A deity, even one who refuses to identify as such, is going to attract followers. And those followers will show their devotion to said deity in a number of ways, whether she wants them to or not.
It's not that Sunset wants to stop people from expressing themselves. She just wishes that expression didn't involve parts of her she'd rather keep out of public view.
Part of the Oversaturated World.
Rated Teen for textual depictions of artistic nudity and discussion of the associated body regions. Title suggested by Justifiedparanoia on Estee's Discord sever; Fimfic username unknown at this time. Additional suggetions from Mockingbirb, Krack-Fic Kai, and CCC.
Statue source is the Venus Callipyge by François Barois at the Louvre; unlinked due to site policy.
She has a phone, remember? The local search engine gaining self-awareness doesn't excuse ignoring the amount of information at even a normal human's fingertips. Especially given the accusations already leveled at our world's counterpart that end up raising all the same problems anyway.
If it were Pinkie it would be called Pant-Ba-lloons.
Did you, perhaps, mean “tests of faith”? Or is there some vague connection to Sweetie Belle’s sphere of responsibility?
Dunno how much of a pain redoing the graphic would be, but wouldn’t the terminology be “rechirps”, “quoted chirps”, etc.?
Memory’s a tad fuzzy; that’s a pterry ref, right?
Mood Whiplash, much?
The Bacon Commandments, number 3, part 4: "You shall not make unto yourself any graven image, nor any other visual likeness, depicting Her Radiance in a state of attire for which any other person, were they to appear as such in public, would receive a citation or be otherwise disciplined."
10689163
Yes! Thank you! I was wondering why that sounded familiar, I thought it was the Seven Veils, but no, "Caravati's Three Large Pink Women and One Piece of Gauze", from "Thief of Time"!
-----
Well, Court File was a surprise! Name funnies! Etc!
Surprise! Limestone! Awesome!
Wow. Riffler. Take 2 and it was even worse. Marble didn't try to stop him by enlisting Limestone or something? ... I thought it'd be Apple Bloom to turn back time, but no. So Marble's talent is in rockfarming or something similar. Sensible.
-----
Typo:
idea sink in ror a few > idea sink in for a few
10689200
Well, that's just the base physical laws, there's nothing saying there's no Incubators or some time magic or something that might pop up. You could even try your hand at some, if you want.
10689214
I cannot help but think that if Sunset were in the vein of Olympian gods, would smite disrespectful mortals... or possibly turn someone into a spider. Depends on the myth, I suppose.
Oh, my. She's a deity of cringe comedy.
I can practically hear Princess Celestia cackling her hoofshoes off...
Snip.
"Just wait for the gifted armors." A snickering Princess Celestia continued,
Sunset Shimmer paused her glaring at her guffawing former mentor. "...armor?"
*A quick trip to the Royal Vaults later.*
Sunset Shimmer was silent as she stared at the 'armor' stored at the centre of the vault, her gaze moving from the base and tracked up.
And up. And up.
"The amount of metal alone must have depleted a few mines." Celestia mused absently, enjoying the sight of Sunset's flabbergasted reactions.
Well, if you have people following you, they will naturally be looking at your behind...
Dick Zigarre
"The job where you repair cosmological-scale damage to the universe and govern all forces and matter to prevent further injury to reality? That job?"
Personally, I've always thought of the Oversaturated Equestria Girls universe as being a fairly small pocket universe. The notion that Sunset is running a universe billions of light years deep, with hundreds of billions of galaxies with hundreds of billions of stars each, and no doubt including numerous alien civilizations from stone age to build-mega-Dyson-Spheres-to-tap-energies-of-galactic-cores, just raises too many questions for me.
Well
That was...
interesting.
Nonetheless, it was a beautifully artistically crafted piece, just as much as (I can only assume) the "Divine Buttocks" were.
10689214
Also worth mentioning that she grew up in Equestria, where public nudity is completely okay.
10689145
It's a riff on Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's threshold test for obscenity.
10689158
Only if the sculptor put her in Hammer pants.
10689163
I admit, I overlooked the terminology flubs, but my image editing software doesn't deal well with text in any case. Also, thanks for the typo catch.
