diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 898757c..8fdd2fa 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -865,12 +865,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "new_debug_unreachable",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "futures"
-version = "0.1.31"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "3a471a38ef8ed83cd6e40aa59c1ffe17db6855c18e3604d9c4ed8c08ebc28678"
-
 [[package]]
 name = "futures"
 version = "0.3.15"
@@ -936,7 +930,7 @@ version = "0.6.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "50c4e684ddb2d8a4db5ca8a02b35156da129674ba4412b6f528698d58c594954"
 dependencies = [
- "futures 0.3.15",
+ "futures",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1132,8 +1126,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "graphql-introspection-query"
 version = "0.1.0"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "610aac641dbd2a457ad4cef34aa2827dae3f035fd214cb38c2d62d8543f3973f"
+source = "git+https://github.com/graphql-rust/graphql-client?branch=master#de2f4aeaa147864b86b7a8abe50f334d7d9f7518"
 dependencies = [
  "serde",
 ]
@@ -1161,29 +1154,26 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "graphql_client"
 version = "0.9.0"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "a0bb4f09181e4f80018d01c612125b07e0156f3753bfac37055fe2a25e031ca8"
+source = "git+https://github.com/graphql-rust/graphql-client?branch=master#de2f4aeaa147864b86b7a8abe50f334d7d9f7518"
 dependencies = [
+ "anyhow",
  "doc-comment",
- "failure",
- "futures 0.1.31",
  "graphql_query_derive",
  "js-sys",
  "log",
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
+ "thiserror",
  "wasm-bindgen",
- "wasm-bindgen-futures 0.3.27",
+ "wasm-bindgen-futures",
  "web-sys",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "graphql_client_codegen"
 version = "0.9.0"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "8e304c223c809b3bff4614018f8e6d9edb176b31d64ed9ea48b6ae8b1a03abb9"
+source = "git+https://github.com/graphql-rust/graphql-client?branch=master#de2f4aeaa147864b86b7a8abe50f334d7d9f7518"
 dependencies = [
- "failure",
  "graphql-introspection-query",
  "graphql-parser 0.2.3",
  "heck",
@@ -1193,13 +1183,13 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
  "syn",
+ "thiserror",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "graphql_client_web"
 version = "0.9.0"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "36901b00f3608f510a091b70848869e1ff1f9b44970b0b882ee62502fca431f0"
+source = "git+https://github.com/graphql-rust/graphql-client?branch=master#de2f4aeaa147864b86b7a8abe50f334d7d9f7518"
 dependencies = [
  "graphql_client",
 ]
@@ -1207,39 +1197,13 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "graphql_query_derive"
 version = "0.9.0"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "e1f6b14d5ce549227aa9e649cd9d36d008b91021275a8e0a67d71cef815adc2f"
+source = "git+https://github.com/graphql-rust/graphql-client?branch=master#de2f4aeaa147864b86b7a8abe50f334d7d9f7518"
 dependencies = [
- "failure",
  "graphql_client_codegen",
  "proc-macro2",
  "syn",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "grpc-web-client"
-version = "0.1.2"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "52b8f66de5a7a111fcb5bc3ed646f9e6db8dde6bb0ab6c5555e718b4f97fa681"
-dependencies = [
- "base64",
- "byteorder",
- "bytes",
- "futures 0.3.15",
- "getrandom 0.2.3",
- "http",
- "http-body",
- "httparse",
- "hyper",
- "js-sys",
- "prost",
- "tonic",
- "wasm-bindgen",
- "wasm-bindgen-futures 0.4.24",
- "wasm-streams",
- "web-sys",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "h2"
 version = "0.3.3"
@@ -1514,7 +1478,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "bson",
  "chrono",
  "fnv",
- "futures 0.3.15",
+ "futures",
  "futures-enum",
  "graphql-parser 0.3.0",
  "indexmap",
@@ -1542,7 +1506,7 @@ name = "juniper_rocket_async"
 version = "0.5.1"
 source = "git+https://github.com/graphql-rust/juniper?branch=master#92ad8b46ff4d34cf10925f0a86b56950a354d2ec"
 dependencies = [
- "futures 0.3.15",
+ "futures",
  "juniper",
  "rocket",
  "serde_json",
@@ -1691,7 +1655,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "backoff",
  "bytes",
  "dashmap",
- "futures 0.3.15",
+ "futures",
  "futures-timer",
  "http",
  "matrix-sdk-base",
@@ -1714,7 +1678,7 @@ source = "git+https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-rust-sdk?branch=master#0df782
 dependencies = [
  "chacha20poly1305",
