The boot gate learns about the profile: skeleton plaque, locked splash, a 4s cap

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

PROJECT.md

@@ -491,6 +491,16 @@ zombie (now an occasional opponent, `TUNE.racketEvery`, not the every-game fixtu
   `RETURNED`, `DOUBLE KILL`) is a footnote to something you already watched happen. Sharing the loud
   FACE with the milestone cards is right; sharing their SIZE made every footnote read as a milestone.
 
+## Session log: the boot gate learns about the profile (2026-08-29, same day, STAGING ONLY)
+
+Oliver: on a fresh load the player/build requests are still in flight while the splash is already
+interactive. The existing `#splash.busy` gate (sprites + fonts) now ALSO waits for the profile
+mirror's pull — capped at 4 s, because a dead network must never park the player on the title
+(the sprite loader's own rule). While busy the PLAQUE is a skeleton: ghost crest, blank pills
+where the words go, empty bar, no chevron, `pointer-events: none` — and the splash keyboard
+shortcuts respect the gate too (they didn't). Half-true numbers neither show nor navigate; the
+pull's `refreshSplash` repaints the real values the moment the gate lifts.
+
 ## Session log: THE CUP CLIMBS — the shuffle retires too (2026-08-29, same day, STAGING ONLY)
 
 Oliver, straight after the draw screen went: "warum sollten wir noch mischen? wäre es nicht gut