#as soon as a beer gets any warm at all its basically swill

[476b]

the last 1/4 of a beer is basically undrinkable why does no one talk about this

[sheirukitriesfandom]

Drinks in the Summerset Isles —Some Headcanons 

Something I've been working on for a while now. As the title suggests, these are some HCs about drinks (types, when they're served, by whom, etc.) in the Summerset Isles. This is loosely based on ESO era Summerset but many of these HCs can be understood regardless.

Water

Water is the most basic staple drink in the Summerset Isles. 

Despite the warm climate, the clouds stalled by Summerset's Eton Nir mountain provide the islands with a decent amount of rainfall. Rivers and springs are also an important source of freshwater.

The most famous spring in the Summerset Isles is located in Cloudrest; its water is said to have curative properties and attracts pilgrims from all over the Isles. The welkynar also use it in their rituals. 

Although many cities in the Summerset Isles possess sewer systems, the water from rivers and lakes is still often polluted with muck and the poorest of the poor living in the cities' underbellies use it for pretty much everything from doing the laundry to washing to—well, you get it.

Desalination is a hot research topic at the College of Sapiarchs, but so far, it  has only been achieved on a very small scale using distillation or Maormer tongues, which many sailors carry as an emergency item. 

The houses of the rich have their own private wells and in case of the very rich, there are even systems (typically manually, mechanically or magically powered pumps) that allow for running water. 

The common folk have to content themselves with public wells and cisterns, although the water from the latter is not always safe to drink. Many of the Isles' inhabitants know this and will switch to a different affordable staple.

Wine

Another common staple drink in the Summerset Isles is wine. 

Although Summerset's most famous wines are sweet, heavy reds with a strong fruity flavour, it should be noted that the staple wines contain much less alcohol than their famed counterparts, because they stem from second and third pressings. 

Wine is available to anyone, although poor folk have to content themselves with watered down swill or even wine-vinegar mixtures. 

Rich altmer, on the other hand, have access to fine vintages that can be centuries old. Over the centuries, the altmer have perfected wine preservation, using both alchemical means and magic and collecting wine is a popular hobby among the Summerset Isles' rich and noble. 

Rosé, orange and white wines are less common than their red brethren, but especially on hot summer days, they enjoy immense popularity and are often mixed with iced water.

Hot mulled wine is a favourite during storm season, and many a sailor gets their fill at the harbourside inns, though it's also served in non-port cities, albeit to a lesser extent.

Fruit wines, as well as cider, are not commonly produced in the Summerset Isles, however, they are a popular import.

Beer

Beer, as well as ale, are often scoffed at as a "drink for humans" and were, for the longest time, not produced in the Isles at all. Only a few taverns in the busy port towns actually served it. With the opening of Summerset to outsiders, a few ambitious entrepreneurs saw an opportunity and opened the first Summerset Isles brewery in the busy port town of Vukhel Guard. Soon, others would follow. 

Beer is becoming more popular in the Isles among newcomers and the native population alike and the local variety, "Eagle's Tears", is even shipped internationally due to Dominion soldiers wanting their share.

Coffee 

Coffee isn't cultivated in the Isles. Before the war, the beans were a favourite Hammerfell import among scholars because coffee was said to stimulate the mind. Summerset coffee was typically heavily sweetened; the strong aroma of Taneth Coffee was too much for the average altmeri palate. With the war, coffee imports have practically ceased and coffee consumption is frowned upon. 

Teas & Infusions

The tea plant isn't native to the Summerset Isles and so far, any cultivation attempts have failed. The native Summerset teas are herbal infusions and typically only drunk for medicinal purposes. 

However, true teas are popular among the rich and middle-class alike and there's a booming tea trade with Elsweyr, especially since Rooibos cultivation has been successful in Northern Elsweyr, opening an alternative to the war-stalled trade with Hammerfell and an additional alternative to the true teas of Southern Elsweyr.

Since the Establishment of the Dominion, there's been a growing black market for teas and plant infusions from Valenwood. 

Juices

Despite the difficulty of preservation, freshly pressed juices are a popular drink in the Isles. In fact, no Altmeri breakfast is complete without some freshly squeezed juice.

The climate sets the perfect conditions for growing all kinds of fruit: oranges, peaches, lemons, grapes, figs—the list goes on and on.

Rich altmer will almost always have a variety of fruit trees in their gardens whereas lower and middle-class altmer buy their juice-fruits of choice at their local markets. 

Many cities plant fruit carrying trees along the streets or in parks because they look beautiful when in bloom.

Once the trees carry fruits, people are encouraged to pluck their share before the fruits fall and stain the ground, allowing even the poorest of the poor some access to fruits and juice.

