by chance

sideblog multi for Trikey to store a few fe muses

[contingentce]

⚜ ; [ TRAGIC CHARACTER. ]

orestes

you are orestes from the oresteia by aeschylus, and you are haunted by a cycle of pain. you try your hardest to be a better person, but sometimes you wonder if you will stop feeling trapped by your past. you have a strong sense of justice, you are quick to protect and defend those you love, and you are not afraid to compromise your morals if that means you are settling the score. eventually though, the consequences of your deeds will catch up to you, but that's okay, because sometimes looking your ugliness right in the eye is the greatest release.

tagged by: @lightfated thank you... tagging: p sure everyone I know has been tagged but take this if you want it still!

[ettards]

@contingentce​, for ranulf!

SURVIVING ASHERA’S JUDGMENT HAD NEVER been among zelgius’ plans. there were plenty of reasons for that—he had not planned to escape paying his dues, and having been living under the false impression that his existence had been an undesirable oversight in the eyes of the goddess, he imagined that his days were counted. even so, if he survived the judgment, if yune’s chosen ones had won and he somehow survived, he imagined execution would be his fate as a traitor, but empress sanaki had other plans in mind. that is what leads him to this moment, the position in which the young apostle put him.

he was meant to deal with difficult matters. ones others could not, or that others were simply not qualified to. while he’s no longer general of the central army, his familiarity is what brings him to this fateful little reunion with king gallia’s advisor. begnion and gallia had plenty of matters to settle still, now that the war was over and the rightful rule had been restored, and as such, here they are now.

the room in which the meeting is arranged is spacious and largely private; sanaki still doesn’t trust most of her other commanders not to hold an unhealthy deal of prejudice against laguz and as such, has deemed this arrangement better. she’d join them soon, together with her holy guards, he imagines, but as insufferably fond of arriving early as he is, zelgius finds himself sat on an empty table while waiting for gallia’s representative and his ruler.

—of course, it is only made a little bit awkward by the fact the said advisor and he had often crossed paths in the most disagreeable ways before, but he figures it is not the time for personal matters to interfere with their country’s interests. if zelgius keeps a stoic countenance when the laguz comes in, it is only because he’s well-trained in the art of facades. 

“…it seems we meet again.” unlike himself, he is the first to break the silence, green gaze upon ranulf. he wonders how the other will take his position, given all that had transpired before.

[contingentce]

Of all the things Ranulf had expected from his visit to Begnion, this had not been one of them.

Down the hall from where he was to meet with Sanaki, he caught an almost familiar scent. Rather than allow anyone to make assumptions about laguz -- not that they needed a reason, but still -- he stepped into the appropriate room exactly on time. The reason for that inkling of remembrance became suddenly very clear.

"...It seems so." Ranulf did his best to present Zelgius with a neutral smile, to mask the way he'd been ready to duck into some manner of battle stance at the sound of that voice. If his movements appeared a little rigid as he made his way into the room, it was only because he remembered the last time he had met with Zelgius's blade. Surely too the general would see how Ranulf's gaze sharpened, to search him for any kind of weapon. Some things were simply not forgotten.

"Either you're here to kill me, or Sanaki has decided she still has a use for you. I'm hoping for the latter," he continued, stopping when it was merely the table between them. Zelgius might not be able to see it, but that didn't stop Ranulf's tail from lashing back and forth behind him. "Either way, count me surprised. I thought you were long gone."

He considered sitting, but that would make one more step between him and the door.

"So? Any words of reassurance for me?" he added, flashing a clever grin to Zelgius. He assumed this was the whims of fate, moreso than that some higher-up happened to choose that they two should meet here. Sanaki had sense. "What a way to start diplomatic talks. I wonder if anyone here is aware we've spoken before."

[lightfated]

@contingentce​ said: Ares had the sort of presence that was difficult to ignore. Still, his approach to Seliph was quiet and unassuming today, out of some manner of respect. It was difficult to kindly give well-wishes to him of all people, but this is what Ares would manage. “I am glad today finds you well,” he said, with a nod. “Another year of experience. May it serve you for the next.” (@contingentce)

  ❇

        As rude as it is, Seliph’s gaze moves past Ares and beyond his shoulder.  The well-wishes aren’t odd, to him.  Even if Ares is often stand-offish and aloof, the odd part isn’t that he’s here to offer Seliph some kind words, it’s the fact that he’s there at all.  Surely some one informed him of the significance of the day, and it definitely wasn’t Seliph himself.  He’d been doing his utmost to prevent others from learning and even more to prevent his childhood friends from remembering the date and making a fuss out of it.

