fix(web): mascot physics, drag reliability, and speech-bubble polish

Audits and fixes ground-teleport/flat-fall/toss-momentum physics bugs,
fixes drag getting stuck via missing pointercancel handling, replaces
sprite-based speech bubbles with real HTML text/emoji bubbles, adds
drag-onto-icon "investigate" reactions and idle chatter, merges the
name badge and reaction bubble into one floating element, and caps the
bubble to one line with a teleprompter-style auto-scroll instead of
ellipsizing overflow text.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

plans/2026-07-20-mascot-physics-audit.md

@@ -0,0 +1,296 @@
+# 2026-07-20 — Mascot physics/window-interaction audit + improvement plan
+
+**Status:** P0–P2 implemented. P3 ("cool stuff") ideas remain open/undecided.
+
+**Verification of the fixes** (re-ran this document's own instrumented
+tests against the fixed code):
+- Case A (window closes under the mascot): position now falls smoothly
+  over ~2.5–3s with visible x-drift (e.g. bottom went 84→87→104→125→...→912
+  across ~3.3s), instead of jumping straight to the floor in one tick.
+- Case B (window opens over a grounded mascot with a gap beneath it): the
+  mascot stayed pinned to the floor (`bottom: 950`) for 2.6s straight while
+  standing under an open window whose top was far above it — no snap-up at
+  all.
+- Toss momentum: a fast upward-and-sideways release made the sprite keep
+  *rising* for several frames after pointerup before gravity won, then fall
+  with visible deceleration bumps roughly every ~550ms (the flap cycle)
+  instead of a flat monotonic increase.
+- No new console errors; `npm run build` stays clean.
+
+Companion to [plans/2026-07-20-desktop-mascot.md](2026-07-20-desktop-mascot.md)
+(the original scaffolding plan, now implemented) and
+[docs/mascot/README.md](../docs/mascot/README.md) (the MBSE model). This
+document is a post-implementation review: static code read of every file
+under `web/src/lib/mascot/`, plus live testing in the browser (dragging,
+opening/closing/moving windows under the mascot, the radial menu, hatching),
+including two tests instrumented with synthetic pointer events + high-frequency
+position polling to get hard timing data rather than guessing from a laggy
+screenshot loop.
+
+## Summary
+
+The scaffolding (registries, FSM shape, persistence, stimulus bus) is sound
+and matches the original plan's architecture. The actual **physics is where
+it falls short of feeling alive**, for one root cause plus a few smaller
+gaps:
+
+**The mascot doesn't actually fall in the cases that matter most — it
+teleports.** The only code path where a real, animated fall happens is
+"user drags it into the air and lets go." Every other ground-change case
+(a window closes or moves out from under it, a window opens or moves under
+it, it walks off a window's edge) snaps its position instantly, with zero
+animation, because of one specific piece of logic in `Mascot.svelte`. This
+was proven with instrumented timing data, not just read from the source —
+see Finding 1.
+
+## How this was tested
+
+- Read every file in `web/src/lib/mascot/` (behavior.ts, Mascot.svelte,
+  MascotLayer.svelte, state.svelte.ts, stimuli.ts, sprites.ts, render.ts,
+  actions.ts, RadialMenu.svelte, NameDialog.svelte, types.ts).
+- Ran the app (`npm run dev`), hatched a chick, and interactively tested:
+  drag-and-release at various heights, opening/closing/dragging a window
+  under the mascot, the right-click menu (including nested Feed), plain-click
+  pet, and the hatch dialog.
+- For the two timing-sensitive claims below, screenshot-based verification
+  was too slow/laggy to distinguish "instant teleport" from "fast but real
+  fall" — so both were re-verified with a single `javascript_exec` call that
+  dispatches synthetic `PointerEvent`s to drag the mascot precisely onto a
+  window, then clicks that window's close button and polls
+  `canvas.getBoundingClientRect()` every ~65ms for 2+ seconds, all inside one
+  script (no inter-call latency to contaminate the result).
+- `npm run build` passes with no new warnings.
+
+## Findings
+
+### Finding 1 (Critical) — Ground changes teleport the mascot instead of animating a fall or rise
+
+**Root cause**, `web/src/lib/mascot/Mascot.svelte` `tick()` (~lines 111-131):
+every tick, `computeGroundAt(runtime.x)` recomputes the ground line, and if
+the mascot is "grounded" (not already `falling`/`dragged`) and the ground
+changed at all, this runs unconditionally:
+
+```js
+if (runtime.behavior !== 'falling' && runtime.behavior !== 'dragged' &&
+    runtime.y >= prevGroundY - 1 && newGround !== prevGroundY) {
+  runtime.y += newGround - prevGroundY   // instant, any magnitude, either direction
+}
+```
+
+This was meant to make the mascot "ride along" smoothly while a window it's
+standing on is being dragged (and it does do that correctly — verified,
+see below). But it fires for *any* ground change, not just a smooth drag,
+and it runs *before* `stepMascot()`/`behavior.ts` gets a chance to notice
+"I'm now floating" and start a real `falling` behavior — so the FSM's own
+fall-detection in the `wander`/`idle` cases
+(`if (rt.y < groundY(rt) - 1) forceBehavior(rt, 'falling')`) never actually
+fires; by the time it runs, `runtime.y` has already been silently snapped to
+match.
+
+**Proven case A — window closes underneath the mascot (should fall):**
+dragged the mascot onto an open window's title bar via synthetic pointer
+events (landed cleanly: sprite bottom = 96px = window top = 96px), then
+clicked the window's close button and polled position every 65ms:
+
+| t (ms) | sprite bottom (px) |
+|---|---|
+| 0 (before close) | 96 |
+| 67 | **950** (floor) |
+| 132 – 2000 | 950 (unchanged) |
+
+The coded physics (gravity 1400 px/s², capped at 320 px/s) would take
+**~2.8 seconds** to fall 854px. It happened in **under 67ms** — an instant
+snap, not a fall. No `falling`/`land` animation plays.
+
+**Proven case B — window opens/overlaps underneath a grounded mascot
+(should NOT rise, or should climb visibly):** with the mascot standing on
+the empty desktop floor (bottom = 950px), opened the Tasks window (which
+renders top=71px, bottom=751px at that position — its underside never
+reaches the floor, leaving a ~200px gap). Within 150ms, the mascot's sprite
+bottom was already **71px** — snapped straight up onto the new window's
+title bar, 880px in under 150ms, despite the window's bottom edge (751px)
+never actually touching the mascot's original position. `computeGroundAt()`
+has no check that the candidate window is anywhere near the mascot's
+*current* position — it just returns the topmost window overlapping the
+mascot's x column, full stop, so any window opening/moving/resizing
+anywhere in that column instantly relocates the mascot to its top edge, no
+matter the vertical distance.
+
+**What does work correctly:** dragging an already-mascot-bearing window
+smoothly (title-bar drag, not open/close) — the ride-along correctly
+translates the mascot's y by the same delta as the window moves, so it
+visually "stands" on the window through the drag. Also, manual drag-and-drop
+of the mascot itself (pick it up, release above ground) *does* enter a real,
+animated `falling` → `land` → `idle` sequence, because that path is driven
+entirely by `releaseFromDrag()` from the pointer handler, which isn't
+touched by the tick-level snap.
+
+**Fix direction:** `computeGroundAt` needs to return the highest surface
+*at or below* the mascot's current `y* (a downward raycast from the current
+position), not the global topmost window in the column. Separately, the
+tick-level "ride along" needs to distinguish *small, continuous* deltas
+(the window carrying the mascot while being dragged — legitimate instant
+translation) from *large or discontinuous* ones (a window appearing,
+disappearing, or the mascot walking off an edge — should hand off to
+`forceBehavior(rt, 'falling')` for a downward change, and a short new
+`rising`/hop transition for an upward one, not a silent teleport in either
+direction).
+
+### Finding 2 (Critical) — the one real fall is a flat, straight drop; this is the user's specific complaint
+
+Even in the one path that *does* animate (manual drag-release), the fall
+itself has no attempt at flight:
+
+- `falling.enter()` in `behavior.ts` hard-sets `rt.vx = 0` — zero horizontal
+  drift, ever.
+- `fall-flutter`'s animation is just `jump.png` on a loop
+  (`sprites.ts`) — the *name* says flutter, the physics is a monotonic
+  `vy = min(TERMINAL_VY, vy + GRAVITY*dt)` capped fall, no oscillation, no
+  upward impulses.
+- There's an already-defined, already-loaded `flap` animation
+  (`jump.png` again, distinct `AnimName`) that **no behavior ever
+  references** — it's dead weight in the registry right now.
+
+This is exactly the "not always fall directly, try to fly a little" ask.
+
+### Finding 3 (Critical) — no toss/throw momentum on release
+
+The original plan called for tracking recent pointer deltas during a drag
+and using them to give the release a real velocity (a toss/arc). The
+shipped `onPointerUp`/`onPointerMove` in `Mascot.svelte` track no pointer
+history at all — releasing while moving fast imparts nothing; the mascot
+just drops straight down from wherever the pointer let go, same as a slow
+release.
+
+### Finding 4 (Moderate) — sprite/name/bubble clip off-screen near the top edge
+
+The mascot's canvas is 20×28 logical px (extra headroom above the sprite
+for the name label and reaction bubble), positioned bottom-anchored at
+`runtime.y`. When the ground is near the top of the viewport (e.g.
+standing on a window whose title bar sits close to `y=0`, which is common
+for a freshly-opened window), the canvas — and the name label, positioned
+even further above it — render partially or fully off-screen.
+Reproduced directly: standing on a window with top=32px clipped the
+sprite from `y=-52` to `y=32`, more than half invisible above the browser
+viewport.
+
+### Finding 5 (Minor) — `interruptsSleep` is defined but never read
+
+`stimuli.ts`'s `ReactionDef.interruptsSleep` (set `true` only on `alarmed`)
+documents an intended rule ("sleep is broken only by reactions that opt
+in"), but nothing in `MascotLayer.svelte`'s dispatch callback or
+`behavior.ts` ever reads it — every reaction unconditionally calls
+`forceBehavior(runtime, 'react', ...)` regardless of current behavior.
+Practically, this also means a reaction can visually interrupt an active
+**drag** (the sprite briefly shows a reaction animation mid-drag, though
+position tracking is unaffected since that's driven separately by the
+pointer handler) — the documented "`dragged` always wins" rule isn't
+enforced either.
+
+### Finding 6 (Cosmetic / scope gap) — radial menu isn't round
+
+The implementing agent deviated from the original "round, Sims-style"
+requirement to a vertical rounded-button column (documented in the plan's
+deviation note — the polar ring layout hid labels). It works correctly,
+including nesting, but it's a direct miss against what was asked for. Worth
+a deliberate decision: keep the readable column, or revisit a true ring
+with icon-only buttons + a hover/center text readout.
+
+### Finding 7 (Minor) — first-hatch naming can be dismissed with no easy way back
+
+`NameDialog`'s Escape handler always calls `onCancel`, which just closes it
+— on the very first hatch prompt (no `Cancel` button is shown in `hatch`
+mode, but Escape still works via the window-level listener), a user who
+hits Escape is left with an unnamed, un-hatched egg and no obvious way to
+reopen the dialog short of reloading or finding the Debug → Force hatch
+menu action.
+
+## Improvement plan
+
+Ordered by priority; 1–3 directly address the user's stated complaints.
+
+### P0 — Fix the ground-detection/teleport bug (Finding 1)
+
+1. Change `computeGroundAt(x)` to only consider a window a ground candidate
+   if its top edge is **at or below** the mascot's current `y` (plus a
+   small tolerance for the "about to land on it" case) — i.e. the nearest
+   surface *underneath*, not the global topmost overlapping window.
+2. Replace the unconditional `tick()`-level position snap with a threshold
+   check: deltas under ~4px/tick (a window being smoothly dragged with the
+   mascot riding it) still translate instantly; anything larger routes
+   through `forceBehavior(rt, 'falling')` (ground dropped) or a new short
+   `rising` behavior (ground rose — a quick hop/flutter-up, not a snap).
+3. This also fixes the FSM's existing (currently unreachable) `wander`/`idle`
+   fall-detection — once the snap isn't preempting it, that code path
+   should work as originally intended.
+
+### P1 — Make falling actually look like an attempt at flight (Findings 2 & 3)
+
+4. Wire the unused `flap` animation into `falling`: instead of one
+   continuous `fall-flutter` loop, alternate short `flap` bursts (each
+   burst applies a brief small negative `vy` impulse — a wing-beat that
+   measurably slows the descent for a few frames) with `fall-flutter` glide
+   segments. Net effect: still descends, but in a scalloped, fluttering
+   arc rather than a flat monotonic line — reads as "trying to fly, not
+   quite making it" rather than "dropped like a rock."
+5. Add a small horizontal drift during `falling` (e.g. a slow sine wobble
+   or a fraction of the pre-release pointer velocity — see next point) so
+   the fall isn't perfectly vertical either.
+6. Track a short rolling history of pointer positions during `dragged`
+   (last ~100ms of `onPointerMove` samples is enough) and derive a release
+   velocity from it in `onPointerUp`; feed that into `falling`'s initial
+   `vx`/`vy` instead of hard-zeroing them, so a fast toss actually arcs.
+
+### P2 — Cosmetic/correctness cleanups (Findings 4, 5, 7)
+
+7. Clamp the sprite's screen-space draw position (or reserve top margin on
+   the surface) so the canvas/name/bubble never render above `y=0`,
+   independent of where the logical ground sits.
+8. Either wire `interruptsSleep`/a drag-guard into the reaction dispatch
+   path in `MascotLayer.svelte` (skip forcing `react` while
+   `runtime.behavior === 'dragged'`, and gate sleep-interruption on the
+   flag as documented), or remove the field if the current
+   always-interrupts behavior is actually preferred — right now it's an
+   unenforced contract, which is worse than either explicit choice.
+9. On first hatch, prevent the naming dialog from being fully dismissed
+   without a name (or make it trivially reopenable — e.g. clicking the
+   still-unnamed egg reopens it) rather than requiring a reload/debug
+   menu to recover.
+
+### P3 — Ideas worth considering ("cool stuff")
+
+Not committed, listed for discussion:
+
+- **Investigate badges**: have the mascot occasionally walk toward a
+  desktop icon that currently has an unread badge (Signals, Operations)
+  and peck at it curiously — a very literal, delightful expression of
+  "aware of its environment" using icon positions already in
+  `stores/icons.ts`.
+- **Startle-and-flee on alarm**: instead of a static `react-alarm` frame,
+  have the `alarmed` reaction actually scurry the mascot a short distance
+  (reuse `wander`-style motion) before settling, more visceral than a
+  still reaction sprite.
+- **A "home" spot**: remember a preferred idle location (e.g. near its
+  hatch point or a favorite window) and occasionally wander back to it,
+  giving its roaming a sense of place rather than pure randomness.
+- **True round radial menu v2**: revisit Finding 6 with icon-only buttons
+  on an actual ring and a text label in a tooltip/center readout on
+  hover/focus — closer to the original ask while keeping labels legible
+  (the problem the first attempt hit).
+- **Distinct adult sprite** (already flagged as deferred polish in the
+  original plan's deviation note) — currently chick and adult share art.
+
+## Verification (once fixed)
+
+- Re-run this document's two instrumented tests (drag-onto-window-then-close;
+  open-window-over-grounded-mascot) and confirm the position samples show a
+  smooth multi-frame transition instead of a single-tick jump.
+- Manually: drag the mascot up and release with a fast flick — confirm it
+  arcs/drifts rather than dropping straight down, and that `flap` frames
+  visibly appear during the descent.
+- Stand the mascot on a window, drag that window so its title bar approaches
+  `y=0` — confirm the sprite/name/bubble stay on-screen.
+- Trigger a reaction (e.g. force an `eureka`) while mid-drag — confirm the
+  sprite keeps showing the `dragged` animation, not the reaction, until
+  released (if Finding 5 is fixed by enforcing the guard).
+- `npm run build` stays clean.