Spirits & Liquors

Although many altmer consider drunkenness improper and disgusting, the Summerset Isles are home to some of the best "hard" alcohol there is. 

The altmer have a long history of distilling fruit brandy/spirits—though perhaps the most common spirit is pomace brandy in any and all variations—and have mastered the art of creating sweet fruit liquors, especially from wine (Thinking of something like the Croatian Teran liquor). 

A common "stock alcohol" used as the basis for infused alcohol is brandy or, especially on Auridon, Korn (strong spirit made from grain).

Herbal spirits and liquors are less common, but they're a customary digestif and denying them once they've been served is an insult to the host. Best to declare one's abstinence beforehand.

Still, if you want to indulge in "hard" alcohol (anything containing a distilled alcohol), best find a local with a stash because taverns are ordered to limit the servings per person.

[yodawgiherd]

The Preliminary Round

>>>Read on AO3<<<

Updating after such a long time feels kinda strange, but I did say that I want to continue, didn't I? Let's get to it then.

Eren did not spend many of his Friday evenings with a cheap beer in his hand in a packed stadium, staring at the metal cage in the middle. Then again, he never missed Mikasa’s fights, if he could help it, and today was one of the blessed days when he was free to enjoy it to the fullest. And it wasn’t a normal fight either, as the Colosseum tournament had officially begun.

It was immensely popular. With a big prize pool backed by several large sponsors, among other the company that Willy Tybur owned, every fighter wanted a piece of that pie. Because of the massive number of entries the organizers had to run preliminaries first. Meaning that fighters from same regions were pitted against each other, dueling for the opportunity to attend the finals in Vegas. The tournament was also special in the way that it had no restrictions. One didn’t have to be a pro to enter. There were no restrictions when it came to gender or weight, a thing that was not very balanced, but that’s how it was. There would be one winner, one champion of the Colosseum. No classes, no divisions. Which meant that Mikasa’s opponent today was a man, a high ranked MMA fighter, just like herself.

Mikasa had limited experience when it came to real fights with the opposite gender, apart from sparing with Levi or Eren, because the professional male fighters weren’t very keen to face off against her. Those who didn’t know her were afraid that she would get injured, those who knew her were afraid that she might injure them.

Taking a sip of that swill they called beer in here, Eren looked on as the fighters walked in the arena, being greeted by a roar of the crowd. The tournament officials were already there, pacing around with the Colosseum logo on the backs of their shirts. They were present just for a quick checkup of the fighters because while there were next to no rules, some still applied. The completely basic stuff, like no weapons or metal in the cage, no groin punches and so on. The raven-haired beauty he knew so well climbed into the cage first, warming up with air-punches. The man followed soon after, stretching. He was a beast, and seeing him now, locked in the cage with Mikasa, towering over her, it made Eren’s heart beat just a little bit faster with worry. But it was Mikasa, this was what she loved doing, and Eren would never even try to stop her from doing it. Taking a seat, he took another sip and did the only thing he could right now. He watched.

Almost all of the advantages were in her opponent’s court. As a male, his upper body was stronger by default, but that was far from all. Mikasa was tall, but he was taller than her and far heavier, his body was massively muscled as opposed to Mikasa’s leaner form. Worst of all, he was a pro, just like she was, meaning that he wouldn’t waste his strength or do mistakes one could try to abuse in an untrained fighter. Just from his stance, Mikasa could say that he was aware of his strength. Tight, with both hands raised to protect his head, he had a basic yet effective boxing one, and this guy was undoubtedly a heavyweight. Any straight punch from those fists would hurt like hell, possibly throwing her off her balance long enough for the guy to follow up with a K.O.

She knew herself, intimately, she knew her own strength. Mikasa had honed her body to its utmost limits and beyond, stretching both her physical ability and the control she had over it far beyond what normal people achieved. Yet to put it short, she was still incredibly outmatched. Even with all that training, this was a David versus Goliath match, and she was the David here. To make matters worse, she forgot her slingshot at home and had to take Goliath in close combat. With her fists. Oh yea.

Most fighters would get overwhelmed by these facts. To fight not only the physically stronger gender but also a specimen that was this far out of one’s weight class was insane, crazy, no one of their right mind would try that. Too bad Mikasa Ackerman was not most fighters. She could hardly hide her excited grin. This matchup was amazing, as she would have to push her limits to win, to overcome obstacles and climb that impossible mountain. Taking her stance, Mikasa readied herself as much as she could, already plotting a strategy inside her head. Strength was not the answer here, there was no way she would prevail in a contest of brute might. Mikasa was aware of her limits - she was strong, stronger than most people, but this man before her was not an ordinary human. Speed and technique, those were the paths she needed to take. Mikasa’s whole body was yearning for this, the sound of the crowd disappearing beneath the rush of blood in her ears, the icy calm that Levi taught her taking over. Yet there was still a sound that broke through, ringing inside her brain.

