diff --git a/website/index.html b/website/index.html
index c8b37ee..fca9f29 100644
--- a/website/index.html
+++ b/website/index.html
@@ -28,13 +28,26 @@
     <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary" />
 
     <!-- IBM Plex Mono is the brand typeface. CDN rather than self-hosted
-         binaries, matching the design system's tokens/fonts.css. OFL 1.1. -->
+         binaries, matching the design system's tokens/fonts.css. OFL 1.1.
+
+         Loaded non-blocking: as a plain stylesheet it sat on the critical
+         path, so first paint waited on a third-party DNS + TLS + fetch. It
+         buys nothing there — `display=swap` plus the ui-monospace fallback
+         means the first frame renders in the fallback either way. -->
     <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com" />
     <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin />
     <link
-      rel="stylesheet"
+      rel="preload"
+      as="style"
       href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=IBM+Plex+Mono:wght@400;500;700&display=swap"
+      onload="this.onload=null;this.rel='stylesheet'"
     />
+    <noscript>
+      <link
+        rel="stylesheet"
+        href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=IBM+Plex+Mono:wght@400;500;700&display=swap"
+      />
+    </noscript>
 
     <script>
       // Runs before first paint so the right theme is already on <html>.
diff --git a/website/src/components/brand/logo.tsx b/website/src/components/brand/logo.tsx
index 8ba6511..ebfce85 100644
--- a/website/src/components/brand/logo.tsx
+++ b/website/src/components/brand/logo.tsx
@@ -13,9 +13,10 @@ const ASPECT = 186.407 / 211
  * Two assets rather than one recoloured file — the ink and light cuts differ
  * in more than colour — swapped by CSS.
  *
- * Background images, not <img>: a hidden <img> is still downloaded, so the
- * two-element version fetched both cuts on every visit (~12-23 kB gzip wasted
- * above the fold). A background on a non-painted rule is never requested.
+ * Painted as CSS background images rather than image elements: a hidden one
+ * is still downloaded, so the two-element version fetched both cuts on every
+ * visit (~12-23 kB gzip wasted above the fold). A background on a rule that
+ * never paints is never requested.
  */
 export const Logo = ({ size = 180, className }: LogoProps) => (
   <div
diff --git a/website/src/components/layout/footer.tsx b/website/src/components/layout/footer.tsx
index a1ec59f..06152f4 100644
--- a/website/src/components/layout/footer.tsx
+++ b/website/src/components/layout/footer.tsx
@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@ const FooterAnchor = ({ label, href }: FooterLink) =>
 export const Footer = () => (
   <footer className="border-t border-hairline bg-base pt-7 pb-6 sm:pt-11 sm:pb-10">
     <Wrap>
+      {/* Gives the three link groups a heading to sit under, so the document
+          outline stays nested instead of putting "Packages" on the same
+          level as the page's own sections. */}
+      <h2 className="sr-only">Site footer</h2>
       {/* Two columns even on the narrowest phone, with the brand spanning
           both — one column per link group makes the footer taller than the
           page it closes. */}
@@ -77,9 +81,9 @@ export const Footer = () => (
 