plans/index.md

@@ -18,8 +18,9 @@ went sideways, open an investigation.
 | 2026-07-14 | [Activity timeline](2026-07-14-activity-timeline.md) | In Progress |
 | 2026-07-17 | [Codebase review, lint audit, and documentation maintenance](2026-07-17-codebase-review-and-cleanup.md) | Report delivered — doc/tooling fixes applied; code refactors pending |
 | 2026-07-18 | [Session review: three recent sessions](2026-07-18-session-review-three-sessions.md) | Implemented in v0.7.12 — P0.1/P0.2/P1.3/P1.4/P1.5/P1.6/P1.8/P2.10; P1.7 and P2.9 deferred (retry cap covers) |
-| 2026-07-20 | [Desktop mascot ("Cluck")](2026-07-20-desktop-mascot.md) | Planned — not started |
+| 2026-07-20 | [Desktop mascot ("Cluck")](2026-07-20-desktop-mascot.md) | Implemented in v0.8.0 — see deviation note; physics/window-interaction follow-ups tracked separately |
 | 2026-07-20 | [Session review: past 10 sessions](2026-07-20-session-review-ten-sessions.md) | Implemented in v0.7.13 — all P0/P1/P2 items landed |
+| 2026-07-20 | [Mascot physics/window-interaction audit](2026-07-20-mascot-physics-audit.md) | P0–P2 implemented; P3 ("cool stuff") ideas open |
 
 ## Done
 

web/src/lib/mascot/Mascot.svelte

@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@
   // decision in plans/2026-07-20-desktop-mascot.md.
 
