diff --git a/backends/x/draw.go b/backends/x/draw.go
index c47bc4a..e46d186 100644
--- a/backends/x/draw.go
+++ b/backends/x/draw.go
@@ -53,7 +53,12 @@ func (backend *Backend) drawCells (forceRedraw bool) (areas []image.Rectangle) {
 		if forceRedraw && content < 32 { continue }
 
 		areas = append(areas, backend.boundsOfCell(x, y))
-		backend.drawRune(x, y, content, cell.Color(), !forceRedraw)
+		backend.drawRune (
+			x, y,
+			content,
+			cell.Color(),
+			cell.Style(),
+			!forceRedraw)
 	}}
 
 	if backend.drawBufferBounds && forceRedraw {
@@ -74,68 +79,88 @@ func (backend *Backend) drawRune (
 	x, y int,
 	character rune,
 	runeColor stone.Color,
+	runeStyle stone.Style,
 	drawBackground bool,
 ) {
 	// TODO: cache these draws as non-transparent buffers with the
 	// application background color as the background. that way, we won't
 	// need to redraw the characters *or* composite them.
 
-	if drawBackground {
+	var background xgraphics.BGRA
+	var foreground xgraphics.BGRA
+	highlight := runeStyle & stone.StyleHighlight > 0
+
+	if highlight {
+		background = backend.colors[runeColor]
+		foreground = backend.colors[stone.ColorBackground]
+	} else {
+		background = backend.colors[stone.ColorBackground]
+		foreground = backend.colors[runeColor]
+	}
+
+	if drawBackground || highlight {
 		fillRectangle (
-			&image.Uniform {
-				C: backend.config.Color(stone.ColorBackground),
-			},
+			&image.Uniform { C: background },
 			backend.canvas,
 			backend.boundsOfCell(x, y))
 	}
 
-	if character < 32 { return }
-
 	origin := backend.originOfCell(x, y + 1)
-	destinationRectangle, mask, maskPoint, _, ok := backend.font.face.Glyph (
-		fixed.Point26_6 {
-			X: fixed.I(origin.X),
-			Y: fixed.I(origin.Y),
-		},
-		character)
 
-	if !ok {
-		strokeRectangle (
-			&image.Uniform {
-				C: backend.config.Color(stone.ColorForeground),
+	if character >= 32 {
+		destinationRectangle, mask, maskPoint, _, ok := backend.font.face.Glyph (
+			fixed.Point26_6 {
+				X: fixed.I(origin.X),
+				Y: fixed.I(origin.Y),
 			},
-			backend.canvas,
-			backend.boundsOfCell(x, y))
-		return
+			character)
+
+		if !ok {
+			strokeRectangle (
+				&image.Uniform { C: foreground },
+				backend.canvas,
+				backend.boundsOfCell(x, y))
+			return
+		}
+
+		if backend.drawCellBounds {
+			strokeRectangle (
+				&image.Uniform { C: foreground },
+				backend.canvas,
+				backend.boundsOfCell(x, y))
+		}
+
+		// cue a series of pointless optimizations
+		alphaMask, isAlpha := mask.(*image.Alpha)
+		if isAlpha {
+			backend.sprayRuneMaskAlpha (
+				alphaMask, destinationRectangle,
+				maskPoint, foreground, background)
+		} else {
+			backend.sprayRuneMask (
+				mask, destinationRectangle,
+				maskPoint, foreground, background)
+		}
 	}
 
-	if backend.drawCellBounds {
-		strokeRectangle (
-			&image.Uniform {
-				C: backend.config.Color(stone.ColorForeground),
-			},
-			backend.canvas,
-			backend.boundsOfCell(x, y))
-	}
-
-	// cue a series of pointless optimizations
-	alphaMask, isAlpha := mask.(*image.Alpha)
-	if isAlpha {
-		backend.sprayRuneMaskAlpha (
-			alphaMask, destinationRectangle,
-			maskPoint, backend.colors[runeColor])
-	} else {
-		backend.sprayRuneMask (
-			mask, destinationRectangle,
-			maskPoint, backend.colors[runeColor])
+	// underline
+	if runeStyle & stone.StyleUnderline > 0 {
+		maxX := origin.X + backend.metrics.cellWidth
+		y :=
+			origin.Y -
+			backend.metrics.descent
+		for x := origin.X; x < maxX; x ++ {
+			backend.canvas.SetBGRA(x, y, foreground)
+		}
 	}
 }
 
 func (backend *Backend) sprayRuneMask (
-	mask      image.Image,
-	bounds    image.Rectangle,
-	maskPoint image.Point,
-	fill      xgraphics.BGRA,
+	mask       image.Image,
+	bounds     image.Rectangle,
+	maskPoint  image.Point,
+	fill       xgraphics.BGRA,
+	background xgraphics.BGRA,
 ) {
 	maxX := bounds.Max.X - bounds.Min.X
 	maxY := bounds.Max.Y - bounds.Min.Y
@@ -148,7 +173,7 @@ func (backend *Backend) sprayRuneMask (
 			x + bounds.Min.X,
 			y + bounds.Min.Y - backend.metrics.descent,
 			xgraphics.BlendBGRA (
-				backend.colors[stone.ColorBackground],
+				background,
 				xgraphics.BGRA {
 					R: fill.R,
 					G: fill.G,
@@ -159,10 +184,11 @@ func (backend *Backend) sprayRuneMask (
 }
 
 func (backend *Backend) sprayRuneMaskAlpha (
-	mask      *image.Alpha,
-	bounds    image.Rectangle,
-	maskPoint image.Point,
-	fill      xgraphics.BGRA,
+	mask       *image.Alpha,
+	bounds     image.Rectangle,
+	maskPoint  image.Point,
+	fill       xgraphics.BGRA,
+	background xgraphics.BGRA,
 ) {
 	maxX := bounds.Max.X - bounds.Min.X
 	maxY := bounds.Max.Y - bounds.Min.Y
@@ -174,7 +200,7 @@ func (backend *Backend) sprayRuneMaskAlpha (
 			x + bounds.Min.X,
 			y + bounds.Min.Y - backend.metrics.descent,
 			xgraphics.BlendBGRA (
-				backend.colors[stone.ColorBackground],
+				background,
 				xgraphics.BGRA {
 					R: fill.R,
 					G: fill.G,
diff --git a/buffer.go b/buffer.go
index 1311e5c..669d9e0 100644
--- a/buffer.go
+++ b/buffer.go
@@ -21,11 +21,11 @@ const (
 type Style uint8
 
 const (
-	StyleNormal     Style = iota
-	StyleBold       Style = iota >> 1
-	StyleItalic
-	StyleUnderline
-	StyleHighlight
+	StyleNormal     Style = 0
+	StyleBold       Style = 1
+	StyleItalic     Style = 2
+	StyleUnderline  Style = 4
+	StyleHighlight  Style = 8
 	StyleBoldItalic Style = StyleBold | StyleItalic
 )