diff --git a/presentation/role.go b/presentation/role.go
index c320b99..9769d5c 100644
--- a/presentation/role.go
+++ b/presentation/role.go
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 package presentation
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-
 	"git.sapphic.engineer/roleypoly/v4/types"
 	"git.sapphic.engineer/roleypoly/v4/utils"
 )
@@ -43,6 +41,7 @@ func Role(category *types.Category, role *types.Role, selected bool) Presentable
 
 type PresentableRoleColors struct {
 	Main   string
+	Alt    string
 	IsDark bool
 }
 
@@ -50,9 +49,11 @@ func GetColors(roleColor uint32) PresentableRoleColors {
 	// TODO: no color
 
 	r, g, b := utils.IntToRgb(roleColor)
+	altR, altG, altB := utils.AltColor(r, g, b)
 
 	return PresentableRoleColors{
-		Main:   fmt.Sprintf("#%x", roleColor),
+		Main:   utils.RgbToString(r, g, b),
+		Alt:    utils.RgbToString(altR, altG, altB),
 		IsDark: utils.IsDarkColor(r, g, b),
 	}
 }
diff --git a/static/main.css b/static/main.css
index 409d3de..b3ace6b 100644
--- a/static/main.css
+++ b/static/main.css
@@ -43,8 +43,11 @@ body {
   user-select: none;
   padding: 0.217rem; /* this is silly number pls ignore :3 (^noe) */
   gap: 0.215rem;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  transition: all 0.35s ease-in-out;
 
   input {
+    cursor: pointer;
     appearance: none;
     position: relative;
     width: 1.216rem;
@@ -52,9 +55,17 @@ body {
     margin: 0;
     padding: 0;
     border: 2px solid var(--role-color);
-    transition: all 0.35s ease-in-out;
+    transition: all 0.25s ease-in-out;
     border-radius: 1.216rem;
 
+    &:hover {
+      background-color: var(--role-color);
+      &::before {
+        opacity: 1;
+        background-color: var(--contrast-color);
+      }
+    }
+
     &::before {
       transition: all 0.35s ease-in-out;
       content: "";
@@ -72,6 +83,7 @@ body {
   }
 
   label {
+    cursor: pointer;
   }
 
   &:has(input:checked) {
diff --git a/templates/components/role.html b/templates/components/role.html
index 40f0963..f65b1db 100644
--- a/templates/components/role.html
+++ b/templates/components/role.html
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {{ $for := printf "category-%s_role-%s" .CategoryID .ID }}
 <div
   class="role"
-  style="--role-color: {{.Colors.Main}}; --contrast-color: var({{if .Colors.IsDark}}--grey600{{else}}--grey100{{end}});"
+  style="--role-color: {{.Colors.Main}}; --contrast-color: {{.Colors.Alt}};"
   data-testid="role-{{.ID}}"
 >
   <input type="{{.InputType}}" id="{{$for}}" {{if eq .InputType
diff --git a/templates/components/role_test.go b/templates/components/role_test.go
index e4705c0..897c9c1 100644
--- a/templates/components/role_test.go
+++ b/templates/components/role_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"git.sapphic.engineer/roleypoly/v4/templates"
 	"git.sapphic.engineer/roleypoly/v4/types"
 	"git.sapphic.engineer/roleypoly/v4/types/fixtures"
+	"git.sapphic.engineer/roleypoly/v4/utils"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
@@ -32,18 +33,18 @@ func TestRole(t *testing.T) {
 	r := &fixtures.RoleWithDarkColor
 	html := renderRole(t, c, r, false)
 	assert.Contains(t, html, "--role-color: #a20000;", "role color is set")
-	assert.Contains(t, html, "--contrast-color: var(--grey600);", "contrast color is set")
+	assert.Contains(t, html, `type="checkbox"`, "multi has input type=checkbox")
+	assert.Contains(t, html, fmt.Sprintf("--contrast-color: %s;", utils.RgbToString(utils.AltColor(162, 0, 0))), "contrast color is set")
 	assert.Contains(t, html, fmt.Sprintf(`id="%s"`, roleInputID(c, r)), "input has ID attr")
 	assert.Contains(t, html, fmt.Sprintf(`for="%s"`, roleInputID(c, r)), "label has for attr")
-	assert.Contains(t, html, `type="checkbox"`, "multi has input type=checkbox")
 	assert.NotContains(t, html, fmt.Sprintf(`name="%s"`, roleInputName(c)), "multi has no name attr")
 	// TODO: selected?
 
 	c = &fixtures.CategorySingle
 	r = &fixtures.RoleWithLightColor
 	html = renderRole(t, c, r, true)
-	assert.Contains(t, html, "--contrast-color: var(--grey100);", "single has name attr")
 	assert.Contains(t, html, `type="radio"`, "single has input type=radio")
+	assert.Contains(t, html, fmt.Sprintf("--contrast-color: %s;", utils.RgbToString(utils.AltColor(0xff, 0xaa, 0x88))), "contrast color")
 	assert.Contains(t, html, fmt.Sprintf(`name="%s"`, roleInputName(c)), "single has name attr")
 }
 
diff --git a/utils/colors.go b/utils/colors.go
index b5c16dc..da0ea16 100644
--- a/utils/colors.go
+++ b/utils/colors.go
@@ -1,13 +1,18 @@
 package utils
 