10689214
Gods do theoretically get a say in the manner of their worship; most just don't offer much direct feedback. And as 10689321 noted, when they do offer feedback, it can be catastrophic for the one receiving it. Sunset might have been a bit too heavy-handed on this one, but she definitely has a better overall track record than most pantheons.
10689200
Time and entropy are inextricably linked. The arrow of time points towards the direction where entropy increases. It's all part of the laws of thermodynamics: You can't win the game, you can't break even, and you can't leave the table.
Of course, with magic, you're allowed to cheat.
10689252
Number 3, part 4, amendment B: Thou mayest create images as described above on the condition that they do not appear in public (Seest thou Appendix C for definition of "public.")
10689265
The Pies as a family got a rather unusual branch of earth magic. Pinkie more than the rest of her family, yes, but none of them fit the usual technopathic mold. And thanks for the typo catch.
As for stopping Riffler... this is Marble we're talking about. Do you really expect her to speak up?
10689515
Not intentionally, but people keep finding ways to make that the case.
10689522
Thinking about it, I could easily see Sunset trying to hijack one during her time as Celestia's personal protege. Which is probably why Celestia never let her know about them.
10689544
Sunset has heavily subdivided her full consciousness and power. The best comparison I have is the Primordials from the TTRPG Exalted, titanic beings in every sense who are worlds and concepts as much as people, so metaphysically complex that their multiple souls each have multiple souls of their own. The Sunset on Earth is the defining soul of the greater, cosmic Sunset, but she doesn't and can't fully process everything her greater self does. Especially since some subdivisions of that greater self are technically the other girls. She tries not to think about it too much.
Also, if you have a better name for pony Freud, I'd like to hear it.
Wait...
How useful is that as a measure? "If Gillion wouldn't want me to see it, don't put it in public."
Giving a lotta power to Gillion there, but Sunset's more than human, etc...
Hahahahaha, oh, the levels! The levels this works on! I always appreciate me some Greek tragedy wordplay.
I mean, Sunset is inspiring. Though I can understand where she's coming from.
10689214
No, she has limits and is therefor not a proper goddess, she's just a powerful magical figure and isn't somehow 'required' do let people illegally harass her in this manner.
I'm amazed you can still come up with fun, unique story concepts to explore in this AU. For this one, there's even a moral: most public figures generally don't appreciate it if you openly lewd them. Folks like Projekt Melody who practically encourage it are the exception, not the rule. Also:
I can't help but think I partially inspired this tidbit.
Well... this is going to make things awkward regarding that FanOfMostEverything sculpture I've been working on...
Pun intended, I assume?
10690062
If she doesn't fit the definition of God by her own religions definition, then that religion is wrong.
Furthermore, having immense power does not obligate you to jump through a bunch of hoops to please people who are, again, illegally and sexually harassing someone who's technically in high school.
10689745
Sunset Shimmer, the Primordial of Stability and Harmony
(Not to be confused with She Who Lives In Her Name, Yozi of Order)
Third Circle Devas
Fetich (Main) Soul: Sunset Shimmer, Soul of Harmony
Applejack, Soul of Honestly
Fluttershy, Soul of Kindness
Pinkie Pie, Soul of Laughter
Rarity, Soul of Generosity
Rainbow Dash, Soul of Loyalty
Twilight Sparkle, Soul of Magic
CMC, Soul of Fate (Three-Parted Soul)
-Apple Bloom, Soul of Fated Past
-Scootaloo, Soul of Fated Present
-Sweetie Belle, Soul of Fated Future
Wallflower Blush, Soul of Mystery/???
Celestia, Soul of Sunlight
Luna, Soul of Dreams
Second Soul Devas
I’m blanking, I’ll have to get back to you on that
Notable Followers
Ruby Rose, Pope and Founder of the Church of the Divine Bacon Horse
No Exalted appointed as of yet (technically)
10690352
...No, he would have an obligation to be honest and misleading people is just wrong.
And even if we blew by that, the idea that Sunset should let people sexualize her that constantly, let alone the idea that she's obligated to is just awful.
