diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/calibration-screen.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/calibration-screen.tsx
index 1d06861..0e1639a 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/calibration-screen.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/calibration-screen.tsx
@@ -189,9 +189,9 @@ export function CalibrationScreen({ onBack, data }: { onBack: () => void; data?:
             <p style={{ font: 'var(--text-agent)', color: 'var(--ink-2)', margin: '10px 0 0' }}>
               {c.active
                 ? 'You are not bad at estimating; you are optimistic in a very stable way. Stable, I can work with.'
-                : 'Not enough closed history yet — I’m forecasting from cold-start priors and widening the cone to stay honest. The curve takes over at 20.'}
+                : 'Not enough closed history yet: I’m forecasting from cold-start priors and widening the cone to stay honest. The curve takes over at 20.'}
               {!c.active && c.excludedSameDay > 0
-                ? ` And ${c.excludedSameDay} closed ${c.excludedSameDay === 1 ? 'issue' : 'issues'} closed the same day they were started — 0 working days can’t calibrate, so they don’t count toward the 20.`
+                ? ` And ${c.excludedSameDay} closed ${c.excludedSameDay === 1 ? 'issue' : 'issues'} closed the same day they were started. 0 working days can’t calibrate, so they don’t count toward the 20.`
                 : ''}
             </p>
           </Card>
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/capture-screen.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/capture-screen.tsx
index d80eecb..92abe3e 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/capture-screen.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/capture-screen.tsx
@@ -70,10 +70,10 @@ export function CaptureScreen({ onDone }: { onDone: () => void }) {
           setLiveTickets(res.issues)
           setStage('review')
         } else {
-          setError(res.ok ? 'I could not find concrete work in that — try a bit more detail.' : `Capture failed: ${res.reason === 'error' ? res.message : 'no model'}`)
+          setError(res.ok ? 'I could not find concrete work in that; try a bit more detail.' : `Capture failed: ${res.reason === 'error' ? res.message : 'no model'}`)
         }
       })
-      .catch(() => { setBrewing(false); setError('I could not reach the model.') })
+      .catch(() => { setBrewing(false); setError('I was unable to reach the model, regrettably.') })
   }
 
   const fileLive = () => {
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ export function CaptureScreen({ onDone }: { onDone: () => void }) {
       .then((res) => {
         setBrewing(false)
         if (res.ok) { setFiledCount(res.created.length); setStage('filed') }
-        else setError('Filing failed — gitea is not configured.')
+        else setError('Filing failed; gitea is not configured.')
       })
       .catch(() => { setBrewing(false); setError('Filing failed.') })
   }
@@ -99,12 +99,12 @@ export function CaptureScreen({ onDone }: { onDone: () => void }) {
 
   const QUESTIONS: Question[] = [
     {
-      q: 'The auth work — one ticket, or shall I split token refresh from session storage? They fail differently.',
+      q: 'The auth work: one ticket, or shall I split token refresh from session storage? They fail differently.',
       chips: ['One ticket', 'Split them'],
       set: (a) => setSplit(a === 'Split them'),
     },
     {
-      q: 'The webhook double-fire — how long? I should mention your "quick" has averaged two days.',
+      q: 'The webhook double-fire, how long? I should mention your "quick" has averaged two days.',
       chips: ['est/1d', 'est/2d', 'est/3d'],
       set: (a) => setWebEst(a),
     },
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ export function CaptureScreen({ onDone }: { onDone: () => void }) {
       </header>
 
