diff --git a/outputs/hozen/default.nix b/outputs/hozen/default.nix
index 6360d82..f7db3fd 100644
--- a/outputs/hozen/default.nix
+++ b/outputs/hozen/default.nix
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
   inherit (ook.lib.color.utils) mkLightColorScheme mkDarkColorScheme;
 
   darkScheme = mkDarkColorScheme {
+    slug = "gruvbox-material-dark-medium";
     neutrals = {
       "50" = "dfd2b3";
       "100" = "d9c7a5";
@@ -17,12 +18,12 @@
       "600" = "585350";
       "650" = "4d4947";
       "700" = "3f3b3b";
-      "750" = "343232";
+      "750" = "32302f";
       "800" = "282828";
       "850" = "212121";
       "900" = "1a1a1a";
     };
-    primary = "ea6962";
+    primary = "a9b665";
     red = "ea6962";
     orange = "e78a4e";
     yellow = "d8a657";
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@
   };
 
   lightScheme = mkLightColorScheme {
+    slug = "gruvbox-material-light-soft";
     neutrals = {
       "50" = "f7efda";
       "100" = "f4eac8";
diff --git a/outputs/lib/color/utils.nix b/outputs/lib/color/utils.nix
index 7014169..a6abb35 100644
--- a/outputs/lib/color/utils.nix
+++ b/outputs/lib/color/utils.nix
@@ -8,8 +8,14 @@
     hslSet = translate.hex.toHSL.set hexStr;
     newHSL = types.hsl.set {
       inherit (hslSet) h;
-      l = math.clamp 0.0 1.0 (hslSet.l + (modifications.l or 0.0));
-      s = math.clamp 0.0 1.0 (hslSet.s + (modifications.s or 0.0));
+      l =
+        if modifications ? absoluteL
+        then modifications.l
+        else math.clamp 0.0 1.0 (hslSet.l + (modifications.l or 0.0));
+      s =
+        if modifications ? absoluteS
+        then modifications.l
+        else math.clamp 0.0 1.0 (hslSet.s + (modifications.s or 0.0));
     };
     rgbSet = translate.hsl.toRGB.set newHSL;
   in
@@ -27,35 +33,47 @@
   desaturate = amount: hexStr:
     modifyHSL hexStr {s = (amount * -1) / 100.0;};
 
-  # opinionated scale generators for light/dark themes
-  # lighter/darker shades always desaturate
+  absoluteLum = amount: hexStr:
+    modifyHSL hexStr {
+      absoluteL = true;
+      l = amount / 100.0;
+    };
+
   mkDarkColorScale = base: {
-    up4 = desaturate 24 (lighten 12 base);
-    up3 = desaturate 18 (lighten 9 base);
-    up2 = desaturate 12 (lighten 6 base);
-    up1 = desaturate 6 (lighten 3 base);
+    hard4 = lighten 12 base;
+    hard3 = lighten 9 base;
+    hard2 = lighten 6 base;
+    hard1 = lighten 3 base;
     inherit base;
-    down1 = desaturate 6 (darken 3 base);
-    down2 = desaturate 12 (darken 6 base);
-    down3 = desaturate 18 (darken 9 base);
-    down4 = desaturate 24 (darken 12 base);
+    soft1 = darken 3 base;
+    soft2 = darken 6 base;
+    soft3 = darken 9 base;
+    soft4 = darken 12 base;
   };
 
   mkLightColorScale = base: {
-    down4 = desaturate 24 (lighten 12 base);
-    down3 = desaturate 18 (lighten 9 base);
-    down2 = desaturate 12 (lighten 6 base);
-    down1 = desaturate 6 (lighten 3 base);
+    soft4 = lighten 12 base;
+    soft3 = lighten 9 base;
+    soft2 = lighten 6 base;
+    soft1 = lighten 3 base;
     inherit base;
-    up1 = desaturate 6 (darken 3 base);
-    up2 = desaturate 12 (darken 6 base);
-    up3 = desaturate 18 (darken 9 base);
-    up4 = desaturate 24 (darken 12 base);
+    hard1 = darken 3 base;
+    hard2 = darken 6 base;
+    hard3 = darken 9 base;
+    hard4 = darken 12 base;
+  };
+
+  mkAlert = color: {
+    fg = absoluteLum 19 color;
+    bg = absoluteLum 79 color;
+    border = color;
+    base = color;
   };
 
