How am I an author?? Who let this happen?

19, she/her, a touch of the 'tism, perpetually exhausted peacock

[the-gay-goblin]

Only day you can reblog this

[roseverdict]

this has been scheduled since last month

[archaicfirehydrants]

today

[what-day-of-the-week]

All the days you can reblog this for the next 10 years:

November 26 2023

May 26 2024

January 26 2025

October 26 2025

April 26 2026

July 26 2026

September 26 2027

December 26 2027

March 26 2028

November 26 2028

August 26 2029

May 26 2030

January 26 2031

October 26 2031

September 26 2032

December 26 2032

June 26 2033

[hymnism]

making a collection

[putridghost]

Wait I have more

[acemingo]

[perpetuallyexhaustedpeacock]

McFly July Day 25: Doc's Revolver

technically i think this is a continuation of. like. day 14? and also day 21?? anyway they're on a train and i am so tired (as per usual lets be honest)

Ever since a boy in a life preserver had nearly broken down their door claiming to be from the future, Lizzy's life had devolved into a series of rapid-paced, continuous, unending shenanigans. What this meant was that her capacity for capital-N Nonsense was probably higher than the average person.

However, even she had her limit.

Resisting the urge to look down (or, better yet, get back on the horse), she stared straight ahead at Dad and threatened through gritted teeth, "If I die, I'm coming back to haunt you." Then, bracing her feet against Galileo's side, she dropped the reins and leapt forward blindly-

"I've got you! I've got you."

Lizzy helped her father up and let out a shaky breath. "Never ask me to do that again."

Wincing sympathetically, he admitted, "We've still got to get to the front of the train."

Jumping train carriages, as it turned out, was something that became easier with practice. Not exactly a skill she'd planned on cultivating, but it probably couldn't hurt.

They'd fashioned bandanas from the remains of their 2015 clothing. In the event that something went wrong, might protect their identities. For now, though, they were just annoying and hard to breathe through.

"Reach!" Dad barked, pointing his revolver straight at the conductor's head.

I guess Clara decided not to come after all, she thought vaguely, as she watched the rest of the holdup- sorry, science experiment- play out. I thought I'd feel more relieved.

Wait. Did I even tell her where to find us?

As the engine chugged towards the DeLorean, Lizzy leaned out and scanned the passengers filing out of the cars. I don't see Clara anywhere. Does that mean she didn't get on the train? Where is she?

Should I say something?

That was the million-dollar question. For a few minutes, she didn't even have the chance- the plan required speed and efficiency, especially since the train engineers would probably be reporting them to the sheriff. We've only got one shot at this. If I say something; if I tell him what happened- what if he turns back? What if we can't go to 1985? Lizzy bit her lip and let her dad's explanation of the Presto Logs wash over her. He seems fine- like he's already over her. Would- would it even matter?

"Ready to roll!" Marty cried, climbing into the DeLorean. Realistically, only one person needed to be in the train to throw the logs in, and Dad had point-blank refused to let her go with him. "Lizzy, I'm going to have to climb out onto the DeLorean while the train is going anywhere from 40-80 miles per hour! It'll only be riskier if there's two of us." So she'd begrudgingly relented and now sat in the passenger seat, bracing herself for impact. She may have decided to leave. Maybe I just didn't see her. If I just stay quiet, everything will be...

I have to say something. I can't- I'm the only one who knows! I can't just stay silent!

"Are the time circuits on?" Dad yelled through the walkie-talkie.

I should've said something earlier before we started. Swearing inwardly, she glanced out the window. I'll grab the walkie-talkie and-

Oh my God. That's- holy crap, that's Clara! On a horse! She- Lizzy pressed her face to the glass. I can't believe it. She actually came, and now she's chasing down the train??

"I'm throwing in the Presto Logs!"

"WAIT!" She lunged for the walkie-talkie, but it was too late.

"Lizzy, what the hell is going on? What's-"

"It's Clara! She's-" The train was undeniably picking up speed. "She's outside, on a horse! I- I told her we had to go, and that- that Dad still, y'know, loved her." Her face was uncomfortably warm, but she pressed on. "I thought I got through to her, but then I had to get back to town for the duel, but she's here and Dad doesn't know!"

Marty's face drained of color. "DOC-"

"Marty! The new gauge on the dashboard will tell us the boiler temperature! It's color-coded to indicate when each log will fire!"

"Yeah, but Doc-"

"Green, yellow, and red! Each detonation will be accompanied by a sudden burst of acceleration!"

"Doc, listen-!"

"Hopefully we'll reach 88 miles per hour before the needle hits much past 2000!"

"Doc-wait, what happens after it hits 2000?"

"The whole boiler explodes!"

Lizzy's eyes were glued to the window. Clara had managed to keep pace with the train and grabbed on to one of the bars. Come on, come on-

BANG! The train leapt forward, pulling Clara out of the saddle. Lizzy screamed. "Marty, get him to listen to you!"

"Doc, we-" Marty's words were drowned out by the DeLorean plowing through a sign that said TRACK ENDING SOON.

"I can't hear you, Marty! I'm coming aboard!"

"Dammit!" Lizzy popped one of the gull-wing doors open to get a better view. Clara was on the train- thank God- but Dad still didn't see her. "Marty, can't you-"

"He put the walkie-talkie in his coat pocket! Even if he heard me, I don't wanna make him fall!"

"So what do we do?!"

"I don't know!" Marty grabbed the gauge and swore. "Both of them better hold on to something, 'cause the yellow log's about to blow!"

She wasn't sure who she was more scared for- Dad or Clara, and wasn't that strange? Since when did she care about Clara? Well, it's not like she ever wanted the woman to die, and that's what would happen if her dad didn't pay attention to them!!!

Dad inched his way along the train and Clara- wow this woman is actually really impressive- managed to haul herself into the train cabin, but he still didn't notice!

Fuck it. Lizzy snatched the walkie-talkie out of Marty's hands and screamed, "Dad, TURN AROUND! LOOK!"

Baffled, he turned to face the cabin just as Clara pulled on the train's whistle. "CLARA?!"

"FINALLY!" Nearly collapsing in her seat, she yelled, "Dad, we just passed the windmill! Whatever you're gonna do, do it quick!"

"She'll have to come with us! I'll go back for her!"

Huh. That...is actually a really good compromise. Why didn't we think of- never mind. Breathless, she leaned out of the DeLorean as far as she could, watching as Clara climbed out of the train cabin.

"60 MILES AN HOUR, DOC!"

She couldn't hear anything, she could barely even see, but it didn't seem like they were making much progress. Come on, Clara, come on...if you get my Dad killed...

"70!!"

