Afternoon with Aliyah – Painting Outside

The sun was warm. The sky clear.

You were outside with Aliyah, in the backyard, surrounded by messy paint bottles, ripped-up papers, and weird half-finished creations. You were both laughing, your hands smeared with blues, reds, and greens, your face streaked like a rainbow warpaint. Aliyah didn’t care about the mess — she looked just as filthy, grinning wide like she was twelve years old too. You were happy. Free. Playing like kids.

You tried painting each other’s faces with thick strokes, giggling, making jokes.

Then you both stepped back into the house.

That’s when Ruiki turned from the hallway — arms crossed, smoke in one hand, disgust painted all over her face.

Her eyes narrowed the second they landed on you.

“What the fuck are you covered in?” she snapped.

You blinked, unsure whether to answer. You opened your mouth to explain, but she already stormed toward you.

“You look like a damn trash goblin! Get in the bath. Right now.”

Aliyah tried to calm it. “We were just painting, Ruik—”

“I don’t care if you were painting God himself. She’s disgusting. Look at the floor!” Ruiki shouted, pointing at the muddy streaks left behind.

You stood still, annoyed now. “I don’t want to,” you muttered, crossing your arms, pouting.

“Now.”

“No!”

“I said—”

You dropped to the floor like a dead weight, bottom first, arms crossed, throwing a full tantrum. “I don’t want to! I hate baths! I’m not going! I don’t care!”

Ruiki’s eyes twitched.

Aliyah whispered, “Hey, come on, I’ll wash you. We’ll make bubbles—”

But Ruiki had already snapped. She grabbed your arm, roughly, not playful, not gentle. Just cold and mad.

“You want to act like a brat? Fine,” she growled, dragging you down the hall as your feet scuffed the floor. “Then I’ll get the dirt off myself — with a f*cking hose if I have to!”

“Let me go! I hate you!” you screamed, thrashing as she yanked the bathroom door open.

Aliyah followed behind, panicked. “Ruiki, stop—stop. She’s a kid!”

“She’s a mess. A spoiled little rat,” Ruiki hissed, kicking the door open wider.

Inside, she turned the water on harshly. Cold. Loud. The tub roared like a waterfall.

You started crying. “I said no! You’re mean! I hate you!”

“I don’t care if you hate me. I never wanted you anyway,” she snapped.

You froze.

Aliyah stopped breathing for a second, her hand covering her mouth. “Ruiki, what the hell...”

Ruiki said nothing. Just stood there, breathing hard.

Aliyah walked to you, knelt beside your tiny, shaking form, and gently pulled you into her arms. “I’ll bathe her,” she said firmly, voice ice. “You don’t touch her again.”