I liked your post outlining all the indications that they changed their plans for season 2 to shoehorn in more Kitty/Minho. I think the other thing that is missing in this season is Yuri’s family. They were such a big part of season 1, and it looked like they were setting up more for them in season 2, but suddenly Jina’s been written off the show. And there are clearly times when her character should have shown up — telling Kitty about Simon, apologizing to Yuri, Yuri moving back in with her mom — but now it all has to happen offscreen so we can get more time for Moon family drama.
Thank you so much! I’ve seen a lot of people praise Season 2’s development and I really can’t agree with that… the writing was overall less coherent and a lot of signs point to last minute changes.
Yuri’s family missing in Season 2 definitely deals a major blow. Jina’s absence was definitely felt, though I’m sure they would have brought her back if they were able. I wished we could have seen more about the different conflicts Yuri mentioned having with her parents.
Even without Yuri’s parents in the picture, there were still ways to incorporate her into the story, just like you said — but the writers simply didn’t seem interested. As for a kittyuri endgame, there is still a possibility, but I am not holding out hope. I think if they weren’t willing to dedicate time and care to writing their sapphic characters this season, I can’t trust that it will suddenly get better for future seasons. That so rarely happens.
Summary: Melinda and Phil complete jump training at the SHIELD Academy.
Prompt: “Love is like falling.”
A/N: This is my Philinda Secret Santa gift for @kitlee625 who has been gracious enough to wait for the second part to be published next week and yes, I stole the prompt for the title because it’s so good.
PART 1: THE BEGINNING
Jump training was one of the last, most advanced, and absolutely intense trainings offered at the Academy. It was not only physically exhausting, it also required sharp mental aptitude throughout the course. It was also extremely dangerous with people in the past suffering snapped ankles, broken femurs, and even death from various causes.
Not even US military special forces could match the accelerated pace that the SHIELD Academy ran at. In the military, it could take up to seven years for a solider to be approved for HALO training and then it was a 10-week course.
But SHIELD agents were forced to think and act quicker so the training at the Academy reflected that. SHIELD trainees were allowed to apply for jump training at the 3-year mark, with other requirements being meet, and the training course was only 4 weeks long.
Phil was determined to make it through the course and earn a more elite field agent status. Passing this training would qualify him for more advanced operations in the future and he would receive a little extra pay every month which was a nice bonus.
But those weren’t the only benefits of taking this advanced course. He would get to spend an extra 4 weeks training with the one and only Melinda May.
Melinda was insanely smart, incredibly tough, thoroughly dedicated, and stunning gorgeous. Plenty of men, and even some women, had tried to date her. These were some of the most popular, intelligent, and handsome or beautiful people in the Academy but Melinda had turned them all down. Phil would give his left hand for her to look at him as something more than a friend.
But how did he stand a chance as someone that been solely recruited because he had come to close to discovering SHIELD’s secrets? He didn’t and he knew it so he had settled comfortably into being her friend.
It was similar to the game of basketball for him. He knew he wasn’t the tallest, fastest, or most skilled but he loved the game and wouldn’t stop playing just because he wasn’t the best.
Yes, loving Melinda May was just like the game of basketball.
PART 2: THE FUN JUMP
BRIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY MORNING...
While Melinda May was excited to start jump training, Phil on the other hand...maybe he had too much coffee that morning, maybe he was coming to the conclusion that he didn’t want to jump out of a perfectly functioning airplane, maybe he didn’t want to finish training and be shoved out into the real world?
Whatever the real reason behind his nervousness, he pushed it to the side because he was excited to train with Melinda and earn that elite status.
Just as he was settling down and sharing a smile with Melinda, the instructor walked in to begin the class.
“Listen up trainees,” the instructor said loudly to the 50 person class. “Today is just a one-time fun jump. That means we’ll do 30 minutes of training on the ground and then everyone will go up with an instructor. You’ll get a 45 to 60 second freefall with a 4 minute canopy ride. After that, you get to decided to show up Monday for the actual training or not.” The instructor paused to make sure the class had understood his instructions.
“Good. We’re going to split up into groups of 5 to match-up instructors and equipment. You first 5 here go to Classroom A, you second 5 go to Classroom B….” and so on went the instructor until Melinda and Phil ended up in Classroom D.
