diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/flash/SiningTextAnimation.as b/src/as/com/threerings/flash/SiningTextAnimation.as
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..67c86085
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/flash/SiningTextAnimation.as
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+package com.threerings.flash {
+
+import flash.text.TextFormat;
+
+public class SiningTextAnimation extends TextCharAnimation
+{
+    public function SiningTextAnimation (text :String, format :TextFormat)
+    {
+        super(text, movementFn, format);
+    }
+
+    protected function movementFn (elapsed :Number, index :Number) :Number
+    {
+        return 10 * Math.sin((elapsed / 500) + (index * Math.PI / 5));
+    }
+}
+}
diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/flash/TextCharAnimation.as b/src/as/com/threerings/flash/TextCharAnimation.as
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..af7df6c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/flash/TextCharAnimation.as
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+package com.threerings.flash {
+
+import flash.display.Sprite;
+
+import flash.events.Event;
+
+import flash.text.TextField;
+import flash.text.TextFieldAutoSize;
+import flash.text.TextFormat;
+
+import flash.utils.getTimer; // function import
+
+public class TextCharAnimation extends Sprite
+{
+    public function TextCharAnimation (text :String, fn :Function, format :TextFormat)
+    {
+        _fn = fn;
+
+        var alignment :Sprite = new Sprite();
+
+        var w :Number = 0;
+        var h :Number = 0;
+        var tf :TextField;
+        for (var ii :int = 0; ii < text.length; ii++) {
+            tf = createTextField(format);
+            tf.autoSize = TextFieldAutoSize.CENTER;
+            tf.text = text.charAt(ii);
+            tf.width = tf.textWidth + 5;
+            tf.height = tf.textHeight + 5;
+
+            tf.x = w;
+            w += tf.width;
+            h = Math.max(h, tf.height);
+
+            alignment.addChild(tf);
+            _texts.push(tf);
+        }
+
+        alignment.x = -(w/2);
+        alignment.y = -(h/2);
+        addChild(alignment);
+
+        addEventListener(Event.ADDED_TO_STAGE, handleAdded);
+        addEventListener(Event.REMOVED_FROM_STAGE, handleRemoved);
+    }
+
+    protected function createTextField (format :TextFormat) :TextField
+    {
+        var tf :TextField = new TextField();
+        tf.defaultTextFormat = format;
+        return tf;
+    }
+
+    protected function handleAdded (... ignored) :void
+    {
+        // TODO: use animation stuff instead?
+        addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, handleFrame);
+        _startStamp = getTimer();
+        handleFrame(); // update immediately...
+    }
+
+    protected function handleRemoved (... ignored) :void
+    {
+        removeEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, handleFrame);
+    }
+
+    protected function handleFrame (... ignored) :void
+    {
+        var elapsed :Number = getTimer() - _startStamp;
+        for (var ii :int = 0; ii < _texts.length; ii++) {
+            _texts[ii].y = _fn(elapsed, ii);
+        }
+    }
+
+    protected var _startStamp :Number;
+
+    protected var _texts :Array = [];
+
+    protected var _fn :Function;
+}
+}