          So surely some one had informed Ares, and they were waiting for Seliph to lock eyes with them for them to giggle…  But no one was standing behind Ares ( at least no one Seliph could see; the infamous ‘ Black Knight ’ was much taller than he ).

        The smile he turns back to Ares with is a little awkward – a silent apology for thinking this was some prank or joke on another’s behalf.   In a way, it makes Ares’ words mean more, and that warms Seliph’s heart.

          “ Thank you, Ares, ” he replies at last. “ I appreciate it.  …If it’s not too much trouble, I’d rather not make a big deal of it, so please don’t let any one else know. ”

                                                                          ( ⚔ )

[contingentce]

Ares nodded in reply. Being the center of attention could not be easy -- a fact that Seliph would know he understood, as Ares often disappeared to be alone himself. Words were not necessary to confirm it.

They were, however, needed to warn Seliph of one last thing.

"Your friends are planning something. Do keep an eye out." Ares couldn't help but smile thinly at the admission. Seliph's adoptive family members were not known to be quiet. "I only overheard the date, and not the location... I hope that will be enough."

Back to business as normal, then. Although... Ares hesitated.

"If you are in need of somewhere to escape to, I may be able to point you in the right direction." He gave a slight bow, and swept his cape around to herald his departure.

[contingentce]

ettards​:

INDEED, THE STRANGE BLESSING OF HIS HALF-WILD BLOOD made zelgius perfectly capable of realizing that he was being followed. his hearing has always been sharper than the average and the fact he had his perception honed by war only made it a more favorable asset—as favorable as paranoid tendencies could be, at least. by the size of the one chasing him, he figures it wouldn’t be much work to dispatch them if need be, but as the chase goes on, he realizes something familiar about the other.

something eerie, but familiar nonetheless. like calls to like, and much like the laguz, branded can sense one another. few and far in between as they were in begnion, it had the general’s brain reeling for a moment.

after all that had transpired and his master’s betrayal was revealed, he had been stripped of his responsibilities as the equivalent of the commander-in-chief by the empress, but remained still a general in their forces; respected as he was by the soldiers, it had been a wise move of the young ruler, to keep the army in her favor. not that he would’ve ever used his influence against her. in fact, his survival had been entirely unexpected, both in the tower and out of it. he had expected that his treasonous acts would be compensated with swift execution, but it seems fate had other plans in store for him.

it had not been what he expected, but he could not complain. should not, in fact.

entering one of the storage facilities of the central army, further away from the nobler districts of sienne, he is surprised to see the other still keeps up. when they finally enter a secluded place he turns on his heels to see who it is—and the realization surprises him enough it shows briefly upon his face.

“… you are the greil mercenaries’ tactician, are you not?” a slight tilt of his head; he doesn’t wait for confirmation. “color me curious now—what is it that you want from me?”

"I am." The corners of Soren's mouth turned up into the barest of sardonic smiles. "I shouldn't be surprised that you keep track of such things either, General." Whether Zelgius still held his title was not something Soren knew himself, but he wielded it with a purpose -- Zelgius would not have forgotten the role he played in the war. Or... the roles, plural. "Do you prefer Black Knight? General does seem like an upgrade."

He stepped away from the door, his hands left hanging unthreateningly at his sides. A move to say he didn't fear Zelgius enough to stand by the door, assuming the general played on the same chessboard Soren did right now.

"I wanted to be sure it was you before I met with Sanaki. I don't intend to waste her time with accusations based on the glimpse of a man I saw down an alleyway." Accusations might have been a harsh word, but Soren felt it got his point across. They were both aware that Zelgius had earned the ire of many, including Ike. And Ike's goals were Soren's goals.

There was, though, the other reason. That cold, unsettling weight in his stomach that wouldn't leave. It told Soren there was more to Zelgius than he knew, and that it was a fact more familiar than he liked.

"...I think we can be honest with each other." Soren reached up -- slowly -- to pull back his hood. "We have the same secret. So if I ask you something, will I get the truth...? I wonder."

[contingentce]

luchtaine​:

“Something”? What an innocent way to phrase things. Did this blond imbecile really fail to notice the elephant in the room? No. There was no way he could be that dense. Nobody could. At least... nobody who lacked Seliph’s innocence could. Ares certainly didn’t have that in him. Not from what little Larcei knew of him, at least. With that dour look he always carried, it was hard to imagine him thinking of things in such simple, optimistic terms as Seliph always seemed to. No, Ares couldn’t have simply failed to notice the obvious issue. He had to be actively ignoring it. That was the only thing that made sense to Larcei.

