🌿 Syetra | genshin-sona

"When we reach our lowest point, we are open to the gretest change."
"The greatest dreams are the hardest to achieve"
"Even wolves bleed like sheep"

🌿 TRIVIA
- constellation - Vespertilio Silva (forest bat)
- most often uses catalyst - Aurora Borealis; when used, it separates into the crystal moon & bracelets/rings (these are the ones on the left hand, they "snap" on the wrists);
bracelets allow you to create glowing vines of magic, they grow out of the bracelets & wrap around the hand;you can create one longer vine or divide it into several thinner ones;
the moon levitates above the outer part of the arm above the right wrist and acts like a sight in weapons - thanks to this, magical shards can be aimed at the target more precisely (Syetra can form his Dendro powers into green, glowing, glass/crystal-like shards that he uses like darts or blades)

- white vertical slit pupils
- kinda cold-resistant
- green gem parts of the outfit are made of fluorite
- owns pet snake (ghost ball python) named Gacek (Гацэк/gatsek), but it's just a normal snake, not intelligent one like Changsheng
- for now he earns money by doing commissions for the Adventurers' Guild & sometimes by selling handmade soaps/candles/teas/ornaments (has way too many interests & his house is the embodiment of ordered chaos), although he'd love to be part of Knights of Favonius someday
- wants to work as an alchemist, at the moment expands knowledge by working with Albedo
- gives rocks or chestnuts to people he likes

🌿 BACKSTORY
Syetra comes from a kinda patriotic family who encouraged him to join Fatui because of his intelligence & because it would be great honor and prestige for them. They had never been very prominent members of the community, and they saw potential in him to make them feel more important. However, since childhood, he was not a person who liked to adapt to others, so he rebelled against most contacts with people, especially strangers. He doesn't like to be limited by anyone's orders and is actually unable to trust anyone, even if it's someone important, like a ruler. It doesn't matter for him, since he doesn't judge by social status but by actions; by facts and things he sees with his own eyes.

"I never felt close to my family. As a child it probably bothered me more than it does now, when I simply accepted that I haven't felt what I once needed - simple understanding and acceptance."

Not only his family put pressure on him, but also other people he met along the way and who got to know him. He was just waiting until he was older and able to escape this place. Syetra also felt pain because he likes his country, but mostly its climate. However, he eventually decided that this could not be the only element that kept him here, and decided to go on a journey through Teyvat to find his place, but also to explore the world around him and understand himself. All of these were always important to him, but he felt too oppressed by the bonds of tradition and expectations.

"I was never really sure if my decision was the right one. I don't know what will happen, will it be better than staying here, or will people be the same in other places? I don't know, but in the worst scenario I'll just become a lonely outcast living in some wilderness, which is still better than staying here, trying to not fall into madness. I want to finally be able to open my mind, because I have that constant impression that it's being wasted here..."

He loves nature, but here there's no much of it to explore because of the climate. Yet it's trees, mountains and the open sky that he finds the most comforting things in his life. Away from civilization, noise, lies and intentional harm. He thinks that nature doesn't harm for its own satisfaction, and all it does is defending itself and evolving to be stronger. Nature was the only entity he was able to trust. When you know a lot about it, you can predict its behavior. People are the complete opposite - unpredictable, vengeful, senseless. 

"And so it happened - I left Snezhnaya. I've been preparing for this for far too long... this was my first longer journey, and it actually was a test for me. It was difficult, many times I had to overcome my fear and weaknesses to cope in the wilderness or to ask someone for help. I honestly didn't expect to make it to Mondstadt at all. The decision to leave in my mind was equal to possible death. I even less expected that in the first region I visited, I would find a place where I would feel at home. As soon as I reached Dragonspine, I fell in love with this place. Although I like traveling, I wouldn't like to be an eternal traveler who has no home to return and who always has to carry all their belongings with them. And with my interests, it would be difficult to carry at least a small part of it..."

The first thing Syetra did after reaching the Wyrmrest Valley area was to throw his things in the snow, lie down and breathe with a slight smile on his tired face, looking at the evening sky above him. After a while, however, someone blocked his view, and he instinctively got up in a fighting pose. Maybe it was this quick, unconditional reflex when he felt danger that helped him survive? Anyway, that's when he met Albedo, who was just coming back from his afternoon painting session. He quickly reassured Syetra that he was not an enemy and asked if he needs any help. They were surprisingly good at talking with each other for such introverts, but that only seemed to make them easier to understand the other side. Albedo suggested going to his laboratory, eating something and getting to know each other, which then left them feeling that they had suspiciously much in common. Syetra quickly became fascinated with him. In the first weeks of being in the new place, he lived with Albedo, in return helping him (and additionally learning new things) and being the quiet company they both seemed to need.
As soon as he was able, he organized a place for himself - a small, wooden house combined with a cave near it. After all, he didn't want to feel that he owed anyone too much, because he immediately felt obliged to return the favor. Whether he actually cared about someone or it was random help from a random person, he felt that there was some kind of rule in his own mind. It helped him not to feel dissonance between his feelings and actions.
Despite everything, he became Albedo's "official" assistant/student and often stayed in his cave, not only learning alchemy, but also talking for hours or silently drawing next to each other. He also got along with the rest of the people who stayed here, although it wasn't the same level of ease.

