limerence ☂ a sequel ☂ mary poppins returns

h i r a e t h

By morning, Vivian had gone. Mary realised, after she heard the silence, that she had in fact fallen asleep. This was really peculiar for her, but she had enjoyed it.

She got up slowly, stroking Gwendolyn and scratching her behind the ears.

"Alright, I'll feed you. Come along."

She clapped her hands and the bed was made, startling Gwendolyn.

She walked down the stairs, looking over the empty space. Mary sighed. It was going to be a rather soft day.

She fed Gwendolyn, then settled down on the couch, grabbing some journal entries she'd secretly stowed away from the storage room upstairs.

Vivian had written these, but they were disorganised, and she made it her priority to organise them- and also read them.

She sifted through them with great curiosity, reading a few things aloud and chuckling to herself.

Every word that had been written was evidently Vivian's- she scribbled many things down but the vague description of her day was always detailed and neatly written.

Mary ran her hand over the bumps in the inky writing.

Vivian had always liked to use quill pens for the texture it gave, and Mary appreciated it too as she felt it under her fingertips.

Gwendolyn joined her not long after eating, sitting nearby and rubbing herself against Mary's hand for the chance of being pet.

Mary chuckled, briefly petting her. "Now, off you go, Gwendolyn. I'm busy."

Gwendolyn meowed and sat down next to her, purring.

Then, all of a sudden, she strolled off upstairs and began making a slight commotion. Mary, already growing tired of her, quickly marched upstairs, papers floating lightly behind her.

"Gwendolyn, do stop this-" She stopped, looking around. Soft mews came from the storage room, so off she went to investigate.

She found Gwendolyn laying down happily on a wool carpet, cleaning herself and giving Mary a look upon her arrival.

"Oh, hush," Mary said to Gwendolyn. "I'm rather disappointed you can't say anything," She sat down next to the cat, "But then again, you might not have much to say."

Just as Mary turned away, she heard a voice.

"Quite the opposite, actually," A childlike voice said. Mary turned.

"Ah, so you do speak."

"Well, yes- but I'm rather fond of silence. Have you seen the pictures she left around here? They're quite pretty!" Gwendolyn meowed again, closing her eyes. Any sensible onlooker would believe Mary Poppins was mad, talking to a cat- but Mary was neither sensible nor mad, she just had a slight affinity for animals' dialect. Especially cats.

What was the word Vivian had used?

"Your owner once told me I was an ailurophile," Mary smiled, remembering the word, "And that's apt enough."

"And the pictures? Have you seen them?"

Gwendolyn was rather persistent, Mary could see.

"No, I haven't- which pictures?"

Gwendolyn got up and strolled over haughtily to said pictures. "These ones," She indicated with a swish of the tail.

"Alright, no need to be so haughty about it," Mary sighed, getting up to sit down again, this time nearer to the photos.