#this polycule needs a better name i am taking suggestions

[numberonetacostan]

i was going to make a little chart abt the polycule bc adding toilet is interesting but i have very specific thoughts on it, and then remembered i’d have to go off anon to add any images so i just type my thoughts instead

anyway i personally don’t see taco or mic having any romantic interest in toilet. i think it could potentially develop in the future (esp with taco), but i like the idea of him having a more platonic relationship with them in the beginning while being in a romantic relationship with mepad

my main thought is that taco just really deserves people who love her. it’s already shown that not only does mepad genuinely care about her, but he trusts that she can do better and has had a positive influence on her so far. pair that with fixing her relationship with mic and there’s the perfect opportunity for feelings to develop on all sides. i think mic and mepad could originally bond over being friends with taco and being glad that she’s doing better, and over time becoming friends with each other as well

the way their relationship develops in my mind is this: taco initially falls for mic and gets into a relationship with her, feelings for mepad are there she’s just a bit oblivious and unaware of them. thinking she would’ve been so distracted by getting their relationship sorted that it just kinda got pushed aside for the moment. once she realizes it she talks it out with mic and ends up dating both of them, and mic later grows interested in mepad and then they’re all dating. haven’t thought too much on toilet but he’d probably join later down the line

also here’s a few lil hcs in relation to this polycule:

- this has given me a lot of time to consider all of their sexualities and romantic orientations so here’s what i’ve got: pansexual demiromantic mic (which is why i think she wouldn’t be immediately interested in mepad or toilet), disaster bisexual taco, asexual biromantic mepad, ??? toilet (he doesn’t know and neither do i)

- mic teasing taco turns into mic and mepad teasing taco. they’re both so entertained and endeared by her weird little habits but it’s all lighthearted

- cuddle piles. that’s it

- taco never has to worry about feeling alone ever again bc there’s always someone hanging around her unless she manages to find a new hiding spot

- they are all various flavors of neurodivergent and end up sharing a lot of similar traits because of it. i think both toilet and taco are really sensitive to sound, and mic is the one that introduces taco to stim toys. from that point on taco always has something in her hands to mess with

- half the time they can all just hang out in the same room doing their own things without speaking, just enjoying knowing there’s other people in the room if they need them. and just bc they aren’t talking doesn’t mean it’s silent, someone’s either making some sort of idle noise (usually taco humming, i like to think it’s a form of stimming for her) or there’s quiet music playing (they definitely have a group playlist with music they all like)

i hope you enjoy this incredibly long rant as much as i enjoyed typing it

Hello again anon!!!^^ I do not have a nickname for you yet, because polycule anon while relevant would not be my best work. I'll keep thinking!!!! >:) thank you for sending this in!!!! I did enjoy reading it very much!!!!! :D

Agreed, I think Toilet would be with just Mepad initially, eventually with Taco, and I think he and Mic could be the beat of friends. They're both loud folks who love Taco and Mepad a whole lot :3.

YEA!!!!! YES YES YES!!!!! THIS!!!!!! SHE DOES DESERVE PEOPLE WHO LOVE HER YOURE SO SO SO RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I love how you have their relationship develop!!!!!!! Please consider Mepad acting as wingman for Taco when she's trying to flirt with Mic, and then Mic acting as wingman for Taco when she's trying to flirt with Mepad hehehe <3!!!

ONTO THE MIGHTY POLYCULE HCS!!!!!!!

-your sexuality hcs are so lovellllyyyyy!!!!!!^^ I can see all of those!!!! Esp not even Toilet knowing his own sexuality that is so real. I tend to default to calling Taco a lesbian despite my love for Tacopad, because I am a lesbian Taco kin, but usually I make Mepad's gender queer enough that it doesn't matter lmao. I am a he/they Mepad truther!!!!

YESSSSS WE HAVE SEEN MEPAD BE SNARKY HE WOULD TEASE!!!!!! Taco would go hide behind Toilet when she's getting double-teased because Toilet never teases her and that's why he's her favorite /j.

