diff --git a/chaos/gui/val.rkt b/chaos/gui/val.rkt
index bb0d202..5341b5a 100644
--- a/chaos/gui/val.rkt
+++ b/chaos/gui/val.rkt
@@ -1,57 +1,37 @@
 #lang racket/base
 (require racket/class
-         racket/generic
+         racket/draw
          racket/contract/base
          pict
-         pict/convert
-         lux/chaos)
+         pict/convert)
 
-(struct gui/val (scale? g [last #:mutable])
-        #:methods gen:chaos
-        [(define/generic super-fps chaos-fps)
-         (define/generic super-yield chaos-yield)
-         (define/generic super-event chaos-event)
-         (define/generic super-output! chaos-output!)
-         (define/generic super-label! chaos-label!)
-         (define/generic super-swap! chaos-swap!)
-         (define (chaos-fps c)
-           (super-fps (gui/val-g c)))
-         (define (chaos-yield c e)
-           (super-yield (gui/val-g c) e))
-         (define (chaos-event c)
-           (super-event (gui/val-g c)))
-         ;; xxx change this to be a helper for word's output creation
-         (define (chaos-output! c o)
-           (unless (eq? o (gui/val-last c))
-             (set-gui/val-last! c o)
-             (define p (pict-convert o))
-             (super-output!
-              (gui/val-g c)
-              (λ (w h dc)
-                (parameterize ([dc-for-text-size dc])
-                  (send dc set-background "black")
-                  (send dc clear)
-                  (define sp
-                    (if (gui/val-scale? c)
-                        (scale-to-fit p w h)
-                        p))
-                  (define spw (pict-width sp))
-                  (define left (/ (- w spw) 2))
-                  (define sph (pict-height sp))
-                  (define top (/ (- h sph) 2))
-                  (send dc set-brush "white" 'solid)
-                  (send dc draw-rectangle left top spw sph)
-                  (draw-pict sp dc left top))))))
-         (define (chaos-label! c l)
-           (super-label! (gui/val-g c) l))
-         (define (chaos-swap! c t)
-           (super-swap! (gui/val-g c) t))])
+(define (make-gui/val #:scale? [scale? #t])
+  (define last-val #f)
+  (define (output-val o)
+    (unless (eq? o last-val)
+      (set! last-val o)
+      (define p (pict-convert o))
+      (λ (w h dc)
+        (parameterize ([dc-for-text-size dc])
+          (send dc set-background "black")
+          (send dc clear)
+          (define sp
+            (if scale?
+                (scale-to-fit p w h)
+                p))
+          (define spw (pict-width sp))
+          (define left (/ (- w spw) 2))
+          (define sph (pict-height sp))
+          (define top (/ (- h sph) 2))
+          (send dc set-brush "white" 'solid)
+          (send dc draw-rectangle left top spw sph)
+          (draw-pict sp dc left top)))))
+  output-val)
 
-(define (make-gui/value g #:scale? [scale? #t])
-  (gui/val scale? g #f))
 (provide
  (contract-out
-  [make-gui/value
-   (->* (chaos?)
-        (#:scale? boolean?)
-        chaos?)]))
+  [make-gui/val
+   (->* () (#:scale? boolean?)
+        (-> pict-convertible?
+            (-> real? real? (is-a?/c dc<%>)
+                any)))]))
diff --git a/examples/spin.rkt b/examples/spin.rkt
index 9789703..12dd90c 100644
--- a/examples/spin.rkt
+++ b/examples/spin.rkt
@@ -11,35 +11,32 @@
 (define COLORS
   '("red" "orange" "yellow" "green" "blue" "indigo" "violet"))
 
-(struct spin (layer ks ms color frame)
+(struct spin (layer color frame x y)
         #:methods gen:word
         [(define (word-label s ft)
            (lux-standard-label "Spin!" ft))
          (define (word-event w e)
-           ;; xxx remove mutation
-           (match-define (spin layer ks ms color f) w)
-           (define closed? #f)
-           (match e
-             ['close
-              (set! closed? #t)]
-             [(? mouse-event? me)
-              (mouse-state-update! ms me)]
-             [(? key-event? ke)
-              (key-state-update! ks ke)])
-           (when (key-state-set?! ks #\space)
-             (set! color (fxmodulo (fx+ 1 color) (length COLORS))))
-           (when (key-state-set?! ks #\return)
-             (spin-it! (add1 layer)))
-           (match (or closed?
-                      (key-state-set?! ks 'escape))
-             [#t
-              #f]
-             [#f
-              (spin layer ks ms color f)]))
+           (match-define (spin layer color f x y) w)
+           (cond
+            [(or (eq? e 'close)
+                 (and (key-event? e)
+                      (eq? (send e get-key-code) 'escape)))
+             #f]
+            [(and (key-event? e)
+                  (eq? (send e get-key-code) #\space))
+             (spin layer (fxmodulo (fx+ 1 color) (length COLORS)) f x y)]
+            [(mouse-event? e)
+             (spin layer color f
+                   (send e get-x) 
+                   (send e get-y))]
+            [(and (key-event? e)
+                  (eq? (send e get-key-code) #\return))
+             (spin-it (add1 layer))
+             w]
+            [else
+             w]))
          (define (word-output w)
-           (match-define (spin layer ks ms color f) w)
-           (define x (mouse-state-x ms))
-           (define y (mouse-state-y ms))
+           (match-define (spin layer color f x y) w)
            (lambda (width height dc)
              (send dc set-background (list-ref COLORS color))
              (send dc clear)
@@ -47,19 +44,16 @@
              (send dc set-origin x y)
              (send dc draw-text (format "~a: Spinning!" layer) 0 0)))
          (define (word-tick w)
-           (match-define (spin layer ks ms color f) w)
-           (spin layer ks ms color (fxmodulo (fx+ f 1) 360)))])
+           (match-define (spin layer color f x y) w)
+           (spin layer color (fxmodulo (fx+ f 1) 360) x y))])
 