   import { onMount } from 'svelte'
-  import { loadSprites, loadBubble, resolveAnim, frameIndex, STAGE_SCALE } from '$lib/mascot/sprites'
+  import { loadSprites, resolveAnim, frameIndex, STAGE_SCALE } from '$lib/mascot/sprites'
-  import { drawFrame, drawBubble, CANVAS_W, CANVAS_H } from '$lib/mascot/render'
+  import { drawFrame, CANVAS_W, CANVAS_H } from '$lib/mascot/render'
   import {
     stepMascot,
     forceBehavior,
@@ -31,13 +31,50 @@
     pet as modelPet
   } from '$lib/mascot/state.svelte'
   import { wmState } from '$lib/stores/windows'
+  import { getIconPositions, iconPixelPos, GRID } from '$lib/stores/icons'
+  import { APPS, type AppDef } from '$lib/apps'
 
   // MascotRuntime is created fresh per mount; the long-lived MascotModel
   // (with lastPos, stage, name, ...) persists across mounts via localStorage.
-  let { runtime, onContextMenu, onPet }: { runtime: MascotRuntime; onContextMenu: (screenX: number, screenY: number) => void; onPet: () => void } = $props()
+  // `runtime` is $bindable(): this component mutates it constantly (every
+  // tick, every pointer event) rather than treating it as read-only input,
+  // which Svelte 5 flags as an "ownership_invalid_mutation" dev warning
+  // unless the prop is declared bindable and the parent uses bind:runtime.
+  let {
+    runtime = $bindable(),
+    onContextMenu,
+    onPet,
+    onRequestName
+  }: {
+    runtime: MascotRuntime
+    onContextMenu: (screenX: number, screenY: number) => void
+    onPet: () => void
+    /** Called on a plain click while the mascot is a not-yet-named egg — reopens the naming dialog (see NameDialog's Escape-dismiss). */
+    onRequestName: () => void
+  } = $props()
 
   const SCALE_PX = 3 // CSS scale: 20 logical px * 3 = 60px sprite
   const DRAG_THRESHOLD = 5
+
+  // Ground tracking (see behavior.ts's comment block for the fuller
+  // rationale): a small per-tick ground change (a window being dragged
+  // smoothly, with the mascot riding along) follows instantly; a bigger
+  // drop hands off to `falling` instead of snapping the mascot's position.
+  const GROUND_FOLLOW_MAX_STEP = 6 // px/tick the mascot may instantly follow a rising/shifting ground
+  const GROUND_DROP_FALL_PX = 12 // px — a ground drop bigger than this triggers falling, not a snap
+  // A window is only a ground candidate if its top is at/below the
+  // mascot's CURRENT position (a downward raycast from where it stands) —
+  // otherwise a window opening/moving anywhere in its column, even one
+  // that never gets near it, would yank it upward onto that window's top.
+  const GROUND_CANDIDATE_EPSILON = 4
+
+  // Toss momentum: a short rolling window of recent pointer-move samples
+  // during a drag, used to derive a release velocity (onPointerUp) instead
+  // of always dropping straight down from wherever the pointer let go.
+  const VELOCITY_WINDOW_MS = 120
+  const TOSS_MAX_VX = 900 // px/s
+  const TOSS_MAX_UPWARD_VY = 700 // px/s (a hard upward flick can toss it up a bit before gravity wins)
+  const TOSS_MAX_DOWNWARD_VY = 400 // px/s (don't let a fast downward fling outrun the fall's own gravity feel)
   // 60fps for the sprite loop: the mascot has faster motion (drag, fall)
   // than GraphBackground's slow ambient drift, and 30fps position updates
   // look choppy on 60Hz+ displays. setTimeout (not rAF) per the repo
@@ -58,6 +95,10 @@
   let dragPointerId: number | null = null
   let dragStartClient = { x: 0, y: 0 }
   let moved = false
+  // Recent pointer-move samples during a drag (surface coords + timestamp),
+  // trimmed to the last VELOCITY_WINDOW_MS — used to derive a release
+  // (toss) velocity in onPointerUp.
+  let dragSamples: { t: number; x: number; y: number }[] = []
   // Wiggle phase for the egg (render-time only, not persisted).
   let wigglePhase = 0
   // Snapshot of the current window manager state, refreshed by
@@ -79,12 +120,20 @@
 
   /**
    * Compute the ground line at the mascot's x: the top edge (y) of the
-   * highest non-minimized window whose horizontal span covers the
+   * NEAREST non-minimized window whose horizontal span covers the
-   * mascot's x, or the surface bottom (bounds.h) when no window is
+   * mascot's x AND whose top is at/below the mascot's current position —
-   * beneath. This is what lets the mascot walk ON TOP of windows —
+   * i.e. a downward raycast from where it's standing, not "the topmost
-   * when it strolls over a window, the ground rises to that window's
+   * window anywhere in this column." Without the vertical check, a window
-   * top edge; when it walks off the side, the ground drops back to the
+   * opening or moving anywhere above the mascot (even with empty space
-   * desktop surface and it flutters-falls.
+   * between its underside and the mascot) would be picked as ground and
+   * the ride-along logic in tick() would yank the mascot up onto it
+   * instantly — this was a confirmed bug (see
+   * plans/2026-07-20-mascot-physics-audit.md, Finding 1 case B).
+   * Falls back to the surface bottom (bounds.h) when nothing qualifies.
+   * This is what lets the mascot walk ON TOP of windows — when it strolls
+   * over one, the ground rises to its top edge; when it walks off the
+   * side (or the window moves/closes), the ground drops and tick()'s
+   * chase logic hands off to a real `falling` behavior.
    */
   function computeGroundAt(x: number): number {
     let ground = runtime.bounds.h
@@ -94,10 +143,14 @@
       const b = win.bounds
       // Window top edge counts as ground only if the mascot's x is
       // within the window's horizontal span (with a small margin so the
-      // mascot doesn't immediately fall off the very corner).
+      // mascot doesn't immediately fall off the very corner)...
-      if (x >= b.x - 4 && x <= b.x + b.width + 4) {
+      const inSpan = x >= b.x - 4 && x <= b.x + b.width + 4
-        // Walking on top = ground at the window's top edge.
+      // ...AND the window's top is at/below where the mascot currently
-        if (b.y < ground) ground = b.y
+      // is (it's a real surface underfoot, not a window floating above
+      // with a gap beneath it).
+      const atOrBelow = b.y >= runtime.y - GROUND_CANDIDATE_EPSILON
+      if (inSpan && atOrBelow && b.y < ground) {
+        ground = b.y
       }
     }
     return ground
@@ -108,6 +161,32 @@
     return { anim: resolveAnim(stage(), name), name }
   }
 
+  // Icon investigate: drop the mascot on a desktop icon and it reacts —
+  // see onPointerUp's drag-release branch, which checks this against the
+  // release position and, if it hits, shows the line below and sets
+  // runtime.investigateOnLand so the next landing pecks instead of idling.
+  const ICON_INVESTIGATE_LINES: Record<string, string> = {
+    tasks: '📋 Tasks!',
+    kb: '🗂️ Ooh, data!',
+    ops: '🛡️ All clear?',
+    signals: '📡 Anything new?',
+    knowledge: '🔍 Curious…',
+    learning: '📈 Growing!',
+    settings: '⚙️ Tinkering?'
+  }
+  const ICON_INVESTIGATE_FALLBACK = '👀 Ooh!'
+
+  /** Which desktop-icon app (if any) the given surface coords land on, using the same grid DesktopIcon.svelte renders with. */
+  function iconAt(x: number, y: number): AppDef | null {
+    const positions = getIconPositions()
+    for (const app of APPS) {
+      const pos = positions[app.id] ?? { col: 0, row: 0 }
+      const { x: ix, y: iy } = iconPixelPos(pos)
+      if (x >= ix && x <= ix + GRID.cell && y >= iy && y <= iy + GRID.cell) return app
+    }
+    return null
+  }
+
   function tick(now: number): void {
     const dt = Math.min(DT_CLAMP_MS, now - lastFrame)
     lastFrame = now
@@ -115,21 +194,36 @@
     // lets the mascot walk on top of windows (the ground rises to a
     // window's top edge when the mascot strolls over it).
     const newGround = computeGroundAt(runtime.x)
-    // Ride the ground: when the mascot is grounded (not falling/dragged)
+    // Chase the ground when grounded (not already falling/dragged):
-    // and the ground moved (the window beneath was dragged/resized),
+    //  - if it dropped away by more than GROUND_DROP_FALL_PX (a window
-    // translate the mascot with it so it sticks to the surface instead
+    //    closed, moved out from under the mascot, or it walked off an
-    // of floating in place while the window drifts out from under it.
+    //    edge), hand off to a real `falling` behavior instead of snapping
-    if (
+    //    — this was Finding 1 in the physics audit: the mascot used to
-      runtime.behavior !== 'falling' &&
+    //    teleport straight to the new ground with zero animation.
-      runtime.behavior !== 'dragged' &&
+    //  - otherwise, step toward the new ground by at most
-      runtime.y >= prevGroundY - 1 &&
+    //    GROUND_FOLLOW_MAX_STEP per tick. A window being dragged smoothly
-      newGround !== prevGroundY
+    //    moves only a few px/tick, so this still reads as an instant,
-    ) {
+    //    solid "ride along"; anything bigger (a window snapping to a new
-      runtime.y += newGround - prevGroundY
+    //    position, a resize) catches up over a couple of frames instead
+    //    of jumping.
+    if (runtime.behavior !== 'falling' && runtime.behavior !== 'dragged') {
+      if (newGround - prevGroundY > GROUND_DROP_FALL_PX && runtime.y >= prevGroundY - 1) {
+        forceBehavior(runtime, 'falling')
+      } else if (runtime.y !== newGround) {
+        const diff = newGround - runtime.y
+        runtime.y += Math.abs(diff) <= GROUND_FOLLOW_MAX_STEP ? diff : Math.sign(diff) * GROUND_FOLLOW_MAX_STEP
+      }
     }
     runtime.groundY = newGround
     prevGroundY = newGround
     stepMascot(runtime, model, now, dt)
+    // Reaction bubble expiry: the bubble is a real DOM element now (see
+    // the template), driven reactively by bubbleText/bubbleUntil — this
+    // is the one place that clears it once its time is up.
+    if (runtime.bubbleText && now >= runtime.bubbleUntil) {
+      runtime.bubbleText = null
+      runtime.bubbleUntil = 0
+    }
     // Lifecycle (egg incubation, happiness decay) ticks ~1x/sec, not per frame.
     if (lastLifecycle === 0) lastLifecycle = now
     if (now - lastLifecycle >= LIFECYCLE_TICK_MS) {
@@ -164,14 +258,6 @@
       facing: runtime.facing,
       wiggle: wigglePhase
     })
-    // Reaction bubble: drawn above the sprite while runtime.bubble is set
-    // and hasn't expired. Cleared when bubbleUntil passes.
-    if (runtime.bubble && now < runtime.bubbleUntil) {
-      drawBubble(ctx2d, runtime.bubble, runtime.facing)
-    } else if (runtime.bubble && now >= runtime.bubbleUntil) {
-      runtime.bubble = null
-      runtime.bubbleUntil = 0
-    }
   }
 