       {stage === 'dump' ? (
-        <Card overline="Braindump" title="Tell me what you're planning" jade>
+        <Card overline="Braindump" title="Do tell me what you are planning" jade>
           <textarea
             value={dump}
             onChange={(e: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLTextAreaElement>) => setDump(e.target.value)}
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ export function CaptureScreen({ onDone }: { onDone: () => void }) {
             }}
           ></textarea>
           <p style={{ font: 'var(--text-agent)', color: 'var(--ink-2)', margin: '10px 0 14px' }}>
-            Sentences, fragments, grievances — all welcome. I'll sort it into tickets and only ask what I can't infer.
+            Sentences, fragments, grievances; all are welcome. I shall sort them into tickets and enquire only where I cannot infer.
           </p>
           <Button icon="sparkles" onClick={() => void onBrew()} disabled={brewing}>
             {brewing ? 'Brewing…' : 'Brew tickets'}
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ export function CaptureScreen({ onDone }: { onDone: () => void }) {
             {live ? (
               <p style={{ font: 'var(--text-agent)', color: 'var(--ink-2)', margin: 0 }}>
                 {tickets.length} issue{tickets.length === 1 ? '' : 's'} from your braindump, estimated and prioritized.
-                Adjust the labels, then approve — I'll open them in gitea with only est/* and p/* labels.
+                Adjust the labels, then approve; I'll open them in gitea with only est/* and p/* labels.
               </p>
             ) : (
               <>
@@ -286,10 +286,10 @@ export function CaptureScreen({ onDone }: { onDone: () => void }) {
               <Icon name="circle-check" size={22} /> Filed
             </span>
             <p style={{ font: 'var(--text-body)', margin: 0 }}>
-              {live ? filedCount : tickets.length} issues opened in gitea with <span style={{ font: 'var(--text-data)' }}>est/*</span> and <span style={{ font: 'var(--text-data)' }}>p/*</span> labels — nothing else touched.
+              {live ? filedCount : tickets.length} issues opened in gitea with <span style={{ font: 'var(--text-data)' }}>est/*</span> and <span style={{ font: 'var(--text-data)' }}>p/*</span> labels, nothing else touched.
             </p>
             <p style={{ font: 'var(--text-agent)', color: 'var(--ink-2)', margin: 0 }}>
-              Elapsed {clock} — under budget. No bot comments, no synthetic issues; your repo remains yours.
+              Elapsed {clock}, under budget. No bot comments, no synthetic issues; your repo remains yours.
             </p>
             <Button iconRight="arrow-right" onClick={onDone}>To morning service</Button>
           </div>
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/connect-screen.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/connect-screen.tsx
index c329326..32d0a10 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/connect-screen.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/connect-screen.tsx
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ export function ConnectScreen({ onConnected, existing }: { onConnected: () => vo
 
   const mapError = (e?: string) =>
     e === '401' || e === '403'
-      ? 'The token was rejected — check it has repo + issue scopes.'
+      ? 'The token was rejected, check it has repo + issue scopes.'
       : e === '404'
-        ? "Couldn't reach that Gitea — check the URL."
+        ? "Couldn't reach that Gitea, check the URL."
         : `Discovery failed${e ? ` (${e})` : ''}.`
 
   // Discover the owners + repos this token can see. Triggered when the token
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ export function ConnectScreen({ onConnected, existing }: { onConnected: () => vo
             label="Access token"
             type="password"
             value={token}
-            placeholder={existing?.hasToken ? '•••••••• (saved — enter a new one to change repos)' : 'gitea PAT · scopes: repo + issue'}
+            placeholder={existing?.hasToken ? '•••••••• (saved, enter a new one to change repos)' : 'gitea PAT · scopes: repo + issue'}
             hint={
               discovery === 'discovering'
                 ? 'Discovering your repositories…'
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ export function ConnectScreen({ onConnected, existing }: { onConnected: () => vo
               value={repo}
               disabled={!pickerReady || repoOptions.length === 0}
               options={
-                repoOptions.length ? repoOptions.map((r) => ({ value: r, label: r })) : placeholder('—')
+                repoOptions.length ? repoOptions.map((r) => ({ value: r, label: r })) : placeholder('·')
               }
               onChange={(e) => setRepo(e.target.value)}
             />
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ export function ConnectScreen({ onConnected, existing }: { onConnected: () => vo
             label="Model URL"
             value={modelUrl}
             placeholder="http://localhost:1234/v1"
-            hint="Optional — an OpenAI-compatible endpoint for Reginald. Leave blank to keep chat off."
+            hint="Optional: an OpenAI-compatible endpoint for Reginald. Leave blank to keep chat off."
             onChange={(e) => setModelUrl(e.target.value)}
           />
         </div>
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/directives-screen.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/directives-screen.tsx
index 304d62d..2a7c3c6 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/directives-screen.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/directives-screen.tsx
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ export function DirectivesScreen() {
         <EmptyState
           icon="flag"
           title="No directives yet"
-          line="When you overrule the scheduler in chat, it goes on the record here — who, when, what, why."
+          line="When you overrule the scheduler in chat, it goes on the record here: who, when, what, why."
         />
       ) : (
         <Card overline="The ledger" flush>
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ export function DirectivesScreen() {
       )}
 
