Alternative Lifestyle

Austin Conway and his wife, Persephone, exchanged a look as their new roommate finished carrying the last of her possessions into her new room. He knew both of them were thinking the exact same thing: this wasn't what they had been expecting.

The Conways were, in almost every respect, a very normal couple. They were exactly the kind of people you might have expected to see living in a quaint little house in the suburbs, complete with white picket fence. Austin and Persephone would have been proud of a home like that, too. There was just one problem: as older millennials, they were a few decades too late for the time when a young couple could actually afford a house of their own. As such, they had ended up renting a house big enough for three, and as much as they'd both wanted to avoid finding a new roommate after their old one had moved out, their finances weren't so accommodating.

That's where Haisley came in.

On paper, she was the perfect candidate. She was the same age as them, all her references checked out, and she had a nice, stable job as a web developer. Better still, she was a lesbian. When they'd been reviewing applicants, Austin and Persephone had decided a lesbian would be perfect. No awkwardness, no tension. Both of them were as straight as a ruler, and a roommate that was categorically off the table for either of them just seemed to make things simpler. It was one less problem to worry about.

Haisley, though, wasn't quite what either of them hadn't been expecting.

What her application hadn't told them was that Haisley was, in fact, a complete and total alt girl. Her hair was dyed black with a large, bright, neon pink streak, her makeup was dark and striking, and she had more than a few visible piercings. And her clothes? Austin hadn't been expecting their new roommate to show up wearing a corset top, a pleated miniskirt, thigh-highs, and Doc Martens. Her jewelry was equally ostentatious; she had on a thick, leather choker and a huge, strange locket suspended on a chain. Between all of that and the tattoo visible on her shoulder, Haisley looked like she'd be more at home on a trendy campus rather than the Conways' sleepy, boring, normal neighborhood.

That was a problem.

At least, potentially. Austin didn't like to think of himself as close-minded, but both he and Persephone wanted someone who could fit in with them. Someone who had the right kind of vibe. Someone who was, just like them, pretty normal. Austin was very worried that Haisley was going to be anything but. The last thing he and his wife wanted was someone who was going to disrupt their nice little married life.

"There," Haisley announced brightly, approaching the couple. "All done."

"That's great," Austin replied politely. "You must be exhausted."

Haisley laughed. "You can say that again."

"Especially since, uh, you got all dressed up just to move," Persephone ventured hopefully.

"Hm?" Haisley looked down at herself. "Oh, not really. This is me every day."

"Ah."

Austin and Persephone's polite smiles grew a touch more forced.

"Well," Austin said, "just let us know when you're feeling up to the grand tour!"

"Thanks!" Haisley looked intently at Austin. "I feel really really good about living here. I've got some big plans, and I can't wait to get working on them." She turned her gaze to Persephone. "I'm especially excited for us to get some girl time together at some point. Aren't you?"

Persephone just nodded, but Austin could tell she was more than a little unhappy with the suggestion. Austin didn't blame her. Looking at the two of them, standing next to each other, he couldn't picture them becoming friends. They were polar opposites. Persephone was much more girl-next-door, rather than alt girl. He was fairly confident her naturally pale, blonde hair had never touched hair dye, and she rarely opted for anything more than no-makeup makeup looks, except for on special occasions. Her wardrobe was all jeans, plain tops and sundresses, and her taste in music was just as conventional.

What could she and a girl like Haisley possibly have in common?

"That sounds fun," Persephone agreed eventually, without much enthusiasm. "But, um, you know, sometimes I'm pretty busy..."

"Don't worry." Haisley seemed oblivious to Persephone's awkwardness, and spoke with a certain twinkle in her eye. "I'm sure we can find the time sooner or later. And I'm just as sure we'll be able to have a ton of fun. I can promise you, I'm very, very good at getting along with people."

Austin noticed her hand drifting upwards, to idly toy with that strange locket around her neck.

***

After two weeks, Persephone still wasn't used to Haisley living with her and her husband. She was enjoying a day off from work, and every time she went downstairs, the sound of Haisley typing on her laptop from their living room made her feel uncomfortable, like it was some sort of intrusion. It wasn't that Haisley was a bad roommate. She seemed perfectly nice. It was just that since she worked from home, she was always there, and Persephone had absolutely nothing in common with her.

