The New Touhou Character Alternate Interpretation Compendium!

I think buildings can become tsukumogami (I've heard stories of buildings being alive), but the Koumakan isn't in danger of having that happen

The crumbling house left in the wilds of Europe might, though. If objects in the outside world can even become tsukumogami anymore

Why only Scarlets? It's the Scarlet Devil Mansion! It sees them as kin? I admit, doesn't make a whole lot of sense. (though I wouldn't be surprised if Remilia's father and/or other ancestors owned it before her)

I've always wondered just what myths are true. We have eastern things like youkai, Shinto deities, Buddhist related things (which I admit I am not as familar with), characters from Japanese myths and so on, then we have western things like vampires and UF Os (even if the UF Os were explained away as different than "real" UF Os). Does All Myths Are True mean that, well, all myths are true? If so, would something from the west (such as the SDM) be affected by the same rules as myths from the east?

Japanese folklore and mythology is true, though not always how you'd expect. The Koumakan and it's inhabitants is The Artifact from when ZUN was less serious about the whole 'Eastern' thing

Why only Scarlets? It's the Scarlet Devil Mansion! It sees them as kin? I admit, doesn't make a whole lot of sense. (though I wouldn't be surprised if Remilia's father and/or other ancestors owned it before her)

I wouldn't be at all surprised if there's at least one fancomic about the late Percival Scarlet seizing it from its former masters in the 1400s, or something of that nature. Probably very violently, if I know Touhou fans.

edited 25th Jul '11 11:00:51 AM by SuperDimensionman

I've seen a couple doujins that have the Scarlets' parents or similar. It tends to end with Flandre killing them. Not much about the origin of the mansion from what I recall. And absolutely nobody named Percival.

edited 25th Jul '11 11:04:12 AM by Bocaj

I've often wondered about the Scarlets' parents. Were they vampires too? If so, what happened to them? (inb4 someone suggests that Remilia and Flandre killed them).

Because fanon Flandre is a raving psychopath. Alternate theory: Sakuya the Vampire Slayer offed them, but then lost to their daughter. How embarrassing for her.

edited 25th Jul '11 11:06:12 AM by asterism

What utter tosh. Can you think of any more fitting name for the elder Mr. Scarlet than "Percival"? I certainly can't.

How about SIR Percival? And Lady Scarlet's first name is Elizabeth.

EDIT: Named after Elizabeth Bathory. Because, y'know, vampire.

Or her name is Mathilde, which a suitably Gothic name.

edited 25th Jul '11 11:15:32 AM by asterism

Well, yes Flandre being a raving psychopath that kills her parents is a fairly common thing in things where the parental Scarlets are a thing.

Then again, another one had this woman with two daughters sell the elder to a vampire that wanted a heir. The younger trained to become a great and powerful magical girl and came to kill the vampire and get her sister back. Then they did the simultaneous kill thing and Remilia vampirized Flandre to keep her from dying. Except Flandre's fatal wound had been a crushed skull so she's insane now. Or something.

Actually, I don't think I've found a very satisfying origin story for the Scarlets yet. For one thing, nobody is named Percival and that's just terrible.

And so that this is vaguely on topic, if Remilia and Flandre were born to vampire parents, somehow, then the mansion is probably the family one.

Am I reading this correctly? A swimming pool... in the library?

Yes. Its one of the things that SSIB contributed that I approve of.

I think about half the Scarlet origin stories I've seen had the parents get killed offscreen by whatever turned the sisters

Yeah, Remi wanted a beach like what she saw on the Moon so she had someone build a pool in the library

edited 25th Jul '11 11:18:59 AM by Metaflare

The mansion is ostensibly name after Remilia, however for all we know it was called something else before it was moved to Gensokyo. Or perhaps Remilia's just claiming it was named after her. Or maybe it's real name is whatever 'Scarlet Castle' is in German, and Remilia renamed it after herself, cause that's just how she rolls.

EDIT: Google Translate renders it as 'Scarlach Berg', but Google Translate has a rather sketchy record*

edited 25th Jul '11 11:24:19 AM by asterism

Why would it be German?

Hmm... I've never done notes for a building. Let's do some architecture!

Of Note

The building is depicted as red, and it appears to be made entirely of red brick, furnished with the finest red furniture. It's windows are red too.

It's location is in the middle of the Misty Lake, meaning you cannot simply approach without a boat or flight.⑨

The mansion is from the outside world, so that explains it's non-eastern appearance and the nationality of its residents. We don't even have proof that Sakuya is Japanese, it's just an assumption.

The mansion known rooms are: The basement, which contains the library and presumably Flandre's room, a rooftop balcony, a large clock tower that only rings at mid-night, and the entry hall. Though it has hundreds more we don't see, like a kitchen and Remi's room. There's also a pool... in the library... when the building is already on an island... and the inhabitants don't use it any way... lolwut.

Thanks to Sakuya's time-space hax; It's larger on the inside. ⑨

Overview

I don't really see the mansion in any real alternate way. It's a large building and very, well, mansion-y. Full of rooms, and rich inhabitants. I suppose being lake property is an interesting fact to take note of. It certainly simplifies Meiling's work.

edited 25th Jul '11 11:49:49 AM by Horselesshorseman

'Remilia' isn't an actual name, and no one has been able to find a name that can be pronounced as 'Furandooru'. 'Patchouli' isn't normally used as a name, and is in several European languages. 'Knowledge' also isn't a name, and is English. 'Voile' is French, but that may or may not be canon anyway

...Maybe Remilia named everyone that lives in the mansion?

Well we already know that Remi hs horrible tastes in names

edited 25th Jul '11 11:42:03 AM by Metaflare

Remilia insisting on giving every inhabitant a stupid name is a very amusing idea.

Did some googling and didn't find anything on Remilia's or Flan's names but Patchouli is also the name of a type of mint herb, not really sure that really has anything to do with her. Knowledge implies how smart Patchouli is.

Edit: Random Ninja is Random.

edited 25th Jul '11 11:47:25 AM by raigakuren

Are "Remilia" and "Flandre" not real names? I'm almost certain that I've heard of them outside the context of the Touhou games. I know for sure that Scarlett with two "t"s is a real surname, too.

German is a suitably Gothic language.

Flandre's name is French. She's named after the Flanders region of Belgium*

Judging by Meiling and Sakuya, Remilia has a fairly decent taste in names. Better then Kaguya's, anyway ('I'll name you Inaba, and you can be Inaba, and you're Inaba, and you'll be named Inaba, and I'll call you Inaba, and as for you, your name can be...Inaba,'). 'Patchouli Knowledge' is a rather...unusual name. Perhaps Remilia practised her names before Meiling but after Patchouli.

edited 25th Jul '11 1:15:20 PM by asterism

Apparently.

If the parental Scarlets share Remilia's naming sense, they could have named her that because they had a really nice time on vacation there once.

Maybe Patchy named herself. Or her hippy parents did. If Koakuma's real name is Koakuma there is evidence that Patchy isn't any better at giving names than Remilia is.

edited 25th Jul '11 11:53:21 AM by Bocaj

Well Flandre's psychoses are often... Flandreized. Sorry.

Patchouli's name may just be a born magician thing. I mean she's named after a plant and her surname is Knowledge. EDIT: Or hippy parents.

edited 25th Jul '11 11:54:28 AM by Horselesshorseman