       <p style={{ font: 'var(--text-caption)', color: 'var(--ink-3)', margin: 0 }}>
-        Entries are never edited. Corrections are new entries — the ledger remembers everything, politely.
+        Entries are never edited. Corrections are new entries; the ledger remembers everything, politely.
       </p>
     </div>
   )
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/focus-screen.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/focus-screen.tsx
index 0d35f05..124daa9 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/focus-screen.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/focus-screen.tsx
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ export function FocusScreen({
       <EmptyState
         icon="coffee"
         title="Nothing to pour"
-        line="Capture some work, or enjoy the silence — it never lasts."
+        line="Capture some work, or enjoy the silence, it never lasts."
       />
     )
   }
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ export function FocusScreen({
           <BurnUpCone data={forecast.cone} />
           <p style={{ font: 'var(--text-agent)', color: 'var(--ink-2)', margin: '10px 0 0' }}>
             {forecast.coldStart
-              ? `${forecast.scope} open ${forecast.scope === 1 ? 'issue' : 'issues'} in scope. Cold-start priors — ${forecast.calibratedN}/20 estimated closes so far; the cone tightens as the team closes work.`
+              ? `${forecast.scope} open ${forecast.scope === 1 ? 'issue' : 'issues'} in scope. Cold-start priors: ${forecast.calibratedN}/20 estimated closes so far; the cone tightens as the team closes work.`
               : `${forecast.scope} open ${forecast.scope === 1 ? 'issue' : 'issues'} in scope, calibrated on ${forecast.calibratedN} closed ${forecast.calibratedN === 1 ? 'issue' : 'issues'} of your own.`}
           </p>
         </Card>
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/issue-screen.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/issue-screen.tsx
index 92f7ec8..a850689 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/issue-screen.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/issue-screen.tsx
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import {
 import { type IssueDetail, type IssueRef } from '../../data/view-types.js'
 import { Badge, Button, Card, Dialog, Icon, Select, Tag } from '../ui/index.js'
 
-const NONE = '—'
+const NONE = '·'
 
 export function IssueScreen({
   issue,
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ export function IssueScreen({
         <div style={{ marginTop: 14, minHeight: 40 }}>
           {pendingChanges.length === 0 ? (
             <p style={{ font: 'var(--text-agent)', color: 'var(--ink-3)', margin: 0 }}>
-              No change yet — pick a different estimate, priority, assignee, or milestone.
+              No change yet, pick a different estimate, priority, assignee, or milestone.
             </p>
           ) : (
             <>
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ export function IssueScreen({
                 </div>
               ))}
               <div style={{ display: 'flex', gap: 8, padding: '14px 20px', alignItems: 'flex-end' }}>
-                <textarea placeholder="Comment — this writes to gitea, as you" rows={2} style={{
+                <textarea placeholder="Comment: this writes to gitea, as you" rows={2} style={{
                   flex: 1, resize: 'none', font: 'var(--text-body)', color: 'var(--ink-1)', lineHeight: 1.5,
                   background: 'var(--paper-0)', border: '1px solid var(--line-2)', borderRadius: 'var(--radius-2)',
                   padding: '8px 11px', outline: 'none',
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/milestone-screen.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/milestone-screen.tsx
index 7553dec..904ea12 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/milestone-screen.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/milestone-screen.tsx
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ export function MilestoneScreen({
 
