Ghosts

## Known Monsters

Mettaton (formerly)

Napstablook

Braids (formerly)

Mad Mew Mew (formerly)

Andy

Wrathstablook

Sulkiblook

Tenebree

Merrywisp

Waltzageist

## Traits

Ghosts are 100% magic and are thus incorporeal, possessing no physical matter [1]and capable of being used as a power source [23]. Their body is nonetheless comprised of ectoplasm, a form of room-temperature plasma that shifts between physically existing depending on intent when a magical current is run through it. As such, they are able to affect the physical world as needed [37]. They can not be harmed by any physical attack [2]. However, when they take a body, their vulnerability to attack depends on how closely bonded with this new form they are. Interestingly, most animals can still see them when they're invisible [3]. Interestingly, a ghost's body is even more a reflection of their self image than a regular monster, and taking on any physical appearance at all is a kind of performance and the ghost is able to assume any form by simply "feeling like" that other form [35]. As ghosts age, they lose color and when they near the end of their lifespan, wisps form around them. Their lifespan is roughly the same as a human's [46].

A ghost must spend energy in order to interact with the physical world and lifting an object is more difficult for them than a monster or ghost with a physical body. Anything other than a field of magical energy or a monster's body will phase right through them normally [29]. They are only able to tell what state the matter they're inhabiting is in and changes in magic [36] with their sense of touch, [31] and lack taste and smell entirely. Further their senses of hearing and sight are only okay, with these senses increasing when they take a body [32].

A ghost that has taken a physical form cannot get pregnant unless its physical form can allow it [4]. Even if they take a body, they retain the ability to have ghost offspring, though as the generations from the corporeal ghost increases, the odds of a ghost being born decrease [33]. When ghosts die, they fade away [5]. An incorporeal ghost that gets pregnant generates a transparent womb that the growing baby can be seen through [6]. Reproduction is the primary reason for having sex among ghosts, since most sensation is not present due to their incorporeal nature [36].

A ghost can be caught within a salt circle barrier, but only if the creator casts a spell on it to create a barrier [42].

Contrary to popular human belief, they are born ghosts and not dead humans [7]. They lack a biological sex and the majority identify as agender [8].

## Abilities

### Vessels

If they so choose, they can spend time preparing a corporeal body for themselves, provided it is not too large to accommodate them [9]. A ghost can take an animal as a body, but usually the animal's body is taken when they are weak or close to death, expelling the animal's soul in the process [10]meaning their new form is not subject to effects that target that specific type of animal, such as a spider queen's intelligence boosting aura.

While they are still bonding to a body, a process that takes months, they can leave and if the body is destroyed, they will not perish with it. If they have bonded, they cannot fully leave their body and will perish if it is destroyed or a piece is lost [11] [12] [13] [14]. The only exception to this rule is Mettaton, as his body was meant to be improved and rewired [15]. When a ghost bonds with their body, their appearance will shift to reflect how they want their body to look [16]. Spending a long enough time in the new body or experiencing a powerful emotion while within their body will bond them completely to it [17]. Upon fully bonding, the sudden addition of new senses and the magnification of those they had leads to sensory overload [32]. Commonly, a recently bonded ghost goes around touching things because they suddenly can feel textures [31]. Scientifically speaking, a ghost that transitions to a body that isn't a corpse is no longer undead, but some identify as undead anyways [34]. Two sufficiently intermingled bodies can be possessed and transformed into a single body [39].

Should two ghosts attempt to possess the same body, their consciousnesses would not merge, but would exist as two souls within a single body [22]. A ghost cannot bond with a body that already has a soul in it without consent [44]. However, this is likely lethal for all parties due to excessive magical exposure [45]. A ghost bonding with an object owned by someone else is considered theft [41].

### Possession

They can enter the minds of others and possess objects or humans. A ghost that attempts to possess a braindead person's body may have to contend with the body's soul trying to reclaim its body and if the ghost tries to make them into a vessel, their body would still be made primarily of magic [21] if successful.

When a ghost inhabits the mind of a willing human. The human would have primary control, but the ghost could puppet around their limbs like in Ratatouille. The two combined are able to use magic like a monster while retaining all of the resistance to killing intent of the human body, making for a powerful fighting combination [30]. This manner of possession is not exclusive to ghosts and is shared by many different monsters [26].

Should the human choose to reject the ghost, sufficient willpower can eject the ghost if they are uncooperative [27], helped by having home field advantage in their own mind. However, a significantly stronger ghost can break down the human's will with gaslighting and insults to get them to comply [28]though this also works if the ghost is weaker and the human is unaware they are strong enough to kick them out [30]. A ghost is however capable of ejecting an animal's soul from its body [43].

