diff --git a/source/kym.cpp b/source/kym.cpp
index 7d43d11..ed4e1d0 100644
--- a/source/kym.cpp
+++ b/source/kym.cpp
@@ -15,35 +15,50 @@ export namespace kym {
 	};
 
 	struct value {
-		value_type type;
+		value_type type{value_type::nil};
 
-		union {
-			bool boolean;
+		value() = default;
 
-			coral::i64 integer;
+		value(bool boolean) {
+			this->data[1] = 0xff * boolean;
+			this->type = value_type::boolean;
+		}
 
-			coral::f64 scalar;
+		value(coral::i64 integer) {
+			(*reinterpret_cast<coral::u64 *>(this->data)) =
+				(*reinterpret_cast<coral::u64 *>(&integer));
 
-			coral::vector2 vector2;
+			this->type = value_type::integer;
+		}
 
-			coral::vector3 vector3;
+		value(coral::f64 scalar) {
+			(*reinterpret_cast<coral::u64 *>(this->data)) =
+				(*reinterpret_cast<coral::u64 *>(&scalar));
 
-			void * object;
-		} as;
+			this->type = value_type::scalar;
+		}
 
-		coral::optional<coral::u16> as_u16() const {
-			if ((this->type == value_type::integer) &&
-				(this->as.integer >= 0) && (this->as.integer <= coral::u16_max)) {
+		value(coral::vector2 vector2) {
+			(*reinterpret_cast<coral::u64 *>(this->data)) =
+				(*reinterpret_cast<coral::u64 *>(&vector2));
 
-				return static_cast<coral::u16>(this->as.integer);
-			}
+			this->type = value_type::vector2;
+		}
+
+		value(coral::vector3 const & vector3) {
+			coral::copy(this->data, coral::as_bytes(&vector3));
+
+			this->type = value_type::vector3;
+		}
+
+		coral::optional<coral::i64> as_integer() const {
+			if (this->type == value_type::integer)
+				return (*reinterpret_cast<coral::i64 const *>(&this->data));
 
 			return {};
 		}
-	};
 
-	value nil = {
-		.type = value_type::nil,
-		.as = {.object = nullptr},
+		private:
+		coral::u8 data[12]{0};
 	};
 };
diff --git a/source/kym/environment.cpp b/source/kym/environment.cpp
index f668ae8..b437ddc 100644
--- a/source/kym/environment.cpp
+++ b/source/kym/environment.cpp
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ struct bytecode {
 	}
 
 	kym::value execute(kym::vm & vm, coral::slice<kym::value const> const & arguments) {
-		return kym::nil;
+		return {};
 	}
 
 	private:
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ struct bytecode {
 
 export namespace kym {
 	value default_call(vm & owning_vm, void * userdata, coral::slice<value const> const & arguments) {
-		return nil;
+		return {};
 	}
 
 	coral::expected<coral::usize, coral::io_error> default_stringify(vm & owning_vm, void * userdata, coral::writer & output) {
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ export namespace kym {
 		}
 
 		value get_field(coral::slice<char const> const & field_name) {
-			return nil;
+			return {};
 		}
 
 		private:
@@ -139,14 +139,14 @@ export namespace kym {
 		value compile(coral::slice<char const> const & source) {
 			bytecode * source_bytecode = new (*this->allocator) bytecode{allocator};
 
-			if (source_bytecode == nullptr) return nil;
+			if (source_bytecode == nullptr) return {};
 
 			if (!source_bytecode->compile(tokenizer{source}, [&](coral::slice<char const> error_message) {
 				this->log(error_message);
 			})) {
 				this->allocator->deallocate(source_bytecode);
 
-				return nil;
+				return {};
 			}
 
 			return this->new_object([this, source_bytecode](bound_object & object) {
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ export namespace kym {
 		}
 
 		value new_object(coral::callable<void(bound_object &)> const & then) {
-			return nil;
+			return {};
 		}
 
 		void with_object(value object_value, coral::callable<void(bound_object &)> const & then) {
diff --git a/source/runtime.cpp b/source/runtime.cpp
index 9aaf4da..05a93ed 100644
--- a/source/runtime.cpp
+++ b/source/runtime.cpp
@@ -38,13 +38,22 @@ extern "C" int main(int argc, char const * const * argv) {
 			}
 
 			vm.with_object(vm.compile(coral::slice{script_source.begin(), script_source.end()}.as_chars()), [&](kym::bound_object & script) {
-				vm.with_object(script.call({}), [&](kym::bound_object & config) {
-					coral::u16 const width{config.get_field("width").as_u16().value_or(0)};
+				vm.with_object(script.call({}), [&](kym::bound_object config) {
+					constexpr auto as_u16 = [](coral::i64 value) -> coral::optional<coral::i16> {
+						if ((value >= 0) && (value <= coral::u16_max))
+							return static_cast<coral::u16>(value);
+
+						return {};
+					};
+
+					coral::u16 const width{config.get_field("width").
+						as_integer().map(as_u16).value_or(0)};
 
 					if (width == 0) return system.log(app::log_level::error,
 						"failed to decode `width` property of config");
 
-					coral::u16 const height{config.get_field("height").as_u16().value_or(0)};
+					coral::u16 const height{config.get_field("height").
+						as_integer().map(as_u16).value_or(0)};
 
 					if (height == 0) return system.log(app::log_level::error,
 						"failed to decode `height` property of config");