⸺  Biography

  CHILDHOOD.   Chloe Nair — the eldest twin of Vera Nair by twenty-six minutes and eldest daughter of Craig and Colette Nair. Growing up, Chloe always had a knack for creative arts. Whether that be in theatre, make up, perfume, figure skating—any way for Chloe to use as an outlet for creativity she had always had an interest in. As a child, these trivial hobbies were seen by her parents as something ‘ cute, ’ something she would eventually grow out of as these are not things a child of a high-class family should be focused on. The others paid her no mind when it came to her interests—all children were like this after all, but vera had always supported her dreams. Her youngest sister had always been by her side as her personal cheerleader. The two bright girls, hand in hand running and filling the streets with laughters and squeals. Being the eldest, she felt a strong obligation to keep her sister safe—she was aggressive and loud when shooing the boys that would make fun of them away. She'd be relentless and occationally would lay hands on the other little girls who dared speak ill of her and her sister. While Vera was grateful for having such a strong sister, her parents saw this as an embarrassment to their family—often having to apologize to the childrens' families if they had the misfortune of messing with Chloe.  ADOLESCENCE.   As expected, Chloe had grown out of theatre arts and figure skating. Though she loved those hobbies and still excelled in them, she developed a new-found love for chemistry—specifically in the art of fragrance. Chloe would spend her days in her parents' attic, experimenting and conjuring fragrances to the best of her abilities. Eventually, her mother grew sick of the multitude of smells, so Chloe was forced to moved to the family's windmill. Her sister Vera eventually developed her own interests and hobbies that would be considered ‘ normal. ’ Vera loved fashion, swimming, shopping, and socializing with those who approached her. She very quickly gained popularity around town for her beauty and proper manners. The difference between the two was day and night, leading to the townsfolk to whispers comparisons between the two. It was obvious who was favored more, however the twins did not care about such things and continued to love and support each other endlessly.  LATE TEENS.   Craig and Colette Nair are excessively tired of Chloe's ridiculous dream of becoming a perfumer. They wished she was more like her younger sister Vera and they have been making that adamantly clear throughout the years. the townsfolk and social hierachy openly speak ill of Chloe and her awkwardness. Chloe? Who has time to pay attention to that weirdo? She understands nothing but fragrance. However, her sister Vera is an elegant and flattering beauty. Chloe became more aware of the whispers are comparisons as they grew louder and colder while Vera remained oblivious. She didn't realize it, but Chloe was beginning to resent her sister for her popularity. She withdrew and began growing distant. While Vera remained unaware, she still remained supportive of Chloe as best as she could.  THE PLAN.   A few years have gone by and Vera is now painfully aware of the hurtful comparisons between her and her sister. With Chloe completely closed off against the world, Vera didn't know how else to make things up to Chloe. One night, while Chloe was away on a trip with their mother, Vera snuck into her twin's usually-locked room. Although she knew it was wrong to snoop, she discovered a mess of beakers, flowers, and colors. There were shelves full of delicious smelling fragrances and a stack of notebooks on the floor by the shelf. In the inside cover "Chloe Nair" is signed messily. The pages are filled with hundreds of recipes and step by step instructions on how to create each one. Vera knew that she couldn't let her sisters talent go to waste.
With determination, she presented to their father a business idea—a proposal that would become a success. It didn't take long for the golden child to convince her father, she knew she had the favor and would utilize anything she could in order to let her sister shine. In a matter of days, a shop had already been set up and a grand opening has been set for the day before the twins' 21st birthday.