The bell.

Her opponent moved almost immediately, rushing over the distance between them and firing off a dangerous straight right-handed punch. Mikasa danced to the left, dodging, only to be met with an uppercut from his left hand. Instincts kicking in, she stepped closer, shortening the distance his fist traveled and thus greatly lowering the strength of the hit. It still forced a grunt from her when it connected with her midriff, clenching her abdominals against the pain. But there was a trade-off for this, as she was now right in his face with both of his hands occupied, meaning she could rain righteous punishment down on the heathen. Two quick jabs and a right hook made him stagger back in retreat. Mikasa might have been smaller and weaker than this beast, but she was still unnaturally strong when compared to normal human standards and when her fists found their mark, it hurt like a bitch. Pursuing her target, she landed another good straight punch before being forced to jump back from the defensive spinning back fist. That one would probably knock her out if he landed it.

Taking advantage of this tiny break this created between them, she sized up her opponent once more, seeing a new light of respect in his eyes. It's one thing to hear about a prodigy female fighter, its another to face her in the ring and feel just how good she was on his own skin. They circled each other again, slower now, trying to find gaps in the armor. Mikasa didn’t try to match his jabs, knowing that hers would not be useful even if they landed. She needed full punches, and for that, she needed to be closer. Kicks could also work, as her legs were definitely strong enough, but those required more wind-up and could be countered, so she would need a bigger opening to do one. Creating those and getting closer meant getting into his range, and if she would ever get grabbed, the match was over. Now if she could bait it….

It took the perfect footwork, step-in followed by almost immediate duck backwards, but she did it, made him reach out and grab the air where she was standing just a fraction of a second ago. Hands uselessly stretched forward, he couldn’t block the devastating kick Mikasa planted right into his ribs. Pursuing her advantage, she pressed on, feinting a straight punch that made him raise his hands, hoping to block her. But the real attack was the powerful overhead that Mikasa threw her whole body into, punching hard into her opponent’s upper thigh, completely running his balance. It wasn’t enough to plant him in the ground, as she hoped, but it gave her several good hits in before he recovered, wearing her opponent out. That combined with the way she dodged his counter hit, which was both exhausting and frustrating, finally started wearing her opponent’s patience thin. Here, in the heat of the duel, she made her mistake. Underestimating the speed at which he could move, despite all the muscles, she pushed for one more punch in a created opening, just one more than the safe number was, and got hard punished for it. Rushing forward, he shot one, two, three lightning-fast jabs, and even with Mikasa dodging them all he backed her into a corner. The straight punch was incredibly well-placed and with tremendous strength behind it, flying true. Mikasa blocked it, of course she did, but that almost didn’t matter. The force of it alone lifted her off her feet, throwing her back against the bars of the cage. Ears ringing, the air pushed out of her lungs, she gasped, trying to get her body back into control. It was only the years of training that saved her then, as she unconsciously ducked underneath the follow-up punch, dropping down on the ground and rolling away. Just in time too, as he viciously stomped the ground where she was, looking to finish the match as soon as possible.

Coming back to her feet, Mikasa shook her head, clearing the fog that shadowed her brain from that punch. A single hit and it was almost enough to end her, the man before her was truly a beast. Her constant attacks from before did bear fruit, however, as he was also breathing hard, his steps slower and favoring his left leg, the one she didn’t hit with that overhead just a short time ago. The cogs inside her brain were working hard, looking for a way to turn this into her advantage. He was tired, obviously, looking to end this as fast as he could, one last attack that would put her on the ground. Which meant, he was more open to some subtle manipulation. It was a gamble, of course, but Mikasa saw a chance and decided to seize it. Dropping her hands just a tiny bit, feinting a tired stumble, she opened herself up to an attack, presenting her opponent with an exquisite bait. And he took it.

Rush forward, hands ready to grab her, to put her in a hold she would never break free of. One last attack to end this whole bout, which would have worked if used on anyone else but Mikasa. He was fast, but she was faster. Like a blur, she dropped low, very low, sliding into her enemy and planting her feet firmly on the ground, wide apart. The move itself reached such a speed that the only part of her Eren’s eyes could track was the red streak in her hair. As expected, the massive man practically tripped over her, doubling over when her shoulder smacked into his lower abdomen, and for a fraction of a moment his upper body was practically resting on her back while continuing its original trajectory. Which was just the perfect time to strike. Like a steel coil, her body straightened, adding its strength to the considerable kinetic energy he generated while rushing forward, and with their power combined Mikasa practically smashed her opponent into the cage behind her, the steel creaking loudly when the massive mass crash-landed into it.

