# Story: Chat Survives a Refresh (localStorage)

**Phase:** `14_chat_persistence.md` · **E2E:** `tests/e2e/test_chat_persistence.py`

## Narrative

As **a user**, I want my conversation to **survive a browser refresh**
and a trip to another page — the previous session should be waiting for
me when I come back.

- **Given** I have asked a few questions
- **When** I refresh the page (or go to Sources and come back)
- **Then** the whole conversation is restored: my questions, Brain's
  answers (rendered markdown), the source chips, and deflected answers
  with their "Maybe try" chips — amber style included.

## Acceptance criteria
1. Conversation state (user + brain messages, with sources/deflection/
   suggestions metadata) is stored in `localStorage` under a versioned
   key; user messages are saved when sent, brain answers when the turn
   completes.
2. On load, stored messages are re-rendered (markdown, source chips,
   deflected styling + maybe-try chips); the empty state is hidden when
   a conversation exists.
3. "New chat" control (chat header) clears the stored conversation and
   returns to the empty state with suggestions.
4. Storage failures (private mode / quota) degrade silently — chat still
   works, nothing throws.
5. Size-bounded: oldest messages are dropped if the serialized
   conversation outgrows the quota budget.
6. Unit + integration green, `app/` coverage >90%, story E2E green in
   isolation, one `--no-gpg-sign` commit.

## Playwright Mapping Rule
**Test Scenario → `tests/e2e/test_chat_persistence.py`** (mock LLM, seeded KB):
1. `test_conversation_survives_reload` — ask → answer with source chip →
   `page.reload()` → both bubbles restored (text + chip href), empty
   state hidden.
2. `test_deflected_turn_restores_styling` — off-topic question →
   deflected answer → reload → amber bubble + "Maybe try" chips back.
3. `test_new_chat_clears_conversation` — with a conversation, "New
   chat" → messages gone, empty state + suggestions back, storage key
   cleared.
4. `test_persists_across_page_navigation` — ask → go to Sources → back
   to `/` → conversation still there.