With her parents having no hope for her, they had agreed to set Chloe up in an arranged marriage in order to make their family's influence stronger. With no other option and no one by her side to fight for her, she could only comply. She and her mother returned home from their trip, Chloe now being an engaged woman set to marry a politician's son. Already exhausted and tired, her arrival home was the last straw to break the camel's back. While walking through the streets of her hometown, a group of men and women were crowded in front of a store that resides along the street closest to the lake. Pushing through, Chloe saw it—something in her snapped. "Caged Butterfly" read the store's signage. Vera and her father, standing side by side and cutting a ribbon to signify the grand opening. In the glass display, she can see perfumes—HER perfumes displayed in the store that she wanted in the location she had picked.  THE INCIDENT.   That night, Chloe was locked away, hands shaking while glass vials were thrown at the wall. Mascara tears ran down her face, making her look deranged. She had lost all control of her emotions—every word, every comparison, everything bad that happened to her all came rushing to her mind and it all led to one common thought: Vera. With a blade in hand, she threw on a dark cloak over head, gliding through the shadowy streets. She knew what she wanted to do in that moment. She found her sister's shop and snuck through the backdoor. Chloe's hands were still shaking, the small conscious she had left was begging her to stop, but her rage was enough to silence it. The hood was removed and Vera turned around from the desk, heart pounding out of her chest. She began speaking to her other half, but Chloe said nothing. The air suddenly felt suffocating, and Vera can see the murderous look in Chloe's eyes. In a last ditch effort to receive Chloe's forgiveness, she begins to speak of the shop—however, Chloe didn't want to hear it. Within a flash, she's close to Vera, eyes like looking into a mirror when the blade is plunged into her abdomen. With her last breath, Vera tells Chloe she loves her. Anguished tears are running down her face now at the realization of what she had done. Chloe watches the light leave her twin's eyes and a part of her soul dies with her. Time was not on her side. She's quick and takes an old tarp from behind the counter and wraps the still-warm corpse in it with heavy twine, ensuring that no blood ever touched the floor. She swapped their clothes, stabbing a hole in her own blouse to mimic the stab wound.
She felt odd wearing her deceased sisters' clothes, but there wasn't time to dwell on the thought. Chloe carries the wrapped body over her shoulder and down to the dock. She sets the bag down and begins searching for large rocks. The rocks are carefully placed into the bag before being retied. With one last push, the body bag splashes into the water and slowly begins to sink. She watches, hunched over the water until the darkness consumed her sister and all she can see is her dark reflection in the water; and she understood now when she stared at herself. Vera wasn't dead, Chloe was now. Chloe died and now Vera's left. The reflection in the water staring back at her looks more like Vera now.  THE MOURNING.   Vera's body was found the next morning by the first fisherman getting ready to set sail the lake. There was a knock at the door, her parents speaking, and footsteps rushing up the stairs. Chloe laid in bed, wondering which twin they would check for first, but she already knew the answer. The door flew open and she jumps, wide-eyed and panicking at the sudden intrustion—an act. "Vera!" her mother wails, rushing over to hug Chloe. Chloe sat there, feigning confusion in Vera's room while wearing Vera's clothes. Chloe looks over at her father through the shoulder of her mother's embrace and she saw it: she saw the visible relief on his face knowing that it was Chloe instead of Vera.
"Your sister is gone." her father states plainly, and she wonders if he knew. She wonders if he recognized that this was not his favorite child. He doesn't say her name as if it were a curse, now Chloe sits here wondering if her mother was crying because Chloe was gone, or because she's happy that Vera is still here.
VERA NAIR TARGETED IN BREAK-IN, BUT TWIN SISTER IS MURDERED INSTEAD AND FOUND IN THE LAKE.
The newspaper headline didn't even bother to mention Chloe by name. There was no special piece to remember Chloe, there was no condolences given for her death. Her funeral was a social party to capitalize off of their loss. Chloe's fiance came out of obligation, but even he remained careless, even bold by flirting with Vera. It made her sick. Looking at a room full of socialites dressed in all black, wine glasses in hand, speaking amongst themselves, she came to the simple realization: she doesn't just think that no one cares, she knows this fact.  THE TRUTH.   A few years have gone by and Chloe Vera is 25 and successful. She had grown accustomed to the life of Vera. She enjoyed the fame and luxury and everything that came with it—the money, the attention, the love. She was drowning in luxury and lies, intoxicated with the life she stole from her other half. One day while cleaning out the storage of the old shop, she came across journals she didn't recognize. She's flipping through the contents, now realizing that this was the journal of her sister—the real Vera Nair.
Chloe's talents should not be buried like this. I will prove it to those biased people. But, Chloe's so proud. She wouldn't want me helping her this way. What should I do?
