new core.middleware sets cookie for scroll timestamp view to local browser time, w. new corresponding tests in core.tests.UTs.test_middleware; apps.lyric.templatetags.lyric_extras determines timestamp format based on duration elapsed since timestamp; apps.bill.tests.ITs.test_views renamed, now also asserts scroll renders event body and time in columns

src/apps/billboard/tests/integrated/test_views.py

@@ -143,6 +143,11 @@ class BillscrollViewTest(TestCase):
         response = self.client.get(f"/billboard/room/{self.room.id}/scroll/")
         self.assertEqual(response.context["scroll_position"], 250)
 
+    def test_scroll_renders_event_body_and_time_columns(self):
+        response = self.client.get(f"/billboard/room/{self.room.id}/scroll/")
+        self.assertContains(response, 'class="drama-event-body"')
+        self.assertContains(response, 'class="drama-event-time"')
+
 
 class SaveScrollPositionTest(TestCase):
     def setUp(self):

src/apps/lyric/templatetags/lyric_extras.py

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from django import template
+from django.utils import dateformat, timezone
 
 register = template.Library()
 
@@ -17,6 +18,29 @@ def truncate_email(email):
     
     return local + "@" + domain_name + "." + domain_tld
 
+@register.filter
+def relative_ts(dt):
+    """Return a compact relative timestamp string for a datetime value.
+
+    < 24 h  → "3:07 a.m."
+    < 7 d   → "Thu"
+    < 1 y   → "07 Mar"
+    ≥ 1 y   → "07 Mar 2025"
+    """
+    if dt is None:
+        return ""
+    local_dt = timezone.localtime(dt)
+    diff = timezone.now() - dt
+    if diff.total_seconds() < 86400:
+        return dateformat.format(local_dt, "g:i a")
+    elif diff.days < 7:
+        return dateformat.format(local_dt, "D")
+    elif diff.days < 365:
+        return dateformat.format(local_dt, "d M")
+    else:
+        return dateformat.format(local_dt, "d M Y")
+
+
 @register.filter
 def display_name(user):
     if user is None:

src/core/middleware.py

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import zoneinfo
+
+from django.utils import timezone
+
+
+class TimezoneMiddleware:
+    """Activate the user's local timezone from the ``user_tz`` cookie.
+
+    The cookie is set client-side via ``Intl.DateTimeFormat().resolvedOptions().timeZone``
+    on every page load, so it reflects the browser's OS timezone rather than
+    the server's configured TIME_ZONE.  Invalid or absent cookies fall back to
+    Django's default (UTC).
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, get_response):
+        self.get_response = get_response
+
+    def __call__(self, request):
+        tz_name = request.COOKIES.get("user_tz")
+        if tz_name:
+            try:
+                timezone.activate(zoneinfo.ZoneInfo(tz_name))
+            except (zoneinfo.ZoneInfoNotFoundError, KeyError):
+                timezone.deactivate()
+        else:
+            timezone.deactivate()
+        response = self.get_response(request)
+        timezone.deactivate()
+        return response

src/core/settings.py

@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ MIDDLEWARE = [
     'django.middleware.security.SecurityMiddleware',
     'whitenoise.middleware.WhiteNoiseMiddleware',
     'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware',
+    'core.middleware.TimezoneMiddleware',
     'django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware',
     'django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware',
     'django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware',

src/core/tests/unit/test_middleware.py

@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+from django.http import HttpResponse
+from django.test import RequestFactory, SimpleTestCase
+from django.utils import timezone
+
+from core.middleware import TimezoneMiddleware
+
+
+class TimezoneMiddlewareTest(SimpleTestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.factory = RequestFactory()
+        self.middleware = TimezoneMiddleware(lambda r: HttpResponse())
+
+    def test_activates_valid_timezone_from_cookie(self):
+        captured = {}
+
+        def get_response(request):
+            captured["tz"] = str(timezone.get_current_timezone())
+            return HttpResponse()
+
+        middleware = TimezoneMiddleware(get_response)
+        request = self.factory.get("/")
+        request.COOKIES["user_tz"] = "America/New_York"
+        middleware(request)
+        self.assertEqual(captured["tz"], "America/New_York")
+
+    def test_deactivates_after_response(self):
+        # Timezone activation must not leak into subsequent requests
+        request = self.factory.get("/")
+        request.COOKIES["user_tz"] = "America/New_York"
+        self.middleware(request)
+        self.assertEqual(str(timezone.get_current_timezone()), "UTC")
+
+    def test_invalid_timezone_cookie_does_not_raise(self):
+        request = self.factory.get("/")
+        request.COOKIES["user_tz"] = "Not/ATimezone"
+        self.middleware(request)  # must not raise
+
+    def test_missing_cookie_does_not_raise(self):
+        request = self.factory.get("/")
+        self.middleware(request)  # must not raise

src/functional_tests/test_billboard.py

@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
+import datetime
+import re
 import time
 
