diff --git a/bit.go b/bit.go
index 15532b6..0e66d93 100644
--- a/bit.go
+++ b/bit.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"io"
 )
 
@@ -49,3 +50,68 @@ func (b *bitBuffer) readBits(bits uint) uint64 {
 	b.bits -= bits
 	return n
 }
+
+func (b *bitBuffer) readByte() (out byte) {
+	if b.bits == 0 {
+		if b.index >= len(b.source) {
+			b.err = io.ErrUnexpectedEOF
+			return
+		}
+		out = b.source[b.index]
+		b.index += 1
+		return
+	}
+	return byte(b.readBits(8))
+}
+
+func (b *bitBuffer) readBytes(n int) []byte {
+	if b.bits == 0 {
+		b.index += n
+		if b.index > len(b.source) {
+			b.err = io.ErrUnexpectedEOF
+			return []byte{}
+		}
+		return b.source[b.index-n : b.index]
+	}
+	buf := make([]byte, n)
+	for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
+		buf[i] = byte(b.readBits(8))
+	}
+	return buf
+}
+
+// readVarUint reads a variable-length uint32, encoded with some scheme that I
+// can't find a standard for. first two bits are a length prefix, followed by a
+// 4, 8, 12, or 32-bit wide uint.
+func (b *bitBuffer) readVarUint() uint32 {
+	switch b.readBits(2) {
+	case 0:
+		return uint32(b.readBits(4))
+	case 1:
+		return uint32(b.readBits(4) | b.readBits(4)<<4)
+	case 2:
+		return uint32(b.readBits(4) | b.readBits(8)<<4)
+	case 3:
+		return uint32(b.readBits(4) | b.readBits(28)<<4)
+	default:
+		// this switch is already exhaustive, the compiler just can't tell.
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("invalid varuint prefix"))
+	}
+}
+
+// readVarInt reads a varint-encoded value off of the front of the buffer. This
+// is the varint encoding used in protobuf. That is: each byte utilizes a 7-bit
+// group. the msb of each byte indicates whether there are more bytes to
+// follow.
+func (b *bitBuffer) readVarInt() uint64 {
+	var x, n uint64
+	for shift := uint(0); shift < 64; shift += 7 {
+		n = b.readBits(8)
+		if n < 0x80 {
+			return x | n<<shift
+		}
+		x |= n &^ 0x80 << shift
+	}
+	b.err = fmt.Errorf("readVarInt never saw the end of varint")
+	return 0
+}
diff --git a/bit_test.go b/bit_test.go
index 79d7a4f..a8914f5 100644
--- a/bit_test.go
+++ b/bit_test.go
@@ -34,4 +34,50 @@ func TestBits(t *testing.T) {
 	if bb.err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("fuck")
 	}
+
+	buf = []byte{0x4}
+	bb = newBitBuffer(buf)
+	u := bb.readVarUint()
+	if u != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("feck. wanted %v, got %v", 1, u)
+	}
+	if bb.readBits(2); bb.err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("shouldn't have an error yet")
+	}
+	if bb.readBits(1); bb.err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("we should be at EOF now")
+	}
+
+	buf = []byte{0x3c}
+	bb = newBitBuffer(buf)
+	u = bb.readVarUint()
+	if u != 15 {
+		t.Errorf("feck. wanted %v, got %v", 15, u)
+	}
+	if bb.readBits(2); bb.err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("shouldn't have an error yet")
+	}
+	if bb.readBits(1); bb.err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("we should be at EOF now")
+	}
+
+	buf = []byte{0x48, 0x10}
+	// 0100 1000 0001 0000
+	// 01                  - prefix bits. indicates length 12
+	//   00 10             - least significant four
+	//        00 0001 00   - most significant eight
+	//                  00 - not read.
+	//
+	// 0000 0100 0010      - actual value (0x42, or 66)
+	bb = newBitBuffer(buf)
+	u = bb.readVarUint()
+	if u != 66 {
+		t.Errorf("feck. wanted %v, got %v", 66, u)
+	}
+	if bb.readBits(2); bb.err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("shouldn't have an error yet")
+	}
+	if bb.readBits(1); bb.err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("we should be at EOF now")
+	}
 }
diff --git a/message.go b/message.go
index a145938..5fe7315 100644
--- a/message.go
+++ b/message.go
@@ -40,8 +40,20 @@ func (m *message) check(dump bool) error {
 	if err := proto.Unmarshal(m.body, packet); err != nil {
 		return wrap(err, "onPacket unable to unmarshal message body")
 	}
+
 	if dump {
-		fmt.Printf("{in: %d out: %d data: %x}\n", packet.GetSequenceIn(), packet.GetSequenceOutAck(), packet.GetData()[:8])
+		shit := packet.GetData()[:4]
+		bb := newBitBuffer(packet.GetData())
+		type T struct {
+			t int32
+		}
+		var v T
+		v.t = int32(bb.readVarUint())
+		if bb.err != nil {
+			fmt.Printf("packet error: %v\n", bb.err)
+		} else {
+			fmt.Printf("{in: %d out: %d data: %v shit: %x}\n", packet.GetSequenceIn(), packet.GetSequenceOutAck(), v, shit)
+		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/parser.go b/parser.go
index 9039435..8680299 100644
--- a/parser.go
+++ b/parser.go
@@ -12,16 +12,13 @@ type parser struct {
 	// the source of replay bytes. Must NOT be compressed.
 	source *bufio.Reader
 
-	// re-useable scratch buffer. Contents never guaranteed to be clean.
-	scratch []byte
-
 	dumpMessages bool
 	dumpPackets  bool
 }
 
 func newParser(r io.Reader) *parser {
 	br := bufio.NewReaderSize(r, 1<<16)
-	return &parser{source: br, scratch: make([]byte, 1<<10)}
+	return &parser{source: br}
 }
 
 func (p *parser) start() error {
@@ -56,13 +53,6 @@ func (p *parser) run() error {
 	}
 }
 
-// grows the scratch buffer until it is at least n bytes wide
-func (p *parser) growScratch(n int) {
-	for len(p.scratch) < n {
-		p.scratch = make([]byte, 2*len(p.scratch))
-	}
-}
-
 // DecodeVarint reads a varint-encoded integer from the source reader.
 // It returns the value as a uin64 and any errors encountered. The reader will
 // be advanced by the number of bytes needed to consume this value. On error,
@@ -102,8 +92,7 @@ func (p *parser) decodeVarint() (uint64, error) {
 // the beginning of the scratch buffer. it will be corrupted on the next call
 // to readn or the next operation that utilizes the scratch buffer.
 func (p *parser) readn(n int) ([]byte, error) {
-	p.growScratch(n)
-	buf := p.scratch[:n]
+	buf := make([]byte, n)
 	if _, err := io.ReadFull(p.source, buf); err != nil {
 		return nil, wrap(err, "error reading %d bytes", n)
 	}