Wow, thank you so much for this thoughtful feedback! I'm glad someone else feels that primordial urge to take care of Sable! She's so cute!
Regarding Vega and the Gym: You are spot on. I realized that the current system actually punished players for engaging with the mechanics (showering, talking, drinking shakes) by eating up time and risking her going somewhere else. I've added a fix for this for the next version; basically, if you are currently in the gym, Vega won't leave when the hour rolls over (unless it's her hard leaving time (9PM)). That should provide the stability you mentioned so you don't feel like talking to her is a risk. Vega doesn't have guaranteed hours, like you noticed, but she is way more likely to be free in the early mornings and late evenings. My intention was to simulate her being busy with multiple clients throughout the midday, making it harder to catch her for a chat or training session. Though I think this is one of those cases where realism needs to yield to gameplay, It's just not fun when Vega is popping in and out randomly while you're trying to prepare. I never intended for players to feel punished for talking to Vega!
On the Romance/Writing: I really appreciate the vote of confidence in my writing. 'Write what you want' is definitely my north star here. I don't think I'd cram in canon group dynamics for characters that aren't suited for it. (though what Sable might dream about when she sleeps is fair game!). If/when there were any group dynamics I imagine they'd be written for characters that were suited for it.