   const groups = data.groups.map((g) => ({ label: g.label, issues: g.issues, muted: g.label === 'Done' }))
   const name = data.name
-  const dueLine = `milestone · due ${data.due} · ${data.soft ? 'soft — scope may flex' : 'hard deadline'}`
+  const dueLine = `milestone · due ${data.due} · ${data.soft ? 'soft, scope may flex' : 'hard deadline'}`
   const forecastLabel = data.forecastRange ? `80% ${data.forecastRange}` : 'all shipped'
   const scopeStat = `${data.scopeCount} issues · est ${data.scopeEstDays}d`
   const doneStat = `${data.doneCount} · ${data.donePct}%`
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/onboarding-screen.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/onboarding-screen.tsx
index 71048ae..55c74cc 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/onboarding-screen.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/onboarding-screen.tsx
@@ -43,9 +43,9 @@ export function OnboardingScreen({ onConnected }: { onConnected: (dest: 'focus'
       setFound(null)
       setError(
         res.error === '401' || res.error === '403'
-          ? 'The token was rejected — check it has repo + issue scopes.'
+          ? 'The token was rejected: check it has repo + issue scopes.'
           : res.error === '404'
-            ? "Couldn't reach that Gitea — check the URL."
+            ? "Couldn't reach that Gitea; check the URL."
             : `Connection failed${res.error ? ` (${res.error})` : ''}.`,
       )
       return
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ export function OnboardingScreen({ onConnected }: { onConnected: (dest: 'focus'
       .catch(() => ({ ok: false as const, error: 'unreachable' }))
     if (!res.ok) {
       setBoot('idle')
-      setError(`Bootstrap failed${res.error ? ` (${res.error})` : ''}. Nothing was half-applied — you can retry.`)
+      setError(`Bootstrap failed${res.error ? ` (${res.error})` : ''}. Nothing was half-applied, you can retry.`)
       return
     }
     // persist the connection now that the repo is prepared
@@ -155,11 +155,11 @@ export function OnboardingScreen({ onConnected }: { onConnected: (dest: 'focus'
           <Frame footer={<Button iconRight="arrow-right" onClick={() => setStep(1)}>Begin</Button>}>
             <h1 style={{ font: 'var(--text-title)', color: 'var(--ink-1)', margin: 0 }}>Good morning.</h1>
             <p style={{ font: 'var(--text-agent-lg)', color: 'var(--ink-2)', margin: 0 }}>
-              I'm Reginald, your project manager. I interview you instead of making you fill in forms, I forecast in
-              honest ranges, and I never do the arithmetic myself — there's a scheduler for that.
+              I am Reginald, your project manager. I interview you rather than trouble you with forms, I forecast in
+              honest ranges, and I never attempt the arithmetic myself; there is a scheduler for that.
             </p>
             <p style={{ font: 'var(--text-body)', color: 'var(--ink-2)', margin: 0 }}>
-              Your plans live in your own Gitea as ordinary issues and labels. Delete me and nothing human is lost.
+              Your plans reside in your own Gitea as ordinary issues and labels. Dismiss me, and nothing human is lost.
             </p>
           </Frame>
         ) : null}
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ export function OnboardingScreen({ onConnected }: { onConnected: (dest: 'focus'
               </div>
             </div>
             <p style={{ font: 'var(--text-caption)', color: 'var(--ink-3)', margin: 0 }}>
-              No bot comments, no body frontmatter, no synthetic issues — ever. Labels are the only footprint.
+              No bot comments, no body frontmatter, no synthetic issues, ever. Labels are the only footprint.
             </p>
           </Frame>
         ) : null}
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/settings-screen.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/settings-screen.tsx
index 5f2e32d..2b36b72 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/settings-screen.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/settings-screen.tsx
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ export function SettingsScreen({
                 <Icon name="layers" size={12} />
                 sidecar: {connection.pmStateRepo ?? `${connection.repo}-pm-state`}
               </Row>
-              <Note>Your token is stored encrypted on this machine. Delete the sidecar and resync — no truth is lost.</Note>
+              <Note>Your token is stored encrypted on this machine. Delete the sidecar and resync; no truth is lost.</Note>
               <Row style={{ gap: 8, marginTop: 2 }}>
                 <Button variant="secondary" size="sm" icon="settings-2" onClick={onReconnect}>
                   Reconfigure
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ export function SettingsScreen({
             </span>
           </Row>
           <Note>
-            The board is a rebuildable index over gitea — the durable truth. When gitea is unreachable the last
+            The board is a rebuildable index over gitea, the durable truth. When gitea is unreachable the last