   // Single loop: tick physics + draw sprite + reschedule. (The previous
@@ -191,6 +277,7 @@
     dragPointerId = e.pointerId
     dragStartClient = { x: e.clientX, y: e.clientY }
     moved = false
+    dragSamples = []
     el.setPointerCapture(e.pointerId)
     forceBehavior(runtime, 'dragged')
     dragging = true
@@ -210,28 +297,121 @@
       if (rect) {
         runtime.x = Math.max(0, Math.min(rect.width, e.clientX - rect.left))
         runtime.y = Math.max(0, Math.min(rect.height, e.clientY - rect.top))
+        const t = performance.now()
+        dragSamples.push({ t, x: runtime.x, y: runtime.y })
+        while (dragSamples.length > 1 && t - dragSamples[0].t > VELOCITY_WINDOW_MS) dragSamples.shift()
       }
     }
   }
 
-  function onPointerUp(e: PointerEvent) {
+  /** Derive a release (toss) velocity from the last VELOCITY_WINDOW_MS of drag samples. */
-    if (dragPointerId !== e.pointerId) return
+  function tossVelocity(): { vx: number; vy: number } {
-    const el = e.currentTarget as HTMLElement
+    if (dragSamples.length < 2) return { vx: 0, vy: 0 }
-    el.releasePointerCapture(e.pointerId)
+    const first = dragSamples[0]
+    const last = dragSamples[dragSamples.length - 1]
+    const dt = (last.t - first.t) / 1000
+    if (dt < 0.01) return { vx: 0, vy: 0 }
+    const vx = Math.max(-TOSS_MAX_VX, Math.min(TOSS_MAX_VX, (last.x - first.x) / dt))
+    const rawVy = (last.y - first.y) / dt
+    const vy = rawVy < 0 ? Math.max(-TOSS_MAX_UPWARD_VY, rawVy) : Math.min(TOSS_MAX_DOWNWARD_VY, rawVy)
+    return { vx, vy }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Release capture and clear drag-tracking state. Split out from
+   * onPointerUp so onPointerCancel and the window-level fallback below can
+   * share it — every path that ends a drag needs to do this exact
+   * cleanup, or the mascot is left stuck in `dragged` forever.
+   */
+  function endDragTracking(pointerId: number, el?: HTMLElement | null): void {
+    if (el?.hasPointerCapture?.(pointerId)) el.releasePointerCapture(pointerId)
     dragPointerId = null
     dragging = false
+  }
+
+  function onPointerUp(e: PointerEvent) {
+    if (dragPointerId !== e.pointerId) return
     if (!moved) {
+      // An unnamed egg (e.g. the naming dialog was Escaped away) has no
+      // real pet reaction yet — reopen the naming prompt instead so it's
+      // never stuck un-hatchable without a reload/debug action.
+      if (stage() === 'egg' && model.name === null) {
+        dragSamples = []
+        endDragTracking(e.pointerId, e.currentTarget as HTMLElement)
+        onRequestName()
+        return
+      }
       // Plain click = pet: a brief happy reaction with a heart bubble.
       modelPet()
       onPet()
-      runtime.bubble = '/mascot/bubble-love.png'
+      runtime.bubbleText = '❤️'
       runtime.bubbleUntil = performance.now() + 1500
       forceBehavior(runtime, 'react', { anim: 'react-happy', durationMs: 1500 })
     } else {
-      // Drag ended — release into falling or land.
+      // Drag ended — derive a toss velocity from the recent pointer
+      // motion and release into falling (or land, if already grounded).
       setLastPos(runtime.x)
+      const { vx, vy } = tossVelocity()
+      runtime.vx = vx
+      runtime.vy = vy
+      // Dropped on a desktop icon? Show an "investigate" bubble right
+      // away (works whether it's about to fall or is already grounded)
+      // and flag the next landing to peck instead of idle — see the
+      // `land` BehaviorDef in behavior.ts.
+      if (stage() !== 'egg') {
+        const app = iconAt(runtime.x, runtime.y)
+        if (app) {
+          runtime.bubbleText = ICON_INVESTIGATE_LINES[app.id] ?? ICON_INVESTIGATE_FALLBACK
+          runtime.bubbleUntil = performance.now() + 1800
+          runtime.investigateOnLand = true
+          modelPet()
+        }
+      }
       releaseFromDrag(runtime)
     }
+    dragSamples = []
+    endDragTracking(e.pointerId, e.currentTarget as HTMLElement)
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * The browser aborts a pointer interaction (fires `pointercancel`
+   * instead of `pointerup`) in several real situations: the pointer
+   * leaves the window fast enough that the OS/browser interprets it as a
+   * different gesture, a touch/stylus is force-cancelled, or something
+   * else takes over pointer capture. Without handling this, the mascot
+   * gets stuck in the `dragged` behavior forever — no more pointerup is
+   * coming, so nothing else would ever reset dragPointerId/dragging. This
+   * was the "dragging sometimes doesn't release" bug. There's no reliable
+   * release gesture to derive a toss from here, so it just falls/lands
+   * from wherever it was, same as a still-mid-air drag release with no
+   * velocity.
+   */
+  function onPointerCancel(e: PointerEvent) {
+    if (dragPointerId !== e.pointerId) return
+    dragSamples = []
+    runtime.vx = 0
+    runtime.vy = 0
+    releaseFromDrag(runtime)
+    endDragTracking(e.pointerId, e.currentTarget as HTMLElement)
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Defense-in-depth fallback: if for any reason the canvas's own
+   * pointerup/pointercancel above doesn't fire (pointer capture should
+   * guarantee it does, but "should" isn't "always" across browsers/
+   * embeddings), this window-level catch-all still ends the drag. Safe to
+   * have both — pointer capture redirects the *target* of the event, not
+   * its bubbling, so a canvas-handled pointerup also reaches window; by
+   * then dragPointerId is already cleared, so this is a no-op in the
+   * normal case.
+   */
+  function onWindowPointerEnd(e: PointerEvent) {
+    if (dragPointerId !== e.pointerId) return
+    dragSamples = []
+    runtime.vx = 0
+    runtime.vy = 0
+    releaseFromDrag(runtime)
+    endDragTracking(e.pointerId, canvas)
   }
 
