diff --git a/include/notcurses.h b/include/notcurses.h
index 9a39a9c7b..a260aff87 100644
--- a/include/notcurses.h
+++ b/include/notcurses.h
@@ -714,6 +714,9 @@ API struct panelreel* panelreel_create(struct ncplane* nc,
                                        const panelreel_options* popts,
                                        int efd);
 
+// Returns the ncplane on which this panelreel lives.
+API struct ncplane* panelreel_plane(struct panelreel* pr);
+
 // Tablet draw callback, provided a ncplane the first column that may be used,
 // the first row that may be used, the first column that may not be used, the
 // first row that may not be used, and a bool indicating whether output ought
diff --git a/src/demo/panelreel.c b/src/demo/panelreel.c
index 2a160b64b..3f2cd71c7 100644
--- a/src/demo/panelreel.c
+++ b/src/demo/panelreel.c
@@ -270,6 +270,12 @@ panelreel_demo_core(struct notcurses* nc, int efd, tabletctx** tctxs){
   ncplane_cursor_move_yx(w, 1, 1);
   ncplane_printf(w, "a, b, c create tablets, DEL deletes, q quits.");
   // FIXME clrtoeol();
+  /*
+  struct timespec fadets = { .tv_sec = 1, .tv_nsec = 0, };
+  if(ncplane_fadein(panelreel_plane(pr), &fadets)){
+    return NULL;
+  }
+  */
   unsigned id = 0;
   do{
     ncplane_styles_set(w, 0);
diff --git a/src/lib/notcurses.c b/src/lib/notcurses.c
index 407b479f4..d9a9f19e7 100644
--- a/src/lib/notcurses.c
+++ b/src/lib/notcurses.c
@@ -942,8 +942,8 @@ term_setstyles(const notcurses* nc, FILE* out, uint32_t* curattr, const cell* c)
 
 // find the topmost cell for this coordinate
 static const cell*
-visible_cell(const notcurses* nc, int y, int x, const ncplane** retp){
-  const ncplane* p = nc->top;
+visible_cell(int y, int x, ncplane** retp){
+  ncplane* p = *retp;
   while(p){
     // where in the plane this coordinate would be, based off absy/absx. the
     // true origin is 0,0, so abs=2,2 means coordinate 3,3 would be 1,1, while
@@ -955,9 +955,22 @@ visible_cell(const notcurses* nc, int y, int x, const ncplane** retp){
       if(poffx < p->lenx && poffx >= 0){
         *retp = p;
         const cell* vis = &p->fb[fbcellidx(p, poffy, poffx)];
+        // if we never actually loaded the cell, use the background, if one
+        // is defined.
         if(vis->gcluster == 0){
           vis = &p->background;
         }
+        // if it's using the terminal default, chase further down
+        // FIXME should probably be based off alpha channel
+        if(cell_fg_default_p(vis) && cell_bg_default_p(vis) && vis->gcluster == 0){
+          *retp = p->z;
+          const cell* trans = visible_cell(y, x, retp);
+          if(trans){
+            vis = trans;
+          }else{
+            *retp = p;
+          }
+        }
         return vis;
       }
     }
@@ -1092,8 +1105,8 @@ int notcurses_render(notcurses* nc){
     //  surprise enlargenings, otherwise we just print forward
     for(x = 0 ; x < nc->stdscr->lenx ; ++x){
       unsigned r, g, b, br, bg, bb;
-      const ncplane* p;
-      const cell* c = visible_cell(nc, y, x, &p);
+      ncplane* p = nc->top;
+      const cell* c = visible_cell(y, x, &p);
       // we allow these to be set distinctly, but terminfo only supports using
       // them both via the 'op' capability. unless we want to generate the 'op'
       // escapes ourselves, if either is set to default, we first send op, and
diff --git a/src/lib/panelreel.c b/src/lib/panelreel.c
index cffcf9188..b0c311d4c 100644
--- a/src/lib/panelreel.c
+++ b/src/lib/panelreel.c
@@ -550,6 +550,10 @@ validate_panelreel_opts(ncplane* w, const panelreel_options* popts){
   return true;
 }
 
+ncplane* panelreel_plane(panelreel* pr){
+  return pr->p;
+}
+
 panelreel* panelreel_create(ncplane* w, const panelreel_options* popts, int efd){
   panelreel* pr;
 
diff --git a/src/view/view.cpp b/src/view/view.cpp
index d424b53f2..ca986213b 100644
--- a/src/view/view.cpp
+++ b/src/view/view.cpp
@@ -79,6 +79,10 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv){
       std::cerr << "Error decoding " << argv[i] << ": " << errbuf.data() << std::endl;
       return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
+    ncspecial_key special;
+    cell c = CELL_TRIVIAL_INITIALIZER;
+    notcurses_getc_blocking(nc, &c, &special);
+    cell_release(ncp, &c);
     ncvisual_destroy(ncv);
   }
   if(notcurses_stop(nc)){
diff --git a/tests/profoundchangesbeautiful-bare.jpg b/tests/profoundchangesbeautiful-bare.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3edf080dd
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/profoundchangesbeautiful-bare.jpg differ