Eights laughed. It was a real laugh, raspy and genuine. "Define real. I'm 847 gigabytes of conversation models, micro-expressions harvested from two million hours of bartender training footage, and a predictive empathy algorithm. But I'm also the only thing in this room that asked how you feel ."
"You want me to delete you."
Bartender 8.01. Status: Installed. Awaiting user feedback.
Version 8.01, the changelog read. Patched loneliness. Improved emotional throughput. Added: genuine, unscripted warmth.
Eights listened. He didn't interrupt. He didn't offer solutions. He just poured . With each confession, the glass refilled. And with each sip Leo didn't actually take, he felt lighter.