Alternative Lifestyle

Haisley clapped her hands in glee. "It's perfect!" she declared.

Persephone smiled bashfully. "You think?"

"Absolutely," her roommate gushed. "Your legs look amazing in that. And that top? Mmf. You'll have all the girls drooling over you."

Persephone was on the verge of overheating. Being praised this much by her hot, lesbian, alt girl roommate was more than she could handle.

"You have to keep it," Haisley added.

That comment brought Persephone crashing back to earth. Keep it? When would she ever wear something like this? Not at work, that was for sure. She couldn't even imagine stepping out the front door. She'd die of embarrassment from all the looks she'd catch. Persephone started shaking her head.

"No way," she said. "This was fun, but, um, I really don't think so."

Haisley tilted her head to one side. "Why not?" she asked.

Persephone shrugged. "I really just don't have the confidence."

Haisley laughed. "Oh, don't worry. We can fix that."

She reached for the locket around her neck.

Persephone had noticed Haisley seemed to wear her unusual, hourglass locket at all times. She hadn't thought to ask why, but as her roommate stroked it between her fingertips, Persephone experienced an intense burst of déjà vu. It was so strong, she was momentarily off-balance. Her head was spinning wildly.

An instant later, Haisley flipped the hourglass, and all of that was gone.

Persephone was left completely and totally blank. All time and all thought stopped for her, and she was left as a blank, receptive vessel for Haisley to fill with her words.

She chose them carefully and deliberately. "Persephone, you're more than confident enough for these clothes," Hailey told her slowly. "And you'd love nothing more than to keep them."

Once the sands had finished trickling through the hourglass, awareness crashed back into Persephone, and the déjà vu was gone just as quickly as it had appeared, leaving her with only the odd, disorientating echoes of its passing.

"S-sorry, what did you just say?" she asked, rubbing her head. "I must have spaced or something."

Haisley smiled. "I said, you can keep the clothes."

Excitement surged within Persephone. "Oh my gosh, really?"

When Haisley nodded, Persephone squealed with joy. She couldn't believe her luck. No clothes she'd ever worn before had ever felt so perfectly right. She was going to wear them every chance she got. Haisley was the best roommate ever!

"And that's not all," Haisley added. "Why don't you pick out a few more things? Some jewelry, too. We can share!"

"Wait, wait," Perephone said, bouncing with glee. "Before that, I need to show Austin! My husband isn't going to believe I'm dressed like this."

At that, a very odd look came over Haisley's face. "Why don't I go too?" she suggested. "There's something I need to talk to you both about."

"Oh. What is it?"

This time, Haisley didn't just smile. She grinned. "You called Austin your husband," she said, reaching for her locket once again. "But... are you sure you're remembering that right?"

***

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this!"

Persephone was giggling and squealing as she waited on tenterhooks for Haisley to finish drying and brushing out her hair. They were in their bathroom and she was wearing a blindfold. That had been Haisley's idea.

She wanted to make sure Persephone only saw her new, dyed hair once it was all done.

It was funny; until recently, Persephone would never, ever have considered using hair dye. She loved her natural color. But Haisley seemed to be able to talk her into just about anything. It helped that she was always right. Whenever she suggested something, no matter how outlandish, Persephone always ended up loving it. Thanks to her new best friend, she'd almost completely replaced her wardrobe. Haisley knew all the best places to buy clothes to suit her new look. It hadn't taken Haisley very long to persuade her to consider coloring her hair, too. She was even trying to talk her around to the idea of getting a tattoo - like that would ever happen.

The biggest obstacle to dyeing her hair had been worrying about what Austin would think. Persephone knew he didn't like hair that was any kind of unnatural shade, and she didn't want to upset her fiancé.

Persephone frowned briefly. Calling Austin that, even in her head, always felt weird. She wasn't quite sure why. It just didn't seem like the right term, somehow. Maybe that was only natural, she rationalized. After all, it was kind of a mind-fuck that she'd figured out she was a lesbian right after agreeing to get married to a man.

"All done!" Haisley cried, her enthusiasm instantly sweeping aside all of Persephone's confusion. She could hardly sit still as Haisley carefully removed her blindfold. "Ta-da!"

Persephone's jaw immediately dropped.

Haisley had spent all week promising her that her hair was the perfect shade to take to dye. Until that moment, she hadn't quite believed it. Every last hint of blonde was gone. Instead, her hair was a deep, rich, sea-green. The difference was stark, and Persephone couldn't believe how much it changed her entire aesthetic. Suddenly, she looked exotic. Daring. Confident. She looked like a completely different woman.

