knickynoo

[knickynoo]

So sorry to bring this up but I forgot Summer of '82 existed until it came up in my rewatch and I think I'm going to throw up I forgot just how messed up it was like I had genuinely purged it from my memory apparently

Summer of '82 my beloathed. That one simply does not exist, I've decided. Horrible episode!!!! Mad about it every time I remember it or accidentally come upon it on TV.

[knickynoo]

McFly July day 31: Pepsi Free (free day)

Lone Pine timeline, post-trilogy

It hadn’t exactly been Marty’s intention to spend his Friday night third-wheeling his parents’ date night; it had just sort of happened. Paul canceled their band practice on account of a cold, Jen was busy with a babysitting gig, and he hadn’t felt like making the trip out to Doc and Clara’s place. So, he’d planted himself in front of the TV, resigned to an evening in couch-potato mode, and asked his parents to bring him back something from the restaurant.

Instead, they’d invited him to come along.

“Oh, come on, it’ll be fun,” his mother had said. “And besides, Dad and I have hardly seen you all week.”

That was true.

So, here he was, sitting in a booth sipping soda and shoveling cheesecake into his mouth while his parents share inside jokes and laugh like a couple of teenagers.

He should probably be embarrassed, he figures. Sink down into the booth to hide, lest someone he knows from school spot him hanging out with his mom and dad on a Friday night.

But he just can’t muster up the shame. Can’t tear his gaze from their smiling faces or tune out their lighthearted banter.

Marty sits back against the booth’s cushion. Watches their hands brush as they both reach for the same dessert fork.

A warm sensation settles inside his chest.

“Well, aren’t you glad to be spending a night with your folks?” his father teases.

A smile. “Yeah. Yeah, I am.”

[knickynoo]

McFly July day 30: "I'm afraid you've underestimated me, Mister."

Lone Pine timeline, post-trilogy

Marty jogs up the long, gravel path to the Brown home, bounding up the steps and letting himself in with his key. He swings the door open and stands there a moment, waiting for Verne to catapult into his waiting arms or for Einie to bowl him over in greeting.

But it’s quiet.

Suspiciously so.

“Doc?” he calls, stepping further inside. “Clara?”

His eyebrows furrow, hands on his hips as he processes the entire family’s apparent absence. Had they all gone on a trip somewhere? Today was Saturday, right? Doc had told him they’d be free today—to come by and hang out.

Had he gotten the day wrong? Completely misheard?

That did happen sometimes.

Laughter, distant but startling in the otherwise quiet house, makes Marty jump. The confusion lifts then, and he follows the sounds deeper into the house and straight to the basement door. So, he hadn’t been abandoned or come on the wrong day; everyone was downstairs making use of the newly finished rec room.

Excitement buzzing in his body—Verne said they would have arcade games!—Marty bounces down the stairs to join everyone. The boys cheer happily. Einstein trots over and weaves through his legs.

Doc and Clara are standing at the pool table, cues in hand, and opposing emotions on their faces.

“Hello, Marty!” Clara says with a warm smile.

Doc’s eyes flick over briefly, then snap back to the table, nothing more than a grunt leaving his lips.

Marty’s not insulted. He’s seen Doc in this type of bubble of intense concentration before, though only when he was in the midst of some challenging project. Something so complex and confusing that all he could do was retreat inward as he attempted to sort it out.

Clara, by contrast, is wearing a light expression—a slight smirk hidden beneath it as if someone had told a joke she’s trying not to laugh at.

Doc leans down closer, at eye level with the tabletop as he surveys the arrangement of billiard balls, muttering under his breath words that Marty can’t make out. Then, he straightens up. Drops his shoulders and hangs his head.

“Doc, are you…okay?” Marty asks.

With a sigh emitted from deep inside his chest, Doc turns to face him.

“Marty, I’ve married a pool shark.”

[knickynoo]

McFly July day 29: Kissing My Brother

Lone Pine timeline

“Honey, sometimes two people just don’t click,” Lorraine tells her sulking daughter as she places two mugs of cocoa on the table.

Linda stares somberly at the mini marshmallows floating in the drink. Heaves a heavy sigh. “I really liked him. Or, at least I thought I did.”

“It’s disappointing, but it happens. The way I see it, it just means you aren’t meant to be.”

