diff --git a/app/lib/babycode_parser.py b/app/lib/babycode_parser.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4a2b8c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/lib/babycode_parser.py
@@ -0,0 +1,241 @@
+# originally written in lua by kaesa
+
+import re
+
+PAT_EMOTE = r"[^\s:]"
+PAT_BBCODE_TAG = r"\w"
+PAT_BBCODE_ATTR = r"[^\s\]]"
+PAT_LINK = r"https?:\/\/[\w\-_.?:\/=&~@#%]+[\w\-\/]"
+
+class Parser:
+    def __init__(self, src_str):
+        self.valid_bbcode_tags = []
+        self.valid_emotes = []
+        self.bbcode_tags_only_text_children = [],
+        self.source = src_str
+        self.position = 0
+        self.position_stack = []
+
+
+    def advance(self, count = 1):
+        self.position += count
+
+
+    def is_end_of_source(self, offset = 0):
+        return self.position + offset >= len(self.source)
+
+
+    def save_position(self):
+        self.position_stack.append(self.position)
+
+
+    def restore_position(self):
+        self.position = self.position_stack.pop()
+
+
+    def forget_position(self):
+        self.position_stack.pop()
+
+
+    def peek_char(self, offset = 0):
+        if self.is_end_of_source(offset):
+            return ""
+        return self.source[self.position + offset]
+
+
+    def get_char(self):
+        char = self.peek_char()
+        self.advance()
+        return char
+
+
+    def check_char(self, wanted):
+        char = self.peek_char()
+
+        if char == wanted:
+            self.advance()
+            return True
+
+        return False
+
+
+    def check_str(self, wanted):
+        self.save_position()
+
+        # for each char in wanted
+        for i in range(len(wanted)):
+            if not self.check_char(wanted[i]):
+                self.restore_position()
+                return False
+
+        self.forget_position()
+        return True
+
+
+    def match_pattern(self, pattern):
+        buf = ""
+        while not self.is_end_of_source():
+            ch = self.peek_char()
+
+            if not re.match(pattern, ch):
+                break
+
+            self.advance()
+            buf = buf + ch
+
+        return buf
+
+
+    def parse_emote(self):
+        self.save_position()
+
+        if not self.check_char(":"):
+            self.restore_position()
+            return None
+
+        name = self.match_pattern(PAT_EMOTE)
+
+        if not self.check_char(":"):
+            self.restore_position()
+            return None
+
+        if not name in self.valid_emotes:
+            self.restore_position()
+            return None
+
+        self.forget_position()
+        return {
+            "type": "emote",
+            "name": name
+        }
+
+
+    def parse_bbcode_open(self):
+        self.save_position()
+
+        if not self.check_char("["):
+            self.restore_position()
+            return None, None
+
+        name = self.match_pattern(PAT_BBCODE_TAG)
+
+        if name == "":
+            self.restore_position()
+            return None, None
+
+        attr = None
+
+        if self.check_char("="):
+            attr = self.match_pattern(PAT_BBCODE_ATTR)
+
+        if not self.check_char("]"):
+            self.restore_position()
+            return None, None
+
+        if not name in self.valid_bbcode_tags:
+            self.restore_position()
+            return None, None
+
+        self.forget_position()
+        return name, attr
+
+
+    def parse_bbcode(self):
+        self.save_position()
+
+        name, attr = self.parse_bbcode_open()
+
+        if name is None:
+            self.restore_position()
+            return None
+
+        children = []
+
+        while not self.is_end_of_source():
+            if self.check_str(f"[/{name}]"):
+                break
+
+            if name in self.bbcode_tags_only_text_children:
+                ch = self.get_char()
+
+                if len(children) == 0:
+                    children.append(ch)
+                else:
+                    children[1] = children[1] + ch
+            else:
+                element = self.parse_element(children)
+
+                if element is None:
+                    self.restore_position()
+                    return None
+
+                children.append(element)
+
+        self.forget_position()
+        return {
+            "type": "bbcode",
+            "name": name,
+            "attr": attr,
+            "children": children,
+        }
+
+
+    def parse_rule(self):
+        if not self.check_str("---"):
+            return None
+
+        return {
+            "type": "rule"
+        }
+
+
+    def parse_link(self):
+        self.save_position()
+
+        # extract printable chars (extreme hack edition)
+        word = self.match_pattern(r'[ -~]')
+
+        if not re.match(PAT_LINK, word):
+            self.restore_position()
+            return None
+
+        self.forget_position()
+        return {
+            "type": "link",
+            "url": word
+        }
+
+
+    def parse_element(self, siblings):
+        if self.is_end_of_source():
+            return None
+
+        element = self.parse_emote() \
+            or self.parse_bbcode() \
+            or self.parse_rule() \
+            or self.parse_link()
+
+        if element is None:
+            if len(siblings) > 0:
+                last = siblings[-1]
+
+                if isinstance(last, str):
+                    siblings.pop()
+                    return last + self.get_char()
+
+            return self.get_char()
+
+        return element
+
+
+    def parse(self):
+        elements = []
+
+        while True:
+            element = self.parse_element(elements)
+            if element is None:
+                break
+
+            elements.append(element)
+
+        return elements