Cuddle pile indeed!!!!!! Mepad is big because he needs to snuggle all his partners at once.

YEAH THEY ARE NEURODIVERGENCY EVERYWHERE IN THAT POLYCULE!!!! Give that Taco a stim toy this instant!!!!! Taco probably has a lot she'd be sensitive to after living in the woods for so long- sound is definitely one of them!!!!!

Yes!!!! Parallel play the best way to spend time with people for real!!!!!!!!!!!! They could spend so many sweet afternoons in the same room just chilling and being relaxed together <3 also Taco humming stim real actually

[the-martyrfication-of-the-matron]

in my professional opinion you either go all in (incomprehensible polycule) or you go which one would your hypothetical fandom woobify and turn into the primary slut of choice and go ham giving the people what they want

also. we being fr? we actually trading? bc if we are you better tell me your requests right here and now and if you’re not you also need to tell me right here and now so i don’t bother writing anything

I’m gonna hold off on the polycule x reader just for now bc you need to work your way through the ranks to get into the Inner Circle, so… we will need to have some other established x readers before we conjoin Reader to the amalgam

And the Woobified slut is always going to be Laur or Aaron with zero question. I still implore you to decide upon one yourself tho because I am indecisive :)

I’m happy to trade if you want to but don’t feel too pressured by it! Im more than happy to write the x reader and send it into the tumblr voids.

But like if you’re taking suggestions, unhinged Shadmau. That’s all. Take from that what you wish. Go as ‘my name is ebony dark’ness dementia raven way’ or DD;DNE with it as you want or go on and wax poetic. Whatever brings you joy.

[bisexualoftheblade-old]

how many wips do you have? like what are they all, and not the number of wips in a fandom? what are all the names?

okay. fuck you. fuck you so much. fuck you.

i’m putting this under a read more cut no one else deserves to see this shit. a lot of these are requests, and for those i will just write out the request itself

Shadowhunters:

domestic polycule fluff with tem, jessa, and will because im not a coward

Supernatural

- hehe hoho i request destiel hehehe

- request 61/? cai cai cai cai i need you to rewrite the destiel scene but yk. GOOD. not like i'm in the know about the spn fandom or anything, it's been years for me. but DO IT

Bright Sessions

- caleb/adam grisha AU

- mark bryant vs. united states aka sue the AM

- caleb/adam college fluff

Umbrella Acaademy

- request 31/? i want a ben and klaus drabble please spare me some brotherly bickering

- AND SO BEGINS NIGHT 4 with request 13/? oooh oooh can i get a raymond and allison playlist??? i think their vibes together would SLAP

- hi there night 2 is technically morning 3 but who's counting not me anyway request 5/? can i get a ben moodboard? gotta rep my tua bb

Percy Jackson

- request 9/? can i get a percabeth moodboard or quote edit?? like god they're the og couple goals take me back to high school cai

- For the 100 follower things :D Jercy getting caught in the rain

- request 29/? a drabble about literally anything to do with pjo. i’ll be happy with anyone and anything i’m love these children

- *somersaults in like I’m a real fancy acrobat* hello ello ello may I request some camp half blood chaos possible involving *does a flip* ✨side characters✨ <3

Penumbra Podcast 

- request 52/? drabble about the penumbra podcast. this is for ren bc ren likes it and i don't actually know anything about it. juno? i think? that's the one ren likes. write it for ren

- Tpp ghost hunting / buzzfeed unsolved au

- sad juno smut

- final resting place fic go brrrr

Marvel

- request 6/? i'm going to my roots y'all can i get a spider-man playlist? if not a playlist then i'd honestly be happy with literally anything involving spider-man

- request 15/? i'm going crazy this is recorded evidence of me actually losing it ANYWAY can i get a quote edit for something from iron man? literally anything that man says is gold so cai's choice :D he deserved better in endgame i'm still bitter

- request 42/? do another spidey thing that differs from the other spidey thing

- request 73/? you have Opinions. rant about infinity way and/or endgame. go.

- request 74/? quote edit for deadpool!!

