diff --git a/attached_assets/image_1777002696453.png b/attached_assets/image_1777002696453.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..88dd9b1
Binary files /dev/null and b/attached_assets/image_1777002696453.png differ
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 1b8cb8d..dc9a8df 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
     <main class="stage">
       <div class="command-box" id="commandBox">
-        <span class="dollar">$</span><span class="typed" id="typed"></span><span class="user-input" id="userInput"></span><span class="caret" id="caret">&#9608;</span>
+        <span class="dollar">$</span><span class="typed" id="typed"></span><span class="prompt-space" aria-hidden="true"> </span><span class="user-input" id="userInput"></span><span class="caret" id="caret" aria-hidden="true"></span>
         <button class="action-btn" id="actionBtn" aria-label="Copy to clipboard">
           <svg id="actionIcon" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke="currentColor">
             <path id="iconPath" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" d="M8 16H6a2 2 0 01-2-2V6a2 2 0 012-2h8a2 2 0 012 2v2m-6 12h8a2 2 0 002-2v-8a2 2 0 00-2-2h-8a2 2 0 00-2 2v8a2 2 0 002 2z" />
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index 1042c9c..ad32657 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import './style.css';
 
 const COMMAND = 'ssh portfolio@keshavanand.net';
-const PROMPT_TAIL = ' '; // single space between prefix and user input
 
 const typedEl = document.getElementById('typed') as HTMLSpanElement;
 const userEl = document.getElementById('userInput') as HTMLSpanElement;
@@ -58,7 +57,7 @@ function typeIntro(target: string, onDone?: () => void) {
 
   function nextChar() {
     if (i >= target.length) {
-      typedEl.textContent = resolved + PROMPT_TAIL;
+      typedEl.textContent = resolved;
       onDone?.();
       return;
     }
@@ -82,7 +81,7 @@ function typeIntro(target: string, onDone?: () => void) {
 }
 
 if (reduceMotion) {
-  typedEl.textContent = COMMAND + PROMPT_TAIL;
+  typedEl.textContent = COMMAND;
   inputEnabled = true;
 } else {
   setTimeout(() => typeIntro(COMMAND, () => {
@@ -206,40 +205,68 @@ commandBox.addEventListener('click', (e) => {
 
 /* ---------- auto-type from "how it works" link ---------- */
 
+function rand<T>(a: ArrayLike<T>): T {
+  return a[Math.floor(Math.random() * a.length)];
+}
+
 async function autoTypeHelp() {
   if (!inputEnabled || isAutoTyping) return;
   isAutoTyping = true;
 
-  // clear whatever the user had typed
+  // clear current input, arm the box
   userInput = '';
   refreshUI();
   commandBox.classList.add('armed');
 
-  await sleep(120);
+  // ripple from where the user clicked the link
+  const linkRect = docsLink.getBoundingClientRect();
+  spawnRipple(linkRect.left + linkRect.width / 2, linkRect.top + linkRect.height / 2);
 
-  const text = '-h';
-  for (const ch of text) {
-    // small scramble for flair, then settle
-    let cycles = 2;
-    while (cycles > 0) {
-      const sc = SCRAMBLE[Math.floor(Math.random() * SCRAMBLE.length)];
-      userEl.textContent = userInput + sc;
-      await sleep(38);
-      cycles--;
+  await sleep(90);
+
+  // PHASE 1 — heavy glitch flicker across both character slots,
+  // with a tiny box jitter for chromatic-aberration energy
+  commandBox.classList.add('glitch');
+  const glitchSteps = 14;
+  for (let s = 0; s < glitchSteps; s++) {
+    const a = rand(SCRAMBLE);
+    const b = Math.random() > 0.4 ? rand(SCRAMBLE) : '';
+    userEl.textContent = a + b;
+    // micro-jitter the box
+    const jx = (Math.random() - 0.5) * 3;
+    const jy = (Math.random() - 0.5) * 1.5;
+    commandBox.style.transform = `translate(${jx.toFixed(2)}px, ${jy.toFixed(2)}px)`;
+    await sleep(28 + Math.random() * 18);
+  }
+  commandBox.style.transform = '';
+  commandBox.classList.remove('glitch');
+
+  // PHASE 2 — settle to "-h" with a brief micro-flicker on each char
+  userInput = '';
+  for (const ch of '-h') {
+    // 1-2 quick scramble flickers, then resolve
+    for (let c = 0; c < 2; c++) {
+      userEl.textContent = userInput + rand(SCRAMBLE);
+      await sleep(34);
     }
     userInput += ch;
     refreshUI();
-    await sleep(70);
+    await sleep(60);
   }
 
-  // brief pause so the user reads it
-  await sleep(260);
+  // PHASE 3 — quick read pause + ripple from the box itself
+  await sleep(220);
+  const boxRect = commandBox.getBoundingClientRect();
+  spawnRipple(boxRect.right - 24, boxRect.top + boxRect.height / 2);
 
-  // visual "Enter pressed" — pulse the action button
-  actionBtn.style.transform = 'scale(0.85)';
-  setTimeout(() => { actionBtn.style.transform = ''; }, 140);
-
-  await sleep(180);
+  // PHASE 4 — Enter "press": punch the action icon down + a confirming ripple
+  actionBtn.style.transition = 'transform 90ms ease-out';
+  actionBtn.style.transform = 'scale(0.78)';
+  await sleep(110);
+  actionBtn.style.transform = 'scale(1)';
+  await sleep(140);
+  actionBtn.style.transition = '';
+  actionBtn.style.transform = '';
 
   isAutoTyping = false;
   submit();
diff --git a/src/style.css b/src/style.css
index c96ec0e..6057afb 100644
--- a/src/style.css
+++ b/src/style.css
@@ -111,6 +111,18 @@ body {
   box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px var(--accent-soft), 0 0 28px rgba(166, 227, 161, 0.18);
 }
 
+/* glitch state — subtle chromatic-aberration shadow on the typed text */
+.command-box.glitch {
+  border-color: var(--accent-strong);
+  box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px rgba(166, 227, 161, 0.10), 0 0 32px rgba(166, 227, 161, 0.10);
+}
+.command-box.glitch .typed,
+.command-box.glitch .user-input {
+  text-shadow:
+    -1px 0 rgba(243, 139, 168, 0.7),
+    1px 0 rgba(137, 180, 250, 0.7);
+}
+
 .dollar {
   color: var(--accent);
   font-weight: 600;
@@ -122,17 +134,23 @@ body {
   white-space: pre;
 }
 
+.prompt-space {
+  white-space: pre;
+}
+
 .user-input {
   color: var(--fg);
   white-space: pre;
 }
 
+/* a real terminal block caret — exactly one monospace char wide, no offset */
 .caret {
   display: inline-block;
-  color: var(--accent);
-  font-size: 0.85em;
-  transform: translateY(-1px);
-  margin-left: 1px;
+  width: 0.6em;
+  height: 1.05em;
+  background: var(--accent);
+  vertical-align: text-bottom;
+  margin-bottom: 0.05em;
   animation: blink 1.05s steps(1, end) infinite;
 }