diff --git a/ansi_parser.cpp b/ansi_parser.cpp
index 4fc4228..7380bc7 100644
--- a/ansi_parser.cpp
+++ b/ansi_parser.cpp
@@ -87,26 +87,39 @@ static const int foo_en_main = 19;
 
 #line 84 "ansi_parser.rl"
 
-bool parse_ansi(std::wstring_view codes, sf::Color default_fg, sf::Color default_bg, WriteCB write) {
+
+ANSIParser::ANSIParser(sf::Color default_fg, sf::Color default_bg) :
+  $default_fg(default_fg),
+  $default_bg(default_bg)
+{
+
+}
+
+bool ANSIParser::parse(const std::string &screen, WriteCB write) {
+  std::wstring screen_utf8 = $converter.from_bytes(screen);
+  return parse(screen_utf8, write);
+}
+
+bool ANSIParser::parse(std::wstring_view codes, WriteCB write) {
   const wchar_t *start = NULL;
   int cs = 0;
   unsigned int value = 0;
   const wchar_t *p = codes.data();
   const wchar_t *pe = p + codes.size();
   const wchar_t *eof = pe;
-  sf::Color bgcolor(default_bg);
-  sf::Color color(default_fg);
+  sf::Color bgcolor($default_bg);
+  sf::Color color($default_fg);
   sf::Color &target = color;
 
   
-#line 94 "ansi_parser.cpp"
+#line 107 "ansi_parser.cpp"
 	{
 	cs = foo_start;
 	}
 
-#line 97 "ansi_parser.rl"
+#line 110 "ansi_parser.rl"
   
-#line 97 "ansi_parser.cpp"
+#line 110 "ansi_parser.cpp"
 	{
 	int _klen;
 	unsigned int _trans;
@@ -233,11 +246,11 @@ _match:
 	break;
 	case 6:
 #line 52 "ansi_parser.rl"
-	{ color = default_fg; }
+	{ color = $default_fg; }
 	break;
 	case 7:
 #line 53 "ansi_parser.rl"
-	{ bgcolor = default_bg; }
+	{ bgcolor = $default_bg; }
 	break;
 	case 8:
 #line 55 "ansi_parser.rl"
@@ -259,7 +272,7 @@ _match:
 #line 59 "ansi_parser.rl"
 	{ }
 	break;
-#line 236 "ansi_parser.cpp"
+#line 249 "ansi_parser.cpp"
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -279,7 +292,7 @@ _again:
 #line 59 "ansi_parser.rl"
 	{ }
 	break;
-#line 254 "ansi_parser.cpp"
+#line 267 "ansi_parser.cpp"
 		}
 	}
 	}
@@ -287,7 +300,7 @@ _again:
 	_out: {}
 	}
 
-#line 98 "ansi_parser.rl"
+#line 111 "ansi_parser.rl"
 
   return p - pe == 0;
 }
diff --git a/ansi_parser.hpp b/ansi_parser.hpp
index f0b0043..b3239d9 100644
--- a/ansi_parser.hpp
+++ b/ansi_parser.hpp
@@ -1,7 +1,21 @@
 #pragma once
 #include <string_view>
 #include <SFML/Graphics.hpp>
+#include <codecvt>
 
 typedef std::function<void(sf::Color bgcolor, sf::Color color, wchar_t ch)> WriteCB;
 
-bool parse_ansi(std::wstring_view codes, sf::Color default_fg, sf::Color default_bg, WriteCB write);
+class ANSIParser {
+  sf::Color $default_fg;
+  sf::Color $default_bg;
+  std::wstring_convert<std::codecvt_utf8_utf16<wchar_t>> $converter;
+
+public:
+  ANSIParser(sf::Color default_fg, sf::Color default_bg);
+
+  // disable copying
+  ANSIParser(ANSIParser& ap) = delete;
+
+  bool parse(const std::string &screen, WriteCB write);
+  bool parse(std::wstring_view codes, WriteCB write);
+};
diff --git a/ansi_parser.rl b/ansi_parser.rl
index 07f8c6f..e000928 100644
--- a/ansi_parser.rl
+++ b/ansi_parser.rl
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ using namespace fmt;
     write(bgcolor, color, fc);
   }
 
-  action reset_fg { color = default_fg; }
-  action reset_bg { bgcolor = default_bg; }
+  action reset_fg { color = $default_fg; }
+  action reset_bg { bgcolor = $default_bg; }
 
   action red { target.r = value; }
   action blue { target.g = value; }
@@ -82,15 +82,28 @@ using namespace fmt;
 
 %% write data;
 
