diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index cbd74ce..d3f70d1 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -53,12 +53,6 @@
 	path = src/dot_local/share/nvim/site/pack/3pp/opt/external_nvim-treesitter-textobjects
 	url = https://github.com/nvim-treesitter/nvim-treesitter-textobjects
 
-# aesthetic changes
-# init.lua
-[submodule "src/dot_local/share/nvim/site/pack/3pp/start/external_dressing.nvim"]
-	path = src/dot_local/share/nvim/site/pack/3pp/opt/external_dressing.nvim
-	url = https://github.com/stevearc/dressing.nvim.git
-
 # plain-text-accounting ledger ftplugin
 # ftplugin/ledger.vim
 [submodule "src/dot_local/share/nvim/site/pack/3pp/start/external_vim-ledger"]
@@ -128,9 +122,6 @@
 [submodule "submodule.src/dot_local/share/nvim/site/pack/3pp/start/external_nvim-treesitter-textobjects.path"]
 	path = src/dot_local/share/nvim/site/pack/3pp/opt/external_nvim-treesitter-textobjects
 	url = https://github.com/nvim-treesitter/nvim-treesitter-textobjects
-[submodule "submodule.src/dot_local/share/nvim/site/pack/3pp/start/external_dressing.nvim.path"]
-	path = src/dot_local/share/nvim/site/pack/3pp/opt/external_dressing.nvim
-	url = https://github.com/stevearc/dressing.nvim.git
 [submodule "submodule.src/dot_local/share/nvim/site/pack/3pp/start/external_vim-ledger.path"]
 	path = src/dot_local/share/nvim/site/pack/3pp/start/external_vim-ledger
 	url = https://github.com/ledger/vim-ledger.git
diff --git a/src/dot_config/bat/config b/src/dot_config/bat/config
index dbed47c..8e87a04 100644
--- a/src/dot_config/bat/config
+++ b/src/dot_config/bat/config
@@ -1,2 +1,5 @@
 # For all themes, run `bat --list-themes`
 --theme="ansi"
+
+# disable decorations
+--plain
diff --git a/src/dot_config/nvim/lua/confutil.lua b/src/dot_config/nvim/lua/confutil.lua
index de10196..1686469 100644
--- a/src/dot_config/nvim/lua/confutil.lua
+++ b/src/dot_config/nvim/lua/confutil.lua
@@ -2,7 +2,13 @@
 
 local M = {}
 
--- nnoremap, etc.
+---@class KeymapOpts: vim.keymap.set.Opts
+--- @field mode? string|string[]
+
+---Keymap helper.
+---@param key string
+---@param cmd string|function
+---@param params? KeymapOpts
 function M.keymap(key, cmd, params)
 	if params == nil then
 		params = {}
@@ -20,7 +26,7 @@ function M.keymap(key, cmd, params)
 		buffer = false,
 	}
 	setmetatable(params, {
-		__index = function(table, k)
+		__index = function(_, k)
 			return default_params[k]
 		end
 	})
diff --git a/src/dot_config/nvim/lua/init.lua b/src/dot_config/nvim/lua/init.lua
index 3c65f9b..cfbb319 100644
--- a/src/dot_config/nvim/lua/init.lua
+++ b/src/dot_config/nvim/lua/init.lua
@@ -16,30 +16,21 @@ local dotprofile, profile_table = confutil.dotprofile, confutil.profile_table
 -- bind to copy URL under cursor
 keymap("<leader>uu", ":let @+ = expand('<cfile>')<cr>")
 
-------
--- fancy prompts
-------
-vim.cmd.packadd("dressing.nvim")
-require('dressing').setup({
-	input = {
-		insert_only = false,
-	}
-})
-
 -- requires plenary.nvim
 vim.cmd.packadd("telescope.nvim")
---keymap("<leader>ef", "<cmd>Telescope find_files<cr>")
 keymap("<leader>eg", "<cmd>Telescope live_grep<cr>")
-keymap("<leader>em", "<cmd>Telescope buffers<cr>")
 keymap("<leader>eh", "<cmd>Telescope help_tags<cr>")
-keymap("<leader>es", "<cmd>Telescope lsp_dynamic_workspace_symbols<cr>")
 keymap("<leader>eb", "<cmd>Telescope keymaps<cr>")
 
 --------
 -- generic brand fuzzy finder
 --------
 local scope = require("scope")
+scope.setup()
+
 keymap("<leader>ef", scope.file_finder)
+keymap("<leader>em", scope.buffer_list)
+keymap("<leader>es", vim.lsp.buf.workspace_symbol)
 