- spideytorch relationship character study

- peter parker as a tired grad student monitoring the young avengers (send help)

Six of Crows

- okay listen i wasn't going to request anything bc i worry about you but also? if you want to/have the time hit me with a playlist for our girl nina zenik

- request 43/? fuckin give me the ending anya should have had. she is alive and with her new son and having a great time

- request 45/? inej moodboard?

- request 47/? will you make literally any meme of your choosing for six of crows?

- request 48/? write a drabble for kaz, my favorite bastard

- okay so i don't actually like nina or mattias that much but i still wanna hear about your thoughts (and also see if you'll change my mind)

- kaz brekker turning 18 fic. birthday party, everyone singing, whole shebang. i need it stat

- religious trauma fic aka i started shipping kaz/alina/inej and i can’t stop

- kaz trauma soup (he has D.I.D. and you can’t prove me wrong)

- my two redacted fics for @grishaversebigbang​

- wesper fake dating

- six of crows bright sessions crossover: everyone gets therapy

TMA

- uhh... s1 gang having a nice time? melanie getting to have some Pride™️? some "fun" horror thing?

- request 7/? spare steph and jason bonding? please sir? spare some for a humble child such as myself?

- okay so this was meant for night 3 but i had midterm shit SO this is honorary night 3 let's DO THIS request 8/? i want a moodboard of extremely out of context magnus archives shit like i mean confuse the FUCK out of me i don't go here i know Nothing about it

- request 11/? OKAY so i need tim stoker meeting tim drake now i need my timmy to meet your tim plus i want to see character differences no i'm not trying to create a tim stoker in my head so i can read a's fic while NOT thinking of tim drake whaaaaaat you're crazy

- request 18(i think)/? i need a quote edit of every time within the first like. 15 eps of tam where jon is like “sounds fake but go off” thank u bb

- request 40/? i challenge you to write a tma drabble based only on the episodes i've heard. i'm currently halfway through episode 23

- Jon being lovingly bullied into taking a break. I'm aware this has been written a million times but it is one of my favorite things.

- spiral!sasha AU

- extinction martin go brrrrr

- high school era timsasha. they've both been friends for years, and everyone always asks when they will be a couple. they decide to fake date, to prove everyone wrong and show what a bad couple they would be. turns out that's a bit trickier than they thought

- after sasha comes back, tim is broken. he can't let go, scared that if he looks away for even a minute he'll lose her again. sasha suggests shibari as a way for him to give up control

- sasha pov mag 19 au, sacrificing herself to save the others, knows that if she gives herself up to the not!them it will let the others live

- this is the "tim finds a polaroid of sasha" trope

- early archives days,, long nights in research,,, clothes sharing,, somft. late nights and falling asleep at their desks warm and safe in the other's presence

- two parts: timsasha as kids, each picking a constellation that is "theirs". just soft kid antics. tim at sasha's grave glancing up to see their constellations

- continuing your job’s a joke (you’re broke)

DC Comics

- TIMSTEPH HADESTOWN AU,,,

- my redacted fic for @batfam-big-bang​

- request for you to get a decent amount of sleep? serious answer, dickkori, SAL's Venus

- request 4/? timsteph morning after 👀 mayhaps?

- a concept: nonbinary stephanie brown

- teehee hi mom, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, but can i request damian angst for your accomplishments 100 followers?

- hi you can ignore my first request if you want, or you can ignore this one. but bls possibly write some bikini ra’s? -the bikini bitch

- request 27/? jay is asking through me for a jondami playlist but tbh i also want it so win win yk?

- "I don't know how to help you but I can help you find someone who does" with bruce and jason? im just craving bruce being a good day to jason for once

- “I am putting you in time out because you need to understand the consequences of your actions.” with steph and jason as dumbass disaster bi best friends pretty please?

- request 32/? timsteph patrol date!!!

- request 33/? timsteph *gala* date? mayhaps??

