When he was younger, not long before his mother had died, Akechi had once slipped off a creek embankment in the middle of winter. It hadn't been very deep, but still enough to fully submerge him and soak him from head to toe.

What he feels now is remarkably similar to what he'd felt then: a jolt of alarm followed by an all encompassing icy shock, overpowering enough to briefly drive all other thoughts from his mind and emotions from his heart. He stares at Akira with his eyes wide, his lips parted, his ears tilted back, his tail slightly puffed - but before he can say anything or even react anyway further the sound of footsteps and muffled voices suddenly draw closer. Akechi freezes, eyes sliding back towards the door as Akira is not forgotten, but temporarily deprioritized.

Fortunately the voices and footsteps pass by without lingering or slowing down. Akechi doesn't really relax but some of the tension does bleed out of his frame. When he finally looks back to Joker is expression is under control again, that picture perfect mask of polite neutrality back in place, but there's no hiding the overly-interested forward tilt of his ears or the steady, anxious swishing of his tail.

"... Maybe, but they suit you better." His tone is just as calm and unassuming as Akira's, like it makes perfect sense for them to run into one another in this situation. "It seems like Morgana really rubbed off on you."