do you wonder that MC doesn't ask Sage directly about free tution, when he doesn't warn neither Maya nor Sage about the restaurant?
MC knows that Quinn has a prostitution ring, regardless if he used it or not, a great friend of his is in huge economic difficulties and she's obviously targeted by Quinn, and the most he tells her is that Quinn is "evil"? if Maya had ended up on the menu how could we not consider MC the first culprit? and in the same way towards Sage, believing in free tuition is naive but not denouncing the restaurant is much worse
(and i'm still convinced that it will be the next big drama between MC and Sage)
it's not a case of poor writing, but conscious, the whole drama is constantly built on the incommunicability between the characters.
all the dialogues are full of requests for sincerity or second thoughts about what to say or not to say. almost always it's not so important what they say to each other but what they decide not to say to each other
and on this you have to accept a huge suspension of disbelief
The MC can tell Maya about the restaurant - it's just that he apparently has some very localized brain damage and the resulting babble sounded like the words "Quinn is evil!" in english.
But to be marginally more serious, I think the problem with the restaurant is slightly different because the MC has personal reasons to want to conceal the restaurant's existence (at least on some playthroughs). Whereas despite DavDR's personal feelings, all versions of the MC want to help Maya pay for college. On top of that, MCs who don't use the restaurant and aren't particularly close to Sage might think she already knows about it and not realize it's entirely Quinn's operation.
In other words, the restaurant is more limited by the need to keep branching to manageable levels, whereas asking about free tuition would always be in character for him but would gut the main story of the game (unless it turned out the HOTs really do pay tuition, I suppose).
I don't think Quinn knew that. Quinn was like a lion in the Serengeti spotting a weak gazelle; this timid, shy girl comes up to her and asks about joining the HOTs and Quinn sees a perfect opportunity to mess with someone. She just saw someone she wanted to humiliate and degrade for her own amusement. At the pool scene, she does make it clear she's aware Maya knows of the rumour, but she also addresses Mona too, so she knows both of them have heard the rumour.
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Then when Quinn asks if they're interested, Mona is very enthusiastic and agrees without a second thought whereas Maya actually asks the important question.
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From this, I can't see how Quinn would think or even somehow know why Maya wants to join the HOTs because she isn't exactly making it very clear that this is her motivation.
Also, maybe she's just got a thing against blondes because Ashley is just as timid and shy but Quinn doesn't seem to mess with her in the same way.
As everyone knows, Quinn loves messing with people and Maya is an easy target. But I think Quinn takes it to another level with Maya in particular for two main reasons: a) Maya's "feminist" distaste for Quinn's preferred lifestyle and b) the MC's obvious infatuation with Maya.
That combination of jealousy and wanting to expose Maya's apparent hypocrisy is too much for Quinn to resist (not that resisting temptations is ever Quinn's forte).
So you would be OK with someone who despises you coming to live in your home, pretending to be your friend, and living there just for the financial benefits?
If I'm allowing them to live with me and get the money then clearly,
by definition, I must be okay with it. Otherwise I wouldn't allow it.
Or does Maya's "obvious" pact with the devil now extend to outright mind-control?
