diff --git a/combat_ui.cpp b/combat_ui.cpp
index 3f9cea6..dbbd7b3 100644
--- a/combat_ui.cpp
+++ b/combat_ui.cpp
@@ -17,20 +17,24 @@ namespace gui {
 
   void CombatUI::render() {
     for(auto& [name, cell] : $layout.cells) {
-      sf::RectangleShape button;
-      button.setPosition({float(cell.x + 10), float(cell.y + 10)});
-      button.setSize({float(cell.w - 20), float(cell.h - 20)});
-      button.setFillColor({100, 100, 100});
-      button.setOutlineColor({200, 200, 200});
-      button.setOutlineThickness(5);
-      $shapes.insert_or_assign(name, button);
-
-      sf::Text label($font, name);
-      auto bounds = label.getLocalBounds();
-      auto label_cell = lel::center(bounds.size.x, bounds.size.y, cell);
-      // this stupid / 2 is because SFML renders from baseline rather than from the claimed bounding box
-      label.setPosition({float(label_cell.x), float(label_cell.y) - label_cell.h / 2});
-      $labels.push_back(label);
+      sf::RectangleShape shape;
+      shape.setPosition({float(cell.x + 3), float(cell.y + 3)});
+      shape.setSize({float(cell.w - 6), float(cell.h - 6)});
+      shape.setFillColor({100, 100, 100});
+
+      if(name.starts_with("button_")) {
+        shape.setOutlineColor({200, 200, 200});
+        shape.setOutlineThickness(1);
+
+        sf::Text label($font, name);
+        auto bounds = label.getLocalBounds();
+        auto label_cell = lel::center(bounds.size.x, bounds.size.y, cell);
+        // this stupid / 2 is because SFML renders from baseline rather than from the claimed bounding box
+        label.setPosition({float(label_cell.x), float(label_cell.y) - label_cell.h / 2});
+        $labels.push_back(label);
+      }
+
+      $shapes.insert_or_assign(name, shape);
     }
   }
 
@@ -50,8 +54,10 @@ namespace gui {
 
   void CombatUI::click(int x, int y) {
     if(auto name = $layout.hit(x, y)) {
-      auto& shape = $shapes.at(*name);
-      shape.setFillColor({100, 0, 0});
+      if((*name).starts_with("button_")) {
+        auto& shape = $shapes.at(*name);
+        shape.setFillColor({100, 0, 0});
+      }
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/combat_ui.hpp b/combat_ui.hpp
index 49a1e03..4416628 100644
--- a/combat_ui.hpp
+++ b/combat_ui.hpp
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ namespace gui {
   class CombatUI {
     public:
       std::string $grid =
-        "[hp | ap ]"
-        "[attack1 | attack2 | attack3 | heal]";
+        "[*%(100,150)button_attack1 | *%(100,150)button_attack2 | *%(100,150)button_attack3 | *%(100,150)button_heal]"
+        "[*%.(200,50)bar_hp | _ | %.(100,50)bar_ap ]";
       lel::Parser $layout;
       GameLevel $level;
       sf::Font $font;
diff --git a/lel.cpp b/lel.cpp
index 8fca207..52cc236 100644
--- a/lel.cpp
+++ b/lel.cpp
@@ -17,12 +17,13 @@ namespace lel {
   }
 
   void Parser::id(std::string name) {
-    dbc::check(!cells.contains(name),
-        fmt::format("duplicate cell name {}", name));
-    cells.insert_or_assign(name, cur);
+    if(name != "_") {
+      dbc::check(!cells.contains(name),
+          fmt::format("duplicate cell name {}", name));
+      cells.insert_or_assign(name, cur);
+    }
 
     cur = {cur.col + 1, cur.row};
-
     auto& row = grid.back();
     row.push_back(name);
   }
@@ -32,8 +33,10 @@ namespace lel {
     int cell_height = grid_h / rows;
 
     for(auto& row : grid) {
+      size_t columns = row.size();
+
       for(auto& name : row) {
-        size_t columns = row.size();
+        if(name == "_") continue;
         auto& cell = cells.at(name);
 
         int cell_width = grid_w / columns;
diff --git a/tests/lel.cpp b/tests/lel.cpp
index 2254d13..2bd3088 100644
--- a/tests/lel.cpp
+++ b/tests/lel.cpp
@@ -23,13 +23,17 @@ TEST_CASE("test basic ops", "[lel]") {
 
     for(size_t colcount = 0; colcount < row.size(); colcount++) {
       auto &name = row[colcount];
-      auto &cell = parser.cells.at(name);
-      REQUIRE(cell.row == int(rowcount));
-      REQUIRE(cell.col == int(colcount));
+      if(name == "_") {
+        REQUIRE(!parser.cells.contains(name));
+      } else {
+        auto &cell = parser.cells.at(name);
+        REQUIRE(cell.row == int(rowcount));
+        REQUIRE(cell.col == int(colcount));
+      }
     }
   }
 
-  REQUIRE(parser.cells.size() == 12);
+  REQUIRE(parser.cells.size() == 11);
   REQUIRE(parser.cells.at("label2").right == true);
   REQUIRE(parser.cells.at("text1").expand == true);
   REQUIRE(parser.cells.at("text1").w == 300);