diff --git a/Plugin/unraid/include/ai_chat.php b/Plugin/unraid/include/ai_chat.php
index 82af21d..f665cf7 100644
--- a/Plugin/unraid/include/ai_chat.php
+++ b/Plugin/unraid/include/ai_chat.php
@@ -162,8 +162,8 @@ function vv_ai_chat_assets(): void {
 .vv-ai-chat-wrap { background:#0b0b0b; border-radius:6px; }
 .vv-ai-chat-wrap::before {
     content:''; position:absolute; inset:0; z-index:0; pointer-events:none;
-    background:url('/plugins/varaverk/icons/varaverk.png') center/min(78%,460px) no-repeat;
-    opacity:.05; filter:grayscale(1);
+    background:url('/plugins/varaverk/icons/varaverk.png') center 58%/min(84%,520px) no-repeat;
+    opacity:.032; filter:grayscale(1);
 }
 .vv-ai-empty { color:#3a3a3a; font-size:12px; text-align:center; padding:60px 20px; line-height:1.7; }
 .vv-ai-msg  { margin-bottom:16px; }
diff --git a/Plugin/unraid/include/node_chat.php b/Plugin/unraid/include/node_chat.php
index 51a52b9..70c678f 100644
--- a/Plugin/unraid/include/node_chat.php
+++ b/Plugin/unraid/include/node_chat.php
@@ -260,8 +260,8 @@ function vv_nc_pane_markup(string $prefix, bool $meshDefault = false,
          it can carry the badge without competing with the text. -->
     <div style="position:relative;">
     <img src="/plugins/varaverk/icons/varaverk.png" alt="" aria-hidden="true"
-         style="position:absolute;left:50%;top:50%;transform:translate(-50%,-50%);
-                width:min(88%,460px);opacity:.055;pointer-events:none;filter:grayscale(1);
+         style="position:absolute;left:50%;top:58%;transform:translate(-50%,-50%);
+                width:min(94%,520px);opacity:.038;pointer-events:none;filter:grayscale(1);
                 z-index:0;">
     <div id="vv-nc-log"
          style="position:relative;z-index:1;height:var(--vv-nc-h,300px);overflow-y:auto;
@@ -515,25 +515,46 @@ function vvNcRender() {
 // Expand/collapse, mirroring the assistant's control down to the glyph swap and the lit state.
 // Both heights are carried on the pane as data attributes, so the card's own mount options decide
 // how big "more room" is rather than this file inventing a number.
-let _vvNcBig = false;
-function vvNcGrow() {
+// One card, one size. Expanding while reading the assistant and finding the mesh collapsed on
+// switching — or the reverse — reads as the card forgetting, because to the operator there is only
+// one box on screen. The two controls therefore drive each other.
+//
+// _vvNcSyncing guards the round trip: each side reacts to the other by clicking its button, and
+// without the flag the first press would ping-pong.
+let _vvNcBig = false, _vvNcSyncing = false;
+
+function _vvNcApplyBig() {
   const pane = document.getElementById(_vvNcPrefix + '-pane-mesh');
   const btn  = document.getElementById('vv-nc-grow');
-  if (!pane) return;
-  _vvNcBig = !_vvNcBig;
-  const h = _vvNcBig ? (pane.dataset.hTall || pane.dataset.h) : pane.dataset.h;
-  pane.style.setProperty('--vv-nc-h', h);
+  if (pane) pane.style.setProperty('--vv-nc-h',
+      _vvNcBig ? (pane.dataset.hTall || pane.dataset.h) : pane.dataset.h);
   if (btn) {
     btn.textContent = _vvNcBig ? '⤡' : '⤢';
     btn.title = _vvNcBig ? 'Back to the smaller view' : 'Give the conversation more room';
     btn.classList.toggle('vv-ai-grow-on', _vvNcBig);
   }
-  try { localStorage.setItem('vvNcBig:' + _vvNcPrefix, _vvNcBig ? '1' : '0'); } catch (_) {}
-  // Growing reveals rows that were scrolled out of view; land where the reader expects.
   const box = document.getElementById('vv-nc-log');
   if (box && document.getElementById('vv-nc-follow')?.checked) box.scrollTop = box.scrollHeight;
 }
 
+// fromAi: the assistant's control moved first and has already resized itself, so mirror its state
+// rather than toggling and pushing back.
+function vvNcGrow(fromAi) {
+  if (fromAi === undefined) _vvNcBig = !_vvNcBig;
+  else                      _vvNcBig = !!fromAi;
+  _vvNcApplyBig();
+  try { localStorage.setItem('vvNcBig:' + _vvNcPrefix, _vvNcBig ? '1' : '0'); } catch (_) {}
+
+  // Push the change onto the assistant, unless it is the one that sent it.
+  if (fromAi === undefined && !_vvNcSyncing) {
+    const aiBtn = document.getElementById(_vvNcPrefix + '-grow');
+    if (aiBtn) {
+      const aiBig = aiBtn.classList.contains('vv-ai-grow-on');
+      if (aiBig !== _vvNcBig) { _vvNcSyncing = true; aiBtn.click(); _vvNcSyncing = false; }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 function vvNcEmoji(sel) {
   const t = document.getElementById('vv-nc-text');
   if (t && sel.value) { t.value += sel.value; t.focus(); }
@@ -622,8 +643,29 @@ function vvNcInit(prefix, meshDefault) {
     } catch (_) {}
   }
   _vvNcLoadPrefs();
+  // The assistant's control is the other half of the same size. Listening rather than wrapping its
+  // handler: VvAiChat owns that button, and reading the class it sets afterwards is the one signal
+  // that cannot drift from what it actually did.
+  const aiBtn = document.getElementById(prefix + '-grow');
+  if (aiBtn) {
+    aiBtn.addEventListener('click', () => {
+      if (_vvNcSyncing) return;
+      // After its own handler has run, so the class reflects the new state.
+      setTimeout(() => vvNcGrow(aiBtn.classList.contains('vv-ai-grow-on')), 0);
+    });
+  }
+
   // Restore the expanded state before the first paint, so the card does not visibly resize.
-  try { if (localStorage.getItem('vvNcBig:' + prefix) === '1') vvNcGrow(); } catch (_) {}
+  try {
+    if (localStorage.getItem('vvNcBig:' + prefix) === '1') {
+      _vvNcBig = true;
+      _vvNcApplyBig();
+      // Bring the assistant along, so both halves start the session agreeing.
+      if (aiBtn && !aiBtn.classList.contains('vv-ai-grow-on')) {
+        _vvNcSyncing = true; aiBtn.click(); _vvNcSyncing = false;
+      }
+    }
+  } catch (_) {}
   vvNcMode(want);
   vvNcChans();
   _vvNcSchedule();