diff --git a/wasm/repl/index.html b/wasm/repl/index.html
index c6adfa1..d396ec9 100644
--- a/wasm/repl/index.html
+++ b/wasm/repl/index.html
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@
 <section class="prompt-bar" id="prompt-bar" hidden>
   <span class="prompt-sigil">λ&gt;</span>
   <textarea id="input" rows="1" spellcheck="false"
-    placeholder="(+ 1 2)    — enter to send, shift+enter for newline"></textarea>
+    placeholder="(+ 1 2)"></textarea>
   <select id="tier-select" title="which tier evaluates this input">
     <option value="python">python (pyodide)</option>
     <option value="c" selected>c (emcc)</option>
diff --git a/wasm/repl/repl.css b/wasm/repl/repl.css
index ed7b792..aed8d95 100644
--- a/wasm/repl/repl.css
+++ b/wasm/repl/repl.css
@@ -168,81 +168,85 @@ body.repl {
 
 /* ─── Transcript ───────────────────────────────────────────────── */
 
+/* Transcript reads as one continuous terminal stream — no card chrome.
+ * Prompt + output stack with minimal vertical space, tier+time annotate
+ * as a subtle comment-style suffix. */
 .transcript-wrap {
   overflow: auto;
-  padding: 1rem;
+  padding: 0.5rem 1rem 0;
   background: var(--code-bg);
 }
 .transcript {
-  display: grid;
-  gap: 0.6rem;
   font-family: var(--mono);
-  font-size: 0.9em;
-  line-height: 1.5;
+  font-size: 0.92em;
+  line-height: 1.45;
   max-width: 90rem;
   margin: 0 auto;
+  padding-bottom: 0.4rem;
 }
 .transcript .entry {
-  display: grid;
-  gap: 0.25rem;
-  padding: 0.4rem 0.6rem;
-  border-left: 2px solid var(--rule);
+  margin: 0;
+  padding: 0;
 }
 .transcript .entry .prompt-line {
   color: var(--green);
   white-space: pre-wrap;
+  word-break: break-word;
+}
+.transcript .entry .prompt-line .sigil {
+  display: inline-block;
+  width: 3ch;
+  opacity: 0.7;
 }
 .transcript .entry .tier-output {
-  display: grid;
-  grid-template-columns: 7rem 1fr;
-  gap: 0.6rem;
-  padding: 0.25rem 0;
-  border-top: 1px dashed var(--rule);
-}
-.transcript .entry .tier-output:first-of-type { border-top: none; }
-.transcript .entry .tier-label {
-  color: var(--muted);
-  font-size: 0.7em;
-  text-transform: uppercase;
-  letter-spacing: 0.08em;
-  padding-top: 0.15rem;
+  display: block;
+  padding: 0;
+  color: var(--fg);
 }
 .transcript .entry .tier-result {
   white-space: pre-wrap;
+  word-break: break-word;
+  padding-left: 3ch;             /* line up under "λ> " */
 }
-.transcript .entry .tier-time {
+.transcript .entry .tier-meta {
   color: var(--muted);
-  font-size: 0.8em;
-  margin-left: 0.4rem;
+  font-size: 0.78em;
+  margin-left: 0.6em;
+  user-select: none;
+}
+.transcript .entry .tier-meta::before {
+  content: "; ";                  /* render as a lisp comment */
+  color: var(--muted);
+  opacity: 0.6;
 }
 .transcript .entry.error .tier-result { color: var(--err); }
+.transcript .entry + .entry { margin-top: 0.4rem; }
 
 /* ─── Prompt bar ───────────────────────────────────────────────── */
 
 .prompt-bar {
   display: grid;
   grid-template-columns: auto 1fr auto auto;
-  gap: 0.5rem;
-  align-items: end;
-  padding: 0.5rem 1rem 0.8rem;
+  gap: 0.4rem;
+  align-items: center;
+  padding: 0.3rem 1rem;
   border-top: 1px solid var(--rule);
-  background: var(--bg);
+  background: var(--code-bg);
 }
 .prompt-bar .prompt-sigil {
   color: var(--green);
   font-weight: 600;
-  padding: 0.4rem 0 0;
+  font-size: 0.95em;
 }
 .prompt-bar textarea {
   resize: none;
   background: var(--code-bg);
-  border: 1px solid var(--rule);
+  border: none;
   color: var(--fg);
-  padding: 0.45rem 0.7rem;
+  padding: 0.25rem 0;
   font-family: var(--mono);
-  font-size: 0.9em;
-  border-radius: 3px;
-  min-height: 1.6em;
+  font-size: 0.92em;
+  min-height: 1.5em;
   max-height: 30vh;
   min-width: 0;
 }
diff --git a/wasm/repl/repl.js b/wasm/repl/repl.js
index 6eb4385..70fb66c 100644
--- a/wasm/repl/repl.js
+++ b/wasm/repl/repl.js
@@ -253,7 +253,8 @@ function renderAll() {
         tabsEl.appendChild(el);
     }
 
