diff --git a/combat_ui.cpp b/combat_ui.cpp
index 524408a..bf31fd2 100644
--- a/combat_ui.cpp
+++ b/combat_ui.cpp
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ namespace gui {
         world.set<Sprite>(button, {"trash_button"});
         world.set<Clickable>(button,
             guecs::make_action(*$level.world, Events::GUI::ATTACK));
-        world.set<Textual>(button, {"Attack"});
+        world.set<Label>(button, {"Attack"});
       } else if(name.starts_with("bar_")) {
         $meter = $gui.entity(name);
         world.set<lel::Cell>($meter, cell);
diff --git a/constants.hpp b/constants.hpp
index 7d721b5..be4843e 100644
--- a/constants.hpp
+++ b/constants.hpp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ constexpr const int RAY_VIEW_Y=0;
 constexpr const bool VSYNC=false;
 constexpr const int FRAME_LIMIT=60;
 constexpr const int NUM_SPRITES=1;
-constexpr const int MAX_LOG_MESSAGES=20;
+constexpr const int MAX_LOG_MESSAGES=17;
 
 #ifdef NDEBUG
 constexpr const bool DEBUG_BUILD=false;
diff --git a/events.hpp b/events.hpp
index 0db8821..537845e 100644
--- a/events.hpp
+++ b/events.hpp
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 namespace Events {
   enum GUI {
     START, COMBAT, LOOT, DEATH, STAIRS_UP, STAIRS_DOWN, TRAP,
-    COMBAT_START, NO_NEIGHBORS, ATTACK
+    COMBAT_START, NO_NEIGHBORS, ATTACK, NOOP
   };
 
   struct Combat {
diff --git a/guecs.cpp b/guecs.cpp
index a545c5d..7a1410e 100644
--- a/guecs.cpp
+++ b/guecs.cpp
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ namespace guecs {
       text.init(cell, $font);
     });
 
+    $world.query<lel::Cell, Label>([this](auto, auto& cell, auto& text) {
+      text.init(cell, $font);
+    });
+
     $world.query<lel::Cell, Sprite>([&](auto, auto &cell, auto &sprite) {
         auto sprite_texture = textures.get(sprite.name);
         sprite.texture = sprite_texture.texture;
@@ -78,6 +82,10 @@ namespace guecs {
         window.draw(*sprite.sprite);
     });
 
+    $world.query<Label>([&](auto, auto& text) {
+        window.draw(*text.text);
+    });
+
     $world.query<Textual>([&](auto, auto& text) {
         window.draw(*text.text);
     });
diff --git a/guecs.hpp b/guecs.hpp
index 91ad747..864a947 100644
--- a/guecs.hpp
+++ b/guecs.hpp
@@ -12,15 +12,15 @@
 namespace guecs {
   using std::shared_ptr, std::make_shared;
 
-  struct Textual {
+  struct Label {
     std::string label;
+    unsigned int size = 30;
     shared_ptr<sf::Font> font = nullptr;
     shared_ptr<sf::Text> text = nullptr;
 
     void init(lel::Cell &cell, shared_ptr<sf::Font> font_ptr) {
-      font = font_ptr;
-      text = make_shared<sf::Text>(*font, label);
-
+      if(font == nullptr) font = font_ptr;
+      if(text == nullptr) text = make_shared<sf::Text>(*font, label, size);
       auto bounds = text->getLocalBounds();
       auto text_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
@@ -28,6 +28,25 @@ namespace guecs {
     }
   };
 
+  struct Textual {
+    std::string content;
+    unsigned int size = 30;
+    shared_ptr<sf::Font> font = nullptr;
+    shared_ptr<sf::Text> text = nullptr;
+
+    void init(lel::Cell &cell, shared_ptr<sf::Font> font_ptr) {
+      if(font == nullptr) font = font_ptr;
+      if(text == nullptr) text = make_shared<sf::Text>(*font, content, size);
+      text->setPosition({float(cell.x + 6), float(cell.y + 6)});
+      text->setCharacterSize(size);
+    }
+
+    void update(std::string& new_content) {
+      content = new_content;
+      text->setString(content);
+    }
+  };
+
   struct Clickable {
     std::function<void(DinkyECS::Entity ent, std::string &name)> action;
   };
diff --git a/gui.cpp b/gui.cpp
index 6711fe0..140effe 100644
--- a/gui.cpp
+++ b/gui.cpp
@@ -353,6 +353,7 @@ namespace gui {
   void FSM::mouse() {
     // need to sort out how this will be easier with multiple UIs
     $combat_view.$gui.mouse($window);
+    $status_view.$gui.mouse($window);
   }
 
   void FSM::generate_map() {
@@ -421,6 +422,9 @@ namespace gui {
           $rotation = 0;
           event(Event::ATTACK);
           break;
+        case eGUI::NOOP:
+          $status_view.log(fmt::format("NOOP EVENT! {},{}", evt, entity));
+          break;
         default:
           $status_view.log(fmt::format("INVALID EVENT! {},{}", evt, entity));
       }
diff --git a/status_ui.cpp b/status_ui.cpp
index b56ea75..c890c8d 100644
--- a/status_ui.cpp
+++ b/status_ui.cpp
@@ -10,16 +10,32 @@ namespace gui {
     $level(level)
   {
     $gui.position(STATUS_UI_X, STATUS_UI_Y, STATUS_UI_WIDTH, STATUS_UI_HEIGHT);
-    $gui.layout("[log_view]");
+    $gui.layout(
+        "[*%(100,200)log_view]"
+        "[_]"
+        "[button1 | button2 | button3]"
+        "[button4 | button5 | button6]"
+        );
   }
 
   void StatusUI::render(TexturePack &textures) {
     auto& world = $gui.world();
-    auto& cell = $gui.cells().at("log_view");
-    $log_to = $gui.entity("log_view");
-    world.set<lel::Cell>($log_to, cell);
-    world.set<Rectangle>($log_to, {});
-    world.set<Textual>($log_to, {"TEST"});
+
+    for(auto& [name, cell] : $gui.cells()) {
+      if(name == "log_view") {
+        $log_to = $gui.entity("log_view");
+        world.set<lel::Cell>($log_to, cell);
+        world.set<Rectangle>($log_to, {});
+        world.set<Textual>($log_to, {"Welcome to the Game!", 20});
+      } else {
+        auto button = $gui.entity(name);
+        world.set<lel::Cell>(button, cell);
+        world.set<Rectangle>(button, {});
+        world.set<Label>(button, {name});
+        world.set<Clickable>(button,
+            guecs::make_action(*$level.world, Events::GUI::NOOP));
+      }
+    }
 
     $gui.init(textures);
   }
@@ -28,13 +44,10 @@ namespace gui {
     auto &world = $gui.world();
     auto &text = world.get<Textual>($log_to);
     std::string log;
-
     for(auto msg : $messages) {
       log += msg + "\n";
     }
-
-    text.label = log;
-
+    text.update(log);
     $gui.render(window);
   }