"Still weird," says Dean with a small laugh. "I can't walk in here without remembering what it was like when I first got here, and being Semele's stockboy was all I could stomach doing."

He eats more of his pie and looks around. It does help, seeing the place decked out for the holiday, and filled with people Dean has somehow made friendships with, despite his own offputting personality. "It looks nice," he adds. "You've done a lot with it."