-import "math"
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"math"
+)
+
+const (
+	Pred   float64 = 0.299
+	Pgreen float64 = 0.587
+	Pblue  float64 = 0.114
+)
 
 func IsDarkColor(r, g, b uint8) bool {
-	rC := 0.299 * math.Pow(float64(r), 2)
-	gC := 0.587 * math.Pow(float64(g), 2)
-	bC := 0.114 * math.Pow(float64(b), 2)
-
-	lum := math.Sqrt(rC + gC + bC)
+	lum := Luminance(r, g, b)
 
 	return lum <= 130
 }
@@ -19,3 +24,47 @@ func IntToRgb(color uint32) (uint8, uint8, uint8) {
 
 	return uint8(r), uint8(g), uint8(b)
 }
+
+func RgbToString(r, g, b uint8) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("#%02x%02x%02x", r, g, b)
+}
+
+func AltColor(r, g, b uint8) (uint8, uint8, uint8) {
+	brightnessAmount := -0.6
+	if IsDarkColor(r, g, b) {
+		brightnessAmount = 0.85
+	}
+	return Brighten(r, g, b, brightnessAmount)
+}
+
+func Brighten(r, g, b uint8, amount float64) (uint8, uint8, uint8) {
+	return multiply(r, amount), multiply(g, amount), multiply(b, amount)
+}
+
+func multiply(i uint8, amount float64) uint8 {
+	iF := float64(i)
+	return uint8(
+		math.Max(
+			0,
+			math.Min(
+				255, iF+255*amount,
+			),
+		),
+	)
+}
+
+func Luminance(r, g, b uint8) float64 {
+	rC := Pred * math.Pow(float64(r), 2)
+	gC := Pgreen * math.Pow(float64(g), 2)
+	bC := Pblue * math.Pow(float64(b), 2)
+
+	return math.Sqrt(rC + gC + bC)
+}
+
+func WCAGRatio(l1, l2 float64) float64 {
+	if l1 < l2 {
+		return (l1 + 0.05) / (l2 + 0.05)
+	} else {
+		return (l2 + 0.05) / (l1 + 0.05)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/utils/colors_test.go b/utils/colors_test.go
index 2aea6ec..b76fd78 100644
--- a/utils/colors_test.go
+++ b/utils/colors_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
+const (
+	WCAGAAA float64 = 0.14285714285714285
+	WCAGAA  float64 = 0.25
+)
+
 func TestIntToRgb(t *testing.T) {
 	r, g, b := utils.IntToRgb(0x123456)
 	assert.Equal(t, uint8(0x12), r, "red")
@@ -27,3 +32,39 @@ func TestIsDarkColor(t *testing.T) {
 	isReallyQuestionable := utils.IsDarkColor(0x00, 0x88, 0x00)
 	assert.True(t, isReallyQuestionable)
 }
+
+func TestBrighten(t *testing.T) {
+	r, g, b := utils.Brighten(0, 0, 0, 0.1)
+	assert.Equal(t, uint8(0x19), r)
+	assert.Equal(t, uint8(0x19), g)
+	assert.Equal(t, uint8(0x19), b)
+	// assert.LessOrEqual(t, WCAGAA, utils.WCAGRatio(
+	// 	utils.Luminance(0, 0, 0),
+	// 	utils.Luminance(r, g, b),
+	// ))
+
+	r, g, b = utils.Brighten(0x88, 0x88, 0x88, -0.1)
+	assert.Equal(t, uint8(0x88-0x19-1), r)
+	assert.Equal(t, uint8(0x88-0x19-1), g)
+	assert.Equal(t, uint8(0x88-0x19-1), b)
+	// assert.LessOrEqual(t, WCAGAA, utils.WCAGRatio(
+	// 	utils.Luminance(0x88, 0x88, 0x88),
+	// 	utils.Luminance(r, g, b),
+	// ))
+}
+
+func TestRgbToString(t *testing.T) {
+	assert.Equal(t, "#acab69", utils.RgbToString(0xac, 0xab, 0x69))
+}
+
+func TestAltColor(t *testing.T) {
+	r, g, b := utils.AltColor(0xa2, 0xc2, 0x42)
+	assert.Equal(t, uint8(0x09), r, "red")
+	assert.Equal(t, uint8(0x29), g, "green")
+	assert.Equal(t, uint8(0x00), b, "blue")
+
+	r, g, b = utils.AltColor(0xa2, 0x15, 0x18)
+	assert.Equal(t, uint8(0xff), r, "red")
+	assert.Equal(t, uint8(0xed), g, "green")
+	assert.Equal(t, uint8(0xf0), b, "blue")
+}
diff --git a/utils/emojis_test.go b/utils/emojis_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..be1f6fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/emojis_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+package utils_test
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"git.sapphic.engineer/roleypoly/v4/utils"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestRandomEmoji(t *testing.T) {
+	for i := len(utils.AllEmojis) * 1000; i >= 0; i-- {
+		e := utils.GetRandomEmoji()
+		assert.Containsf(t, e.Name, "roleypolynext", "not valid on iteration %d", i)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/utils/template_fns.go b/utils/template_fns.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fbe7cc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/template_fns.go
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+package utils
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"git.sapphic.engineer/roleypoly/v4/types"
+)
+
+func RoleInputID(c *types.Category, r *types.Role) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("category-%s_role-%s", c.ID, r.ID)
+}
+
+func RoleInputName(c *types.Category) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("category_group_%s", c.ID)
+}
diff --git a/utils/template_fns_test.go b/utils/template_fns_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..00d7131
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/template_fns_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+package utils_test
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"git.sapphic.engineer/roleypoly/v4/types"
+	"git.sapphic.engineer/roleypoly/v4/utils"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestRoleInputID(t *testing.T) {
+	assert.Equal(t, "category-123_role-456", utils.RoleInputID(&types.Category{ID: "123"}, &types.Role{ID: "456"}))
+}
+
+func TestRoleInputName(t *testing.T) {
+	assert.Equal(t, "category_group_123", utils.RoleInputName(&types.Category{ID: "123"}))
+}