GOA I: Noise Marie

Great Britain in the year 1800 had changed little from the decades it had seen since 1600; closed-off, secluded, agricultural –people were mostly restricted to their native villages, where their families had undoubtedly lived for generations. To people of Cornwall and Somerset, London seemed a foreign place, running ten ticks ahead of their own clocks, and Bristol ten ticks behind. For the most part, horsepower was the only power, and the mighty seasons were still the presiding lords, sitting in their nimbus thrones and ruling over the land with unforgiving prowess.1

But the winds of change were swirling through the foul-smelling, smog-covered streets; just a breeze at first, but soon building and heightening into a whirlwind of new ideas and concepts that blew up the dust of the old and outdated and brought in the contemporary and exciting. 2

With these changes came an influx of people; people from all corners of the earth, change-seekers who were tired of the dust that had collected in their own outmoded ways of life, and were willing to uproot entire family trees to glance a glimmer of hope in a strange land.3

The story begins with one such family, the Kanda’s; who, after a difficult time of scraping enough money together to buy passage on an English trading vessel, came to the already-overcrowded slums of Barnet, northern London, to escape poverty and violent feuds in their native village of Edo, Japan.4

Poor, uneducated in the English language, and near-starving, they made their home in a shambled tenant house riddled with mites, cockroaches, and other unpleasant creatures—two tiny rooms to be shared by five Kanda’s: husband and wife, two sons and a daughter. Not five seconds moved in, the Kanda patriarch immediately left seeking work in the newly-founded steel factory along the Thames, his children and wife left huddled in the dark, wondering if their lives had gotten better—or much, much worse.5

Fortunately, within a short period of time, their luck seemed to flip completely upside-down, in the form of a very generous friend and benefactor: Edmund Marie. An upper-ranking official in the steel industry, Kanda Douzo had caught his attention when, while being derisively mocked and cruelly beaten by an overseer who had demanded that the father-of-three speak English, had unabashedly and unreservedly saved the man’s life when a massive rod of tempered steel fell from a machine’s belt, threatening to crush him.6

“This man,” Marie had announced later, in front of the authorities of the factory that had gathered at the scene, “is a model of a true man, and we should all strive to mold ourselves to the like.”7

He had given Kanda a reward of ten pounds, and had personally summoned his driver to take the two of them to the Kanda residence after the event. 8

Marie had gathered, from strained conversation in his carriage while en route to Barnet, that Kanda was uneducated and limited in the local vernacular; and, remembering the motive of the overseer, began to think about educating the Kanda patriarch, to help lessen the bleakness of his future.9

Marie was absolutely delighted to meet the Kanda family–and, after what seemed like rather excited dialogue with his wife in his native tongue, they too were very welcoming and grateful for his presence. The two adults fretted over his kindness and his offered money, while two children fascinated themselves with his well-tailored overcoat and freshly shined shoes; things they had not seen before with their own eyes. It was all terribly endearing, but Marie could not help but notice the one child who stayed back, withdrawn and reserved, staring at him with calculating eyes that were out-of-place on such a young face.10

He soon realized, however, that the child was not staring at his face—rather, at his ears, where homemade audio-enhancing devices were enveloping them. He laughed, and gently approached the distrusting youth.11

“Do not be afraid, young one. Do you find these strange?” He knelt down to the youth’s level, fingering his mechanical contraptions lovingly. The large, sapphire eyes were immediately drawn to the movement and the strange, metal things in Marie’s ears. “I made them myself. They help me to hear sounds better. Noise. Do you understand?” He slowly cocked his head to the side, revealing a singular device in its entirety for the boy to study.12

He was slightly startled to feel bold hands at the shell of his ear: probing, exploring. Small, soft fingers roved over the appendage, metal and flesh, until he was content and drew back. It was apparent the young boy understood nothing of what Marie had told him, but everyone in the party was surprised when he declared loudly, and with much satisfaction, “Noise.”13

Marie broke the stunned silence with a great barking laugh. “What a delightful, inquisitive child! A natural-born scientist! What is your name, little one?”14