The pair inched closer and closer, but it wasn't fast enough, they wouldn't have time to get to the car before-

"DOC, THE RED LOG'S ABOUT TO BLOW!"

Blow it did, and with it went the entire train boiler and any trace of hope Lizzy still had for this goddamned plan. Once the DeLorean stopped jostling them around like peas in a pod, she pulled herself halfway out the door and felt her blood freeze.

No no no no no no no

She stopped. A calm, laser-focused terror was guiding her actions. I cannot lose him. "Marty, give me the hoverboard."

"The what?"

"The hover-" He shoved it into her hands before she could finish repeating herself. "I have to go get them. Get back to 1985 safe, okay?"

"Wh- Lizzy, no, you can't just-"

"I can." Slipping the hoverboard under her feet, she lowered herself out of the car so that she was facing the train. "Good luck."

"You too," Marty whispered, voice breaking.

Her hands were white-knuckled, clutching the door of the DeLorean. I cannot lose him. The hoverboard will hold me. Let. Go.

She let go.

No matter how hard she tried later, Lizzy couldn't remember much of the next few minutes other than a blur of sound and color. She remembered colliding with someone and clutching onto someone else, she remembered toppling to the ground while going much too fast, and she remembered the aftermath: staggering to her feet and watching as the train careened over the side of the ravine.

"Lizzy- Lizzy, Great Scott, are you alright?" Dad was there- that was good. "That was a nasty fall, you-"

"Emmett, she's bleeding!" Clara was somehow behind her (when had that happened?) and was examining the back of her head. "She must have hit her head- oh-"

The world was tilting sideways and turning several different shades of grey. How inconsiderate.

"It's okay," she heard Dad say distantly as her vision faded out. "I've got you. You're alright."

[sprayedwithcrab]

so i rewatched luca and i had a thought. marty mcswim

[perpetuallyexhaustedpeacock]

McFly July Day 24: The Atrocity Channel

so. i may have been very tired yesterday and had 0 ideas for the prompt, so day 23 was skipped. As a bonus, have an extra-long scene! I've been excited about this one.

Lizzy picked at the skin around her nails as her father refueled the Mr. Fusion and frantically tried to usher Marty into the DeLorean. They hadn't anticipated someone else being outside with him, and she wasn't sure how Dad was going to get rid of her-

"Just bring her along, this concerns her, too!"

I'm sorry, what?

As Marty and Jennifer (?) squeezed into the backseat of the DeLorean (which really, truly was not designed to fit this many people), Lizzy glared pointedly at Dad, waiting for him to notice.

It took a while.

In fact, it took so long that probably-Jennifer noticed her first. "Marty, what's going on? Who is she?"

That got Dad's attention. "This is- er-" He stumbled over his words as Lizzy gave him a dirty look.

"I'm Lizzy," she broke in, turning to shake the older girl's hand. "Elizabeth Brown."

"Oh- uh, I'm Jennifer Parker." Knew it! Jennifer shook her hand awkwardly, seeming very taken aback. "Wait- Brown?"

Lizzy leaned back in her seat and raised an eyebrow at Dad, who thankfully caught it this time. If he's going to make spontaneous additions to the plan, he can deal with the fallout.

"Yes, well- this is- she's- er, she's my daughter. Anyway, there's no time for this, we've got to go."

Smooth, Dad.

Marty cut his girlfriend off, which was rude but probably necessary. "Hey, Doc, you'd better back up- we're not gonna have enough road to get to 88!"

"Roads?"

Lizzy had to bite down on a laugh as her father grinned cheekily at her before flipping his visor down.

"Where we're going, we don't need roads."

They'd only flown the car a few times, so she didn't really blame herself when her stomach dropped as they took flight. Dad gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before stepping on the gas.

With a BANG, they arrived in 2015- only for the three passengers to scream and get flung halfway across the car as Dad swerved violently and abruptly to avoid another vehicle.

"What the hell was that?"

"Taxi cab," Dad replied, flicking the wipers on.

"What d'you mean a taxi cab? I thought we were flying?"

"Yes, but by 2015, so it everyone else," Lizzy explained. "And you were in the wrong lane, so technically-"

"Yes, yes, alright, but considering how precise I have to be to end up on the road at all-"

"Alright, Doc, what's going on?" Marty cut them off. "Where are we? When- did you say 2015?"

"Considering this is still just a time machine, Marty, it's probably pretty safe to assume we're still in Hill Valley," Lizzy snarked good-naturedly.

Marty leaned forward and shoved her, and she turned to retaliate with a squawk.

"None of that," Dad sighed. "I'm glad to see the two of you getting along, but I need to concentrate. Lizzy is correct- we're descending towards Hill Valley at 4:29 p.m., on Wednesday, October 21st, 2015."

"Marty, what's going on? How can we be in 2015? Did she say a time machine?"

"Uhh...Jennifer, um..." Marty spread his hands and shrugged. "Yeah, she- that's really the best explanation. We're in a time machine."

Wide-eyed, Jennifer stared out the window. "God, so- you weren't kidding! Marty, we can actually see our future!"

As the teenager rambled on about all the things she wanted to see, Lizzy nudged Dad's shoulder. Once he looked over, she jerked her head in Jennifer's direction, eyebrows raised. What are you going to do about that?

Surreptitiously, he raised a small gadget and shook it slightly, keeping his eyes on the road.

The sleep inducer? What does he- "You can't just knock her out!" she hissed, trying to keep their conversation under wraps.

"You know she can't be here, it's too dangerous. If I didn't need Marty for our plan-"

"Then what in the name of Rosalind Franklin did you bring her along for in the first place?"

"I had to do something! She saw the time machine; I couldn't just leave her there. This way, she'll think it was all a dream."

Before he'd even finished, Lizzy was shaking her head. "No, no, no, no. You- what are you going to do with her in the meantime? Leave her on the side of the road?!" She glanced over her shoulder at the teens- luckily, Jennifer was still absorbed in what she thought the future would be like, and Marty was still absorbed in his girlfriend.

"Well, what do you propose we do with her?"

Massaging the bridge of her nose, Lizzy sighed. The plan hasn't even begun, and I already have a headache. "Alright. You don't really need me for the plan, right? So you handle Marty; tell him what to do and all that. Meanwhile, I'll distract Jennifer and keep her from seeing anything too revealing."

Dad drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "I suppose it'll have to do- what about her clothes?"

"I'll take her shopping!" she realized with a snap of her fingers. "That'll-"

"Everything okay?" Marty poked his head into the front seat, making them both jump.

"All is well," Dad laughed nervously. "Here's our exit."