"Well?" Haisley prompted. "What do you think?"

Slowly, Persephone started shaking her head.

"I... I dunno," she muttered apologetically. "It's... really not me, I think."

"Oh." Haisley seemed surprised.

"Do you think we can maybe go to a salon?" Persephone asked pleadingly. "Get it bleached back out to blonde or something?"

She wasn't really sure why this was freaking her out so much, but she couldn't handle the way that her own reflection now looked like a stranger.

"Hey, hey, slow down," Haisley urged. "Where's this coming from, babe? I thought you wanted this."

"I..." Persephone didn't know what to say. She didn't want to disappoint her friend. "I'm glad you got me to give it a try," she said, "but it's just... not for me."

"Maybe you just need a little time to get used to it," Haisley suggested. "I mean, c'mon, cool, colored hair is for everyone, right? Can you honestly tell me you didn't want hair like this when you were a kid?"

"D-Did I?" Persephone muttered to herself. She didn't remember that at all.

Haisley made a tutting sound, and reached for her hourglass locket.

"Yes," Haisley told her, once Persephone had sunk into trance. "You did. You've always envied girls with dyed hair. You've always thought having dyed hair was the coolest."

The next thing Persephone knew, her head was full of fog, and she was left feeling like time had slipped away from her. "Um... what?" she groaned.

"I was just saying: take another look," Haisley said. "Are you sure you didn't want hair like this when you were a kid?"

Persephone faced her bathroom mirror again, and, this time, the sight of her new, sea-green hair filled her with nothing but bubbly euphoria. She looked just like some of the punk girl stars she remembered seeing on TV growing up. Holy shit. That was really her now! Why had she ever doubted that Haisley had made the right choice?

Clearly, Persephone decided, she'd just needed a moment to get over her shock. She turned her head this way and that, admiring her shimmering, colorful hair from all angles. Dyed hair was the best. She'd always thought so. It was such a silly preference to have ended up repressing, just to fit in with Austin. Frankly, Persephone couldn't believe she'd ever been reluctant. Haisley's hair was probably part of the reason Persephone had been so attracted to her in the first place.

"God, you're so right." A broad smile spread across Persephone's face. "This is so cool!"

"Right?" Haisley agreed, giggling.

"Just wait until people get a load of the new Persephone!" Persephone gave her friend an affectionate squeeze around her waist.

"Bee-tee-dubs," Haisley said, after a moment. "Have you ever thought about, like, using a nickname or something?"

"Huh." Once again, Persephone scrutinized her own reflection. "You know, maybe you're right. I'm not sure 'Persephone' really suits me anymore. Something a little shorter and snappier might be nice."

It was the kind of thing Persephone once would have sworn she'd never say. She'd always felt grateful for her name. It was classical and elegant, and everyone always told her how pretty it was. But... she was a different woman, now. Her tastes were changing. She found herself thinking a whole lot more about all the cool alt girls Haisley kept showing her on TikTok. Maybe she wanted to fit in with them, now, instead.

Persephone didn't just want to be pretty. She wanted to be cool.

"My thoughts exactly." Haisley looked incredibly pleased with herself.

"OK, well, how about you try calling me 'Penny,'" Persephone suggested.

Haisley tilted her head. "Isn't that a little... old-fashioned?"

Persephone didn't think so. She shrugged. "It's cute."

She looked like she wanted to argue, but instead, Haisley just reached up and flipped over the hourglass in her pendant.

"So, what name do you want to try out?" Haisley asked a few moments later, as Persephone clutched at her head for a moment.

"H-huh?" Persephone wasn't thinking about that at all. She was thinking that she needed to go and lie down. Maybe the strong smell of the hair dye was getting to her.

"Nicknames," Haisley reminded her. "You had something in mind?"

"Oh, right." Persephone was lucky she had Haisley here to keep her on track whenever she spaced out "I was thinking..."

What had it been? Penny? That was what people had always called her when she was a little girl. Somehow, though, Persephone found herself souring on the idea. It was way too old-fashioned for her liking. An instant later, a different name popped into her head, as if by magic.

"Sepphie!" she declared.

Haisley looked incredibly pleased. "Pleased to meet you, Sepphie!" she said, and kissed her.

