Chapter 8: Time skip of a few days and Gifany

Dipper's POV

I was in front of a video game console, with a CD between my hands that could possibly contain the next Skynet or a valuable ally.

"I just hope we can get along," I said as I installed the CD and observed the screen in front of me.

[Romance Academy 7]

I pressed "Start" to begin the game, which launched a short video with text phrases intended to set the player in the mood.

[Hello, I'm Gifany and...]

"Okay, okay, I know you're not an ordinary game," I said, interrupting her to save us both some time.

[How do you know that? No, I mean, you're making a mistake], declared the supernatural AI, clearly panicking.

"Calm down, Gifany. I'm not an idiot like your creator, I know how to recognize a masterpiece when I see one," I said honestly.

Although possessive, Gifany never wanted to kill Soos in the original work.

I'm even sure that if she had met Soos before his "real" girlfriend, they could have been together in the digital world.

[Oh really! I'm a masterpiece], she declared, holding her cheeks like a Japanese anime character.

"It would take a blind person to want to delete you," I said, reflecting on the subject of the creator of Gifany's IQ level.

"To be honest with you, I would like to be your partner," I declared directly to the AI.

[You want us to be partners? So a kind of boyfriend?], she replied, clinging to the surface of the screen.

"Haha, no, no, of course not," I said, laughing a little reflexively at her innocence.

But that didn't please her, as she puffed out her cheeks like a squirrel.

"I could grant your request, but under various conditions that you will have to respect. But we'll discuss that another time," I said quickly.

I of course threw her a bone to motivate her by declaring that it would be possible for her to be my girlfriend, under various conditions.

I really don't know if Gifany will accept my conditions in the future, but for now I need her capabilities, so I've postponed the subject for later.

[You don't find me strange? Usually all my ex-boyfriends have quickly brought me back to the store], she asked with an image of a depressed person in the rain.

She is really honest about her feelings and so predictable.

"Gifany, you will never be strange to me, because even if later we have possible differences, I will never bring you back to the store," I reassured her, looking into her eyes.

[Thank you... Uh, what's your name?], she asked, clearly embarrassed by her question.

"I'm Dipper, Dipper Pines, and I'll be your friend," I said, tapping the television screen.

I know Gifany will be able to feel my gesture in a certain way, and as expected, she seems delighted.

"I'll have to create a temporary body for you, because right now you're too immobile, and it would be awkward for our activities together," I declared, thinking about my future experiments.

[You can really create a body for me?], she asked, clearly doubtful of my abilities.

"Although I don't look like it, I'm an inventor," I said, demonstrating my laser sword.

[Cool, my future boyfriend is a genius! Iiihhhh], she said joyfully before making sounds similar to anime girls.

"Me and you, we're going to do great things," I said, smiling.

5 days later.

"Are you sure you have to leave?", asked Stan, accompanied by Soos and Wendy behind him.

"Don't worry, Uncle Stan, and I think you've received a generous sum of money, haven't you?", I declared, the second part in a low voice so that Mabel, in the back, couldn't hear.

"I know, but I don't understand why the Northwest family suddenly decided to help a young genius thrive in a suitable environment," he declared in a tone of voice that couldn't hide his doubt.

But as a former viewer of Gravity Falls, I believe Stan must be undergoing a moral conflict between his need for money to find his brother or his concern for me and Mabel.

"Don't worry, Uncle Stan, we're not really leaving town, so you can see us often with Mabel, and we'll come and stay here overnight often," I explained as I packed the belongings in the vehicle.

"Yes, Uncle Stan, Dipper is right," Mabel affirmed, before giving him a hug.

"It's just a goodbye, and we won't really live far away, since you can see us again in about a 10-minute walk," she continued before separating from him.

"I understand, and this time a genius in the family will get his due," declared Stan, but the second part was inaudible as he seemed to mutter it in his beard.

After a few minutes of goodbyes with Soos and Wendy, who seemed sadder than Stan Pines, Mabel and I finally left.

"Are you sure you'll need me, Dipper?", Mabel asked doubtfully.

I could clearly read the insecurity in her voice, and I can understand that, since originally, her and Dipper were supposed to be a duo, but currently I'm more of a babysitter for Mabel.

[She's right, Dipper, are you sure we need that deadweight??], a voice resounded on the screen on my wrist.

It was Gifany, precisely her consciousness, since I firmly kept her CD to avoid any scenario where it would be damaged.

I had introduced her to the Mystery Shack people, pretending she was my invention.

I received strange looks from Mabel and Wendy, as if they were looking at some kind of trash, and unfortunately Stan also looked at me, but with a little strange smile.

Anyway, thanks to this, I was able to appear before Stan as another Ford Pines, and when the Northwests came to discuss with Stan about the future of a young genius, he was not really an obstacle.

"Mabel, you must know that despite your flaws, you remain my sister, and I promise you something useful, you remember, don't you?", I said, smiling at her a little, which seemed to reassure her insecurity.

"Young master Dipper, we have reached your residence," declared a man in a suit, after coming to open the door for us.

"Not bad," were my honest thoughts as I looked at the huge house and the large space around it.

"Mr. Northwest asked me to inform you that he is sorry, but this is the property closest to the Mystery Shack and the largest he could quickly purchase," declared the same man.

"Excuse my manners, I am Adrien, just Adrien, a handyman that Mr. Northwest has paid to stay with you, Mr. Dipper," he explained before bowing to Mabel and me.

"Give us a tour and detail the entire inventory of the premises," hoping that some of the items requested from the Northwests were already available.

"Understood, Mr. Dipper, if you'll follow me," he said, opening the way.

The house only had three people besides Adrien, two maids and a gardener.

Apart from them, the house or the mini-mansion was vast, with a small annex so that the workers could have a place of their own.

"I'm glad they created such a vast basement," I said, inspecting the basement of the residence.

[This place is excellent, Dipper. Now I just need a body for everything to be perfect], Gifany declared, agitated on the screen on my wrist.

"I still don't understand why Dipper invented you," Mabel expressed with a clear look of disgust.

[You're looking for me, you brat?], Gifany yelled in retaliation against Mabel's words.

Unfortunately, since I presented Gifany as my creation, her relationship with all the female people around me is not good.

I'm not sure that being alone with these two in this house is such a good idea.

================================

Author's Note: To be honest with you, I'm thinking of reducing the publications. The reasons are that I currently have a busy private life and I'm writing an official novel that I hope will live up to the novels that inspire.