diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index a603499..4cfff0d 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -345,6 +345,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "crc32fast",
  "futures",
  "futures-util",
+ "orion",
  "ring",
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
diff --git a/src/client.rs b/src/client.rs
index 16530f1..c69050f 100644
--- a/src/client.rs
+++ b/src/client.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ use crate::config::ClientConfig as Config;
 use crate::Result;
 use async_std::net::TcpStream;
 use futures_util::io::AsyncReadExt;
+use ilmp::encrypt;
 
 /// wraps the client
 pub async fn client(port: u16) -> Result<()> {
@@ -13,14 +14,15 @@ pub async fn client(port: u16) -> Result<()> {
     let (mut read, mut write) = stream.split();
 
     let key = crate::initialize_connection(&mut read, &mut write).await?;
-    println!("{:?}", key);
+    let encryption = encrypt::SymmetricEncrypt::new(key);
+    println!("successfully hardened connection");
 
-    /*let message = ilmp::Message::new(
+    let message = ilmp::Message::new(
         "Isabelle".to_owned(),
         "oh god oh fuck this shit actually works".to_owned(),
     );
 
-    ilmp::write(&mut stream, message, encrypt::NoEncrypt::new()).await?;*/
+    ilmp::write(&mut write, message, &encryption).await?;
 
     loop {}
 }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 8aff5cb..451d89a 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ pub async fn initialize_connection(
         agreement::EphemeralPrivateKey::generate(&agreement::X25519, &rng).expect("ring broke");
     let my_pub_key = my_priv_key.compute_public_key().expect("ring broke");
     let agreement_packet = ilmp::Agreement::new(my_pub_key.as_ref().into());
-    ilmp::write(write, agreement_packet, encrypt::NoEncrypt::new()).await?;
+    ilmp::write(write, agreement_packet, &encrypt::NoEncrypt::new()).await?;
 
     // receive peer's pub key
     let packet = ilmp::read(read).await?.unwrap();
diff --git a/src/server.rs b/src/server.rs
index f0ef00d..c1f8456 100644
--- a/src/server.rs
+++ b/src/server.rs
@@ -6,8 +6,11 @@ use async_std::{
 };
 use futures::io::{ReadHalf, WriteHalf};
 use futures_util::{io::AsyncReadExt, stream::StreamExt};
+use ilmp::encrypt;
+use ilmp::encrypt::Encryption;
 use ilmp::Sendable;
 use lazy_static::lazy_static;
+use orion::aead;
 use std::{collections::HashMap, sync::Mutex};
 use uuid::Uuid;
 
@@ -32,20 +35,30 @@ pub async fn server(port: u16) -> Result<()> {
 
         let (mut read, mut write) = stream.split();
         let stream_id = Uuid::new_v4();
+
         let key = crate::initialize_connection(&mut read, &mut write).await?;
-        println!("{:?}", key);
+        let encryption = encrypt::SymmetricEncrypt::new(key);
+        println!("successfully hardened connection");
 
         WRITE_STREAMS.lock().expect("could not aqcuire lock").insert(stream_id.clone(), write);
-        task::spawn(handle_stream(read, stream_id));
+        task::spawn(handle_stream(read, stream_id, encryption));
     }
 
     Ok(())
 }
 
-async fn handle_stream(mut stream: ReadHalf<TcpStream>, stream_id: Uuid) -> Result<()> {
+async fn handle_stream(
+    mut stream: ReadHalf<TcpStream>,
+    stream_id: Uuid,
+    encryption: encrypt::SymmetricEncrypt,
+) -> Result<()> {
     loop {
         let packet = ilmp::read(&mut stream).await?;
-        if let Some(packet) = packet {
+        if let Some(mut packet) = packet {
+            if packet.encrypt_kind == encrypt::EncryptKind::Symmetric {
+                packet.contents = aead::open(encryption.key().unwrap(), &packet.contents)?;
+            }
+
             let res = match packet.kind {
                 ilmp::PacketKind::Message => ilmp::Message::from_packet(packet),
                 _ => panic!("bad packet"),