diff --git a/base/zeesh.zsh b/base/zeesh.zsh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..308cbb8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/base/zeesh.zsh
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+function ticker_message () {
+    # TODO: get cols and scale
+    printf "\r                                                    \r"
+
+    printf "$@"
+}
+
+function ticker_finish () {
+    # TODO: get cols and scale
+    printf "\r                                                    \r"
+}
diff --git a/zeesh.zsh b/zeesh.zsh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0782518
--- /dev/null
+++ b/zeesh.zsh
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+source ~/.local/share/zeesh/base/zeesh.zsh
+
+ticker_message "zeesh: bootstrap"
+
+PROMPT="%{$fg_bold[cyan]%}%n%{$fg_bold[white]%}@%{$fg_bold[magenta]%}%m %{$fg_bold[white]%}%~ %# %{$reset_color%}"
+
+ticker_finish
diff --git a/zshrc-stub b/zshrc-stub
index 5c78f4a..7078ade 100644
--- a/zshrc-stub
+++ b/zshrc-stub
@@ -16,3 +16,10 @@ if type md5sum &> /dev/null; then
 fi
 
 [[ _zshrc_updates_pending -eq 1 ]] && printf "zeesh: stub updates pending\n"
+
+# kick things off
+fpath=(
+    ~/.local/share/zeesh/plugins
+    "${fpath[@]}"
+)
+source ~/.local/share/zeesh/base/zeesh.zsh