-(define (spin-it! layer)
+(define (spin-it layer)
   (define s
-    (spin layer
-          (make-key-state)
-          (make-mouse-state)
-          0 0))
+    (spin layer 0 0 0 0))
   (fiat-lux s))
 
 (module+ main
   (call-with-chaos
    (make-gui 60.0)
    (λ ()
-     (spin-it! 0))))
+     (spin-it 0))))
diff --git a/examples/val-demo.rkt b/examples/val-demo.rkt
index 1001190..d230559 100644
--- a/examples/val-demo.rkt
+++ b/examples/val-demo.rkt
@@ -7,47 +7,43 @@
          (prefix-in image: 2htdp/image)
          lux
          lux/chaos/gui
-         lux/chaos/gui/val)
+         lux/chaos/gui/val
+         lux/chaos/gui/key)
 
 (define MODES
   '(pict image))
 
 (struct demo
-  (mode)
+  (g/v mode)
   #:methods gen:word
   [(define (word-label s ft)
      (lux-standard-label "Values" ft))
    (define (word-output w)
-     (match-define (demo mode-n) w)
-     (match (list-ref MODES mode-n)
-       ['pict
-        (pict:arrowhead 30 0)]
-       ['image
-        (image:add-line
-         (image:rectangle 100 100 "solid" "darkolivegreen")
-         25 25 75 75
-         (image:make-pen "goldenrod" 30 "solid" "round" "round"))]))
+     (match-define (demo g/v mode-n) w)
+     (g/v
+      (match (list-ref MODES mode-n)
+        ['pict
+         (pict:arrowhead 30 0)]
+        ['image
+         (image:add-line
+          (image:rectangle 100 100 "solid" "darkolivegreen")
+          25 25 75 75
+          (image:make-pen "goldenrod" 30 "solid" "round" "round"))])))
    (define (word-event w e)
-     ;; xxx remove mutation
-     (match-define (demo mode-n) w)
+     (match-define (demo g/v mode-n) w)
      (define closed? #f)
-     (match e
-       ['close
-        (set! closed? #t)]
-       [(? (λ (x) (is-a? x key-event%)) ke)
-        (unless (eq? 'release (send ke get-key-code))
-          (set! mode-n (fxmodulo (fx+ 1 mode-n) (length MODES))))]
-       [_
-        (void)])
-     (match closed?
-       [#t
-        #f]
-       [#f
-        (demo mode-n)]))
+     (cond
+      [(eq? e 'close)
+       #f]
+      [(and (key-event? e)
+            (not (eq? 'release (send e get-key-code))))
+       (demo g/v (fxmodulo (fx+ 1 mode-n) (length MODES)))]
+      [else
+       (demo g/v mode-n)]))
    (define (word-tick w)
      w)])
 
 (module+ main
   (call-with-chaos
-   (make-gui/value (make-gui 60.0))
-   (λ () (fiat-lux (demo 0)))))
+    (make-gui 60.0)
+   (λ () (fiat-lux (demo (make-gui/val) 0)))))
diff --git a/word.rkt b/word.rkt
index 4ef026a..8d17b93 100644
--- a/word.rkt
+++ b/word.rkt
@@ -49,45 +49,42 @@
 (define (factum-fiat-lux c w)
   (define fps (chaos-fps c))
   (define time-incr (fl* (fl/ 1.0 fps) 1000.0))
+  (define (update-word w make-next-tick-evt f)
+    (define start-time (current-inexact-milliseconds))
+    (define new-w (f w))
+    (match new-w
+      [#f
+       (word-return w)]
+      [_
+       (chaos-output! c (word-output w))
+       (define end-time (current-inexact-milliseconds))
+       (define frame-time (fl- end-time start-time))
+       (define new-label
+         (word-label new-w frame-time))
+       (chaos-label! c new-label)
+       (define next-tick-evt (make-next-tick-evt start-time))
+       (body next-tick-evt new-w)]))
   (define (body tick-evt w)
     (chaos-yield
      c
-     ;; xxx merge these
      (choice-evt
       (handle-evt
        (chaos-event c)
        (λ (e)
-         (define start-time (current-inexact-milliseconds))
-         (define new-w (word-event w e))
-         (match new-w
-           [#f
-            (word-return w)]
-           [_
-            (chaos-output! c (word-output w))
-            (define end-time (current-inexact-milliseconds))
-            (define frame-time (fl- end-time start-time))
-            (define new-label
-              (word-label new-w frame-time))
-            (chaos-label! c new-label)
-            (body tick-evt new-w)])))
+         (update-word w
+                      (λ (start-time)
+                        tick-evt)
+                      (λ (w)
+                        (word-event w e)))))
       (handle-evt
        tick-evt
        (λ (_)
-         (define start-time (current-inexact-milliseconds))
-         (define new-w (word-tick w))
-         (match new-w
-           [#f
-            (word-return w)]
-           [_
-            (chaos-output! c (word-output w))
-            (define end-time (current-inexact-milliseconds))
-            (define frame-time (fl- end-time start-time))
-            (define new-label
-              (word-label new-w frame-time))
-            (chaos-label! c new-label)
-            (define next-time (fl+ start-time time-incr))
-            (define next-tick-evt (alarm-evt next-time))
-            (body next-tick-evt new-w)]))))))
+         (update-word w
+                      (λ (start-time)
+                        (define next-time (fl+ start-time time-incr))
+                        (define next-tick-evt (alarm-evt next-time))
+                        next-tick-evt)
+                      word-tick))))))
   (chaos-swap! c (λ () (body always-evt w))))
 
 (provide