Zenkichi X Konoe - Tumblr Posts

The Deluded Hero and his Personal Attack Dog

"Did you kids really think that I was on your side? You're more naïve than I thought..."

Was listening to "Worst in Me" by Unlike Pluto and it gave me Accomplice AU brainworms (it fits the AU so damn well!)! Just Shadow Zen and Konoe really!

Further context: This was an AU idea that came about on Twitter when I suddenly started shipping those two (Hero X Villain ships are one of my weaknesses, I couldn’t help it! XD) and it just went off from here! Basically, prior to P5S, they encounter each other and (long story short) a deal was made: Konoe gets to carry out his plan while Zenkichi gets the satisfaction of taking down Owada and avenging his wife due to awakening early. Basically, Zen becomes his own Black Mask except it’s mostly torture (irl and even the Metaverse as Zen still maintains some sort of moral code) and he would actually start giving a damn about him. And yes, he would start out using him as a pawn but got legitimately attached as time went by. Also, there would be a roleswap into the mix since Zen becomes the Kyoto Monarch (more or less losing Valjean in the process until his defeat) at Konoe’s request and Akane is the one who becomes a PT. There is a whole Twitter thread between me and a mutual that has more detail but that’s the gist of it! Also, if Konoe ever got a Persona, it would be Javert (also from Les Misérables)! No contest! 

Your Accomplice Au looks cool, I wanna know more pls

O-Oh! Thanks! Well, besides the basic description I gave with those edits, I don't have much else planned out (keep in mind that this came about from me freaking out on Twitter about the idea of shipping Zenkichi and Konoe and a later convo with a mutual). But I guess more description is in order!

Their backstories are still the same but prior the events of Strikers, they end up encountering each other somehow (I haven't figured out how yet but maybe he was assigned to be a bodyguard or something? Either that or he was dragged by Kaburagi to an event he held? It's not set in stone) and they strike up a conversation.

Zenkichi sympathizes with Konoe's hardships while Konoe expresses his own sympathies to him about Aoi's death (more reason for Owada to be on his shit list since he was planning on backstabbing him anyway).

They become close until Konoe trusts him enough to reveal his secret about how he's using the Metaverse along with his findings and plans with it. Now Zenkichi would normally be horrified but Konoe then gives him a tempting offer: He helps him with his skills and connections to the force along with another thing he will discuss with him later and in exchange he will be able to avenge Aoi and bring down Owada for good, making the world safer for his daughter. THAT is what ends up clinching it and he agrees but on the condition that Akane doesn't get dragged into it (spoiler: She does anyway). The deal is made.

As for the other thing he mentioned? That is where Zenkichi awakens his Persona by being dragged into the now deserted Okinawa Jail as more or less an experiment. After being overwhelmed by Shadows and awakening Valjean, Konoe's version of the Black Mask is born as Zen tears them all apart. Of course, Konoe takes the time to make sure he recovers from the ordeal.

Now Zen's tasks are different than Akechi's as he mostly resorts to torture in both the real world and Metaverse if needed and is sent on those changes of heart that are mentioned in the game (the ones not caused by the other Monarchs themselves). Basically he starts up the change of heart epidemic while under Konoe's employ.

Now one thing about their relationship: It starts out as being more of a transaction/exchange so to speak. One benefitting from the other with Konoe at first viewing Zen as a pawn to be used. That and some occasional... Ahem, distractions if needed. Zen's feelings start to change as he desires to be more closer than that with Konoe not exactly wanting to get attached at first (ironic huh?), mostly faking how he feels at first to keep Zen around before possibly throwing him away when his plan is a success. But naturally they become real and legitimate and expresses it as such, wanting his little "Attack Dog" to be by his side forever.

Now onto the main game, Zen still joins the PTs on the road trip but mostly to act as a mole for Konoe. He DOES get attached to the kids a bit but Konoe came first. The meeting at the Madicce building is actually when Konoe gives him a risky idea: He will make Zen the Kyoto Monarch in an attempt to catch the PTs. Zen is hesitant due to the potential risks but Konoe reassures him and even gives him a glimpse of what his Jail would look like and he finally agrees.

The Kyoto arc continues as usual except the false message from Akane is from Zenkichi's Shadow while the real Akane is actually alone at her house after he leaves for "business reasons." The girl starts to suspect something is wrong, hell, she had been suspicious for a while now. But she brushes it off as him being a selfish asshole that she thought he was. That is until she decides to go to his old hideout and she finds a distraught Futaba who tries to explain the situation and Akane is just... Stunned. Not only were those kids she befriended the famous Phantom Thieves but her father basically more or less lost it. She still has mixed feelings about him but ultimately decides to go in the Jail herself with Futaba guiding her (FutaKane maybe?).

She confronts her father before he could forcefully change everyone's hearts and he actually hesitates before suddenly snapping at her. His mind is a mess from being put into the Monarch position despite him agreeing to it. His Persona is screaming at him to stop but he refuses. Akane is horrified when he reveals what he had been doing and all for the sake of Konoe and avenging his wife like Akane would have wanted along with keeping the world safe for her. Akane doesn't believe that this Shadow is her father, the one who despite his faults genuinely loved and cared about her and her mother. While he clearly still does, his morals and character are gone.

It's with that realization that she awakens to her own Persona (who it's based off of, I haven't decided yet).

After the eventual fight against him, she asks him why he really did it and why he would help someone like Konoe with the PTs offering him to join them. He refuses and contently says that Konoe gave him new meaning to his life and the he loves him, plain and simple, before vanishing. Akane is horrified and heartbroken in response before fully blaming Konoe for taking away the only family she has left.

He feels terrible for his failure when he wakes up at Konoe's place. Thankfully his Persona is back and still in his control. Both men agree to fight the PTs themselves.

Side note: When the PTs explore the zoo section of Konoe's Jail, Zenkichi is not seen among the Monarchs on display. They're confused as they are all convinced that Konoe manipulated and used him (Akane especially).

When they confront him, Akane yells at him for what he did to her father. Konoe's Shadow promptly spells out two things:

He WAS using Zen but his feelings ended up being legitimate.

That while Zen was no saint in everything that happened between him and Akane in the past and present, Akane wasn't either as her OWN (bratty) selfishness and negligence blinded her to every potential red flag that might have been present up until it was too late. Like what Zen ended up doing in canon, AKANE drove her own father away.

Akane just freezes in shock since he was actually right in a way. All she had ever done was yell at her dad, made everything about how SHE (and she alone) was affected by Aoi's death and refusing to empathize with him nor look at the bigger picture despite the fact that they were both grieving for the same reason, just handled said grief differently.

The rest basically goes the same as canon at best. At least for now. Phew! That was a doozy to write but yeah! That's basically it so far! ^_^