  "dashmap",
- "futures 0.3.15",
+ "futures",
  "hmac",
  "lru",
  "matrix-sdk-common",
@@ -1737,14 +1701,14 @@ version = "0.2.0"
 source = "git+https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-rust-sdk?branch=master#0df782e93ee2d9d9c338775adbe2cf1b35048740"
 dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
- "futures 0.3.15",
+ "futures",
  "futures-locks",
  "instant",
  "ruma",
  "serde",
  "tokio",
  "uuid",
- "wasm-bindgen-futures 0.4.24",
+ "wasm-bindgen-futures",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1758,7 +1722,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "base64",
  "byteorder",
  "dashmap",
- "futures 0.3.15",
+ "futures",
  "getrandom 0.2.3",
  "hmac",
  "matrix-sdk-common",
@@ -2591,7 +2555,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "tokio-native-tls",
  "url",
  "wasm-bindgen",
- "wasm-bindgen-futures 0.4.24",
+ "wasm-bindgen-futures",
  "web-sys",
  "winreg",
 ]
@@ -2624,7 +2588,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "bytes",
  "either",
  "figment",
- "futures 0.3.15",
+ "futures",
  "indexmap",
  "log",
  "memchr",
@@ -3238,7 +3202,7 @@ checksum = "01caee2b3935b4efe152f3262afbe51546ce3b1fc27ad61014e1b3cf5f55366e"
 dependencies = [
  "dotenv",
  "either",
- "futures 0.3.15",
+ "futures",
  "heck",
  "hex",
  "once_cell",
@@ -3473,7 +3437,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "combine 4.5.2",
  "dirs",
  "fuse-rust",
- "futures 0.3.15",
+ "futures",
  "html2text",
  "indoc",
  "itertools 0.10.0",
@@ -3514,10 +3478,11 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
  "graphql_client",
  "graphql_client_web",
- "grpc-web-client",
  "js-sys",
+ "serde",
+ "tenebrous-api",
  "wasm-bindgen",
- "wasm-bindgen-futures 0.4.24",
+ "wasm-bindgen-futures",
  "web-sys",
  "yew",
  "yew-router",
@@ -4077,19 +4042,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "wasm-bindgen-shared",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "wasm-bindgen-futures"
-version = "0.3.27"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "83420b37346c311b9ed822af41ec2e82839bfe99867ec6c54e2da43b7538771c"
-dependencies = [
- "cfg-if 0.1.10",
- "futures 0.1.31",
- "js-sys",
- "wasm-bindgen",
- "web-sys",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "wasm-bindgen-futures"
 version = "0.4.24"
@@ -4131,19 +4083,6 @@ version = "0.2.74"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "d7cff876b8f18eed75a66cf49b65e7f967cb354a7aa16003fb55dbfd25b44b4f"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "wasm-streams"
-version = "0.1.2"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "e4f8387cd5b13b87d140234b5be9ab91e9324184fa5170b2778bc4bd1390683d"
-dependencies = [
- "futures 0.3.15",
- "js-sys",
- "wasm-bindgen",
- "wasm-bindgen-futures 0.4.24",
- "web-sys",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "web-sys"
 version = "0.3.51"
@@ -4256,7 +4195,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "cfg-if 0.1.10",
  "cfg-match",
  "console_error_panic_hook",
- "futures 0.3.15",
+ "futures",
  "gloo",
  "http",
  "indexmap",
@@ -4270,7 +4209,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "slab",
  "thiserror",
  "wasm-bindgen",
- "wasm-bindgen-futures 0.4.24",
+ "wasm-bindgen-futures",
  "web-sys",
  "yew-macro",
 ]
@@ -4347,10 +4286,10 @@ version = "0.3.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "003f4f533ee696c1f69d753db2c66096dec5700a93bd0bc801ab5891fec041c6"
 dependencies = [
- "futures 0.3.15",
+ "futures",
  "log",
  "wasm-bindgen",
- "wasm-bindgen-futures 0.4.24",
+ "wasm-bindgen-futures",
  "yew",
 ]
 
diff --git a/web-ui/crate/Cargo.toml b/web-ui/crate/Cargo.toml
index ad242c2..54af717 100644
--- a/web-ui/crate/Cargo.toml
+++ b/web-ui/crate/Cargo.toml
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ edition = "2018"
 [lib]
 crate-type = ["cdylib", "rlib"]
 
+[build-dependencies]
+tenebrous-api = { path = "../../api" }
+
 [dependencies]
 yew = { version = "0.17" }
 yewtil = {version = "0.3" }
@@ -17,10 +20,12 @@ yewdux = {version = "^0.6" }
 wasm-bindgen = { version = "0.2" }
 wasm-bindgen-futures = "0.4"
 js-sys = "0.3"
-grpc-web-client = "0.1"
+#grpc-web-client = "0.1"
 web-sys = "0.3"
-graphql_client = "0.9"
-graphql_client_web = "0.9"
+graphql_client = { git = "https://github.com/graphql-rust/graphql-client", branch = "master" }
+graphql_client_web = { git = "https://github.com/graphql-rust/graphql-client", branch = "master" }
