Alistaire gathered his thoughts quickly, the tension incredibly palpable.

"Auntie... how do I impress people without doing something terrible? I know your stance on my remaining with the Club, but I need to be there at least for now. I need to shore up my status as Black King, but..."

He runs a hand through his hair, normally an affectation he only puts on for how it influences those he's communicating face-to-face with, but finding himself unusually imbalanced at the moment.

"I've been trying. I really have been. It's... been productive.

I don't want to throw it away if I don't have to."