#yelnats

I think of this as... the most popular dynamic that exists between two entities, two personalities, two different people coexisting in the same body, unable to escape each other...

All the dynamics I know end up going from enemies fighting for the body to something more: friendship, brotherhood, a close relationship, etc.

And well, you can't blame me, I grew up watching some series and movies that showcased incredible ideas of this kind...

I'd say what started this idea was a web series called FNAFHS... specifically season 3.

Then Venom and Suicide Squad followed on my list of movies with characters who have an entity inside them, who get along terribly, and then in some cases become close.

Now that that's clear, you understand why I made this character...

There are different cases of shadows throughout history; not all of them behave the same.

There are shadows that are born alongside their hosts, grow up with them, and learn from them, but there are also shadows that do not have a host, that seek a compatible host, and over time their body molds itself to something similar to their current host.

Some maintain a peaceful coexistence with their host from the beginning, while others develop conflicts due to personality differences or the way they were treated over the time they have been together.

There are shadows that constantly cooperate with their host and seek to help them in their daily life. In these cases, both consciousnesses work as a team, sharing memories, thoughts, and decisions.

There are also shadows that maintain a conflictive relationship. When the host rejects the existence of the shadow or tries to suppress it, internal arguments, struggles for control of the body, and even resentment often arise. Many times this conflict doesn't stem from the shadow being malevolent, but from it feeling ignored, trapped, or treated like an illness.

The change of control between one and the other can be completely voluntary and they can change places (that is, a shadow can take control of the body, while the host floats as if it were a transparent ghost) or involuntary, almost by force on the part of the shadow.

Both can communicate with each other within their minds or vocally, and only the host can see their shadow; it can also be the other way around if the shadow takes control, the host is left floating like a transparent ghost.

Some shadows possess a personality completely opposite to that of their host. (Example: While one may be shy, reserved, or insecure, the shadow may be extroverted, impulsive, or aggressive.) This difference in character often serves as a balance between the two, although it also causes numerous conflicts until they learn to understand each other.

There are also shadows that highlight the best aspects of a host, or that bring out the worst in the hosts themselves.

Relationship with the host

The most distinctive feature of shadows is that they share a single body with another person. Both possess independent consciousness, but only one can physically control the body at a time.

When a shadow takes control, the personality changes completely. The way of speaking, expressions, attitude, gait, and even some physical features can be altered. In certain cases, visible changes also appear in the eyes, making it easy to identify who is controlling the body.

The relationship between shadow and host doesn't always start off healthy. It's common for the host to believe they are losing their mind or suffering from some mental disorder, especially if they are unaware of the shadows' existence. Similarly, the shadow may feel rejected if no one acknowledges its existence.

Over time, many shadow-host pairs learn to coexist. They come to understand that neither can eliminate the other and that the best option is to cooperate. When this happens, they both develop a mutual trust that allows them to exchange control of the body in an organized way and constantly share information.

Shadows can communicate with their host in various ways. The most common is through mental conversations. They can speak to each other without moving their lips or making sounds, as if sharing the same space within the mind. These conversations can be brief or last for extended periods while the body continues with normal activities; this is useful when in public.

Most of the time, the shadow can observe what the host is doing even when it doesn't have control of the body. Likewise, the host is usually able to hear the shadow's comments, advice, or warnings in real time.

The quality of this communication depends entirely on the relationship between the two. If there is trust, conversations flow smoothly, and both share memories, emotions, and ideas with ease. If the relationship is conflictive, communication may be limited to constant arguments or even complete silence.

When both partners reach a high level of synchronization, they can exchange control of the body almost immediately. This change occurs in a matter of seconds and generally requires no effort from either of them. In some cases, both retain memories of what happened while the other was in control, whereas in the early stages of cohabitation, there may be partial memory loss, similar to what occurs with DID.