Sometimes he visited Mondstadt when there was something he needed to do, buy or give, and although the people were surprisingly nice, he had the impression that they were paying too much attention to him, which made him uncomfortable because he didn't know what to think in such a situation. Definitely prefers to spend most of his time in Dragonspine, wandering in the mountains or forests, collecting plants, gems, rock & other materials that can be used in alchemy or for his hobbies.

"I have no idea how people see me. As an ordinary foreigner? As a danger because of the way I look or the impression I make? As a freak who randomly collects nice-looking rocks from the streets? No idea. Being withdrawn most of the time probably doesn't make it easier for them to get to know me, and at the same time it's hard for me to show anything without at least an hour of conversation, because only then I can show my true emotions. Sadly, I need some time to feel at least a little more comfortable when talking. Ah, sometimes I wish I just was invisible or that I knew what people have on their minds, but I guess it isn't possible in this world. Maybe in another one..."

🌿 VISION
"Surely I was often wondering if I'll ever get the vision, but didn't actually expect to get one, since in my eyes I can't be compared to other vision owners, not now at least. I still have so much to explore, and I'm not really sure if I'll have enough time to learn at least a small part of its world knowledge. Living with trust issues, multiple traumas and wasted childhood takes lots of energy, even though I feel like I've accepted my past. It seems acceptance is not enough.
Back to the vision... More unexpected was the fact that I got Dendro one. Yes, I respect nature, I feel great connection with it, but I didn't have many occasions to experience it. In fact, I'm just now discovering it fully, increasing my love for it even more. Maybe it was enough? The other theory is that it's because I desire knowledge and actually set it as my life goal. I don't really have any other goals than to find sense in this life, in existence and to find it, I must discover as much as I'm able to.

Anyway, the day... night when I got it, deeply etched in my memory. It was actually one of the worst, more emotional nights. One of those nights when I was close to giving up again, irritated with the world, with myself for not being adapted to it all, too slow, too damaged by what had happened to me. Is there any point in striving for anything if I'm convinced that I'll eventually lose the strength to do it? I don't know, but somehow I do it anyway because I don't see a better alternative. In the end, I always subconsciously decide that it's still better than giving up and waiting for death, although its vision is still closer to me than it should be.
I was then in Starglow Cavern, fighting the urge to break one of the icicles and do something stupid, when out of the corner of my eye I noticed something in a color that didn't match the surroundings. I may be slow in learning and adapting, but at least I react quickly to changes, movement or danger, heh. I broke the icicle anyway, because in emotions I obviously forgot to take something to defend myself, and I carefully approached the source of the dim greenish glow penetrating through the ice crystals. And there it was... I honestly don't know what I felt at that moment. I froze in place and a lot of thoughts started running through my head, slowly making me realize what I was seeing and what it meant. I couldn't move for a good few minutes. The strongest feeling was probably dissonance - why me? Why now? What I should do about that fact? How people will react? Will they even notice? Of course they will. I was trying not to explode. Explode how exactly? No idea. Maybe by screaming, crying or damaging ice around me, forgetting for a few seconds that someone could actually hear this. I can't understand that feeling yet, nor can I deal with it properly, so I just knelt on the cold surface, finally taking the vision into my hands. I was looking at it like I look at the crystals I collect. It's relaxing in some way...
For some reason the vision wasn't cold. Or maybe it was just my impression, at that moment I didn't perceive things very well.

When I finally managed to get up, I went straight to Albedo, not even realizing that I had an icicle in my hand the whole way. I didn't know if I expected anything from him, but at that moment he was the only person I was able to tell about what had happened. For him it was basically obvious thing when he got his vision, but we're on totally different levels, so I'm not even surprised.
Being next to someone alive was enough, at least I was sure that I wouldn't be a threat to myself. When I was sitting in a blanket with dead eyes looking nowhere, he added a pendant to the vision so I could attach it anywhere I want. Almost felt like a knighting ceremony or something."

"I'm curious what vision I'd get if I stayed in Snezhnaya. Cryo maybe? I think it suits me well too, maybe even more than Dendro, but oh well, gods decided otherwise, so I guess it's just my subjective impression.
I'm also wondering who I'd become if I really joined Fatui... Because even though I never truly wanted to, I was still considering it back then. Many things could be easier in that scenario, having strong people by my side, more possibilities to master my talents, access to network of influential people or even funds for experiments & studies. I still don't know which decision would be better in the long term vision, but for now I'm quite satisfied with my choice."

INSPIRATION
- 22.12. - winter solace