10689745
10690358
Me doth realize such a parallel demands to be canonically fulfilled by the dramatic laws of the Oversaturated universe
10689781
Sunset definitely has other ways of gathering news. This just makes sure she doesn't accidentally see, say, a suggestive body pillow cover of her while searching for home decor.
10689926
I admit, I didn't even realize how many levels it worked on when I first wrote it. I do love it when I can come up with something that works that well.
10690034
You very well may have. Also, there is still a lot to work with in this world. The ripples just keep spreading...
10690115
No worries, just regrow the marble.
And would you believe me if I said that pun snuck up on me?
10690358 10690390
Alternatively, one could see the Humane Seven as Second Circle devas themselves:
Applejack (Protecting Soul)
Pinkie Pie (Gratifying Soul)
Sunset Shimmer (Defining Soul)
Rainbow Dash (Communicating Soul)
Rarity (Expressive Soul)
Fluttershy (Reflective Soul)
Twilight Sparkle (Understanding Soul)
The Third Circle deva is in turn that portion of the ur-Sunset that the one we're familiar with can access. The Primordial comparison isn't perfect, but it does get the point across. And Sunset even comes with her own elements! Though I'm sure both Gaia and Autochthon would find a Greater Dragon of Kindness more than a little absurd.
10690062
If a god, which Sunset denies, then worship is a two way street. The goddess defines the approved method of worship (in this case via ewetube), and the worshippers violate these directives at their peril. The goddess then aids the supplicant in some manner, either indirectly or directly (say keeping the universe spinning or intervening when prayed to). A non-corporeal or non-present god may leave retribution to indirect means, but that does not appear to be the case for Sunny. So, I don't know where it says a god (or powerful being likened to a god) must be a benevolent god or must not be of the jealous or vengeful variety? Indeed, if she were a god, even of the lower "g" variety, who would be in a position to gainsay her aside from another god? In this case, it appears that all that limits her are what morals and scruples remain after her apotheosis. After all, if someone lower on the cosmic hierarchy tells her what she is doing is wrong... What recourse is there if Sunset Shimmer disagrees?
10690399
And what of acts that are harmful to her? Yes, Sunset has implicitly forfeited some degree of privacy, but that doesn't mean she has to put up with nudes of her going up without her consent. And if someone claimed she did, that would be when she brought the legal hammer down, because we've gone from worship to outright harassment.
There is a difference between looking after those for whom you are responsible and rolling over for them. This isn't defending the faith; this is asking for some base level of respect. A parent must sometimes discipline a child. A king must enforce the law of the land. And when it comes to religious leaders, even involuntary ones, knuckling under and letting your disciples believe and behave however they want defeats the purpose of the whole exercise.
And while we're at it, I don't recall many artistic nudes of Jesus. Yeah, God Himself is sometimes literally skyclad, but Christ usually gets a robe. The least Shimmerism can do is extend the same courtesy to Sunset.
As for the other epiphany, that only holds true in a very broad metaphysical sense. It's like saying any pairing is incest because we're all fiftieth cousins or so.
10690399
If you seriously think that preventing, and I will not stop pointing this out to you can stop trying to ignore it, actual sexual harassment is somehow selfish then I don't have anything else to say to you.
10690435
You should really just stop before you get any further behind.
10690403
That’s fair, and I guess making them 2nd Circle does make more sense, with them combing their magic to make Sunset at her Daydream form for 3rd. Admittedly none of them alone are strong enough to be Third. I’d say the Primordial description fits pretty well though, given how the cosmic god Sunset is immensely huge and almost indescribable. Heck, it could technically be argued that the Oversaturated universe is her world body, like how Autochthonia is that for Autochthon
10690403
If it isn't absurd it isn't Exalted
I'd like very much to see what kind of Exaltations Sunset would create, but then I noticed that the sheer chaos they'd generate would likely be the last thing an fraying universe needs... Or the best thing possible, if she bakes in that they select only those willing to go above and beyond for the sake of the universe.
Lacking a Curse would help a lot too
This story, actually this whole AU is just so much fun. I love it.
10690358
10690403
I love the idea of Sunset as a Primordial. Wonder what kind of Charms she might grant...
