live laugh this love

outer is literally just sans in space. outertale is generally an aesthetic au, but it could be so much more. undertale sans is already canonically implied to like space. maybe he dreamt about science and stars and the vastness of the universe. that would make outer a sans who has had those dreams somewhat fulfilled. murdertt probably would have been a little jealous of him, back then. hell, even error likes the au, going so far as to avoid destroying it.

it would also be a good way to revitalize an old character. outer has been around a long time, but let's be real, he's the fandom's punching bag. outertale is just interesting enough to use for plot, but too boring and peaceful to brew conflict. to fix this? one could turn that mundanity into a strength and contrast it with other characters who have more stuff going on

i see people make dream the "mature" one a lot, but i like to interpret him as someone who only pretends to be. mentally, he's probably the youngest of the three. if not, he's the one with the least experience being a normal person. trapped for five hundred years, then stumbling around as a child, stuck on figuring things out on his own... even ink has him beat on socializing, because at least ink found his own family he was able to "grow up" in!

outer, on the other hand? normal older sibling, got nothing else better to do, has some untapped magic potential a lot of people don't utilize, is as decently well-adjusted as a sans could be... he could help keep them in check. he could be the sane one without being unnecessarily overbearing. he already has experience with papyrus, and that is experience that the other three would completely lack if you consider blue the younger brother.

but does outer even have a personal reason to join the stars? aren't they fine on their own? he's still a sans, how could someone as lazy as him do such a thing as fight if he's not pushed to the absolute brink?

i don't know about anyone else, but if my universe was at peace, discovered the multiverse, and learn that you and thousands of other universes are prime targets for imminent destruction... maybe i would actually do something about it if i knew i could.

we know undertale sans isn't really lazy. he's just largely given up on striving for anything big because he lost his original goal and purpose. he made papyrus into that goal and purpose for a time, but if in a post-pacifist outertale, papyrus doesn't "need" him anymore, why WOULDN'T he join?

it would be really sweet if his papyrus was the one who pushed outer to go out and find himself too. he's always been interested in science and weird stuff, doesn't he want to know what's out there? travel the multiverse? make new friends, fight old enemies, let himself go for once without worry?

adding outer would put less pressure on each of the three to be the one who has everything together, and the new responsibility and purpose would drive outer into becoming a better version of himself.

and that's what it's always been about: being the best version of yourself. there are sanses who act like papyruses, but i haven't seen many classic sanses who take initiative to actually BE themselves. remember, sans isn't lazy on default. it's a defense mechanism. he sees no reason to try. that's why he's so passive.

outer can keep the main traits, but he can also be used as a tool to explore the side of sans we never get to see. a sans who becomes a symbol of HOPE. a sans who acts before it's too late.

for nightmare's gang, the reason why they joined is because they were at rock bottom. there was nothing left to do. this "work" is all they have. it's what they resigned themselves into doing. even if they started enjoying it later on, there will always be that thought of, what would have happened if things were different?

so, seeing someone who is practically a past version of themselves getting along with the stars they claim to hate so much, fighting against them and calling them silly for thinking they're in the right... there is so much potential there.