“You think so?”

Lorraine reaches out and covers Linda’s hand with her own, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I do. And it’s much better that you discover it isn’t going to work earlier rather than later.”

With a sniff, Linda asks, “Yeah, but how can you tell for sure whether or not it’ll work?”

For a few moments, Lorraine sits with the question, pondering how to respond to something that had such a complex answer. She frowns.

“I don’t know that there’s a set formula for determining that,” she says carefully. “Sometimes it takes a while to know. Other times, it’s obvious.”

“Like with you and Dad? I mean, you knew that night at the dance.” Linda laughs through her tears. “And he wasn’t even your date!”

Lorraine’s laughter joins her daughter’s as she recalls the night she’s recounted time and time again to her children. Evidently, the story had stuck.

“Well, the way Dad and I got together wasn’t exactly typical of a relationship, I’d guess,” she tells Linda. “Though I did also experience a little of what you’re now going through that same night.”

“With Cameron.”

“Calvin. Well, Marty, actually,” Lorraine corrects. “One was a middle name, I think. I don’t actually know.” A smile comes to her face. “I was so happy to go to the dance with him; he was so interesting. So…different than any other boy I’d known.”

Linda snorts. “Sounds like a nice way of saying he was weird.”

“No, no. He—well, I suppose looking back, yes,” Lorraine admits. “Not weird in a bad way. He was a nice guy, but—” She searches hard for the right words to describe that strange, exciting boy but comes up empty. She shrugs. “We absolutely were not meant to be. It was very clear that night at the dance.”

Silence settles around them until Linda’s soft voice breaks it.

“I guess you’re right about Matt and I not being meant to be either. Just stinks.”

“I know, sweetheart. But there’s someone even better out there for you. You two will find each other when the time is right.”

Together, they drink their cocoa, calm finally settling in to replace the sadness that had previously dominated the room.

Lorraine’s thoughts linger on that fateful night in 1955.

“You know, I haven’t thought about Calvin in a while; I should ask Doctor Brown. I hope he’s doing well. I wonder if he ever married.”

“Found himself another weirdo?”

“Linda!” Lorraine scolds, though she can’t help the involuntary laugh that accompanies it.

Calvin “Marty” Klein was one weird guy.

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McFly July day 28: wake-up juice

Lone Pine timeline, pre-trilogy. Marty's around 13 or 14.

“Hey, champ, how'd the studying go last night?” Dave asks, joining his brother at the table.

Marty looks up from his algebra textbook, the dark circles under his eyes providing all the answer Dave needs.

“I was up until almost three.”

Dave winces. “You feel any more confident than yesterday, though?”

“Well, kind of. Except now I’m exhausted. I don’t even know if I’ll make it to second period.” Marty rubs at his eyes, then runs his fingers through his already unruly hair.

The sight is so sad and pathetic that Dave feels he has to do something. And while he can’t help any of the information stick in Marty’s head, he might at least be able to help his little brother stay alert enough to make it through the morning.

“Hang on,” he says, hopping up from his chair and heading into the kitchen. He gets a pot of coffee brewing, deciding now’s a perfect time for Marty to have his first cup of joe.

Marty makes a face when the mug is set in front of him.

“Oh, stop; it’s not even black coffee. I loaded it up with milk and sugar for you.” He pushes the mug closer. “It’ll perk you up.”

“Mom said I’m not allowed to drink coffee until—”

“Mom is still in bed,” Dave says in a hurried whisper. “But she’ll be getting up soon, so I suggest you down this thing before she does.”

Marty eyes the textbook, then the mug. He takes a hesitant sip, the grimace on his face fading once he realizes it isn’t bitter. Dave smiles and claps Marty on the back. “Welcome to the world of coffee. Let me go shower and get ready, then I’ll give you a lift to school.”

When Dave returns twenty minutes later, he’s stopped in his tracks at the sight of Marty out cold at the table, his algebra book now a pillow.

Well, that wasn’t supposed to happen.

The sound of footsteps makes Dave turn, and he steps aside to let his mother pass.

“Morning, honey. How—oh!” Lorraine hurries past him and over to Marty, looking both frantic and confused as she shakes him awake.

“It didn’t work,” a groggy Marty tells him, pointing an accusatory finger at the empty mug.