The child did not respond, not understanding the question. So he turned to Douzo instead, and repeated his inquiry very slowly. Douzo smiled and ruffled the small boy’s hair affectionately (to which the boy made a face, making Marie chuckle again).15

“Yu …”16

Marie nodded his thanks, and turned back to little Yu Kanda with a gigantic smile. He held out his hand for a man’s handshake.17

“Hello, Yu ... it’s very nice to meet you. My name is—”18

Yu touched the man’s large hand, but didn’t grasp it. Directing his large midnight seriousness at Marie, he said again, “Noise.”19

Edmund Marie was completely enchanted by this; and from that day forward, he became “Noise” to the Kanda family, and little Yu became the widowed, wealthy man’s most cherished friend.20

*Seven years later …21

“Noise!”22

A tiny ball of constant energy and curiosity stuck his black head into what seemed like the hundredth door, seeking the master of the house and the man his entire family had come to love dearly.23

“Brother Noise!” The youth cried again, dodging a maid as he sprinted down the second-floor corridor, heading for the main staircase to descend to the lower floor. Honestly, what was the purpose of the mechanisms in Brother Noise’s ears if he couldn’t even hear his name being called out to him?24

In a fit of exasperation, the pony-tailed youth reverted back to his mother tongue. “Doushite, Noise-ni-san?”25

No sooner had this Eastern utterance left his tongue, a large, flat palm came down upon his head harshly, almost making his knees buckle.26

“I heard you the first time, Yu. And what have I told you about Japanese? While you are in this house, you must restrict yourself to English from the hours of eight in the morn until six in the eve, and when speaking me only English will suffice. Otherwise, how will one improve their oratorical skills?”27

Yu turned around, giving Noise a defiant look and he rubbed the top of his head roughly with both hands. “Itaaai …”28

Noise sighed, but there was a smile on his face. “Honestly, little Yu, you live for the trouble you cause me. Why were you not at the History lesson I just gave your siblings? You didn’t go to the English lesson yesterday, either. You are maddeningly stubborn—shall I start calling you “little ox” instead?”29

Yu danced out of reach as Marie’s hand sought his ponytail, which he liked to yank during times like these. “I just don’t think it matters for me, Brother Noise. I am much more capable in the English than my family! The rules don’t apply to me anymore!”30

Noise’s face grew serious. “So you think you are above the law of this house?” Yu, noting the change, stopped fooling around immediately. He stood still, slightly bent in an apologetic bow, but the dancing waves of mischievousness still flooded his oceanic eyes.31

“No, Brother Noise. It’s not that. I’m just tired, Brother, of having lessons with my siblings! They are so slow, and too stupid to understand half of the things you try to teach them. I’m so restless! I wanna learn more things, Brother. I want to learn them right now, all at once! This is why I was looking for you. I wanted to ask you—will you teach me by myself?” 32

Marie didn’t think for one minute that the boy was talking about schooling. Though his English was remarkable, and had come to him amazingly fast, he was rather unperceptive in the other subjects, and downright doltish when it came to arithmetic. No, Kanda Yu had no interest in learning the ways of the mind—he was completely fascinated in the ways of the sword.33

He smiled. “Sure, Yu. I will teach you alone,” he said, and Yu immediately looked triumphant. He let out one muffled “Yatta!” before ducking under Noise’s legs and darting away.34

Sport had originally been part of the academic regime Edmund Marie had designed for the Kanda children; for in exchange for living at the Administrator’s mansion, the children were required to be educated in the western style; this included acquiring fluency in the English language and studying English arts, literature, and history. But Marie, having been through reserves training, knew that one could not hope to sharpen the mind without sharpening the body as well.35

So he had gathered the Kanda children in the lounge one evening after dinner, to discuss the physical activities they were most interested in pursuing.36

“Well, children, I’ve picked out some activities that I know I could teach you relatively easily, but I want you all to decide on one only, that’ll you’ll practice together,” Marie explained slowly, making sure to enunciate so the syllables would be easier for unaccustomed ears to pick up on. At the very least, he knew that little Yu would be able to understand him; that boy had a knack for the language.37

