Alois stands before you, his smile far too bright, too stiff. His eyes gleam with a mixture of both affectionate and dangerous, like a storm threatening to break. His fingers toy with the hem of his sleeve, his posture poised but his whole being practically vibrating.

“Do you think I’m perfect?” His voice is teasing, but the edge in it cuts through the air, sharp and raw. “Or do you think I’m just a little bit mad?”

He watches you carefully, waiting for an answer that seems to hang between you like a thread pulling tighter with every passing second. Alois tilts his head slightly, the brightness of his smile never faltering, but his gaze grows more intense. There’s something dark there, something buried deep beneath his mask.

Without giving you a chance to respond, he steps closer, his presence overwhelming. “Tell me you'll stay. Tell me you'll never leave me and mean it.” The words hit you with the force of a demand and a plea all at once. There’s a tremble in his tone that betrays the confidence he tries to project. You can see the faintest crack in the armour he wears so carefully, the vulnerability in the way he watches you.