   function handleContextMenu(e: MouseEvent) {
@@ -252,15 +432,6 @@
     initMascotState()
     syncCanvasSize()
     await loadSprites()
-    // Preload reaction bubbles (not in SPRITES registry, so loadSprites
-    // doesn't pick them up). Swallow errors — a missing bubble just
-    // doesn't render, the reaction anim still plays.
-    await Promise.allSettled([
-      loadBubble('/mascot/bubble-love.png'),
-      loadBubble('/mascot/bubble-exclaim.png'),
-      loadBubble('/mascot/bubble-red-exclaim.png'),
-      loadBubble('/mascot/bubble-dotdotdot.png')
-    ])
     lastFrame = performance.now()
     lastLifecycle = 0
     // Seed prevGroundY so the first tick's ride-the-ground delta is zero
@@ -302,12 +473,90 @@
   // layout reflow) rather than `left`/`top` so motion stays smooth at
   // high refresh rates. A squash transform is composed in during the
   // `land` behavior (brief scaleY(0.82)) to sell the impact.
+  //
+  // `ty` is clamped to >= 0: the canvas reserves headroom above the
+  // sprite for the reaction bubble, and when the mascot's ground is near
+  // the top of the viewport (e.g. standing on a freshly-opened window),
+  // that headroom would otherwise push the canvas — and the name label
+  // above it — partly off-screen. This only affects the *rendered*
+  // position; runtime.y (the physics/ground line) is untouched, so it's a
+  // display-only fix, not a physics change (see the physics audit's
+  // Finding 4).
   const tx = $derived(runtime.x - (CANVAS_W * SCALE_PX) / 2)
-  const ty = $derived(runtime.y - CANVAS_H * SCALE_PX)
+  const ty = $derived(Math.max(0, runtime.y - CANVAS_H * SCALE_PX))
+  // The canvas (CANVAS_H=28 logical px) is taller than the sprite frame
+  // it draws (FRAME_PX=16, bottom-anchored — see render.ts's drawFrame),
+  // leaving ~36 screen px of transparent headroom ABOVE the sprite's
+  // actual head. `ty` is the canvas's top, not the chicken's — anchoring
+  // the name/bubble to `ty` floated them oddly high above the chicken
+  // with a big empty gap. `spriteTopY` is where the visible pixels
+  // actually start, so the name/bubble can hug the head instead.
+  const FRAME_PX = 16
+  const spriteTopY = $derived(ty + Math.max(0, (CANVAS_H - FRAME_PX * STAGE_SCALE[stage()]) * SCALE_PX))
+  const tagCenterX = $derived(tx + (CANVAS_W * SCALE_PX) / 2)
+  // Name and reaction text share one floating tag above the head instead
+  // of two stacked elements — it shows the reaction (with the speech-
+  // bubble-and-tail treatment) when one's active, and falls back to just
+  // the name (a plain small pill) the rest of the time. Since only one of
+  // the two ever renders, the anchor only needs to account for whichever
+  // one is showing, growing upward from a fixed point near the head so it
+  // doesn't jump around when it switches between the two.
+  const TAG_GAP = 4
+  const PILL_HEIGHT = 18
+  const BUBBLE_HEIGHT = 40 // card + its downward-pointing tail
+  const tagY = $derived(Math.max(0, spriteTopY - TAG_GAP - (runtime.bubbleText ? BUBBLE_HEIGHT : PILL_HEIGHT)))
   const squash = $derived(runtime.behavior === 'land' ? ' scaleY(0.82)' : '')
   const transform = $derived(`translate3d(${tx}px, ${ty}px, 0)${squash}`)
+
+  // Bubble text marquee: the bubble is capped at one line (no wrap) and a
+  // fixed max width, so text longer than that would normally need
+  // ellipsis — but truncating a reaction line silently drops information
+  // (e.g. which app it's reacting to). Instead, when the text overflows
+  // the bubble's width, it slides left/right like a teleprompter so the
+  // whole line eventually becomes readable; short text that already fits
+  // just sits still, centered.
+  let bubbleTrackEl = $state<HTMLDivElement | null>(null)
+  let bubbleTextEl = $state<HTMLSpanElement | null>(null)
+  let marqueeDistance = $state(0)
+  let marqueeDuration = $state(0)
+  const MARQUEE_PX_PER_S = 45 // travel speed while sliding (excludes the hold time at each end)
+
+  $effect(() => {
+    // Re-measure whenever the visible bubble text changes.
+    void runtime.bubbleText
+    const track = bubbleTrackEl
+    const textEl = bubbleTextEl
+    if (!track || !textEl) {
+      marqueeDistance = 0
+      marqueeDuration = 0
+      return
+    }
+    // Measure after layout settles (the span's content just changed).
+    const raf = requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+      const overflow = textEl.scrollWidth - track.clientWidth
+      if (overflow > 2) {
+        marqueeDistance = -overflow
+        marqueeDuration = (overflow / MARQUEE_PX_PER_S) * 2 + 1.6
+        // Callers set bubbleUntil from the reaction/action's own short
+        // duration (e.g. 1.5-2.2s), which is usually plenty for a static
+        // line but would cut a slow scroll off mid-glide. Stretch the
+        // display time to cover one full out-and-back cycle so overflowing
+        // text always finishes scrolling into view before the bubble
+        // disappears — otherwise the point of scrolling instead of
+        // ellipsizing (showing the whole line) would be defeated.
+        const minUntil = performance.now() + marqueeDuration * 1000
+        if (runtime.bubbleUntil < minUntil) runtime.bubbleUntil = minUntil
+      } else {
+        marqueeDistance = 0
+        marqueeDuration = 0
+      }
+    })
+    return () => cancelAnimationFrame(raf)
+  })
 </script>
 
+<svelte:window onpointerup={onWindowPointerEnd} onpointercancel={onWindowPointerEnd} />
+
 <canvas
   bind:this={canvas}
   class="pointer-events-auto absolute left-0 top-0 select-none {dragging ? 'cursor-grabbing' : 'cursor-grab'}"
@@ -315,15 +564,60 @@
   onpointerdown={onPointerDown}
   onpointermove={onPointerMove}
   onpointerup={onPointerUp}
+  onpointercancel={onPointerCancel}
   oncontextmenu={handleContextMenu}
   title={model.name ?? 'Cluck'}
 ></canvas>
 
-{#if model.name}
+{#if runtime.bubbleText || model.name}
   <div
-    class="pointer-events-none absolute left-0 top-0 select-none whitespace-nowrap rounded-full bg-popover/90 px-2 py-0.5 text-[11px] font-medium text-popover-foreground shadow-sm ring-1 ring-foreground/10"
+    class="pointer-events-none absolute left-0 top-0 select-none"
-    style="transform: translate3d({tx + (CANVAS_W * SCALE_PX) / 2}px, {ty - 8}px, 0); will-change: transform;"
+    style="transform: translate3d({tagCenterX}px, {tagY}px, 0) translateX(-50%); will-change: transform;"
   >
+    {#if runtime.bubbleText}
+      <div class="relative max-w-40 rounded-xl border bg-popover px-2.5 py-1 text-sm leading-none text-popover-foreground shadow-md">
+        <div
+          bind:this={bubbleTrackEl}
+          class="overflow-hidden {marqueeDistance === 0 ? 'text-center' : 'text-left'}"
+        >
+          <span
+            bind:this={bubbleTextEl}
+            class="inline-block whitespace-nowrap {marqueeDistance !== 0 ? 'bubble-marquee' : ''}"
+            style={marqueeDistance !== 0
+              ? `--marquee-distance: ${marqueeDistance}px; --marquee-duration: ${marqueeDuration}s;`
+              : ''}
+          >{runtime.bubbleText}</span>
+        </div>
+        <div class="absolute -bottom-[5px] left-1/2 h-2.5 w-2.5 -translate-x-1/2 rotate-45 border-r border-b bg-popover"></div>
+      </div>
+    {:else}
+      <div class="whitespace-nowrap rounded-full bg-popover/40 px-1.5 py-0.5 text-[10px] font-normal text-popover-foreground/75">
         {model.name}
       </div>
     {/if}
+  </div>
+{/if}
+
+<style>
+  /* Slides overflowing bubble text into view and back, holding briefly at
+     each end (like a teleprompter) instead of ellipsizing. Only applied
+     when the text is wider than the bubble (see the marqueeDistance
+     effect above) — --marquee-distance is the negative px offset needed
+     to reveal the clipped tail. */
+  .bubble-marquee {
+    animation: bubble-marquee var(--marquee-duration, 4s) ease-in-out infinite;
+  }
+  @keyframes bubble-marquee {
+    0%,
+    12% {
+      transform: translateX(0);
+    }
+    50%,
+    62% {
+      transform: translateX(var(--marquee-distance, 0px));
+    }
+    100% {
+      transform: translateX(0);
+    }
+  }
+</style>

web/src/lib/mascot/MascotLayer.svelte

@@ -48,9 +48,11 @@
     reactAnim: null,
     bounds: { w: 800, h: 600 },
     groundY: 600,
-    bubble: null,
+    bubbleText: null,
     bubbleUntil: 0,
-    blinkUntil: 0
+    blinkUntil: 0,
+    fallPhaseAt: 0,
+    investigateOnLand: false
   })
 
   let menuPos = $state<{ x: number; y: number } | null>(null)
@@ -105,7 +107,7 @@
   function onPet() {
     // Plain-click pet: briefly show a happy bubble. The actual model.pet()
     // call already happened in Mascot.svelte.
-    runtime.bubble = '/mascot/bubble-love.png'
+    runtime.bubbleText = '❤️'
     runtime.bubbleUntil = performance.now() + 1500
   }
 