- request 37/? tim drake drabble but make it Edgy cai

- request 39/? drabble of a prank war between tim and damian

- joyfire cuddly fluff please? or like just any outlaw fluff if joyfire isnt your thing (feel free to add every member of the outlaws, dont feel like u gotta stick with jason, kori, roy i love them all)

- barbara and robin! jason fluff? bonding over books or something?

- request 62/? i need a drabble about the chaotic trio jason, tim, and steph i'm love them ty

- request 63/? batfam x mcu crossover. batfam meets ironfam. give me ALL the cliches. ALL OF THEM

- request 64/? young justice x young avengers - jay cuz idk SHIT about the young avengers

- request 66/? jondami moodboard pls and ty

- request 67/? timsteph moodboard!!!!!!

- request 69/? HEHEHE kinky 😏 i would v much like a timsteph drabble of the almost first time. does that make sense? like i don't want you to go all the way NSFW cuz i know that's against the rules and i'm a rule follower. but like they *almost* go all the way. this could be fade to black or some shit i don't care just make it a lil steamy and have Fun

- i request damian angst! all of it

- hmm... maybe i request? jondami?

- mayhaps,,,,some batfam,,,,,committing crimes? ily be gay do crime <3 - lu

- How about a ficlet with Steph and Cass?

Found Family Bingo Prompts

- no powers au

- tunnel

- first day

- join the club

- hurt/comfort

- experiment

- playing favorites

- hold on

- possession

- 10 o’clock

- singing

- road

- snitch

- curfew

- timer

- fantasy au

- zombie au

- dreams

- campfire

- are you okay

- movie night

- games

- scared

Miscellaneous

- a request: Write A Drabble, Coward

- is it too late to request a moodboard for me?

- request 20/? i’m going off book because i’m in a Chaotic Mood™️ can you just absolutely vibe check me like go off cai demolish me

- request 21/? i formally request that you pick a favorite cai. i don’t care what that favorite pertains to, just pick a favorite something

- request 23/? roast me

- request 24/? can i have a buzzfeed unsolved spoopy playlist but spoiler alert it’s not spoopy bc shane doesn’t believe does this make sense it has been a Day™️

- request 25/50 i want a jake and amy fic make it Soft cai i’m love them b99 is so good

- request 28/? i know nothing about the lord of the rings so make something that will confuse the shit out of me

- request 34/? malvie and jaylos moodboards 😈

- request 35/? a moodboard for the bbb mods!! perceive all of us!!!

- request 36/? moodboard for the tua mods too???? mayhaps??

- request 41/? doctor WHO? idk but i want a drabble of him and the one character i know from doctor who which is rose

- request 46/? make an alignment meme with our group, have fun!!!

- request 49/? i want you to kin assign me a character from every fandom you can/want to. go feral

- request 50!!!!/? this is a special request. the most special request. can you make a bastards tbh playlist? i want our vibes encapsulated. i want us in music form. i want to hear those songs and be like "that's me and cai" and smile.

- requests 51/? i know jack shit about good omens. explain it to me in the most confusing way possible. make me know less by the end than i know now

- request 53/? can you write a mel aesthetic? i'm Curious

- request 54/? give me a list of book recs cai i want some good book recs pls

- request 56/? edit a picture of US together too

- request 58/? oooh can i have a disney edit? like. hm. i just really love disney and i want anything to do with disney. like a quote or an aesthetic or an aesthetic edit i just want disney.

- request 59/? i would v much like a recipe for carbonara. i've never had it but it sounds fucking delicious

- request 60/? ooh hey can i get a makeup tutorial? i know you like makeup, i'm shit at doing makeup. teach me

- request 65/? i need the most emo playlist you can make that vibes with dear evan hansen thank you

- request 68/? i want a superwholock moodboard. this can be serious, with the actual fandoms in mind, or literally what the era felt like. the insanity. the horror.

- request 70/? ooh ooh ooh do you have a good bread recipe?? i wanna get that bread

- request 71/? i want a playlist with the vibes of summoning a demon. please don't ask questions. i don't have answers. and if i do, no i don't.

- For the requests, how about writing something based on a friend?

