Lumin was the 3rd youngest of 4 siblings, and grew up in Bronx New York.
Growing up, Lumin was a rowdy kid, always bouncing all over the place and never sitting still for very long. Their parents signed them up for gymnastics, something to get that restless energy out.
They found a passion for cooking, and would often happily test drive meals for their siblings when their parents were busy at work. They began taking culinary electives at school, considering going to culinary school after graduating.
Or at least, they would’ve, if their mutation hadn’t begun to kick in when they were around 16.
During a gymnastics competition, while landing a run of the mill routine, they broke their leg. Scans revealed that their bones were significantly more fragile than before, and as the bone healed, odd crystalline structures had begun to replace the bone itself.
Their leg eventually healed, but Lumin noticed that rigid glass had begun to spread from their leg across their skin. It left doctors stumped, but it began to become increasingly clear what was happening—or at least why.
Lumin was a mutant.
One night, Lumin overheard their parents discussing what they should do, how could this happen, all sorts of panic.
At the mention of ‘Sending Lumin off to a school’, Lumin knew what they had to do. They didn’t know what this ” school” was but they weren’t about to find out! (My sweet summer child they were gonna send you to Xavier’s.)
Betrayed and fearful, Lumin packed their bags and ran away.
Over the course of the next few days, the glass spread. Everything they ate was rejected by their stomach morphing into something no longer capable of digestion. They made it out of the city, no particular destination in mind aside from away from everyone and everything that could damage the increasing fragility of their own skin.
They eventually ended up passing out near the backyard of a mansion from exhaustion.
Upon waking up, they were met with the concerned face of Mrs. Chiaro, who had found Lumin out back and brought them inside. To Lumin’s surprise, she admired the colorful glass that had spread across their skin, and insisted that Lumin live with them, with the promise to always keep them safe.
Lumin agreed.
The Chiaro’s, Lumin was quick to learn, were a wealthy family with their children already old enough and moved out. The Chario’s praised the colorful stained glass slowly suffocating their body, and called Lumin their little gift.
Life at the Chiaro’s was good at first. They brought in private tutors, showered them with gifts, and made sure they always stayed inside so nothing would ever hurt them.
The Chiaro’s little gift, they found, was such little maintenance too! Lumin didn’t need to eat, barely slept, and would never cause much trouble. They didn’t even need to breathe!
Lumin’s new glass form came with an unexpected awareness of the glass around them…and the glass that made up themselves. They found they could sense glass around themselves, and even cause them to move and shift slightly if they focused enough. They would perform little tricks for Mrs. Chiaro, making glittering glass bits float around the air and casting rainbows around a room.
The Chiaro’s would hold magnificent parties, that Lumin was eventually invited to, as a display! Lumin could come of course, but only if they stood perfectly still so the party goers could admire them as a statue.
No one would even know they were a mutant! Lumin was hesitant to the idea, but figured it was the least they could do, after all the Chiaro’s did for them.
Lumin acted as a statue for countless parties, charity events, etc. Always being sure to never move an inch out fear of what would happen.
From their glass enclosure, they were able to listen in on hundreds of negotiations, gossip, and simply observe. They would report their findings to the Chiaro’s who were thrilled with the new information they were suddenly privy too. This continued for years, Lumin acting as a mere decoration for hours on end, gathering secrets and learning.
Lumin began spending more time inside the glass case instead of outside of it, at the insistence of the Chiaro’s of course. They would insist it would keep them safer, their precious gift. Lumin agreed.
Lumin began to grow increasingly antsy, and one day when no one was around, they decided to “stretch their legs”, only to realize with horror that they could not leave the box.
In one fell swoop, the realization that every restriction imposed on them under the guise of safety by the Chiaro’s was just to keep them imprisoned further.
They never were a child to them, they were an object. A decoration. Their gift.
After the following charity event, Lumin asked if they could leave the box, maybe even roam the yard out of sight, but the request was met with outrage and threats to their delicate form. “After all we’ve done for you!” They exclaimed.
They were left alone for countless weeks, Lumin had trouble convincing themself it wasn’t as punishment.
They clawed and pounded on the glass, only to cause mini fractures through their own hand.
The next time they saw them, they were hosting another party, and they were once again expected to remain perfectly still.
They listened to the chatter surrounding them. The secrets the gossip. They hear Mrs. Chiaro’s high pitched laughter rattle through the glass.
Lumin snaps.
Their building rage exploded outwards, the glass cage shattering in an instant. They heard shouts of pain and outrage, but Lumin didn’t give them a moment to react. They raced out of the room, shouts of security close behind. They reached out and shattered windows as they ran, sending shards backwards as a desperate attempt to escape.
They broke their way into the outside for the first time in years, and fled. The soft dirt cushions their racing steps, and they don’t look back.
The Chiaro’s reported to the police that there was some violent mutant that stole their priceless statue, then pretended to be that statue so they could attack the people at their party. The current reports of the statue and the thief are unknown, but the Chiaro’s are very determined to get back what’s theirs.
There have been a few reports of the mutant thief, still impersonating the form of the statue, but they’ve managed to elude capture for now. Reports note they seem to be missing a hand. (Their hand completely snapped off during the escape, and they haven’t had the time to sit down and reattach it. At the moment their carrying around their hand in a bag wrapped in some bubble wrap they fished out of a dumpster.)
Lumin is currently on the run, and looking for anywhere they could be safe.
During one of the parties, they overheard some attendees discussing a rumor about mutant scoundrels squirreling away in a maze of tunnels beneath the city.
Lumin is determined to find them.