The further she reads, the more she understands. The more her chest swells then deflates until it feels hollow. She knew now, that all of this was all done for her—for Chloe. She realized the mistake she had made and what makes her even sadder is that she is already accustomed to that person's life. She wails in despair, picking up that same blade that she keeps on her belt and aiming it at her chest. The pointed end just barely digs into the porceline skin, but doesn't move any deeper. She couldn't—she wouldn't. The blade drops from her hand and she's gasping for air like her life depended on it. She killed the only person in the world who truly loved her. She was devastated.  EUPHORIA.   A month after Vera's discovery, she received a box and letter in the mail. On the letter was a red wax seal with an odd symbol she did not recognized. She assumed it was fan mail, but opened it regardless. She read the content of the letters, only it wasn't a letter at all—she's turning the paper horizontally and realizing that it was a formula. Next, the box. The package contained the list's ingredients needed for this recipe. She was familiar with all of these components except one strange, scentless herb. The fragrance took fifty-two hours to create. Quite a lengthy process, but nonetheless it was perfect. One spray and the aroma fills Vera's nostrils. She's frozen in place, eyes watering. It was as if all of the stress and tension she felt had completely disappeared. The aroma enveloped her in a warmth that she had forgotten about the years of guilty torment. Minutes of bliss, then she crashes. The wave of regret and feeling of apathy hit her like a truck, overcoming her being quick like a virus.
Euphoria was a drug, and the come down is a hard crash. She's spraying more and more everyday to ensure that the aroma clung to her skin. It became so addicting that other people began visiting her shop simply to stand in the aroma. One month was all it took for the test bottle to run out and for Vera to begin feeling the hard effects from the lack of fragrance. She sought out suppliers for the ingredients needed, but no one knew what this mysterious herb was. She was able to recreate the recipe, but the fragrance's scent and effects were not strong enough — they did not last long enough.
During her endeavor in attempting to discover this mysterious herb was, she meets Lyle Creighton. Lured in by the promises of Euphoria, he quickly became a close friend and confidant. The effects of coming down from Euphoria left Vera feelimg vulnerable about her own guilt, thus relying on Lyle and speaking vaguely about the need to keep appearances and being someone she is not. The two shared Euphoria and a special Incense, that Vera had discovered may have the same same qualities and properties as Euphoria. Vera's new motivation was to search for this herb, even researching the sigil that was pressed into the wax seal.  THE MANOR.   Years later, Vera is 27 and finally receives another letter with that wax seal. An invitation to Oletus Manor, promising the answer to her long sought-out quesion that she had almost given up on. She doesn't hesitate, packing a bag and immediately traveling to this so-called manor. She steps foot and it is a trap—a time-warp of lies. The manor's hospitility was exquisite and there were others visiting as well, different people of different backgrounds coming together because of a mysterious letter that they have all received. Once the suspicion was realized, the experiments began. The drugs were to make them compliant and hallucinate. Vera's arm felt raw from how many times she has been poked and prodded.
She'd wake up in random locations, running for her life and surviving round by round of whatever sick twisted game these people were playing. Monsters, ghosts, humanoid beings chasing her and making sure that her and the other visitors are participating. She wakes up never remembering these awful experiences, but she feels them. Where she would check for slices and cuts, they never existed, but she felt them as if they were there. These "experiments" have become an everyday occurance that they became normal—her and the other residents have begun remembering them. Some days were good days, she'd make it out without a single scratch and other days she thought she would really die. The Experiments teetered her close to death several times over and over that she had grown numb to the idea—she began death as the solution to end the torture.  POST MANOR.   It was as if time stopped when everyone stepped foot into Oletus Manor. Vera finally leaves the manor after what feels like years, come to realize only a week had gone by. How was this possible? She didn't hallucinate that all—she knew that for a fact because she had watched people she began to call friends die. She's seen their bodies be wheeled out in those black bodybags—they haunted her. It was like reliving what she had done to her own sister.
Adjusting to life after the manor was no easy feat. She struggled with proper interaction, she looked behind her shoulder when she was out walking. Falling asleep wasn't simple, as she feared being drugged and waking up in another experiment. For the first year, she couldn't live properly. Therapy only did so much, but eventually, her fear was numbed. She grew to have an obsession with toying with her life, given the countless times she seemed to defied death itself.
Eventually, she was able to make a living of herself again. She never returned to Grasse, deciding to settle somewhere far away from people who may know her. She sent an envelope containing a wad of cash and a letter to her father.
To pay you back for the shop. I will not return, my sister would not want me to.
She kept her word and never returned. She reopened Caged Butterfly somewhere anew and made a proper name for herself once more. She poured all of her energy into branching out of fragrance—dabbling in the art of beauty and cosmetology. People from far and wide visit Vera for an analysis of their external appearance for the best beauty advice. She is colder, quiet, and still mourning her identity.

* will add & change as more interactions are had.

  IDENTITY V    : main verse, follows biography up to the manor section.  MULTIVERSE    : secondary main verse, follows biography up to post manor section.