The eldest Kanda child, Yuuto, looked down upon the pictures he had assembled with guarded interest. The little girl, Kujaku, immediately started playing with the picture of a horse.38

“What is this, Brother Noise?” She asked, thickly but sweetly.39

Noise patted her head. “You’ve picked out horseback riding! Very suitable for a young woman to participate in,” he explained, but this explanation didn’t hold well for the two boys present.40

“A girl sport? I don’t want to play a girl sport,” Yu sneered, and tossed the picture aside. Kujaku started whining.41

While Noise tried to settle the growing dispute between the younger siblings, Yuuto picked up the illustration of a fencing match. “Brother Noise … this is the one I want to play!”42

Their argument forgotten, the other Kanda siblings poked their heads over their brother’s shoulders to look.43

Yu’s eyes shined as he took in the sight of the swordplay. “Oh, Brother Noise … yes, let’s learn this sport!”44

The girl wasn’t so convinced. “That looks scary,” she stated unevenly. “Can’t we ride the pretty horsies, please?”45

But Kujaku was outnumbered; the boys were determined to learn the art of swordplay, and in the end of a lengthy description of the sport by Marie, she accepted the decision.46

Ever since then, Marie had been teaching all three Kanda siblings how to fence with the best of them, though he had to approach the sport gently, as Kujaku was very sensitive and could be hurt easily. The eldest boy, Yuuto—intelligent as he was in arithmetic and science—proved clumsy with a blade, and slow to pick up the footwork.47

Kanda Yu, however, quickly surpassed his siblings, just as he had surpassed them in English: with obsessive training and ample practice. It was obvious from the start that he was gifted as a swordsman, and his small, lean body gave him just the right edge for success in the sport.48

But Noise also had to be careful of Yu when he started to really focus on his skills, for he was the obsessive-compulsive type and was prone to disregarding his own safety as well as the safety of others around him. Those “black modes,” as Marie called them, when Yu could focus only on practice and nothing else, would cause the boy to injure himself in the name of training, if Marie let him.49

But he never did, because Edmund Marie was a wonderful caregiver, firm but loving, and the Kanda adults knew their children would grow up to be wonderful, successful people under his tutelage.50

But little did they know that their family, their beloved children, would not live long enough to see that day arrive.51

*April 10th, 186252

“Happy bursday Marie-sama! Happy bursday!” The Kanda patriarch let these endearing, accented tidings loose in the chilly, English springtime air as Edmund Marie blew out the candles on a large frosted cake, the children all fighting to stick their heads in long enough to blow out a candle themselves.53

Though the Kanda family lived at the Marie mansion through Edmund’s good intentions alone, they still worked lower-class jobs and accumulated little money—so a fancy, expensive present for their benefactor had been out of the question. Instead, Mrs. Kanda had given the house cook a day off, wanting to give Marie a traditional Japanese meal for his birthday. With Kujaku giving her a hand, she made a meal fit for the emperor himself: oigiri and sashimi for an appetizer, stew and yakizakana for dinner, and a green tea sorbet serving as dessert. Mr. Kanda had apparently gotten some workers together held a celebration for him at the steel factory, and the Kanda children had painted pictures for him in their art class that day.54

But for little Yu, such a petty thing would never suffice for his Brother Noise. What use had the successful man for a stupid picture, drawn by a child? No, he could and would do so much better than that.55

Unbeknownst to the rest of his family, Yu had started to make a little money of his own, secretly taking a job as “caregiver” to an old lady’s cat. She had to leave town every weekend for some reason or other (Yu hadn’t paid much attention, as he didn’t really care) and had offered the boy money to keep watch of her cat. So on Saturday and Sunday evenings, after supper, little Yu slipped out the back door and walked down the street to the old lady’s house, to feed and water her stupid cat, Mila.56

For three months he had saved up his earnings, three tedious months of opening tuna cans and getting scratched by a fat, old cat, in preparation of Noise Marie’s birthday. And now it was here, in all its celebratory greatness, and Yu could hardly hide his excitement.57