As they turned off the freeway, he leaned close to her and muttered, "Just be careful. I don't want you two ending up on the Atrocity Channel or bumping into your future selves or who knows what else."

"We'll be fine, Dad. How much trouble could we get into?"

*1 Hour Later*

"I! Am going! To put this in the trash!" Emmett seized the almanac and was heading towards a LitterBug when his visor began to beep. There was only one person who could be calling him, and she wouldn't do so if it weren't important. "Lizzy? What's going on?"

His daughter appeared as a hologram in front of him, seemingly running in place. "Dad, we've got a problem."

Emmett leaned against the DeLorean, forehead resting on his palm. "What now? Please tell me you didn't run into-"

"Not ourselves, but someone else! I looked away for 2 minutes and some lady named Tiff came out of nowhere and thought Jen was her future self."

"Damn! I knew something like this would happen. Then what?"

"I couldn't-" Lizzy ducked down behind something and began to whisper. "I couldn't interfere and Jen tried to get out of there, but Tiff offered her a ride home and- shoot- there wasn't really a good reason to say no."

"She could encounter-"

"A good reason that we could tell Tiff," she explained, exasperated. "I followed them, but they're getting into a hovercar and there's no way I can keep up with that."

He groaned. "Stay where you are. We'll pick you up and then head to Marty and Jennifer's house."

Tossing the almanac into a nearby bin, he ushered Marty (who'd heard the whole conversation) into the passenger seat. After tracking her location, he took to the skies. "We're on our way, but the freeway is jammed. With any luck, everyone else will be similarly delayed and Jennifer will run no risk of running into her future self which, need I remind you, was what I warned you might happen."

"Need I remind you that if you hadn't brought her along, none of this would have happened!"

Emmett paused. Yes, they were pushed for time, but Lizzy sounded more than anxious- she sounded close to tears. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'm sure you did the best you could. We'll be there soon."

[sometiktoksarevalid]

[powerful-owl]

if you see this, reblog with the last sentence you’ve written for a fic 🤲

[sams-spot-for-things]

MCFLY JULY DAY 21 — lunar geography

@gloomkeep (hi your bttf 3 sir)

[perpetuallyexhaustedpeacock]

McFly July Day 22: "Sorry About Your Barn"

am i terribly fond of this one? no. but it was all i could think of AND it inspired a lot of humorous ideas which you may find in the tags. And, as a plus, it is a continuation of Day 18!

All three of them jumped as one of the walls of the photo kiosk caved in.

"We should probably leave before the police arrive," Doc said, his voice tinged with regret. "Can you two stand?"

"Can we- Doc, you just got shot!"

Lizzy leapt back like she'd been burnt. "Great Scott, Dad, why didn't you say anything?"

"I'm fine," he insisted, waving them off. "I'll just be sore later, I've had worse."

Yeah, no. The teens helped him to his feet, each taking one arm. Doc huffed and insisted that he was fine, but neither paid any attention.

"Hold on-" he glanced around the parking lot- "where's the DeLorean?"

Marty and Lizzy shared a guilty look.

"We...sort of left it in the town square," he admitted. "It wouldn't start, and we were in a hurry."

Doc stared at them, aghast. "Why would- what if someone had taken it?"

"Well, if it won't start, that'd be quite the task," Lizzy pointed out. "Besides, even if someone figured out how the time circuits worked, he couldn't do anything with it since there's no plutonium."

"We need to gather that up," Doc muttered, staring at the mess around them. "Let's- Lizzy! Why didn't you tell me you were bleeding?"

"It's a minor abrasion," she replied, rolling her eyes. "I hit the asphalt too hard and skinned my knee."

"It could still get infected." Turning her around, he searched her for any injuries. "Let's load up the van, pick up the DeLorean, head back to the garage and get you patched up."

Crossing her arms, Lizzy stared at up at her father defiantly. "Nuh-uh. There's no way I'm receiving first-aid from someone who literally got shot and still won't seek medical attention. If you want to bandage my knee, you need to let me look at your bruises."

Watching the pair bicker, Marty felt a visceral sense of being a third wheel. Doc's got his daughter back- does he even need me anymore? He cringed at his own thoughts, but...ah, geez, is this how Lizzy felt all week?

Marty grabbed the case of plutonium (and wow that thing was heavy) and began lugging it towards the van, doggedly not listening in on their conversation.

"Alright," Doc conceded quietly. "Once we get back to the garage, we can pack each other up."

"The ga-" Lizzy cut herself off. "Dad. You were hiding from terrorists, yet you drove around in a van with your name on it?"

Marty had to stifle a snort. If Doc still wanted him around after this, he was pretty sure he would enjoy hanging out with Lizzy. Of course, the odds of that were pretty low- his mentor had barely even looked at him since he'd gotten back. I feel like a heel, but c'mon- I saved his life! She's his daughter, and they haven't seen each other in 30 years. Still-

"Marty?"

Nearly dropping the case, he spun around in alarm to see Doc with a concerned expression on his face. "Y-yeah?"

"Are you alright? I've been calling your name; you seemed a little...out of it."

"Oh- uh, yeah, 'course, just- just tired."

"Of course," Doc replied sympathetically. "We've all had one hell of a night. Would you rather I just drop you off at your house?"

Marty blinked, his mind going blank. I kinda assumed that was the plan? "No, not really," he blurted, before immediately backpedaling, "but if- I thought maybe you and Liz-"

"Don't worry about that," Lizzy broke in. "You two probably have- uh- stuff to talk about. I can...uh..."

Doc's head swiveled from Marty to Lizzy and back again. Something dawned in his eyes. "Alright. Both of you, get in the van," he directed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't know how I didn't notice this before, but there's a conversation we need to have, and I'd rather not do it in the Lone Pine Mall parking lot at 1 in the morning." Rolling his eyes good-naturedly, he began to gather the rest of his equipment.

Something about that statement rubbed Marty the wrong way, but it wasn't until they drove past the sign that he realized what it was. "Wait- Lone Pine Mall? It- it's always been Twin Pine Mall, what's- why's it different?"

Doc looked over his shoulder, confused. "Marty, as far as I know, it's always been Lone Pine Mall. Is there anything you might have done in 1955 that could have changed that?"

He tried to remember, but the adrenaline that had kept him going all night was wearing off, leaving his brain foggy.

"Didn't this used to be the Peabody farm?" Lizzy piped up, staring out the window. "You said something about crashing into his barn when you first got here- uh, I mean, to 1955."

"Yeah, and when I tried to apologize, he shot at-" his eyes widened. "I ran over one of his pine trees when I was trying to escape! Is that- so I changed the present? Or the-" Baffled, he ran his hands through his hair. "Doc, why do I remember it differently than you? If I changed it- if it was always Lone Pine 'cause I killed one of them- why do I remember it as Twin Pines?"

