diff --git a/dot_config/alacritty/alacritty.toml.common b/dot_config/alacritty/alacritty.toml.common
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c12942c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dot_config/alacritty/alacritty.toml.common
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+[window]
+title = "terminal swillness"
+
+[font]
+size = 11
+normal = { family = "DejaVu Sans Mono", style = "Book" }
+bold = { style = "Bold" }
+italic = { style = "Oblique" }
+bold_italic = { style = "Bold Oblique" }
+
+[selection]
+save_to_clipboard = true
+
+[keyboard]
+bindings = [
+
+# because C-Tab does not actually exist in terminals, bind them to something
+# random that I can use in tmux (in this case M-F11 and M-F12)
+{ key = "Tab", mods = "Control", chars = "\u001b\u001b[24~" },
+{ key = "Tab", mods = "Control|Shift", chars = "\u001b\u001b[23~" },
+
+{ key = "V", mods = "Control|Alt", action = "Paste" }
+
+]
diff --git a/dot_config/alacritty/alacritty.toml.dark b/dot_config/alacritty/alacritty.toml.dark
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e18f0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dot_config/alacritty/alacritty.toml.dark
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import = ["~/.config/alacritty/alacritty.toml.common"]
+
+[window]
+opacity = 0.85
+
+[colors]
+primary.background = "#000000"
+primary.foreground = "#ffffff"
+cursor = { text = "#000000", cursor = "#30ff30" }
+draw_bold_text_with_bright_colors = true
+
+[colors.normal]
+black = "#000000"
+red = "#dd2020"
+green = "#20cc20"
+yellow = "#cccc20"
+blue = "#0070ff"
+magenta = "#cc20cc"
+cyan = "#20cccc"
+white = "#aaaaaa"
+
+[colors.bright]
+black = "#666666"
+red = "#ff4040"
+green = "#30ff30"
+yellow = "#ffff30"
+blue = "#00a0ff"
+magenta = "#ff60ff"
+cyan = "#30ffff"
+white = "#ffffff"
diff --git a/dot_config/alacritty/alacritty.toml.light b/dot_config/alacritty/alacritty.toml.light
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c61fa93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dot_config/alacritty/alacritty.toml.light
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import = ["~/.config/alacritty/alacritty.toml.common"]
+
+[window]
+opacity = 0.94
+
+[colors]
+primary.background = "#ffffff"
+primary.foreground = "#000000"
+cursor = { text = "#ffffff", cursor = "#aa08aa" }
+draw_bold_text_with_bright_colors = true
+
+[colors.normal]
+black = "#000000"
+red = "#a00606"
+green = "#007700"
+yellow = "#969600"
+blue = "#0020aa"
+magenta = "#cc20cc"
+cyan = "#20cccc"
+white = "#ffffff"
+
+[colors.bright]
+black = "#333333"
+red = "#dd3030"
+green = "#08aa08"
+yellow = "#aaaa10"
+blue = "#0040bb"
+magenta = "#ff60ff"
+cyan = "#1ebbbb"
+white = "#ffffff"