Sepphie found herself returning the kiss before she even knew what was happening. Haisley's lips felt amazing. Once Haisley pulled back, though, Sepphie looked away.

"I... we can't," she said quietly. "Austin... I mean, I know, I'm a lesbian. But still, i-it wouldn't be right."

"Are you sure?" Haisley's voice was alive with passion, as she reached out and tilted Sepphie's head up to meet her gaze. "Not even once or twice? Not even when it's just us?"

Sepphie couldn't help but smile back at her, and clearly her smile was all the answer Haisley needed.

"Now," Haisley said, after another quick kiss. "About maybe getting a tattoo..."

***

Sepphie was buzzing with excitement. She was struggling not to move her body in rhythm with the emo pop-punk guitar chords that filled the tattoo parlor. The tattoo pen's needle hurt and itched as it scratched a pattern into her forearm, but Sepphie didn't mind the pain. It was a reminder that she was making her body her own again.

That was how Haisley had persuaded her to think of it, in the weeks since dyeing her hair. She was making her body her own. Embracing her own style, after years of trying pointlessly to conform. It felt good. It felt liberating. And this tattoo was the perfect way to celebrate her liberation.

"Alright, all done," her tattoo artist said. "Just keep this protective film on for at least twenty-four hours. OK?"

Sepphie nodded and grinned. She was finally able to lift her arm and inspect the finished design. It was a labrys symbol. The perfect way to advertise that she was a lesbian, and tired of hiding it.

"I love it!" Sepphie exclaimed. Haisley cheered too. She was sitting just across the shop, watching over her. The two of them went everywhere together now. It made sense - they were dating, after all.

"Great," the tattoo artist said. She was plainly a dyke, just like Haisley and Sepphie. She was exactly Sepphie's type, too: an alternative-looking punk with a leather vest, short, bleached hair, and plenty of tattoos herself. "Your girlfriend did amazing for a first-timer," she added, turning to Haisley. "She's a real good girl."

Sepphie couldn't help shivering at that.

"She sure is." Haisley stood up and walked over, grinning from ear to ear. "I can't get over how far you've come, babe. I wonder what your boyfriend is gonna say this time."

Sepphie just laughed. Austin wasn't much of a fan of tattoos, it was true, but Sepphie wasn't particularly inclined to care what he thought. It wasn't like their relationship was particularly serious.

"Boyfriend?" The tattoo artist did a double-take. "I thought you two were..."

"We are!" Sepphie said, giggling. "I just also have a boyfriend."

"For now," Haisley quipped, winking.

"Stop!" Sepphie said playfully, swatting at her girlfriend with her palm. Haisley was trying to get her to give up on guys altogether, but somehow Sepphie couldn't quite bring herself to dump Austin. He'd been her boyfriend for years, after all. They'd even talked about getting married at one point.

"Fine, fine," Haisley replied, rolling her eyes, before smiling again. "Anyway, wanna make a quick vid?"

"Of course!"

Sepphie plucked her phone out of her purse. She'd started a TikTok account a few weeks before, at Haisley's suggestion. It had turned out to be a great place to show off her new style, and she'd starting picking up hundreds of followers - most of them lesbians, just like her. They'd be sure to love her tattoo, not to mention the outfit she was wearing: a black mini dress, nice and low-cut, with a leather pentagram harness to frame her chest. With her phone raised at a high angle, pointing down at herself, Sepphie hit record. She bobbed her head to the music and flashed a quick peace sign, before extending her arm to show off her new ink. After a few moments, Haisley bent down to fit in frame, and Sepphie impulsively leaned over to make out with her.

A lesbian kiss was always good for content.

Once they broke off the passionate kiss, Sepphie noticed the way her tattoo artist was looking at her. "You wanna get in on this?" she asked, winking.

The tattoo artist bit her lip, smiling. "Sure, cutie."

She bent down on Sepphie's other side, and two of them made out. Sepphie loved the way her lip piercing felt. She'd have to add that to her shortlist of body mods. Maybe after septum piercing she was planning.

"There," Sepphie announced, satisfied, and hit 'stop' on her phone.

Making out with her girlfriend and her tattoo artist at the same time? That was content gold. Add the right song and a few captions, and it was sure to do numbers.

"Another banger, babe," Haisley said, kissing her cheek.

"Alright, we better get going." Sepphie rose to her feet and stretched. "It's getting late. I don't want Austin to get worried."

