diff --git a/src/app/app.meta.c b/src/app/app.meta.c
index 74aaaf8..e8b2bae 100644
--- a/src/app/app.meta.c
+++ b/src/app/app.meta.c
@@ -192,6 +192,6 @@ void meta_app(ma_arena_t *arena) {
         sb8_serial_ast_to_type_info(c, decls);
     }
 
-    os_write_file(gen_c(arena), sb8_merge(c));
-    os_write_file(gen_h(arena), sb8_merge(h));
+    os_write_file(gen_c(arena), sb8_merge(arena, c));
+    os_write_file(gen_h(arena), sb8_merge(arena, h));
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/core/core.h b/src/core/core.h
index 8825190..2c2e7e3 100644
--- a/src/core/core.h
+++ b/src/core/core.h
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ typedef double f64;
 
 #define zero_struct(x) memory_zero((x), sizeof(*(x)))
 
-#define DEFER_LOOP(begin, end) for (i32 PASTE(_i_, __LINE__) = (begin, 0); !PASTE(_i_, __LINE__); PASTE(_i_, __LINE__) += (end, 1))
+#define defer_block(begin, end) for (i32 PASTE(_i_, __LINE__) = (begin, 0); !PASTE(_i_, __LINE__); PASTE(_i_, __LINE__) += (end, 1))
 #define STACK(type, size) struct { type data[size]; i32 len; }
 #define STACK_PUSH(stack, ...) (assert((stack).len < lengthof((stack).data)), (stack).data[(stack).len++] = __VA_ARGS__)
 #define STACK_POP(stack) (assert((stack).len > 0), (stack).data[--(stack).len])
diff --git a/src/core/core_hash_table.c b/src/core/core_hash_table.c
index f112694..700fcb0 100644
--- a/src/core/core_hash_table.c
+++ b/src/core/core_hash_table.c
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ struct ht_dict_t {
     ht_bucket_t *buckets;
 };
 
-u64 ht_hash(s8_t string) {
-    u8 *data = string.str;
+u64 ht_hash_data(s8_t string) {
+    u8 *data = (u8 *)string.str;
     uint64_t hash = (u64)14695981039346656037ULL;
     for (i64 i = 0; i < string.len; i++) {
         hash = hash ^ (u64)(data[i]);
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ ht_node_t *ht_insert_kv(ht_dict_t *ht, u64 hash, ht_key_value_t kv) {
 }
 
 ht_node_t *ht_insert_u64_u64(ht_dict_t *ht, u64 key, u64 value) {
-    u64 hash = ht_hash(s8((char *)&key, sizeof(key)));
+    u64 hash = ht_hash_data(s8((char *)&key, sizeof(key)));
     return ht_insert_kv(ht, hash, (ht_key_value_t){.key_u64 = key, .value_u64 = value});
 }
 
@@ -70,12 +70,12 @@ ht_node_t *ht_insert_ptr(ht_dict_t *ht, void *key, void *value) {
 }
 
 ht_node_t *ht_insert_string(ht_dict_t *ht, s8_t key, s8_t value) {
-    u64 hash = ht_hash(key);
+    u64 hash = ht_hash_data(key);
     return ht_insert_kv(ht, hash, (ht_key_value_t){.key_string = key, .value_string = value});
 }
 
 ht_node_t *ht_search_u64(ht_dict_t *ht, u64 key) {
-    u64 hash = ht_hash(s8((char *)&key, sizeof(key)));
+    u64 hash = ht_hash_data(s8((char *)&key, sizeof(key)));
     i64 idx = hash % ht->bucket_count;
     ht_bucket_t *bucket = ht->buckets + idx;
     for (ht_node_t *it = bucket->first; it; it = it->next) {
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ ht_node_t *ht_search_ptr(ht_dict_t *ht, void *key_ptr) {
 }
 