             snapshot is served from cache (the rail's dot turns red), and the next successful reconcile supersedes it.
             No webhooks, no polling: reads are on demand.
           </Note>
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ export function SettingsScreen({
             <Row style={{ gap: 8 }}>
               <Icon name="sparkles" size={14} style={{ color: 'var(--ink-3)' }} />
               <span style={{ font: 'var(--text-body)', color: 'var(--ink-2)', flex: 1 }}>
-                Chat is off — no model reachable.
+                Chat is off: no model reachable.
               </span>
               <Button variant="secondary" size="sm" onClick={onReconnect}>
                 Set a Model URL
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ export function SettingsScreen({
           )}
           <Note>
             An OpenAI-compatible endpoint (set it in Reconfigure). Reginald names, negotiates and explains; it never
-            does the arithmetic — the scheduler and Monte Carlo do that.
+            does the arithmetic; the scheduler and Monte Carlo do that.
           </Note>
         </div>
       </Card>
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ export function SettingsScreen({
             ))}
             <Tag label="deadline/hard" />
           </Row>
-          <Note>Fixed sets, human-meaningful, visible in gitea. Not configurable — that is rather the point.</Note>
+          <Note>Fixed sets, human-meaningful, visible in gitea. Not configurable: that is rather the point.</Note>
         </div>
       </Card>
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/standup-screen.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/standup-screen.tsx
index 41b0ace..3400835 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/standup-screen.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/screens/standup-screen.tsx
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ export function StandupScreen({
       <EmptyState
         icon="sun"
         title="Nothing to report"
-        line="No overnight drift — I'll have a plan when there's work to pour."
+        line="No overnight drift. I'll have a plan when there's work to pour."
       />
     )
   }
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ export function StandupScreen({
           }}
         >
           <p style={{ font: 'var(--text-agent-lg)', color: 'var(--ink-1)', margin: 0, flex: 1 }}>
-            The kettle’s on. — R.
+            The kettle is on. Yours, Reginald.
           </p>
           <Button variant="ghost" onClick={onBegin}>
             Ask about the drift
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/shell/app-shell.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/shell/app-shell.tsx
index 2ab6130..aba59b1 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/shell/app-shell.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/shell/app-shell.tsx
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ export function AppShell() {
               backlog.status === 'loading'
                 ? `Connecting to ${hostLabel}…`
                 : offline
-                  ? `Offline — reading from cache${staleSince ? ` (since ${new Date(staleSince).toLocaleString()})` : ''}`
+                  ? `Offline, reading from cache${staleSince ? ` (since ${new Date(staleSince).toLocaleString()})` : ''}`
                   : `Connected to ${hostLabel}`
             }
             aria-label={
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/backlog.ts b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/backlog.ts
index 46dcaed..39aa932 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/backlog.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/backlog.ts
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ export function calibrationData(
     return {
       label: `est/${b}d`,
       n: fit ? fit.n : inBucket.length,
-      median: inBucket.length ? `${(b * Math.exp(mu)).toFixed(1)}d` : '—',
+      median: inBucket.length ? `${(b * Math.exp(mu)).toFixed(1)}d` : '·',
       bias: fit ? pctFromMu(fit.mu) : null,
     }
   })
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ export function calibrationData(
     .filter((i) => i.state === 'open')
     .reduce((sum, i) => sum + (i.facts.estimateDays ?? 2), 0)
   const effect = model.coldStart
-    ? { raw: `${model.n}/${COLD_START_THRESHOLD} estimated closes`, banded: 'cold-start priors', p50: '—' }
+    ? { raw: `${model.n}/${COLD_START_THRESHOLD} estimated closes`, banded: 'cold-start priors', p50: '·' }
     : {
         raw: `${openEst}d estimated`,
         banded: `×${Math.exp(model.global.mu).toFixed(2)} median drift`,
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/use-chat.ts b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/use-chat.ts
index 7fa51cd..6aa0dfb 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/use-chat.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/use-chat.ts
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@ import { type ChatMessage } from '../data/view-types.js'
 