         {COLUMNS.map((column) => (
           <div key={column.heading}>
-            <h2 className="mb-2 text-label uppercase tracking-[var(--tracking-label)] text-secondary sm:mb-3.5">
+            <h3 className="mb-2 text-label uppercase tracking-[var(--tracking-label)] text-secondary sm:mb-3.5">
               {column.heading}
-            </h2>
+            </h3>
             <ul>
               {column.links.map((link) => (
                 <li key={link.label} className="mb-1.5 sm:mb-2.5">
diff --git a/website/src/components/layout/nav.tsx b/website/src/components/layout/nav.tsx
index fd9d2d7..80c81df 100644
--- a/website/src/components/layout/nav.tsx
+++ b/website/src/components/layout/nav.tsx
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ export const Nav = () => (
               cn(
                 'relative inline-flex shrink-0 items-center rounded-md px-3.5 py-1.5 text-label uppercase tracking-[var(--tracking-label)] max-sm:min-h-11 sm:px-3',
                 isActive
-                  ? "bg-raised text-primary before:text-accent before:content-['›_'] after:absolute after:inset-x-3 after:bottom-px after:h-0.5 after:bg-accent"
+                  ? "bg-raised text-primary before:text-accent-text before:content-['›_'] after:absolute after:inset-x-3 after:bottom-px after:h-0.5 after:bg-accent"
                   : 'text-secondary hover:bg-[var(--bg-selection)] hover:text-primary',
               )
             }
diff --git a/website/src/components/tui/hero-terminal.tsx b/website/src/components/tui/hero-terminal.tsx
index 5ca854b..042ae0b 100644
--- a/website/src/components/tui/hero-terminal.tsx
+++ b/website/src/components/tui/hero-terminal.tsx
@@ -14,6 +14,15 @@ import { InfoPane, ResultsPane, SearchesPane, TransfersPane } from './panes'
 import { useFitScale } from './use-fit-scale'
 
 const DESIGN_WIDTH = 1360
+/*
+ * Natural height of the terminal at DESIGN_WIDTH, measured in the browser.
+ *
+ * The layout is fixed — no content-driven heights — so the wrapper can hold
+ * this ratio in CSS from the very first paint. Without it the prerendered
+ * hero occupied its full unscaled height, then collapsed to the scaled one
+ * once JS measured, shifting everything below it by ~145px.
+ */
+const DESIGN_HEIGHT = 863
 const TICK_MS = 480
 const MAX_CONCURRENT = 2
 /** Where the scripted run leaves the cursor. */
@@ -374,8 +383,10 @@ export const HeroTerminal = () => {
   return (
     <div
       ref={wrapRef}
-      className="w-full overflow-x-auto overflow-y-hidden"
-      style={ready ? { height } : undefined}
+      className="w-full overflow-hidden"
+      // aspect-ratio reserves the right box before JS runs; once measured the
+      // explicit height takes over and the two agree, so nothing moves.
+      style={ready ? { height } : { aspectRatio: `${String(DESIGN_WIDTH)} / ${String(DESIGN_HEIGHT)}` }}
     >
       <div style={ready ? { width: DESIGN_WIDTH * scale, height } : undefined}>
         <div
diff --git a/website/src/components/ui/command-pill.tsx b/website/src/components/ui/command-pill.tsx
index af26b4c..e6943c3 100644
--- a/website/src/components/ui/command-pill.tsx
+++ b/website/src/components/ui/command-pill.tsx
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ export const CommandPill = ({ text, className }: CommandPillProps) => {
         className,
       )}
     >
-      <span aria-hidden="true" className="text-accent">
+      <span aria-hidden="true" className="text-accent-text">
         $
       </span>
       <code className="font-mono">{text}</code>
diff --git a/website/src/components/ui/layout.tsx b/website/src/components/ui/layout.tsx
index 789816c..66332b4 100644
--- a/website/src/components/ui/layout.tsx
+++ b/website/src/components/ui/layout.tsx
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ interface EyebrowProps {
 export const Eyebrow = ({ children, className }: EyebrowProps) => (
   <span
     className={cn(
-      'text-label uppercase tracking-[var(--tracking-label)] text-accent',
+      'text-label uppercase tracking-[var(--tracking-label)] text-accent-text',
       className,
     )}
   >
diff --git a/website/src/components/ui/os-icon.tsx b/website/src/components/ui/os-icon.tsx
index e83463a..879dccd 100644
--- a/website/src/components/ui/os-icon.tsx
+++ b/website/src/components/ui/os-icon.tsx
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ export const OsIcon = ({ name, className }: OsIconProps) => (
     role="img"
     aria-label={name}
     className={cn(
-      'block size-[22px] shrink-0 text-primary transition-colors group-hover:text-accent',
+      'block size-[22px] shrink-0 text-primary transition-colors group-hover:text-accent-text',
       className,
     )}
   >
diff --git a/website/src/components/ui/panel.tsx b/website/src/components/ui/panel.tsx
index 658fc50..2460e59 100644
--- a/website/src/components/ui/panel.tsx
+++ b/website/src/components/ui/panel.tsx
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ export const Callout = ({ title, tone = 'accent', children, className }: Callout
       <div
         className={cn(
           'mb-2 text-label uppercase tracking-[var(--tracking-label)]',
-          tone === 'warn' ? 'text-warning' : 'text-accent',
+          tone === 'warn' ? 'text-warning' : 'text-accent-text',
         )}
       >
         {title}
diff --git a/website/src/index.css b/website/src/index.css
index d19f5ba..8227195 100644
--- a/website/src/index.css
+++ b/website/src/index.css
@@ -41,20 +41,25 @@
   --color-primary: var(--text-primary);
   --color-secondary: var(--text-secondary);
   --color-muted: var(--text-muted);
-  --color-inverse: var(--text-inverse);
 
