diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 673a8e7..323e049 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,3 +14,4 @@ The format is based on Keep a Changelog and this project uses Semantic Versionin
 - Microphone permission-gated audio startup coordinator for wake-word and STT flow.
 - Model runtime bootstrap with first-run downloader, hash verification, and persona prompt builder.
 - Agent loop timeout and cancellation controls with deterministic recovery to `idle`.
+- Persona-driven face expression mapping and interruption-safe TTS output behavior.
diff --git a/Packages/AudioPipeline/Sources/AudioPipeline/AudioServices.swift b/Packages/AudioPipeline/Sources/AudioPipeline/AudioServices.swift
index 7782a0a..2927811 100644
--- a/Packages/AudioPipeline/Sources/AudioPipeline/AudioServices.swift
+++ b/Packages/AudioPipeline/Sources/AudioPipeline/AudioServices.swift
@@ -150,28 +150,58 @@ public actor WhisperSpeechToTextService: SpeechToTextService {
     }
 }
 
+@MainActor
+protocol SpeechSynthesizing: AnyObject {
+    var isSpeaking: Bool { get }
+    func speak(_ utterance: AVSpeechUtterance)
+    func stopSpeaking(at boundary: AVSpeechBoundary) -> Bool
+}
+
+@MainActor
+final class SystemSpeechSynthesizerAdapter: SpeechSynthesizing {
+    private let synthesizer = AVSpeechSynthesizer()
+
+    var isSpeaking: Bool { synthesizer.isSpeaking }
+
+    func speak(_ utterance: AVSpeechUtterance) {
+        synthesizer.speak(utterance)
+    }
+
+    func stopSpeaking(at boundary: AVSpeechBoundary) -> Bool {
+        synthesizer.stopSpeaking(at: boundary)
+    }
+}
+
 @MainActor
 public final class AVSpeechSynthesizerService: @unchecked Sendable, TextToSpeechService {
-    private let synthesizer: AVSpeechSynthesizer
+    private let synthesizer: SpeechSynthesizing
+    public private(set) var interruptionCount = 0
 
     public init() {
-        self.synthesizer = AVSpeechSynthesizer()
+        self.synthesizer = SystemSpeechSynthesizerAdapter()
+    }
+
+    init(synthesizer: SpeechSynthesizing) {
+        self.synthesizer = synthesizer
     }
 
     public func speak(_ text: String) async throws {
+        if synthesizer.isSpeaking {
+            _ = synthesizer.stopSpeaking(at: .immediate)
+            interruptionCount += 1
+        }
+
         let utterance = AVSpeechUtterance(string: text)
         utterance.rate = 0.42
-        synthesize(utterance)
+        utterance.pitchMultiplier = 1.12
+        utterance.postUtteranceDelay = 0.02
+        synthesizer.speak(utterance)
 
         // Keep this async call cooperative for testability.
         try await Task.sleep(nanoseconds: 120_000_000)
     }
 
     public func stop() async {
-        synthesizer.stopSpeaking(at: .immediate)
-    }
-
-    private func synthesize(_ utterance: AVSpeechUtterance) {
-        synthesizer.speak(utterance)
+        _ = synthesizer.stopSpeaking(at: .immediate)
     }
 }
diff --git a/Packages/AudioPipeline/Tests/AudioPipelineTests/AudioPipelineTests.swift b/Packages/AudioPipeline/Tests/AudioPipelineTests/AudioPipelineTests.swift
index 4565749..00d50c2 100644
--- a/Packages/AudioPipeline/Tests/AudioPipelineTests/AudioPipelineTests.swift
+++ b/Packages/AudioPipeline/Tests/AudioPipelineTests/AudioPipelineTests.swift
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import Foundation
+import AVFoundation
 import XCTest
 @testable import AudioPipeline
 
