Previously on 'A Starlit Gaze'...
"I don't know... I just don't know how to make it up to him!" Nozomi groaned, covering her face with her palms.
Monaca wheeled closer to the girl, flashing a smile. Which, just for a split second, showed flickers of sinister intention before returning to her usual innocent demeanour.
With a chuckle, she said, "Oh Nozomi...
I'll help you."
***
Every plan needs building blocks.
Every dictator needs their three pillars: legitimacy, co-optation and repression.
With Kotoko, Masaru, Jataro, Nagisa and Nozomi being building blocks of the Paradise, they are also Monaca's symbols of power.
The first word that comes to mind when talking about a dictator is 'repression'. With Monaca, it's constantly nagging and pestering the Warriors of Hope to get along, threatening to burst into a tantrum if there's even a semblance of a tussle; repressing their freedom of expression.
With repression comes fear, which creates Warriors like Kotoko and Nagisa, who are almost obsequiously determined to serve Monaca, out of apprehension that she'll lash out at them. It serves as an example to the other WoH of how they're supposed to act.
When a smart, capable warrior like Nagisa is so strongly devoted to Monaca even beyond the line of friendship, it provides legitimacy to her rule. Prompting others to view Monaca as an unreachable and deific being they don't dare to dream of becoming.
Lastly, there's co-option. To ensure that a dictator's rule is absolute. To ensure that there's no other ruler the people want to follow but the dictator themselves. Co-option is detecting any threat to the repression or legitimacy that the ruler has already established, and doing anything possible to destroy that threat. This is usually someone the people feel connected to, someone they respect and admire as much as-- or even more than the dictator. Obviously, this can topple their rule, reputation and rapport with the people.
To Monaca, this is Nozomi.
Monaca couldn't be more delighted at the opportunity to intervene between Nozomi and Nagisa's growing friendship. On top of that, disguising it as 'help' for Nozomi couldn't be more ideal. It's like killing three birds with one stone.
Not only does she get this opportunity to sabotage Nozomi's rising popularity with the WoH, which protects Monaca's legitimacy by bringing Nagisa back on her side but it also silences Nozomi, hindering her influence-- co-optation. Furthermore, doing all this under the name of 'help', only leads Nozomi to view her in a better light.
'Wow, Monaca's so nice, helping me make it up to Nagisa. Nagisa trusts her the most after all!' Monaca was thinking, mocking Nozomi's voice in her head.
She was now in the great hall. Thinking, pondering, wondering, how to 'help' Nozomi reconcile with Nagisa in a way that benefits herself most.
***
YOU ARE READING
𝗔 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝘁 𝗚𝗮𝘇𝗲 | Nagisa Shingetsu x OC/Reader
FanfictionNozomi Murakami is a cheery and kind-hearted young girl who finds this mysterious boy called Nagisa Shingetsu to be very intriguing. What will happen of their relationship? Will Nagisa take interest in Nozomi as well? Or will their relationship with...