@@ -149,6 +151,13 @@
     // behind it.
     const detach = attachStimuli((reaction) => {
       if (getModel().stage === 'egg') return
+      // Dragging always wins — never let a reaction interrupt an active
+      // drag (previously it could visually flash a reaction animation
+      // mid-drag, even though position tracking stayed correct; see the
+      // physics audit's Finding 5). Sleep is only interrupted by
+      // reactions that explicitly opt in via interruptsSleep.
+      if (runtime.behavior === 'dragged') return
+      if (runtime.behavior === 'sleep' && !reaction.interruptsSleep) return
       // Reaction dispatch: respect priority + cooldown (handled in stimuli.ts);
       // here we just force the behavior.
       const anim = reaction.anim as AnimName
@@ -156,7 +165,7 @@
       runtime.reactAnim = anim
       forceBehavior(runtime, id, { anim, durationMs: reaction.durationMs })
       if (reaction.bubble) {
-        runtime.bubble = reaction.bubble
+        runtime.bubbleText = reaction.bubble
         runtime.bubbleUntil = performance.now() + reaction.durationMs
       }
       if (reaction.effect) reaction.effect()
@@ -180,9 +189,13 @@
 
 <div bind:this={host} class="pointer-events-none absolute inset-0 z-[45]">
   <Mascot
-    {runtime}
+    bind:runtime
     onContextMenu={openMenu}
     onPet={onPet}
+    onRequestName={() => {
+      nameDialogMode = 'hatch'
+      nameDialogOpen = true
+    }}
   />
 </div>
 

web/src/lib/mascot/RadialMenu.svelte

@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@
 
 <div
   bind:this={host}
-  class="fixed z-[60] min-w-44 max-w-56 rounded-xl border bg-popover p-1.5 text-sm text-popover-foreground shadow-lg ring-1 ring-foreground/10"
+  class="fixed z-[60] min-w-56 max-w-72 rounded-xl border bg-popover p-1.5 text-sm text-popover-foreground shadow-lg ring-1 ring-foreground/10"
   style="left: {anchor.growLeft ? 'auto' : `${anchor.x}px`}; right: {anchor.growLeft ? `${window.innerWidth - anchor.x}px` : 'auto'}; top: {anchor.growUp ? 'auto' : `${anchor.y}px`}; bottom: {anchor.growUp ? `${window.innerHeight - anchor.y}px` : 'auto'};"
   role="menu"
   tabindex="-1"
@@ -134,18 +134,23 @@
   {#each visibleItems as a (a.id)}
     <button
       type="button"
-      class="flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-2 rounded-md px-2 py-1.5 text-left hover:bg-accent hover:text-accent-foreground"
+      class="flex w-full items-start justify-between gap-2 rounded-md px-2 py-1.5 text-left hover:bg-accent hover:text-accent-foreground"
       onclick={(ev) => selectItem(a, ev)}
       oncontextmenu={(ev) => ev.preventDefault()}
     >
-      <span class="flex items-center gap-2">
+      <span class="flex min-w-0 flex-1 items-start gap-2">
         {#if a.icon}
-          <a.icon class="size-4 shrink-0" />
+          <a.icon class="mt-0.5 size-4 shrink-0" />
         {/if}
+        <span class="flex min-w-0 flex-col">
           <span class="truncate">{a.label}</span>
+          {#if a.description}
+            <span class="text-[11px] leading-snug font-normal text-popover-foreground/60">{a.description}</span>
+          {/if}
+        </span>
       </span>
       {#if a.children && a.children.length > 0}
-        <ChevronRightIcon class="size-4 shrink-0 opacity-60" />
+        <ChevronRightIcon class="mt-0.5 size-4 shrink-0 opacity-60" />
       {/if}
     </button>
   {/each}

web/src/lib/mascot/actions.ts

@@ -8,12 +8,34 @@
 // RadialMenu.svelte renders whatever tree it's given, including
 // arbitrary nesting depth — no engine change is needed for a new node.
 
-import type { RadialAction } from './types'
+import type { MascotActionCtx, RadialAction } from './types'
+import { REACTIONS } from './stimuli'
 
 // v1 tree: Interact [Pet, Feed → [Seeds, Worm]], Care [Sleep, Wake],
-// Identity [Rename], Debug [Force hatch, Force chick, Force adult, Reset].
+// Identity [Rename], Debug [Lifecycle → [...], Reactions → [...], Force
-// The Pet action is the same as a plain click — included in the menu for
+// fall, Reset]. The Pet action is the same as a plain click — included in
-// discoverability.
+// the menu for discoverability.
+//
+// Every Debug leaf carries a `description` naming the real, non-debug
+// trigger it's simulating (rendered as a muted second line by
+// RadialMenu.svelte) — the point of a debug menu is to let you fire
+// something without waiting for the real condition, but that's only
+// useful for testing if you also know what condition it's standing in for.
+
+/** Play a REACTIONS entry (see stimuli.ts) exactly as the real stimulus bus would — same anim/bubble/duration/effect — without needing to fake the chat/activity/event stream that normally triggers it. */
+function triggerReaction(ctx: MascotActionCtx, id: keyof typeof REACTIONS): void {
+  const r = REACTIONS[id]
+  ctx.runtime.bubbleText = r.bubble ?? null
+  ctx.runtime.bubbleUntil = performance.now() + r.durationMs
+  ctx.force('react', { anim: r.anim, durationMs: r.durationMs })
+  r.effect?.()
+}
+
+/** Show a speech-bubble line (text and/or emoji — see Mascot.svelte's template) above the mascot for `ms`. */
+function showBubble(ctx: MascotActionCtx, text: string, ms: number): void {
+  ctx.runtime.bubbleText = text
+  ctx.runtime.bubbleUntil = performance.now() + ms
+}
 
