[he hunches at the scolding, despite how much harsher it could've been, because he knows. he knows. they have the same goal, even if they can't agree on the path to it -- that's never bothered subaru before, and if anything... rather than a race, or someone being more right than the other, that just means there's two baskets to put eggs into. he'd be happy either way, as long as it ended well enough.

he stops too, sighing in frustration.]

Sorry. I know you're working for the same thing, I just... don't have anything else worth offering. Nothing that wouldn't get me into worse trouble with Keigo, anyway, 'cause they asked me not to put myself in harms way. Being smote included.

[like this isn't getting in harms way, like the consequences couldn't be worse than what those little totems offer...]

Ama-chan. I'm trusting that you've got a plan that's keeping you to that promise too, even if they haven't asked you, even if they would never want you to know about all this in the first place... because I'd hate to lose you, too. You're one of my best friends here, y'know?