   # core color scheme generator
   mkColorScheme = {
     type ? "dark",
+    slug,
     neutrals ? {},
     primary,
     red,
@@ -71,52 +89,59 @@
     brown,
   } @ args: let
     # Select scale function based on theme type
-    colorScale =
+    mkColorScale =
       if type == "dark"
       then mkDarkColorScale
       else mkLightColorScale;
 
     # Generate color scales
-    colorScales = {
-      red = colorScale args.red;
-      orange = colorScale args.orange;
-      yellow = colorScale args.yellow;
-      olive = colorScale args.olive;
-      green = colorScale args.green;
-      teal = colorScale args.teal;
-      blue = colorScale args.blue;
-      violet = colorScale args.violet;
-      purple = colorScale args.purple;
-      pink = colorScale args.pink;
-      brown = colorScale args.brown;
+    colors = {
+      red = mkColorScale args.red;
+      orange = mkColorScale args.orange;
+      yellow = mkColorScale args.yellow;
+      olive = mkColorScale args.olive;
+      green = mkColorScale args.green;
+      teal = mkColorScale args.teal;
+      blue = mkColorScale args.blue;
+      violet = mkColorScale args.violet;
+      purple = mkColorScale args.purple;
+      pink = mkColorScale args.pink;
+      brown = mkColorScale args.brown;
     };
 
     # Theme-specific configurations
-    themeConfig =
+    theme =
       if type == "dark"
       then {
         semantic = {
-          body = args.neutrals."700";
-          header = args.neutrals."800";
-          footer = args.neutrals."800";
-          menu = args.neutrals."800";
-          border = args.neutrals."150";
-          border-active = args.neutrals."150";
-          border-inactive = args.neutrals."600";
-          text = args.neutrals."150";
-          text-bright = args.neutrals."100";
-          subtext = args.neutrals."300";
+          layout = {
+            body = args.neutrals."750";
+            header = args.neutrals."800";
+            footer = args.neutrals."800";
+            menu = args.neutrals."800";
+          };
+          border = {
+            base = args.neutrals."150";
+            active = args.neutrals."150";
+            inactive = args.neutrals."600";
+          };
+          typography = {
+            text = args.neutrals."150";
+            text-bright = args.neutrals."100";
+            subtext = args.neutrals."300";
+            contrast-text = args.neutrals."800";
+          };
         };
         secondary = {
-          up-4 = args.neutrals."400";
-          up-3 = args.neutrals."450";
-          up-2 = args.neutrals."500";
-          up-1 = args.neutrals."550";
-          base = args.neutrals."700";
-          down-1 = args.neutrals."750";
-          down-2 = args.neutrals."800";
-          down-3 = args.neutrals."850";
-          down-4 = args.neutrals."900";
+          hard4 = args.neutrals."300";
+          hard3 = args.neutrals."350";
+          hard2 = args.neutrals."400";
+          hard1 = args.neutrals."450";
+          base = args.neutrals."500";
+          soft1 = args.neutrals."550";
+          soft2 = args.neutrals."600";
+          soft3 = args.neutrals."650";
+          soft4 = args.neutrals."700";
         };
         base00 = args.neutrals."800";
         base01 = args.neutrals."700";
@@ -131,27 +156,34 @@
       }
       else {
         semantic = {
-          body = args.neutrals."50";
-          header = args.neutrals."150";
-          footer = args.neutrals."150";
-          menu = args.neutrals."150";
-          border = args.neutrals."800";
-          border-active = args.neutrals."800";
-          border-inactive = args.neutrals."300";
-          text = args.neutrals."800";
-          text-bright = args.neutrals."850";
-          subtext = args.neutrals."600";
+          layout = {
+            body = args.neutrals."50";
+            header = args.neutrals."150";
+            footer = args.neutrals."150";
+            menu = args.neutrals."150";
+          };
+          border = {
+            base = args.neutrals."800";
+            active = args.neutrals."800";
+            inactive = args.neutrals."300";
+          };
+          typography = {
+            text = args.neutrals."800";
+            text-bright = args.neutrals."850";
+            subtext = args.neutrals."600";
+            text-contrast = args.neutrals."50";
+          };
         };
         secondary = {
-          up-4 = args.neutrals."400";
-          up-3 = args.neutrals."350";
-          up-2 = args.neutrals."300";
-          up-1 = args.neutrals."250";
+          hard4 = args.neutrals."400";
+          hard3 = args.neutrals."350";
+          hard2 = args.neutrals."300";
+          hard1 = args.neutrals."250";
           base = args.neutrals."200";
-          down-1 = args.neutrals."150";
-          down-2 = args.neutrals."100";
-          down-3 = args.neutrals."50";
-          down-4 = args.neutrals."50";
+          soft1 = args.neutrals."150";
+          soft2 = args.neutrals."100";
+          soft3 = args.neutrals."50";
+          soft4 = args.neutrals."50";
         };
         base00 = args.neutrals."150";
         base01 = args.neutrals."250";
@@ -165,6 +197,7 @@
         base11 = args.neutrals."50";
       };
   in {
+    inherit slug;
     # Common structure for both themes
     neutrals = {
       inherit
@@ -190,8 +223,14 @@
         ;
     };
 
