diff --git a/src/components/BootSequence.vue b/src/components/BootSequence.vue
index 476b8a0..df51f63 100644
--- a/src/components/BootSequence.vue
+++ b/src/components/BootSequence.vue
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
-import { onMounted, onUnmounted, shallowRef } from 'vue';
+import { onMounted, onUnmounted, shallowRef, watch } from 'vue';
 
 const props = defineProps<{ allowMotion: boolean }>();
 
@@ -26,10 +26,14 @@ const finish = (): void => {
 
 const onKey = (): void => finish();
 
-onMounted(() => {
+let started = false;
+
+const start = (): void => {
+  if (started || !props.allowMotion || navigator.webdriver) return;
+  started = true;
   let seen = false;
   try { seen = window.sessionStorage.getItem(SEEN_KEY) === '1'; } catch { seen = false; }
-  if (!props.allowMotion || seen || navigator.webdriver) return;
+  if (seen) return;
   try { window.sessionStorage.setItem(SEEN_KEY, '1'); } catch { /* optional */ }
   visible.value = true;
   LINES.forEach((_, index) => {
@@ -37,6 +41,11 @@ onMounted(() => {
   });
   timers.push(window.setTimeout(finish, 260 + LINES.length * 280 + 500));
   window.addEventListener('keydown', onKey, { once: true });
+};
+
+// The motion policy resolves in the parent's onMounted (after ours), so react to the prop.
+onMounted(() => {
+  watch(() => props.allowMotion, start, { immediate: true });
 });
 
 onUnmounted(() => {
diff --git a/src/components/OperationsStrip.vue b/src/components/OperationsStrip.vue
index e530341..18d1184 100644
--- a/src/components/OperationsStrip.vue
+++ b/src/components/OperationsStrip.vue
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ import { bucharestClock, uptimeSince } from '@/lib/operations';
 /** Start of the current hosting-admin role (content file: Trupa lui Răzuș, Aug 2025). */
 const SHIFT_START = new Date('2025-08-01T00:00:00Z');
 
-const clock = shallowRef<string | null>(null);
-const shift = shallowRef<string | null>(null);
+const clock = shallowRef('--:--');
+const shift = shallowRef('-- mo');
 let timer = 0;
 
 const tick = (): void => {
@@ -24,10 +24,11 @@ onUnmounted(() => window.clearInterval(timer));
 </script>
 
 <template>
+  <!-- Purely decorative telemetry: all text is CSS-generated so the semantic document is unchanged. -->
   <aside class="ops-strip" aria-hidden="true">
     <span class="ops-strip__dot" />
-    <span>Bucharest <strong>{{ clock ?? '--:--' }}</strong></span>
-    <span class="ops-strip__sep">/</span>
-    <span>On shift <strong>{{ shift ?? '-- mo' }}</strong></span>
+    <span class="ops-strip__item" data-label="Bucharest" :data-value="clock" />
+    <span class="ops-strip__sep" />
+    <span class="ops-strip__item" data-label="On shift" :data-value="shift" />
   </aside>
 </template>
diff --git a/src/composables/useHeadlight.ts b/src/composables/useHeadlight.ts
index 7c8231d..97ffd8b 100644
--- a/src/composables/useHeadlight.ts
+++ b/src/composables/useHeadlight.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { onMounted, onUnmounted, type Ref } from 'vue';
+import { onMounted, onUnmounted, watch, type Ref } from 'vue';
 
 const SURFACES = '.project-case-study, .project-card, .contact-destination, .infrastructure-flow-figure';
 
@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@ export function useHeadlight(enabled: Ref<boolean>): void {
     if (frame === 0) frame = requestAnimationFrame(flush);
   };
 
+  watch(enabled, (value) => {
+    if (value) return;
+    active = false;
+    delete document.documentElement.dataset.headlight;
+  });
+
   onMounted(() => {
     if (!window.matchMedia('(pointer: fine)').matches) return;
     window.addEventListener('pointermove', onMove, { passive: true });
diff --git a/src/styles/nightshift.css b/src/styles/nightshift.css
index 1d55811..7a1dd75 100644
--- a/src/styles/nightshift.css
+++ b/src/styles/nightshift.css
@@ -41,8 +41,10 @@ body::after {
   text-transform: uppercase;
   pointer-events: none;
 }
-.ops-strip strong { color: var(--text); font-weight: 600; }
+.ops-strip__item::before { content: attr(data-label) ' '; }
+.ops-strip__item::after { content: attr(data-value); color: var(--text); font-weight: 600; }
 .ops-strip__sep { opacity: 0.4; }
+.ops-strip__sep::before { content: '/'; }
 .ops-strip__dot {
   width: 7px;
   height: 7px;
@@ -90,7 +92,7 @@ html[data-headlight='on'] .reading-viewport::before {
   content: '';
   position: fixed;
   inset: 0;
-  z-index: var(--z-atmosphere);
+  z-index: -1;
   pointer-events: none;
   background: radial-gradient(420px circle at var(--hx, 50%) var(--hy, 50%), rgb(255 214 147 / 10%), transparent 70%);
   mix-blend-mode: screen;
@@ -102,11 +104,13 @@ html[data-headlight='on'] .reading-viewport::before {
 .contact-destination,
 .infrastructure-flow-figure {
   position: relative;
+  isolation: isolate;
 }
 html[data-headlight='on'] :is(.project-case-study, .project-card, .contact-destination, .infrastructure-flow-figure)::after {
   content: '';
   position: absolute;
   inset: 0;
+  z-index: -1;
   border-radius: inherit;
   pointer-events: none;
   background: radial-gradient(320px circle at var(--mx, 50%) var(--my, 50%), rgb(120 216 229 / 14%), transparent 65%);
@@ -124,7 +128,7 @@ html[data-headlight='on'] :is(.project-case-study, .project-card, .contact-desti
 .portfolio-section { counter-increment: chapter; }
 .portfolio-section > h2::before,
 .project-stage__lead > h2::before {
-  content: '0' counter(chapter);
+  content: '0' counter(chapter) / '';
   position: absolute;
   inset-block-start: 50%;
   inset-inline-end: 0;
@@ -142,7 +146,10 @@ html[data-headlight='on'] :is(.project-case-study, .project-card, .contact-desti
 }
 @media (forced-colors: active) {
   .portfolio-section > h2::before,
-  .project-stage__lead > h2::before { display: none; }
+  .project-stage__lead > h2::before,
+  body::after,
+  .reading-viewport::before,
+  :is(.project-case-study, .project-card, .contact-destination, .infrastructure-flow-figure)::after { display: none !important; }
 }
 
 /* Kinetic type + scroll-linked reveals (progressive enhancement). */
@@ -156,7 +163,7 @@ html[data-headlight='on'] :is(.project-case-study, .project-card, .contact-desti
     letter-spacing: 0.02em;
   }
   @supports (animation-timeline: view()) {
-    .project-card {
+    .reading-stage:not([data-reading-stage='live']) .project-card {
       animation: ns-rise linear both;
       animation-timeline: view();
       animation-range: entry 0% entry 40%;
@@ -170,5 +177,8 @@ html[data-headlight='on'] :is(.project-case-study, .project-card, .contact-desti
 
 @media print {
   body::after, .ops-strip, .boot-sequence { display: none !important; }
-  .portfolio-section > h2::before { display: none; }
+  .portfolio-section > h2::before,
+  .project-stage__lead > h2::before,
+  .reading-viewport::before,
+  :is(.project-case-study, .project-card, .contact-destination, .infrastructure-flow-figure)::after { display: none !important; }
 }