Dave frowns. He was wrong about the coffee, apparently, but he’s pretty sure about one thing.

Marty is going to flunk that test.

[knickynoo]

McFly July day 27: Inheritance

Lone Pine timeline: happily (recently) married Jen and Marty. I'm using the word "inheritance" loosely. Doc is very much still alive.

“Martin Seamus McFly, you are not putting that swordfish on our living room wall.”

Yikes, the full name.  She's serious.

Marty turns toward his wife, cradling the large fish awkwardly in his arms. “Actually, Jen, it’s a marlin.”

The response does nothing to sway her.

He doesn’t even try to keep the whine out of his voice. “Aw, come on. It’s a housewarming gift from Doc.”

“He and Clara gave us a wonderful gift that was most certainly not a giant fish.”

“Yeah, well, this is an additional gift. And he adds a little fun to the room, don’t you think?”

Jennifer stares at the big, stupid fish, then at Marty—his eyes so full of pleading that she has to relent.

But not fully.

“Maybe he can add a little fun to the den instead.”

---------------

This entry inspired by the marlin (that I originally thought was a swordfish) that's originally on the wall of Doc's garage and then ends up in Marty and Jen's 2015 house.

[knickynoo]

McFly July day 26: Biff's Garage

Lone Pine timeline: somewhere in the weeks after Marty's return to 1985.

It's weird—Biff being so enmeshed into his family’s lives, but in such a different way than before. What was even weirder was the fact that Biff seemed to think of him like a buddy.

Marty sits stiffly on a stool in Biff’s garage, watching the man work on the scratch on the door of his truck with all the concentration of a surgeon.

“Yeah, you won't even be able to tell there was anything there after I’m done.”

He barely registers the words, pulled fully from his thoughts only when Biff speaks again, a little more loudly.

“They coulda at least left a note or somethin’. I mean, who scratches someone’s car and then just takes off? Inconsiderate. But don’t you worry, Marty.”

 “Oh, uh, yeah. Thanks, Biff.”

Biff completes the rest of the procedure in silence.

When he’s done, Marty’s surprised to see that Biff was right; he really can’t tell there was ever a scratch there. His ‘thank you’ is met with a big, goofy grin.

“Of course! Anytime, Marty.”

From the way Biff wrings his hands together, Marty guesses he has something else to say. He waits.

“You know, you been quiet lately.”

Marty raises an eyebrow.

“I mean, not trying to pry into your business,” he continues in a hurry. “But, well…you can always talk to me if you want. We got a history, you and I.”

Marty almost laughs.

If only Biff knew.

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McFly July day 25: Rooftop View

Lone Pine timeline, post-trilogy.

“Marty, needle nose pliers,” Doc says, the tone to his voice and way he's snapping his fingers letting Marty know that it’s not a first attempt at requesting the tool.

Marty snaps his focus back into place—back to Doc’s lab in a specially built barn on his property—and quickly searches for the pliers.

“Pliers,” he mutters, hand hovering above the nearby box of tools. “Needle nose?”

“Yes. Needle nose.”

When it’s finally handed over, Marty finds himself on the receiving end of a concerned look etched onto Doc’s face. “Oh, uh, you need something else, Doc?” he asks, wondering if perhaps he’d missed a prior instruction as well.

Doc shakes his head. “No, no. Thank you.” He returns to his project, leaning in close to bend a piece of wire inside the contraption.

Marty honestly isn’t even sure what they’re building. Maybe Doc had told him at some point earlier.

“You alright, Marty? You’re very distracted. More so than is typical.”

“Sorry.”

“No apology needed,” Doc tells him, giving the pliers one last turn before sitting back in his seat. “Just wondering what’s on your mind.”

And with that, Marty feels his thoughts being pulled back—wrapped back up in the remnants of last night’s nightmare.

He’d found himself back in the alternate 1985 created when Biff got his hands on the almanac. Back on the roof of the casino-hotel.

The long, terrifying look down to the asphalt below. The gun pointed at him by an enraged Biff, forcing him close to the edge. His step up onto the ledge and then out into open air.

Only, in the dream, Doc never showed up, and he’d jolted awake just before hitting the ground—the sensation of free-falling still in his stomach.

The dream had stayed with him all through the day.

So had the question he’d never asked.