+    error = mkAlert args.red;
+    warning = mkAlert args.yellow;
+    success = mkAlert args.green;
+    note = mkAlert args.blue;
+    tip = mkAlert args.teal;
+
     inherit
-      (colorScales)
+      (colors)
       red
       orange
       yellow
@@ -205,52 +244,11 @@
       brown
       ;
 
-    primary = colorScale args.primary;
+    primary = mkColorScale args.primary;
 
-    inherit (themeConfig) semantic secondary;
+    inherit (theme) secondary;
+    inherit (theme.semantic) layout border typography;
 
-    # Status colors (same structure for both themes)
-    error = {
-      bg = "${colorScales.red.base}";
-      bg-active = "${colorScales.red.down1}";
-      bg-hover = "${colorScales.red.down2}";
-      text = "${themeConfig.semantic.text-bright}";
-      border = "${colorScales.red.up2}";
-    };
-
-    success = {
-      bg = "${colorScales.green.base}";
-      bg-active = "${colorScales.green.down1}";
-      bg-hover = "${colorScales.green.down2}";
-      text = "${themeConfig.semantic.text-bright}";
-      border = "${colorScales.green.up2}";
-    };
-
-    warning = {
-      bg = "${colorScales.yellow.base}";
-      bg-active = "${colorScales.yellow.down1}";
-      bg-hover = "${colorScales.yellow.down2}";
-      text = "${themeConfig.semantic.text-bright}";
-      border = "${colorScales.yellow.up2}";
-    };
-
-    info = {
-      bg = "${colorScales.blue.base}";
-      bg-active = "${colorScales.blue.down1}";
-      bg-hover = "${colorScales.blue.down2}";
-      text = "${themeConfig.semantic.text-bright}";
-      border = "${colorScales.blue.up2}";
-    };
-
-    tip = {
-      bg = "${colorScales.teal.base}";
-      bg-active = "${colorScales.teal.down1}";
-      bg-hover = "${colorScales.teal.down2}";
-      text = "${themeConfig.semantic.text-bright}";
-      border = "${colorScales.teal.up2}";
-    };
-
-    # Syntax highlighting (same for both themes)
     syntax = {
       string = args.green;
       number = args.purple;
@@ -273,14 +271,13 @@
       preCondit = args.purple;
       special = args.yellow;
       specialChar = args.yellow;
-      comment = "${themeConfig.semantic.subtext}";
+      comment = "${theme.semantic.typography.subtext}";
       todo = args.purple;
       tag = args.teal;
     };
 
-    # Base16/24 colors
     inherit
-      (themeConfig)
+      (theme)
       base00
       base01
       base02
@@ -292,8 +289,6 @@
       base10
       base11
       ;
-
-    # Generated base colors
     base08 = args.red;
     base09 = args.orange;
     base0A = args.yellow;
@@ -302,12 +297,12 @@
     base0D = args.blue;
     base0E = args.purple;
     base0F = args.brown;
-    base12 = "${colorScales.red.up2}";
-    base13 = "${colorScales.yellow.up2}";
-    base14 = "${colorScales.green.up2}";
-    base15 = "${colorScales.teal.up2}";
-    base16 = "${colorScales.blue.up2}";
-    base17 = "${colorScales.purple.up2}";
+    base12 = "${colors.red.hard2}";
+    base13 = "${colors.yellow.hard2}";
+    base14 = "${colors.green.hard2}";
+    base15 = "${colors.teal.hard2}";
+    base16 = "${colors.blue.hard2}";
+    base17 = "${colors.purple.hard2}";
   };
 
   # wrappers