, as well as commenting on the boys’ pictures that they post. Having this type of communication gives her relief that they can still all talk without being so isolated from each other. She has far too much fun taking pictures of her and Lea during their down time too, there will be other times when she specifically makes videos just so that she could show Namine later on.

Speaking of Namine, after her talk with Lea, Kairi is determined to find a way to get Namine back so that she can enjoy all of these little instances with her. Both her and Lea often discuss the things that they want to show Roxas and Namine once they return, along with calling up Ienzo every now and again to ask about updates on the Replica research. Her hopes are that they can get the both of them back in time for battle, and that they will be able to tip the scales with their greater numbers.

As her training continues, a year passes in the pocket dimension, and they have gotten word that the final battle is upon them. The two of them are retrieved, meeting up with the rest of them in Yen Sid’s tower. Kairi notices Aqua out of the corner of her eye, and can’t stop thinking about how familiar she looks and sounds. Once the two finally talk, the memories come rushing back of the scene from BBS. Kairi begins to cry and hug Aqua, because she has finally met the woman who she was striving to be, the role model she never knew. She’s so happy to have finally been able to meet her, even if they were under extenuating circumstances. 

With the final battle just on the crest of the horizon, Kairi returns to Destiny Islands with Sora and Riku. While Riku is off having his alone time, Kairi begins to talk to Sora about how she’s so happy to be able to be apart of something great. She reminisces about her time alone during the year Sora and Riku were missing, looking at how far she has come up to this point. How both Sora and Riku were the reasons why she kept training so hard with Merlin and never giving up, even when she thought she couldn’t go any further. They are her strength and she could only hope that she can be the same for them when they all go into battle together. She then brings out three paopu fruit, one for each of them and waits for Riku to join them as they watch the sunset one last time as a trio.

During the battle, Kairi becomes a slaughter god, taking down as many heartless as she can with sweeps of her keyblade (her fighting style is similar to Terra, so are her hits). She backs up the boys when she can see them in the giant horde, but she loses sight of them not long after. Just after fighting off the horde, the storm comes through and everyone is swallowed by darkness. Kairi immediately reacts by using her powers of light to keep Sora from disappearing so that he could go find the others. After she guides Sora back and the whole scene with Terra happens again, she is about ready to throw hands at this giant mountain man before the Lingering Will shows up to kick ass.

In the labyrinth sequence, Kairi backs Lea up in their battle against Isa, Xemnas and the hooded figure. She fights alongside Sora and Lea, doing team attacks with the both of them and clocking Isa in the face a few times with her Keyblade for keeping her prisoner back in the World That Never Was. Xemnas gains the upper hand against her, thus causing her capture, (but she absolutely kicks him in the balls before all of that fuck you Xemnas). The entire time she’s captured, she yells a slew of insults at Xehanort, struggling to get free the entire time and swearing that she’s going end his geriatric self before the others even get to him.

Upon her, well, fucking death, Kairi shatters and is sent to the Fallen World, where she meets Chirithy. She screams, yells, and cries as the little creature sits there with her and offers her an opportunity. If she can put herself back together and help one of the lost stars, she will return to her world. Her light is not only strong and it reminds Chirithy of a time before Darkness could touch lights such as hers. She brings the pieces of herself back together again, like Sora did, and talks to all of the stars, including Namine. The girls have a heart to heart and Namine says that she will be happy just to see Kairi returned to where she belongs and is impressed at how strong she has gotten over a short period of time. After talking to all of the stars, she goes back to talk to Chirithy, having along the lines the same conversation that Sora did with them. With some debilitation, Kairi decides that she wants to help Chirithy find their friend, though there becomes a debate of whether or not she could really do that. Though the little creature gives in, jumping into Kairi’s arms to return her home just in time to help close Kingdom Hearts for good. 

I refuse to acknowledge the ending of KH3. It is dead to me. I’ll be writing up verse info for that later. This is going to correlate with @kiibearer and @dreamdevcur ‘s au for the ending, Radiance, but yeah no. I’m officially canon divergent fuck you Nomura.