diff --git a/deps/ox/src/ox/model/modelvalue.hpp b/deps/ox/src/ox/model/modelvalue.hpp
index 82892714..67bec3a5 100644
--- a/deps/ox/src/ox/model/modelvalue.hpp
+++ b/deps/ox/src/ox/model/modelvalue.hpp
@@ -760,7 +760,7 @@ constexpr std::size_t alignOf(const ModelValue &t) noexcept {
 			size = PlatSpec::alignOf(t.get<int64_t>());
 			break;
 		case ModelValue::Type::String:
-			size = PlatSpec::alignOf(t.get<ox::String>());
+			size = alignOf<PlatSpec>(t.get<ox::String>());
 			break;
 		case ModelValue::Type::Object:
 			size = alignOf<PlatSpec>(t.get<ox::ModelObject>());
diff --git a/deps/ox/src/ox/preloader/platspecs.hpp b/deps/ox/src/ox/preloader/platspecs.hpp
index 8f9c8397..dc5d6567 100644
--- a/deps/ox/src/ox/preloader/platspecs.hpp
+++ b/deps/ox/src/ox/preloader/platspecs.hpp
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <ox/std/serialize.hpp>
+#include <ox/std/string.hpp>
 #include <ox/std/typetraits.hpp>
 
 #include "alignmentcatcher.hpp"
diff --git a/deps/ox/src/ox/preloader/preloader.hpp b/deps/ox/src/ox/preloader/preloader.hpp
index 909b8c8d..f9fe6e82 100644
--- a/deps/ox/src/ox/preloader/preloader.hpp
+++ b/deps/ox/src/ox/preloader/preloader.hpp
@@ -14,10 +14,12 @@
 #include <ox/std/error.hpp>
 #include <ox/std/memops.hpp>
 #include <ox/std/memory.hpp>
+#include <ox/std/string.hpp>
 #include <ox/std/types.hpp>
 #include <ox/std/typetraits.hpp>
 #include <ox/std/units.hpp>
 #include <ox/model/modelhandleradaptor.hpp>
+#include <ox/model/modelvalue.hpp>
 
 #include "platspecs.hpp"
 
@@ -105,9 +107,9 @@ class Preloader: public ModelHandlerBase<Preloader<PlatSpec>, OpType::Reflect> {
 		template<typename T>
 		constexpr ox::Error field(CRStringView, const T **val, std::size_t cnt) noexcept;
 
-		constexpr ox::Result<std::size_t> startAlloc(std::size_t sz) noexcept;
+		constexpr ox::Result<std::size_t> startAlloc(size_t sz, size_t align) noexcept;
 
-		constexpr ox::Result<std::size_t> startAlloc(std::size_t sz, std::size_t restore) noexcept;
+		constexpr ox::Result<std::size_t> startAlloc(size_t sz, size_t align, std::size_t restore) noexcept;
 
 		constexpr ox::Error endAlloc() noexcept;
 
@@ -169,14 +171,16 @@ constexpr ox::Error Preloader<PlatSpec>::field(CRStringView name, const T *val)
 	}
 	oxReturnError(pad(val));
 	if constexpr(ox::is_integral_v<T>) {
-		//oxDebugf("Preloader::field(name, val): {}", name);
 		return ox::serialize(&m_writer, PlatSpec::correctEndianness(*val));
 	} else if constexpr(ox::is_pointer_v<T>) {
-		const PtrType a = startAlloc(sizeOf<PlatSpec>(*val), m_writer.tellp()) + PlatSpec::RomStart;
+		const PtrType a = startAlloc(sizeOf<PlatSpec>(val), alignOf<PlatSpec>(*val), m_writer.tellp()) + PlatSpec::RomStart;
 		oxReturnError(field(name, *val));
 		oxReturnError(endAlloc());
 		return ox::serialize(&m_writer, PlatSpec::correctEndianness(a));
-	} else if constexpr(ox::isVector_v<T> || ox::is_same_v<T, ox::ModelValueVector>) {
+	} else if constexpr(ox::isVector_v<T>) {
+		return fieldVector(name, val);
+	} else if constexpr(ox::is_same_v<T, ox::ModelValueVector>) {
+		val->types();
 		return fieldVector(name, val);
 	} else {
 		m_unionIdx.emplace_back(-1);
@@ -222,6 +226,7 @@ constexpr ox::Error Preloader<PlatSpec>::field(CRStringView name, const ox::Arra
 	if (!unionCheckAndIt()) {
 		return {};
 	}
+	oxReturnError(pad(&(*val)[0]));
 	// serialize the Array elements
 	if constexpr(sz) {
 		m_unionIdx.emplace_back(-1);
@@ -239,27 +244,36 @@ constexpr ox::Error Preloader<PlatSpec>::field(CRStringView, const T **val, std:
 	if (!unionCheckAndIt()) {
 		return {};
 	}
-	// serialize the array
-	m_unionIdx.emplace_back(-1);
-	for (std::size_t i = 0; i < cnt; ++i) {
-		oxReturnError(this->interface()->field(nullptr, &val[i]));
+	if (cnt) {
+		oxReturnError(pad(*val));
+		// serialize the array
+		m_unionIdx.emplace_back(-1);
+		for (std::size_t i = 0; i < cnt; ++i) {
+			oxReturnError(this->interface()->field(nullptr, &val[i]));
+		}
+		m_unionIdx.pop_back();
 	}
-	m_unionIdx.pop_back();
 	return {};
 }
 