Nature of shadows

Shadows represent a constant duality. They are not necessarily good or bad, as their behavior depends on their own personality and the relationship they develop with their host. They possess free will, make their own decisions, and can change over time just like any other person.

Although many people within the Shadow Falls universe initially believe that shadows are symptoms of mental illness, reality sometimes proves that they are real entities whose existence is part of the supernatural nature of that world. Therefore, they cannot be explained using traditional psychological concepts.

The coexistence between a shadow and its host eventually evolves into a unique relationship, where two completely different individuals learn to share the same life, the same body, and the same destiny. In the best cases, they cease to see each other as enemies and begin to consider themselves inseparable companions, capable of complementing and helping one another.

Now… let's talk a little bit about Yelnats ("Nats")

Yelnats is one of the oldest entities in the Shadow Falls AU universe. Although often classified as a shadow, its nature is far more complex. It doesn't belong to the group of shadows born alongside a host, but rather to those that seek a compatible human during their existence.

Yelnats existed long before humans appeared, being considered a primordial shadow, something like the purest and wildest form of shadows.

In its early days, it roamed the world without needing a permanent host. Its mere presence was enough to stir the hearts of those it encountered. It didn't implant malice or control people's emotions; it simply amplified what already existed within them. Resentment turned into hatred, ambition into obsession, fear into despair, and violence into destruction. Its existence acted as a catalyst for the worst impulses of any living being.

He didn't understand why it caused suffering. For Yelnats, it was simply the nature of intelligent creatures. He had never known empathy, guilt, or sacrifice, so he watched with fascination how people reacted when their darkest emotions surfaced.

Over the centuries, an ancient shaman realized that eliminating such an entity was impossible. Instead of attempting to destroy it, he performed a ritual to imprison it within a specially prepared bronze ingot designed to contain its essence. From that moment on, Yelnats remained conscious but completely unable to influence the outside world.

For countless generations, he remained encased within the metal. He witnessed entire civilizations come and go as the ingot changed hands time and time again. It was sold, stolen, melted down, traded, and forgotten countless times. Unable to do anything but observe, he began to develop a curiosity he had never before experienced.

During that long captivity, he witnessed humanity building cultures, forging bonds, and being capable of completely contradictory acts. The more he observed, the less he understood human beings… they were so contradictory.

Over the centuries, the ingot was repurposed into a pair of bronze knuckles. No one knew its true origin anymore. To everyone else, they were simply old, heavy, and surprisingly strong knuckles.

Until a young Stanley Pines bought them during the years he spent surviving on the streets.

The first time Stan used them in a fight, the seal began to weaken. After so long without establishing a bond with another living being, Yelnats managed to project his voice into the boy's mind. At first, he could only observe and speak to him, unable to physically manifest or take control of his body.

That's when something completely unexpected happened to both of them.

Stanley ignored it, not reacting like any of the countless humans Yelnats had observed for millennia.

Stan was a contradictory man in every sense. He could lie with absolute ease and, at the same time, sacrifice everything for someone else. He survived by scamming people, yet he was capable of genuine generosity. He claimed not to need anyone while dedicating his life to protecting the few people he loved.

Those contradictions awakened in Yelnats a fascination he had never before felt for any human being.

Stan, for his part, reacted exactly as any sensible person would to a supernatural anomaly: he tried to ignore it, convince himself he was imagining things, and stay as far away as possible from that strange voice. Naturally, that plan failed completely.

Over the years, the relationship between them evolved into a bond similar to that of a shadow and its host, though it remained unlike any other known. Yelnats wasn't born alongside Stanley, nor was he a manifestation of his personality. He was a completely independent entity who ended up sharing his body due to… extraordinary circumstances.

After managing to manifest physically for the first time during a particularly violent fight, Yelnats definitively abandoned the knuckles and went on to inhabit Stanley's body like any other shadow.

Since then, they have shared the same existence, being able to exchange control of the body, communicate mentally, and manifest as spectral figures when one of them gives control to the other.