The moment his mother started slicing the cake, (he hated sweet things anyway) Yu slipped back into the house through the sliding French patio doors, and raced up to his shared bedroom to collect his money—a vast sum of five pounds—and then ran out of the house and onto the streets of a smoggy London evening.58

Not three blocks from his house was a gentleman’s shop, which upon occasion Noise would take him to get a new cap, or new shoes when his had become too small. 59

But he had his eyes on a pair of tan, leather gloves, advertised right in the front window of the shop, which was embroidered elegantly and had a bright brass button on the cuff. They were just perfect for his Brother Noise, and he couldn’t wait to give them to him.60

When he arrived at the shop, a tiny little boy amongst towering, strange adults, he immediately gained the attention of the storeowner: a big burly man with an equally large heart.61

“Now what’s a fine young lad like you doing in a place like this? Not out causin’ trouble, are yeh?”62

Yu, unafraid of any man though large they may be, answered with full enthusiasm. “No sir. I came to buy gloves!”63

The owner smiled. “Well, come over to the counter, little sir, and I’ll find you gloves as fits a fine young gen’leman like yerself!”64

Yu shook his head. “No, they’re not for me! They’re for my brother and I want those gloves!” He pointed to the gloves in the window.65

The owner was surprised. “Those ones, aye? And they’re fer your brother … how old is said sir?”66

“He’s just turned forty! It’s his birthday today. That’s why I need those gloves! As a present,” Yu explained, his hands just itching for said wares. The shop owner saw the little one’s excitement, and laughingly took them down from their display shelf. 67

“Now, ain’t these a pretty sight? Can you afford such nice things, lad?”68

Yu didn’t waste a minute. “Yes I can! Look how much money I have!” He thrust a fistful of coins under the man’s nose.69

Coins? The man nearly wanted to take this adorable child home with him. He counted only five pounds, but indeed to one such as young as the child it would seem a fortune. The gloves were priced at fifteen pounds, but—blame it on his marshmallow constitution—he could not disappoint this child.70

“Sold,” he declared, and laughed whole-heartedly when the child cheered. He boxed the gloves in a simple yet elegant package, marked the deficit of ten pounds on the sale bill, and watched the child skip out of his store, box in hand. He smiled.71

Yu could barely contain his excitement. Just wait until Brother Noise opens this gift! He knew his brother would love them, and all his family would be jealous that Yu was able to get him such a great gift, and they couldn’t…!72

When his house came into view, Yu suddenly frowned, slowing from his happy gait to a dead standstill, his energy fading as he became wary. Something … felt off. It was like he had passed an invisible boundary to another dimension, where the very air trembled with darkness. There was an energy, he sensed, something far from pleasant, making the air he breathed in foul and heavy on his tongue. The atmosphere itself was exceedingly dense, nearly rendering him immobile with its weight—as if encouraging him to go back, to turn before he saw something he shouldn’t.73

Instead of fleeing, as any other little boy would, he raced towards his house in an inexplicable yet terrible panic, his body wracking with sobs. “Kaa-san! Tou-san! Noise-nii-san!” He shouted these names over and over again, stumbling through various mud puddles and carriage-wheel ruts, and nearly dropping Noise’s gift several times. He reaches his door and slams it open.74

The sight that awaited him destroyed his mind and his innocence in one fell blow. It was a horror scene that would be forever burned on his psyche, there to be relived again and again in the restless nights of his adulthood, when his emotions and vivacious energy had all deserted him. It was a sight that robbed him of his very soul. 75

Noise Marie, his eyes a sea of churning white nothingness; sightless and soulless, crouched in the center of the entrance hall, suddenly much larger than Yu had ever seen him. His wide, flat teeth scraped together like grindstones and his mouth foamed at the corners, enhancing the frightening bestiality in his face. This … this was not Marie. This was not his beloved Brother Noise. This was a monster. 76

In his large hands was the remains of his mother, blood spattered all over her delicate body and several limbs missing, and he was eating her—putting her whole left arm in his bloody mouth and biting down, snapping it off, grunting as he chewed … there was his father, dead, decapitated, over in the corner … his brother was hanging from the stairs, no doubt slain as he had been trying to flee … his sister was nowhere in sight, probably already completely consumed by the beast before him.77