Though physically imposing and in possession of a Crusader’s weapon, Ares’ threatening aura simply failed to faze Larcei. If it had any effect at all, it seemed to amp up her own aggressive tendencies. She wasn’t one to be easily cowed by menacing opponents, as her entire life until that point had revolved around spitting in the face of those stronger and more accustomed to battle than she was. Rebellion was thoroughly ingrained into the fiber of her very being.

“Gee, I dunno,” Larcei scoffed, making quite a show of rolling her eyes at Ares’ question. “Maybe I’m tense because we’re fighting the entire empire? Maybe it’s because some random nutcase showed up yelling about murdering Seliph and now he’s walking around here like he belongs with us? Who knows! Could be anything!”

“Ah,” was Ares’s simple response. He couldn’t take back the words he’d said about Seliph, nor, honestly, did he want to. It was his duty to avenge his father, no matter who that vengeance might consume -- and now his target had shifted, but that did not mean it was wrong of him to challenge Seliph with the knowledge he had at the time.

Clearly, she thought otherwise.

“Lord Seliph has given me his trust. He is the authority I answer to here." He continued to stare down this person who clearly had issue with him enough to be aggressive about it. She was some close ally of Seliph's, Ares guessed. He wanted to simply walk away. That was how he would handle this among mercenaries, as a fight was rarely worth the effort of holding back enough to only injure his opponent, or the cost of repairing his sword after. But an ally of Seliph's deserved some respect, if only for Seliph's sake.

He shifted his hand off Mystletainn's hilt and eased his stiff posture. Perhaps his expression remained firm, but that was all.

"If you do not trust me, will you trust Seliph? I have given him my word as a knight. If I am to betray him, my honor is forfeit." That seemed promise enough to Ares. Surely she would see the sense in that. "I would not do so without being willing to give up my life and all I stand for."

[contingentce]

lightfated​:

  ❇

          Part of the reason Seliph speaks to Ares at all right now is out of the desire to be his friend.  With the stern face the blond seemed to permanently attach to his face, this seems like a difficult goal, but one Seliph feels is important nonetheless.

          Ares’ words and gesture momentarily directs the young lord’s attention to his horse.  So her name is Nike?  Seliph smiles – that’s something new he’s already learnt about Ares without even having to ask.  They can definitely be friends.

          “ She does look happy and healthy, ” he comments.  It’s as much a compliment to her as it is to Ares himself, and one he means genuinely.  “ I don’t have any problem if you’d like to take stable duty, but you should talk to the others to make sure they’re okay with you handling their horses.  I think Lester’s mare can be a bit temperamental. ”

          It’s less of a warning given through his gentle smile.  “ May I give Nike a pet? ”

                                                                          ( ⚔ )

“A... pet?”

The question baffled Ares. Seliph could not possibly have seen his tall, jet-black mare, who was currently stamping her hooves with impatience, and thought first that he would like to pet her. That didn’t make sense. And yet the question stood.

“...I suppose you may. Be careful around her teeth,” he allowed, shifting the reins so that Nike would step forward into Seliph’s reach. His expression didn’t change. He trusted that Seliph knew how best to approach a horse, but if he didn’t, Nike would teach him what he could and couldn’t touch.

Maybe it was that Seliph wanted to become more acquainted with one or two of the horses, so he might be able to visit them in the stables. Ares could understand that sentiment. “This will not affect your decision, I hope. I do not expect Nike to tolerate untoward attention if I am not here,” he added. “I have not met Lester’s mare, but you may imagine that Nike is of similar temperament.”

[contingentce]

loptyrant​:

“Growing up” was some wishful thinking. Had he not been distracted by mental construction of a sand wyvern, that wide, pouting, glassy-eyed expression he gave Arthur would have dissolved into hiccups and tears. 

“You can’t build a wyvern out of sand! …Can you?”

He squats in the box his parents had put in one of the gardens for the twins, poking at his already sagging architectural genius. Or abomination, it all depends on perspective!

He frowns at it. He wouldn’t admit Arthur was right about the quality of the sand, but it was too dry and flakey to be making any wyverns with.

“Maybe we should fetch some water…”

“I can, and I will!” Arthur said confidently, and stuck his hands directly in the sand. It felt pretty dusty, too. Oh well. He could manage. He started scooping the sand into a pile, and then poking it into the right shape. “It’s not that hard. I’ve totally seen a wyvern before, so I know exactly what they look like.”

