diff --git a/characters/vesper/manifest.json b/characters/vesper/manifest.json
index 13774750..4cdebcd5 100644
--- a/characters/vesper/manifest.json
+++ b/characters/vesper/manifest.json
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@
     "states": [
       "geared",
       "base",
-      "torn"
+      "torn",
+      "xray"
     ],
     "hp_bands": true
   },
diff --git a/pipeline/restyle_frames.py b/pipeline/restyle_frames.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6197be04
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pipeline/restyle_frames.py
@@ -0,0 +1,191 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""restyle_frames.py — generate frames@<style>/ variant dirs for a packed
+character by restyling its existing base frames. Two engines:
+
+  pillow-xray   deterministic local pass (no AI): dark silhouette fill +
+                glowing edge lines. Instant, zero flicker — the "digital
+                guts" tier. Needs Pillow only.
+  farm          any MODELBEAST image->image operator (mflux_image_edit,
+                comfyui_sd, ...). Frame is flattened onto neutral gray,
+                submitted, and the result is re-masked with the original
+                alpha so the sprite silhouette is untouched. Fixed seed
+                per style keeps frame-to-frame drift down (some shimmer
+                is period-correct for digitized fighters). SLOW operators
+                (mflux_image_edit ≈ 4 min/frame on m3ultra) are hero-tier
+                only — check timing on one frame before a big batch.
+
+Usage:
+  python3 pipeline/restyle_frames.py characters/vesper --style xray --engine pillow-xray
+  python3 pipeline/restyle_frames.py characters/vesper --style sketch --engine farm \
+      --operator mflux_image_edit --prompt "Redraw as a pencil sketch ..." \
+      --op-params '{"steps": 20}' --moves idle,hit --limit 10
+
+Resume-safe: frames whose output already exists are skipped. Variant dirs
+must keep the SAME frame count as base (engine falls back per-frame past
+the variant's end, which pops mid-move) — this script always writes 1:1.
+Heartbeat: --hb writes progress lines to ~/.jobs/foitin-restyle.hb.
+"""
+import argparse, json, mimetypes, os, sys, time, urllib.request, uuid
+
+HOST = os.environ.get('MB_HOST', 'http://100.89.131.57:8777')
+HB = os.path.expanduser('~/.jobs/foitin-restyle.hb')
+
+
+def hb(msg, enabled):
+    if not enabled:
+        return
+    os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(HB), exist_ok=True)
+    with open(HB, 'a') as f:
+        f.write(time.strftime('%H:%M:%S ') + msg + '\n')
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------- farm client
+
+def token():
+    t = os.environ.get('MB_TOKEN')
+    if t:
+        return t
+    for line in open(os.path.expanduser('~/Documents/backnforth/.env')):
+        if line.startswith('MB_TOKEN='):
+            return line.split('=', 1)[1].strip()
+    sys.exit('no MB_TOKEN')
+
+
+def req(path, data=None, headers=None, raw=False):
+    h = {'Authorization': f'Bearer {token()}'}
+    h.update(headers or {})
+    r = urllib.request.Request(HOST + path, data=data, headers=h)
+    body = urllib.request.urlopen(r, timeout=300).read()
+    if raw:
+        return body
+    s = body.decode('utf-8', 'replace')
+    return json.loads(''.join(c if c >= ' ' or c in '\t' else ' ' for c in s))
+
+
+def upload(path):
+    boundary = uuid.uuid4().hex
+    ctype = mimetypes.guess_type(path)[0] or 'application/octet-stream'
+    body = (f'--{boundary}\r\nContent-Disposition: form-data; name="file"; '
+            f'filename="{os.path.basename(path)}"\r\nContent-Type: {ctype}\r\n\r\n').encode() \
+        + open(path, 'rb').read() + f'\r\n--{boundary}--\r\n'.encode()
+    a = req('/api/assets', data=body, headers={'Content-Type': f'multipart/form-data; boundary={boundary}'})
+    return a.get('id') or (a.get('items') or [a])[0].get('id')
+
+
+def job_output_asset(jid):
+    a = req('/api/assets?limit=100')
+    items = a if isinstance(a, list) else a.get('items', [])
+    imgs = [x for x in items if str(x.get('filename', x.get('name', ''))).lower()
+            .endswith(('.png', '.jpg', '.webp'))]
+    mine = [x for x in imgs if x.get('parent_job') == jid]
+    return mine[0]['id'] if mine else None
+
+
+def farm_edit(Image, src_png, out_png, operator, params, tmp_dir):
+    im = Image.open(src_png).convert('RGBA')
+    alpha = im.split()[3]
+    flat = Image.new('RGB', im.size, (128, 128, 128))
