I'm amazed by how much needles and I seem to agree on, when it comes to our theories and stuff. Maybe we should collaborate sometime. :)

1. We both like the idea of a time traveller's memory updating with the current timeline, while while retaining the memories of previous timelines. I kind of lampshaded the issue in The '70s Story about the possibility of having Memory Fatigue. I think it'd be a little like having the ability to speak two or more languages, though.

2. We both like the idea of Doc moving his family back to 1985 from the past.

3. We both envision 17-year-old Marty as Part One Michael J Fox and Jennifer as Claudia Wells.

Things we don't agree on:

1. The characterization of Toby. Needles prefers to remain closer to the script, while having Toby be a little uncertain about the war. I like the plo idea, though, about how Marty helps Toby to improve his future.

2. Marty's attitude about the hippie movement. He seems to be a little in agreement with Kristen Sheley in the area. I personally prefer the idea of Marty liking the colourful clothes that hippies wore. I guess I'm just very much into colours. Anyone who looks at my journal would probably see that.

I'm sure there's more in both areas, but that's all I can think of for now. Needles, feel free to add any I might've missed.

It's not so much that Marty doesn't like colorful clothes as much as love beads are just not his "trip." He was willing to wear the tie-dye t-shirt.

Oh, okay! I stand corrected, then. I'll have to see what love beeds love like. :)

We both like the idea of Doc being responsible for all the inventions in the future.

Oh, yeah, that's true, too.

I think we both also like the idea of Doc and Pre-Crisis George having a few close friends - as well as a number of friendly acquaintences - even if they're not especially well-liked. I think we also agree on Lester the Wallet Guy being George's close friend. As for Doc, there are a few people in town who think of him as a luntatic - but it's, by no means, the majority of the townsfolk.

As we mentioned in another topic, we both think of the clock tower lady as being a Carol.

Also, I think we both agree that Marty is relatively popular in school - in a very non-snobbish sort of way. He's also not one to shy away from being nice to the misfits, but is not a misfit himself.

Now a few things we disagree on:

In your ficverse, the Needles don't move to Hell Valley until much later.

Also, Biff Tannen's son is not a bully - but not especially popular, even though Marty is nice to him.

Also, I guess Arthur McFly does get bullied in your ficverse - but not be anyone important. I guess he also not the same age as Strickland in your ficverse - and was, thus, never friends.

I wonder if Hank Needles gets shipped off to Vietnam or if Russ Unger was shipped off to Korea.

You know, I haven't thought too much about that. Douglas Needles would be born two months later, of course - but it would certainly be poetic justice. It was unintentional, but I guess Douglas Needles has picked up his nationalistic tendencies from his father - as seen in Changes of the Almanac Universe, a story I wrote a few months before Psychedelic Psummer.

Hank could still be shipped off after Douglas' birth. If Ralph was born in 1949 or 1950 and Regina was born in 1953, then it's possible that Russ got shipped out to Korea in 1950 and discharged in 1952. But it's just an idea.

Yeah, I'm certainly not going to rule out the idea. I just haven't thought much about it, and I have a number of stories to catch up with.

I did finally give Biff's wife a name, Laura. Miff's wife is Renee, and Cliff's wife is Anne. Biff does reach an epiphany of sorts during the Christmas of 2016, when his health is failing and he's wheelchair bound. If I remember correctly, I think I said he passed away in 2018. During the events of Warped, which took place in 2020, Biff was dead.

BTW, you have to go to DeviantART to read Warped - as it features Michael J Fox. Even though I suppose you could read that story on this board, as well.

We agree that Marty eventually becomes a rock star.

In your universe, Verne becomes a rock star. I, on the other hand, just don't see it.

I guess I know that the popular belief is that Verne is your typical 20th Century kid, and I know he's often said to like video games - so I guess I just put video games and rock music together. He's kind of a Marty wannabe in my fics.

So, BTW, what are your opinions about Doc's overall reputation/standing in Hill Valley?

