diff --git a/queue/message.go b/queue/message.go
index fea16f5..298cd00 100644
--- a/queue/message.go
+++ b/queue/message.go
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package queue
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/go-json-experiment/json"
@@ -25,7 +27,7 @@ type Producer interface {
 	Produce(ctx context.Context, rec *kgo.Record, promise func(*kgo.Record, error))
 }
 
-const topic = "kaiyan.chat"
+const Topic = "kaiyan.chat"
 
 var recordPool sync.Pool
 
@@ -37,7 +39,7 @@ func Send(ctx context.Context, cl Producer, msg Message, errs chan<- error) {
 	}
 	rec, _ := recordPool.Get().(*kgo.Record)
 	if rec == nil {
-		rec = &kgo.Record{Topic: topic}
+		rec = &kgo.Record{Topic: Topic}
 	}
 	rec.Key = append(rec.Key[:0], msg.ID...)
 	rec.Value = append(rec.Value[:0], b...)
@@ -51,3 +53,23 @@ func Send(ctx context.Context, cl Producer, msg Message, errs chan<- error) {
 		}
 	})
 }
+
+type Consumer interface {
+	PollFetches(ctx context.Context) kgo.Fetches
+}
+
+func Recv(ctx context.Context, cl Consumer, onto []Message) ([]Message, error) {
+	f := cl.PollFetches(ctx)
+	var errs error
+	f.EachError(func(s string, i int32, err error) {
+		errs = errors.Join(errs, fmt.Errorf("partition %d: %w", i, err))
+	})
+	f.EachRecord(func(r *kgo.Record) {
+		var msg Message
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(r.Value, &msg); err != nil {
+			errs = errors.Join(errs, fmt.Errorf("partition %d: %w", r.Partition, err))
+		}
+		onto = append(onto, msg)
+	})
+	return onto, errs
+}
diff --git a/queue/message_test.go b/queue/message_test.go
index 0fe233f..4cc9ae0 100644
--- a/queue/message_test.go
+++ b/queue/message_test.go
@@ -4,9 +4,10 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"testing"
 
-	"git.sunturtle.xyz/zephyr/kaiyan/queue"
 	"github.com/go-json-experiment/json"
 	"github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kgo"
+
+	"git.sunturtle.xyz/zephyr/kaiyan/queue"
 )
 
 type spyProducer struct {
@@ -48,3 +49,57 @@ func TestSend(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("message did not round-trip:\nwant %+v\ngot  %+v", msg, got)
 	}
 }
+
+type spyConsumer struct {
+	get kgo.Fetches
+}
+
+func (c *spyConsumer) PollFetches(ctx context.Context) kgo.Fetches {
+	return c.get
+}
+
+func TestRecv(t *testing.T) {
+	msg := queue.Message{
+		ID:      "bocchi",
+		Channel: "kessoku",
+		Sender:  queue.Sender(make([]byte, 16), "kessoku", "ryō"),
+		Text:    "bocchi the rock!",
+	}
+	val, err := json.Marshal(&msg)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	p := spyConsumer{
+		get: kgo.Fetches{
+			{
+				Topics: []kgo.FetchTopic{
+					{
+						Topic: queue.Topic,
+						Partitions: []kgo.FetchPartition{
+							{
+								Partition: 1,
+								Records: []*kgo.Record{
+									{
+										Key:       []byte("bocchi"),
+										Value:     val,
+										Partition: 1,
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	got, err := queue.Recv(context.Background(), &p, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+	if len(got) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("wrong number of messages: want 1, got %d", len(got))
+	}
+	if got[0] != msg {
+		t.Errorf("message did not round-trip:\nwant %+v\ngot  %+v", msg, got[0])
+	}
+}