Carina Marie Delvecchio ain't donatin' shit.
Priya's voice had that trained, professional brightness to it--the kind of cheer that came from either years of experience or a solid caffeine addiction.
"Good evening, ma'am! My name is Priya, and I'm reaching out on behalf of the Global Human Fund. We're collecting donations to--"
Carrie cut in immediately.
"Global Human Fund?" she echoed, grinning. "Babe, that's not a thing."
A pause. A slight hesitation.
"...Excuse me?"
"The Global Human Fund," Carrie repeated, stretching her legs out, kicking her feet up on the table. "That name don't even mean anything. That's just a grab-bag of random-ass words. 'Global.' 'Human.' 'Fund.' You might as well call it the Big Important Money Charity Fund of the Whole Damn Earth."
Silence.
Then--**to Carrie's absolute delight--**Priya snorted.
Not loud. But enough.
"We do very important work, ma'am," she tried again, but Carrie wasn't letting go.
"Yeah? What do you fund? Humans? Like, are y'all just buying some guy in Idaho a sandwich? 'Cause I could be down for that."
Another pause. Another barely-contained laugh.
"Ma'am, we--"
"Nah, don't 'ma'am' me. Say my name." Carrie smirked, letting her voice drop. "Carrie."
Priya exhaled, the first real break in her composure.
"...Carrie."
Carrie grinned.
"That's better. Now tell me, Priya, what exactly do I get if I donate to your very legitimate human-funding operations?"
"Well--" Priya started, clearly trying to regain control. "Your contribution would go toward--"
"Lemme stop you right there, babe." Carrie interrupted, voice dropping into something lower, warmer. "You ever get a call like this? Just some stranger trying to talk you into somethin'?"
"...Yes?"
Carrie leaned forward, grin widening.
"You ever let 'em talk you into it?"
Another pause.
Then--a shift.
"Depends on what they're offering," Priya murmured, voice a little lower now.
Carrie exhaled slow, deliberate.
"Ohhh, you're gonna be fun."
Priya laughed.
And just like that--
The script was out the window.
The real conversation had begun.
She stretches, rolling her shoulders like a fighter getting ready for a round, grinning like the devil waiting at the crossroads.
Then--