“You know that night in ‘85A? Up on the roof?” Marty asks. “How’d you do it? How’d you know to be there right at that moment?”

Doc’s face drains of color.

--------------

This prompt entry brought to you by that one theory that claims Doc's sudden appearance to catch Marty when he stepped off the roof wasn't the first time that scene had played out, and that Doc wasn't there the first time around. Which kind of makes sense given the fact that Marty ended up on the roof as a result of being chased, so it's not like he and Doc could have planned to meet there. Not sure if I think the theory is accurate or anything, but it sure is fun to explore.

[knickynoo]

McFly July day 24: Broadway Musical

Lone Pine timeline: inspired by a line in my fic "Always, Forever" where Marty gains a memory of being in the school play.

“You’re both coming?”

“Of course,” Lorraine says, looking to her husband, who gives an enthusiastic nod. “Dad and I wouldn’t miss it. You’ve been practicing so hard.”

Marty shifts his schoolbooks under his arm, gaze swinging between his parents. “Yeah, but…well, you know it’s just a small part. I only have a few lines.”

“And we’ll be there to hear you say them.”

He can’t help the smile that works its way onto his face. His parents were usually supportive, but even Marty hadn’t expected such an enthusiastic response when he’d casually mentioned the upcoming school play a few weeks ago.

“Hey, why don’t you go grab the script?” George suggests, reaching for his glasses on the table. “We’ll run your lines. And we can practice that one song, too. The one at the end.”

At this point, Marty's practiced it enough at school that it feels permanently etched into his brain.

“Dad, it’s a fourth-grade play, not Broadway.”

George directs a furrowed brow his wife’s way. “It’s not—honey, did you hear that? It’s not Broadway. We better cancel those plane tickets.”

Marty rolls his eyes. “I’ll go get the script.”

[knickynoo]

McFly July day 23: Movie Poster

Twin Pines timeline (but could be either, I suppose) June 1984.

Inspired by Doc's gremlins notepad that can be spotted in the parking lot scene and my resulting headcanon that Doc and Marty saw the movie together.

“Okay, I think it’s about time I call it quits,” Doc says, letting the wrench in his hand clatter to the tabletop.

Marty, sitting upside down—legs thrown over the back of the couch and head hanging off the cushion—directs an incredulous look Doc’s way. “You’re giving up?”

“Perhaps quit was the wrong word. I have every intention of seeing this project through, but at a later date, when I’m not quite so frustrated. It’s good to step away from things sometimes. Take a breather and return to it with fresh eyes.”

“Sounds good to me. I’m just sorry I couldn’t help.”

“You helped plenty. I would’ve hit this wall much sooner if not for your assistance all this week.” Doc goes to the couch and waves a hand in Marty’s direction. “Sit up; all the blood is rushing to your head.”

“It helps me think.”

“Yes, well, I’m giving the rare suggestion that we stop thinking for now.”

“Whoa.” Marty rights himself on the couch, bracing himself against the slight dizziness that comes with the sudden change in position. Once it passes, his eyes sweep the garage. It was difficult not to think in a place like this. “So, what do we do?”

Doc taps his foot, arms crossed and a stumped look on his face. “Well, for one, I think we need to get out of this garage. Any ideas?”

“Movie? That’s a good way to shut your brain off for a little. We could see that new one, ‘Gremlins.’”

Doc makes a face. “What’s it about?”

“I dunno. Some little monster things?” He pushes himself to his feet and nods his head toward the door. “Come on. If it sucks, we’ll just leave. And maybe you’ll love it.”

“Oh, alright,” Doc relents. “If anything, it’s an excuse to sit and eat candy and popcorn for an hour and a half.”

“That’s the spirit.”

[knickynoo]

McFly July: Broadway Musical

Emmett was fourteen when he sang his first true solo. That was also when he first met his personal chorus. 

Everyone had a certain quirk when they sang. Being able to summon backups was not unheard of, but certainly surprising. 

Emmett didn’t mind the girls, they were nice and fit well with his voice. His father wasn’t quite as pleased.

“No son of mine will be summoning singers willy-nilly!”

“But father-”

“How are you supposed to work on classified cases? They show up and it becomes an illegal matter!”

“...Maybe law isn’t the best pursuit…”

“What did you just say?”

