diff --git a/src/brain.py b/src/brain.py
index bc5e21d..876fb98 100644
--- a/src/brain.py
+++ b/src/brain.py
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 """Core brain operations — capture, search, recent, stats."""
+
 import json
+
 from src import db, embeddings
-from src.models import CaptureRequest, Thought, SearchRequest, SearchResult, Stats
+from src.models import CaptureRequest, SearchRequest, SearchResult, Stats, Thought
+
+
+def _meta(raw) -> dict:
+    return json.loads(raw) if isinstance(raw, str) else dict(raw)
 
 
 async def capture(req: CaptureRequest) -> Thought:
@@ -15,25 +21,32 @@ async def capture(req: CaptureRequest) -> Thought:
                 """
                 INSERT INTO thoughts (content, embedding, source, metadata)
                 VALUES ($1, $2::vector, $3, $4::jsonb)
-                RETURNING id::text, content, source, metadata, created_at, embedding IS NOT NULL AS embedded
+                RETURNING id::text, content, source, metadata, created_at,
+                          embedding IS NOT NULL AS embedded
                 """,
-                req.content, vec, req.source, json.dumps(req.metadata),
+                req.content,
+                vec,
+                req.source,
+                json.dumps(req.metadata),
             )
         else:
             row = await conn.fetchrow(
                 """
                 INSERT INTO thoughts (content, source, metadata)
                 VALUES ($1, $2, $3::jsonb)
-                RETURNING id::text, content, source, metadata, created_at, embedding IS NOT NULL AS embedded
+                RETURNING id::text, content, source, metadata, created_at,
+                          embedding IS NOT NULL AS embedded
                 """,
-                req.content, req.source, json.dumps(req.metadata),
+                req.content,
+                req.source,
+                json.dumps(req.metadata),
             )
 
     return Thought(
         id=row["id"],
         content=row["content"],
         source=row["source"],
-        metadata=json.loads(row["metadata"]) if isinstance(row["metadata"], str) else row["metadata"],
+        metadata=_meta(row["metadata"]),
         created_at=row["created_at"],
         embedded=row["embedded"],
     )
@@ -58,7 +71,9 @@ async def search(req: SearchRequest) -> list[SearchResult]:
                 ORDER BY embedding <=> $1::vector
                 LIMIT $3
                 """,
-                vec, req.source, req.limit,
+                vec,
+                req.source,
+                req.limit,
             )
         else:
             rows = await conn.fetch(
@@ -70,7 +85,8 @@ async def search(req: SearchRequest) -> list[SearchResult]:
                 ORDER BY embedding <=> $1::vector
                 LIMIT $2
                 """,
-                vec, req.limit,
+                vec,
+                req.limit,
             )
 
     return [
@@ -80,7 +96,7 @@ async def search(req: SearchRequest) -> list[SearchResult]:
             source=r["source"],
             similarity=float(r["similarity"]),
             created_at=r["created_at"],
-            metadata=json.loads(r["metadata"]) if isinstance(r["metadata"], str) else r["metadata"],
+            metadata=_meta(r["metadata"]),
         )
         for r in rows
     ]
diff --git a/src/db.py b/src/db.py
index 9501d75..10bcaec 100644
--- a/src/db.py
+++ b/src/db.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import asyncpg
+
 from src.config import settings
 
 _pool: asyncpg.Pool | None = None
diff --git a/src/embeddings.py b/src/embeddings.py
index 742c95b..48a7ce4 100644
--- a/src/embeddings.py
+++ b/src/embeddings.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import httpx
+
 from src.config import settings
 
 
diff --git a/src/main.py b/src/main.py
index ee31703..dcb67ed 100644
--- a/src/main.py
+++ b/src/main.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 """OpenBrain — FastAPI REST + MCP server (single process)."""
+
 import contextlib
 import logging
 
@@ -40,7 +41,8 @@ async def capture(content: str, source: str = "unknown", metadata: dict | None =
         source: Which agent or tool is capturing this (e.g. 'claude-code', 'codex')
         metadata: Optional key/value pairs (tags, project, etc.)
     """
-    thought = await brain.capture(CaptureRequest(content=content, source=source, metadata=metadata or {}))
+    req = CaptureRequest(content=content, source=source, metadata=metadata or {})
+    thought = await brain.capture(req)
     return thought.model_dump(mode="json")
 
 
diff --git a/src/models.py b/src/models.py
index 14fc259..d8deeb6 100644
--- a/src/models.py
+++ b/src/models.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from datetime import datetime
 from typing import Any
+
 from pydantic import BaseModel