diff --git a/franz.tests/UnitTest1.cs b/franz.tests/UnitTest1.cs
index 1d91dd4..5d18402 100644
--- a/franz.tests/UnitTest1.cs
+++ b/franz.tests/UnitTest1.cs
@@ -9,20 +9,17 @@ namespace franz.tests
     public class Tests
     {
         Telefranz f1;
-        Telefranz f2;
         
         [SetUp]
         public void Setup()
         {
             f1 = new Telefranz("libfranztest1", "focalor:9092");
-            f2 = new Telefranz("libfranztest2", "focalor:9092");
         }
 
         [Test]
         public async Task reportsToSoundoff()
         {
             var f1Reported = false;
-            var f2Reported = false;
             f1.addHandler((silver_messages.global.report r) => {
                 switch(r.name)
                 {
@@ -32,27 +29,28 @@ namespace franz.tests
                         TestContext.Out.WriteLine("f1 reported");
                         break;
                     }
-                    case "libfranztest2":
-                    {
-                        f2Reported = true;
-                        TestContext.Out.WriteLine("f2 reported");
-                        break;
-                    }
+                    //lol you can't have more than one kafka interface, right? so you can't do any (useful) tests on the sending of messages :P
+                    // case "libfranztest2":
+                    // {
+                    //     f2Reported = true;
+                    //     TestContext.Out.WriteLine("f2 reported");
+                    //     break;
+                    // }
                 }
             });
             await Task.Delay(2000);
             f1.ProduceMessage(new silver_messages.global.sound_off());
             Task.WaitAny(
                 Task.Run(async () => {
-                    while(f1Reported == false || f2Reported == false)
+                    while(f1Reported == false)
                     {
-                        //TestContext.Out.WriteLine("not ready, giving another 100ms");
+                        TestContext.Out.WriteLine("not ready, giving another 100ms");
                         await Task.Delay(100);
                     }
-                    //TestContext.Out.WriteLine("done, ready, green");
+                    TestContext.Out.WriteLine("done, ready, green");
                 }),
                 Task.Run(async () => {
-                    await Task.Delay(120000);
+                    await Task.Delay(30000);
                     TestContext.Out.WriteLine("time up");
                     Assert.Fail();
                 })
diff --git a/franz/Telefranz.cs b/franz/Telefranz.cs
index e02ce9a..0f60b61 100644
--- a/franz/Telefranz.cs
+++ b/franz/Telefranz.cs
@@ -13,26 +13,36 @@ namespace franz
     public class Telefranz
     {
         static class _TelefranzConsumers<T> where T : silver_messages.message, new() {
-            internal static KafkaConsumer<string, T> consumer = null;
-            internal static readonly Dictionary<Action<T>, Action<KafkaRecord<string, T>>> wrappings 
-                = new Dictionary<Action<T>, Action<KafkaRecord<string, T>>>();
-            internal static uint references = 0;
+            internal static readonly Dictionary<Action<T>, Action<KafkaRecord<string, string>>> wrappings 
+                = new Dictionary<Action<T>, Action<KafkaRecord<string, string>>>();
         }
         private string handling_group { get; set; } = "Liszt";
-        const string namespace_prefix = "silver_messages";
         private silver_messages.global.report howToReport { get; set; }
-        private bool shouldListen = false;
         private ClusterClient clusterClient;
-        private Task listenTask = null;
-        private List<object> listeningConsumers = new List<object>();
+        private Dictionary<string, KafkaConsumer<string, string>> topicConsumers {get;set;}
+             = new Dictionary<string, KafkaConsumer<string, string>>();
+        private Dictionary<string, int> topicSubscribers {get;set;} = new Dictionary<string, int>();
+        private Kafka.Public.Configuration clusterClientConfig = null;
+        private static ConsoleLogger consoleLogger = new ConsoleLogger();
 
         public Telefranz(string name, string bootstrap_servers,
             List<string> commands = null, List<string> checks = null,
             List<string> errors = null, List<string> warnings = null)
         {
-            clusterClient = new ClusterClient(new Kafka.Public.Configuration { Seeds = bootstrap_servers, ClientId = name }, new ConsoleLogger());
 
