When Emmett gets bored in the flat, Trace offers to help him find a new hobby
TW: Covid Lockdown (no illness, just lockdown)

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As Emmett stared out the window at the people walking by, he tried to attract their attention with silly expressions and energetic waving, but his apartment was too high up from the street for anyone to notice. He pouted slightly and pressed his peach tinted cheek to the glass, sliding down so that his nose and cheek were squished at a funny angle.

"You're gonna leave smudges all over the window," Trace pointed out, his tone matter-of-fact but without any real venom.

Emmett looked over to the African wild dog that he shared the apartment with and sighed, using his sleeve to wipe the glass before walking over to the sofa and flopping down next to his housemate.

"I hate this," Emmett grumbled, feeling deflated and bored.

They had been in lockdown for months now, self isolating as much as possible so that they could both stay safe. But it was so hard... Emmett missed performing in front of a crowd, and he missed bringing a smile to people's day with his street side clown performances. He hadn't been able to set up any aerial equipment in the apartment thanks to their strict tenancy agreement that forbade him from drilling into the walls or ceiling, so he was going to be out of practice by the time he got back into the Circus Ring.

He had been keeping himself busy with juggling practice, diabolo, spinning plates and physical comedy routines... but it was really hard to stay motivated when he didn't have any feedback or the enjoyment of sharing that craft with other people. Trace had watched his performances at the start, but trying to perform for your quiet housemate and performing for an entire Big Top sized audience were very different and it had just made Emmett miss the circus more than ever.

"I know it's been tough, Emmett, but there's light at the end of the tunnel now. We just have to hold on for a little longer," Trace reasoned, placing his book aside so that he could give the restless hyena his full attention. "Just a few more weeks, and you'll be back in the ring, amazing everyone with your talents."


Weeks... More like months. When this whole things started, Emmett hadn't realised just how long it would go on. Sure, he had known that it would probably be a year or more, but there's a difference between imagining a whole year and actually experiencing it. The months had dragged on endlessly, especially since Emmett didn't have a job or anything to keep him busy during the day. He could refine his art, or maybe create a few new routines, but that was about it. Sometimes he wished he was more like Trace, able to just settle down and focus on something quiet for a while...

"I hope you're right," Emmett sighed, intentionally aiming the puff of air upwards so that it made the front flick of his hair bounce slightly. "Otherwise I'm going to have to change my look to match the Sad Clown aesthetic."

Trace's gentle laugh floated between them, easing some of the heaviness in Emmett's chest. He smirked a little and snuck a sideways glance at the wild dog, loving the sight of another person laughing or smiling, especially if he had been the cause for it.

"More like a Hobo Clown. When was the last time you got your fur trimmed?" Trace teased, reaching across to ruffle Emmett's hair. The hyena gasped with mock offense and squirmed under the attention, ineffectually trying to get away from the offending hand.

"I'll have you know that I keep myself immaculately groomed, thank you very much," he protested, but he was grinning now too. "Seriously, how can you keep so calm and patient when we're stuck inside all the time?"

The question seemed to take Trace off-guard and he considered it for a moment, looking to the book that had been placed at his side, over to the kitchen and the numerous house plants that clustered in the corner of the room. While Emmett was a high-energy extrovert, Trace preferred the peace and quiet of his own space; he valued quiet and predictability. But that didn't mean that the lockdown had been easy for him. He missed the garden centers and his walks through the woods, he missed reading on the riverside and searching for interesting insects in the local gardens. Most of all, he missed being able to walk through a public space without his anxiety rocketing off the chart.

"Honestly? I've just been trying to focus on the things that make me happy," Trace responded, knowing that it wasn't the answer that his housemate had been looking for but wanting to be honest. "When I miss going for nature walks, I pick up a book about wild places and read about it instead. When I miss seeing people at the garden center, I tend to my plants and share photos with folks on a botanical forum... It's not as good as the real thing, but it's good enough for now. I'd rather put up with this kind of lifestyle for a while, so long as it means that we're safe."

"I guess that's a pretty good way of looking at it," Emmett admitted, sitting up properly and adjusting the colourful striped sleeve of his top. "I just feel like I've watched about as many performance videos as I can take. Aside from streaming performances online, I don't really know what else to do."

"Well, maybe you could try something new."

The suggestion sounded casual enough, but it struck Emmett as something profound. New? He was already proficient in most circus skills and had put many hours into his routines... but somehow it had never occured to him that he could try to find a new passion while he was stuck indoors. He had always lived his life as a clown, dedicating every waking moment to becoming the best performer that he could be. So much so, that he'd kind of forgotten how to focus on anything else. The circus was his favourite thing on earth, it was his special interest, but what if he could find something else he liked too? It wouldn't mean that he liked the circus any less, and he would still be able to dedicate the majority of his time to his craft, but maybe he could use the time in between to learn something new.

"What did you have in mind?" Emmett asked, heterochromic eyes turned to meet his housemate's steady lavender irises.

"Hm, well... truth be told, I don't really know," Trace chuckled. "Maybe you could try a few different things that we have around the house and see what you enjoy. If you want, I can show you some of the things I enjoy."

Eyes wide, Emmett nodded and wondered what the wild dog might be able to teach him.