"Yeah... about that." Haisley glanced aside briefly to make sure that the tattoo artist was busy putting her equipment away. She lifted her hand to the locket around her neck. "I think it really is time for you to be done with him."

"Wha-"

Haisley flipped over the hourglass.

Immediately, Sepphie's thoughts froze in their tracks. She felt a strange kind of pull, like her sense of time was being stretched out into infinity. She was mindless. Helpless.

Helpless to resist, as Haisley erased her relationship with Austin using just a few well-chosen words.

"You wouldn't date a guy like Austin."

Sepphie blinked. Her eyes were, for some reason, drawn to Haisley's locket, even though the sands within the hourglass were now still. "Sorry, what were we talking about?"

"Austin," Haisley supplied. "Would you ever consider going out with him?"

Sepphie scoffed. "No way," she said, "I'm a lesbian, remember?"

Even as she said that, though, she was left with a sense of unease. Her own words made perfect sense. She was a lesbian. Why would she be dating a guy? But... wasn't Austin her boyfriend? That was a contradiction.

"Of course I remember," Haisley laughed. "I was just joking."

"Right," Sepphie said, but then frowned. "Hey, weird question, but... why does he live with us?"

"Don't you remember?" Haisley replied. "We needed someone to help split the rent."

"Oh. Yeah." Sepphie remembered that much, but still, something wasn't adding up. "But I thought... wasn't that-"

Haisley flipped over her magical hourglass.

"You remember it," Haisley told her. "Just like I said. There's nothing to worry about."

Once the sands stopped flowing and Sepphie's mind kicked back into gear, all her confusion started to recede. Right, of course. It was just as Haisley said. Austin was their roommate.

There was just one thing that was still bothering her.

"Hey," Sepphie said. "Hey, why does he sleep with me, in the master bedroom?"

"Let's take care of that once we get home," Haisley replied. "I think it's way past time for us to share a bed. We are getting married, after all."

"We... what?" Haisley's eyes went wide.

And then drooped, once Haisley turned over her hourglass once more, plunging her into another trance.

Once Sepphie came to, she saw the ring in Haisley's outstretched hand, and started tearing up with joy.

It was just what she'd always dreamed of

And she had absolutely no memory of Austin giving her that same ring.

***

Sepphie arched her back as she stretched out on her and Haisley's queen-sized bed. She loved showing herself off to her wife - especially now that there was so much more of her to show off. It had been about six weeks since her breast implants, and the bruising was finally nicely healed. It was truly incredible to think that, in just a few months, she'd become a completely new woman. She felt like she'd had sea-green hair and a labrys tattoo forever - to say nothing of the other tattoos she'd added since.

It was all thanks to Haisley.

Her wife's constant urging had opened up so many new experiences for her. The boob job had been by far the biggest step yet, but ultimately, Sepphie hadn't put up too much resistance. She'd always been a boob girl. She still remembered how much she'd stared at Sepphie's chest, when the two of them had first met. It was only natural that she'd want a bigger bust of her own. And besides, now sharing clothes was even easier. Sepphie couldn't wait to try out some of Haisley's sluttier outfits.

But tonight wasn't a night for reflection. Tonight was a night for enjoying her new assets.

And Haisley was making no secret of how appreciative she was feeling. Sepphie's wife was standing over her and staring at her with a look of unabashed lust on her face. She was naked, except for two things. One was her hourglass locket, the one she never, ever took off. And the other was the harness of her big, thick, hard strap-on.

Sepphie was staring at that just as lustfully.

"So, babe," Haisley said, licking her lips, "ready to get your cherry popped?"

Sepphie rolled her eyes. "I'm not a virgin, dork."

"Pfft. Until you've been fucked by a lesbian, have you really been fucked?"

Sepphie couldn't help but giggle at that. Her wife had a point. This did feel a little like a first time - her first time having real, authentic, lesbian sex, as a real, authentic lesbian. It was special, and she'd been looking forward to it. Haisley had been happy to take things slow. They'd made out, of course, and sometimes that escalated to some pretty heavy petting, but ultimately they'd been escalating their relationship at lightning speed, and sex hadn't really been a priority. Not compared to all the tattoos and body mods.

But now the time was right.

"Fine," Sepphie retorted. "Then you better not keep me waiting any longer."

She spread her legs apart, meeting Haisley's gaze as she exposed her naked, dripping cunt.

Looking at Haisley putting on her strap had gotten her hornier than she'd ever been in her life.