-            this.handling_group = name;
+            var serializer = new StringSerializer();
+            var deserializer = new StringDeserializer();
+            var serializationConfig = new SerializationConfig(){SerializeOnProduce = true};
+            serializationConfig.SetDefaultSerializers(serializer, serializer);
+            serializationConfig.SetDefaultDeserializers(deserializer, deserializer);
+            clusterClientConfig = new Kafka.Public.Configuration { 
+                Seeds = bootstrap_servers, 
+                ClientId = name,
+                SerializationConfig = serializationConfig
+            };
+            clusterClient = new ClusterClient(clusterClientConfig, consoleLogger);
+
+            handling_group = name;
             this.howToReport = new silver_messages.global.report()
             {
                 name = name,
@@ -54,14 +64,14 @@ namespace franz
             });
             addHandler<silver_messages.global.stop>((m) =>
             {
-                if (m.name == this.handling_group)
+                if (m.name == handling_group)
                 {
                     Environment.Exit(0);
                 }
             });
             addHandler<silver_messages.global.restart>((m) =>
             {
-                if (m.name == this.handling_group)
+                if (m.name == handling_group)
                 {
                     throw new NotImplementedException();//TODO
                 }
@@ -71,41 +81,48 @@ namespace franz
         public void addHandler<T>(Action<T> theAction) where T : silver_messages.message, new()
         {
             var dummy = new T();
-            if(_TelefranzConsumers<T>.consumer == null)
-            {
-                _TelefranzConsumers<T>.consumer = new KafkaConsumer<string, T>(dummy.topic, clusterClient);
-            }
+            Console.WriteLine($"created dummy, it reports as {dummy}. typeof(T) reports as {typeof(T)}. Topic is {dummy.topic}");
             
-            Action<KafkaRecord<string, T>> wrapped = (kr) =>
+            Action<KafkaRecord<string, string>> wrapped = (kr) =>
             {
-                theAction(kr.Value);
+                Console.WriteLine("wrapped receives kafkarecord, is ready");
+                var deserialized = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<T>(kr.Value);
+                if(deserialized != null)
+                {
+                    Console.WriteLine("message deserialized for this handler :)");
+                    theAction(deserialized);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    Console.WriteLine("message didn't deserialize for this handler :(");
+                }
             };
-            _TelefranzConsumers<T>.consumer.MessageReceived += wrapped;
-            _TelefranzConsumers<T>.wrappings[theAction] = wrapped;
-            _TelefranzConsumers<T>.references++;
-            if(_TelefranzConsumers<T>.references == 1)
-            {
-                _TelefranzConsumers<T>.consumer.Subscribe(this.handling_group, 
-                    new List<string>(){dummy.topic}, 
-                    new ConsumerGroupConfiguration());
-                listeningConsumers.Add(_TelefranzConsumers<T>.consumer);
-                _TelefranzConsumers<T>.consumer.ConsumeFromLatest();
+            if(!topicConsumers.ContainsKey(dummy.topic)){
+                Console.WriteLine($"making consumer for {handling_group}, topic {dummy.topic}");
+                topicConsumers[dummy.topic] = new KafkaConsumer<string, string>(dummy.topic, clusterClient);
+                topicConsumers[dummy.topic].ConsumeFromLatest();
+                topicSubscribers.Add(dummy.topic, 0);
             }
+            topicConsumers[dummy.topic].MessageReceived += wrapped;
+            _TelefranzConsumers<T>.wrappings[theAction] = wrapped;
+            topicSubscribers[dummy.topic]++;
         }
         public void removeHandler<T>(Action<T> theAction) where T : silver_messages.message, new()
         {
-            _TelefranzConsumers<T>.consumer.MessageReceived -= _TelefranzConsumers<T>.wrappings[theAction];
+            var dummy = new T();
+            topicConsumers[dummy.topic].MessageReceived -= _TelefranzConsumers<T>.wrappings[theAction];
             _TelefranzConsumers<T>.wrappings.Remove(theAction);
-            _TelefranzConsumers<T>.references--;
-            if(_TelefranzConsumers<T>.references == 0)
+            topicSubscribers[dummy.topic]--;
+            if(topicSubscribers[dummy.topic] == 0)
             {
-                _TelefranzConsumers<T>.consumer.StopConsume();
+                topicConsumers[dummy.topic].StopConsume();
             }
         }
 
