Issobel wakes up at 5am, the sun not yet risen. She is struck by a deep sense of sadness, that she cannot place. The sadness is intensified as she goes to the front room, and sees her husband has tracked mud over the stone floor, mud that must be scrubbed out. She wants to weep, but must not. She, as always, has work to do.
+2 unidentifiable melancholy
Kel drew away. "I hate my body doing new things without telling me," she said wetly, and sniffed. She wiped her eyes on the back of her arm.
"Some get the weeps with monthlies, like cramps," Lalasa explained. "It could be worse. My mama got plain mean right before hers."
"Mine gets hungry for sweets," Kel said, adjusting her loincloth impatiently. It now felt as bulky as a diaper. "She ate a whole cake once."
— Protector of the Small: Page
Arrow peeped with alarm. "It's just monthly glooms," Kel said, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "Human females get them. I should be as brave as you, defying a griffin."
— Protector of the Small: Squire
Caitlin: Ohhh, so that's why you guys were acting so weird.
Jen: Us? You make pit bulls look friendly!
Caitlin: I'm sorry. It must be my PMS. I do get a little irritable.
Pearl pondered a moment before answering. "If you're talking about the amount of blood, it varies from person to person and on what day of the cycle it is. But there can also be an increase in emotional sensitivity, or a change in appetite, headaches..." the microwave dinged and Pearl placed the heating pad on Connie's stomach. Connie responded with a relieved sigh. "Everyone experiences this time differently. Before the period starts, mood swings, cravings and body aches are called PMS, which stands for Pre Menstrual Syndrome. When Garnet is PMSing she gets an even shorter fuse than normal, Amethyst eats everything in crazy combinations and I... Feel very vulnerable" Pearls eyes became slightly over bright. "Rose used to..." An exasperated little laugh escaped her lips as the memories came flooding back to her. Connie looked at Pearl with empathic curiosity. With misty eyes Pearl continued, "Rose used to be able to sense it in me, or she was really good at counting, I could never figure it out. I would withdraw to my room or go up on the hill by the lighthouse and just be by myself. She would find me and stroke my cheek and tell me: 'You can always, always count on me, Pearl'." Pearl trailed off.
— Steven Universe fanfic "Echoes"