-bool parse_ansi(std::wstring_view codes, sf::Color default_fg, sf::Color default_bg, WriteCB write) {
+
+ANSIParser::ANSIParser(sf::Color default_fg, sf::Color default_bg) :
+  $default_fg(default_fg),
+  $default_bg(default_bg)
+{
+
+}
+
+bool ANSIParser::parse(const std::string &screen, WriteCB write) {
+  std::wstring screen_utf8 = $converter.from_bytes(screen);
+  return parse(screen_utf8, write);
+}
+
+bool ANSIParser::parse(std::wstring_view codes, WriteCB write) {
   const wchar_t *start = NULL;
   int cs = 0;
   unsigned int value = 0;
   const wchar_t *p = codes.data();
   const wchar_t *pe = p + codes.size();
   const wchar_t *eof = pe;
-  sf::Color bgcolor(default_bg);
-  sf::Color color(default_fg);
+  sf::Color bgcolor($default_bg);
+  sf::Color color($default_fg);
   sf::Color &target = color;
 
   %% write init;
diff --git a/render.cpp b/render.cpp
index 03a7f64..3fd898b 100644
--- a/render.cpp
+++ b/render.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,10 @@ SFMLRender::SFMLRender(Canvas &canvas, Screen &map_screen, Screen &screen) :
   $line_spacing(0),
   $canvas(canvas),
   $map_screen(map_screen),
-  $screen(screen)
+  $screen(screen),
+  $default_fg(color(Value::LIGHT_MID)),
+  $default_bg(color(Value::BLACK)),
+  $ansi($default_fg, $default_bg)
 {
   $font.loadFromFile("./assets/text.otf");
   $ui_text.setFont($font);
@@ -80,17 +83,14 @@ void SFMLRender::draw_screen(bool clear, float map_off_x, float map_off_y) {
   draw_main_ui();
 
   std::string map_screenout = $map_screen.ToString();
-  std::wstring map_screen_utf8 = $converter.from_bytes(map_screenout);
 
   float y = 0.0f;
   float x = GAME_MAP_POS;
   // make a copy so we don't modify the cached one
   auto bg_sprite = get_text_sprite(BG_TILE);
   auto bg_bounds = bg_sprite.getLocalBounds();
-  sf::Color def_fg(color(Value::MID));
-  sf::Color def_bg(color(Value::BLACK));
 
-  parse_ansi(map_screen_utf8, def_fg, def_bg, [&](sf::Color bg, sf::Color fg, wchar_t tile) {
+  $ansi.parse(map_screenout, [&](sf::Color bg, sf::Color fg, wchar_t tile) {
     if(tile == '\n') {
       // don't bother processing newlines, just skip
       y += $line_spacing;
diff --git a/render.hpp b/render.hpp
index e264fc9..a9ad4f0 100644
--- a/render.hpp
+++ b/render.hpp
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <SFML/Graphics.hpp>
 #include "point.hpp"
 #include <codecvt>
+#include "ansi_parser.hpp"
 
 using ftxui::Canvas, ftxui::Screen;
 
@@ -41,6 +42,9 @@ struct SFMLRender {
   Screen& $screen;
   sf::Text $ui_text;
   std::wstring_convert<std::codecvt_utf8_utf16<wchar_t>> $converter;
+  sf::Color $default_fg;
+  sf::Color $default_bg;
+  ANSIParser $ansi;
 
   SFMLRender(Canvas &canvas, Screen &map_screen, Screen &screen);
 
diff --git a/tests/ansi_parser.cpp b/tests/ansi_parser.cpp
index fd35f29..8cb96b4 100644
--- a/tests/ansi_parser.cpp
+++ b/tests/ansi_parser.cpp
@@ -53,14 +53,11 @@ std::string generate_colors() {
 
 TEST_CASE("test out ragel parser", "[gui]") {
   std::string colors = generate_colors();
-
-  std::wstring_convert<std::codecvt_utf8_utf16<wchar_t>> converter;
-  std::wstring colors_utf8 = converter.from_bytes(colors);
-
   sf::Color default_fg(0,0,0);
   sf::Color default_bg(100,100,100);
+  ANSIParser parser(default_fg, default_bg);
 
-  bool good = parse_ansi(colors_utf8, default_fg, default_bg, [&](sf::Color bgcolor, sf::Color color, wchar_t ch) {
+  bool good = parser.parse(colors, [&](sf::Color bgcolor, sf::Color color, wchar_t ch) {
       bool correct_char = ch == '#' || ch == ' ' || ch == '\n' || ch == '\r';
       // println("FG: {},{},{},{}; BG: {},{},{},{}; ch: {}",
       //     color.r, color.g, color.b, color.a,