diff --git a/docs/decisions.md b/docs/decisions.md
index 425fe66..7871d01 100644
--- a/docs/decisions.md
+++ b/docs/decisions.md
@@ -772,7 +772,7 @@ rule and an index of the titles below.
   `OutgoingRequests.canCarry()` reads it rather than `closed`. The gate is told what happened and
   never reads back into the session: a collaborator that has to ask does not own its decision, which
   is how the first cut ended up answering the same question two different ways at admit and at
-  release. The retry in `carry()` asks `gate.awaitsNextLink()` rather than `canCarry()`, which also
+  release. The retry in `requestPastDrain()` asks `gate.awaitsNextLink()` rather than `canCarry()`, which also
   reads the socket: a loop condition the gate does not gate on spins against a gate that admits it
   straight back.
 
diff --git a/src/outgoing-requests.ts b/src/outgoing-requests.ts
index 2193f4a..b4d064b 100644
--- a/src/outgoing-requests.ts
+++ b/src/outgoing-requests.ts
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ export class OutgoingRequests {
 		this.pending.settle(seqNr, { err });
 	}
 
-	/** Sends a request and resolves with the peer's response. */
+	/** Sends a request once the gate has a link and the window a slot, and resolves with the peer's response. */
 	request(input: PduObjectInput, options: SendOptions): Promise<Result<{ pduObj: PduObject }>> {
 		// Ahead of the drain, so a misuse is named as one rather than blamed on the shutdown.
 		const wrong = misuse(input);
@@ -93,11 +93,11 @@ export class OutgoingRequests {
 			return Promise.resolve({ err: new Error('Session is shutting down') });
 		}
 
-		return this.carry(input, options);
+		return this.requestPastDrain(input, options);
 	}
 
-	/** The same path without the drain's refusal, which a receipt for a held message has to take. */
-	async carry(
+	/** request() without the drain's refusal, which a receipt for a held message has to take. */
+	async requestPastDrain(
 		input: PduObjectInput,
 		options: SendOptions,
 	): Promise<Result<{ pduObj: PduObject }>> {
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ export class OutgoingRequests {
 		if (bindCommands.includes(input.cmdName)) {
 			const shut = this.gate.refusal();
 
-			return shut ? { err: shut } : this.now(input, options);
+			return shut ? { err: shut } : this.requestPastDrainGateAndWindow(input, options);
 		}
 
 		const waitForLink = this.gate.hold(options.signal);
@@ -129,8 +129,11 @@ export class OutgoingRequests {
 		}
 	}
 
-	/** Past the gate, the window and a drain, for what has to go out either way. */
-	async now(input: PduObjectInput, options: SendOptions = {}): Promise<Result<{ pduObj: PduObject }>> {
+	/** Straight onto the current link, for what has to go out either way. */
+	async requestPastDrainGateAndWindow(
+		input: PduObjectInput,
+		options: SendOptions = {},
+	): Promise<Result<{ pduObj: PduObject }>> {
 		return (await this.attempt(input, options)).result;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/session.ts b/src/session.ts
index b165697..59ee036 100644
--- a/src/session.ts
+++ b/src/session.ts
@@ -235,9 +235,8 @@ export class Session extends EventEmitter<SessionEvents> {
 	async unbind(): Promise<VoidResult> {
 		const drained = await this.drain(undefined);
 		const wasOpen = this.lifecycle === 'attached';
-		// now(), not send(): a drain refuses a send, and the unbind goes out either way.
 		const sent = wasOpen
-			? await this.outgoing.now({ cmdName: 'unbind' })
+			? await this.outgoing.requestPastDrainGateAndWindow({ cmdName: 'unbind' })
 			: { err: new Error('Session is closed') };
 		const closedOnUnbind = wasOpen && this.lifecycle !== 'attached';
 
@@ -274,7 +273,7 @@ export class Session extends EventEmitter<SessionEvents> {
 			reportError: err => { this.emit('sessionError', err); },
 			reportMessageDlr: merged => { this.emit('messageDlr', merged); },
 			send: input => this.send(input),
-			sendPastDrain: input => this.outgoing.carry(input, {}),
+			sendPastDrain: input => this.outgoing.requestPastDrain(input, {}),
 			smsListeners: () => this.listenerCount('sms'),
 		};
 	}
diff --git a/todo.md b/todo.md
index ff08643..f86ca29 100644
--- a/todo.md
+++ b/todo.md
@@ -204,9 +204,6 @@ and 5. Every seat ranked the session's lifecycle hardest and least wanted to mod
 
 - [ ] **Lift Locality to 7, and confirm it with a scoring run.** A run reading 7.0 or above also
       retires the #30 decision. The sub-items are what the 2026-09-28 run named, most seats first.
-- [ ] **Name what `request()`, `carry()` and `now()` each skip.** Three ways onto the wire differ
-      only in which of the drain, the gate and the window they bypass, and none of the names says
-      which. Three seats.
 - [ ] **Give the held-message flow one place a reader can follow it.** Whether a drain still waits
       on a message is spread over `emitSms()`, `MessageHold`, the session's rejection route and
       `Sms.isHeld()`. Four seats.