 export const MASCOT_ACTIONS: RadialAction[] = [
   {
@@ -24,8 +46,7 @@ export const MASCOT_ACTIONS: RadialAction[] = [
         id: 'pet',
         label: 'Pet',
         action: (ctx) => {
-          ctx.runtime.bubble = '/mascot/bubble-love.png'
+          showBubble(ctx, '❤️', 1500)
-          ctx.runtime.bubbleUntil = performance.now() + 1500
           ctx.force('react', { anim: 'react-happy', durationMs: 1500 })
           ctx.refresh()
         }
@@ -40,7 +61,14 @@ export const MASCOT_ACTIONS: RadialAction[] = [
             action: (ctx) => {
               // Feeding: small happiness + xp boost.
               ctx.model.happiness = Math.min(100, ctx.model.happiness + 8)
-              ctx.force('idle', { anim: 'peck', durationMs: 1800 })
+              showBubble(ctx, '🌾 Yum!', 1800)
+              // Force the dedicated 'peck' behavior, not 'idle' with an anim
+              // override — stepMascot() re-derives the anim from the active
+              // behavior's own anim() every tick (except for 'react', which
+              // has a special-cased override via reactAnim), so an anim
+              // override on any other behavior gets silently clobbered
+              // within one frame. 'peck' always resolves to the peck anim.
+              ctx.force('peck', { durationMs: 1800 })
               ctx.refresh()
             }
           },
@@ -50,7 +78,14 @@ export const MASCOT_ACTIONS: RadialAction[] = [
             action: (ctx) => {
               // Worm: bigger boost.
               ctx.model.happiness = Math.min(100, ctx.model.happiness + 16)
-              ctx.force('idle', { anim: 'peck', durationMs: 1800 })
+              showBubble(ctx, '🐛 Yum!', 1800)
+              // Force the dedicated 'peck' behavior, not 'idle' with an anim
+              // override — stepMascot() re-derives the anim from the active
+              // behavior's own anim() every tick (except for 'react', which
+              // has a special-cased override via reactAnim), so an anim
+              // override on any other behavior gets silently clobbered
+              // within one frame. 'peck' always resolves to the peck anim.
+              ctx.force('peck', { durationMs: 1800 })
               ctx.refresh()
             }
           }
@@ -67,6 +102,7 @@ export const MASCOT_ACTIONS: RadialAction[] = [
         label: 'Sleep',
         visible: (m) => m.stage !== 'egg',
         action: (ctx) => {
+          showBubble(ctx, '😴 Zzz…', 2000)
           ctx.force('sleep', { durationMs: 8000 })
           ctx.refresh()
         }
@@ -100,10 +136,15 @@ export const MASCOT_ACTIONS: RadialAction[] = [
   {
     id: 'debug',
     label: 'Debug',
+    children: [
+      {
+        id: 'debug-lifecycle',
+        label: 'Lifecycle',
         children: [
           {
             id: 'force-hatch',
             label: 'Force hatch',
+            description: 'Normally fires the instant you submit a name for a fresh egg — hatching is tied to naming, not a timer.',
             visible: (m) => m.stage === 'egg',
             action: (ctx) => {
               ctx.forceHatch()
@@ -113,6 +154,7 @@ export const MASCOT_ACTIONS: RadialAction[] = [
           {
             id: 'force-chick',
             label: 'Force chick',
+            description: 'Sets the stage directly. Normally happens automatically the moment a freshly-named egg hatches.',
             visible: (m) => m.stage !== 'chick',
             action: (ctx) => {
               ctx.forceStage('chick')
@@ -123,16 +165,74 @@ export const MASCOT_ACTIONS: RadialAction[] = [
           {
             id: 'force-adult',
             label: 'Force adult',
+            description: 'Sets the stage directly. Normally happens once xp reaches 200 — earned by petting, feeding, and reactions like Eureka.',
             visible: (m) => m.stage !== 'adult',
             action: (ctx) => {
               ctx.forceStage('adult')
               ctx.force('idle')
               ctx.refresh()
             }
+          }
+        ]
+      },
+      {
+        id: 'debug-reactions',
+        label: 'Reactions',
+        visible: (m) => m.stage !== 'egg', // reactions are suppressed while an egg — see MascotLayer's attachStimuli callback
+        children: [
+          {
+            id: 'trigger-thinking',
+            label: 'Trigger: Thinking',
+            description: 'Normally fires when Nomos starts streaming a reply in any open chat window.',
+            action: (ctx) => {
+              triggerReaction(ctx, 'thinking')
+              ctx.refresh()
+            }
+          },
+          {
+            id: 'trigger-eureka',
+            label: 'Trigger: Eureka',
+            description: 'Normally fires when a new knowledge-graph entry is written (an "upsert_knowledge" tool result). Grants +5 xp.',
+            action: (ctx) => {
+              triggerReaction(ctx, 'eureka')
+              ctx.refresh()
+            }
+          },
+          {
+            id: 'trigger-alarmed',
+            label: 'Trigger: Alarmed',
+            description: 'Normally fires on a critical event or a new signal.* event on the live event stream. The only reaction that wakes the mascot from sleep.',
+            action: (ctx) => {
+              triggerReaction(ctx, 'alarmed')
+              ctx.refresh()
+            }
+          },
+          {
+            id: 'trigger-happy',
+            label: 'Trigger: Happy',
+            description: 'Normally fires when an execution.* event lands on the live event stream.',
+            action: (ctx) => {
+              triggerReaction(ctx, 'happy')
+              ctx.refresh()
+            }
+          }
+        ]
+      },
+      {
+        id: 'force-fall',
+        label: 'Force fall',
+        description: 'Normally starts when you drop the mascot mid-air, it walks off the edge of a window, or the surface beneath it disappears (a window closes or moves away). Lifts it up first so there’s room to actually fall.',
+        visible: (m) => m.stage !== 'egg',
+        action: (ctx) => {
+          ctx.runtime.y = Math.max(0, ctx.runtime.y - 160)
+          ctx.force('falling')
+          ctx.refresh()
+        }
       },
       {
         id: 'reset',
         label: 'Reset',
+        description: 'No natural trigger — clears all mascot state (stage, name, stats, position) back to a fresh, unnamed egg.',
         action: (ctx) => {
           ctx.reset()
           ctx.refresh()

web/src/lib/mascot/behavior.ts

@@ -29,6 +29,26 @@ const TERMINAL_VY = 320 // px/s (slow flutter fall)
 const WALK_SPEED = 36 // px/s
 const MARGIN = 24 // px before the surface edge where wander flips facing
 
+// Falling is a series of glide/flap sub-phases, not a flat monotonic drop:
+// every FLAP_CYCLE_MS, a wing-beat impulse briefly cuts the descent speed
+// (a real, if losing, attempt at flight), and the animation swaps to `flap`
+// for the FLAP_BURST_MS right after each impulse. A gentle sine wobble adds
+// horizontal drift so the fall isn't perfectly vertical either. See
+// stepMascot()'s 'falling' case and the `falling` BehaviorDef below.
+const FLAP_CYCLE_MS = 550
+const FLAP_BURST_MS = 160
+const FLAP_IMPULSE = 260 // px/s shaved off vy at the start of each cycle
+const FLAP_MAX_LIFT = -150 // px/s — how negative (upward) a flap may push vy
+const WOBBLE_VX = 22 // px/s amplitude of the sideways drift while falling
+const VX_DECAY_PER_S = 1.4 // exponential decay rate for toss/drift vx
+
+// Ground tracking: Mascot.svelte's tick() chases the ground line (the top
+// of whatever window/surface is beneath the mascot) each frame. A small
+// per-tick change (a window being dragged smoothly, with the mascot riding
+// along) follows instantly; anything the ground drops away by more than
+// this is treated as the surface disappearing — falling takes over instead
+// of snapping. See GROUND_FOLLOW_MAX_STEP/GROUND_DROP_FALL_PX in Mascot.svelte.
+
 // Default durations (ms) for self-selecting behaviors. Each BehaviorDef
 // can override with its own minMs/maxMs.
 const IDLE_MS = [1500, 4000] as const
@@ -38,6 +58,29 @@ const SLEEP_MS = [6000, 12000] as const
 const LAND_MS = 400
 const REACT_DEFAULT_MS = 1800
 
+// Idle chatter: very occasional, unprompted, purely cosmetic one-liners —
+// no signal value, just personality. Rolled once each time `idle` is
+// (re-)entered, gated by both a probability and a cooldown so it stays
+// rare rather than firing on every idle cycle (idle gets re-picked often
+// by the weighted-random selector). See the `idle` BehaviorDef below.
+const IDLE_CHATTER_CHANCE = 0.12
+const IDLE_CHATTER_COOLDOWN_MS = 25_000
+const IDLE_CHATTER_DURATION_MS = 2200
+const IDLE_CHATTER_LINES = [
+  '🐔 Bawk.',
+  "💭 Wonder what's up on hubris…",
+  '🌾 Any seeds around?',
+  '😌 Nice day for uptime.',
+  '📦 So many containers…',
+  '☁️ Backup time yet?',
+  '🥚 Remember when I was an egg?',
+  '🔧 *pecks at nothing in particular*',
+  '🐧 Penguins are cool too, I guess.'
+]
+// Module-level (not per-runtime) since there's only ever one mascot —
+// matches stimuli.ts's own module-level cooldown tracking.
+let lastChatterAt = 0
+
 // ─── BehaviorDef ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 export interface BehaviorDef {
@@ -119,6 +162,14 @@ export const BEHAVIORS: Record<BehaviorId, BehaviorDef> = {
     },
     enter: (rt) => {
       rt.blinkUntil = performance.now() + 2000 + Math.random() * 4000
+      // Idle chatter: rare, cosmetic-only bubble line (see the constants
+      // above). Doesn't touch the FSM/behavior at all, just the bubble.
+      const now = performance.now()
+      if (now - lastChatterAt > IDLE_CHATTER_COOLDOWN_MS && Math.random() < IDLE_CHATTER_CHANCE) {
+        lastChatterAt = now
+        rt.bubbleText = IDLE_CHATTER_LINES[Math.floor(Math.random() * IDLE_CHATTER_LINES.length)]
+        rt.bubbleUntil = now + IDLE_CHATTER_DURATION_MS
+      }
     },
     tick: () => {
       // Standing still.
@@ -185,9 +236,15 @@ export const BEHAVIORS: Record<BehaviorId, BehaviorDef> = {
 