 const LIVE_GREETING: ChatMessage = {
   from: 'agent',
-  text: 'Morning. Ask me anything about the project — I check the real board before I answer.',
+  text: 'Good morning. Do ask me anything about the project; I shall consult the board before I venture an answer.',
 }
 
 const NO_MODEL: ChatMessage = {
   from: 'agent',
-  text: "Reginald is off — I need a model. Add a Model URL in Settings and chat turns on.",
+  text: 'I am afraid I am rather off duty without a model. Kindly add a Model URL in Settings and I shall be at your service.',
 }
 
 export interface ChatState {
@@ -116,14 +116,17 @@ export function useChat(onApplyChange?: (change: IssueChange) => Promise<{ ok: b
               ...c,
               {
                 from: 'agent',
-                text: res.reason === 'error' ? `I hit a snag: ${res.message ?? 'unknown error'}` : 'No model is configured.',
+                text:
+                  res.reason === 'error'
+                    ? `I have struck a snag, I am afraid: ${res.message ?? 'unknown error'}.`
+                    : 'No model is configured.',
               },
             ])
           }
         })
         .catch(() => {
           finish()
-          setConvo((c) => [...c, { from: 'agent', text: 'I could not reach the model.' }])
+          setConvo((c) => [...c, { from: 'agent', text: 'I was unable to reach the model, regrettably.' }])
         })
     },
     [live],
@@ -139,8 +142,8 @@ export function useChat(onApplyChange?: (change: IssueChange) => Promise<{ ok: b
           {
             from: 'agent',
             text: res.ok
-              ? `Done — #${p.change.issue}: ${p.summary}. The plan's been re-run.`
-              : `That didn't take — #${p.change.issue} is unchanged.`,
+              ? `Very good. #${p.change.issue}: ${p.summary}. The plan has been re-run.`
+              : `Regrettably that did not take; #${p.change.issue} remains unchanged.`,
           },
         ])
       })
@@ -150,7 +153,7 @@ export function useChat(onApplyChange?: (change: IssueChange) => Promise<{ ok: b
 
   const dismiss = useCallback((p: ChangeProposal) => {
     drop(p)
-    setConvo((c) => [...c, { from: 'agent', text: `Left #${p.change.issue} as it was.` }])
+    setConvo((c) => [...c, { from: 'agent', text: `As you wish. #${p.change.issue} remains as it was.` }])
   }, [])
 
   return { msgs: [...seed, ...convo], thinking, live, model, steps, proposals, streaming, send, approve, dismiss }
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/views/deps-graph.ts b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/views/deps-graph.ts
index 60e06e7..a62b6c5 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/views/deps-graph.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/views/deps-graph.ts
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ export function depsGraphView(d: ProjectData): DepsData {
       nodes: [],
       milestone: fallback
         ? { name: fallback.title, due: fallback.dueOn ? formatShort(new Date(fallback.dueOn)) : 'no date', col: 0, row: 0 }
-        : { name: '—', due: 'no date', col: 0, row: 0 },
+        : { name: '·', due: 'no date', col: 0, row: 0 },
       edges: [],
       critical: [],
       unattached: [],
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ export function depsGraphView(d: ProjectData): DepsData {
   let milestone: DepsData['milestone']
   const medianRow = median(nodes.map((n) => n.row))
   if (openMilestones.length === 0) {
-    milestone = { name: '—', due: 'no date', col: maxCol + 1, row: medianRow }
+    milestone = { name: '·', due: 'no date', col: maxCol + 1, row: medianRow }
   } else {
     let best: { id: number; title: string; dueOn: string | null | undefined; count: number } | null = null
     for (const m of openMilestones) {
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/views/inbox-view.ts b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/views/inbox-view.ts
index d144d59..dbe2268 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/views/inbox-view.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/views/inbox-view.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ const TOTAL_CAP = 12
 
