Using the same analogy, if you wave a few thousand dollars at them, they're likely to tell you they're already sitting on top of millions. Sure, they might not turn down the extra cash, but it isn't like they need it. Which is what Cerise is implying, that deep down Faith craves love she feels she wouldn't have otherwise.Don Alexander wrote:Assuming the "Faith is Awesome" field does exist, it is holding Faith's popularity at an unnaturally high level. It needs to remain engaged, like a computer hooked to a power outlet, to keep her popularity at THIS extreme level (not saying she'd suddenly become unpopular if it left - as mentioned, positive memeory reinforcement makes up for a lot). Furthermore, Faith obviously enjoys her position. And as mik points out, just because you are already amillionaire does not mean you suddenly conclude you don't need any fresh money anymore...
If the 'Faith is awesome' field is at the root of her popularity, it's to be expected that once it's cut off that her popularity would take a hit. Pleasant memories wouldn't do much to prevent it from happening, if the victims are made to realize what's been done to them and start asking questions. Similar to how Chloe's mojo was amped while she was wearing the Doompanties. Once they were gone, both she and her status at the school reverted to normal.
You're right, she did say it was the school. Good catch, but the point stands.Don Alexander wrote:Read the dialog again. "The school" picked up the L9 event, not "the ethernet".
How can it be in cahoots with her if she doesn't know what's going on?Don Alexander wrote:IF the school - the genius loci - is somehow in cahoots with Faith to boost her popularity, then obviously the school is going to "obfuscate" this from any "status checks" by the teachers. Or it's as mik says, and Faith's popularity is... yellow. ;)
If you came up to me and said, 'Okay, Gotoh, here's all the booze from the bar up the street just like we planned it' my thought would be, 'What're you talking about? What "plan"? I didn't know anything about this'.
The school, like you in the example, would be acting on its own to give Faith what it thought she wanted. Just like you with that armload of booze (I don't drink, btw).
That said, I'd find it hard to believe the faculty wasn't keeping better tabs on Faith, if what you're saying turns out to be the case. Or that the school would go out of its way to fulfil the desires of a single student, while taking measures to keep the faculty as well (as the recipient) in the dark about what it was doing. Yet, somehow, Cerise figured all this out after spending only a few minutes in Faith's subconscious? That makes her story even harder to believe.