[FEATURE] Focus mode: option to make interim assistant messages linger longer / fade slower

Problem Statement

Focus mode is genuinely one of my favorite things in Claude Code, and I want to say thank you for it. As someone with ADHD, focus mode in general is an enormous help — stripping away the tool noise keeps me oriented instead of overwhelmed.

But there's one specific part that deserves its own spotlight: the interim assistant messages — the brief grayed-out lines like "on it, checking now" that appear while Claude works and then fade away. These provide incredible value and support for me. That little "I've got you, hang on" beat tells me I've been heard and that something is happening, so I'm not left staring at a blank screen wondering if I should re-type my request. For an ADHD brain, that reassurance is the difference between staying calm and losing the thread.

The only issue is they disappear fast — sometimes in a couple of seconds, before I've fully taken them in.

Proposed Solution

A setting/option to make these interim messages persist longer, and optionally to make the fade-out slower. Keep the current timing as the default — just let people who rely on these messages tune them. Even a simple "linger duration" knob would be wonderful.

Alternative Solutions

The only current control is /focus to toggle focus mode entirely, which throws out everything good about it just to change this one timing. There's no way to keep focus mode and slow the interim messages.

Priority

Low–Medium — Nice to have / would be very helpful (genuinely improves day-to-day focus, not blocking).

Feature Category

Interactive mode (TUI)

Additional Context

Filing this partly as a thank-you. Focus mode is an amazing accessibility feature, and the interim messages especially are doing real work for ADHD users. Please consider keeping and enhancing them rather than removing them — there's an existing closed issue (#50894) arguing to hide assistant text entirely, and I'd hate to lose this. 💙