Opal

“The pilot knew this about her mechanic; she would find Caydee sleeplessly working on the mech, because it was the only thing she could fix. She couldn't close wounds, or staunch blood, or light the sky or mend hearts, so she'd be working in a fever to get the mech back into working order. The Pilot wasn't sure where she learned all this, but she knew. She wanted to see it, and the reasons for that were harder to explain.”
― Blake Jessop, Glitter + Ashes: Queer Tales of a World That Wouldn’t Die

“Raistlin's lip curled in a sneer. "How does that thread weave into the grand design?"

"As do all threads," Astinus said. "Look at the rug beneath your feet. Were you to turn the rug over, you would see what appears to be a confused tangle of many-colored strands of thread. But look at the rug from the top—the strands are neatly, tightly woven, merged together to form a strong fabric. Oh, it is frayed a bit at the corners, but—overall—it has worn well.”
― Margaret Weis, Dragons of Summer Flame

“The hostile that had just exploded up out of the ground had a really big mouth, so I felt I needed a really big gun.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

“It was not that such labor scared me—being a maid had always filled me with purpose. Cleaning was so necessary, whether you lived as a prince or a pauper, the work seemed to me almost sacred. It was only—I could no longer accept how I would be treated.”
― Jordan Ifueko, The Maid and the Crocodile