Theory - the bowler hat people

[Ixthos]

Everyone is assuming Wayne owes people money, but I think, for two reasons, that the situation is actually reversed.

The reasons:

1. Previously, Wayne invested money with and in the work of Sophi Tarcsel, who is the equivalent of Nikola Tesla's daughter, and who is likely doing very well in this modern age
2. Dramatic irony - nowhere does Wayne say these people are after him due to him owing them anything, and everyone else is just assuming that he does because of his past habits

Wayne doesn't owe people money, people are trying to track Wayne down to give him money, as a return on investments. This also might explain why he hasn't been as big a drain on Marasi in terms of metal nowadays, but that is a side issue. The bowler hat people, contrary of the beliefs of those around Wayne, are there to give him money due to his financial backing of Sophi Tarcsel's business.

[+robardin]

Totally agree, I thought the exact same thing down to the investments involved (Sophie Tarcsel).

I also wondered if Alliriandre was somehow involved (the girl whose father Wayne killed long ago in the Roughs, who he was seen visiting and pressing money onto in Shadows of Self). 

[Ixthos]

52 minutes ago, robardin said:

Totally agree, I thought the exact same thing down to the investments involved (Sophie Tarcsel).

I also wondered if Alliriandre was somehow involved (the girl whose father Wayne killed long ago in the Roughs, who he was seen visiting and pressing money onto in Shadows of Self). 

Now that would be interesting! This story looks like it might have a deep exploration of Wayne as a character, and his unhealthy dynamic with her would certainly be an arc to close before the end of the book, and thus the end of that era. Either with her ultimately forgiving him, or both just moving on, if she is involved somehow that would certainly add an interesting dynamic to the situation.

[Requiem17]

My instinct was the same, but unfortunately I have to obsess over it with these weekly chapters ugh. 

Reddi says "this time" implying that someone has come to Wayne looking for money before. We don't yet know if Wayne picked up gambling or investing in the wrong things, he may have. It seems out of character because he's never seemed interested in making more money. If this is the track Brandon is taking Wayne's character though, Wayne has really imploded his life. The only good thing going for him now that MeLaan and he are over is the constable job with Marasi, and that has signs of being over soon as she's wishing for the next big adventure/challenge. 

I really hope it's the opposite though. Allriandre returning the money and we get some closure there makes the most sense as to why he's running. If Sophie why is Wayne running away? It'd have to be a strings-attached sort of sum. Not sure what the strings could be.

[dbulick]

16 hours ago, Requiem17 said:

My instinct was the same, but unfortunately I have to obsess over it with these weekly chapters ugh. 

Reddi says "this time" implying that someone has come to Wayne looking for money before. We don't yet know if Wayne picked up gambling or investing in the wrong things, he may have. It seems out of character because he's never seemed interested in making more money. If this is the track Brandon is taking Wayne's character though, Wayne has really imploded his life. The only good thing going for him now that MeLaan and he are over is the constable job with Marasi, and that has signs of being over soon as she's wishing for the next big adventure/challenge. 

I really hope it's the opposite though. Allriandre returning the money and we get some closure there makes the most sense as to why he's running. If Sophie why is Wayne running away? It'd have to be a strings-attached sort of sum. Not sure what the strings could be.

I feel like Wayne owing people money isn't so much that he borrowed or messed up with some investment, but more along the lines of he just doing whatever he wants took something without paying.  Like he "traded" a old meant bun for something more expensive.

My initial thought too was it had to do with the little girl that Wayne was messed up over as well.

[Ixthos]

On 10/18/2022 at 0:18 AM, Requiem17 said:

My instinct was the same, but unfortunately I have to obsess over it with these weekly chapters ugh. 

Reddi says "this time" implying that someone has come to Wayne looking for money before. We don't yet know if Wayne picked up gambling or investing in the wrong things, he may have. It seems out of character because he's never seemed interested in making more money. If this is the track Brandon is taking Wayne's character though, Wayne has really imploded his life. The only good thing going for him now that MeLaan and he are over is the constable job with Marasi, and that has signs of being over soon as she's wishing for the next big adventure/challenge. 

I really hope it's the opposite though. Allriandre returning the money and we get some closure there makes the most sense as to why he's running. If Sophie why is Wayne running away? It'd have to be a strings-attached sort of sum. Not sure what the strings could be.

I get the feeling - and I probably should do a reread of the series to be sure - that Wayne isn't very comfortable having money, and prefers to give it away or invest it in other people. Thus having money he gave to someone else returning to him is likely a disturbing prospect - if I'm right, he thought of what he was doing as charity, but now its unwanted and unexpectedly returning to him.

[Requiem17]

Here's a bit more credence to the Sophie Tarcsel dividends theory, which I don't think needed proof but since I saw it I figured I'd drop it in.

SoS broadsheet:

Quote

Investors Wanted. Investing in electrics will grow your wealth. Contact S.T., 15 Stranat Place.

Though a part of me thinks Brandon shows the conclusion of this in BoM when Marasi says this:

Quote

Never mind that he himself was wealthier, now, than most of Elendel.

I think I've re-convinced myself it's Allriandre.

[+robardin]

On 10/22/2022 at 7:35 PM, Requiem17 said:

Here's a bit more credence to the Sophie Tarcsel dividends theory, which I don't think needed proof but since I saw it I figured I'd drop it in.

SoS broadsheet:

Though a part of me thinks Brandon shows the conclusion of this in BoM when Marasi says this:

I think I've re-convinced myself it's Allriandre.

Heh. At the same time (or at least, in the same book) as Marasi reflecting that Wayne was "wealthier now than most of Elendel", Wayne also justifies taking the apparently solid aluminum spearhead off of the statue of The Sovereign by thinking to himself that "little Sophie Tarcsel needs funds". But then he just swaps it into Marasi's bag in exchange for ReLuur's missing spike, for no obvious reason. What would Sophie Tarcsel have done with that? LOL.

Feels like that might have been one of those "a little help" nudges from Harmony in directing human events. Wayne already wanted to do things like fiddle off the huge metal spearhead, and to swap things with Marasi without her noticing... Why not arrange it so that Marasi would have the true Bands of Mourning in her possession, at just the time and place that it could be useful?

Edited October 24, 2022 by robardin

[Requiem17]

9 minutes ago, robardin said:

 Why not arrange it so that Marasi would have the true Bands of Mourning in her possession, at just the time and place that it could be useful?

So I was reading another post/WoB somewhere recently, about storing Fortune. How everyone in the cosmere has some base "stat" for "luck / gut feeling / intuition", and it's an actual Spiritual-Realm induced thing. 

I think it's actually extremely possible that Wayne acting on instinct so much is him accidentally taking advantage of his base-stat of Fortune-- which explains some of the deux-ex-machina feeling things! 

[AquaRegia]

As has so often been the case, @Ixthos absolutely nailed it.  Well done!  Is it hard being so much smarter than the rest of us?  ;-)

[Ixthos]

20 minutes ago, AquaRegia said:

As has so often been the case, @Ixthos absolutely nailed it.  Well done!  Is it hard being so much smarter than the rest of us?  ;-)

*Blushes manfully*