   --color-hairline: var(--border-hairline);
   --color-line: var(--border-default);
   --color-line-strong: var(--border-strong);
 
+  /*
+   * --accent fills; --accent-text writes.
+   *
+   * The oxide accent is a mid-tone: it clears 4.5:1 as a background behind
+   * white, but not as 11px text on vinyl. Splitting the two uses lets the
+   * fill keep the brand hue while the text cut earns its contrast.
+   */
   --color-accent: var(--accent);
+  --color-accent-text: var(--accent-text);
   --color-accent-hover: var(--accent-hover);
-  --color-accent-active: var(--accent-active);
 
   --color-success: var(--status-success);
   --color-warning: var(--status-warning);
   --color-info: var(--status-info);
-  --color-error: var(--status-error);
 
   --color-link: var(--link);
   --color-link-hover: var(--link-hover);
@@ -74,21 +79,12 @@
   --text-heading--line-height: 28px;
   --text-body: 14px;
   --text-body--line-height: 22px;
-  --text-caption: 12px;
-  --text-caption--line-height: 18px;
   --text-label: 11px;
   --text-label--line-height: 14px;
 
   --tracking-label: 0.06em;
 
-  /* Radii — favicon 16, panel card 8, cursor 3 */
-  --radius-sm: 3px;
   --radius-md: 8px;
-  --radius-lg: 16px;
-
-  /* Restrained. A desk, not a dashboard. */
-  --shadow-panel:
-    0 1px 0 rgb(0 0 0 / 0.35), 0 8px 24px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.35);
 
   --animate-cursor-blink: ss-cursor-blink 1.06s steps(1) infinite;
 
@@ -115,20 +111,19 @@
   --text-primary: #ffffff;
   --text-secondary: #e4dfd8;
   --text-muted: #bdb4a9;
-  --text-inverse: var(--color-sleeve);
 
   --border-hairline: rgb(138 129 120 / 0.35);
   --border-default: rgb(138 129 120 / 0.7);
   --border-strong: var(--color-dust);
 
   --accent: var(--color-oxide);
+  /* Raised off #c1502e, which reads 3.99:1 as small text on vinyl. */
+  --accent-text: #cd7155;
   --accent-hover: #d05f3c;
-  --accent-active: #a8431f;
 
   --status-warning: var(--color-tape);
   --status-success: var(--color-phosphor);
   --status-info: var(--color-signal);
-  --status-error: var(--color-alarm);
 
   --link: var(--color-signal);
   --link-hover: #8bb4dc;
@@ -144,8 +139,6 @@
   --tm-pr: #c1502e;
   --tm-cm: #aba298;
   --tm-ok: #7fb685;
-  --tm-fl: #d8a657;
-  --tm-sg: #6e9dc9;
   --cmd-bg: #0e0c0a;
   --tui-track: #2a2622;
   --tui-bezel: #000000;
@@ -160,26 +153,30 @@
   --bg-raised: var(--color-manila-3);
   --bg-selection: rgb(76 127 174 / 0.2);
 