10690409
10690411
Agreed with this point. You may recall that in the Bible, God lays down very strict instructions on how he was to be worshipped, and when Israel violated those rules he would punish them with plagues and other catastrophes. Sunset certainly has the right to specify how she wishes to be worshipped, and to pursue legal or other retribution if people violate those rules.
And on the other side of the coin, these quotes illustrate why I feel like Sunset is being a bit ridiculous when she asks people not to worship her. She is, in objective fact, the undisputed mistress of the universe, the linchpin of reality, and a pretty decent person on top of that. People all throughout history have worshipped as gods entities with far less impressive resumes than that. Now, of course, she is in fact correct: she is a finite and created entity, not God Almighty. But since we see no sign of the true God having revealed Himself in this universe, it's absurd not to expect people to worship the next closest thing they can find.
There's a passage in the Bible, Acts 14: 8-18, that this whole issue reminds me of. Paul and Barnabas have traveled to Lystra, and at the gates Paul heals a man crippled from birth. And when the people see that, they jump to the conclusion that Paul and Barnabas are avatars of the Olympian gods. They swarm them, drape them in garlands, try to sacrifice bulls to them. Paul and Barnabas naturally flip out at this, and they say (paraphrasing), "Stop worshipping us! We are only mortal men like you, the power you have seen is of the true and living God who sent us as messengers. Worship him, not us!" Point being, Sunset might have a bit better luck getting people to stop worshipping her if she were to explain what they are supposed to be worshipping.
Or, for that matter, could she not have simply not told anyone about the connection between Sunset Shimmer the mortal avatar and Sunset Shimmer the Linchpin of Harmony? As long as she didn't do anything obviously divine in her mortal body, nobody ever need know who or what is responsible for running the universe.
10690505
Oh, absolutely. As Ditzy Doo can attest, having seen the universe from the outside.
10690673
Yeah, the last thing this universe needs is a bunch of magic-users capable of beating up fundamental forces and taking their lunch money. Best to keep any divinely endowed magic at D&D levels, if that.
You know, beyond the magic endowed to anyone and everyone.
10691390
Shimmerist Charms generally focus on restoration, interpersonal bonds, perceiving both flaws and the means to correct them, and a lot of warm-tinted rainbows and horse imagery. Discordian Charms may or may not require gossamer.
The issue there is that she really doesn't have a good answer for what the "right" thing to worship even is. Even the most prevalent religion in the western world, Harmonism, is still kind of revering her, if in a more abstract way.
The issue there is that she personally appeared before every man, woman, and child on Earth and personally told them she had broken and subsequently fixed the universe. Kind of hard to walk back from that.
So yeah, Sunset is in a mess of her own making, and one that is pretty ridiculous. A lot of it boils down to a personal belief that she shouldn't be praised and revered for fixing what she broke, along with deep-seated issues that stem from the alicornic ambitions of her bad old days. She's gotten everything she wanted back then and more, and still doesn't know how to feel about it.
Oh the complicated joys of dealing with the concept of image rights to a public figure who may or may not also be a deity. This is the sort of legal issue that would give even lawyers an aneurysm trying to get a definitive answer for. Then of course you have the issue of this applying worldwide and each country having their own specific laws regarding such things, not to mention their own concepts of what constitutes appropriate modesty. Yeah... this is way more complicated then Sunset seems to think.
I get her position and the whole "Hey, I don't want to see nudes of myself." is fully valid, but you have the issues around Sunset Shimmer, the pony turned person, turned quasi-diety versus Sunset Shimmer the omnipresent force holding the world together and guiding all things, in people minds. As well as the already mentioned issues of different cultures having different views on the depiction of such things.
This whole thing is a quagmire of complexity there really isn't a good, universal answer for.
Hm. Quite the complex issue in this one, as many have already pointed out, and apparently argued over. There are lot of interesting facets to Sunset's ascension that this universe keeps bringing up and exploring. As someone who takes a lot of interest in fictional religions, Shimmerism is consistently fascinating to me, and I'm glad we got another story really diving into it.
And now I'm gonna be thinking about Sunset's butt for the rest of the day...DAMMIT.
Hrm
Took me a few days to find time for this one but finished.
That was good. But I can't decide if this is a fun romp or a savage commentary on the prevalence of adult materials in fandom
It works either way.