Persephone couldn't resist the urge to peak in on her as she worked, peering through the small gap between the door and its frame. Haisley was sitting on the couch, busy on her laptop, wearing a large pair of headphones. Persephone had learned that her new roommate was quite the audiophile, although from her perspective, Haisley's taste in music was completely baffling. She couldn't stand all that moody emo stuff she listened to.

"Hey Persephone, what's up?"

Persephone almost jumped out of her skin when Haisley called her name. She hadn't realized Haisley had known she was there. Left with no other choice, she pushed the door open and walked in.

"Hi," she said, with the warmest smile she could muster. "I was just, um, wondering if you'd like some tea? I'm taking a break from some chores and I was thinking of making some."

"Oh, that's OK." Haisley reached up and took off her headphones. "But if you're taking a break, I'll do the same! Here, why don't we chat?"

She patted the seat beside her on the couch. Persephone didn't particularly want to sit with her, but she didn't want to be rude either. Reluctantly, she nodded.

Once she was seated next to Haisley, it immediately became obvious that they had absolutely nothing to talk about. Music was a non-starter; she'd already tried that. Fashion was just as bad a prospect. To Persephone, Haisley's dress sense was just as unfathomable. How could she stand wearing black all the time? Along with her hair, it was so garish. Why did she want to show so much skin, especially at home? And then there was her jewelry...

"Is... there something on my chest?" Haisley asked, an amused smile on my face.

"Huh? Oh!" Persephone blushed as she abruptly released that she'd been staring at Haisley's locket. "N-no, I... was just admiring your locket," she replied, half-truthfully.

"Yeah?" Haisley seemed even more amused by that. She lifted it between two of her fingers, letting Persephone get a better look. "You like it?"

Persephone wouldn't have gone that far, but she had to admit that it was an eye-catching piece. The locket was of a very unusual design. It was silver, and consisted of a pair of concentric rings with a small hourglass at their center. They were all connected so that the rings could spin freely within one another, allowing the hourglass to be spun upside down at a simple touch. Within it, there were what looked like actual grains of sand. It was a neat idea, Persephone supposed, but a little too large and gimmicky for her liking.

"It's certainly unusual," she said politely. "Where did you find something like that?"

Haisley laughed a knowing laugh. "That's a very long story. And you wouldn't believe it if I told you." She tilted her head, looking at Persephone intently. "But... is that really what you were looking at?"

Persephone was confused. "What do you mean?"

Haisley smirked. "I'm just saying - if you spend that long staring at a lesbian's tits, she might start to get the wrong idea."

That wasn't funny at all. It wasn't her fault that the locket was nested in Haisley's exposed cleavage. If she didn't want people to look, she should cover up a little more! Persephone folded her arms and frowned. "I'm not sure what you're implying," she said frostily, "but I don't like it."

"It's not an insult," Haisley replied calmly. "Look, if you're into girls, you can just say so. I won't tell."

"I am not!" Persephone insisted. "And I was not... I was just looking at your stupid locket and thinking-"

She froze in her tracks when Haisley reached up and flipped the hourglass in the center of her locket.

As soon as the sand started to trickle, Persephone's words died on her lips and her arms slumped to her sides. Instantly, her mind was empty. The emptiness washed over her like a tide before she was even aware of it. It was as if time had stopped altogether, except that the second hand on the clock on the wall was still ticking. Persephone wasn't thinking about that, though. She wasn't thinking about anything. Her mind was utterly blank, and completely open.

She was in a perfect trance.

"You should really know better than to insult something so very powerful," Haisley mused. "Fortunately, it's going to help me get you a little more... open to experimentation."

She took her time savoring the moment, leaning in close so that she could drink in the sight of the married woman's slack, emotionless face. Then, slowly and deliberately, she told her:

"Actually, you were looking at my chest."

An instant later, the sands finished trickling through the hourglass, and awareness flooded back into Persephone's mind.

"I... huh?" Persephone muttered. What had just happened? She couldn't remember a thing. All her memories were strangely hazy, and her mind suddenly felt like it was full of cobwebs.

"I was just asking you why you were staring at my chest," Haisley said calmly.