- request 75/? MMMM i want literally anything to do with natasha, pierre, and the great comet of 1812

- request 76/? i want some healthy recipes. help a girl out

- a feral bbb quote or two?

- you perceive my plant but now I dare thee to perceive mine own visage

- okay this is a two for one request. 1. you did the bee movie script so now we need a shrek two script edit 2. sleep please

- Pansexual mb for my lil queer soul?

- my (probably) final request is just for you to ramble about something, i don't really care what

- HI ILY CONGRATS AS WELL CAUSE IM LATE BUT CONGRATS. could i request a pirates of the caribbean (or just pirates) or whatever you what to do, free range.

- mood board for the beluga whales who got brought to the animal sanctuary in Iceland please?

- 100 follower request: Moodboard for my stuffed cow Oaky?

[comfy-whumpee]

Bridge

Happy Valentine’s Day! Here’s the whole polycule hanging out.

@iaminamoodymoodtoday, @wildfaewhump, @ishouldblogmore, @lektric-whump, @that-one-thespian, @raigash, @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi, @rosesareviolentlyread, @castielamigos-whump-side-blog, @burtlederp, @starnight-whump

They’ve never met before now, Felicity and Addison. In the harsh light of retrospect, Nic realises they should have fielded that issue before bringing Ellis into the equation.

They didn’t notice at first. They were sitting on the sofa, the three of them, with Ellis on the floor. Felicity had asked him, “Where do you want to sit?” He’d chosen to sit at Nic’s feet, and as Nic was between the two girls, it seemed to be a decent spot. Not a separation from them that suggested he was nervous. He wasn’t kneeling, either.

“Not the sofa today?” Felicity said when he chose. “That’s okay.”

Iz had given her a look, and Felicity had blinked back without understanding it. Nic had leaned forwards, unknowingly breaking the moment, and hit play on the DVD.

The movie rolled forwards. They’re at the halfway mark now, taking a break before the third act, and Nic is getting drinks.

“Can you come up here a sec, Ellis?” they hear Felicity say from the living room, accompanied by the sound of her patting the sofa cushion. “How are you feeling at the moment?”

Nic stills to listen. Ellis’s voice is always soft. “I’m okay, thank you, Felicity.”

It’s not the most worrying answer to hear, but the way he tags her name onto the end of the sentence indicates where his head is at. That’s the gap that used to be filled with a different word.

Felicity pauses too, then says, “You don’t need to be on edge, pumpkin. There aren’t any trick questions, remember?”

Ellis takes a moment to reply. Nic can see his expression in their mind’s eye, the open bemusement as he tries to work out why he is being reassured about something he didn’t realise he was scared of. If he nods in reply, they wouldn’t know.

Iz speaks next. “Keep on sitting wherever you like, yeah? It’s all good.”

There’s the sound of Ellis sliding back off the sofa.

“Try not to give him orders,” Felicity says after a moment. Her voice is a little low too, but Nic can still hear it, and Ellis obviously can – but she makes the effort. “It’s better if he decides himself.”

There’s silence in response. Nic picks up the glass of water for Ellis, and the mug of tea for Felicity, and takes them through. Ellis is kneeling now, in the spot he was in before. Nic passes him the glass, and he smiles weakly at them, but he at least doesn’t thank them with his rote gratitude.

They go back to grab the other two cups, and Iz says, “You got a question, Ellis?”

Nic winces at the countertop. There’s only one question, and all three of them know what it’s going to be.

“Do I have permission to drink?”

“Of course you do, pumpkin,” Felicity says immediately.

At the same time, Iz says, “Now can you answer that yourself?”

Nic steps back into the room and into a short, tense silence. Ellis is turned to look at the two on the sofa, eyes slightly widened in confusion, feeling like he’s being tested somehow. Iz and Felicity are staring at each other.

“Don’t confuse him,” Felicity speaks first, sounding reproachful. “Questions always have right answers, haven’t you heard him say that?”

“The solution isn’t to just tell him the answer,” Iz retorts, and she sounds pissed off. “He can figure it out himself if you just give him space, he’s done it before.”