There were already 5 instructors waiting for them in Classroom D. Everyone was matched up with instructors based on weight, equipment was handed out, and the jump instructions went by quickly.
The next thing Phil knew, he and Melinda were lined up outside and waiting to climb aboard a twin-engine prop plane that would carry the 5 trainees and the 5 instructors to an altitude of 10,000 feet.
His palms were sweating like crazy while they stood in line but Melinda had a smile from ear to ear on her face which calmed his inner turmoil. One thing he had learned over his years at the Academy was that no matter how unsettled he felt inside, he was able to do things with an amazing capacity. The Academy had brought out the best in him.
Due to being assigned a higher letter in the alphabet, they were the 4th group of trainees to go up. The airplane was cold and with doors open his body temperature began to cool but his palms never stopped sweating and the smile never left Melinda’s face. The ride up was bumpy but he felt himself become enthusiastic with every passing second. He couldn’t hear anything over the engines and the ascent was rapid.
Suddenly they leveled out and Phil could see out the window as the plane circle the airstrip waiting for the air to clear for the jumpers.
The green light in the cabin lit up signally it was time to jump. The instructors stood up one by one and he saw his fellow trainees launch out of the plane. Melinda was the first to go and he was the last.
He was sweating all over now but excited. He and the instructor walked up to the door. He placed his hands on the door. He heard the instructor yell “ONE, TWO, THREE!”
He jumped out! He was out of the plane! He was freefalling!
“Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!” He thought to himself. “THIS IS AMAZING!”
Phil was the one with the giant smile on his face now. The feeling of falling was incredible. It was freeing. He wanted to do this again and again.
All too soon for his liking the instructor signalled that it was time to pull the ripcord. The force of the chute opening pulled them back slightly.
“So how’d you like it kid?” The instructor asked.
“How do I do that every day?” Phil asked with joy.
The instructor just laughed and laughed while Phil couldn’t stop the smile from forming on his face once again.
Eventually they landed in the soft grass of the field next to the airstrip. The instructor released him from the harness and they both packed up the chute.
Across the field he saw Melinda walk towards the hangar with her instructor. Even from this distance, he could see that delight on her face. He was happy that the jump had went well for her. He knew how much this meant to her as well and he had momentarily worried that she would hate the experience.
Eventually, he caught up with her in the hangar as she was turning in her equipment.
“Hey,” he said as he saddled up next to her at the equipment table.
“Hey yourself,” she said with cheer. “How did you do? Did you like it? You seemed nervous this morning so I was sure how you would like it.”
“It was...amazing,” he said with a pause for effect. “I think I sweated through my shirt but I can’t wait to do it again. You?”
“That was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. I had the biggest adrenaline rush ever,” she said. “We have the rest of the afternoon off, want to grab a bite to eat?”
“That sounds like a great idea,” he said and they headed off to the dorm cafeteria.
After eating lunch, they grabbed an ice cream cone and headed outside to eat it in the early Spring sun.
“Any plans for the weekend?” he asked as he licked at the cone.
“Yeah, my mom is coming into town tonight to see me before the training gets insane. She said something about seeing me in case something were to happen,” Melinda said before taking a long swipe of the ice cream.
“That’s nice of her,” he answered with politeness.
“Phil, you’ve meet my mom. You don’t have to say that,” she said with a roll of her eyes. She loved her mom but she could drive her up a wall.
“I know,” he said with a snort and a chomp to finish off the ice cream cone. “Thanks for lunch but I don’t think I’ll stick around to hang out with your mom. See you Monday?”
