diff --git a/validation/src/main.rs b/validation/src/main.rs
index 7c72b75..6df64c1 100644
--- a/validation/src/main.rs
+++ b/validation/src/main.rs
@@ -8,17 +8,33 @@ enum StartupError{
 	Connect(async_nats::ConnectError),
 	Subscribe(async_nats::SubscribeError),
 }
+impl std::fmt::Display for StartupError{
+	fn fmt(&self,f:&mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>)->std::fmt::Result{
+		write!(f,"{self:?}")
+	}
+}
+impl std::error::Error for StartupError{}
 
 #[tokio::main]
 async fn main()->Result<(),StartupError>{
+	// cookies and clouds
+	let cookie_context=rbx_asset::cookie::CookieContext::new(rbx_asset::cookie::Cookie::new("".to_owned()));
+	let cloud_context=rbx_asset::cloud::CloudContext::new(rbx_asset::cloud::ApiKey::new("".to_owned()));
+
+	// nats
 	let nasty=async_nats::connect("nats").await.map_err(StartupError::Connect)?;
+
+	// connect to nats
 	let (publisher,validator)=tokio::try_join!(
-		publisher::Publisher::new(nasty.clone()),
-		validator::Validator::new(nasty)
+		publisher::Publisher::new(nasty.clone(),cookie_context.clone(),cloud_context),
+		validator::Validator::new(nasty,cookie_context)
 	).map_err(StartupError::Subscribe)?;
+
 	// publisher thread
 	tokio::spawn(publisher.run());
+
 	// run validator on the main thread indefinitely
 	validator.run().await;
+
 	Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/validation/src/publisher.rs b/validation/src/publisher.rs
index 4cc1135..b68e76f 100644
--- a/validation/src/publisher.rs
+++ b/validation/src/publisher.rs
@@ -1,17 +1,32 @@
 use futures::StreamExt;
 
+#[derive(Debug)]
 enum PublishError{
 }
+impl std::fmt::Display for PublishError{
+	fn fmt(&self,f:&mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>)->std::fmt::Result{
+		write!(f,"{self:?}")
+	}
+}
+impl std::error::Error for PublishError{}
 
 pub struct Publisher{
 	nats:async_nats::Client,
 	subscriber:async_nats::Subscriber,
+	roblox_cookie:rbx_asset::cookie::CookieContext,
+	roblox_cloud:rbx_asset::cloud::CloudContext,
 }
 impl Publisher{
-	pub async fn new(nats:async_nats::Client)->Result<Self,async_nats::SubscribeError>{
+	pub async fn new(
+		nats:async_nats::Client,
+		roblox_cookie:rbx_asset::cookie::CookieContext,
+		roblox_cloud:rbx_asset::cloud::CloudContext,
+	)->Result<Self,async_nats::SubscribeError>{
 		Ok(Self{
 			subscriber:nats.subscribe("publish").await?,
 			nats,
+			roblox_cookie,
+			roblox_cloud,
 		})
 	}
 	pub async fn run(mut self){
diff --git a/validation/src/validator.rs b/validation/src/validator.rs
index 339d386..600b866 100644
--- a/validation/src/validator.rs
+++ b/validation/src/validator.rs
@@ -1,37 +1,113 @@
 use futures::StreamExt;
-use rbx_dom_weak::WeakDom;
+use crate::nats_types::ValidateRequest;
+
+struct ModelVersion{
+	model_id:u64,
+	model_version:u64,
+}
 
 enum Valid{
-	Untouched(WeakDom),
-	Modified(WeakDom),
+	Untouched,
+	Modified(ModelVersion),
 }
 
+#[allow(dead_code)]
+#[derive(Debug)]
 enum ValidateError{
+	Get(rbx_asset::cookie::GetError),
+	Json(serde_json::Error),
+	ReadDom(ReadDomError),
 }
-
+impl std::fmt::Display for ValidateError{
+	fn fmt(&self,f:&mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>)->std::fmt::Result{
+		write!(f,"{self:?}")
+	}
+}
+impl std::error::Error for ValidateError{}
 
 pub struct Validator{
 	nats:async_nats::Client,
 	subscriber:async_nats::Subscriber,
+	roblox_cookie:rbx_asset::cookie::CookieContext,
 }
+
 impl Validator{
-	pub async fn new(nats:async_nats::Client)->Result<Self,async_nats::SubscribeError>{
+	pub async fn new(
+		nats:async_nats::Client,
+		roblox_cookie:rbx_asset::cookie::CookieContext,
+	)->Result<Self,async_nats::SubscribeError>{
 		Ok(Self{
 			subscriber:nats.subscribe("validate").await?,
 			nats,
+			roblox_cookie,
 		})
 	}
 	pub async fn run(mut self){
 		while let Some(message)=self.subscriber.next().await{
-			self.validate(message).await
+			self.validate_supress_error(message).await
 		}
 	}
-	async fn validate(&self,message:async_nats::Message){
+	async fn validate_supress_error(&self,message:async_nats::Message){
+		match self.validate(message).await{
+			Ok(valid)=>{
+				unimplemented!();
+				// self.nats.publish("validated","yo it validated".into()).await.unwrap();
+			},
+			Err(e)=>{
+				println!("there was an error, oopsie! {e}");
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	async fn validate(&self,message:async_nats::Message)->Result<Valid,ValidateError>{
 		println!("validate {:?}",message);
+		// decode json
+		let validate_info:ValidateRequest=serde_json::from_slice(&message.payload).map_err(ValidateError::Json)?;
+
 		// download map
+		let data=self.roblox_cookie.get_asset(rbx_asset::cookie::GetAssetRequest{
+			asset_id:validate_info.model_id,
+			version:Some(validate_info.model_version),
+		}).await.map_err(ValidateError::Get)?;
+
+		// decode dom (slow!)
+		let mut dom=read_dom(&mut std::io::Cursor::new(data)).map_err(ValidateError::ReadDom)?;
+
 		// validate map
 		// validate(dom)
+
 		// reply with validity
-		// Ok(Valid::Untouched(dom))
+		Ok(Valid::Untouched)
+	}
+}
+
+#[allow(dead_code)]
+#[derive(Debug)]
+enum ReadDomError{
+	Binary(rbx_binary::DecodeError),
+	Xml(rbx_xml::DecodeError),
+	Read(std::io::Error),
+	Seek(std::io::Error),
+	UnknownFormat([u8;8]),
+}
+impl std::fmt::Display for ReadDomError{
+	fn fmt(&self,f:&mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>)->std::fmt::Result{
+		write!(f,"{self:?}")
+	}
+}
+impl std::error::Error for ReadDomError{}
+
+fn read_dom<R:std::io::Read+std::io::Seek>(input:&mut R)->Result<rbx_dom_weak::WeakDom,ReadDomError>{
+	let mut first_8=[0u8;8];
+	std::io::Read::read_exact(input,&mut first_8).map_err(ReadDomError::Read)?;
+	std::io::Seek::rewind(input).map_err(ReadDomError::Seek)?;
+	match &first_8[0..4]{
+		b"<rob"=>{
+			match &first_8[4..8]{
+				b"lox!"=>rbx_binary::from_reader(input).map_err(ReadDomError::Binary),
+				b"lox "=>rbx_xml::from_reader(input,rbx_xml::DecodeOptions::default()).map_err(ReadDomError::Xml),
+				_=>Err(ReadDomError::UnknownFormat(first_8)),
+			}
+		},
+		_=>Err(ReadDomError::UnknownFormat(first_8)),
 	}
 }