“He’s not having a good day. He’s not ready.”

“That’s not up to you, is it?”

“It’s not up to you, either!”

“Go home,” Nic interjects, voice projected but not loud. It cuts across their conversation and they fold their arms when both heads turn. “Both of you, now. Out.”

Felicity blinks in confusion, opens her mouth to protest, but Iz cuts her off by standing and nodding, and she deflates. “Sorry,” she says to them, getting up too and going for her shoes. “Text me later?”

“Sure.”

Iz pauses after stepping past Ellis, and drops to a knee. Nic tenses, but she cocks her head and gives Ellis a little smile. “Sorry, Ellis. Shouldn’t talk about you like you’re not here. Have a good night.”

They’re both gone a minute later, the faint sound of Addison’s motorbike fading into the dark.

Nic sighs, letting their arms drop. They go to sit down by Ellis, who is kneeling in place, clutching the glass of water in his hands and staring at the floor. Nic sidles up next to him, and he leans against them, shuddering in relief.

“Just me and you,” they tell him quietly. “No guests. No fighting. You haven’t done a thing wrong.”

“Am I allowed?” he whispers.

“You’re allowed whatever you want. You don’t have to ask.”

He gulps down the water. Nic eyes up the three cups of tea that are going to go cold, and shrugs inwardly. “Do you want to finish the film, go to bed, or something else?”

Ellis swallows, and thinks about it, really thinks about it. Not what he thinks Nic wants – he doesn’t do that when they’re alone with him. Most of the time.

“Can we finish the film?”

“Yeah.” Nic dials down the volume a little, and sits with their boyfriend on the floor, watching the film the way he watches everything, from below.

In the back of their head, they run over the events of the night, and wonder who was right.

[believerindaydreams]

Me: guys I wrote you an *ending*

The unholy polycule I have summoned into existence: tough luck, keep writing

Carla

If there's anything that does suggest their quartet weren't always complete idiots, it's that the community they started seems to have kept going just fine without them.

The leaders are all women, it turns out- Shari, the best doctor they have and busy training more. Sierra, who seems a little scattered but will chat with anyone and offer them a bottle of her homemade Nuka-Cola brew. And Catherine, who describes herself as "useless in the field, but very good at telling you how to plant it."

Catherine being the only one who's also a mother, it's reassuring having her expertise around; even when Daisy is just contentedly napping in her carrier.

"And of course you were the impetus for our gang of four- always the one to put your foot down when a decision needed to be made. Deciding to accept former raiders, for instance- ooh, I was a dither about that and so was Sierra. But you said no, this community was going to take anyone in until they'd proven otherwise, and you did, and why, it's gone very smoothly. Of course, it's easy when there's so much money flowing in- the bottle trade alone, my dear! Caravans are big business these days."

"But the boys," Carla says, rather confused. "Don't they do anything?"

"Ah, well- your husband was always popping off again, you used to call him your own cartographer. Couldn't rely on him, I'm afraid. Vargas we all agreed would be perfect for the Rivet City liaison, so that keeps him busy, and Arcade Gannon...? I don't know if you've noticed, but he is so terribly shy. No bedside manner worth speaking of, he used to joke."

"...then what did I do?"

"Oh, anything and everything! Running back and forth all hours of the day and night, Daisy in her carrier and your hands full of knitting. Directions, breaking up quarrels, assigning schedules and then getting people to do them, which are by no means the same skill- but you could do anything you turned your hand to, it seemed. We were- we were rather intimidated, when you told us that you had to go with your husband. Goodness, please don't do that again any time soon. There's far too much in the wind for you to vanish on us again."

"Then perhaps you had better tell me. Because I am badly out of the loop."

Catherine taps the side of her nose. "It's Margaret, you know- well, it's Three Dog really, but he doesn't say everything that he knows. The Brotherhood has him body and soul- I mean, they do guard the station. But we have a mole named Margaret who works the early morning shift even though she doesn't like it, and it's very kind of her. Because then she can give us the word on things like Liberty Prime being brought online."

