Walking around the kitchen of the foreclosure she and her charges were inhabiting for now, Vivienne was equal parts fascinated and sorrowful. She didn't know how much time in this realm had passed since her death, though the age of her blood cousin seemed much the same, so perhaps a year or two.
It had hurt in a strange way to lie to the girl. Well, not lie so much as tell half truths. Vivienne's species had been changed after she died, this was true, but it wasn't as though a new being had been inserted into her new body. She was a different person because of her experiences in the last millennium, not because the human version had been banished or destroyed.
She could not recall many of the specifics of her life as a human, being a mere 22 years old when she had died compared to her 1000 years in the underworld. But she and Elena had been close, this she vaguely remembered. Her mother had been the older sister of Miranda and Jenna Sommers, but had always been distant from the family. After her single mother had died of cancer when she had been young, it was her godparents that had stepped in and housed her. But her financial support and the place that ultimately felt like home was supplied by the Gilbert family, specifically Grayson.
When she'd been told the truth about the ring he'd given her at the last moment on her life, she'd wondered if it was a blessing or a curse. A ring with the ability to bring someone back if they had only just barely been on the edge of a benign death such as suffocation was good in theory. But Vivienne had been brought back over and over again without reprieve.
All in all, it was both a comfort and a torment to see that the world was much the same as when she left. She was trying very hard to drown out the shouting and screaming in the adjoining room as the Mikaelson siblings began to hopefully put the past behind them.
A loud shattering sound echoed through the house, and she distinctly remembered having noted the china display. As she anticipated, much more shattering occurred soon after. She could sense that Niklaus had awakened a few minutes ago, and the majority of the shouts seemed directed at him. For now she could only hope that the arguments would subside.
The sink was a chrome that seemed new, without a single scuff mark on the faucet. Drawn to it, Vivienne turned on the cold water tap as high as it could go. The jet of water immediately shot out, splashing up and spraying her with droplets. The cold didn't bother her, but out of instinct she leaped back. Her breathing sped up, and she remembered the feeling of the water rushing into her lungs. Choking her again and again and again. As quickly as she could, she tried to turn the handle back to its original position, only to snap it off entirely after the water stopped. A strange satisfaction spread over her knowing that now nobody could turn it on.
Drifting around the kitchen some more, she walked to the appliances and tried to remember from her human life centuries ago what each machine did. She gave up after a minute or two, but concluded that she recognized on some level every appliance.
The arguing grew louder in the other room, with Rebekah's voice becoming particularly shrill as she screamed about a man she was in love with, or had been before being neutralized. Vivienne had very little patience – rare for someone her age – and she soon grew bored as the same arguments seemed to circle around and around, little progress being made. Her interactions with others had been quite limited while in the underworld. She would typically only guide one soul at a time and protocol insisted that she maintain a degree of separation from her charges, and when she met with her superiors they were quite brisk. However even as she was newly adjusting to the constant presence of countless others around her, she knew that their arguments were growing tedious.
When the voices paused briefly – perhaps deciding which argument to entertain next, or to catch their breaths – Vivienne decided to intercede. When she materialized in the room, appearing just beside Finn, the vampires all jumped apart from Klaus and Elijah, who were evidently growing used to her sudden presence.
"I tire of this. Are there any immediate concerns that I can solve?"
The Mikaelsons all glanced at one another warily, and it was Elijah who cleared his throat and seemed to answer for them all when he evenly responded, "No, I believe your assistance isn't needed."
Klaus opened his mouth to speak, but Vivienne cut him off, impatient and wanting to proceed with her endeavor.
"If you would be so kind as to relocate to the parlor room that still remains intact, I believe it would be best to expand my previous explanations so that we may set out from this home and venture to wherever it is you wish to settle."
The family seemed to agree and they all swiftly walked through the corridor to the room on the opposite side of the house, sitting on the couches and chairs as soon as they entered. However to her mild embarrassment, Vivienne became distracted by the large bay window that allowed her to see the sun beginning to set.
It was a sight she had not beheld in quite some time.
The sound of a throat being cleared behind her pulled her from her musing and she quickly turned back to the vampires, taking a seat across from them as she began to tell the family as much as she could.
