Fic rec: How the mouth changes its shape - breathedout

[peeveee.livejournal.com]

Title: How the mouth changes its shape
Author: breathedout
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John(nie) Watson
Length: 132,500
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Genderswap, brief depictions of sex between minors
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: 1955. Under the placid veneer of suburban playparks and middle-class conformity churns a hidden London: femmes and butches dancing close in basement bars; clandestine love between women. To Sherlock Holmes, struggling private detective and mistress of disguise, it’s a realm she renounced years before. To Johnnie Watson, daredevil ambulance driver turned auto mechanic, it’s become a little too familiar. But when someone is murdered in the washroom of the city’s most notorious lesbian club, the investigation will lead both women to reconsider their assumptions about themselves, each other, and the world in which they live.

Reccer's comments: When I last wrote a rec for this fic, it was only half way through and I was already in love with it. With the vividly painted 50's setting, with the enigmatic Sherlock, with fabulous, fabulous Johnnie. It starts with Sherlock feeling her way through school, and these chapters have to be some of my favourites. Sherlock is sharp, odd, and the explorations into her fumbling teenage sexuality with 'Vicky' Trevor are tenderly and realistically depicted. The way we follow her character as she develops from oddball young girl into a Sherlock we can recognise is wonderful, and I think my favourite scene in the whole fic is the moment Sherlock discovers her skills in disguise. Seeing that hint of canon Holmes is brilliant.
The 'meat' of the story begins with Sherlock and Johnnie becoming flatmates and beginning to investigate a murder at a local lesbian club, and the way that breathedout weaves mystery, romance, action and intrigue is just masterful. The blossoming feelings between Johnnie and Sherlock are perfectly realised inamongst thrilling action and adventure, and it's really just everything I could have wanted in a story. Immensely satisfying, full of emotion and heart, and rich with historical details and settings. Read this fic. You won't regret it!

Comments

[ancientreader]

I just want to add that this is the genderswap fic to read if, like me, you dislike, or even loathe, genderswap. I started it only because I love breathedout's other fics, but now it's probably in my top 5 in the fandom. And I still hate genderswap in general like whoa. So that's how good this is.

[swissmarg]

Oh dear, I think you (and peeveee) have convinced me to give this a try. I just can't wrap my head around the idea of either of them being female, but if you say so... ;)

[ancientreader]

Oh! You wrote "The Case of the Vanishing Pants"! I love that story.

I know what you mean about not being able to wrap your head around either of them being female -- I can't even bring myself to watch "Elementary," though lots of my friends seem to think well of it. HTMCIS really is something special, but then breathedout is a brilliant writer in having accomplished the feat of making J & S both believably female and believably themselves. Oh, and the mystery plot's good too! *gives you a nudge over to the AO3*

[bivouack.livejournal.com]

i seriously need to read this

[cherrysyllabub.livejournal.com]

This sounds great!! Thanks for the rec

[woldy]

I'm glad to see this recced, because it's such a fantastic story and deserves more comments :-)

[breathedout.livejournal.com]

Awww, thank you for the rec, Peevee! You are such a doll. <3