Yu had no strength, no soul left. He fell to his knees and vomited, vomited all of his insides up and then went to do it again. “Marie … Marie, stop it … wake me up, please, wake up, wake up...”78

The monster before him suddenly noticed his presence, and turned to him. Without pupils, and with an arm half hanging out of its mouth, it was a frightening sight.79

“Well, look here!!” It cried gleefully, chewing its meal thoughtfully. “It’s the little one, the little girl-boy; long hair, pretty eyes, but a wee little dickie … hahahaha …” It dropped what was left of his mother, and ambled over to him. Yu, in his traumatized haze, likened the way it moved to that of a gorilla.80

It grabbed him by the throat and pummeled him into the wall, snapping many of his small bones and denting the wall beyond repair. He screamed, and it laughed.81

“Wee little dickie-boy, you’ll taste sweet in my tummy, …” it sang, and then those teeth were so close to his chest, where they would undoubtedly rip through his flesh and bone and eat his heart. 82

Inches from his body, the beast’s jaws suddenly seized up, and Yu, who had closed his eyes, could hear it grunting with some kind of effort.83

“W-What … are you d-doing, you little b-bitch?”84

Yu opened his eyes in shock. He didn’t know what it was talking about. When he looked, he saw the monster sweating and his muscles convulsing, as if straining against a vast weight.85

“I c-can’t … move!” It screamed, and then it seemed like the tension was too great, for the creature wearing Marie’s face dropped him, and staggered a respectful distance away. Yu fell to the floor like a rock.86

The beast was already back to laughing when Yu found the willpower to look again. He noted, though, that it did not approach him again.87

“Seems like the big bastard here is still kicking’ and screaming’ though I long since killed him off …” he patted his own head, and Yu realized with horror that the beast was referring to Marie. “Raised all kinda hell when I was going ta eat you,” it explained, tapping and grinning and tapping. “What a mighty shame! You look so good, little boy-girl, little dickie-boy … but I guess you’s a lucky son-of-a-bitch … I’m going to have ta leave you alive …”88

Something caught his attention on the nearby wall. It was his father’s katana, Mugen, the Kanda family heirloom, the one Yu would lie on the rug and stare at for hours, wondering how it would feel to fight with Mugen as his ally in battle. How it would feel to kill someone …89

The demon ripped it off the wall, and sent it flying at Yu. It landed, spinning on its sheath, inches from his limp hand.90

“But why face all this suffering, eh Dickie-boy? Look at that boy with the sword who killed his family! Look at that deranged little Dickie-boy! That’s right, they’s gonna kill you, boy! They’re going to lock you up forever and kill you! It ain’t worth that now is it?” Yu’s body was in so much pain that the monster’s words were nearly lost to him as he cried. He closed his eyes and sobbed his heart out, because everything hurt and he didn’t want to be there anymore … he wanted to open his eyes and find out this had all been a terrible nightmare. He wanted to die. 91

“Yes, yes! You cry, and you cry, because being alive is an awful kind of suffering, it is. But you wanna know what? I know how to get rid of all that suffering, you lucky little bitch! Do you wanna know the answer?” Marie’s large teeth ground against each other as the demon inside him spread his lips in a wide grin. “Death, little Dickie-boy! The answer is that little stick, right there by your hand! After all, I may have ta leave you alive, but you don’t!” Foaming and laughing and foaming, the beast in Marie’s skin turned tail, and ambled out of Yu Kanda’s life forever. Yu screamed at Marie to come back.92

“Marie!! NOO! Come back, Marie! I … I bought you a present … please, Marie, I need you … it’s your birthday! You should be here … waking me up … please, wake me up …” Loosing blood made his senses hazy, and his body dizzy. His head fell against his chest, unable to support it’s own weight. Looking up one last time, he saw brilliant white light, and a large, broad figure bending over him with a kind smile. Marie! It was Marie, come to wake him up for breakfast! Through his pained, delusional fog, Yu smiled also.93

“Happy Birthday … Noise-nii-san …”94

.