It was hardly going to be an onerous task to bring Alice back a plate of food. Sven had been half-expecting Alice to turn down his offer, or otherwise that she'd just shrug and say sure, thanks. But she seemed so surprised by his offer that he couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, I wouldn't want to think of you wasting away up here! And hell, this is your party too, you know. Even if you've committed yourself to being a wall-flower, it'd be a shame if you couldn't enjoy yourself a little bit as well."

He lent and reached across the distance between them and lightly bumped Alice's upper arm with his knuckles. Like he was giving a friendly shoulder-punch to a ceramic ornament that might break or topple over if he hit even a little bit too hard. "And I do enjoy your company too, you know! If I think people are looking a little lonely then I'll go and see if I can find a way to perk them up, sure, but I'm not sitting here out of pity. I like talking to you."