diff --git a/assets/test_prelude.ld b/assets/test_prelude.ld
index 85e2809..30ac191 100644
--- a/assets/test_prelude.ld
+++ b/assets/test_prelude.ld
@@ -1014,6 +1014,108 @@ fn assert! {
 		else panic! "Assert failed: {msg} with {value}"
 }
 
+
+&&& processes: doing more than one thing
+fn self {
+	"Returns the current process's pid, as a keyword."
+	() -> base :process (:self)
+}
+
+fn send {
+	"Sends a message to the specified process and returns the message."
+	(pid as :keyword, msg) -> {
+		base :process (:send, pid, msg)
+		msg
+	}
+}
+
+fn spawn! {
+	"Spawns a process. Takes a 0-argument (nullary) function that will be executed as the new process. Returns a keyword process ID (pid) of the newly spawned process."
+	(f as :fn) -> base :process (:spawn, f)
+}
+
+fn yield! {
+	"Forces a process to yield."
+	() -> base :process (:yield)
+}
+
+fn alive? {
+	"Tells if the passed keyword is the id for a live process."
+	(pid as :keyword) -> base :process (:alive, pid)
+}
+
+fn link! {
+	"Creates a link between two processes. There are two types of links: `:report`, which sends a message to pid1 when pid2 dies; and `:panic`, which causes a panic in one when the other dies. The default is `:report`."
+	(pid1 as :keyword, pid2 as :keyword) -> link! (pid1, pid2, :report)
+	(pid1 as :keyword, pid2 as :keyword, :report) -> base :process (:link_report, pid1, pid2)
+	(pid1 as :keyword, pid2 as :keyword, :panic) -> base :process (:link_panic, pid1, pid2)
+}
+
+fn flush! {
+	"Clears the current process's mailbox and returns all the messages."
+	() -> base :process (:flush)
+}
+
+fn sleep! {
+	"Puts the current process to sleep for at least the specified number of milliseconds."
+	(ms as :number) -> base :process (:sleep, ms)
+}
+
+& TODO: make this more robust, to handle multiple pending requests w/o data races
+fn request_fetch! {
+	(pid as :keyword, url as :string) -> {
+		store! (fetch_outbox, url)
+		request_fetch! (pid)
+	} 
+	(pid as :keyword) -> {
+		if empty? (unbox (fetch_inbox))
+			then {
+				yield! ()
+				request_fetch! (pid)
+			}
+			else {
+				send (pid, (:reply, unbox (fetch_inbox)))
+				store! (fetch_inbox, ())
+			}
+	}
+}
+
+fn fetch {
+	"Requests the contents of the URL passed in. Returns a result tuple of `(:ok, {contents})` or `(:err, {status code})`."
+	(url) -> {
+		let pid = self ()
+		spawn! (fn () -> request_fetch! (pid, url))
+		receive {
+			(:reply, response) -> response
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+fn input_reader! {
+	(pid as :keyword) -> {
+		if do input > unbox > not
+			then {
+				yield! ()
+				input_reader! (pid)
+			}
+			else {
+				send (pid, (:reply, unbox (input)))
+				store! (input, nil)
+			}
+	}
+}
+
+fn read_input {
+	"Waits until there is input in the input buffer, and returns it once there is."
+	() -> {
+		let pid = self ()
+		spawn! (fn () -> input_reader! (pid))
+		receive {
+			(:reply, response) -> response
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 &&& Turtle & other graphics
 