-    // Transcript
+    // Transcript — terminal-style: prompt line, then output lines underneath
+    // indented under the prompt with a tier-tag suffix as a Lisp comment.
     transcriptEl.innerHTML = "";
     const tab = activeTab();
     if (!tab) return;
@@ -261,25 +262,33 @@ function renderAll() {
     for (const entry of tab.transcript) {
         const block = document.createElement("div");
         block.className = "entry" + (entry.kind === "error" ? " error" : "");
-        const prompt = document.createElement("div");
-        prompt.className = "prompt-line";
-        prompt.textContent = "λ> " + entry.input;
-        block.appendChild(prompt);
+
+        // Render the input across one or more lines (preserve newlines).
+        const inputLines = entry.input.split(/\n/);
+        for (let i = 0; i < inputLines.length; i++) {
+            const line = document.createElement("div");
+            line.className = "prompt-line";
+            const sigil = document.createElement("span");
+            sigil.className = "sigil";
+            sigil.textContent = i === 0 ? "λ>" : "..";
+            line.appendChild(sigil);
+            line.appendChild(document.createTextNode(inputLines[i]));
+            block.appendChild(line);
+        }
+
         for (const r of (entry.results || [])) {
             const row = document.createElement("div");
             row.className = "tier-output";
-            const lab = document.createElement("div");
-            lab.className = "tier-label";
-            lab.textContent = TIER_LABEL[r.tier] || r.tier;
-            const tm = document.createElement("span");
-            tm.className = "tier-time";
-            tm.textContent = `  ${(r.elapsed | 0)}ms`;
-            lab.appendChild(tm);
-            const out = document.createElement("div");
-            out.className = "tier-result";
-            out.textContent = r.output || (r.error ? "error: " + r.error : "");
-            row.appendChild(lab);
-            row.appendChild(out);
+            const result = document.createElement("span");
+            result.className = "tier-result";
+            const text = (r.output != null ? r.output : "");
+            const errText = r.error ? "error: " + r.error : "";
+            result.textContent = (text + (errText && text ? "\n" : "") + errText).replace(/\n$/, "");
+            const meta = document.createElement("span");
+            meta.className = "tier-meta";
+            meta.textContent = `${TIER_LABEL[r.tier] || r.tier} · ${(r.elapsed | 0)}ms`;
+            row.appendChild(result);
+            row.appendChild(meta);
             block.appendChild(row);
         }
         transcriptEl.appendChild(block);
diff --git a/www/repl/index.html b/www/repl/index.html
index c6adfa1..d396ec9 100644
--- a/www/repl/index.html
+++ b/www/repl/index.html
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@
 <section class="prompt-bar" id="prompt-bar" hidden>
   <span class="prompt-sigil">λ&gt;</span>
   <textarea id="input" rows="1" spellcheck="false"
-    placeholder="(+ 1 2)    — enter to send, shift+enter for newline"></textarea>
+    placeholder="(+ 1 2)"></textarea>
   <select id="tier-select" title="which tier evaluates this input">
     <option value="python">python (pyodide)</option>
     <option value="c" selected>c (emcc)</option>
diff --git a/www/repl/repl.css b/www/repl/repl.css
index ed7b792..aed8d95 100644
--- a/www/repl/repl.css
+++ b/www/repl/repl.css
@@ -168,81 +168,85 @@ body.repl {
 
 /* ─── Transcript ───────────────────────────────────────────────── */
 
+/* Transcript reads as one continuous terminal stream — no card chrome.
+ * Prompt + output stack with minimal vertical space, tier+time annotate
+ * as a subtle comment-style suffix. */
 .transcript-wrap {
   overflow: auto;
-  padding: 1rem;
+  padding: 0.5rem 1rem 0;
   background: var(--code-bg);
 }
 .transcript {
-  display: grid;
-  gap: 0.6rem;
   font-family: var(--mono);
-  font-size: 0.9em;
-  line-height: 1.5;
+  font-size: 0.92em;
+  line-height: 1.45;
   max-width: 90rem;
   margin: 0 auto;
+  padding-bottom: 0.4rem;
 }
 .transcript .entry {
-  display: grid;
-  gap: 0.25rem;
-  padding: 0.4rem 0.6rem;
-  border-left: 2px solid var(--rule);
+  margin: 0;
+  padding: 0;
 }
 .transcript .entry .prompt-line {
   color: var(--green);
   white-space: pre-wrap;
+  word-break: break-word;
+}
+.transcript .entry .prompt-line .sigil {
+  display: inline-block;
+  width: 3ch;
+  opacity: 0.7;
 }
 .transcript .entry .tier-output {
-  display: grid;
-  grid-template-columns: 7rem 1fr;
-  gap: 0.6rem;
-  padding: 0.25rem 0;
-  border-top: 1px dashed var(--rule);
-}
-.transcript .entry .tier-output:first-of-type { border-top: none; }
-.transcript .entry .tier-label {
-  color: var(--muted);
-  font-size: 0.7em;
-  text-transform: uppercase;
-  letter-spacing: 0.08em;
-  padding-top: 0.15rem;
+  display: block;
+  padding: 0;
+  color: var(--fg);
 }
 .transcript .entry .tier-result {
   white-space: pre-wrap;
+  word-break: break-word;
+  padding-left: 3ch;             /* line up under "λ> " */
 }
-.transcript .entry .tier-time {
+.transcript .entry .tier-meta {
   color: var(--muted);
-  font-size: 0.8em;
-  margin-left: 0.4rem;
+  font-size: 0.78em;
+  margin-left: 0.6em;
+  user-select: none;
+}
+.transcript .entry .tier-meta::before {
+  content: "; ";                  /* render as a lisp comment */
+  color: var(--muted);
+  opacity: 0.6;
 }
 .transcript .entry.error .tier-result { color: var(--err); }
+.transcript .entry + .entry { margin-top: 0.4rem; }
 
