Lotus wakes up in bed with a minor hangover and whines. She sits up slowly and rubs her temples before blurrily observing her surroundings. "How did I get in bed? Wasn't I in the living room a moment ago?" She looked outside to see that Celestia was already setting the sun and Luna was raising the moon. This slightly snapped her awake. "Wait...why is it this late already? Where did my day go???"
"Finally awake, are we?"
Lotus snapped her attention, much to the displeasure of her headache, to the familiar male voice that addressed her. It was Saphirus, sitting in his reading spot by the window. He was looking up from a book, with a slightly displeased face. With a small sigh, he closed his book, got up, and walked to her. Lotus was happy most of their floor was carpet, the sound of his hooves on wood would have been like loud drumming in her ears in her current state. Finally getting to her side, Saphirus plopped his flank on the floor and stared at his beloved. Lotus stared back but found it a bit hard under the weight of his disapproving gaze.
"Lotus. Care to explain what led to me finding you passed out like a cat on catnip in our living room?"
"I...um....w-well...I just wanted to unwind after work and thought...one glass with a good book would be fine."
"And?"
".....and I...guess I went too far"
~ ~ ~ Earlier That Day ~ ~ ~
Lotus had finished her work in her study. She had worked on several projects for herself and a few acquaintances and some new commissions she'd taken on. Working from home had its perks and disadvantages at times. Still, today she dove herself headlong into her work, forgoing the time she usually took to indulge in one of several new hobbies she picked up instead of completing what was on her plate. Once she'd sent off the final edits to a story she was helping somepony with, out of instinct, she checked her "Tasks To Be Done" file on her laptop and found it empty. She refreshed the list several times and it still came up empty.
"I'm...I'm done for the day? No...for the week..." She sat back in disbelief. "I've finished...all of my work. Work that should have extended to the end of the week. Work I meticulously planned to keep me busy. All of it. Finished." She glanced at the clock; it was just turning half past 1 pm. The initial shock wore off and was replaced with hypergiddiness. Prancing like a happy school filly from her desk, she hummed a happy tune while heading to the living room. She went searching on the bookshelf and picked out her newest book. "Hmm...The Siren's Seranade. Been a good while since I picked up this one."
Satisfied with her selection, Lotus would take a seat when she had an idea. She had always read the cliche scenes where a mare would be in the bath or bed with a glass of wine and a good book to entertain them. And it was a situation she now found herself in. Not wanting to let it slip her by, she set her book down and went to the kitchen. After a bit of searching, she found a bottle of Blue Brilliance champagne she had imported from Prance. She had enjoyed it there with her family and now gets it for special occasions. What was more special than this? Grabbing a glass in her magic, she carried that and the bottle to her reading chair.
She popped the cork off the bottle and the sweet scent of the champagne wafted into her nose. It was subtle but intoxicating. She poured herself a glass, popped the cork back in, and set the bottle on the table. Flipping open the book to where she last left off, Lotus would take a sip of champagne every 3-5 pages, enjoying the slight sound of each page turning in the silence. After some time, Lotus went to take another sip but realized her glass was empty. "Hmm I know I shouldn't. Mostly because I'm already feeling the effects of the champagne. Doesn't normally happen this fast but... She sighed but ultimately shrugged and decided another wouldn't hurt. So she poured herself another glass and continued to read.
By the time Saphirus arrived home, Lotus was no longer in the reading chair. She had, somehow, "redecorated" the living room and "reorganized" the kitchen. Pots and pans were stacked on the floor like a pyramid, cooking utensils were tied together and hung about, the dining table had hoof scuffs on it like it was danced on, the couch had its cushions taken off it and became a "mattress" for the makeshift bed Lotus made using all the books off the shelf, etc. And there he found Lotus, sprawled out on her back and clutching the now-empty champagne bottle like a teddy bear. She also had a big goofy grin on her face. He managed to get the bottle out of her hooves and, knowing exactly what it was, let out a heavy sigh. "This bottle was sitting in her stash cabinet for at least three months before she put it in the fridge. By now, it should have become more powerful than the day she first got it." He put the bottle down and proceeded to get Lotus onto his back, this not being his first time having to do it. Once she was on, he carried her up to their room and put her to bed. After, he made his way downstairs to undo the mild chaos she created in their home.
Lotus looks down and pokes her hooves together in slight shame as she's still under the weight of Saphy's disapproving glare.
"Babe...what did we talk about when it comes to you and wine or champagne?"
"S-Saphy that...I-"
"What did we talk about?" His voice sounded stern like a father scolding a child.
Lotus sighed defeated. "That I should have a full stomach before consuming it no matter what."
"Look..." He sat on the bed. "I'm happy you got all your work done and decided to unwind. But next time, no alcohol. You're erratic enough without it." He touched her hoof. "Or at least don't drink it without me around to minimize the resulting crazy."
"Yes, love. Can I have some water?"
"Of course. Anticipated that from the start. Just drink it slowly and get some rest." He smiled, pouring her a glass of water.
Once Lotus drank some water and laid back down, Saphirus left her to get some rest. He then went to get a ladder and cleaning supplies so he could clean the childish scribblings Lotus had also made on their living room ceiling in her drunken haze. "Lotus, you adorable goof...what will I ever do with you?" He thought to himself.
