diff --git a/uqcsbot/latex.py b/uqcsbot/latex.py
index 0276668..aebb492 100644
--- a/uqcsbot/latex.py
+++ b/uqcsbot/latex.py
@@ -12,14 +12,20 @@ def __init__(self, bot: commands.Bot):
     @app_commands.command(description="Renders the given LaTeX")
     @app_commands.describe(input="LaTeX to render")
     async def latex(self, interaction: discord.Interaction, input: str):
-        if len(input) == 0:
-            return
+        # since bot prohibits empty prompts, checking len==0 seems redundant
+        await interaction.response.defer(thinking=True)
 
-        url = f"https://latex.codecogs.com/png.image?%5Cdpi%7B200%7D%5Cbg%7B36393f%7D%5Cfg%7Bwhite%7D{quote(input)}"
-
-        await interaction.response.send_message(
-            f'LaTeX render for "{input}"\n{url}',
+        url = (
+            "https://latex.codecogs.com/png.image?"
+            "%5Cdpi%7B200%7D%5Cbg%7B36393f%7D%5Cfg%7Bwhite%7D"
+            f"{quote(input)}"
         )
+        embed = discord.Embed(
+            colour=discord.Colour.blue(),
+            title=f'Latex render for "{input}"',
+        ).set_image(url=f"{url}")
+
+        await interaction.edit_original_response(embed=embed)
 
 
 async def setup(bot: commands.Bot):
diff --git a/uqcsbot/voteythumbs.py b/uqcsbot/voteythumbs.py
index 9c6a4b6..d0d6894 100644
--- a/uqcsbot/voteythumbs.py
+++ b/uqcsbot/voteythumbs.py
@@ -30,8 +30,10 @@ async def voteythumbs_context(
         self, interaction: discord.Interaction, message: discord.Message
     ):
         """Starts a 👍 👎 vote."""
+        await interaction.response.defer(ephemeral=True)
+
         await self.common_react(message)
-        await interaction.response.send_message("Vote away!", ephemeral=True)
+        await interaction.edit_original_response(content="Vote away!")
 
     @app_commands.command(name="voteythumbs")
     @app_commands.describe(question="The question that shall be voted upon")
@@ -39,11 +41,13 @@ async def voteythumbs_command(
         self, interaction: discord.Interaction, question: str
     ):
         """Starts a 👍 👎 vote."""
-        await interaction.response.send_message(question)
+        await interaction.response.defer()
         message = await interaction.original_response()
 
         await self.common_react(message)
 
+        await interaction.edit_original_response(content=question)
+
 
 async def setup(bot: commands.Bot):
     await bot.add_cog(VoteyThumbs(bot))
diff --git a/uqcsbot/xkcd.py b/uqcsbot/xkcd.py
index f77cc50..7e927ff 100644
--- a/uqcsbot/xkcd.py
+++ b/uqcsbot/xkcd.py
@@ -30,11 +30,12 @@ async def xkcd_command(
         """
         Returns a random xkcd comic or the comic with the given number.
         """
+        await interaction.response.defer(thinking=True)
 
         # If number is given, check if its a valid number
         if number is not None and number <= 0:
-            await interaction.response.send_message(
-                "Invalid xkcd number (must be positive)"
+            await interaction.edit_original_response(
+                content="Invalid xkcd number (must be positive)"
             )
             return
 
@@ -50,10 +51,14 @@ async def xkcd_command(
 
         # Check if the xkcd data failed to fetch
         if xkcd_num == XKCD_FETCH_ERROR[0]:
-            await interaction.response.send_message("Failed to fetch xkcd page")
+            await interaction.edit_original_response(
+                content="Failed to fetch xkcd page"
+            )
             return
         elif xkcd_num == XKCD_PARSE_ERROR[0]:
-            await interaction.response.send_message("Failed to parse xkcd page data")
+            await interaction.edit_original_response(
+                content="Failed to parse xkcd page data"
+            )
             return
 
         # Create a custom embed for the xkcd comic
@@ -65,7 +70,7 @@ async def xkcd_command(
         message.set_footer(text="xkcd.com")
 
         # Send it!
-        await interaction.response.send_message(embed=message)
+        await interaction.edit_original_response(embed=message)
 
     @staticmethod
     def get_xkcd_data(url: str) -> (int, str, str, str):
@@ -73,7 +78,8 @@ def get_xkcd_data(url: str) -> (int, str, str, str):
         Returns the xkcd data from the given url.
 
         :param url: The url to fetch the xkcd data from
-        :return: A tuple containing the xkcd number, title, description and image url
+        :return: A tuple containing the xkcd number, title,
+                 description and image url
         """
 
         # Get the xkcd page
@@ -101,7 +107,11 @@ def parse_xkcd_page(content: str) -> (int, str, str, str):
             re.MULTILINE,
         )
         img_match = re.search(
-            r'(?<=Image URL \(for hotlinking\/embedding\): <a href= ")(.*?)(?=">)', data
+            (
+                r'(?<=Image URL \(for hotlinking\/embedding\): <a href= ")'
+                r'(.*?)(?=">)'
+            ),
+            data,
         )
 
         # If any of the regexes failed, return an error