Whatever effect Catherine is hoping to make, it's wasted on her. Carla occupies herself patting her baby instead, letting Daisy suck sleepily at her breast.

"And that, I understand, is because Doctor Li's team is planning some sort of...well, plan, about the Tidal Basin water- now they've said that before but the Brotherhood seems to think it's serious this time, because they are planning to send Liberty Prime in to destroy it or something. And that's just as well for us, because if there was cheap water for the taking- why, poof! Nacochtank might as well be Big Town or Dave's Republic, just any old settlement scratching out existence. All those lovely plans of yours up in smoke."

She wishes she'd known this when she'd come back- no, she doesn't. It's taken this long just to be able to recognize people in her own settlement, to rest and bond with her child and start putting Raven Rock out of her mind.

It's good that she left people who could be trusted to carry on without her.

She won't allow that state of affairs to continue; but it was smart.

*****

Arcade

There is nothing so definitely clear cut as remembrance, while he lies flat against the dirt in his own herb garden; but he's sure it's doing him good all the same.

"I don't think I would have even made it here without you," he says affectionately to Boone. Books were all very well up to the point that the constrained walls of the Rivet City Clinic began reminding him of the Enclave; and it's lucky that Boone had seemed to have a knack for those bad patches, his simple presence a trustworthy constant.

His lover grunts, cuts xander greens from the root with his machete. "No problem."

A wave of affection rolls over him, mixed with the inevitable disbelief. He plucks a flower to chew and opens up the lovingly bound thesis he'd found in his tent. Dry, a touch arch, but the contents aren't so alien as they perhaps should be.

Which gives him hope for some type of reversal, although it would be a long way off yet.

"Hey, guys? Family meeting," Manny says.

"I'm here, you're here, Arcade's here," Boone says. "Just get my wife and we can have it right here."

"Behind you."

"Aww, I was going to surprise him with a kiss- well, have one anyway."

"We should move, though," Manny says. "Out of the way of listening ears."

Arcade groans, sits up to dust himself off. "Don't tell me we're going into a subway or a bunker, I've had quite enough of that."

"How about a boat?"

***

So that's how they end up all sitting in a rowboat above who knows how much dirty water. At least they've left the baby on shore.

"Thing is," Manny says, and pauses. "Look. I know none of you are at your best right now, that you have no reason to trust me-"

"Bull," Boone says. "We left Daisy with you."

"And everyone I have met does respect you," Carla points out.

"And I trust them," Arcade says simply.

"Okay then," Manny says, after a fairly pregnant pause. "Look. I gotta know- what is it we're pulling for at this point? A safe life for Daisy? Nacochtank's welfare? Revenge on the Enclave? Cos a whole lotta things are about to go down and before I can start planning, I need to know what way you all want to jump."

"Brahmin before the cart," Carla says briskly. "Tell us what info you have, and then we'll decide based on all the facts."

"Agreed," Arcade says.

So they sit and compare notes, which overlap. At the Jefferson Memorial.

"...you never would help the Rivet City science lab," Manny says, pulling a splinter off an oar. "Never nailed down a reason why, but I suppose we can guess now."

"If we know Autumn will be at the Memorial, I wouldn't mind giving him a bullet for a parting gift," Boone says.

"If the Brotherhood doesn't beat you to it- I wish I knew what a Liberty Prime is," Carla says, trailing her hands in the water. Boone scowls at her and she wipes them on his shirt. "Arcade, what do you think?"

He thinks he'd just like to be at peace, with books and herbs; and feels vaguely guilty that he can't immediately recapture the drive for humanitarianism that landed him in this position. "I think it's going to end with a war starting uncomfortably close to our homes, unless we can do something very clever."

"Such as?" Carla sounds as dubious as he feels.

"Like- a temporary truce of some kind, perhaps while fighting another enemy."

"Ashur?"

"I confess, I can't think of anyone better suited.

Manny heaves a sigh, starts rowing back to shore. "This is gonna need Veronica."