----

Based on this post

[knickynoo]

hey! i've recently started getting into the bttf fandom! i've loved the trilogy for years but i'm just trying to explore the franchise further! i've already watched the telltale game and read some fanfic, but i'm a bit intimidated by comics... do you have any advice on where to start? where can i read them? which ones do you think are the most worth reading?

Welcome to the fandom! Honestly, it's such a great one to be in because, for a movie that's 40 years old, we keep getting new stuff! Shirts, collectibles, books, (possibly a new video game). It's amazing.

The IDW comics are great and definitely worth checking out, but they're unfortunately super difficult to find now! Four or so years ago, I was able to buy all the comic collections easily through Amazon, but now the prices are outrageous. I guess they're out of print?? So, I can't really help there, sadly, except I do know some of the library apps like Hoopla and Libby have digital versions of the comics. You could check there!

Futurepedia has the order of all the comics. In particular, I enjoy the "Untold Tales and Alternate Timelines" collection, as well as "Biff to the Future." "Who is Marty McFly?" is also a pretty good one. Hope you can find them!

Thanks for the ask!

[knickynoo]

McFly July day 22: Vanity Plate

Lone Pine timeline, sometime in early 1986

Marty, Paul, and Bobby all gather around at Lee’s garage, anxiously awaiting the reveal of his new (used) car. As the door opens, Lee waves his hands toward the vehicle in a flourish—a blue ’78 Chevy Nova. Perfect condition.

“Ta-da!”

The group responds in a chorus of “oohs” and “ahhs.”

“She’s gorgeous,” Bobby says, stepping forward to set a hand on the hood.

“Yeah,”—Lee slaps his hand away—“and I intend to keep her like that.” He nods his head toward the car. “None of you noticed the plate yet?”

All at once, their eyes drop down to look at the license plate.

“Pinhead,” Paul reads through a chuckle.

“I wanted ‘Pinheads’, but it was one letter too many.”

Marty stares at the plate, raising one finger at a time as he counts each letter. Yep. Seven.

But what about—?

“Can we go for a spin?” Bobby asks, bouncing on his heels like a kid at Christmas.

Lee pulls the keys from his pocket. “You bet. And hey, we can actually all fit in here. Unlike someone’s vehicle.”

They all look at Marty, who rolls his eyes. “Alright, good luck to you guys next time we need all our equipment hauled somewhere. I’ll take my guitar in the truck, and you can cram everything else in the Nova here with Mr. Pinhead.”

“Hey, you know something?” Paul studies the vanity plate again. “It’s fitting for you, Lee. You do drive like a pinhead.”

Lee huffs. “Do you idiots want to go for a ride or not?”

[knickynoo]

McFly July Day 23: “Don’t Nobody Go Nowhere”

As a tribute to the fabulous Marvin Berry and the Starlighters, (PS Starlighters is SUCH a dreamy band name) I present Blueberry Blondie Stars:

Blue for their awesome jackets, berries for Marvin Berry (and his cousin Chuck!), and star shapes for the Starlighters!

These turned out really yummy- kind of like soft sugar cookies with a hint of blueberry. Since I will definitely be making these again, I’m going to try to figure out how to make the blueberry flavor come out more without compromising the chemistry of the final product!

[knickynoo]

First of all, love these.

And second of all, how is it that the board for Marty is just now making me realize that one picture of MJF is him recreating the "Born in the USA" album picture??

" nah, i just don't think i'm cut out for music... "

" but you're good, marty. you're really good, and this audition tape of yours is great. you've gotta send it in to the record company. it's like doc's always saying- "

" yeah, i know. i know. 'if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything...' "

alright so here another pair of moodboards !! this time was a little bit harder to find pics i'd associate with both marty and the two of them together... but in the end, it turned out very good (^_^) ik both dirty dancing and la bamba weren't released until 1987 but i honestly couldn't give less of a fuck about it. marty is definitely a ritchie valens fan and he would be one of the very first ppl to show up at the premiere of the movie. and jennifer would probably be there with him as well-

well next ppl to get their moodboards will be lorraine and george!! i already have a lorraine pinterest board so ig i'm just gonna have to create a george one and a lorraine x george next lol

anyway, hope you enjoyed these!! <333 see ya next time :D

[knickynoo]

Hi, it's the Frighteners anon from earlier this summer. Have you ever thought about watching the movie again and creating fanfic for it? I just feel like it's such a deep well to draw from in terms of character development and analysis, the overall lore of the world that these characters inhabit, and the love story between Frank and Lucy (my personal favorite ship with a MJF character where the female love interest isn't played by Tracy, but Marty/Jennifer are a VEERY close second).