 ht_node_t *ht_search_string(ht_dict_t *ht, s8_t key) {
-    u64 hash = ht_hash(key);
+    u64 hash = ht_hash_data(key);
     i64 idx = hash % ht->bucket_count;
     ht_bucket_t *bucket = ht->buckets + idx;
     for (ht_node_t *it = bucket->first; it; it = it->next) {
diff --git a/src/core/core_log.c b/src/core/core_log.c
index 3d9cfd6..9562275 100644
--- a/src/core/core_log.c
+++ b/src/core/core_log.c
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ fn void default_log_proc(log_event_t ev) {
     }
 
     sb8_printf(sb, "%S\n", ev.string);
-    s8_t result = sb8_serial_end(sb);
+    s8_t result = sb8_serial_end(scratch.arena, sb);
 
     if (ev.level != log_level_fatal) {
         os_console_log(result.str);
diff --git a/src/core/core_string.c b/src/core/core_string.c
index 73f7af4..42c3b35 100644
--- a/src/core/core_string.c
+++ b/src/core/core_string.c
@@ -410,9 +410,9 @@ fn int64_t sb8_char_size(sb8_t *sb) {
     return result;
 }
 
-fn s8_t sb8_merge(sb8_t *sb) {
+fn s8_t sb8_merge(ma_arena_t *arena, sb8_t *sb) {
     int64_t size = sb8_char_size(sb) + 1;
-    char *str = ma_push_size(sb->arena, size);
+    char *str = ma_push_size(arena, size);
     s8_t result = {str, 0};
     for (sb8_node_t *it = sb->first; it; it = it->next) {
         memory_copy(result.str + result.len, it->str, it->len);
diff --git a/src/core/core_string.h b/src/core/core_string.h
index 64d023e..c779686 100644
--- a/src/core/core_string.h
+++ b/src/core/core_string.h
@@ -123,13 +123,13 @@ fn s8_t s8_printf(ma_arena_t *ma, const char *str, ...);
 //
 // string builder
 #define sb8_serial_begin(ARENA) &(sb8_t){.arena = ARENA}
-#define sb8_serial_end(sb) sb8_merge(sb)
+#define sb8_serial_end(ARENA, SB) sb8_merge(ARENA, SB)
 
 fn s8_t        sb8_printf(sb8_t *sb, const char *str, ...);
 fn sb8_node_t *sb8_append(sb8_t *list, s8_t string);
 fn sb8_node_t *sb8_create_node(ma_arena_t *ma, s8_t str);
 
-fn s8_t    sb8_merge(sb8_t *sb);
+fn s8_t    sb8_merge(ma_arena_t *arena, sb8_t *sb);
 fn void    sb8_indent(sb8_t *sb);
 fn s8_t    sb8_stmtf(sb8_t *sb, const char *str, ...);
 fn int64_t sb8_char_size(sb8_t *sb);
diff --git a/src/core/core_type_info.c b/src/core/core_type_info.c
index f23c2e3..6582bf4 100644
--- a/src/core/core_type_info.c
+++ b/src/core/core_type_info.c
@@ -225,9 +225,11 @@ fn void ti__serial_data_ex(sb8_t *sb, void *p, type_t *type) {
 }
 
 fn s8_t ti__serial_data(ma_arena_t *arena, void *p, type_t *type) {
-    sb8_t *sb = sb8_serial_begin(arena);
+    ma_temp_t scratch = ma_begin_scratch1(arena);
+    sb8_t *sb = sb8_serial_begin(scratch.arena);
     ti__serial_data_ex(sb, p, type);
-    s8_t string = sb8_serial_end(sb);
+    s8_t string = sb8_serial_end(arena, sb);
+    ma_end_scratch(scratch);
     return string;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/core_type_info.h b/src/core/core_type_info.h
index 3084a1f..b325cbc 100644
--- a/src/core/core_type_info.h
+++ b/src/core/core_type_info.h
@@ -21,13 +21,14 @@ enum {
     type_kind_int,
     type_kind_char,
 
