Luma's Links
Lima's relationship with her dad is.... complicated. She loves him, sure, but she's also deeply frustrated by him. How can the same Sima who noticed her intrest in cooking early on, the same Sima who let her pick out any cook book she wanted every time they went to the store, not to mention the same Sima who's constant, patient, support and gentle suggestions kept her going strong through her failures as she tried out new recipes and gained ground as a chef... be the very same Sima who always forgets her birthday, never showed up to a single school function, and just generally... waved you off whenever you tried to talk to him for more than four seconds? It was always four seconds. Exactly. She'd timed it. As such, Luma grew up having to act as a mom to her youngest siblings, and shouldered a lot of the responsibilities that she fully believed should have been Kraftwerk's. Or... her mum's. Before Kraftwerk drove her away with his stupid obsessions and his stupid machines... but she can't hate him. Not really. Every time she starts to, in the face of him breaking yet another promise or hanging up in the middle of yet another phone call (that she ALWAYS has to initiate), she remembers the way he'd hold her when she hurt herself on the playground, drying her tears and launching into one of his smiling lectures to distract her while he bandaged her up. He'd explain how pain was just the body's way of letting you know something was wrong - how we should listen to it, not be scared by it, because it was really only trying to help us. The same with blood. Which was essential to healing, so we shouldn't pick our scabs. It was her dad who inspired her intrest in medicine! He also had a wonderful voice, and would sing her back to sleep if she woke up, scared by a thunderstorm. Luma fully believes there's a good man in there somewhere, deep down. If only the rare moments where he shines through didn't make Kraftwerk's usual coldness all the more painful....
Kraftwerk is very proud of his daughter, he just doesn't show it. The project always takes priority. In fact, he wishes sorely that Luma would let him be - that she'd take a page out of her mother's book and go off to live her life. She's already had ONE failed relationship because of him... but no matter how hard he tries to try to push her away, Luma simply refuses to budge. She's stubborn like that. Truly a chip off the 'ol block.
Nightjar is Luma's immediate older sibling - that is to say, Nightjar was born one litter before Luma and Garth. This makes them several years older. You wouldn't know it though... at least not according to Luma. She's always considered them to be impulsive and immature, not to mention selfish; much like you'd expect a toddler to be. They never did their chores, always bossed the other kids around, and weren't afraid to pin wrongdoings on you to avoid the consequences! When Nightjar went off to school, Luma let out a breath she hadn't even known she'd been holding.They don't really keep in touch these days... sure, Nightjar has... probably... grown and matured over the years, but they have a life of their own now and seem content to live it without involving Luma. Why should she bother?
Being from the same litter, Luma and Garth have been close from day 1. They have a lot in common! Luma remembers when they used to play 'monster' together - a game where the pair would hide in the dark with their glowing eyes closed until someone walked in. Then they'd both snap their eyes wide open and spring out while making all kinds of horrible noises. Luma would use her light powers to sketch out a glowing, floating 'monster' form for herself, while Garth would use his mind powers to cast an illusionary form for HIMself! Quite often they'd send their surprised target away in terror, then collapse giggling. Yes. They got in trouble... a lot. But it was also a lot of fun!
Littermate!
Luma knew Rez back in high school, and had a bit of a crush on him. They grew up and went their separate ways though, so nothing ever came of it.
BFF from school!
Pop-Bead (Aka Popper, Poppins, or Poppy) is Luma's everything. She sorely misses her former lover Waker, and sees much of her in the child. As such, Luma is fiercely protective of Poppy and does her best to be the perfect parent - perhaps also trying to overcompensate for her own less than perfect childhood... though she doesn't want her daughter to end up like NIGHTJAR. As such, Luma doesn't give Poppy absolutely everything she wants, though often denying the child makes her feel like a horrible person. It's... complicated.
Waker first met Luma when the young nurse came to the caverns as part of her graduate research into traditional medicine. Waker may be a Weaver, but her knowledge about the local flora is great, and she knows many things beyond what's good for dye making. As such, her name appeared on the list of learned locals that was given to Luma, and the young lady ended up chatting with Waker off and on. In the beginning their conversation was purely business. What was this herb? Or that one? How many things were the bark of this tree good for? What was the story behind THAT? But over time the pair branched out, and found themselves talking about... well... all KINDS of things! Waker was fascinated by Luma's stories of the wider world, having never really left the general area, and admired her new friend's quest for self improvement through knowledge. Luma could be a bit serious at times - even taciturn - but Waker found that, with enough prodding and patience, she could get her to loosen up and come out of her shell enough to actually laugh and smile and RELAX. It was clearly uncertain territory for Luma, and her first steps were stumbling, but as the months went on Waker saw her bloom into a more confidant and trusting Sima that was actually comfortable in her own skin. It made the weaver smile too. And she found herself falling head over paws in love. As the year of Luma's residence came to a close, and she gathered up the last few threads of her research, Waker approached her and haltingly asked if she could come along too.