+serde = { version = "1.0.67", features = ["derive"] }
+
 # hopefully we can add grpc-web later instead of graphql.
 # prost = { version = "0.7.0", default-features = false }
 # tonic = { git = "https://github.com/hyperium/tonic", branch = "master", default-features = false, features = ["codegen", "prost"] }
diff --git a/web-ui/crate/build.rs b/web-ui/crate/build.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..76c8dc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web-ui/crate/build.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+use std::fs;
+use tenebrous_api::schema;
+fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+    let schema_doc = schema::schema().as_schema_language();
+    fs::write("schema.graphql", schema_doc)?;
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/web-ui/crate/graphql/queries/get_user_variable.graphql b/web-ui/crate/graphql/queries/get_user_variable.graphql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4d1fe29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web-ui/crate/graphql/queries/get_user_variable.graphql
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+query GetUserVariable($roomId: String!, $userId: String!, $variable: String!) {
+  variable(roomId: $roomId, userId: $userId, variable: $variable) {
+    roomId
+    userId
+    value
+    variableName
+  }
+}
diff --git a/web-ui/crate/graphql/schema.graphql b/web-ui/crate/graphql/schema.graphql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8cecd3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web-ui/crate/graphql/schema.graphql
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+"User variable in a room."
+type UserVariable {
+  roomId: String!
+  userId: String!
+  variableName: String!
+  value: Int!
+}
+
+type Query {
+  apiVersion: String!
+  variable(roomId: String!, userId: String!, variable: String!): UserVariable!
+}
+
+schema {
+  query: Query
+}
diff --git a/web-ui/crate/schema.graphql b/web-ui/crate/schema.graphql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8cecd3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web-ui/crate/schema.graphql
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+"User variable in a room."
+type UserVariable {
+  roomId: String!
+  userId: String!
+  variableName: String!
+  value: Int!
+}
+
+type Query {
+  apiVersion: String!
+  variable(roomId: String!, userId: String!, variable: String!): UserVariable!
+}
+
+schema {
+  query: Query
+}
diff --git a/web-ui/crate/src/graphql.rs b/web-ui/crate/src/graphql.rs
index 2caec07..8efcfee 100644
--- a/web-ui/crate/src/graphql.rs
+++ b/web-ui/crate/src/graphql.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,30 @@
-// #[derive(GraphQLQuery)]
-// #[graphql(
-//     schema_path = "schema.json",
-//     query_path = "examples/puppy_smiles.graphql",
-//     response_derives = "Debug"
-// )]
-// struct PuppySmiles;
+use graphql_client::web::Client;
+use graphql_client::web::ClientError;
+use graphql_client::GraphQLQuery;
+
+#[derive(GraphQLQuery)]
+#[graphql(
+    schema_path = "graphql/schema.graphql",
+    query_path = "graphql/queries/get_user_variable.graphql",
+    response_derives = "Debug"
+)]
+struct GetUserVariable;
+
+pub async fn get_user_variable(
+    room_id: &str,
+    user_id: &str,
+    variable_name: &str,
+) -> Result<i64, ClientError> {
+    let client = Client::new("http://localhost:10000/graphql");
+    let variables = get_user_variable::Variables {
+        room_id: room_id.to_owned(),
+        user_id: user_id.to_owned(),
+        variable: variable_name.to_owned(),
+    };
+
+    //TODO don't unwrap() option. map to err instead.
+    let response = client.call(GetUserVariable, variables).await?;
+    let response: graphql_client_web::Response<get_user_variable::ResponseData> = response;
+    let value = response.data.map(|d| d.variable.value).unwrap();
+    Ok(value)
+}