diff --git a/boss/fight.cpp b/boss/fight.cpp
index 1944f07..d90b40b 100644
--- a/boss/fight.cpp
+++ b/boss/fight.cpp
@@ -128,11 +128,14 @@ namespace boss {
       case BattleHostState::disagree: {
         std::string player_move = Random::uniform(0, 1) == 0 ? "player1" : "player3";
         $ui.move_actor("player", player_move);
+        if(result.player_did > 0) $ui.animate_actor("player");
         $ui.damage("boss", result.player_did);
       } break;
       case BattleHostState::not_host: {
         std::string boss_move = Random::uniform(0, 1) == 0 ? "boss5" : "boss6";
+
         $ui.move_actor("boss", boss_move);
+        if(result.enemy_did > 0) $ui.animate_actor("boss");
         $ui.damage("player", result.enemy_did);
       } break;
       case BattleHostState::out_of_ap:
@@ -154,7 +157,7 @@ namespace boss {
 
   void Fight::render(sf::RenderWindow& window) {
     $ui.play_animations();
-    $ui.render(window);
+    $ui.render();
   }
 
   bool Fight::handle_mouse(game::Event ev) {
@@ -196,6 +199,7 @@ namespace boss {
 
   void Fight::set_window(sf::RenderWindow* window) {
     $window = window;
+    $ui.set_window(window);
   }
 
   bool Fight::handle_keyboard_mouse() {
diff --git a/boss/ui.cpp b/boss/ui.cpp
index 9e423ad..ea26c91 100644
--- a/boss/ui.cpp
+++ b/boss/ui.cpp
@@ -71,14 +71,18 @@ namespace boss {
     $actions.show_text("stats", status);
   }
 
-  void UI::render(sf::RenderWindow& window) {
-    $actions.render(window);
-    $combat_ui.render(window);
+  void UI::set_window(sf::RenderWindow* window) {
+    $window = window;
+  }
+
+  void UI::render() {
+    $actions.render(*$window);
+    $combat_ui.render(*$window);
 
     $arena.render($view_texture);
     $camera.render($view_texture);
     $view_texture.display();
-    window.draw($view_sprite);
+    $window->draw($view_sprite);
   }
 
   bool UI::mouse(float x, float y, Modifiers mods) {
@@ -105,16 +109,12 @@ namespace boss {
   }
 
   void UI::damage(const std::string& actor, int amount) {
-    auto& config = $arena.actor_config(actor);
-
+    // BUG: the $arena should really do this
     if(amount == 0) {
-      $arena.$ui.show_text(config.cell,
-          fmt::format(L"{} MISSED!", guecs::to_wstring(actor)));
+      $arena.attach_text(actor, "MISS!");
     } else {
-      $arena.$ui.show_text(config.cell,
-          fmt::format(L"{} HIT {}!", guecs::to_wstring(actor), amount));
+      $arena.attach_text(actor, "HIT!");
     }
-
   }
 
   void UI::zoom(const std::string &cell_name, double ratio) {
diff --git a/boss/ui.hpp b/boss/ui.hpp
index 5ddf83c..f7a9dd5 100644
--- a/boss/ui.hpp
+++ b/boss/ui.hpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ namespace boss {
   using std::shared_ptr;
 
   struct UI {
+    sf::RenderWindow* $window = nullptr;
     shared_ptr<DinkyECS::World> $world = nullptr;
     DinkyECS::Entity $boss_id = DinkyECS::NONE;
     DinkyECS::Entity $player_id = DinkyECS::NONE;
@@ -31,7 +32,8 @@ namespace boss {
     UI(shared_ptr<DinkyECS::World> world, DinkyECS::Entity boss_id, DinkyECS::Entity player_id);
 
     void init();
-    void render(sf::RenderWindow& window);
+    void set_window(sf::RenderWindow* window);
+    void render();
     bool mouse(float x, float y, guecs::Modifiers mods);
     void status(const std::wstring& msg, const std::wstring &button_msg);
     void move_actor(const std::string& actor, const std::string& cell_name);
diff --git a/scene.cpp b/scene.cpp
index c602393..bb0911a 100644
--- a/scene.cpp
+++ b/scene.cpp
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 const bool DEBUG=false;
 
 namespace scene {
-   Element config_scene_element(nlohmann::json& config, bool and_play, bool duped) {
+   Element Engine::config_scene_element(nlohmann::json& config, bool and_play, bool duped) {
       std::string sprite_name = config["sprite"];
       auto st = textures::get_sprite(sprite_name, duped);
 
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ namespace scene {
 
       bool at_mid = config["at_mid"];
 
-      return {name, st, anim, cell, scale_x, scale_y, x, y, at_mid, flipped};
+      sf::Text text(*$ui.$font, "", 60);
+
+      return {name, st, anim, cell, scale_x, scale_y, x, y, at_mid, flipped, text};
   }
 
   Engine::Engine(components::AnimatedScene& scene) :
@@ -68,6 +70,16 @@ namespace scene {
     }
   }
 
+  void Engine::attach_text(const std::string& actor, const std::string& text) {
+    auto& element = actor_config(actor);
+    element.text.setPosition(element.pos);
+    element.text.setScale({element.scale_x, element.scale_y});
+    element.text.setFillColor(sf::Color::Red);
+    element.text.setOutlineThickness(2.0f);
+    element.text.setOutlineColor(sf::Color::Black);
+    element.text.setString(text);
+  }
+
   bool Engine::mouse(float x, float y, guecs::Modifiers mods) {
     return $ui.mouse(x, y, mods);
   }
@@ -77,12 +89,15 @@ namespace scene {
 
     for(auto& fixture : $fixtures) {
       window.draw(*fixture.st.sprite);
+      window.draw(fixture.text);
     }
 
     for(auto& actor : $actors) {
        window.draw(*actor.st.sprite);
+       window.draw(actor.text);
     }
 
+
     if(DEBUG) $ui.debug_layout(window);
   }
 
@@ -105,12 +120,16 @@ namespace scene {
     for(auto& fixture : $fixtures) {
       if(fixture.anim.playing) {
         fixture.anim.apply(*fixture.st.sprite, fixture.pos);
+        fixture.text.setPosition(fixture.pos);
+        fixture.text.setScale({fixture.scale_x, fixture.scale_y});
       }
     }
 
     for(auto& actor : $actors) {
       if(actor.anim.playing) {
         actor.anim.apply(*actor.st.sprite, actor.pos);
+        actor.text.setPosition(actor.pos);
+        actor.text.setScale({actor.scale_x, actor.scale_y});
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/scene.hpp b/scene.hpp
index e1a010a..bc3d840 100644
--- a/scene.hpp
+++ b/scene.hpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ namespace scene {
     float y = 0;
     bool at_mid=false;
     bool flipped=false;
+    sf::Text text;
     sf::Vector2f pos{0,0};
   };
 
@@ -37,6 +38,8 @@ namespace scene {
     void init();
     void render(sf::RenderTarget& window);
     bool mouse(float x, float y, guecs::Modifiers mods);
+    void attach_text(const std::string& actor, const std::string& text);
+    Element config_scene_element(nlohmann::json& config, bool and_play, bool duped);
 
     sf::Vector2f position_sprite(textures::SpriteTexture& st, const std::string& cell_name, float scale_x, float scale_y, bool at_mid, float x_diff=0.0f, float y_diff=0.0f);