When Steven answers her return call, he's down in Jack's finished basement with his ghosts gathered around him.

"Uh. Yes... and no? It's. Fuck, it's complicated, Carly." He rakes his fingers through his short hair, leaving it askew. "It's. Just. God, it was so much easier before, you know? When he was just someone I knew and enjoyed talking to, but I didn't-- I guess maybe even then I kind of cared a little what happened to him. But only in a very sort of basic way? Like, I care if you live or die. I don't want to hurt you if possible. But now... god. I don't know what it is about him. He's just-- he's such a good kid, so much better of a person than me, and he's clever and he's curious and-- fuck. I did it fucking again. The exact thing Tyler chewed me out for doing at him, only I guess at least I did this to someone who didn't have his empathy more or torn out from him. And, well, with at least some actual similarities in personality... ah, fuck."

He pulls off his glasses so that he can knead his forehead, groaning softly. "Armin. It's about Armin. I-- fucking care about him, Carly. Like-- well and truly invested, giving well and beyond the minimal number of shits about him. How am I even supposed to do Dirk's Lapras heist now? Even to ride in a giant robot?"