"Homer was fairly close in his description."
There was a beat of silence from all of the siblings, but to her surprise it was Rebekah who looked considering and asked, "Do you mean the bard? The Greek who wrote the Odyssey?"
Vivienne nodded along, having taken for granted that they would immediately know of whom she spoke. There was a brief flash of shame when she evaluated the surprise she had felt at the girl's show of intelligence, and she firmly decided to never again underestimate or doubt her.
"He was one of only eight in history who left the underworld still mortal. But his descriptions were true in a sense. Realms of peace for the good, torment for the despicable. Rivers that once crossed cannot be uncrossed."
Of course the moment she paused to collect her bearings, every one of the Mikaelsons burst out with questions. With the multiple voices each trying to outdo the other, she was barely able to make out a single question. However, it was the question asked by two separate voices that she decided to answer: what she was.
"The myths are not entirely correct, something I am sure you have come to know as creatures yourselves. But the closest description to what I am and the official title I hold is a Rusalka."
Klaus immediately leaned forward and let his forearms rest against his legs, drumming his fingers along his knees as he spoke.
"A Slavic myth. A demon born of a violent, watery death that drags others to their graves. Though some sources claim they are benevolent."
Vivienne gave him a small smile, and was interested in the look of curiosity he shot her way. It was perhaps the most earnest expression she had seen him wear thus far, so it was mildly disappointing to know that she could not tell the Mikaelsons much more.
"The myth is close, I suppose. Rusalkas are incarnations of women who die in natural water, but we do not take the souls of the innocent. We barely venture out of the underworld – typically only to recruit new women to serve with us. We guide souls instead once they've reached our realm."
Kol began speaking in a slightly condescending and disbelieving tone when he said, "And where do you guide them? Do you fancy yourself some sort of guardian angel?"
Vivienne frowned at his insolence and had to remind herself that her objective was not to harm him. Perhaps later when the vampires trusted her a bit better she could teach him proper respect.
"I am not an angel by any means. And the official Guardians outrank me."
When the group seemed on the brink of speaking again, Vivienne sighed and slumped back against the chair. Her day had gone on far too long, and she knew that she would have to hibernate soon if she was to reach her peak once again.
"I grow tired of speaking about myself. That is all I will be saying on the subject at the present time."
Klaus immediately began babbling and his voice sounded vaguely threatening, but Vivienne was more focused on Elijah. He was staring at his phone with great concentration and only broke his line of sight to look up and stare at her in the same assessing way. When she caught a glimpse of what he was searching she decided to interject and save him some time.
"It's I-E-N-N-E. I know the name is typically spelled with an I-A-N at its end. I assume you are searching the internet for some sort of record of mine? I'm sure that my first name and this town's name will provide the information you seek."
A second later, the quick inhale he made let her know that he had found some sort of result.
"Vivienne Sommers. You died at twenty-two in the car crash that killed the Gilberts. Your body was never recovered."
This wasn't exactly news to Vivienne. She'd been there, after all, and died quite a few times before being taken from the realm. So she merely nodded in agreement and gestured for him to go on. It didn't escape her notice that Rebekah, Kol, and Finn didn't look at all phased by the knowledge. And why would they be? They had not been alive long enough to witness the discovery of the doppelganger or her family name, though through the shouting Vivienne ascertained that Niklaus had already revealed that he'd broken his curse.
Klaus however, immediately spoke over his brother.
"You were related to the doppelganger? Love, I don't know if you've heard, but I've recently taken to killing your family members. I don't see why you would want to hang around when you can leave and not be reminded of their murders."
Vivienne raised both of her eyebrows and gave him a look that was meant to clearly question his sanity. With yet another annoyed sigh, she stood and stretched only to walk over to Klaus, who tensed as if preparing himself for another attack. Instead, she flicked him on the forehead and rolled her eyes.
"You are very bad at bothering me on purpose. It seems that only when you are acting of your own volition I feel the desire to decimate your person."
Vivienne left the room once more to allow the siblings some privacy and the opportunity to decide what they wished to do next. Wherever it was they wanted to go, it sounded better than the place she'd died.