 template<typename PlatSpec>
-constexpr ox::Result<std::size_t> Preloader<PlatSpec>::startAlloc(std::size_t sz) noexcept {
-	oxRequire(a, ox::allocate(&m_writer, sz));
+constexpr ox::Result<std::size_t> Preloader<PlatSpec>::startAlloc(size_t sz, size_t align) noexcept {
 	m_allocStack.emplace_back(static_cast<typename PlatSpec::PtrType>(m_writer.tellp()));
+	oxReturnError(m_writer.seekp(0, ox::ios_base::end));
+	const auto padding = m_writer.tellp() % align;
+	oxRequireM(a, ox::allocate(&m_writer, sz + padding));
+	a += padding;
 	oxReturnError(m_writer.seekp(a));
 	return a;
 }
 
 template<typename PlatSpec>
-constexpr ox::Result<std::size_t> Preloader<PlatSpec>::startAlloc(std::size_t sz, std::size_t restore) noexcept {
-	oxRequire(a, ox::allocate(&m_writer, sz));
+constexpr ox::Result<std::size_t> Preloader<PlatSpec>::startAlloc(std::size_t sz, size_t align, std::size_t restore) noexcept {
 	m_allocStack.emplace_back(restore, ox::ios_base::beg);
+	oxReturnError(m_writer.seekp(0, ox::ios_base::end));
+	const auto padding = m_writer.tellp() % align;
+	oxRequireM(a, ox::allocate(&m_writer, sz + padding));
+	a += padding;
 	oxReturnError(m_writer.seekp(a));
 	return a;
 }
@@ -331,7 +345,11 @@ constexpr ox::Error Preloader<PlatSpec>::fieldVector(
 	// serialize the Vector elements
 	if (val->size()) {
 		const auto sz = sizeOf<PlatSpec>(&(*val)[0]) * val->size();
-		oxRequire(p, ox::allocate(&m_writer, sz));
+		const auto align = alignOf<PlatSpec>((*val)[0]);
+		oxReturnError(m_writer.seekp(0, ox::ios_base::end));
+		const auto padding = m_writer.tellp() % align;
+		oxRequireM(p, ox::allocate(&m_writer, sz + padding));
+		p += padding;
 		oxReturnError(m_writer.seekp(p));
 		m_unionIdx.emplace_back(-1);
 		for (std::size_t i = 0; i < val->size(); ++i) {
diff --git a/deps/ox/src/ox/std/strops.hpp b/deps/ox/src/ox/std/strops.hpp
index 3528ddac..d3236d87 100644
--- a/deps/ox/src/ox/std/strops.hpp
+++ b/deps/ox/src/ox/std/strops.hpp
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ namespace ox {
 
 template<OxString_c Str>
 [[nodiscard]]
-constexpr ox::StringView substr(Str const&str, std::size_t pos) noexcept {
+constexpr Str substr(Str const&str, std::size_t pos) noexcept {
 	if (str.len() >= pos) {
 		return Str(str.data() + pos, str.len() - pos);
 	}