“A good activist strives to be the proverbial butterfly in China,” says Laetitia.

“First, that’s not proverbial,” says Milan. “Second, do you even understand that metaphor?”

“Well, according to chaos theory, the air pressure can influence the prevailing wind–”

“The prevailing wind,” says Milan, “has fuckall to do with hurricane formation. Hurricanes move under wind, but they’re generated by warm oceans, which in turn are generated by warm atmospheres. Guess how much heat a butterfly generates?”

“Fine! How would you say it?”

“A good activist strives to be the coal plant in China.”

Laetitia’s fillings grate when she grinds her teeth.