### Invisibility

A ghost becomes invisible by becoming intangible. The only way to tell if you've walked through an invisible ghost is based on an inexplicable coldness or "spooky feeling" [38]. An invisible ghost subjected to a See the Unseen spell would appear as a gently shifting blob of magic with small dot-like eyes [40].

## Culture

Pure ghosts are mistrusted by other monsters and in monster society, they are expected to get a body as soon as possible [25] and doing otherwise is considered unusual [24]. This is likely because because ghosts generally know something is off about them and these feelings get stronger in adolescence [18]. Eventually, the day they fully merge with their body is treated as a kind of second birthday. Ghosts have a hard time making friends [19]. Interestingly, the idea of genies living in lamps may have come from a ghost possessing a lamp and emerging when rubbed to ask the human to stop [20].

## References

[2] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/184953806627/us-magic-the-only-thing-that-can-hurt-a-ghost-can
[3] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/187389706042/can-tulip-hear-us-askers-i-saw-those-little
[4] http://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/152412700532/actually-any-skeleton-can-create-a-womb
[5] http://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/163610545027/if-ghost-do-age-then-how-come-chara-and-the-other
[6] http://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/169491279372/do-you-have-any-ship-kid-designs-also-while
[7] http://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/141868708982/in-this-canon-were-ghosts-previously-humans
[8] http://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/142308209547/you-guys-seem-to-be-the-source-for-monster-mating
[9] http://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/171434205512/what-would-happen-if-a-ghost-possesed-the
[10] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/188315547782/so-a-spider-queen-gives-any-regular-spiders-within
[11] http://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/143523608787/well-there-are-two-different-states-of-possesing
[12] http://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/152413448357/cant-mtt-revert-back-into-a-ghost-to-carry-the
[13] http://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/152527557542/ok-if-mettatons-soul-was-separated-from-here
[14] http://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/154196098037/if-braids-was-a-ghost-who-had-bonded-to-a
[15] http://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/154197024947/wasnt-it-said-that-mettaton-had-his-ex-parts
[16] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/184991945437/callalied-is-chara-without-their-memories-right
[17] http://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/153950813232/so-some-ghosts-fuse-their-souls-with-a-body-im
[18] http://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/183301542027/so-ghosts-usually-have-a-voice-in-their-head
[19] http://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/151420651937/question-doesent-hp-stand-for-hope-in-the
[20] http://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/183088976152/what-would-genies-be-considered-in-the-afac-verse
[21] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/184946719622/could-a-ghost-choose-a-braindead-human-as-a-body
[22] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/189189687052/suppose-two-ghosts-fell-in-love-and-decided-they
[23] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/190097826962/if-ghosts-are-pure-magic-doesnt-that-mean-that
[24] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/190550956617/why-hasnt-napstablook-taken-a-body-they-dont
[25] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/620267514475184128/sorry-if-this-is-rude-but-can-you-name-one-thing
[26] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/620518396123086848/would-it-be-possible-for-a-monster-ghost-to-bond
[27] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/621361462075637760/if-ghosts-can-inhabit-willing-humans-what-was-the
[28] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/621710178788737024/i-have-two-questions-could-a-ghost-that-had
[29] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/624491767512940544/can-we-get-some-rules-for-ghosts-touching-things
[30] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/632862089927671809/do-humans-have-any-innate-magics-like-spells
[31] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/641221460501872640/do-ghosts-and-poltergeists-have-a-sense-of-touch
[32] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/641242935903600640/can-ghosts-smell
[33] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/641341610135846912/speaking-of-ghost-does-their-biology-change-after
[34] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/643753315848585216/when-a-ghost-transitions-to-a-new-body-that-isnt
[35] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/644039423457181696/in-acaf-poltergeists-can-warp-their-bodies-into
[36] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/645692431706275840/since-ghosts-dont-have-a-sense-of-touch-why
[37] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/645717689707429888/i-just-realized-that-the-metamorphosis-theory
[38] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/648365386246553600/can-chameleon-monsters-turn-invisible-like-ghosts
[39] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/651297686103982080/considering-all-of-the-information-about-ghosts
[40] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/651942358596845568/so-you-said-any-ghost-thats-visible-is-just
[41] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/670522958665662464/is-it-normally-considered-theft-for-a-ghost-to
[42] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/681126637059883008/do-ghosts-get-affected-by-salt-like-folklore
[43] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/702695449216286720/couple-of-questions-1-when-a-ghost-possesses
[44] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/702981827251585024/so-your-recent-ask-states-that-ghosts-cannot-bond
[45] https://askfriskandcompany.tumblr.com/post/703049317916786688/so-if-i-was-completely-fine-with-a-ghost-turning