This was true, if seeing a wyvern flying distantly over the Yied counted. Arthur was pretty sure Julius hadn’t seen a wyvern either, though, so it would certainly be fine if he made it up.

After a few minutes, he sat back on his heels. “...Yeah, we should get some water.” Arthur didn’t know where to do that, so he looked to Julius expectantly. And then an idea occurred to him. A clever grin grew on his face.

“We should race! I don’t know where the water is, so you get a head start! It’s perfect!”

[contingentce]

valflame​:

⊰ ♖ ⊱

                   Julius had to get some sick joy out of allowing people to still come in to see him when he had no say over the goings-on of anything anymore. Or — no, not Julius, but the mere thought of Loptyr brought a sense of dissonance so strong to Arvis’ heart that he felt sick to his stomach. He sat quiet at his desk, staring down at whatever scratches marred its surface in muted silence. His gaze was met with wood; once, it was met with stacks of paper and tomes and scrolls and stamps, piles of work sent from foreign dignitaries and local lords seeking out his guidance and his approval on works projects. Now there was nothing. If he’d known where Julius was he would be out meddling in his plans, but he could not risk drawing his son’s ire if he happened to appear within the castle.

                   He almost didn’t notice the knocking at the door, but once he heard the guards’ armour he leant forward and folded his hands atop one another on his desk with an instinctive, faint smile. They did not bother to ask him whether or not he was free; they served Julius, not Arvis, and they knew for a fact that he had been left with nothing else to do that day. He was full aware of his status as a puppet, and the idea of being forced to stand and smile and nod and carry on as though he condoned any of what was going on made some cold, repulsive sensation trickle down his back and pool into the base of his spine, but he kept up his façade.

           The sooner he got this over with, the sooner he could go back to being alone.

                   "… Arthur?? Is that you?? What brings you to Belhalla??”

Arthur entered, hesitantly, and especially so once he noticed the lack of papers and work on Arvis's desk. That meant he wasn't interrupting, but maybe instead Arvis was waiting for someone in particular? And that thought was enough to send Arthur right back to worrying about getting himself into trouble.

"...Um... Your Highness." Despite Arvis referring to him by name, Arthur couldn't bring himself to do the same. So much for that whole debate. It felt too strange now, when he was seeing his uncle for the first time in years. And had Arvis always looked so tired? Arthur would chalk it up to nostalgia coloring his early memories. In those Arvis had been larger than life, and now Arthur was simply being confronted with the fact that his uncle was a man like everyone else. That was all, he thought.

He gave a formal bow, albeit a stiff one. "I'm here to make a request... not just because we're family! Actually, it's better if you just forget we're related... But... I want to join the knights. Here in Belhalla."

He paused, looking to Arvis for some manner of response. He had points to make, if Arvis wanted them. He hadn't ridden out to Belhalla for nothing. But if he were about to be laughed out of this office, then he would like to stop now and save his breath.

[contingentce]

@luchtaine

"...You seem tense. Is something the matter?"

Ares thought there must be. He refrained from interacting with other members of the army, for the most part, but even he couldn't ignore what was clearly an angry look in his direction. He wasn't blind.

He recognized her from battle, at least. An accomplished swordswoman. He respected that much about her, and that was enough for him to even ask rather than walking off. So there he stood, his hand on Mystletainn, looking menacing as always.

[contingentce]

@ettards

Soren wore a hood these days. It was a ward against attention, prying eyes drawn both to his brand and now likewise his face, or his hair. He couldn't fathom how anyone would want this life in the limelight, but as the man who'd stood next to Ike for so long, Soren himself had little choice in the matter. Nor did it help that he was in Begnion's capitol. Nobles here made it their business to know faces like his.

He did not have patience for them today. He was here to exchange notes with Sanaki, and then he would be off.

It was luck that one man caught Soren's gaze. Luck or perhaps misfortune instead, once he understood who he was looking at.

A cold chill settled into his gut, and a foolish idea wormed its way into his thoughts. And yet, foolish as it was, his feet moved to follow that man. General Zelgius.

Soren did not expect to go unnoticed. When finally Zelgius's path took him to an empty storage room, Soren slunk in after, and the door shut behind himself with an audible clank of metal fastenings. Zelgius was too perceptive for that to have been his first hint as to Soren's presence, but even so, Soren stood back against the door. He was not blind to how Zelgius was the stronger of them two by far.