 & some basic colors
@@ -1180,6 +1282,46 @@ fn loadstate! {
 	}
 }
 
+fn turtle_listener () -> {
+	receive {
+		(:forward!, steps as :number) -> add_command! (self (), (:forward, steps))
+		(:back!, steps as :number) -> add_command! (self (), (:back, steps))
+		(:left!, turns as :number) -> add_command! (self (), (:left, turns))
+		(:right!, turns as :number) -> add_command! (self (), (:right, turns))
+		(:penup!) -> add_command!(self (), (:penup))
+		(:pendown!) -> add_command! (self (), (:pendown))
+		(:pencolor!, color as :keyword) -> add_command! (self (), (:pencolor, color))
+		(:pencolor!, gray as :number) -> add_command! (self (), (:pencolor, (gray, gray, gray, 255)))
+		(:pencolor!, (r as :number, g as :number, b as :number)) -> add_command! (self (), (:pencolor, (r, g, b, 255)))
+		(:pencolor!, (r as :number, g as :number, b as :number, a as :number)) -> add_command! (self (), (:pencolor, (r, g, b, a)))
+		(:penwidth!, width as :number) -> add_command! (self (), (:penwidth, width))
+		(:home!) -> add_command! (self (), (:home))
+		(:goto!, x as :number, y as :number) -> add_command! (self (), (:goto, (x, y)))
+		(:goto!, (x as :number, y as :number)) -> add_command! (self (), (:goto, (x, y)))
+		(:show!) -> add_command! (self (), (:show))
+		(:hide!) -> add_command! (self (), (:hide))
+		(:loadstate!, state) -> {
+			let #{position, heading, pendown?, pencolor, penwidth, visible?} = state
+			add_command! (self (), (:loadstate, position, heading, visible?, pendown?, penwidth, pencolor))
+
+		}
+		(:pencolor, pid) -> send (pid, (:reply, do turtle_states > unbox > self () > :pencolor))
+		(:position, pid) -> send (pid, (:reply, do turtle_states > unbox > self () > :position))
+		(:penwidth, pid) -> send (pid, (:reply, do turtle_states > unbox > self () > :penwidth))
+		(:heading, pid) -> send (pid, (:reply, do turtle_states > unbox > self () > :heading))
+		does_not_understand -> {
+			let pid = self ()
+			panic! "{pid} does not understand message: {does_not_understand}"
+		}
+	}
+	turtle_listener ()
+}
+
+fn spawn_turtle! {
+	"Spawns a new turtle in a new process. Methods on the turtle process mirror those of turtle graphics functions in prelude. Returns the pid of the new turtle."
+	() -> spawn! (fn () -> turtle_listener ())
+}
+
 fn apply_command {
 	"Takes a turtle state and a command and calculates a new state."
 	(state, command) -> {
@@ -1217,9 +1359,8 @@ fn apply_command {
 		}}
 }
 
-& position () -> (x, y)
 fn position {
-	"Returns the turtle's current position."
+	"Returns the turtle's current position as an `(x, y)` vector tuple."
 	() -> do turtle_states > unbox > :turtle_0 > :position
 }
 
@@ -1245,6 +1386,7 @@ fn penwidth {
 	() -> do turtle_states > unbox > :turtle_0 > :penwidth
 }
 
+
 &&& fake some lispisms with tuples
 fn cons {
 	"Old-timey lisp `cons`. `Cons`tructs a tuple out of two arguments."
@@ -1266,108 +1408,6 @@ fn llist {
 	(...xs) -> foldr (cons, xs, nil)
 }
 
-&&& processes
-fn self {
-	"Returns the current process's pid, as a keyword."
-	() -> base :process (:self)
-}
-
-fn send {
-	"Sends a message to the specified process and returns the message."
-	(pid as :keyword, msg) -> {
-		base :process (:send, pid, msg)
-		msg
-	}
-}
-
-fn spawn! {
-	"Spawns a process. Takes a 0-argument (nullary) function that will be executed as the new process. Returns a keyword process ID (pid) of the newly spawned process."
-	(f as :fn) -> base :process (:spawn, f)
-}
-
-fn yield! {
-	"Forces a process to yield."
-	() -> base :process (:yield)
-}
-
-& TODO: implement these in the VM
-fn alive? {
-	"Tells if the passed keyword is the id for a live process."
-	(pid as :keyword) -> base :process (:alive, pid)
-}
-
-fn link! {
-	"Creates a link between two processes. There are two types of links: `:report`, which sends a message to pid1 when pid2 dies; and `:panic`, which causes a panic in one when the other dies. The default is `:report`."
-	(pid1 as :keyword, pid2 as :keyword) -> link! (pid1, pid2, :report)
-	(pid1 as :keyword, pid2 as :keyword, :report) -> base :process (:link_report, pid1, pid2)
-	(pid1 as :keyword, pid2 as :keyword, :panic) -> base :process (:link_panic, pid1, pid2)
-}
-
-fn flush! {
-	"Clears the current process's mailbox and returns all the messages."
-	() -> base :process (:flush)
-}
-
-fn sleep! {
-	"Puts the current process to sleep for at least the specified number of milliseconds."
-	(ms as :number) -> base :process (:sleep, ms)
-}
-
-& TODO: make this more robust, to handle multiple pending requests w/o data races
-fn request_fetch! {
-	(pid as :keyword, url as :string) -> {
-		store! (fetch_outbox, url)
-		request_fetch! (pid)
-	} 
-	(pid as :keyword) -> {
-		if empty? (unbox (fetch_inbox))
-			then {
-				yield! ()
-				request_fetch! (pid)
-			}
-			else {
-				send (pid, (:reply, unbox (fetch_inbox)))
-				store! (fetch_inbox, ())
-			}
-	}
-}
-
-fn fetch {
-	"Requests the contents of the URL passed in. Returns a result tuple of `(:ok, {contents})` or `(:err, {status code})`."
-	(url) -> {
-		let pid = self ()
-		spawn! (fn () -> request_fetch! (pid, url))
-		receive {
-			(:reply, response) -> response
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-fn input_reader! {
-	(pid as :keyword) -> {
-		if do input > unbox > not
-			then {
-				yield! ()
-				input_reader! (pid)
-			}
-			else {
-				send (pid, (:reply, unbox (input)))
-				store! (input, nil)
-			}
-	}
-}
-
-fn read_input {
-	"Waits until there is input in the input buffer, and returns it once there is."
-	() -> {
-		let pid = self ()
-		spawn! (fn () -> input_reader! (pid))
-		receive {
-			(:reply, response) -> response
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 #{
 	& completed actor functions
 	self
@@ -1380,6 +1420,7 @@ fn read_input {
 