+    flat.paste(im, (0, 0), alpha)
+    tmp_in = os.path.join(tmp_dir, 'mb_in.png')
+    flat.save(tmp_in)
+    jid = req('/api/jobs', data=json.dumps(
+        {'operator': operator, 'asset_id': upload(tmp_in), 'params': params}).encode(),
+        headers={'Content-Type': 'application/json'})['id']
+    while True:
+        time.sleep(5)
+        st = req(f'/api/jobs/{jid}').get('status')
+        if st in ('done', 'error', 'cancelled'):
+            break
+    if st != 'done':
+        return False
+    gid = job_output_asset(jid)
+    if not gid:
+        return False
+    tmp_out = os.path.join(tmp_dir, 'mb_out.png')
+    open(tmp_out, 'wb').write(req(f'/api/assets/{gid}/file', raw=True))
+    edited = Image.open(tmp_out).convert('RGB')
+    if edited.size != im.size:
+        edited = edited.resize(im.size, Image.LANCZOS)
+    edited = edited.convert('RGBA')
+    edited.putalpha(alpha)
+    edited.save(out_png)
+    return True
+
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------- pillow engine
+
+def pillow_xray(Image, src_png, out_png, fill=(10, 22, 34), line=(87, 230, 255)):
+    from PIL import ImageChops, ImageFilter, ImageOps
+    im = Image.open(src_png).convert('RGBA')
+    alpha = im.split()[3]
+    gray = im.convert('L')
+    edges = ImageOps.autocontrast(gray.filter(ImageFilter.FIND_EDGES))
+    edges = edges.filter(ImageFilter.MaxFilter(3))
+    edges = ImageChops.multiply(edges, alpha)   # clip glow to the silhouette
+    out = Image.new('RGBA', im.size, (0, 0, 0, 0))
+    out.paste(Image.new('RGBA', im.size, fill + (255,)), (0, 0), alpha)
+    out.paste(Image.new('RGBA', im.size, line + (255,)), (0, 0), edges)
+    out.putalpha(alpha)
+    out.save(out_png)
+    return True
+
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------- main
+
+def main():
+    ap = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    ap.add_argument('char_dir', help='packed character folder (characters/<id>)')
+    ap.add_argument('--style', required=True, help='variant name -> frames@<style>/')
+    ap.add_argument('--engine', default='pillow-xray', choices=['pillow-xray', 'farm'])
+    ap.add_argument('--operator', default='mflux_image_edit')
+    ap.add_argument('--prompt', default='')
+    ap.add_argument('--op-params', default='{}', help='extra operator params as JSON')
+    ap.add_argument('--moves', default='', help='comma list; default = all moves')
+    ap.add_argument('--limit', type=int, default=0, help='max frames this run (0 = all)')
+    ap.add_argument('--hb', action='store_true', help='heartbeat to ~/.jobs/foitin-restyle.hb')
+    a = ap.parse_args()
+
+    from PIL import Image
+    params = json.loads(a.op_params)
+    if a.prompt:
+        params['prompt'] = a.prompt
+    params.setdefault('seed', 42)
+
+    moves_root = os.path.join(a.char_dir, 'moves')
+    moves = sorted(a.moves.split(',') if a.moves else os.listdir(moves_root))
+    tmp_dir = f'/tmp/restyle_{os.getpid()}'
+    os.makedirs(tmp_dir, exist_ok=True)
+
+    done = failed = 0
+    for mv in moves:
+        frames_dir = os.path.join(moves_root, mv, 'frames')
+        if not os.path.isdir(frames_dir):
+            continue
+        out_dir = os.path.join(moves_root, mv, 'frames@' + a.style)
+        os.makedirs(out_dir, exist_ok=True)
+        pngs = sorted(f for f in os.listdir(frames_dir) if f.endswith('.png'))
+        for i, f in enumerate(pngs):
+            out_png = os.path.join(out_dir, f)
+            if os.path.exists(out_png):
+                continue
+            if a.limit and done >= a.limit:
+                hb(f'limit {a.limit} reached', a.hb)
+                print(f'[restyle] limit reached ({done} frames)')
+                return
+            src = os.path.join(frames_dir, f)
+            if a.engine == 'pillow-xray':
+                ok = pillow_xray(Image, src, out_png)
+            else:
+                ok = farm_edit(Image, src, out_png, a.operator, dict(params), tmp_dir)
+            done += ok
+            failed += (not ok)
+            if not ok:
+                print(f'[restyle] FAILED {mv}/{f}', flush=True)
+            if done % 20 == 0 or a.engine == 'farm':
+                hb(f'{mv} {i + 1}/{len(pngs)} (total {done} done {failed} failed)', a.hb)
+                print(f'[restyle] {mv} {i + 1}/{len(pngs)} (total {done})', flush=True)
+    hb(f'ALL DONE ({done} frames, {failed} failed)', a.hb)
+    print(f'[restyle] ALL DONE ({done} frames, {failed} failed)')
+
+
+main()