"...Pardon the cloak and dagger act," he said, in a tone that said he expected no pardon at all. "I was... curious. But it really is you."

[contingentce]

@azelfire

Arthur wiped his face on his sleeve, but didn't look back up to meet his father's eyes. Though his hair had been rendered a mess by the little spat he was now getting into trouble for, Azelle could surely see the shame turning his face a hot shade of red. He always forgot that the worst part of starting a fight was explaining it afterwards until... it got to be afterwards.

"...He started it," was the excuse that finally managed to work its way out of his mouth. The usual one. Arthur always meant it, because his dad had raised him well, and good kids didn't throw punches for no reason. He didn't like disappointing his father either, but if it came between that and letting someone slander his parents?

Well, Arthur had maybe thrown the first punch.

He risked a look up to Azelle's face. Would he actually be mad? Arthur could only get away with this so many times, he thought.

[contingentce]

hc + ur muses LGBT identities come on trikey

send me  ‘ hc ‘  + a word and i’ll write a headcanon about it regarding my character.

Koko allows me to go ham.... unleashes me...... I run out into the night dropping my lgtb hcs everywhere......

- Soren is gay/ace, as in he's not attracted to anyone but would only be interested in a romantic relationship with men. He's also cis (but only because I can't think of a way around rd's plot, I say, shaking my fist at it) but definitely male. Short guy rights

- Ranulf is pan, probably with a male lean, though admittedly he doesn't strike me as the type to get into relationships fast or just for funsies because he's very cool-headed about things in general. I don't write him specifically as cis or trans but generally, unless I say a character is cis for some reason, you can assume I would gladly hc them as trans and I just don't feel the need to declare it because it's not intrinsic to the story I want to write for them. That being said, I also hc laguz aren't as binary and rigid about gender, so I could easily see Ranulf as nb and it just isn't something I've explored.

- Ares doesn't know what his sexuality is because he keeps even the slightest romantic feelings or attraction under very tight wraps. He's just very concerned with being a proper knight. I would say he's bi/pan in the sense that that's a label someone would have to pick for themselves but he isn't out here picking labels? Regardless, it takes him a very long time to develop any solid romantic feelings. Same deal as I said for Ranulf for trans/cis, and Ares is male and fairly sure of himself on that one.

- Arthur is bi, he's got crushes on both Fee and Ced that he's still sorting out. Another character I would actually actively hc as trans if it weren't for the story relying on Tine knowing she has a brother! I know that one's easier to get around than Soren but having to decide between outing yourself vs not being able to tell your only remaining family who you are isn't... entirely something I want to handle myself. But. I digress. He's trans in my heart

- Joshua is like... idk just look at him with Gerik, this man is bi. Another character who could easily be trans but who I just haven't touched on gender much with. I feel bad not saying much but... he's pretty straightforward, that's all. He just strikes me as very confident in his own sexuality.

Bonus other people I write: Xane is gay/trans man, Merric is bi/nb, Lewyn is pan/cis

[contingentce]

hc + duty for joshua

send me  ‘ hc ‘  + a word and i’ll write a headcanon about it regarding my character.

Joshua may appear wildly irresponsible, but if you asked him he would say he's very aware of his duty. Originally, back when he left home, he did it out of a sense of duty. He thought that he could learn best by being a mercenary out in the world, and in a sense, he did learn a lot of valuable lessons from the experience. Knowing how mercenaries operate and the best and worst of them is key to being the leader of a country of mercenaries. I don't think he would even call what he did a mistake in any manner until he's suddenly not there to protect his mother. Ultimately, he has the best of intentions where duty is concerned, even if he may admit he gets sidetracked into dueling and gambling fairly often.

He carries this over to his opinions of other people as well. The moment Ephraim starts talking about how he wants to leave his duties to become a mercenary, Joshua's opinion of him would shoot through the floor -- because Joshua didn't leave to be a mercenary, he left for the life experience in order to come back and be a better king.

...Joshua is obviously very easily distracted from the overarching goal he has here, but at least he would admit so to himself, if not to others who might criticize him.

[derangcdarchive-blog]

send me  ‘ hc ‘  + a word and i’ll write a headcanon about it regarding my character.

[contingentce]

continued from (x) @lightfated

🐉 = Of the fantastical elements in their world what does your character actually find strange, or hard to believe?