+from django.utils import timezone
 from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By
 
 from .base import FunctionalTest
@@ -284,3 +287,68 @@ class BillscrollAppletsTest(FunctionalTest):
             lambda: self.browser.find_element(By.ID, "id_drama_scroll")
         )
         self.assertIn("Coin-on-a-String", scroll.text)
+
+
+class BillscrollEntryLayoutTest(FunctionalTest):
+    """
+    FT: each drama entry renders as a 90/10 row — event body at 90%,
+    relative timestamp at 10%; timestamp text format varies with age.
+    """
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        super().setUp()
+        self.founder = User.objects.create(email="founder@layout.io")
+        self.room = Room.objects.create(name="Layout Chamber", owner=self.founder)
+        # A fresh (< 24 h) event — timestamp is auto_now_add so always recent
+        record(
+            self.room, GameEvent.SLOT_FILLED, actor=self.founder,
+            slot_number=1, token_type="coin",
+            token_display="Fresh Coin", renewal_days=7,
+        )
+        # An old (> 1 year) event — backdate via queryset update to bypass auto_now_add
+        old = record(
+            self.room, GameEvent.SLOT_FILLED, actor=self.founder,
+            slot_number=2, token_type="coin",
+            token_display="Ancient Coin", renewal_days=7,
+        )
+        GameEvent.objects.filter(pk=old.pk).update(
+            timestamp=timezone.now() - datetime.timedelta(days=400)
+        )
+
+    def _go_to_scroll(self):
+        self.create_pre_authenticated_session("founder@layout.io")
+        self.browser.get(
+            self.live_server_url + f"/billboard/room/{self.room.id}/scroll/"
+        )
+        return self.wait_for(
+            lambda: self.browser.find_elements(By.CSS_SELECTOR, ".drama-event")
+        )
+
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------ #
+    # Test 1 — each entry has a body column and a time column             #
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------ #
+
+    def test_each_drama_entry_has_body_and_time_columns(self):
+        events = self._go_to_scroll()
+        self.assertEqual(len(events), 2)
+        for event_el in events:
+            event_el.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, ".drama-event-body")
+            event_el.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, ".drama-event-time")
+
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------ #
+    # Test 2 — recent entry timestamp shows HH:MM a.m./p.m.              #
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------ #
+
+    def test_recent_event_shows_time_format(self):
+        events = self._go_to_scroll()
+        recent_ts = events[0].find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, ".drama-event-time")
+        self.assertRegex(recent_ts.text, r"\d+:\d+\s+[ap]\.m\.")
+
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------ #
+    # Test 3 — entry > 1 year old shows DD Mon YYYY                       #
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------ #
+
+    def test_old_event_shows_date_with_year(self):
+        events = self._go_to_scroll()
+        old_ts = events[1].find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, ".drama-event-time")
+        self.assertRegex(old_ts.text, r"\d{2}\s+[A-Z][a-z]{2}\s+\d{4}")

src/static_src/scss/_billboard.scss

@@ -131,6 +131,24 @@ body.page-billscroll {
     }
 }
 
+// ── Drama event entries: 90 / 10 column split ─────────────────────────────
+
+.drama-event {
+    display: flex;
+    align-items: baseline;
+
+    .drama-event-body {
+        flex: 0 0 80%;
+    }
+
+    .drama-event-time {
+        flex: 0 0 20%;
+        font-size: 0.75rem;
+        opacity: 0.5;
+        text-align: right;
+    }
+}
+
 // ── My Scrolls list ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 #id_applet_billboard_my_scrolls {

src/templates/core/_partials/_scroll.html

@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@
 <section id="id_drama_scroll" class="drama-scroll" data-scroll-position="{{ scroll_position|default:0 }}">
     {% for event in events %}
         <div class="drama-event {% if event.actor == viewer %}mine{% else %}theirs{% endif %}">
-            <span class="event-body">
+            <span class="drama-event-body">
                 <strong>{{ event.actor|display_name }}</strong>
-                {{ event.to_prose }}<br>
-                <time class="event-time" datetime="{{ event.timestamp|date:'c' }}">
-                    {{ event.timestamp|date:"N j, g:i a" }}
-                </time>
+                {{ event.to_prose }}
             </span>
+            <time class="drama-event-time" datetime="{{ event.timestamp|date:'c' }}">
+                {{ event.timestamp|relative_ts }}
+            </time>
         </div>
     {% empty %}
         <p class="event-empty"><small>No events yet.</small></p>

src/templates/core/base.html

@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@
         <script src="{% static "apps/applets/applets.js" %}"></script>
         <script src="{% static "apps/dashboard/game-kit.js" %}"></script>
         <script>
+            document.cookie = 'user_tz=' + Intl.DateTimeFormat().resolvedOptions().timeZone + '; path=/; SameSite=Lax';
             document.body.addEventListener('htmx:configRequest', function(evt) {
                 evt.detail.headers['X-CSRFToken'] = getCookie('csrftoken');
             });