diff --git a/tests/lux_data_test.go b/tests/lux_data_test.go
index c2cff75..92e6570 100644
--- a/tests/lux_data_test.go
+++ b/tests/lux_data_test.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ func TestWriteGrow(t *testing.T) {
 	first, second := []byte{1, 2, 3, 4}, []byte{5, 6, 7, 8}
 	must := []byte{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}
 
-	buf := types.NewLuxBuffer(4)
+	buf := types.AllocLuxBuffer(4)
 	buf.WriteBytes(first)
 	t.Log(buf.AllBytes())
 
@@ -21,3 +21,40 @@ func TestWriteGrow(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fail()
 	}
 }
+
+func TestInts(t *testing.T) {
+	wd := types.AllocLuxBuffer(1)
+	wd.WriteUint16(1234)
+	wd.WriteUint16(4321)
+	wd.WriteUint64(69)
+	wd.WriteUint32(2967279234)
+
+	if rd := wd.ReadUint16(); rd != 1234 {
+		t.Fatal(rd)
+	}
+	if rd := wd.ReadUint16(); rd != 4321 {
+		t.Fatal(rd)
+	}
+	if rd := wd.ReadUint64(); rd != 69 {
+		t.Fatal(rd)
+	}
+	if rd := wd.ReadUint32(); rd != 2967279234 {
+		t.Fatal(rd)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStrings(t *testing.T) {
+	wd := types.AllocLuxBuffer(1)
+	wd.WriteString("a")     // 4
+	wd.WriteString("hello") // 8
+
+	if rd := wd.ReadString(); rd != "a" {
+		t.Fatal(rd)
+	}
+	if rd := wd.ReadString(); rd != "hello" {
+		t.Fatal(rd)
+	}
+	if wd.Length() != 12 {
+		t.Fatalf("string misaligned size: %d\n", wd.Length())
+	}
+}
diff --git a/types/lux_data.go b/types/lux_data.go
index f6b9967..b019e27 100644
--- a/types/lux_data.go
+++ b/types/lux_data.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ type LuxBuffer struct {
 	len    int
 }
 
-func NewLuxBuffer(cap int) *LuxBuffer {
+func AllocLuxBuffer(cap int) *LuxBuffer {
 	return &LuxBuffer{
 		data:   make([]byte, cap),
 		offset: 0,
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ func NewLuxBuffer(cap int) *LuxBuffer {
 	}
 }
 
+func NewLuxBuffer() *LuxBuffer {
+	return AllocLuxBuffer(MIN_BUFFER_SIZE)
+}
+
 func FromSlice(bytes []byte) *LuxBuffer {
 	return &LuxBuffer{
 		data:   bytes,
@@ -42,8 +46,14 @@ func (buf *LuxBuffer) Length() int {
 	return buf.len
 }
 
+// available capacity to write (before growing)
 func (buf *LuxBuffer) Available() int {
-	return buf.Capacity() - buf.Length()
+	return buf.Capacity() - buf.len
+}
+
+// available length to read
+func (buf *LuxBuffer) Remaining() int {
+	return buf.len - buf.offset
 }
 
 func (buf *LuxBuffer) Grow(grow int) {
@@ -74,3 +84,78 @@ func (buf *LuxBuffer) WriteNext(size int) []byte {
 func (buf *LuxBuffer) WriteBytes(bytes []byte) {
 	copy(buf.WriteNext(len(bytes)), bytes)
 }
+
+func (buf *LuxBuffer) ReadNext(size int) []byte {
+	next := buf.data[buf.offset : buf.offset+size]
+	buf.offset += size
+
+	return next
+}
+
+func (buf *LuxBuffer) Skip(skip int) {
+	buf.offset += skip
+}
+
+// explicit copy of read bytes
+func (buf *LuxBuffer) CopyBytes(size int) []byte {
+	read := make([]byte, size)
+	copy(read, buf.ReadNext(size))
+
+	return read
+}
+
+func (buf *LuxBuffer) ReadUint16() uint16 {
+	return NO.Uint16(buf.ReadNext(2))
+}
+
+func (buf *LuxBuffer) ReadUint32() uint32 {
+	return NO.Uint32(buf.ReadNext(4))
+}
+
+func (buf *LuxBuffer) ReadUint64() uint64 {
+	return NO.Uint64(buf.ReadNext(8))
+}
+
+func (buf *LuxBuffer) WriteUint16(val uint16) {
+	NO.PutUint16(buf.WriteNext(2), val)
+}
+
+func (buf *LuxBuffer) WriteUint32(val uint32) {
+	NO.PutUint32(buf.WriteNext(4), val)
+}
+
+func (buf *LuxBuffer) WriteUint64(val uint64) {
+	NO.PutUint64(buf.WriteNext(8), val)
+}
+
+// variable-length blocks can cause misaligned size,
+// so we make method for them, forcing padding
+
+func (buf *LuxBuffer) ReadVarBlock() []byte {
+	len := buf.ReadUint16()
+	bytes := buf.ReadNext(int(len))
+	if len%2 != 0 {
+		buf.Skip(1) // skip padding
+	}
+
+	return bytes
+}
+
+func (buf *LuxBuffer) WriteVarBlock(bytes []byte) {
+	len := uint16(len(bytes))
+
+	buf.WriteUint16(len)
+	buf.WriteBytes(bytes)
+	if len%2 != 0 {
+		buf.WriteNext(1) // padding
+	}
+}
+
+// strings in LUX protocol format will be padded to align of 2
+func (buf *LuxBuffer) ReadString() string {
+	return string(buf.ReadVarBlock())
+}
+
+func (buf *LuxBuffer) WriteString(val string) {
+	buf.WriteVarBlock([]byte(val))
+}