Ares would not bat a single eyelash if a whole entire dragon landed in front of him. He religiously believes everything about the story of the crusaders, down to random details he's heard like how they drank the blood out of chalices that the gods gave them. He wants to believe in all of that because it gives him purpose to think of himself as the next Hezul and connect himself to that story.

If you told him about things like laguz that he has no real framework to understand, he might be more hesitant. Not out of disbelief, but more because his understanding of gods/dragons is based largely around myths and history and context. To feel like laguz or whatever else you'd introduced to him were a concrete entity, he would need a lot more... world building info, I guess. That's really what it is. Once he begins to conceptualize kinshi or weird noodley mage dragons or whatever and how they fit into things, he's all for it.

😈 = Does your character believe in hard, definable good and evils?

Yes, though the line he draws is more like knightly vs immoral. He's clearly been drinking his respecting women juice before he gets into that argument with Javarro about Lene, because a good knight wouldn't let any woman be treated that way, and he's very rigid on the matter. I mean, Javarro raised him and this is still the thing that gets Ares to turn his back on Javarro. It's very serious to him.

Ares doesn't really lose that manner of judgment later, either. His goal of killing Seliph for Sigurd's crimes? Averted not because vengeance on Seliph is immoral, but because he learned Sigurd wasn't responsible for Eldigan's death. People like Ishtar who were forced into their position? Ares idolizes his father, who died because he confronted Chagall rather than carry out orders that he deemed wrong. He thinks the right thing to do is confront whoever has forced your hand even if it means forfeiting your life. I wouldn't say it's a healthy thing to think, but it's what he thinks.

[contingentce]

🐉 😈 these are both for arthur and ares

I think I will do Arthur first and then Ares in a separate post for the sake of not making a huge post...

🐉 = Of the fantastical elements in their world what does your character actually find strange, or hard to believe?

Arthur believes mostly in things that he can actually see. He can cast magic himself, his friend rides a pegasus, wyverns aren't far enough removed from pegasi to be unbelievable. He's sure the crusaders actually existed and met gods or something like gods, because it was only a few generations ago and he also has the holy blood to prove it.

When you start getting into the existence of gods and dragons and things of myth, he gets more skeptical. He vaguely believes in Jugdral's pantheon, but if Naga showed up in front of him he'd never believe it was her simply because he can't imagine a fantastical being with that much power would just appear in his very harsh and realistic life. Those events are reserved for stories. If he ever met a manakete or even a laguz, he'd end up kind of mentally compartmentalizing it into "these things are normal somewhere else, but Jugdral is still Jugdral as I know it".

😈 = Does your character believe in hard, definable good and evils?

He did. I think most children do just because it's easier to see the world in that way, and then when Bloom took his mother and sister away it was also very easy for Arthur to say "Bloom is evil, his family is evil, my family is good". It wouldn't have been until he met up with Tinni and heard about how Ishtar had helped her that he would be forced to reconsider the easy labeling of good and evil that he had gotten used to.

This would be at least a part of why he's a little uncomfortable talking to Ishtar and prefers to leave that to Tinni. He hasn't figured out how to handle the conflicting ideas that she's fighting for the empire vs how she helped Tinni, and adding Ishtore's death at the hands of Seliph's army doesn't make it any easier. He also would still consider Bloom evil, which surely isn't an opinion Ishtar would want to hear, even if Arthur is willing to pardon her actions against his friends.

[contingentce]

🎇 = Does your character possess magic? How do they feel about it even if they don’t have it?

🎇 = Does your character possess magic? How do they feel about it even if they don’t have it?

Spun the random number generator and it landed on Ares, so,

Ares has no magical aptitude. Just none. He shows up with a nice solid 0 in magic and a 5% growth, so we all know that's never happening. This isn't a problem for him, as he's always been focused on Mystletainn and swordplay, with lances as a secondary weapon. He has no need for magic talent when his purpose as Mystletainn's wielder has always been apparent to him.

Which isn't to say that he sees no value in magic itself. It would be foolish of him to not respect magic as a very powerful ability to have, especially when he's hanging around people like Ced and Julia and fighting off dark mage cultists all the time. He sees magic as a powerful tool that isn't to be taken lightly.

Because of the context he's been experiencing it in, it has sort of lost its wonder and... magic, for lack of a better word. Using magic for displays of beauty or showmanship strikes him as a lesser use of that ability, in the same way that jousting as a sport comes across to him as a game and not a true showing of anyone's skill. His upbringing as a mercenary made him very war-oriented and it's hard to unlearn the lens with which he views any of the tools of that trade.