“Yeah. Bright and early again,” she said finishing up her cone as Phil wandered off to his own dorm.
the first character i ever fell in love with: Rory
a character that i used to love/like, but now do not: Dean
a ship that i used to love/like, but now do not: Rory/Dean. Dean was the boyfriend of my dreams when I was fifteen. Then I grew up and realized how possessive and creepy he is. Also him cheating on his wife was disgusting.
my ultimate favorite character™: not sure... maybe Lorelei or Luke
prettiest character: Lorelei
my most hated character: Logan and his friends. I can’t even tell them apart.
my OTP: Luke/Lorelei
my NOTP: Lorelei/Christopher, Rory/Dean, Rory/Logan
favorite episode: “Nick and Nora/Sid and Nancy”
saddest death: Richard
favorite season: Season 2
least favorite season: Season 5
character that everyone else in the fandom loves, but i hate: Logan and the rest of the Life and Death Brigade.
my ‘you’re piece of trash, but you’re still a fave’ fave: Rory. It used to be Jess but he’s not trash anymore.
my ‘beautiful cinnamon roll who deserves better than this’ fave:
my ‘this ship is wrong, nasty, and makes me want to cleanse my soul, but i still love it’ ship: none
my ‘they’re kind of cute, and i lowkey ship them, but i’m not too invested’ ship: Lane/Zach, Paris/Doyle
This was written for @kitlee625 for the Philinda Secret Summer. The prompt was “The Way We Are” by Fleming and John. I hope you like it, twin!
I didn’t have time to write the whole thing, so I’m posting the first section now, and I’ll get the rest written soon.
This takes place before and during Season 1.
“Agent May.”
May tries not to betray her surprise at seeing Maria Hill at her desk. Her eyebrows raise slightly. “Deputy Director Hill.”
“I need to speak to you about a special mission.”
May had suspected as much as soon as she saw Hill. “I’m retired from field duty.”
Hill turns to May’s supervisor, who is hovering nearby. “Is there someplace we can speak privately?”
He nods eagerly. “Please, use my office.”
Once they are alone, Hill’s formal attitude softens. “So how have you been doing, Melinda?”
May folds her arms across her chest. “Enjoying retirement.”
Hill rolls her eyes. “Well we need you to go back into the field.”
“Find someone else.”
“There’s no one else.”
Now it is May’s turn to roll her eyes. She is used to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s dramatics. She may have been a great specialist, but she is hardly the only one. She knows Hill isn’t the kind of person to give up easily, but she is sure that eventually Hill will give up and choose someone else. But Hill’s next words surprise her.
“I assume you heard what happened to Coulson on the Helicarrier before the Battle of New York.”
May does not respond. It has been many months, but just hearing his name makes her chest ache.
“Coulson is alive.”
For a moment May feels as though she cannot breathe. “That’s impossible,” she finally says.
Hill’s mouth twitches in grim amusement. “I said the same thing when Fury told me.”
“But the report --”
“Coulson was dead. But Fury had a team bring him back.”
May feels like she cannot really take in everything Hill is saying. “Bring him back? How?”
“I can’t tell you that.” May glares at Hill, but Hill is unphased. “All I can tell you is that he’s not out of the woods yet. There’s a risk of complications. He could relapse.”
“Relapse?” It takes a moment for the word to sink in. ”You mean die?”
“He’s being carefully monitored, and so far he’s fine. But he wants to go out into the field again, and we can’t let him go alone.”
“So you want me to be a glorified babysitter.”
“Some of the past patients had violent reactions to the treatment. They became psychotic.”
May feels sick. “You don’t want a babysitter, you want an executioner.”
“Fury and I chose you because you and Coulson have a history. We know how close you two are. We trust you to look out for him. And if things go south, we trust you to handle it.”
May takes a few deep breaths. Part of her wants to tell Hill to fuck off, that she cannot be expected to kill one of her oldest friends. But if she says no, Fury and Hill will just find another specialist to do it. She does not want Coulson to go out in the world with some trigger-happy rookie who will put him down at the first sign of trouble.
“You can’t send us out alone. We need a team.”
Hill raises her eyebrows. “We?”
“A doctor. Another specialist to back me up.”
“You could use an engineer too, in case Coulson needs reprogramming.”
Hill’s use of the word reprogramming sends a chill through May. “What did you do to him?”
Hill ignores her. “I’ll start putting together candidates. You’ll be in charge of selecting them.”
May nods. “Does Coulson know about this?”
“No. We’re going to let him think that he assembled this team. But you’ll be in charge, and you’ll report directly to Fury.”
It should not be easy to convince Coulson of that. He has wanted his own team for a long time. He and May used to talk about leading something like this back when they were just starting out in S.H.I.E.L.D. But now that dream is coming true, and May feels sick about it.