"Right." Now that her roommate had prompted her, Persephone could remember that much. She wasn't sure what to say for herself, though. Why had she been staring at the other woman's chest? "Well, it's just... your top really shows it off, I guess? You're pretty well-endowed in that department, if you don't mind me saying so."

That much was true, on both counts. Haisley's tank top had a plunging neckline that left little to the imagination, and lots on display.

"I don't." Haisley giggled. "But Persephone, do you often find yourself noticing things like that about women."

Persephone wasn't sure quite how to answer. "I suppose so."

"Interesting. And do you like what you notice?"

Persephone tensed. "Haisley, I don't think that's appropriate at all, and in fact I-"

Haisley flipped the hourglass in her locket again.

The effect was just as instant, and just as total. Persephone broke off mid-sentence, and slumped back into a hopeless, helpless, entranced state. Haisley was quick to take advantage and imprint another suggestion on her vulnerable mind.

"Yes, you do," she told her. "You like what you see."

This time, when the trance faded, Persephone found herself both confused and faintly embarrassed. She couldn't believe she'd been caught staring at another woman's breasts like that. She didn't understand why she was doing it. Just that she couldn't help but enjoy it.

She was straight, but she liked admiring other womens' breasts. How crazy did that sound?

"So, you like looking, right?" Haisley poked. Persephone blushed, and nodded. "Are you sure you're not into girls?"

This time, Persephone wasn't offended. How could she be? It was a natural question, given what she'd just admitted. "I'm pretty sure I'm not," she replied quietly. "I mean, I've only ever dated guys. It's just... a weird feeling, or something. I don't know. But it's nothing like how I feel about Austin."

"Uh-huh." Haisley was still smiling. "How do you really feel about him, though?"

Persephone looked up at her, surprised. "What?"

"Don't take this the wrong way," the alt girl said, shrugging, "but I've noticed you guys don't seem all that active in the bedroom."

At that, Persephone was lost for words. It wasn't true at all! They had a very enjoyable sex life. "Um, Haisley, that's... I know we're getting to know each other, but for this house, comments like that are a little too personal."

Haisley didn't bother to apologize. She just flipped her hourglass again.

"No," Haisley corrected her - brainwashed her. "You don't really have sex at all."

"Am I right?" Haisley pressed, once the magical trance expired. "Or am I right?"

Persephone was quiet. Was it really that obvious that their marriage was in such a rut? It was mortifying that their new roommate was already figuring out her shameful secret: she couldn't seem to enjoy her husband's body, but she enjoyed looking at womens'.

"Yeah," Haisley said sympathetically. "I'm sorry, sweetie. The look on your face says it all."

"I-it's not like that," Persephone protested, even though she didn't have a clue what she wanted to say for herself. "It's probably normal in a marriage, right? The spark dying down a little bit, I mean. New relationship energy doesn't last forever."

"Maybe," Haisley replied. "Or maybe there's a different explanation."

Persephone knew right away what she was getting at. "I..."

She didn't think she was attracted to other women. But she knew that, after everything they'd been talking about, denials would ring hollow. Hell, they felt hollow, even in her own head.

"Hey. Don't worry," Haisley said comfortingly. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. We can easily figure this out. Just be honest, and answer one, simple question: are you attracted to me? Do you find me hot?"

Persephone found the question surprisingly hard to answer. A 'no' came naturally to her lips, but when she looked over Haisley's body, her gaze caught on her amazing breasts. Why did they make her feel the way they did?

After a few moments of silence, Haisley flipped her enchanted hourglass once more, and took all her doubt and confusion away.

"Persephone, you're incredibly attracted to me."

Once the sands had finished trickling through the hourglass, Persephone clasped her hands over her face. Unaware of what her new roommate had done, Haisley's question was still echoing through her head. And now, as she looked at her, the answer was obvious. It wasn't just her breasts. It was everything.

And Haisley knew.

"Oh my god," was all Persephone could manage to say.

At that moment, both of them heard the sound of the front door of their house opening. Persephone immediately started to panic.

"Oh my god," she repeated. "Austin!" she hissed to her new confidant. "I can't deal with him right now! I'm still figuring all this out. What am I supposed to say?"