BTW, it probably won't be for some time - but I'm thinking of pairing Verne up with William McFly's sister, who is also called Linda. Verne decides to let Linda know who he is, and Verne ends up bringing Linda back with her.

I'm also thinking of doing a story in the Newlyweds Universe, where Doc and Clara adopt a kid from the future. That one will be a little tricky, though.

BTW, did you vote in my poll at FFN? It's the one about whether or not Seamus should find out about the true identity of Clint/Rhett Eastwood.

I think a lot of people believe Doc to be a madman. But it's really just a vocal minority. There's a few people in town who thinks he's all right. Hill Valley did grow a lot in the last thirty years, so there's a bunch of people who have never heard of him.

I don't think I've ever met anyone who puts video games and rock music together. I guess Verne being a Marty wannabe in your fics make sense.

I guess because they're both very '80s things that the "cool" kids are into.

So does Doc have a lot of friendly acquaintences in your ficverse?

Doc has talked to very few people in the last ten years. He's talked to a lot of patent lawyers and business investors, but other than them, Marty, and Jennifer, that's pretty much it. He hasn't even talked to his own sister since their mother's death.

Who's his sister in your fic, and do they not get along? What about when he eats out or goes shopping? Are the people who provide service to him generally civil?

The people who provide service to him are civil. I wasn't including them. I haven't named his sister yet. She left town in the '40s and died in the '70s. They got into a big argument after their mother's death. His sister was mad that Emmett got the house and a larger inheritance than her.

Oh, okay! I guess that's what's most important to me, that the people he does come into contact with treat him nicely. The definition of "friend" is pretty blurry, and I guess even "friendly acquaintance" can be? Would you say that Goldie Wilson, in the movie, was a "friendly acquaintance" of George McFly?

Anyway, yeah, I don't know if they ever showed Alex P Keaton playing video games on Family Ties - but I did have him playing Nntendo in my fics. Still, you generally expect people who are into video games to like listening to rock music - as opposed to other genres of music. Not necesarily that they play rock music, but just that they listen to it.

I would definitely call Goldie a friendly acquaintance of George. Maybe even friends. Not the pal around kind, but you know what I mean.

Right, exactly, a friendly friend. Not really the type of friends to hang out together, but I think Goldie really did care about George. In the TP timeline, though, the two probably drifted apart - after Goldie became the mayor, or maybe as soon as Goldie stopped working at Lou's Cafe.

Goldie's reaction to the manure always cracked me up. I know Lou scoffed at the idea of a "colored" mayor, but I don't think he ever really hated Goldie. Goldie must have been one helluva busboy.

Yeah, he did at least hire Goldie. Even though, in my ficverse, he was even more racist in the '40s - but it was his daughter who convinced him to let Goldie work for him.

BTW, do you think the girl behind the counter could be Lou's daughter?

I always figured that the waitress would be his daughter. Lou's Cafe is a family business.

So, in your ficverse, who owns the Cafe '80s? Another Carruthers, or Biff's son? Also, what does the girl think of Goldie?

Another Carruthers owns Cafe 80s. Lou III, to be exact. Lou's daughter is friendly with Goldie.

So they're friendly, but not dating? Does Goldie end up marrying another African-American?

Oh, yeah, I guess one thing we tend to disagee on in the pop cultue of the Hell Valley Universe. I think it'd be strange for Sammy Hagar's I Can't Drive 55 to not exist in that reality, and it's also seemed to really set the mood of the night life - it'd be strange to think that an entirely different style of music was predominant.

No, we actually agree on that.

Oh, okay, cool! :)

Let's see, we both agree that Marty Jr ends up not being a wimp in the improved timeline - but that Marlene and Marty Jr still exist?

Correct me if I'm wrong on this, but I think you imagine Marlene and Marty Jr to be twins - and I imagine them to be "Irish twins". Marty Jr is born roughly nine months after Marlene is.

That is correct. I see them as twins, but I had Marlene be the older twin.

