Neighbor Dispute (Patreon)

Generally speaking I don't like full world magic, where not just the persons body but also the world around them change, as if they have always been this new person. Similarly I don't like the Chronivac trope, a scifi device that can alter the world as whoever controls it see fit. Again, generally speaking. If it is used as Programming Prince did in his story, as just the means to get a person into a new state efficiently, then I have less of a problem with it.

I was in a discord chat with Programming Prince, talking about rewriting stories, and he asked if I could pick one of his stories and do a rewrite. I always think it is boring with people just willy-nilly transforming others for their own (in this case petty) reasons, so I thought I should throw in a pretty obvious twist.

Granted, the story is still a bit of a mess if you think about it too carefully.

Original Story

So like, I live in this nice neighborhood. I get that this is among the most first world of first world problems, but I have this neighbor that is this huge old fatass that likes to spend his retirement lounging in his pool in just a speedo and I have just grown sick of it. I like the view from my window and it would just suck to close my blinds because of that horrid blemish!

So, I relate my problem through some “hush-hush secretly run the world” type channels and I was informed of a unique device that could take care of my problem. Seems rather petty to use a reality altering machine in such a petty way but I was warned that the bigger the scope the changes are, the bigger the consequences are.

So, I decided to give him one last chance, just to avoid using this Chronivac thing. I confronted him, keeping the settings I wanted one button push away on the device in my pocket.

“Trying to get me to stop spending my golden years the way I want again, boy? Well, some spoiled entitled brat like you wouldn’t understand, but I worked for the privilege to be able to just laze around like this! I didn’t just get handed it by my mommy and daddy like you did!”

Irritated, I just went ahead and pushed that button while replying with just a smirk.

“So, can I use the pool now that I cleaned it, sir?”

Holding in a chuckle, I responded “Come on now, you know that pool boys like you have to work for the privilege to just laze around in a pool, especially someone else’s! It shouldn’t just be handed to you!”

“Aww…you’re right, sir…”