+  /*
+   * Every value below clears 4.5:1 against --bg-raised, the darkest of the
+   * three light surfaces, so each one holds on base, panel and raised alike.
+   * The design's original cuts were tuned against the base only, which left
+   * links at 3.64:1 and the success green at 2.86:1.
+   */
   --text-primary: var(--color-sleeve);
   --text-secondary: #574e45;
-  --text-muted: #6f655b;
-  --text-inverse: var(--color-paper);
+  --text-muted: #645b52;
 
   --border-hairline: rgb(20 17 15 / 0.15);
   --border-default: rgb(20 17 15 / 0.28);
   --border-strong: #6b6259;
 
   --accent: #ae4728;
+  --accent-text: #9c3f23;
   --accent-hover: #c1502e;
-  --accent-active: #953b1f;
 
-  --status-warning: #c08e3d;
-  --status-success: #5e9a66;
-  --status-info: #4c7fae;
-  --status-error: #9a2f2f;
+  --status-warning: #755725;
+  --status-success: #3e6543;
+  --status-info: #395f82;
 
-  --link: #4c7fae;
-  --link-hover: #3b6a95;
+  --link: #395f82;
+  --link-hover: #24486a;
 
   --tm-bg: #e9e2d7;
   --tm-hd: #dcd3c4;
@@ -191,8 +188,6 @@
   --tm-pr: #9e3f22;
   --tm-cm: #6b6259;
   --tm-ok: #3f7147;
-  --tm-fl: #8f6420;
-  --tm-sg: #35648f;
   --cmd-bg: #dcd3c4;
   --tui-track: #cfc5b5;
   --tui-bezel: rgb(20 17 15 / 0.28);
@@ -201,9 +196,9 @@
 }
 
 /*
- * Only the cut that is actually shown gets fetched — a hidden <img> would
- * still be downloaded. url() is relative to this stylesheet, which Vite
- * rebases against `base`, so the deploy path stays in vite.config.ts.
+ * Only the cut that is actually shown gets fetched; a hidden image element
+ * would still be downloaded. url() is relative to this stylesheet, which
+ * Vite rebases against `base`, so the deploy path stays in vite.config.ts.
  */
 .logo-mark {
   background-image: url('/logo-ink.svg');
@@ -215,16 +210,25 @@
 
 /*
  * The TUI panes paint from the raw palette (paper, dust, oxide…) because that
- * is what the Rust client does. Those names do not flip with the theme, so on
- * manila they would leave paper-on-paper. Light mode re-cuts the same names
- * darker, scoped to the terminal's content.
+ * is what the Rust client does. Those names do not flip with the theme, so
+ * each theme re-cuts them, scoped to the terminal's content.
+ *
+ * Dark brightens two of them the way a real emulator brightens its palette
+ * against black: #b33a3a reads 3.21:1 on vinyl and #c1502e 3.99:1 — fine for
+ * a glyph, not for the "Failed" and progress text beside it.
  */
+.tui-content {
+  --color-alarm: #c26060;
+  --color-oxide: #c65f40;
+}
+
+/* Light would otherwise leave paper-on-paper: the whole set re-cuts dark. */
 [data-theme='light'] .tui-content {
   --color-paper: #14110f;
   --color-paper-dim: #3a332c;
   --color-dust: #645b52;
   --color-oxide: #9e3f22;
-  --color-tape: #8f6420;
+  --color-tape: #8d621f; /* 4.62:1 on manila; #8f6420 sat at 4.49 */
   --color-phosphor: #3f7147;
   --color-signal: #35648f;
   --color-alarm: #8f2626;
@@ -260,6 +264,19 @@
     outline-offset: 2px;
   }
 
