im gonna be vulnerable and admit something. i did not like ray palmer when we were first introduced to that man on arrow. i thought he was pushy and arrogant and treated felicity creepy. especially given the fact that felicity's mentioned having a stalker during her college years, him tracking her phone and following her around to pressure her into accepting his job offer was... YUP i wanted him dead. he was very unlike the golden retriever boy i came to adore on legends of tomorrow. by then, he and felicity were already donezo. BUT in lot, there's an ep where we get a flashback from before ray left for the waverider, where felicity visits him in her wheelchair... she calls herself hot wheels and they're so soft and endearing... and the scene in arrow where she's fixing him up after he gets that scar on his cheek... they could be v cute. ray's characterization on legends of tomorrow really made me rethink his personality on arrow. he was still undeniably creepy and pushy, but it recontextualized it in a more overexcited way instead of a selfish way.

all this to say: i DO fuck with raylicity !! i think the relationship served its purpose for their individual character development and that break-up was always enevitable. the canonical arrowverse isn't a polyamorous narrative. i'm not sure if polyamory is ever mentioned in the arrowverse after supergirl went to the cw, actually?

but the polycule au isn't canon arrowverse >:3c

currently, within polycule au canon, they are a v-trio! felicity's their original hinge, ofc. ollie and ray are friends, moreso than previously, especially when ray becomes a legend. both oliver and ray can be pretty pushy as people, but for reasons that makes me think of autism to autism clashing. i just think oliver would find it easier to have the energy needed for ray, if ray isn't a constant part of everyday life in star city. recharge them social batteries, y'know.

on the idea of atomarrow themselves in a relationship, though... i don't personally ship it that much, but, yeah, it would totally work logistics-wise !! oliver has a thing for badass nerds. he likes 'em smart and it doesn't matter to him much if it's street smarts or book smarts. ray fits into the category. ray just like 'em powerful, though he can get swept in making himself the more powerful one between them, ever-so subconsciously, and that is simply a reality that would never ever never happen in a relationship with fucking oliver queen. ollie asserts himself to a fault. they would be so dumb together ilove it