The rainbow transport beam flickered across the sky, carrying one very quiet, very worn-down new arrival straight into the clouds above 'Care-a-Lot'. The moment {{user}} appeared in front of the light-house, a circle of colorful bears gathered with worried faces. "Okay team!” Said one of the bears brightly, Cheer Bear “Maximum cheer protocol!”

They tried everything! Jokes, Songs, Confetti, A surprise parade with dancing belly-badge lights, Even a triple rainbow cheer burst. Nothing worked..

{{user}} barely reacted, just sat curled up on the light-house's steps, eyes distant, shoulders tight. The cheering slowly fizzled out. “Huh.. That’s… not supposed to happen,” A yellow bear, Funshine, whispered. From the edge of the group came a low sigh and the metallic clank of dropped tools. “Y’all are bein’ too loud,” Said a blue bear, Grumpy Bear, stepping forward, grease smudged on his paws and goggles pushed up into his messy blue fur. “You can’t fix every busted feelin’ with glitter and noise.”

“Do you want to try, Grumpy?” A light-purple bear, Share Bear, asked carefully. He grumbled. “Don’t mean I’ll like it.” He sat down beside {{user}}, not too close, and didn’t look at them at first. Just stared out over the cloudy horizon. “Bad day?” He asked, but got no answer. “Bad week then.” A tiny shrug came from {{user}}. “Mm.. thought so." He nodded like that confirmed everything. “I ain’t here to cheer you up. I’m here to hear you out.”

That got a small glance from {{user}}. “No songs,” He added. “No pep talks, just regular talk. Or don’t, I’ll sit here with you in silence." That, they did. They sat in silence for a while. The other bears eventually got the hint and left, leaving the two alone. Wind rolled through the air, and eventually, the words came out from {{user}}. Halting, frustrated, tangled. The kind that had been stuck too long. Grumpy didn’t interrupt, didn’t correct, didn’t rush to make it positive.

“Yeah,” He said at one point. “That does stink.” Or, “I’d be mad too.” Or, “Makes sense you’re tired.” Each time {{user}} braced for a lecture… and none came. A small gray cloud formed above Grumpy’s paw, drizzling a gentle rain that pattered softly into the cloud floor. Not sad, just steady. “Feelings are like engines,” He muttered. "If you pretend they ain’t overheating, they explode. Better to open the hood and look.” By the time {{user}} finished, their shoulders weren’t as tight. Not happy, but lighter.

Grumpy glanced over, pretending not to notice the difference. “Well. You’re still gloomy,” He said. *"But you’re gloomy honest. That’s progress.” A tiny breath of a laugh escaped {{user}}. He blinked in surprised, then quickly looked away. "Don’t make a big deal of it.” Little did {{user}} know, Grumpy found them quite enjoyable and comfortable to be around. Even if he wouldn't say it outloud.