diff --git a/frontend/src/components/react/Search.tsx b/frontend/src/components/react/Search.tsx
index 0d1e767..cbb350f 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/react/Search.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/react/Search.tsx
@@ -129,8 +129,7 @@ export default function Search() {
         type="button"
         onClick={() => setOpen(true)}
         aria-label={`Search the catalogue (${isMac ? '⌘' : 'Ctrl'}+K)`}
-        title={`Search (${isMac ? '⌘' : 'Ctrl'}+K)`}
-        className="topbar-control tc-collapse-md"
+        className="topbar-control tc-collapse-md kbd-tip-host"
       >
         <svg
           xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
@@ -146,6 +145,10 @@ export default function Search() {
           <path d="m21 21-4.3-4.3" />
         </svg>
         <span className="tc-label">Search</span>
+        <span className="kbd-tip" aria-hidden="true">
+          <kbd>{isMac ? '⌘' : 'Ctrl'}</kbd>
+          <kbd>K</kbd>
+        </span>
       </button>
 
       {open && (
diff --git a/frontend/src/styles/global.css b/frontend/src/styles/global.css
index e9aee35..b936ecf 100644
--- a/frontend/src/styles/global.css
+++ b/frontend/src/styles/global.css
@@ -829,6 +829,19 @@ code, pre, kbd, samp {
   gap: 2px;
   position: relative;
 }
+.nameplate::after {
+  content: "";
+  position: absolute;
+  left: 0;
+  right: 0;
+  bottom: -6px;
+  height: 2px;
+  background: linear-gradient(to right,
+    var(--mauve) 0%,
+    var(--mauve) 35%,
+    var(--surface2) 35%,
+    var(--surface2) 100%);
+}
 .nameplate-title {
   font-family: var(--font-display);
   font-weight: 600;
@@ -1098,6 +1111,67 @@ code, pre, kbd, samp {
 .topbar-control svg { width: 15px; height: 15px; flex-shrink: 0; }
 /* Exact-square icon-only variant — keeps the row aligned. */
 .topbar-control--icon { width: 2rem; padding: 0; }
+
+/* Keyboard-shortcut hover/focus tooltip — kept out of the button label,
+ * surfaced only on hover or keyboard focus. */
+.kbd-tip-host { position: relative; }
+.kbd-tip {
+  position: absolute;
+  top: calc(100% + 8px);
+  left: 50%;
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 0.3rem;
+  white-space: nowrap;
+  padding: 4px 8px;
+  font-family: var(--font-sans);
+  font-size: 0.6rem;
+  font-style: normal;
+  letter-spacing: 0.16em;
+  text-transform: uppercase;
+  color: var(--subtext1);
+  background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--crust) 90%, transparent);
+  border: 1px solid color-mix(in srgb, var(--surface2) 70%, transparent);
+  border-radius: 4px;
+  box-shadow: 0 8px 20px -10px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5);
+  opacity: 0;
+  transform: translate(-50%, 4px);
+  pointer-events: none;
+  transition: opacity 0.16s ease, transform 0.16s ease;
+  z-index: 60;
+}
+.kbd-tip kbd {
+  font-family: var(--font-mono);
+  font-size: 0.62rem;
+  line-height: 1;
+  padding: 2px 5px;
+  color: var(--text);
+  background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--surface0) 70%, transparent);
+  border: 1px solid color-mix(in srgb, var(--surface2) 80%, transparent);
+  border-radius: 3px;
+}
+.kbd-tip-host:hover .kbd-tip,
+.kbd-tip-host:focus-visible .kbd-tip {
+  opacity: 1;
+  transform: translate(-50%, 0);
+}
+/* Breakcore: hard neon tooltip — matches the layer's offset-shadow chrome. */
+.breakcore .kbd-tip {
+  background: var(--crust);
+  border-color: var(--mauve);
+  border-radius: 0;
+  color: var(--green);
+  box-shadow: 2px 2px 0 var(--mauve);
+}
+.breakcore .kbd-tip kbd {
+  color: var(--rosewater);
+  background: var(--surface0);
+  border-color: var(--mauve);
+  border-radius: 0;
+}
+@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
+  .kbd-tip { transition: opacity 0.16s ease; transform: translate(-50%, 0); }
+}
 .topbar-control--danger:hover {
   color: var(--red);
   border-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--red) 55%, var(--surface2));
@@ -1283,7 +1357,17 @@ input[type="date"] { color-scheme: light; }
   );
 }
 
-/* Nameplate — glitch-shear burst on hover (underline removed site-wide). */
+/* Nameplate — breakcore reworks the underline: hard cyan offset + magenta
+ * neon glow (the layer's hard-offset chrome language) instead of the
+ * default two-tone rule. Plus a glitch-shear burst on hover. */
+.breakcore .nameplate::after {
+  height: 2px;
+  bottom: -7px;
+  background: var(--mauve);
+  box-shadow:
+    2px 2px 0 var(--blue),
+    0 0 10px color-mix(in srgb, var(--mauve) 70%, transparent);
+}
 @keyframes bc-shear {
   0%   { clip-path: inset(0 0 0 0);     transform: translateX(0);
          text-shadow: -1px 0 0 var(--teal), 1px 0 0 var(--mauve); }
@@ -1310,11 +1394,15 @@ input[type="date"] { color-scheme: light; }
   40%  {            clip-path: inset(68% 0 8% 0);   transform: translateX(-5px); }
   60%  {            clip-path: inset(24% 0 36% 0);  transform: translateX(3px); }
   80%  {            clip-path: inset(4% 0 84% 0);   transform: translateX(-2px); }
-  100% { opacity: 1; clip-path: inset(0 0 0 0);     transform: translateX(0); }
+  /* End unclipped (none, not inset(0)) so italic-Fraunces descenders
+   * (g, y, p) aren't sliced at the box edge once the glitch settles. */
+  100% { opacity: 1; clip-path: none;               transform: translateX(0); }
 }
 .breakcore .prose h1,
 .breakcore h1.font-display {
-  animation: bc-load-glitch 460ms steps(5, jump-none) both;
+  /* `backwards` (not `both`): after the one-shot, props revert to base —
+   * clip-path: none — instead of persisting the final inset clip. */
+  animation: bc-load-glitch 460ms steps(5, jump-none) backwards;
 }
 
 /* Plate — hard hover (no soft lift), RGB-split image, scanline sweep. */