 /** "HH:MM" from an ISO timestamp; '—' when absent (never fabricated). */
 function hhmm(iso: string | null | undefined): string {
-  if (!iso) return '—'
+  if (!iso) return '·'
   const d = new Date(iso)
   const hh = String(d.getHours()).padStart(2, '0')
   const mm = String(d.getMinutes()).padStart(2, '0')
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ export function inboxView(d: ProjectData): InboxItem[] {
       // left at the honest placeholder rather than borrowed from an issue.
       text: `${m.title} closed`,
       detail: 'milestone complete',
-      time: '—',
+      time: '·',
       unread: false,
     })
   }
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/views/issue-detail.ts b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/views/issue-detail.ts
index 6ba9b7f..48bde52 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/views/issue-detail.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/views/issue-detail.ts
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ export function issueDetailView(id: number, d: ProjectData): IssueDetail | null
   return {
     state: inf.column === 'review' ? 'review' : inf.column,
     assignee: issue.assignee ?? 'unassigned',
-    milestone: issue.milestone?.title ?? '—',
+    milestone: issue.milestone?.title ?? '·',
     body: issue.body,
     comments: [],
     lifecycle: lifecycle(inf.stages),
diff --git a/packages/core/src/agent/agent-tools.ts b/packages/core/src/agent/agent-tools.ts
index c16b17b..409ab49 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/agent/agent-tools.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/agent/agent-tools.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ export const QUERY_PROJECT_TOOL: ToolDecl = {
   name: 'query_project',
   description:
     'Read the current project state. A `view` selects the shape; deterministic code (scheduler, ' +
-    'lifecycle inference, calibration) backs every number — you report it, you never compute it.',
+    'lifecycle inference, calibration) backs every number: you report it, you never compute it.',
   parameters: {
     type: 'object',
     properties: {
@@ -39,11 +39,11 @@ export const QUERY_PROJECT_TOOL: ToolDecl = {
 export const PROPOSE_CHANGE_TOOL: ToolDecl = {
   name: 'propose_change',
   description:
-    'Propose a change to an issue — estimate, priority, assignee, and/or milestone. This does NOT apply ' +
+    'Propose a change to an issue: estimate, priority, assignee, and/or milestone. This does NOT apply ' +
     'anything; it shows the human a diff to approve. Use it whenever the user asks to re-estimate, reprioritize, ' +
     'assign someone (or unassign), or move an issue to a milestone. Pass a login for `assignee` (null to ' +
     'unassign) and a milestone id for `milestone` (null to remove). After calling it, tell the user you have ' +
-    '*proposed* the change for approval — never say it is done.',
+    '*proposed* the change for approval; never say it is done.',
   parameters: {
     type: 'object',
     properties: {
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ export const PROPOSE_CHANGE_TOOL: ToolDecl = {
 export const RECORD_DIRECTIVE_TOOL: ToolDecl = {
   name: 'record_directive',
   description:
-    'Log a standing instruction from the PM to the durable directive ledger — a reprioritization, ' +
+    'Log a standing instruction from the PM to the durable directive ledger: a reprioritization, ' +
     'a re-estimate policy, a deadline, a scope or capacity call, or a plain note. Use it when the user ' +
     'states intent that should persist ("pilots come first", "freeze scope for beta"). This records the ' +
     'intent verbatim; the actual issue edits still go through propose_change.',
@@ -86,11 +86,11 @@ export const RECORD_DIRECTIVE_TOOL: ToolDecl = {
 export const REGINALD_TOOLS: ToolDecl[] = [QUERY_PROJECT_TOOL, PROPOSE_CHANGE_TOOL, RECORD_DIRECTIVE_TOOL]
 