-    type_kind_count,
-
     type_kind_pointer,
     type_kind_array,
     type_kind_struct,
     type_kind_union,
     type_kind_enum,
+
+    type_kind_first_basic = type_kind_i8,
+    type_kind_last_basic = type_kind_char,
 };
 
 typedef struct type_member_t type_member_t;
diff --git a/src/meta/parser.c b/src/meta/parser.c
index 3bb6be7..ab29c68 100644
--- a/src/meta/parser.c
+++ b/src/meta/parser.c
@@ -37,11 +37,13 @@ struct ast_t {
 };
 
 s8_t s8_serial_ast_flag_t(ma_arena_t *arena, ast_flag_t flag) {
-    sb8_t *sb = sb8_serial_begin(arena);
+    ma_temp_t scratch = ma_begin_scratch1(arena);
+    sb8_t *sb = sb8_serial_begin(scratch.arena);
 #define X(NAME) if (flag & set_bit(ast_flag_##NAME)) sb8_printf(sb, #NAME);
     AST_FLAG_XLIST
 #undef X
-    s8_t result = sb8_serial_end(sb);
+    s8_t result = sb8_serial_end(arena, sb);
+    ma_end_scratch(scratch);
     return result;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/meta/serialize.c b/src/meta/serialize.c
index b1e9216..66c1d3d 100644
--- a/src/meta/serialize.c
+++ b/src/meta/serialize.c
@@ -36,9 +36,12 @@ void sb8_serial_ast(sb8_t *sb, ast_t *n) {
 }
 
 s8_t s8_serial_ast(ma_arena_t *arena, ast_t *n) {
-    sb8_t *sb = sb8_serial_begin(arena);
+    ma_temp_t scratch = ma_begin_scratch1(arena);
+    sb8_t *sb = sb8_serial_begin(scratch.arena);
     sb8_serial_ast(sb, n);
-    return sb8_serial_end(sb);
+    s8_t result = sb8_serial_end(arena, sb);
+    ma_end_scratch(scratch);
+    return result;
 }
 
 s8_t s8_serial_ast_to_code(ma_arena_t *arena, ast_t *n);
@@ -78,9 +81,11 @@ void sb8_serial_ast_to_code(sb8_t *sb, ast_t *n) {
 }
 
 s8_t s8_serial_ast_to_code(ma_arena_t *arena, ast_t *n) {
-    sb8_t *sb = sb8_serial_begin(arena);
+    ma_temp_t scratch = ma_begin_scratch1(arena);
+    sb8_t *sb = sb8_serial_begin(scratch.arena);
     sb8_serial_ast_to_code(sb, n);
-    s8_t result = sb8_serial_end(sb);
+    s8_t result = sb8_serial_end(arena, sb);
+    ma_end_scratch(scratch);
     return result;
 }
 
@@ -148,9 +153,11 @@ void sb8_serial_ast_to_type_info(sb8_t *sb, ast_t *n) {
 }
 
 s8_t s8_serial_ast_to_type_info(ma_arena_t *arena, ast_t *n) {
-    sb8_t *sb = sb8_serial_begin(arena);
+    ma_temp_t scratch = ma_begin_scratch1(arena);
+    sb8_t *sb = sb8_serial_begin(scratch.arena);
     sb8_serial_ast_to_type_info(sb, n);
-    s8_t result = sb8_serial_end(sb);
+    s8_t result = sb8_serial_end(arena, sb);
+    ma_end_scratch(scratch);
     return result;
 }
 
diff --git a/todo.txt b/todo.txt
index dcd501c..141aa09 100644
--- a/todo.txt
+++ b/todo.txt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
     [ ] sleep
     [ ] ui
     [ ] event playback
+        [ ] maybe different events structure: { frame1: { event1, event2 }, frame2: {event1} }
     [ ] how to fix variable scroll? or do we not care? (probably need delta time)
     [ ] win32
         [ ] hot reload / plugins
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@
         [ ] somehow index properly the meta files and ignore generated files
             [ ] extract declarations from c files meta(introspect)
             [ ] extract all globals from c files
+            [ ] tweak variables and embeds declared in c code
         [ ] new simple format with tags
     [x] revisit api
     [ ] s8_bin