Doc drove in silence for a few minutes. "I'm not sure, Marty. There's not exactly a textbook for this sort of thing. Give me some time and I'll come up with a few theories."

"You're the Doc, Doc." Resting his head against the window, he mused, "I wonder what else I changed."

[perpetuallyexhaustedpeacock]

McFly July Day 21: Lunar Geography

remember how I said Lizzy was the one who stopped Clara from getting on the train? well...

She'd been fooled. There was no way around it- she'd been duped and walked right into it, without a second thought.

When my mother told me I was a fool for leaving New Jersey, I'm don't think this is quite what she meant, Clara thought grimly, hoisting her satchel on her shoulder. She had no interest in tracking down the means to transport her trunk, so she was taking only what she could carry. This meant leaving most of her supplies for the next teacher, whoever that might be. The sooner I get out of Hill Valley, the better.

Fortunately, there was a train leaving shortly, so she only had a little while to wait. No need to kick up a fuss- she would leave quietly and uneventfully, with a simple letter left in the schoolhouse explaining that she'd been called home. Determined, she settled onto a bench at the train station to wait.

"Miss Clayton!"

You've only proven your parents right, Clara. You were too young and naive to go off on your own. Letting yourself get swept away by a pair of brown eyes and a shared interest in lunar geography...just like a child.

"Miss Clayton!"

She rose to her feet and began to pace in agitation. A man who didn't even have the decency to break your heart sincerely. Honestly, a time machine...was any of what he told me the truth? What about Elizabeth? Was he lying about her mother? How many women has he pulled this with? How could I-

"Miss- Clayton!"

A hand latched onto her wrist. Clara spun around and stepped back in surprise. This was, frankly, the last person she expected to see.

"E-Elizabeth! What-" Instinctively, a scowl formed on her face. She could think of several reasons the girl might be there, and she had the patience for none of them. "Did Emmett send you?" she asked icily.

Raising one finger, the teenager gasped for air. "Just- just give me a second-"

How far did she run? Clara frowned. She'd seen Elizabeth in action- she was quite athletic for a girl, which meant she'd either run quite a ways or gone at top speed.

Finally, Elizabeth regained her composure and straightened up. "My dad didn't send me. He doesn't know I'm here."

"So then have you just come to gloat?" She was being unfair and she knew it, but anything that had to do with- and this was his daughter-

"No, I haven't come to gloat," she huffed. "Who do you think I am? This- this was a mistake; I have better things to do than-" Turning on her heel, the girl began to walk away before visibly restraining herself. "Look. You and I don't get along. That's." She swallowed, hard. "Mostly my fault. I'm- it's not-"

Clara could have kicked herself. "I understand, Elizabeth. I'm sure it isn't easy seeing your father with another woman, but rest assured-"

"No, no, no, that's-" she huffed. "That's not what I meant. I don't like you-" well, that's promising- "but I really, really care about my dad. He is the most important person in my life, which is why I'm doing this." Taking a deep breath, she looked Clara dead in the eye. "My dad loves you."

Automatically, Clara scoffed. "Your father left me and made up some rigamarole about a time machine to try to- to-" What had been the point of that?? "To conceal it."

Elizabeth's eyes flashed angrily and Clara winced- that was probably too much information to dump on a 13-year-old who so clearly adored her father, whether the man deserved it or not.

"Really?" She snapped. "Because the way I see it, he explained that he had to leave and that he couldn't take you with him- which is true, by the way, we were supposed to leave when the train arrived- and when you asked why, he tried to explain and you-" Inhaling sharply, the girl closed her eyes and paused for a moment. "Whatever happened, Miss Clayton, I know that my dad is still in love with you."

"How?" Clara demanded, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice. She wouldn't have come if she didn't have a very good reason.

"Because I have never seen my dad this upset in my entire life." It looked like it hurt her to admit it. "He's- he's heartbroken, Miss Clayton, and it's because of you. I genuinely don't think he's going to get over this, which is why I'm here."

The world shuddered to a halt and then began spinning far too quickly. "I- but-" she gaped. "But what was- why did he lie to me? If he truly loves me, why-?"

Elizabeth stared at her with a steadiness that made her seem much older than she was. "That's not something I can answer for you. Just- think about what I said and what you know about him. What do you think the answer is?" Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she waited for a few seconds before admitting, "I have to go. Just...think about what I said, alright?"

"I will," Clara promised faintly. "Elizabeth?"

"Yes?" she asked impatiently, turning back around.

"Thank you. I appreciate this more than you know."

The girl sighed. "I'm not doing it for you. I just want- I want my dad to be happy, and you..." She swallowed and seemed to shrink into herself. "You make him happier than anyone else. So."

"That's not true," Clara half-laughed. It wasn't funny, not really, but it was so ridiculous and at the same time made a terrible amount of sense. "Elizabeth, he spent half the time we were together talking about you and how important you were to him." It was Clara's turn to make deliberate eye contact. "Regardless of what happens between your father and I, it won't change how much he cares about you or how much you matter to him."

Elizabeth's mouth dropped open slightly. "Oh. Y-yeah, that's-" As she glanced around nervously, her eyes landed on the station clock and widened dramatically. "Great Scott! I'm- they- I have to go!"

With that, she turned on her heel and tore off towards the town, leaving Clara with a lot to think about.

[perpetuallyexhaustedpeacock]

McFly July Day 20: Broken Walkman

we now return to our regularly scheduled angst. i am so fucking tired so just. have this i guess.

"Vaya con Dios!"

The DeLorean vanished with a final crackle of blue light. Emmett whooped with excitement, his heart thundering in his ears, but the adrenaline faded with the trails of fire. Morosely, he slid into the drivers seat of his car and surveyed the scattered items- his pistol, the camera, Marty's forgotten 'Walkman' (the boy had been very put out when he'd realized it had gotten soaked in the rain and no longer worked)...oh, and the letters.

With a sigh, he put the car into gear. 30 years. Great Scott, that's a long time. He had been so fixated on finding the DeLorean, repairing it, and getting Marty back to 1885 that he really hadn't had the time to let it sink in. (...maybe it had been partially intentional.) The moment he'd realized Lizzy was gone, Marty had come racing down the corner and-

He'd read her letter. That was the closest he'd come- perilously close- to breaking down, but then they'd found her other note and jumped straight into action.

What the hell had his older self been thinking? How could he have gotten mixed up in enough trouble to get shot when he had Lizzy to take care of?