We both agree that Sam Baines died shortly after Marty's birth. We both agree that Marty's band, the Pinheads, become famous. I don't know how famous yours is. In my ficverse, they're definitely not up with the Beatles or Led Zeppelin. They're about as famous as bands such as Ratt and Poison. And they're more famous than, sadly, Huey Lewis and the News.

Yeah, I gave Marty moderate success as a rock star - but definitely not up there with Led Zeppelin and The Beatles. So ours are probably about the same. Maybe not more famous than Huey Lewis and The News, though.

Do we both agree that Marty loves Led Zeppelin? Did Marty listen to Led Zeppelin as a young kid in your universe?

Also, how's improved!Marty Jr in your universe? I suppose you have him be a little less like his father in yours. What kind of music does he like, though?

I suppose you haven't even thought of how ticklish the soles of Marty's feet would be, in your universe - so I'm guess that would never come up?

Marty is indeed a fan of Led Zeppelin. How can anyone not like Led Zeppelin? I know a guy who is a fan of classic rock but does not like Zeppelin. I respect his right to have his own opinion, but I think it's weird that he likes classic rock, but not Led Zeppelin. I didn't tell him it's weird. I kept that to myself.

Marty Jr has some his father's personality traits, but he unfortunately didn't inherit his father's musical talent, even though Marty Sr's fans expected him to. Marty Sr was cool about it, though. He didn't expect his son to inherit everything from him. Marty Jr is a fan of classic rock. He doesn't even consider 2015's rock music to be real rock music.

So what are some of Marty Jr's talents, instead?

Also, was I right about how Marty's ticklish feet won't even factor into your ficverse? I guess you don't mind reading my tickle stories, but just have no desire to write any of your own?

Well, I do know some classic rock snobs that don't like Led Zeppelin - but, then again, a lot of Led Zeppelin fans are pretty snobbish themselves. I never got on all well with the Led Zeppelin fan community.

I suppose you haven't thought of what 2045 would be like in your universe, right? I would like to think people cwould gain a new appreciation for nature, and that old-school rock would make a comeback.

The tickling probably won't factor in my stories. You're correct, I haven't thought of what 2045 would be like.

I haven't thought much about what Marty Jr's talents would be except he would be good at video games (You know, the ones that are "baby's toys") and hoverboarding.

Yeah, I don't care for the newer kind of video games. I go "old school" there. Do you think you might ever write a fic where Marty Jr goes back to the 1980s?

I thought about it. I'm also thinking of using that Microsoft joke. Microsoft actually started around 1985.

That's a good idea! Maybe he want to stay in the past, but Doc won't let him. He'd maybe then retort, "But, Doc, you've stayed in the 19th Century for ten years!"

We both agree that Needles is somehow related to the Tannens. We also both agree that Biff has about two kids. Three in mine, but he only knows about two of them.

Sounds good.

Was young Marty Jr really big on Led Zeppelin, like in my Cosmic Baby fic?

He likes Led Zeppelin.

So at what does Marty Jr start liking Led Zeppelin? Two? Maybe before? Oh, yeah, and what kind of music does Marlene like?

In your universe, after Marty becomes a rock star, does he struggle with a drinking problem? As you've probably guessed, I've borrowed a lot of Michael J Fox's own issues for Marty - including the lawsuit over a house. I kind of glossed over whether or not he was a smoker, though - because I wasn't sure if I should give him that problem. I mean, in the first movie, he acts horrified that his teen mother is smoking. He didn't seem to be a big fan of alcohol, either - but I figured spending a lot of time on the road could change one's attitude there. It's something I put a lot of thought into - so I never had Marty do drugs, or drink anything harder than beer. And, yeah, I wasn't sure if I should give him a smoking problem. I also don't think speeding was ever a problem for him, because of that whole race thing with Needles. That's the one thing about Michael J Fox that bugged me.

Now, I have a question for you, about Michael J Fox? Would you consider yourself a relatively big fan of Michael J Fox? If so, how do you feel about girls who talk a lot about how cute he is or what a lovely voice he has? Just curious.