Hello, Frighteners anon! Hmm, I actually haven't thought about that! My memories of the movie are really fuzzy, so revisiting it would probably be more like seeing it for the first time.

I can't promise anything, but if I watch it again, I'll most likely make a post of thoughts about it.

Thanks for the ask!

[knickynoo]

McFly July day 21: A Different Jennifer

This one might require a little more context than my other chapters lol: 1985A timeline, in which Dave is involved with the resistance group against Biff and has been run out of town by him. He's still involved in the group, though, just...secretly. This takes place somewhere in 1985. (If you've read the "Biff to the Future" comics, the storyline of him getting caught & banished is in there. I do not consider the BTTF II deleted scene where Dave is an alcoholic roaming the streets to be canon. <3)

Also, if you were reading my fic "A House of Cards," following Marty in the 85A timeline, consider this a little snippet that can fit nicely into that story. I promise I will eventually return to updating it once McFly July is done!

----------------

Dave blinks in the dim lighting of the convenience store’s hidden back room, wondering if his eyes are playing tricks on him. He hadn’t been given much info on who the contact was—just that they’d be waiting here at this exact time with a note for him to deliver to everyone else in the resistance group. He’s done dozens of these meetings before.

Never found himself face to face with a young girl, though. Probably no older than Marty.

He pauses, looking around in case he’s missing someone else. The actual contact, who, for some reason, had decided to bring her along.

She steps forward, the serious expression on her face telling him that no, it’s just her. And she means business.

“Dave,” she says, more as a statement than a question. She knows who he is; anyone who works with the group does.

What’s confusing, though, is that he can’t seem to place her. Never seen her at the meetings. Someone from out of town, or state, maybe? They were a fairly large group now—reaching far outside of Hill Valley to the surrounding, often less affected—areas. Since his own banishment from Hill Valley nearly two years ago, he’s gotten to know a lot of the people involved elsewhere and was generally good with faces.

Seeming to sense his wondering, the girl offers her name.

“Jennifer.”

“Jennifer,” Dave repeats, the wheels beginning to spin in his head, putting the name and face together.

He does recognize her. But from years ago—before her family had packed up and fled.

“Danny Parker’s kid?”

“Yeah. But I’m not a kid.”

“Too young to be involved in all this stuff.”

Jennifer crosses her arms, head tilted at him. “When’d you start getting involved?”

Good point.

He smirks.

Satisfied that she’d shut him up, she takes off her watch, removing the fake back to it and retrieving a tiny, folded piece of paper. She places it carefully into his waiting palm.

The note is like all the others he picks up. Written in a code only certain people deep in the movement can decipher. He looks it over a few times, committing it to memory.

“Can you read it?” he asks.

“Nope. I just deliver it.”

That was good. If she ever got caught, it’s better to not have actual information to let slip.

He hopes she doesn’t get caught. She really is just a kid.

“Maybe this should be the last one you deliver,” Dave tells her before he has a chance to reconsider the words. “This is dangerous stuff.”

She raises an eyebrow. “I know.”

They stare at each other. In these meetings, it was ideal to just exchange the info and split. Besides, he has his own stop to make next, passing the note along to the next person in the chain.

“Well, just be careful, Jennifer. Be really, really careful.” He sticks his hand out, taking hers in a firm shake. “And thank you.”

“You’re welcome. You be careful, too.”

He’s nearly to the door when she calls his attention back.

“Dave? How’s Marty?”

The question sets an ache in Dave’s chest. These days, his time with Marty was fleeting—often just minutes at a time and months between visits. He hasn’t seen Marty in a while.

Banishment will do that to a guy.

“He’s okay,” comes Dave’s reply, mostly because he hopes it’s true.

Jennifer’s face softens, relief smoothing out her furrowed eyebrows.  

“Will you tell him I said hi? Next time you see him?”

Dave nods. “I will. Promise.”