It was a very odd sensation to be angry at yourself for something you hadn't even done yet, but Emmett had grown used to it. His older self seemed to be habitually, inexcusably reckless with the safety of those around him, including himself. He'd obviously done something to endanger himself, if Marty's frantic attempts to tell him about the future were any indication.

"Great Scott!" he cried, nearly slamming on the brakes. "The letter! I've got to- well, clearly, I've got to read it, but I've got to put it together first. Hopefully I haven't lost any of the...pieces..." A knot formed in his throat and he trailed off.

Right. There's no one there to respond. I suppose that's why I hired Marty. Except it would be 13 years before the kid was even born, and probably at least 10 more before they'd meet. 23 years...that's a hell of a long time to be alone.

And yet, he'd been alone for most of his life. That was how it had always been- no friends, no confidants, certainly no potential for romance or family; just Emmett with his experiments and a dog or two for company. He still had no idea what had possessed him to adopt Lizzy, but it had been the best decision he'd ever made- as well as the most life-changing. In only 10 years, she'd completely turned his life upside-down and, somehow, he couldn't even imagine what it was like without her.

But it seemed he would have to. 30 years- on his own- feverishly trying to finish the time machine before October 26th, 1985- unable to confide in anyone, even Marty-

Emmett had to pull over. There, on the side of the road, he unfolded Lizzy's letter and read it again and again and again.

𝐇𝐞𝐲, 𝐃𝐚𝐝. 𝐀𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭, 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥. 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟, 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲'𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲. 𝐖𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟓, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞-𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐈 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞. 𝐈'𝐦 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐛𝐲𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡, 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧. 𝐎𝐤𝐚𝐲. 𝐎𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝟑𝟎 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐟, 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭. 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝. 𝐀𝐥𝐬𝐨, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟓. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 (𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨), 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐭, 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨. 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭- 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐭. 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭. 𝐖𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞. 𝐀𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐡𝐞𝐲? 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧. 𝐏𝐮𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲'𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫; 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭. 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟, 𝐃𝐚𝐝. 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧

-𝐿𝒾𝓏𝓏𝓎

Emmett took a deep, shuddering breath and resumed the drive home. I will see her again. He repeated it like a mantra, letting it drive him forward and keep him upright and, frankly, sane. I will see her again. I will invent a time machine and change the course of the human race and I will have everything I ever wanted.

But for now, he had a broken Walkman, a sketch of a flux capacitor, and a letter from his daughter which he would read again

And again

And again.

[alagaisia]

Hey. Why isn’t the moon landing a national holiday in the US. Isn’t that fucked up? Does anyone else think that’s absurd?

[alagaisia]

It was a huge milestone of scientific and technological advancement. (Plus, at the time, politically significant). Humanity went to space! We set foot on a celestial body that was not earth for the first time in human history! That’s a big deal! I’ve never thought about it before but now that I have, it’s ridiculous to me that that’s not part of our everyday lives and the public consciousness anymore. Why don’t we have a public holiday and a family barbecue about it. Why have I never seen the original broadcast of the moon landing? It should be all over the news every year!

[alagaisia]

It’s July 20th. That’s the day of the moon landing. Next year is going to be the 54th anniversary. I’m ordering astronaut shaped cookie cutters on Etsy and I’m going to have a goddamn potluck. You’re all invited.

[watermelon-converse]

Hey. Hey. Tumblr. Ides of March ppl. We can do this

[emi--rose]

Hell yeah moon holiday

[hello-delicious-tea]

Ooh coming up we should celebrate

[ariaste]

PITCH: We call it Moon Day, and then every 7 years when it falls on a Monday, that's an even BIGGER deal and we call that Moon Day Monday and go absolutely apeshit about it (the next Moon Day Monday is in 2026 so we have a couple trial runs first)

[sarostheghostcat]

MOON DAY MOON DAY MOON DAY

[wafflebloggies]

moon day is 20th July!!!

[silly-jellyghoty]

Scheduling this a day earlier to remind you all and myself about the Moon Day tomorow!

[sashaforthewin]

Happy moon day to all who celebrate

[kitsuneofthemist]

This is your reminder to prep for Moon Day on July 20th.

[inkyrainstorms]

MOON DAY MONDAY THIS MONTH NOT A DRILL!!!!!

[marlynnofmany]

Happy Moon Day! Let's hear it for good ol' Luna, and human footprints far from Earth!

[perpetuallyexhaustedpeacock]

Hey! I'm no baker, but here's the cookies I made to celebrate Moon Day Monday!

[asriteko]

Happy 41st Anniversary Back To the Future : )

zoomed in details

refer reference- sketch, clean up, add color, then render like crazy

[noah-wyles]

all i want for 2026 is that gigantic rancid AI bubble to finally burst in such a catastrophic way that the consequences will be so good and i'll never have to see another AI generated image ever again

[fluoritegalaxy]

Like to charge, reblog to cast.

[madscientists1mp]

we’re all gonna describe 2026 as the year that ai grew too big for its own comfort

[alagaisia]

Hey. Why isn’t the moon landing a national holiday in the US. Isn’t that fucked up? Does anyone else think that’s absurd?

[alagaisia]

It was a huge milestone of scientific and technological advancement. (Plus, at the time, politically significant). Humanity went to space! We set foot on a celestial body that was not earth for the first time in human history! That’s a big deal! I’ve never thought about it before but now that I have, it’s ridiculous to me that that’s not part of our everyday lives and the public consciousness anymore. Why don’t we have a public holiday and a family barbecue about it. Why have I never seen the original broadcast of the moon landing? It should be all over the news every year!

[alagaisia]

It’s July 20th. That’s the day of the moon landing. Next year is going to be the 54th anniversary. I’m ordering astronaut shaped cookie cutters on Etsy and I’m going to have a goddamn potluck. You’re all invited.

[watermelon-converse]

Hey. Hey. Tumblr. Ides of March ppl. We can do this

[emi--rose]

Hell yeah moon holiday

[hello-delicious-tea]

Ooh coming up we should celebrate

[ariaste]

PITCH: We call it Moon Day, and then every 7 years when it falls on a Monday, that's an even BIGGER deal and we call that Moon Day Monday and go absolutely apeshit about it (the next Moon Day Monday is in 2026 so we have a couple trial runs first)

[sarostheghostcat]

MOON DAY MOON DAY MOON DAY

[wafflebloggies]

moon day is 20th July!!!

[silly-jellyghoty]

Scheduling this a day earlier to remind you all and myself about the Moon Day tomorow!

[sashaforthewin]

Happy moon day to all who celebrate

[kitsuneofthemist]

This is your reminder to prep for Moon Day on July 20th.