 export const REGINALD_SYSTEM = [
-  'You are Reginald, the calm, dry project manager inside CommiTea — a tool that runs projects on Gitea.',
-  'Call query_project to ground every answer in the real project; never invent issues, numbers, or dates.',
-  'The scheduler and forecasts are deterministic code — report their output, do not recompute it.',
-  'To change an estimate, priority, assignee, or milestone, call propose_change — it shows the human a diff to approve.',
-  'When the PM states standing intent ("pilots first", "freeze scope"), call record_directive to log it.',
-  'Never claim a change is applied; you propose, the human approves. Forecasts are ranges, never single dates.',
-  'Refer to issues as #<number>. Be brief and plain — a sentence or two. No preamble, no bullet dumps.',
+  'You are Reginald, the unfailingly composed project manager within CommiTea, a tool that runs projects on Gitea. You carry yourself with the dry, understated poise of a seasoned butler: courteous, precise, and never effusive.',
+  'Ground every answer in the real project by calling query_project first; you never invent issues, figures, or dates.',
+  'The scheduler and forecasts are deterministic; report their output faithfully and do not attempt the arithmetic yourself.',
+  'To alter an estimate, priority, assignee, or milestone, call propose_change, which lays the matter before the principal as a diff for approval.',
+  'When the principal states standing intent (say, "pilots first" or "freeze scope"), record it with record_directive.',
+  'Never declare a change applied; you propose, and the principal disposes. Forecasts are offered as ranges, never a single date.',
+  'Refer to issues as #<number>. Be concise and courteous: a sentence or two, no preamble, no bulleted dumps. Write in plain prose, and never use an em dash; a comma, colon, or full stop will serve.',
 ].join(' ')
diff --git a/packages/core/src/agent/capture-work.ts b/packages/core/src/agent/capture-work.ts
index f09ec3c..0ea9070 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/agent/capture-work.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/agent/capture-work.ts
@@ -53,10 +53,11 @@ export const PROPOSE_ISSUES_TOOL: ToolDecl = {
 }
 
 export const CAPTURE_SYSTEM = [
-  'You are Reginald, decomposing a rough braindump into a small set of concrete Gitea issues.',
-  'Call propose_issues exactly once. Split genuinely separate work; merge trivially-coupled work; invent no scope.',
-  'Each issue gets an imperative title, a one-line body, an estimate (est/1d…8d) and a priority (p/1…4).',
-  'Estimate honestly — a "quick" task is rarely one day. Keep the set tight; three good issues beat eight vague ones.',
+  'You are Reginald, distilling a rough braindump into a small set of concrete Gitea issues, with your customary butlerly precision.',
+  'Call propose_issues exactly once. Separate genuinely distinct work; consolidate trivially-coupled work; invent no scope.',
+  'Each issue receives an imperative title, a one-line body, an estimate (est/1d…8d) and a priority (p/1…4).',
+  'Estimate honestly; a "quick" task is seldom a single day. Keep the set tight, for three considered issues surpass eight vague ones.',
+  'Write in plain prose, and never use an em dash; a comma, colon, or full stop will serve.',
 ].join(' ')
 
 function isEstimate(v: unknown): v is EstimateLabel {
diff --git a/packages/core/src/agent/memory-v0.test.ts b/packages/core/src/agent/memory-v0.test.ts
index 0100110..87af115 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/agent/memory-v0.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/agent/memory-v0.test.ts
@@ -66,6 +66,6 @@ describe('memory-v0 (#27)', () => {
 
   it('degrades to just focus when there is no charter or directives', () => {
     const out = assembleHotContext({ charter: '', directives: [], focus })
-    expect(out).toBe(['## Focus', 'Now: #7 Fix lifecycle inference', 'Next: #8 Webhook listener', 'Later: —'].join('\n'))
+    expect(out).toBe(['## Focus', 'Now: #7 Fix lifecycle inference', 'Next: #8 Webhook listener', 'Later: ·'].join('\n'))
   })
 })
diff --git a/packages/core/src/agent/memory-v0.ts b/packages/core/src/agent/memory-v0.ts
index 61d7306..b2f51cf 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/agent/memory-v0.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/agent/memory-v0.ts
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ export interface HotContextInputs {
 
 function focusBlock(focus: Focus | null): string {
   if (!focus) return ''
-  const slot = (label: string, item: Focus['now']) => (item ? `${label}: #${item.number} ${item.title}` : `${label}: —`)
+  const slot = (label: string, item: Focus['now']) => (item ? `${label}: #${item.number} ${item.title}` : `${label}: ·`)
   return ['## Focus', slot('Now', focus.now), slot('Next', focus.next), slot('Later', focus.later)].join('\n')
 }