 /* ─── Prompt bar ───────────────────────────────────────────────── */
 
 .prompt-bar {
   display: grid;
   grid-template-columns: auto 1fr auto auto;
-  gap: 0.5rem;
-  align-items: end;
-  padding: 0.5rem 1rem 0.8rem;
+  gap: 0.4rem;
+  align-items: center;
+  padding: 0.3rem 1rem;
   border-top: 1px solid var(--rule);
-  background: var(--bg);
+  background: var(--code-bg);
 }
 .prompt-bar .prompt-sigil {
   color: var(--green);
   font-weight: 600;
-  padding: 0.4rem 0 0;
+  font-size: 0.95em;
 }
 .prompt-bar textarea {
   resize: none;
   background: var(--code-bg);
-  border: 1px solid var(--rule);
+  border: none;
   color: var(--fg);
-  padding: 0.45rem 0.7rem;
+  padding: 0.25rem 0;
   font-family: var(--mono);
-  font-size: 0.9em;
-  border-radius: 3px;
-  min-height: 1.6em;
+  font-size: 0.92em;
+  min-height: 1.5em;
   max-height: 30vh;
   min-width: 0;
 }
diff --git a/www/repl/repl.js b/www/repl/repl.js
index 6eb4385..70fb66c 100644
--- a/www/repl/repl.js
+++ b/www/repl/repl.js
@@ -253,7 +253,8 @@ function renderAll() {
         tabsEl.appendChild(el);
     }
 
-    // Transcript
+    // Transcript — terminal-style: prompt line, then output lines underneath
+    // indented under the prompt with a tier-tag suffix as a Lisp comment.
     transcriptEl.innerHTML = "";
     const tab = activeTab();
     if (!tab) return;
@@ -261,25 +262,33 @@ function renderAll() {
     for (const entry of tab.transcript) {
         const block = document.createElement("div");
         block.className = "entry" + (entry.kind === "error" ? " error" : "");
-        const prompt = document.createElement("div");
-        prompt.className = "prompt-line";
-        prompt.textContent = "λ> " + entry.input;
-        block.appendChild(prompt);
+
+        // Render the input across one or more lines (preserve newlines).
+        const inputLines = entry.input.split(/\n/);
+        for (let i = 0; i < inputLines.length; i++) {
+            const line = document.createElement("div");
+            line.className = "prompt-line";
+            const sigil = document.createElement("span");
+            sigil.className = "sigil";
+            sigil.textContent = i === 0 ? "λ>" : "..";
+            line.appendChild(sigil);
+            line.appendChild(document.createTextNode(inputLines[i]));
+            block.appendChild(line);
+        }
+
         for (const r of (entry.results || [])) {
             const row = document.createElement("div");
             row.className = "tier-output";
-            const lab = document.createElement("div");
-            lab.className = "tier-label";
-            lab.textContent = TIER_LABEL[r.tier] || r.tier;
-            const tm = document.createElement("span");
-            tm.className = "tier-time";
-            tm.textContent = `  ${(r.elapsed | 0)}ms`;
-            lab.appendChild(tm);
-            const out = document.createElement("div");
-            out.className = "tier-result";
-            out.textContent = r.output || (r.error ? "error: " + r.error : "");
-            row.appendChild(lab);
-            row.appendChild(out);
+            const result = document.createElement("span");
+            result.className = "tier-result";
+            const text = (r.output != null ? r.output : "");
+            const errText = r.error ? "error: " + r.error : "";
+            result.textContent = (text + (errText && text ? "\n" : "") + errText).replace(/\n$/, "");
+            const meta = document.createElement("span");
+            meta.className = "tier-meta";
+            meta.textContent = `${TIER_LABEL[r.tier] || r.tier} · ${(r.elapsed | 0)}ms`;
+            row.appendChild(result);
+            row.appendChild(meta);
             block.appendChild(row);
         }
         transcriptEl.appendChild(block);