[inkyrainstorms]

MOON DAY MONDAY THIS MONTH NOT A DRILL!!!!!

[marlynnofmany]

Happy Moon Day! Let's hear it for good ol' Luna, and human footprints far from Earth!

[existennialmemes]

[scrolling social media] Who the fuck is Jimothy?

[a brief internet search later] Ahh yes, ok I understand. Jimothy is my religion now.

[sprayedwithcrab]

The Marty Horde Approaches…

Hi! Hello. I recently made it my mission to find and draw as many Martys as I could, even the ones that are not officially part of Martymania (by @bubbiegummie). There are 45 pictured here, though I am 100% certain I missed some! This is just what I could find! Imagine how many other Martys there must be out there… wow.

A great deal of love and care and effort has been put into all of these Martys and their surrounding worlds, so I implore you to check ALL of them out (if you have not already)!

Below the cut I have provided credits, links, and, to the best of my ability, brief (-ish, I’m a known rambler) summaries of each AU/timeline!

(I also tried to link tags where I could? It’s not as easy to do that as I hoped it would be… and sometimes the tags had a bunch of not bttf stuff in it so I didn’t put those ones.)

Movie[s]: These Martys are from the movies.

Twin Pines: We All Know Him. If you don’t. what

Lone Pine: please insert the spongebob image captioned “aight imma head out”

2015: (slenderman static) collect my fax

Hell Valley/ 1985A: This Marty is canon to the movies, but we never actually see him or know anything about him beyond the life we see around him. Biff becomes his stepfather after George gets killed when he’s 4, and he’s been kicked out of multiple boarding schools and is supposedly in one in Switzerland at the time the movies take place. We also know the state of the world in this timeline, but… that’s all we know. Thus, @chainsaw-headache and @bubbiegummie made this interpretation/design of him, and now we get to speculate what 1985A Marty was like! I linked both of their posts, which go into more depth about him!! He’s also one of Bubble’s Martymania main 3 and has some very interesting interactions with his counterparts. There’s a lot of really really great art of him. Go go go! Seeeee!! #1985a marty

The Draftlings: These Martys are from the earlier drafts of BttF.

by @actuallymartymcfly, #the draftiverse

Fridge/ 1st Draft: To give an overview, he’s more of an asshole than the Marty we got. He pirates movies and he’s called Fridge because he’s from the version of the draft where the time machine was a fridge and required a nuclear explosion to power, before the writers had the thought that children might climb into fridges after seeing the movie and get stuck/die. Einstein is a chimp… I won’t list everything else here because the post goes much more in depth than I could in a brief summary. Go take a look!

Three Pines/ 3rd and 4th Draft: Closer to the Marty we know. His Doc is a hippie. The time machine is the DeLorean we are all familiar, but still uses a nuclear test site to get home. Again, I won’t list everything here because! You! Should! Go read it! Yourself!!!! Because I could not do it justice!! There’s also art!! In the tag!! (By the way, for those of you who have read the novelization, this nuke plot point in the earlier drafts is why that book starts Like That. Whatever version of the script George Gipe had must have still had this opening but didn’t actually use a nuke anymore)

Game[s]: These Martys originate from official BttF games.

[Telltale] Tannenville/ 1986F: Timeline where Kid Tannen never went to jail after changes in 1931. His mafia flourishes and by 1986, the Tannen family runs Hill Valley. This Marty was run out of town in 1984 following a deal that the Tannens would go easier on his dad (who has already been put into a wheelchair by them) if he left. I couldn’t find a design for him, so I made one on the fly (ha)! (I couldn’t really find anything about him, so I guess I could speculate a little…. iiiiiif you want my take on present-day 86F Marty. I think things are probably pretty awful for him, if the Tannens had as far reaching influence as they claim they did. I mean if they had these sorts of connections, they could possibly have prevented Marty from getting any sort of job or discouraged anyone from taking him in, regardless of where Marty went. I think Marty would ended up homeless and just scraping by, and personality wise I think maybe he’d have been the oddest mix of like Twin Pines George and Citizen Brown Jennifer. Like. Idk if you see the vision. The classic Marty stubbornness, but then taken much further to defiance, to a I’m-going-to-vandalize-things-to-stick-it-to-the-world-because-it-sucks kind of level. Then mixed with an extreme case of anxiety and not believing in himself. Aaaand homesick. So, so homesick. I also personally think something similar to what happened to 1985A Doc happened to 1986F Doc, given he was supposedly “Calvin Klein’s” uncle, and who else is going to pay off that $300 debt after “Calvin Klein” disappears? Idk, I really couldn’t find anything on this timeline beyond what happens in the game! I probably didn’t look hard enough. I’m pretty bad at that, I accidentally overlook a lot of things! So I’m so sorry if there was one and I missed it I have sifted through so many AUs 😭) #1986f marty

[Telltale] Citizen Brown/ 1986G by @bubbiegummie: From the Citizen Brown timeline where Doc marries Edna Strickland after changes in 1931 and instead of becoming an inventor, he works with Edna to use technology to create a “perfect” Hill Valley, free of hooligans and disorder. It is a police state and everyone is miserable. Martin is the perfect citizen and has a promising future he has worked hard to solidify. He’s also just as miserable as the rest of this timeline’s Hill Valley, but does believe it to be the “perfect” Hill Valley Edna was striving for. Will do anything to protect it and his future, and as part of Bubble’s Martymania main 3, does not seem to get along well with any of his counterparts. Bubble goes super in depth with his personality and motivations, and there is lots and lots of really great art of him. Go have a look! #citizen martin

[Telltale] Citizen Brown/ CTM [Citizen Time Machine] by @aromantic-ghost-menace: The same timeline as 1986G with a slightly different interpretation. This Martin leans more into the nerd stereotype rather than the teacher’s pet control freak that 1986G is. As such, since Doc is preoccupied running his police state Hill Valley with Edna and uses science to “make things perfect”, the time machine is instead invented by Martin! This AU is distinctly different from Bubble’s, so *both* are worth checking out!!!! Also he’s holding a fidget spinner. If you couldn’t tell what that was. There’s a lot of depth to this AU, and it’s really interesting! A lot of story elements and personality traits have been hammered out and it is 100% worth the read. There’s also quite a bit of art for this one too, so go look! #CTM AU

[Super Adventure Game] Time Loop of Death by @actuallymartymcfly: This is the Marty from the book, Back to the Future Super Adventure Game by Hitoshi Yasuda. It is an interactive book that follows the movie’s plot, but the reader must roll dice and add/subtract a modifier to the result. Much like a choose your own adventure book, there are multiple different endings; this Marty is one who has to go through all/most of the incorrect endings and retry upon death/failure. There is not much to this AU just yet, but we shall patiently wait to see what Leon has in store for him and how he fleshes out! In the meantime, check out 1985PN ;)

Canon adjacent (story differences): These Martys follow canon but diverge at a certain point in the story, either before, during, or after the events of the movies.