 
 --------------------------------
diff --git a/src/dot_config/nvim/lua/scope.lua b/src/dot_config/nvim/lua/scope.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ea4f67f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/dot_config/nvim/lua/scope.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,173 @@
+-- telescope without telescope
+-- depends on: fzf, bat
+
+M = {}
+
+--------------------------------
+-- helpers
+--------------------------------
+
+---Hacky debug print utility (do not use outside testing)
+---@param s any Thing to print
+---@param pre string? Message that goes before thing
+local function dbg_print(s, pre)
+	vim.system({ "sh", "-c", string.format("echo '%s' >> /tmp/nvim_scope_log", (pre or "") .. vim.inspect(s)) })
+end
+
+
+--------------------------------
+--------------------------------
+-- main implementation
+--------------------------------
+--------------------------------
+
+---@class ScopeOpts
+---@field fzf_opts string? Command-line flags to pass to fzf.
+---@field allow_empty boolean? If true, will call `command` even if user cancelled. Defaults to false.
+
+---Generic brand fuzzy selector
+---@param choice_gen string | function Lua function or shell command that generates choices to display in fzf.
+---@param command string | function Vim command or Lua function to run on the selected choice.
+---@param scope_opts ScopeOpts | nil
+function M.scope_fzf(choice_gen, command, scope_opts)
+	local opts = scope_opts or {}
+
+	local buf = vim.api.nvim_create_buf(false, true)
+	vim.cmd.buf(buf)
+
+	vim.wo.statusline = "Scope"
+
+	vim.cmd("startinsert")
+
+	local fzf_opts = opts.fzf_opts or ""
+
+	local choice_cmd = ""
+	local choices_file = nil
+	if type(choice_gen) == "string" then
+		choice_cmd = choice_gen .. " | "
+	elseif type(choice_gen) == "function" then
+		choices_file = vim.fn.tempname()
+		local f = io.open(choices_file, "w")
+		assert(f, "Stdin file could not be opened.")
+		f:write(choice_gen())
+		choice_cmd = "cat " .. choices_file .. " | "
+		f:close()
+	end
+
+	local stdout_file = vim.fn.tempname()
+
+	local fzf_cmd = choice_cmd .. "fzf " .. fzf_opts .. " > " .. stdout_file
+	dbg_print(fzf_cmd, "fzf_cmd: ")
+
+	vim.fn.termopen(fzf_cmd, {
+		on_stdout = function(_, b, _)
+			dbg_print(b, "stdout: ")
+		end,
+		on_exit = function()
+			local f = io.open(stdout_file, "r")
+			assert(f, "Stdout file could not be opened.")
+			vim.cmd("bp | bd! #") -- see https://stackoverflow.com/a/4468491
+			local stdout = f:read("*all")
+			f:close()
+			os.remove(stdout_file)
+			if choices_file then
+				os.remove(choices_file)
+			end
+
+			if (stdout and stdout ~= "") or opts.allow_empty then
+				if type(command) == "function" then
+					command(stdout)
+				elseif type(command) == "string" then
+					vim.cmd(command .. stdout)
+				end
+			end
+		end
+	})
+end
+
+--------------------------------
+--------------------------------
+-- vim.ui overwrites
+--------------------------------
+--------------------------------
+
+--- Replacement for `vim.ui.select`.
+---@param items any[] Arbitrary items
+---@param opts table? Additional options
+---     - prompt (string|nil)
+---     - format_item (function item -> text)
+---     - kind (string|nil)
+---@param on_choice fun(item: any|nil, idx: integer|nil)
+local function picker(items, opts, on_choice)
+	vim.validate({
+		items = { items, 'table', false },
+		on_choice = { on_choice, 'function', false },
+	})
+	opts = opts or {}
+
+	M.scope_fzf(
+		function()
+			---@type string[]
+			local items_fmt = {}
+
+			local fmt = opts.format_item or tostring
+			for i, v in ipairs(items) do
+				table.insert(items_fmt, string.format("%d: %s", i, fmt(v)))
+			end
+
+			return table.concat(items_fmt, "\n")
+		end,
+		function(sel)
+			if not sel or sel == "" then
+				on_choice(nil, nil)
+				return
+			end
+
+			local _, _, idx_str = string.find(sel, "^(%d+):")
+			local idx = tonumber(idx_str)
+			assert(idx, "Could not parse fzf output.")
+			on_choice(items[idx], idx)
+		end,
+		{
+			allow_empty = true,
+			fzf_opts = string.format("--border=rounded --border-label '%s'", (opts.prompt or "Select"))
+		}
+	)
+end
+
+---Sets up `vim.ui` hooks to use scope.
+function M.setup()
+	vim.ui.select = picker
+end
+
+--------------------------------
+--------------------------------
+-- preset modes
+--------------------------------
+--------------------------------
+
+---Find and open a file.
+function M.file_finder()
+	M.scope_fzf(
+		"rg --files",
+		":e ",
+		{ fzf_opts = '--preview "bat --color always --line-range=:500 {}"' }
+	)
+end
+
+---List and navigate buffers
+function M.buffer_list()
+	M.scope_fzf(
+		function()
+			return vim.api.nvim_exec2("ls", { output = true }).output
+		end,
+		function(s)
+			local _, _, bufnr = string.find(s, "^%s*(%d+)")
+			if bufnr then
+				vim.cmd.buf(bufnr)
+			end
+		end
+	)
+end
+
+return M
diff --git a/src/dot_local/share/nvim/site/pack/3pp/opt/external_dressing.nvim b/src/dot_local/share/nvim/site/pack/3pp/opt/external_dressing.nvim
deleted file mode 160000
index 6741f10..0000000
--- a/src/dot_local/share/nvim/site/pack/3pp/opt/external_dressing.nvim
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 6741f1062d3dc6e4755367a7e9b347b553623f04