diff --git a/assets/test_prelude.ld b/assets/test_prelude.ld
index 9e762fd..1a6271c 100644
--- a/assets/test_prelude.ld
+++ b/assets/test_prelude.ld
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ box console = []
 box input = ""
 box fetch_outbox = ""
 box fetch_inbox = ()
+box keys_down = []
 
 & the very base: know something's type
 fn type {
@@ -1282,19 +1283,39 @@ fn request_fetch! {
 	}
 }
 
-fn fetch! {
+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 () -> {
-			print! ("spawning fetch request in", self ())
-			request_fetch! (pid, url)
-		})
-		let out = receive {
+		spawn! (fn () -> request_fetch! (pid, url))
+		receive {
+			(:reply, response) -> response
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+fn input_reader! {
+	(pid as :keyword) -> {
+		if empty? (unbox (input))
+			then {
+				yield! ()
+				input_reader! (pid)
+			}
+			else {
+				send (pid, (:reply, unbox (input)))
+				store! (input, "")
+			}
+	}
+}
+
+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
 		}
-		print! ("received response: {out}")
-		out
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1309,16 +1330,18 @@ fn fetch! {
 	flush!
 
 	& wip actor functions
-	link!
+	& link!
 	
 	& shared memory w/ rust
 	console
 	input
 	fetch_outbox
 	fetch_inbox
+	keys_down
 	
 	& a fetch fn
-	fetch!
+	fetch
+	read_input
 
 	abs
 	abs
diff --git a/may_2025_thoughts.md b/may_2025_thoughts.md
index 2f5fe50..d870086 100644
--- a/may_2025_thoughts.md
+++ b/may_2025_thoughts.md
@@ -1196,14 +1196,14 @@ After that:
     - [x] `input`
         * [x] js->rust->ludus buffer (in Rust code)
         * [ ] ludus abstractions around this buffer (in Ludus code)
-    - [ ] `fetch`--request & response
-        * [ ] request: ludus->rust->js->net
-        * [ ] response: js->rust->ludus
+    - [x] `fetch`--request & response
+        * [x] request: ludus->rust->js->net
+        * [x] response: js->rust->ludus
     - [ ] `keyboard`
         * [ ] still working on how to represent this
 * [ ] hook this up to `web.ludus.dev`
 * [ ] do some integration testing
-    - [ ] do synchronous programs still work?
+    - [x] do synchronous programs still work?
     - [ ] animations?
     - [ ] read inputs?
     - [ ] load url text?
diff --git a/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm b/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm
index a764218..47ef0bf 100644
Binary files a/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm and b/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm differ
diff --git a/src/io.rs b/src/io.rs
index e6e2b2c..aba5248 100644
--- a/src/io.rs
+++ b/src/io.rs
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ pub async fn do_io (msgs: Vec<MsgOut>) -> Vec<MsgIn> {
         Err(_) => return vec![]
     };
     let inbox = inbox.as_string().expect("response should be a string");
-    log(format!("got a message: {inbox}"));
+    // log(format!("got a message: {inbox}"));
     let inbox: Vec<MsgIn> = serde_json::from_str(inbox.as_str()).expect("response from js should be valid");
     if !inbox.is_empty() {
         log("ludus received messages".to_string());