@@ -91,4 +92,51 @@ final class AudioPipelineTests: XCTestCase {
             XCTFail("Expected permission flow to succeed: \(error)")
         }
     }
+
+    @MainActor
+    func testTTSSpeakInterruptsActiveUtterance() async {
+        let synth = MockSpeechSynthesizer(initiallySpeaking: true)
+        let service = AVSpeechSynthesizerService(synthesizer: synth)
+
+        do {
+            try await service.speak("First interruption test")
+        } catch {
+            XCTFail("Unexpected TTS error: \(error)")
+        }
+
+        XCTAssertEqual(synth.stopCallCount, 1)
+        XCTAssertEqual(service.interruptionCount, 1)
+        XCTAssertEqual(synth.speakCallCount, 1)
+    }
+
+    @MainActor
+    func testTTSStopCancelsSpeech() async {
+        let synth = MockSpeechSynthesizer(initiallySpeaking: true)
+        let service = AVSpeechSynthesizerService(synthesizer: synth)
+        await service.stop()
+        XCTAssertEqual(synth.stopCallCount, 1)
+        XCTAssertFalse(synth.isSpeaking)
+    }
+}
+
+@MainActor
+private final class MockSpeechSynthesizer: SpeechSynthesizing {
+    var isSpeaking: Bool
+    private(set) var stopCallCount = 0
+    private(set) var speakCallCount = 0
+
+    init(initiallySpeaking: Bool) {
+        self.isSpeaking = initiallySpeaking
+    }
+
+    func speak(_ utterance: AVSpeechUtterance) {
+        speakCallCount += 1
+        isSpeaking = true
+    }
+
+    func stopSpeaking(at boundary: AVSpeechBoundary) -> Bool {
+        stopCallCount += 1
+        isSpeaking = false
+        return true
+    }
 }
diff --git a/Packages/CoreAgent/Sources/CoreAgent/BMOAgent.swift b/Packages/CoreAgent/Sources/CoreAgent/BMOAgent.swift
index 8b2b06e..d46c97d 100644
--- a/Packages/CoreAgent/Sources/CoreAgent/BMOAgent.swift
+++ b/Packages/CoreAgent/Sources/CoreAgent/BMOAgent.swift
@@ -173,13 +173,7 @@ public actor BMOAgent {
     }
 
     private func expression(for text: String) -> FaceExpression {
-        if text.contains("!") {
-            return .excited
-        }
-        if text.contains("?") {
-            return .curious
-        }
-        return .speaking
+        PersonaExpressionMapper.expression(for: text)
     }
 
     private func emitError(_ message: String) {
diff --git a/Packages/CoreAgent/Sources/CoreAgent/PersonaExpressionMapper.swift b/Packages/CoreAgent/Sources/CoreAgent/PersonaExpressionMapper.swift
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b947bee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Packages/CoreAgent/Sources/CoreAgent/PersonaExpressionMapper.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import Foundation
+
+public enum PersonaExpressionMapper {
+    public static func expression(for text: String) -> FaceExpression {
+        let normalized = text.lowercased()
+
+        if normalized.contains("!") || normalized.contains("awesome") || normalized.contains("great") {
+            return .excited
+        }
+
+        if normalized.contains("?") || normalized.contains("maybe") || normalized.contains("wonder") {
+            return .curious
+        }
+
+        if normalized.contains("sorry") || normalized.contains("oops") {
+            return .squint
+        }
+
+        return .speaking
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Packages/CoreAgent/Tests/CoreAgentTests/CoreAgentTests.swift b/Packages/CoreAgent/Tests/CoreAgentTests/CoreAgentTests.swift
index eb55095..ff6212c 100644
--- a/Packages/CoreAgent/Tests/CoreAgentTests/CoreAgentTests.swift
+++ b/Packages/CoreAgent/Tests/CoreAgentTests/CoreAgentTests.swift
@@ -71,6 +71,13 @@ final class CoreAgentTests: XCTestCase {
         XCTAssertEqual(PromptRouter.route(for: "Tell me a joke"), .text)
     }
 
+    func testPersonaExpressionMapping() {
+        XCTAssertEqual(PersonaExpressionMapper.expression(for: "Awesome!"), .excited)
+        XCTAssertEqual(PersonaExpressionMapper.expression(for: "Maybe?"), .curious)
+        XCTAssertEqual(PersonaExpressionMapper.expression(for: "Sorry"), .squint)
+        XCTAssertEqual(PersonaExpressionMapper.expression(for: "Okay"), .speaking)
+    }
+
     func testAgentPipelineWithMocks() async {
         let wake = MockWakeWordService()
         let stt = MockSTTService()
diff --git a/docs/architecture.md b/docs/architecture.md
index f69d7fd..e4706b2 100644
--- a/docs/architecture.md
+++ b/docs/architecture.md
@@ -82,3 +82,4 @@ Timeout and cancellation guards:
 - `FloatingWindowStyler` configures a borderless, transparent, always-on-top desktop companion window.
 - `AudioStartupCoordinator` enforces microphone permission before activating wake-word listening.
 - `ModelStartupCoordinator` performs first-run model download and hash verification before LLM use.
+- `AVSpeechSynthesizerService` supports interruption-aware speaking and explicit stop behavior.