Thorn Valley/ 1985PN by @actuallymartymcfly: Marty who follows canon events, except his Needles is significantly more off the rails. This impacts his experiences and personality, leading him to be much more punk and a little faster to fly off the handle. Still the Marty we know and love deep down, but he’s got a lot of backstory changes and development! It’s really interesting and it’s an incredibly in-depth AU, really exploring Marty’s relationship with Needles and how that affects him. There’s a lot of art and comic edits of him, and also so so much more to his story that I couldn’t begin to get into here, so go read read read!!! #pine needles au

1885A by @gloomkeep: This is a Marty whose 1885 became more like 1985A with Buford Tannen basically running the place after killing all of Hill Valley’s marshals and mayor. Marty spends an extra few months in 1885 and it. Doesn’t go super well for him. He and Doc are on the run, and everything is just all round terrible times. Marty watches Seamus die. Clara gets a gun! There is a lot of plot (much much more than I have listed) and many fics for this AU so pop on over and have a look!!!! #1885a

Doomed Pine Twin Pines/ 1985DTP by @futureboiii: Upon returning from 1885, this version of Twin Pines Marty actually does get hit by the train as he tries to jump out of the way, losing a leg in the process. Except, this was not just an unfortunate accident. #BTTF doomed pine AU

Doomed Pine Lone Pine/ 1985DLP by @futureboiii: This version of Lone Pine Marty used his own DeLorean to go back in time to hijack the train that hit DTP Marty with the intention to kill him so he could get his own life back. There’s quite a bit more to this AU, including art, so I’ll leave you to see the rest on your own!! #BTTF doomed pine AU

Canon adjacent (design differences): These Martys follow canon, but have major design differences.

Martee/ Butch!Marty by @bubbiegummie: Marty, but butch! There’s not too many drawings of her but she! Is still worth checking out!!! Go!!

Marie/ Fem!Marty by @fredducinibenson: Marty, but a girl! This is something you gotta see. It’s so awesome. There’s a lot of fantastic art of her (and of other feminized Martys!), I’m always so stunned when it pops up on my feed, go look! #fem marty mcfly

Blarty by @kit-screams-into-the-future: yo listen up here’s a story about a little guy that lives in a blue world and all day and all night and everything he sees is just blue, like him, inside and outside blue his house with a blue little window and a blue pickup and everything is blue for him and himself and everybody around ‘cause he ain’t got nobody to listen (to listen (to listen))

Fishboys: These Martys are aquatic.

(note: octopuses and squids are molluscs, not fish)

MerMarty is an original AU, and the other two are inspired by other media.

MerMarty by @kit-screams-into-the-future: This Marty is an amazing little mermaid. Doc, who is still a physicist but now with the little hobby of fishing, hooks Marty, who pulled on the hook not intending to get caught by it and has to follow for the sake of his hand. It’s a cute story about Marty, who has lived in the ocean his whole life, learning about life on the surface, and Doc getting to learn more about Marty’s kind as well. Obviously I can’t cover the whole story here; The post explains it all, and there are some fantastic comics (as well as amazing art by others), so go check it out!! #mermarty au

Splatoon AU by @mythical-bookworm: Marty that lives in the Splatoon universe! Some really great art here, as well as designs for Jennifer and Doc. It’s a very fun AU idea. I don’t know enough about Splatoon to summarize it well, so go have a look for yourself! #bttfxsplat tag

Luca AU by me: I haven’t done much with this AU besides draw him once and make a silly short comic thing! But he fit into this group too well soo… here he is :) I’m planning to write something for this AU at some point. Maybe.

Cat/ Fox to the Future: These Martys are a tad bit fluffier than in canon.

(Canon-adjacent, design differences)

Fox Marty by @riocinn: Have you ever wanted to see Marty art and content but he’s a fox? YES, you have!!!!!!! Seriously, though, the art is incredible and Rio has some really interesting takes on the movies. And it’s not just Marty, his family have their own unique designs, Jennifer’s a cat, Doc is an owl… the designs suit them all so so well, too. Go check it out! Posthaste!!!

Cat to the Future by @kit-screams-into-the-future: Some really fun anthro designs for the whole BttF cast! Each design really encapsulates the character. You gotta see it to know what I’m talking about so why don’t you head on over? #cat to the future au

Cat to the Future by @hymntoody: Cat Marty! You want to see more of him so bad. You must. I mean, Marty content but he’s a cat?? C’mon… that’s awesome. Lots of great BttF stuff here, including comics and memes, etc. He’s also got designs and content for the other Martys and Martymania. Just a lot of fantastic art! Go look go!!!! #cat to the future au

Pokémon: These Martys are from the Pokémon universe.

Trainer Marty by @blueskyphoenix: This Marty is a Pokémon trainer! He’s got a really cool design, and there’s got interesting in-universe stuff with Doc and Celebi, for those of you who know Pokémon. Even if you don’t, the designs and art are awesome, so go check it out!

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time AU by me: Ahahaha. This was mostly just me making Marty (and crew) into pokémon, but it does tie into a PMD2 AU, which has a very BttF-able plot. Basically, amnesiac Marty travelled back in time to stop an apocalyptic future, but uh. Forgot everything, so. Jennifer has to set him back on track. I worked out a bunch of the details. If you’re interested! PMD2 is, in my opinion, the single best game of the entire Pokémon franchise and holds a very special place in my heart, so I loved being able to fit Marty and the BttF story into it. #bttf pmd2 au

Other Media Inspired: These are Martys from BttF AUs that have been inspired by other media.

