The reason it was so hard to pass in a block outside of a template is because you're not supposed to do that :/

you're supposed to just use moonscript to build it

index.html

@@ -1,6 +1,19 @@
-{
-  date: "Thu May 08 2025 19:41:30.000000000"
-}
+<p>just_render: $just_render_the_damn_list{limit = 2}</p>
+
+$map{$do_unpack{}}
+
+$(do_other())[[what $rank, ]]
+
+<ul>$({"ho", "he"})[[<li>$it</li>]]</ul>
+
+$({{"one", "hossssssss"}, {"two", "hesssssssssssssss"}})[[$1 and $2]]
+
+$({{rank = "ok"}})[[what $rank, ]]
+
+$do_cards[[this $rank, ]]
+
+
+<hr />
 
 $map{{'one', 'Spades', 3}, {'two', 'Hearts', 4}}[[$1 and $2 or $3]]
 

site.moon

@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ rootname = (str) ->
   result = string.gsub str, "%..+", ""
   result
 
+reflect = (obj) -> [key for key, value in pairs obj]
 last = (list) -> list[#list]
 reverse = (list={}) -> [item for item in *list[#list, 1, -1]]
 
@@ -191,6 +192,12 @@ four1 = (template) =>
   -- p list
   -- return [common.fill_ignoring_pre template, item for item in *list]
 
+get_posts = (limit) =>
+  pages = @site\query_pages { is_a: "post" }
+  table.sort pages, (a, b) -> a.source > b.source
+  limit_or_page_count = math.min limit or #pages, #pages
+  [post for post in *pages[1, limit_or_page_count]]
+
 sitegen.create =>
   @site_title = "WebDevCat.me"
   @app_name = "stasis"
@@ -200,6 +207,7 @@ sitegen.create =>
   @list2 = list2
   @list3 = list3
 
+  @some_name = "robertino farterino"
   @some_list = {
     {say: "this"}
     {say: "that"}
@@ -210,15 +218,60 @@ sitegen.create =>
   @two = two
   @three = three
   @four = (arg, _) =>
-    pages = @site\query_pages { is_a: "post" }
-    table.sort pages, (a, b) -> a.source > b.source
-    limit_or_page_count = math.min arg.limit or #pages, #pages
-
-    unpack for page in *pages[1, limit_or_page_count]
-      common.fill_ignoring_pre template, listing_info page
+    unpack for post in *get_posts @, arg.limit
+      common.fill_ignoring_pre template, listing_info post
 
   @map = (...) => cosmo.map ...
 
+  @do_cards = {{rank: "Ace", suit: "Spades"}, {rank: "Queen", suit: "Diamonds"}}
+
+  @do_other = (arg, _) =>
+    {{rank: "Ace", suit: "Spades"}, {rank: "Queen", suit: "Diamonds"}}
+
+  @do_unpack = (arg, _) =>
+    unpack {"three", "five", "seven"}
+
+  @just_render_the_damn_list = (arg={}, _) =>
+    posts = [listing_info post for post in *get_posts @, arg.limit]
+
+    html.build ->
+      return for post in *posts
+        tag.section {
+          tag.h3 { tag.a { post.title, href: post.url }}
+          tag.time { post.publish_date }
+          "—"
+          post.blurb
+          tag.a { "Read post →", href: post.url }
+        }
+
+      -- [tag.section { "hoh" } for post in *posts]
+    -- for key,value in pairs(o) do
+    --   print("found member " .. key);
+    -- end
+    -- p @@__name
+    -- p @.source
+    -- p reflect @
+    -- p reflect @renderer
+
+    -- unpack for post in *get_posts @, arg.limit
+    --   common.fill_ignoring_pre template, listing_info post
+    -- return for post in *get_posts @, arg.limit
+      -- p reflect post
+      -- p reflect post
+      -- p post\get_tpl_scope!
+      -- p post.meta
+      -- common.fill_ignoring_pre template, listing_info post
+      -- p reflect post
+      -- p html_renderer
+      -- p html_renderer.__base
+      -- p html_renderer.cosmo_helpers
+      -- html_renderer.render
+      -- p post.renderer.helpers post
+      -- p html_renderer.__base
+    -- p reflect @@__base
+
+    -- html.build -> tag.h2 { "justrender call: $some_name (doesn't work)" }
+
   add_all = (files) ->
     for path in *files
       add path,