Thanks! And don't worry, I have no intention of changing the "idiosyncrasy" of the game, so to speak. I'm essentially looking for ways to liven up what's already there.
As far as player agency goes, there's a limited amount I'm willing to give during the early stages of development, as you noted. The MC has his own development arc and allowing the player to make decisions that run contrary to that would result in a significant shift to the story being told. I'm hesitant to implement shorter, "bad end" options because A: I personally don't care for them, and B: I feel if there are choices that change the story, it's worth exploring them to the fullest. Agency is certainly one of the things I would explore more if I had the time/resources.
That's a good observation on the "shrug" option for responding to Áine; it does feel out of character. I've made a note to look at that.