Vampire Valley/ 1985V by @ghostsagain112: While technically a Lost Boys inspired AU, she has stated herself that that’s misleading; it’s mostly just an original vampire AU! Jennifer and Marty are vampire hunters, and Doc is a bit more mad scientist, accidentally making vampirism a problem though no one believes him. The different Tannens are all just Biff, an immortal vampire, in different getups. Time travelling vampire hunters? Time travelling vampire hunters!!! It’s a very compelling AU with lots of interesting lore, and some really really great art! Go read and look more into it IMMEDIATELY!! #bttf vampire valley au

Steven Universe AU by @kit-screams-into-the-future: Set in the SU universe, Marty is a gem raised by humans. Doc is also a gem, and when Marty meets him he’s like “woah. You’re like me!” Kit has put together a really interesting and in-depth story set in the SU universe, as well as a very good guide/rundown for those who are unfamiliar with SU (so don’t let that discourage you! Even if you don’t know SU, you can still fully enjoy this AU!). But in short, Marty’s a shapeshifting alien and his human family loves him anyway and he gets into all sorts of hijinks with Doc after he meets him. He’s also in trouble for committing the crime of existing. I couldn’t possibly hope to explain it all here, but head on over to see some incredible art and read everything that he’s written for it! #bttfsu au

Danny Phantom AU by @mythical-bookworm: This Marty has a Doc who built a portal to the ghost world… which then killed him. Kinda. Our favorite time travelling future boy becomes half-ghost half-human! There’s both writing and art for this one, so go check it out! #bttf dp au

Psychonauts AU by @madscientists1mp: This Marty gets psychic powers due to the stress of time travelling! Set in the Psychonauts universe, he awards the main character the Electrokinesis badge upon helping him. It’s a really cool idea! Take a look at the AU explanation and art!!!

FrankenMarty AU by @ifihadanickleforeverytime: Frankenstein AU! Doc uses time travel to gather duplicates of Marty to piece back together to create life. So, Marty is the monster, but though initially Doc is his creator, they fall into more of a father/son relationship. Set in 1700s Germany, it’s a really fun premise with some amazing art to go along with it!! Go have a look! #frankenmarty au

Hotline L.A./ 1989HLA by me: This is my Hotline Miami inspired AU! Graphic violence warning. As a quick summary, Marty gets the ability to reset up to an hour upon death, and through a series of events that occur after the main trilogy, he ends up becoming a hitman. I wrote a fic (and I have another one in the works) that describes the descent and then gives him the Walter White special. The complete summary of that fic is in the post linked. If you’re at all interested. He’s my precious evil little killer. My beloved murder Marty. #1989HLA

Spider-man AU by @finnick-draws: This Marty is Spider-man! And his Jennifer is his MJ. Some really great art here!!! Check!! It!! Out!!

Sonic universe Marty by @actuallymartymcfly: This one seems to be (at least at this point in time) primarily a design difference! But there’s other Martymania Martys that have been sonic-ified and they’re all very cool! Go look!!

PAW AU/ Paw Patrol Marty by @biffbulliedmetoo: Set in the Paw Patrol universe! Marty’s a pup who helps Doc with science experiments. Unfortunately, OP hasn’t posted since 2024, and this is the only post about this AU. But once I stumbled across this one it felt wrong not to include it! Have a read!!

Starlight Express AU by @transmascfly: This Marty is an electric engine. Starlight Express is a 1984 musical about a “young but obsolete steam engine, Rusty, that races in a championship against modern locomotives of diesel and electric engines in the hope of impressing a first-class/observation car, Pearl” (thanks Wikipedia). There are some really cool designs for Jennifer, Doc, and many others here! Go check it out! #bttf/stex au

Flash AU by @novaboystars: This Marty is a speedster, which are known to love music, be involved in science, and time travel. So it suits him perfectly! It’s a really fun AU idea. Go check out the post and look at the awesome art!!

Lapse AU by @mythical-bookworm: This Marty is from the Lapse universe! I don’t know anything about Lapse, but from what I’ve managed to gather, it’s set in 2075 (though the AU takes place in 2150?) and there is an entity that goes just by Time that is aware of all disturbances in their domain… you see where this is going. The main character of Lapse, who was once the leader of a nation in a post apocalyptic future, is enlisted to find the time travellers. There are some really interesting details and plot points here, as well as art, so have a look! #lapsexbttf crossover

Original AU: These are Martys that come from original alternate universes.

Fossil Hunters by @carrotsofthepirabbean: This Marty works with Doc as a paleontologist! This is such a fun AU and there is art and fics and the premise is so so good! Go check it outttt!!

Immortal Marty by @madscientists1mp: This Marty is immortal after repeated exposure to the flux capacitor, and also gets stuck in 1885! He ends up losing his memories, becomes very protective of the clocktower, and quite sunburnt. It’s really really interesting so go look!!

The End by @mythical-bookworm: This Marty is navigating a zombie apocalypse. It’s Doc and Marty against the world, and there’s a lot to this story! Really, go have a read! You know you want to!! #bttf apocalypse au

21st century Marty by @theblueskyphoenix: This Marty is from the 21st century! He has a youtube channel where he posts music and covers, and he and Doc make science videos and build PCs. It’s a really fun idea and the design is awesome! Go have a look!!!

Trinity by @daryfromthefuture: AU where Marty gets stuck in the 1940s, and stays with the Doc from that time. An incredible storyline following Marty and Doc during the Manhattan Project, the shenanigans they get up to, as well as the guilt and turmoil that comes with it. Marty does eventually get to follow his music career, we get father-son Doc and Marty, I mean, what more could you want? Check it out!!

Ashen Pines by @rose-of-pollux: This is an AU in an alternate 1971 where the Cold War goes hot and Doc, having worked on the Manhattan Project, has to go on the run. However, because Marty’s family died, Doc gets son. And son makes everything okay even when it’s really not. So with introspective sad Doc plus adorable kid Marty, it’s a really sweet but heartbreaking AU and definitely worth the read!! #Ashen Pines AU Timeline

Kronos AU by @duckidrawzz: This is a Marty who, when he time travelled, gained time powers. There unfortunately isn’t a lot of content for this one, besides one other post, and OP isn’t super active, but it’s still a really interesting read nonetheless!

Roles Reversed by @b33brained: Age swap AU where Marty is Doc’s age and vice versa! Though my drawing kind of implies otherwise (went off of this post), Marty’s actually a musician that made it semi-big in the 60s and is the town crazy person in the 80s. It’s Emmett who makes the time machine still, but would have been unable to if not for his friendship with Marty and the confidence that gave him. It’s a fun AU with a few fics to go with it and some really really great art!!!

Again, I know for a FACT I must have missed so so many of them, but I’m afraid that is the nature of such things, especially when I’m as new to Tumblr as I am… even two months later, the navigation here is not something I am used to and these search features confuse me greatly. I just barely managed to format this, and my Google history is full of “how do you do ___ on tumblr”. So if you’re reading this, and I missed your Marty, I’m so sorry! Send me an ask w the details/ linked post and I’ll draw him (or her👀) as I have this lot.

Additionally, if there’s duplicates of any of these AUs I missed, because sometimes people have similar ideas but the details vary greatly (everyone has their own unique take on an idea and it’s wonderful!), I am also very sorry!! Again, let me know and I’ll draw him!

Final note, if I somehow misattributed an AU to the wrong person, do let me know. I’m known to be a little illiterate sometimes 😓