diff --git a/src/modal.c b/src/modal.c
index 6d34bdc..8bd4db2 100644
--- a/src/modal.c
+++ b/src/modal.c
@@ -55,32 +55,31 @@ put_reg(char r)
 	}
 	ss = walk(s);
 	if(r == '*') {
-		if(*s == '(') { /* special implode */
-			while(s < ss && (c = *s++))
-				if(!spacer(c)) *dst_++ = c;
-		} else { /* special explode */
-			int i, depth = 0;
+		int i, depth = 0;
+		if(*s == '(') { /* special explode tuple */
+			s++;
+			while(s < ss) {
+				while((c = *s) && !spacer(c))
+					*dst_++ = c, s++;
+				*dst_++ = ' ';
+				*dst_++ = '(', s++, depth++;
+			}
+		} else { /* special explode token */
 			while((c = *s++) && !spacer(c))
 				*dst_++ = c, *dst_++ = ' ', *dst_++ = '(', depth++;
-			for(i = 0; i < depth; i++)
-				*dst_++ = ')';
-		}
-	} else if(r == '.') { /* special unpack */
-		if(*s == '(')
-			s++, --ss;
-		while(s < ss) *dst_++ = *s++;
-	} else if(r == '^') { /* special align */
-		int i, depth = 0;
-		s++;
-		while(s < ss) {
-			*dst_++ = '(';
-			while((c = *s) && !spacer(c))
-				*dst_++ = c, s++;
-			if(s < ss - 1) *dst_++ = ' ';
-			s++, depth++;
 		}
 		for(i = 0; i < depth; i++)
 			*dst_++ = ')';
+	} else if(r == '.') { /* special unpack */
+		if(*s == '(') s++, --ss;
+		while(s < ss) *dst_++ = *s++;
+	} else if(r == '^') { /* special join */
+		if(*s == '(') s++, --ss;
+		while(s < ss && (c = *s++))
+			if(!spacer(c)) *dst_++ = c;
+	} else if(r == '~') { /* special stdin */
+		while(fread(&c, 1, 1, stdin) && c >= ' ')
+			*dst_++ = c;
 	} else if(r == ':') { /* special stdout */
 		if(*s == '(') s++, --ss;
 		while(s < ss) {
@@ -94,9 +93,6 @@ put_reg(char r)
 			} else
 				putc(c, stdout);
 		}
-	} else if(r == '~') { /* special stdin */
-		while(fread(&c, 1, 1, stdin) && c >= ' ')
-			*dst_++ = c;
 	} else
 		while(s < ss) *dst_++ = *s++;
 }