+  /*
+   * Reduced motion, scoped rather than nuked.
+   *
+   * A blanket `*{animation-duration:0.01ms}` also kills the transitions that
+   * carry meaning — a button acknowledging a copy, a card answering a hover.
+   * Those are state changes a reduced-motion reader still wants; what they
+   * asked not to see is travel and looping.
+   *
+   * So: stop the looping cursor and smooth scrolling, cap the rest at a
+   * duration short enough to read as instant feedback rather than movement.
+   * The TUI goes further and skips its opening run entirely — see
+   * prefersReducedMotion() in components/tui/hero-terminal.tsx.
+   */
   @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
     html {
       scroll-behavior: auto;
@@ -268,9 +285,13 @@
     *,
     *::before,
     *::after {
-      animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
       animation-iteration-count: 1 !important;
-      transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
+      transition-duration: 80ms !important;
+    }
+
+    /* Looping or travelling motion has no reduced-motion equivalent. */
+    [class*='animate-'] {
+      animation: none !important;
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/website/src/pages/community.tsx b/website/src/pages/community.tsx
index f126087..6edc532 100644
--- a/website/src/pages/community.tsx
+++ b/website/src/pages/community.tsx
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ const CITIZENSHIP = [
   },
   {
     glyph: '∞',
-    color: 'var(--accent)',
+    color: 'var(--accent-text)',
     title: 'Stay online',
     body: (
       <>
diff --git a/website/src/pages/home.tsx b/website/src/pages/home.tsx
index 2a95cc0..78b74ec 100644
--- a/website/src/pages/home.tsx
+++ b/website/src/pages/home.tsx
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ const PLATFORMS: readonly { name: OsName; note: string; anchor: string }[] = [
 const FEATURES = [
   {
     glyph: '→',
-    color: 'var(--accent)',
+    color: 'var(--accent-text)',
     title: 'Search & download',
     cmd: 'soulseek-rs "field recordings"',
     body: <>Search the network, pick results in the TUI, and queue downloads with pause, resume, and retry.</>,
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ const FEATURES = [
   },
   {
     glyph: '▮',
-    color: 'var(--accent)',
+    color: 'var(--accent-text)',
     title: 'TUI and CLI',
     cmd: 'soulseek-rs',
     body: (
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ export const Home = () => {
                   >
                     <OsIcon name={platform.name} className="max-[519px]:size-[26px]" />
                     <span className="flex flex-col leading-[1.35] max-[519px]:hidden">
-                      <b className="text-[13.5px] font-medium text-primary transition-colors group-hover:text-accent">
+                      <b className="text-[13.5px] font-medium text-primary transition-colors group-hover:text-accent-text">
                         {platform.name}
                       </b>
                       <span className="text-[11.5px] text-secondary">{platform.note}</span>
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ export const Home = () => {
           <div className="flex flex-col gap-3.5">
             <Eyebrow>get started</Eyebrow>
             <h2 className="text-[26px] leading-[34px] font-medium text-balance sm:text-title sm:leading-[var(--text-title--line-height)]">
-              Install it, then press <span className="text-accent">/</span> to search.
+              Install it, then press <span className="text-accent-text">/</span> to search.
             </h2>
             <p className="text-secondary">
               Needs a Rust toolchain. From there it&rsquo;s one command, then the TUI opens.
diff --git a/website/src/pages/install.tsx b/website/src/pages/install.tsx
index 47c9c62..ecf0c95 100644
--- a/website/src/pages/install.tsx
+++ b/website/src/pages/install.tsx
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ interface StepProps {
 
 const Step = ({ n, title, children }: StepProps) => (
   <div className="grid grid-cols-1 gap-3 sm:grid-cols-[auto_1fr] sm:gap-5">
-    <div className="flex size-[34px] items-center justify-center rounded-md border border-line text-sm text-accent">
+    <div className="flex size-[34px] items-center justify-center rounded-md border border-line text-sm text-accent-text">
       {n}
     </div>
     <div className="flex min-w-0 flex-col gap-3">