A localStorage guard was covering the layout restore it wrapped

Plugin/unraid/include/node_chat.php

@@ -724,16 +724,21 @@ function vvNcInit(prefix, meshDefault) {
   }
 
   // Restore the expanded state before the first paint, so the card does not visibly resize.
-  try {
-    if (localStorage.getItem('vvNcBig:' + prefix) === '1') {
-      _vvNcBig = true;
-      _vvNcApplyBig();
-      // Bring the assistant along, so both halves start the session agreeing.
-      if (aiBtn && !aiBtn.classList.contains('vv-ai-grow-on')) {
-        _vvNcSyncing = true; aiBtn.click(); _vvNcSyncing = false;
-      }
+  //
+  // Only the storage read is guarded. The try used to wrap _vvNcApplyBig() and aiBtn.click()
+  // too, which meant a TypeError in either — or in any handler aiBtn.click() reaches — was
+  // caught here and read as "localStorage is blocked". The layout would silently fail to
+  // restore, with nothing in the console and no way to tell the two causes apart.
+  let _wantBig = false;
+  try { _wantBig = localStorage.getItem('vvNcBig:' + prefix) === '1'; } catch (_) {}
+  if (_wantBig) {
+    _vvNcBig = true;
+    _vvNcApplyBig();
+    // Bring the assistant along, so both halves start the session agreeing.
+    if (aiBtn && !aiBtn.classList.contains('vv-ai-grow-on')) {
+      _vvNcSyncing = true; aiBtn.click(); _vvNcSyncing = false;
     }
-  } catch (_) {}
+  }
   vvNcMode(want);
   vvNcChans();
   _vvNcSchedule();