history & false memories
♥ History: Kayo's childhood and her life before we see her in Umi Bouzu are a mystery, as they're never touched upon in the episodes. Even so, we gather that she's a seamstress slash servant working for the prominent household of the Sakai family. Upon the day the granddaughter of the samurai is set to wed, a traveling Medicine Seller arrives, speaking briefly with Kayo before the bride falls dead as soon as she touches foot outside of the household. The Medicine Seller is held in suspicion; Kayo, who has taken an immediate liking to him, watches as he's captured and tied, then questioned. He says that the house is under attack by a demon. No one believes him - no one, that is, until the dead body of a servant of the household falls from the ceiling, his body mangled and bloodied to the point of almost becoming unrecognizable. Absolutely shaken, they can do little more than allow the Medicine Seller to seal off the household; in the following hours, they waited as he attempted to get the truth of the Bake Neko - the ghost cat - out of the house's residents. No one wanted to be forthcoming. One by one, they are killed, driven into the secret compartment beneath the household until at long last, the necesary Truth, Form, and Regret are revealed which permits the Medicine Seller to unsheath his killing blade. The Bake Neko was put to rest; shortly after, Kayo left the residence, unable to work there any longer. She wanted to return to Edo to find a new place of employment, and another place to start over again.
To her surprise, it was in the midst of this journey that she ran into the Medicine Seller again, this time on a merchant's ship. During the course of the journey, they once again came under attack; during this period, Kayo was faced with her greatest fear born of illusion. It was the Medicine Seller who brought her back to reality. Soon after, the Mononoke was defeated, the passengers saved (some worse, some better off than they had boarded), and they parted ways again.
♥ False memories: Kayo's childhood was unremarkable. Her father was a merchant, her mother a seamstress who passed along her skills to her daughter. When Kayo was fourteen, she began working at the shop her parents sold their traditional Japanese kimono and accessories out of; they made a meager living, suffering from the failing economy and the overall decline of Neo Genesis in general.
To her surprise, it was in the midst of this journey that she ran into the Medicine Seller again, this time on a merchant's ship. During the course of the journey, they once again came under attack; during this period, Kayo was faced with her greatest fear born of illusion. It was the Medicine Seller who brought her back to reality. Soon after, the Mononoke was defeated, the passengers saved (some worse, some better off than they had boarded), and they parted ways again.
♥ False memories: Kayo's childhood was unremarkable. Her father was a merchant, her mother a seamstress who passed along her skills to her daughter. When Kayo was fourteen, she began working at the shop her parents sold their traditional Japanese kimono and accessories out of; they made a meager living, suffering from the failing economy and the overall decline of Neo Genesis in general.