@Submarina
@Moxifer
I don't see why there is any reason to worry about Kiyo's future, it's not like she is wasting away her youth. She has been learning and improving her cookings. Plus, I don't think cooking for geishas is a low paing job. Not to mention she now has an entire house of maiko/...
@Schmeedloc
Despite their age difference, they are both artists. People persuing the same interest can just sit around and talk about it for hours. And when it comes to being an artist, age doesn't really matters as much as a person's level of discipline in the area.