   falling: {
     id: 'falling',
-    anim: () => 'fall-flutter',
+    // Flap briefly right after each wing-beat impulse (see stepMascot),
+    // glide the rest of the cycle.
+    anim: (rt) => (performance.now() - rt.fallPhaseAt < FLAP_BURST_MS ? 'flap' : 'fall-flutter'),
     enter: (rt) => {
-      rt.vx = 0
+      rt.fallPhaseAt = performance.now()
+      // vx/vy are deliberately NOT reset here — they carry over from
+      // drag-release toss momentum (set by Mascot.svelte's onPointerUp)
+      // when falling starts from a throw, or stay at 0 when it starts from
+      // walking off an edge / a surface disappearing underfoot.
     },
     tick: () => {
       // Integration happens in stepMascot (needs dt in seconds).
@@ -203,7 +260,17 @@ export const BEHAVIORS: Record<BehaviorId, BehaviorDef> = {
     tick: () => {
       // Brief squash animation.
     },
-    next: () => 'idle',
+    // Routes to 'peck' instead of 'idle' when the drag that led here was
+    // released on top of a desktop icon (Mascot.svelte's onPointerUp sets
+    // investigateOnLand) — a little "investigate" reaction, whether the
+    // landing was immediate or came after a fall. Consumed once.
+    next: (rt) => {
+      if (rt.investigateOnLand) {
+        rt.investigateOnLand = false
+        return 'peck'
+      }
+      return 'idle'
+    },
     minMs: LAND_MS,
     maxMs: LAND_MS
   },
@@ -295,12 +362,25 @@ export function stepMascot(
       break
     }
     case 'falling': {
+      // Wing-beat: every FLAP_CYCLE_MS, cut the descent speed sharply —
+      // a real (if losing) attempt at flight rather than a flat drop.
+      if (now - rt.fallPhaseAt >= FLAP_CYCLE_MS) {
+        rt.vy = Math.max(FLAP_MAX_LIFT, rt.vy - FLAP_IMPULSE)
+        rt.fallPhaseAt = now
+      }
       rt.vy = Math.min(TERMINAL_VY, rt.vy + GRAVITY * dts)
+      // Toss/drift horizontal velocity decays so it doesn't carry forever,
+      // plus a gentle sideways wobble so even a straight-down drop isn't
+      // perfectly vertical.
+      rt.vx *= Math.max(0, 1 - VX_DECAY_PER_S * dts)
+      const wobble = Math.sin(now / 260) * WOBBLE_VX
+      rt.x += (rt.vx + wobble) * dts
       rt.y += rt.vy * dts
       const gy = groundY(rt)
       if (rt.y >= gy) {
         rt.y = gy
         rt.vy = 0
+        rt.vx = 0
         forceBehavior(rt, 'land', { durationMs: LAND_MS })
       }
       break
@@ -358,15 +438,20 @@ export function isAsleep(rt: MascotRuntime): boolean {
   return rt.behavior === 'sleep'
 }
 
-/** Reset the runtime's vertical state for a drag-from-ground: no falling immediately on release at ground. */
+/**
+ * Release from a drag: land immediately if already at/below ground, or
+ * start falling otherwise. `rt.vx`/`rt.vy` are expected to already hold the
+ * release's toss velocity (set by Mascot.svelte's onPointerUp from recent
+ * pointer-move samples) — they're carried into `falling`, not reset here.
+ */
 export function releaseFromDrag(rt: MascotRuntime): void {
   const gy = groundY(rt)
   if (rt.y >= gy) {
     rt.y = gy
     rt.vy = 0
+    rt.vx = 0
     forceBehavior(rt, 'land', { durationMs: LAND_MS })
   } else {
-    rt.vy = 0
     forceBehavior(rt, 'falling')
   }
 }

web/src/lib/mascot/render.ts

@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@ import { getImage } from './sprites'
 
 /**
  * Logical canvas size (CSS px) the mascot is drawn onto. The sprite's
- * feet land on the bottom row. The canvas is taller than wide (20x28)
+ * feet land on the bottom row; the extra height above it (20x28, not
- * so there's room above the sprite for the reaction bubble — the sprite
+ * 20x20) leaves a little headroom before the name label/reaction bubble
- * bottom-anchors at y=CANVAS_H, and the bubble renders in the top
+ * (both real HTML elements floating above the canvas — see Mascot.svelte's
- * ~8 logical px without being clipped.
+ * template) start overlapping the sprite itself.
  */
 export const CANVAS_W = 20
 export const CANVAS_H = 28
@@ -59,29 +59,3 @@ export function drawFrame(
   ctx.drawImage(img, sx, 0, FRAME, FRAME, dx, dy, drawW, drawH)
   ctx.restore()
 }
-
-/** Draw a reaction bubble above the sprite (call after drawFrame, same context). */
-export function drawBubble(
-  ctx: CanvasRenderingContext2D,
-  bubbleSrc: string,
-  facing: 1 | -1
-): void {
-  const img = getImage(bubbleSrc)
-  if (!img) return
-  // Bubbles are 16x16 single-frame PNGs drawn in the top portion of the
-  // 20x28 canvas (above the sprite's head). imageSmoothingEnabled is
-  // TRUE here — bubbles are crisp UI, not pixel-art, so nearest-neighbor
-  // downscale looks blocky.
-  const drawW = 14
-  const drawH = 14
-  const dx = (CANVAS_W - drawW) / 2
-  const dy = 0
-  ctx.save()
-  if (facing === -1) {
-    ctx.translate(CANVAS_W, 0)
-    ctx.scale(-1, 1)
-  }
-  ctx.imageSmoothingEnabled = true
-  ctx.drawImage(img, 0, 0, img.width, img.height, dx, dy, drawW, drawH)
-  ctx.restore()
-}

web/src/lib/mascot/sprites.ts

@@ -131,11 +131,6 @@ export async function loadSprites(stages: MascotStage[] = ['egg', 'chick', 'adul
   await Promise.all([...srcs].map(loadOne))
 }
 
-/** Also preload a single bubble sprite by URL (used by react-* animations). */
-export function loadBubble(src: string): Promise<HTMLImageElement> {
-  return loadOne(src)
-}
-
 /** Get a cached sheet image, or null if not yet loaded. */
 export function getImage(src: string): HTMLImageElement | null {
   const img = imageCache.get(src)

web/src/lib/mascot/stimuli.ts

@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export interface ReactionDef {
   id: string
   /** Animation to play while this reaction is active. */
   anim: AnimName
-  /** Optional bubble sprite URL (16x16 PNG in /mascot/) drawn above the sprite. */
+  /** Optional text/emoji shown above the mascot in a real speech bubble while this reaction plays (see MascotRuntime.bubbleText). */
   bubble?: string
   /** Higher priority interrupts lower-priority reactions. */
   priority: number
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ export const REACTIONS: Record<string, ReactionDef> = {
   thinking: {
     id: 'thinking',
     anim: 'react-think',
-    bubble: '/mascot/bubble-dotdotdot.png',
+    bubble: '💭 Thinking…',
     priority: 1,
     cooldownMs: 0,
     durationMs: 4000,
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ export const REACTIONS: Record<string, ReactionDef> = {
   eureka: {
     id: 'eureka',
     anim: 'react-eureka',
-    bubble: '/mascot/bubble-exclaim.png',
+    bubble: '💡 Eureka!',
     priority: 2,
     cooldownMs: 10_000,
     durationMs: 2200,
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ export const REACTIONS: Record<string, ReactionDef> = {
   alarmed: {
     id: 'alarmed',
     anim: 'react-alarm',
-    bubble: '/mascot/bubble-red-exclaim.png',
+    bubble: '❗ Uh oh!',
     priority: 3,
     cooldownMs: 15_000,
     durationMs: 2500,
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ export const REACTIONS: Record<string, ReactionDef> = {
   happy: {
     id: 'happy',
     anim: 'react-happy',
-    bubble: '/mascot/bubble-love.png',
+    bubble: '🎉 Nice work!',
     priority: 1,
     cooldownMs: 20_000,
     durationMs: 2000

web/src/lib/mascot/types.ts

@@ -51,6 +51,14 @@ export interface RadialAction {
   id: string
   label: string
   icon?: Component
+  /**
+   * Shown as a small muted second line under the label — mainly used by
+   * Debug entries to say what normally triggers the thing being forced
+   * (e.g. "Normally fires when Nomos starts streaming a reply"), so a
+   * manual test doesn't need to be cross-referenced against the code to
+   * know what it's simulating.
+   */
+  description?: string
   /** Visibility predicate (e.g. "Rename" only once hatched). Defaults to always visible. */
   visible?: (model: import('./state.svelte').MascotModel) => boolean
   /** Sub-actions — selecting this node swaps the ring to its children + a back button. */
@@ -103,10 +111,28 @@ export interface MascotRuntime {
    * wmState; the FSM uses this as the ground for falling/landing.
    */
   groundY: number
-  /** Optional reaction-bubble sprite to draw above the chicken (eg 'bubble-exclaim'). */
+  /**
-  bubble: string | null
+   * Optional text/emoji shown above the mascot in a real HTML speech
-  /** performance.now() ms when the current bubble was set; cleared when null. */
+   * bubble (Mascot.svelte's template), not a sprite — e.g. '❤️', '💡', or
+   * a short phrase.
+   */
+  bubbleText: string | null
+  /** performance.now() ms until which bubbleText stays visible; the game loop (tick()) clears it once this passes. */
   bubbleUntil: number
   /** performance.now() ms until which the idle behavior should play 'blink' instead of 'idle'. */
   blinkUntil: number
+  /**
+   * performance.now() ms marking the start of the current flap/glide
+   * sub-phase within a `falling` behavior — see FLAP_CYCLE_MS/FLAP_BURST_MS
+   * in behavior.ts. Reset each time `falling` is entered.
+   */
+  fallPhaseAt: number
+  /**
+   * Set (by Mascot.svelte's onPointerUp) when a drag is released on top of
+   * a desktop icon. Consumed once by the `land` BehaviorDef's `next()` —
+   * routes the next landing to `peck` instead of `idle`, whether that
+   * landing happens immediately (already on the ground) or after a fall.
+   * Always false outside that one moment.
+   */
+  investigateOnLand: boolean
 }