 	& wip actor functions
 	& link!
+	spawn_turtle!
 	
 	& shared memory w/ rust
 	& `box`es are actually way cool
diff --git a/pkg/ludus.js b/pkg/ludus.js
index f7fa38f..b215078 100644
--- a/pkg/ludus.js
+++ b/pkg/ludus.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-if (window) window.ludus = {run, kill, flush_stdout, stdout, p5, new_p5, svg, flush_commands, commands, result, flush_result, input, is_running, key_down, key_up, is_starting_up}
+if (window) window.ludus = {run, kill, flush_stdout, stdout, p5, svg, flush_commands, commands, result, flush_result, input, is_running, key_down, key_up, is_starting_up}
 
 const worker_url = new URL("worker.js", import.meta.url)
 const worker = new Worker(worker_url, {type: "module"})
@@ -440,6 +440,7 @@ function svg_render_turtle (state) {
     `
 }
 
+// TODO: update this to match the new `p5` function
 export function svg (commands) {
   // console.log(commands)
   const states = [turtle_init]
@@ -509,32 +510,32 @@ function p5_render_turtle (state, calls) {
   return calls
 }
 
-export function p5 (commands) {
-  const states = [turtle_init]
-  commands.reduce((prev_state, command) => {
-    const new_state = command_to_state(prev_state, command)
-    states.push(new_state)
-    return new_state
-  }, turtle_init)
-  // console.log(states)
-  const [r, g, b, _] = resolve_color(background_color)  
-  if ((r + g + b)/3 > 128) turtle_color = [0, 0, 0, 150]
-  const p5_calls = [...p5_call_root()]
-  for (let i = 1; i < states.length; ++i) {
-    const prev = states[i - 1]
-    const curr = states[i]
-    const calls = states_to_call(prev, curr)
-    for (const call of calls) {
-      p5_calls.push(call)
-    }
-  }
-  p5_calls[0] = ["background", ...resolve_color(background_color)]
-  p5_render_turtle(states[states.length - 1], p5_calls)
-  p5_calls.push(["pop"])
-  return p5_calls
-}
+// export function p5 (commands) {
+//   const states = [turtle_init]
+//   commands.reduce((prev_state, command) => {
+//     const new_state = command_to_state(prev_state, command)
+//     states.push(new_state)
+//     return new_state
+//   }, turtle_init)
+//   // console.log(states)
+//   const [r, g, b, _] = resolve_color(background_color)  
+//   if ((r + g + b)/3 > 128) turtle_color = [0, 0, 0, 150]
+//   const p5_calls = [...p5_call_root()]
+//   for (let i = 1; i < states.length; ++i) {
+//     const prev = states[i - 1]
+//     const curr = states[i]
+//     const calls = states_to_call(prev, curr)
+//     for (const call of calls) {
+//       p5_calls.push(call)
+//     }
+//   }
+//   p5_calls[0] = ["background", ...resolve_color(background_color)]
+//   p5_render_turtle(states[states.length - 1], p5_calls)
+//   p5_calls.push(["pop"])
+//   return p5_calls
+// }
 
-export function new_p5 (commands) {
+export function p5 (commands) {
   const all_states = {}
   commands.reduce((prev_state, command) => {
     const [turtle_id, new_state] = command_to_state(prev_state, command)
@@ -546,7 +547,6 @@ export function new_p5 (commands) {
   if ((r + g + b)/3 > 128) turtle_color = [0, 0, 0, 150]
   const p5_calls = [...p5_call_root()]
   for (const states of Object.values(all_states)) {
-    console.log(states)
     for (let i = 1; i < states.length; ++i) {
       const prev = states[i - 1]
       const curr = states[i]
diff --git a/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm b/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm
index b169fcd..fa4203e 100644
Binary files a/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm and b/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm differ