She swooned a little as Haisley rose to the occasion.

"I'll go and head him off," Haisley replied. "You take all the time you need. Besides..." She grinned and her hands went to her locket. "I need to have a few words with him, too.

***

Persephone was a lesbian. Just saying that to herself gave her the most incredible rush. It was a crazy thing to suddenly discover about herself. It threatened to upend her entire world, but Persephone wasn't scared. She was energized. She'd decided to worry about what it meant for her and her husband later. For now, she just wanted to enjoy herself.

And fortunately, she had her roommate, Haisley, to help her with that.

"Are... you sure this is going to look good on me?" Persephone asked, blushing.

"Absolutely," Haisley told her firmly.

The two of them were in Haisley's room. They had been talking and hanging out, and Haisley had suddenly proposed that Persephone try on some of her clothes. It was a strange offer, but Haisley had made it sound persuasive. She was already experimenting with her sexuality, why not experiment with her fashion, too?

It helped that Persephone's opinion on Haisley had done a pretty drastic one-eighty. She had come to realize that her new roommate was pretty cool, actually. She had such a different perspective; Persephone wasn't sure she always agreed with it, but it was endlessly interesting hearing her talk about topics and pieces of media that came from such a different world to her own.

Perhaps it was inevitable that she'd end up developing an appreciation of some of Haisley's tastes, given that they were living together. Even now, as they sat in Haisley's room, they were listening to one of the alt girl's favorite albums: Three Cheers, by MCR. It was a pretty big departure from the upbeat pop and classy jazz that Persephone usually listened to, but she was really vibing with it. Haisley's music seemed to perfectly suit her moods, these days.

So, why not try her clothes, too?

Persephone hadn't been too difficult to persuade, but she was slightly regretting agreeing now that she could see the outfit Haisley had laid out for her. It was a pair of black and white checkered pants, very form-fitting, and with a large chain dangling from one side, and, to go with it, a black tube top with an embroidered red rose along with an oversized denim jacket. It was nothing like what Persephone usually wore - much too trendy, much too revealing, and much too dark.

She knew it wouldn't suit her. But she couldn't bear to disappoint Haisley.

"Fine, fine, I'll try it," she agreed, helpless before Haisley's eager, puppy-dog eyes. She picked up the clothes, and glanced at the door. "Should I, um..."

"Right here is fine!" Haisley beamed. "It's just us girls, right?"

Persephone nodded, even though she was sure it wasn't quite that simple between two lesbians. As Haisley watched, she reached behind herself, unzipped her maxi dress, and lifted it off over her head. Her leggings were next. As she removed those, Persephone closed her eyes and tried to pretend Haisley wasn't in the room with her. Anything else would have been way too embarrassing.

The tactic failed her, though, when she realized that she was going to have to take off her bra. Bra straps with a tube top was unthinkable. Even though she'd been doing it all her life, Persephone's hands fumbled with her bra as she unhooked it and let it fall to the ground.

Closing her eyes wasn't enough. She could feel the way Haisley was looking at her.

It wasn't fair. How was she supposed to handle being stared at by such a hot girl?

Persephone only became more flustered when she opened her eyes so that she could slip Haisley's pants on. The look of appreciation on her roommate's face was unmistakable, and brought a deep blush to Persephone's cheeks. Wasn't it wrong, for Haisley to be ogling her like that? They were roommates, it was best to keep things platonic. And besides, she was married. Whatever her sexuality, she was determined not to betray Austin.

But then again, it wasn't like she didn't check Haisley out every chance she got. Especially her chest.

More distracting than any mere question of morality, though, was the fact that Persephone liked it. She liked that Haisley was looking at her tits.

She really, really, really liked it.

In an effort to conceal her embarrassment, Persephone dressed herself as quickly as possible. The whole time, she could feel Haisley's eyes roving over her skin like twin pinpricks of heat. All she could do was pray Haisley wouldn't notice how hard she was starting to sweat. Sadly, being dressed didn't help much, given how much of her midriff and cleavage the tube top left on display. Persephone wasn't as busty as Haisley, but she still had plenty of chest, and her roommate was enjoying looking at it. Her smaller size just meant that the tube top kept threatening to slip down.

Part of Persephone hoped it would.