diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index e875f5e..384dfce 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -15,3 +15,8 @@
 - [ ] type at point
 - [ ] repl
 - [ ] LSP
+- [ ] don't match forced constructors
+  - maybe do this in codegen if there is only one case.
+- [ ] magic nat (codegen as number with appropriate pattern matching)
+- [ ] magic tuple? (codegen as array)
+- [ ] magic newtype? (drop in codegen)
diff --git a/newt/typeclass.newt b/newt/typeclass.newt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0b08c4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/newt/typeclass.newt
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+module TypeClass
+
+-- experiment on one option for typeclass (we don't have record yet)
+
+-- we need a bit more than this, but
+data Monad : (U -> U) -> U where
+  MkMonad : { M : U -> U } ->
+            (bind : {A B : U} -> (M A) -> (A -> M B) -> M B) ->
+            Monad M
+
+data Maybe : U -> U where
+  Just    : {A : U} -> A -> Maybe A
+  Nothing : {A : U} -> Maybe A
+
+
+-- NEXT trying to get this to work. An equivalence is not found in pattern
+-- matching
+
+-- [instance]
+MaybeMonad : Monad Maybe
+-- Agda case lambda might be nice..
+-- The {Maybe} isn't solved in type for the case
+MaybeMonad = MkMonad {Maybe} (\ {A} ma amb =>
+  case ma of
+      Nothing => Nothing
+      -- It doesn't discover pat$5 is A during pattern matching
+      -- oh, but var 0 value is var5
+      Just a => amb a)
+
diff --git a/src/Lib/Check.idr b/src/Lib/Check.idr
index e55007c..a97b578 100644
--- a/src/Lib/Check.idr
+++ b/src/Lib/Check.idr
@@ -120,12 +120,33 @@ parameters (ctx: Context)
   unifySpine l True (xs :< x) (ys :< y) = [| unify l x y <+> (unifySpine l True xs ys) |]
   unifySpine l True _ _ = error emptyFC "meta spine length mismatch"
 
+  lookupVar : Nat -> Maybe Val
+  lookupVar k = let l = length ctx.env in
+    if k > l
+      then Nothing
+      else case getAt ((l `minus` k) `minus` 1) ctx.env of
+        Just v@(VVar fc k' sp) => if k == k' then Nothing else Just v
+        Just v => Just v
+        Nothing => Nothing
+
+  -- hoping to apply what we got via pattern matching
+  unlet : Val -> M Val
+  unlet t@(VVar fc k sp) = case lookupVar k of
+        Just tt@(VVar fc' k' sp') => do
+          debug "lookup \{show k} is \{show tt}"
+          if k' == k then pure t else vappSpine (VVar fc' k' sp') sp
+        Just t => vappSpine t sp
+        Nothing => do
+          debug "lookup \{show k} is Nothing in env \{show ctx.env}"
+          pure t
+  unlet x = pure x
+
   unify l t u = do
     debug "Unify \{show ctx.lvl}"
     debug "  \{show l} \{show t}"
     debug "  =?= \{show u}"
-    t' <- forceMeta t
-    u' <- forceMeta u
+    t' <- forceMeta t >>= unlet
+    u' <- forceMeta u >>= unlet
     debug "forced \{show t'}"
     debug "  =?= \{show u'}"
     debug "env \{show ctx.env}"
@@ -146,11 +167,7 @@ parameters (ctx: Context)
         -- else error ctx.fc "unify error: vvar mismatch \{show k} \{show k'} \{show ctx.env}"
 
       -- attempt at building constraints
-      -- and using them
-      (VVar fc k sp, u) => case lookupVar k of
-        Just v => unify l v u
-        Nothing => pure $ MkResult[(k, u)]
-
+      (VVar fc k sp, u) => pure $ MkResult[(k, u)]
       (t, VVar fc k sp) => pure $ MkResult[(k, t)]
 
       (VRef fc k def sp,   VRef fc' k' def' sp'  ) =>
@@ -487,6 +504,8 @@ check ctx tm ty = case (tm, !(forceType ty)) of
     -- We've got a beta redex or need to do something...
     -- Maybe we can let the scrutinee and jump into the middle?
     (sc, scty) <- infer ctx rsc
+    scty <- forceMeta scty
+    debug "SCTM/TY \{pprint (names ctx) sc} \{show scty}"
 
     let scnm = fresh "sc"
     -- FIXME FC
diff --git a/src/Lib/CompileExp.idr b/src/Lib/CompileExp.idr
index 74cf643..6607857 100644
--- a/src/Lib/CompileExp.idr
+++ b/src/Lib/CompileExp.idr
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ piArity _ = Z
 
 arityForName : FC -> Name -> M Nat
 arityForName fc nm = case lookup nm !get of
-  Nothing => error fc "Name \{show nm} not in scope"
+  -- let the magic hole through for now (will generate bad JS)
+  Nothing => if nm == "?" then pure 0 else error fc "Name \{show nm} not in scope"
   (Just (MkEntry name type Axiom)) => pure 0
   (Just (MkEntry name type (TCon strs))) => pure 0 -- FIXME
   (Just (MkEntry name type (DCon k str))) => pure k
diff --git a/tests/black/typeclass.newt b/tests/black/typeclass.newt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0b08c4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/black/typeclass.newt
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+module TypeClass
+
+-- experiment on one option for typeclass (we don't have record yet)
+
+-- we need a bit more than this, but
+data Monad : (U -> U) -> U where
+  MkMonad : { M : U -> U } ->
+            (bind : {A B : U} -> (M A) -> (A -> M B) -> M B) ->
+            Monad M
+
+data Maybe : U -> U where
+  Just    : {A : U} -> A -> Maybe A
+  Nothing : {A : U} -> Maybe A
+
+
+-- NEXT trying to get this to work. An equivalence is not found in pattern
+-- matching
+
+-- [instance]
+MaybeMonad : Monad Maybe
+-- Agda case lambda might be nice..
+-- The {Maybe} isn't solved in type for the case
+MaybeMonad = MkMonad {Maybe} (\ {A} ma amb =>
+  case ma of
+      Nothing => Nothing
+      -- It doesn't discover pat$5 is A during pattern matching
+      -- oh, but var 0 value is var5
+      Just a => amb a)
+