Hmm, so something interesting is occuring to me reading your (very well written) post. I'm someone who's long said that the dream guardian is better than Daisy as a means of convincing a player to use tadpoles. At least they're better at convincing me to. I found everything about Daisy utterly untrustworthy and actively made me less likely to use a tadpole. But my main point is the seduction aspect. As far as seduction goes, I genuinely cannot understand how any character could fall for it. Honestly, I buy someone romancing the Emperor (not the guardian, the Emperor) more than someone romancing Daisy. Lke, there is nothing about her that indicates that she's interested in your character's well-being. I cannot imagine how anyone would fall in love with them. Only the most deluded of person would ever think Daisy loved them. So the idea of a character willingly choosing to spend their life in a mental paradise with her doesn't sound at all appealing. Like, sure you can have sex with her, but what are you going to do when you're not having sex? I think that's fundanemtally another reason she never worked for me. Sure she might look physically like your dream person, but as far as romance goes, she's in no way an appealing romantic partner. At least the Guardian and Daisy convincingly show tht they care for your wellbeing, they talk to you gently and express concern. Daisy was clearly only out for herself and seemingly out to transform you. The sweet nothings she whispered were about how you'd be evil and powerful. The guardian's gentle treatment was far more enticing.