diff --git a/css/style.css b/css/style.css
index 457f9f2..49bba12 100644
--- a/css/style.css
+++ b/css/style.css
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ ul.tick li::before {
   content: "→"; position: absolute; left: 0; color: var(--accent);
 }
 
-/* ---- the round-trip sequence diagrams (mermaid) ---- */
+/* ---- the round-trip sequence diagrams ---- */
 .seq { display: grid; gap: 18px; margin: 20px 0; }
 .seqcol {
   border: 1px solid var(--line); border-left-width: 4px; border-radius: 8px;
@@ -152,11 +152,19 @@ ul.tick li::before {
 .seqcol h4 { margin: 0 0 14px; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: .04em; }
 .seqcol.bad h4  { color: var(--warn); }
 .seqcol.good h4 { color: var(--accent); }
-/* before mermaid runs, .mermaid is a <pre>; reset the code-block chrome */
-.seqcol .mermaid {
-  background: none; border: 0; padding: 0; margin: 0; overflow-x: auto;
-  text-align: center; color: var(--fg-faint); font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.45;
+/* step-flow: one row per hop, no lifelines to overlap */
+.flow { list-style: none; margin: 0; padding: 0; }
+.flow li { display: flex; gap: 12px; align-items: baseline; padding: 4px 0; font-size: 13px; color: var(--fg); }
+.flow .hop {
+  flex: 0 0 76px; text-align: right; white-space: nowrap;
+  font-family: var(--mono); font-size: 11.5px; color: var(--fg-dim);
 }
+.flow li.phase {
+  display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px; font-size: 11px;
+  text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: .1em; color: var(--fg-faint);
+}
+.flow li.phase:first-child { margin-top: 0; }
+.flow li.learn { display: block; color: var(--warn); font-size: 12.5px; padding: 6px 0 2px; }
 .seqcol .verdict { margin-top: 14px; padding-top: 12px; border-top: 1px dashed var(--line); }
 .seqcol.bad .verdict  { color: var(--warn); }
 .seqcol.good .verdict { color: var(--accent); }
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 8cab531..969d793 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -142,23 +142,17 @@ <h2>the wasted round trip</h2>
     <div class="seq">
       <div class="seqcol bad">
         <h4>HTTP/3 advertised only via the Alt-Svc HTTP header</h4>
-        <pre class="mermaid">
-sequenceDiagram
-    participant C as Client
-    participant D as DNS
-    participant S as Your server
-    Note over C,S: First connection
-    C->>D: look up A / AAAA
-    D-->>C: IP address
-    C->>S: TCP + TLS handshake
-    S-->>C: connected (HTTP/2)
-    C->>S: HTTP/2 request
-    S-->>C: response + Alt-Svc: h3
-    Note over C,S: only now does the client learn you speak HTTP/3
-    Note over C,S: Second connection
-    C->>S: QUIC + HTTP/3 handshake
-    S-->>C: connected (HTTP/3)
-        </pre>
+        <ol class="flow">
+          <li class="phase">first connection</li>
+          <li><span class="hop">&rarr; DNS</span><span>look up A / AAAA</span></li>
+          <li><span class="hop">&larr; DNS</span><span>IP address</span></li>
+          <li><span class="hop">&harr; server</span><span>TCP + TLS handshake, now on HTTP/2</span></li>
+          <li><span class="hop">&rarr; server</span><span>HTTP/2 request</span></li>
+          <li><span class="hop">&larr; server</span><span>response + <b>Alt-Svc: h3</b></span></li>
+          <li class="learn">only now does the client learn you speak HTTP/3</li>
+          <li class="phase">second connection</li>
+          <li><span class="hop">&harr; server</span><span>QUIC + HTTP/3 handshake, now on HTTP/3</span></li>
+        </ol>
         <div class="verdict">HTTP/3 only on the second connection.</div>
       </div>
       <p>
@@ -171,19 +165,13 @@ <h4>HTTP/3 advertised only via the Alt-Svc HTTP header</h4>
       </p>
       <div class="seqcol good">
         <h4>HTTP/3 advertised in an HTTPS DNS record</h4>
-        <pre class="mermaid">
-sequenceDiagram
-    participant C as Client
-    participant D as DNS
-    participant S as Your server
-    Note over C,S: First connection
-    C->>D: look up HTTPS record
-    D-->>C: alpn=h3 + IP hints (+ ECH)
-    C->>S: QUIC + HTTP/3 handshake
-    S-->>C: connected (HTTP/3)
-    C->>S: HTTP/3 request
-    S-->>C: response
-        </pre>
+        <ol class="flow">
+          <li class="phase">first connection</li>
+          <li><span class="hop">&rarr; DNS</span><span>look up HTTPS record</span></li>
+          <li><span class="hop">&larr; DNS</span><span><b>alpn=h3</b> + IP hints (+ ECH)</span></li>
+          <li><span class="hop">&harr; server</span><span>QUIC + HTTP/3 handshake, now on HTTP/3</span></li>
+          <li><span class="hop">&rarr; server</span><span>HTTP/3 request</span></li>
+        </ol>
         <div class="verdict">HTTP/3 right away, on the first connection.</div>
       </div>
     </div>
@@ -415,47 +403,5 @@ <h3>Should I drop the <code>Alt-Svc</code> header?</h3>
 <script src="js/charts.js"></script>
 <script src="js/rtt.js"></script>
 <script src="js/lookup.js"></script>
-<script type="module">
-  // Mermaid renders the two sequence diagrams. It's a ~1MB CDN module, so we
-  // only fetch it once the diagrams are about to scroll into view. If it never
-  // loads, the raw diagram source stays visible as a readable fallback.
-  let loaded = false;
-  async function renderDiagrams() {
-    if (loaded) return;
-    loaded = true;
-    try {
-      const { default: mermaid } = await import(
-        "https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/mermaid@11/dist/mermaid.esm.min.mjs"
-      );
-      const dark = window.matchMedia("(prefers-color-scheme: dark)").matches;
-      mermaid.initialize({
-        startOnLoad: false,
-        theme: dark ? "dark" : "default",
-        securityLevel: "loose",
-        fontFamily: "var(--mono)",
-        sequence: { useMaxWidth: true, mirrorActors: false },
-      });
-      await mermaid.run({ querySelector: ".mermaid" });
-    } catch (e) {
-      /* leave the source text visible */
-    }
-  }
-
-  const seq = document.querySelector(".seq");
-  if (seq && "IntersectionObserver" in window) {
-    const io = new IntersectionObserver(
-      (entries) => {
-        if (entries.some((e) => e.isIntersecting)) {
-          io.disconnect();
-          renderDiagrams();
-        }
-      },
-      { rootMargin: "400px" }
-    );
-    io.observe(seq);
-  } else {
-    renderDiagrams();
-  }
-</script>
 </body>
 </html>