         public void ProduceMessage<T>(T message) where T : silver_messages.message
         {
-            clusterClient.Produce(message.topic, message);
+            Console.WriteLine($"producing message {message}");
+            clusterClient.Produce(message.topic, message.ToString());
         }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/franz/silver_messages/directorial/message_directorial.cs b/franz/silver_messages/directorial/message_directorial.cs
index 871a3cd..241ae0d 100644
--- a/franz/silver_messages/directorial/message_directorial.cs
+++ b/franz/silver_messages/directorial/message_directorial.cs
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@ namespace silver_messages
 {
     public abstract class message_directorial : silver_messages.message
     {
-        public override string topic => "silver_messages.directorial";
+        public override string topic => "silver_messages_directorial";
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/franz/silver_messages/global/message_global.cs b/franz/silver_messages/global/message_global.cs
index 746c109..1094543 100644
--- a/franz/silver_messages/global/message_global.cs
+++ b/franz/silver_messages/global/message_global.cs
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@ namespace silver_messages
 {
     public class message_global : silver_messages.message
     {
-        public override string topic => "silver_messages.global";
+        public override string topic => "silver_messages_global";
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/franz/silver_messages/message.cs b/franz/silver_messages/message.cs
index aff6720..ce1ec5d 100644
--- a/franz/silver_messages/message.cs
+++ b/franz/silver_messages/message.cs
@@ -1,16 +1,26 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.IO;
+using Kafka.Public;
 using Newtonsoft.Json;
 
 namespace silver_messages
 {
-    public abstract class message
+    public abstract class message : IMemorySerializable
     {
         public string type { get { return this.GetType().ToString(); } }
         public abstract string topic { get; }
+
+
+
         public override string ToString()
         {
             return JsonConvert.SerializeObject(this);
         }
+        public void Serialize(MemoryStream toStream)
+        {
+            var stringBytes = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(this.ToString());
+            toStream.Write(stringBytes, 0, stringBytes.Length);
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/franz/silver_messages/youtube/message_yt.cs b/franz/silver_messages/youtube/message_yt.cs
index 67d6bb2..060c518 100644
--- a/franz/silver_messages/youtube/message_yt.cs
+++ b/franz/silver_messages/youtube/message_yt.cs
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@ namespace silver_messages
 {
     public abstract class message_yt : silver_messages.message
     {
-        public override string topic => "silver_messages.youtube";
+        public override string topic => "silver_messages_youtube";
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/franz/silver_messages/youtube/metadata_needed.cs b/franz/silver_messages/youtube/metadata_needed.cs
index 820bda8..78d26aa 100644
--- a/franz/silver_messages/youtube/metadata_needed.cs
+++ b/franz/silver_messages/youtube/metadata_needed.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.IO;
 using silver_messages;
 namespace silver_messages.youtube
 {
diff --git a/franz/silver_messages/youtube/request_metadata_needed.cs b/franz/silver_messages/youtube/request_metadata_needed.cs
index 4f0308e..4e05937 100644
--- a/franz/silver_messages/youtube/request_metadata_needed.cs
+++ b/franz/silver_messages/youtube/request_metadata_needed.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.IO;
 using silver_messages;
 namespace silver_messages.youtube
 {
diff --git a/franz/silver_messages/youtube/update_metadata.cs b/franz/silver_messages/youtube/update_metadata.cs
index 57df3ee..dbf0506 100644
--- a/franz/silver_messages/youtube/update_metadata.cs
+++ b/franz/silver_messages/youtube/update_metadata.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.IO;
 using silver_messages;
 namespace silver_messages.youtube
 {
diff --git a/franz/silver_messages/youtube/upload.cs b/franz/silver_messages/youtube/upload.cs
index cf6b35c..83d42f4 100644
--- a/franz/silver_messages/youtube/upload.cs
+++ b/franz/silver_messages/youtube/upload.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.IO;
 using silver_messages;
 namespace silver_messages.youtube
 {
diff --git a/franz/silver_messages/youtube/upload_started.cs b/franz/silver_messages/youtube/upload_started.cs
index e95550c..ccca306 100644
--- a/franz/silver_messages/youtube/upload_started.cs
+++ b/franz/silver_messages/youtube/upload_started.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.IO;
 using silver_messages;
 namespace silver_messages.youtube
 {