diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index e191aca..83fc4d0 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 use std::{
     collections::HashMap,
-    ffi::OsString,
-    fs::{DirBuilder, File},
+    fs::{read_to_string, DirBuilder, File},
     io::{self, BufRead},
     net::SocketAddr,
     path::PathBuf,
@@ -43,21 +42,70 @@ pub enum Error {
     Metadata,
     #[error("some shit missing: {0}")]
     ShitMissing(String),
+    #[error("filesystem error")]
+    FS,
 }
 
 struct TextPaste {
     pub text: String,
-    pub meta: HashMap<String, String>,
+    pub meta: TextMeta,
+}
+
+struct TextMeta {
+    language: Option<String>,
+}
+
+impl TextMeta {
+    pub fn parse(from: &str) -> Result<Self, Error> {
+        let mut map = HashMap::new();
+
+        from.lines()
+            .map(|line| line.trim())
+            .filter(|line| line.len() > 0)
+            .map(|line| {
+                line.split_once(": ")
+                    .ok_or(Error::Metadata)
+                    .map(|(k, v)| map.insert(k.to_string(), v.to_string()))
+            });
+        // meh, this prolly doesnt perform well but idc its only init code
+        Ok(Self {
+            language: map.remove("language"),
+        })
+    }
 }
 
 struct FileMeta {
     file_name: String,
 }
 
+impl FileMeta {
+    pub fn parse(from: &str) -> Result<Self, Error> {
+        let map = from
+            .lines()
+            .map(|line| line.trim())
+            .filter(|line| line.len() > 0)
+            .map(|line| line.split_once(": ").ok_or(Error::Metadata))
+            .collect::<Result<HashMap<_, _>, Error>>()?;
+
+        let file_name = map.remove("file_name").ok_or(Error::Metadata)?.to_string();
+        Ok(Self { file_name })
+    }
+}
+
 struct UserData {
-    username: String,
-    pw_hash: String,
-    is_admin: bool,
+    pub username: String,
+    pub pw_hash: String,
+    pub is_admin: bool,
+}
+impl UserData {
+    pub fn parse(line: &str, is_admin: bool) -> Result<Self, Error> {
+        let (username, pw_hash) = line.split_once(": ").ok_or(Error::Metadata)?;
+        Ok(Self {
+            username: username.trim().to_string(),
+            pw_hash: pw_hash.trim().to_string(),
+            is_admin,
+        })
+    }
 }
 
 struct DataStorage {
@@ -90,7 +138,7 @@ impl DataStorage {
         self.load_files()?;
         self.load_users()?;
 
-        todo!()
+        Ok(())
     }
 
     fn ensure_folder_structure(&self) -> Result<(), Error> {
@@ -114,7 +162,7 @@ impl DataStorage {
 
         for line in io::BufReader::new(f).lines() {
             line?;
-            let (id, url) = line?.split_once(": ").expect("invalid redirect format");
+            let (id, url) = line?.split_once(": ").ok_or(Error::Metadata)?;
             self.redirects
                 .insert(id.trim().to_string(), url.trim().to_string());
             // if there's a better way to do this let me know
@@ -126,8 +174,18 @@ impl DataStorage {
     fn load_text(&mut self) -> Result<(), Error> {
         for thing in std::fs::read_dir(self.base_dir.join(TEXT_DIR)).expect("fs error") {
             let dir_entry = thing?; // i'm so good at naming things
-            let f = File::open(dir_entry.path())?;
-            let reader = io::BufReader::new(f);
+            let id = dir_entry.file_name().into_string().or(Err(Error::FS))?;
+            let (raw_metadata, text) = read_to_string(dir_entry.path())?
+                .split_once("---")
+                .expect("invalid text format");
+            let meta = TextMeta::parse(raw_metadata)?;
+            self.text.insert(
+                id,
+                TextPaste {
+                    text: text.to_string(),
+                    meta,
+                },
+            );
         }
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -135,19 +193,14 @@ impl DataStorage {
     fn load_files(&mut self) -> Result<(), Error> {
         for thing in std::fs::read_dir(self.base_dir.join(FILE_DIR)).expect("fs error") {
             let dir_entry = thing?; // i'm so good at naming things
-            let filename = dir_entry.file_name().into_string().expect("fucked up OS string");
-            if filename
-                .ends_with(".meta")
-            {
+            let filename = dir_entry
+                .file_name()
+                .into_string()
+                .expect("fucked up OS string");
+            if filename.ends_with(".meta") {
                 let id = filename.trim_end_matches(".meta").to_string();
-                let f = File::open(dir_entry.path())?;
-                let reader = io::BufReader::new(f);
-                let raw_metadata = HashMap::new();
-                for line in reader.lines() {
-                    let (k, v) = line?.split_once(": ").expect("invalid metadata");
-                    raw_metadata.insert(k.trim().to_string(), v.trim().to_string());
-                }
-                let metadata = Self::parse_file_meta(raw_metadata)?;
+                let raw_metadata = read_to_string(dir_entry.path())?;
+                let metadata = FileMeta::parse(raw_metadata.as_str())?;
                 self.files.insert(id, metadata);
             }
         }
@@ -158,21 +211,26 @@ impl DataStorage {
     fn assert_all_files_present(&self) -> Result<(), Error> {
         let files_folder = self.base_dir.join(FILE_DIR);
         for (id, _) in self.files.into_iter() {
-            files_folder.join(id).try_exists().map_err(|_| Error::ShitMissing(id));
+            files_folder
+                .join(id)
+                .try_exists()
+                .or(Err(Error::ShitMissing(id)))?;
         }
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    fn parse_file_meta(raw: HashMap<String, String>) -> Result<FileMeta, Error> {
-        let file_name = raw.get("file_name").ok_or(Error::Metadata)?.to_owned();
-        Ok(FileMeta { file_name })
-    }
-
     fn load_users(&mut self) -> Result<(), Error> {
-        todo!()
+        let is_admin = true;
+        for line in read_to_string(self.base_dir.join(USERS_FILE))?.lines() {
+            if line.starts_with("---") {
+                is_admin = false;
+                break;
+            }
+            let user = UserData::parse(line, is_admin)?;
+            self.users.insert(user.username, user);
+        }
+        Ok(())
     }
-
-
 }
 
 struct AppState {