This perfectly executed strike that used his own strength and weight against him would be enough to knock out almost anyone, yet the man still stirred, trying to find his footing. Not like Mikasa would ever let him do that. Jumping her fallen target, she wrapped her legs around his neck, taking hold of one of his arms and leaning back, she put him into an improvised hold she designed herself, one that was a strange combination of an armbar and a choke. It was far from perfect and could only be done because her whole body was so strong, all her muscles worked in perfect unison to accomplish the task. He still fought back, the massive body beneath her bulging with all its strength when he tried to throw her off, but she held on like a vice. Increasing the pressure on his neck, squeezing hard, Mikasa knew that his air supply was decreasing, she had to hold on just a little longer, a second, then two, three.

The look on her face was one of perfect concentration, Eren saw, teeth clenched, eyes focused on her thrashing enemy, it was obvious she was giving this duel her all. And it was necessary, as the man kept fighting, trying, again and again, to get up, to throw off the snake that was choking him out. He punched her with his free hand, but it didn’t reach any vital parts and the pain was nothing. Finally, after what felt impossibly long considering that his breathing was restricted the whole time, he raised his hand not to hit her, but to tap the ground in the official gesture of surrender. It was over.

Eren didn’t even realize that he was standing the whole time, but his voice was one of the first that began cheering, screaming in wild abandon. Soon he was joined by many others, the arena celebrating Mikasa’s victory in the most primal way – chanting her name. The raven-haired fighter herself was lying down in the cage, chest heaving, spent and exhausted. It took her several tries to get up, but she managed in the end, raising her hands towards the crowd that was giving her the loud support. Even among all the people, her eyes found Eren’s and she gave him a slight wink. Her opponent also stood up, cracking his neck before approaching Mikasa from behind. For a terrible moment, Eren was scared that he was going to attack her, that he would not stand for the fact of being defeated by her, that she knocked him out of the tournament in the first round. One of his monstrous hands reached out and Eren’s heart practically stopped. But he did nothing of the sorts. Instead, he lightly tapped on Mikasa’s shoulder, getting her attention and then hunching down to say something to her. Understandably, with the distance and the screaming crowd, Eren had no idea what he said, but it made Mikasa’s eyes widen as she blinked a few times, shocked. Patiently, the man repeated the question, and this time got an answer, as Mikasa shook her head and said something back, making him grimace lightly. Not pushing the issue, the fighter nodded in respect before turning around and leaving the cage, letting the victor bask in the adoration of the masses. Hell, it was well deserved.

When she disappeared towards the backstage, Eren made his way down from the seating area, waiting for her to emerge. Levi was there too, he noticed, talking with the manager of the defeated fighter. Just as Eren drew closer, the two apparently came to some conclusion and shook hands, parting after. Maybe he could make some small talk with Mikasa’s brother then while waiting.

“Hey.”, he got Levi’s attention, “How did you like the match?”

The dark eyes, so similar to his fiancé’s swung to him. After a short while, Levi nodded in greeting.

“It was fine.”, he answered with the usual cool in his voice.

“Just fine? Come on, Mikasa was amazing.”

There was a short period of silence from the shorter man, before he, to Eren’s surprise, agreed.

“You are correct. She was exquisite.”

“Did you expect her to win like this?”, Eren went on.

“I’ll admit, I had my doubts.”, Levi’s eyes dropped back towards the cage, most likely replaying the fight in his head, “The man is high ranked in UFC, and the physical differences between him and Mikasa are…. staggering. Yet she pulled through.”

“It felt close though.”

“Surely was. If he got out of the choke at the end it would be over. Same for a good grab at any part of the match. Mikasa could never match him in grappling.”

“Do you think that he underestimated her because she is a girl?”

Levi shook his head resolutely.

“No, definitely not. His manager knew exactly what kind of threat Mikasa is so I can’t imagine he wouldn’t tell his fighter that.”

“A threat huh?”

The dark eyes were back, measuring him.

“A severe one.”

And there that dangerous individual was, walking out of the backstage. When she spotted them, a tired smile spread across her lips and she came closer, accepting the hug Eren immediately offered her. It was the doctor in him that spoke out first, still a little bit worried for her after such a beatdown.

“You okay?”, he whispered gently, hands doing small circles on her back.

She answered with a nod.

“I’m fine, but the adrenaline in me died down, so I’m super worn out.”, a giggle, “ I almost fell in the shower.”

He would probably keep holding her forever if Levi didn’t clear his throat next to them, almost decently, letting them know that there is another person in hearing distance. And of course, to prevent them from doing something disgusting like kissing. Bleh.

“Hey brat.”, he said, looking for the right words, “You…. Ehm... You did well.”

Mikasa blinked a few times, unsure if she wasn’t hearing things.

“Err… Thanks…”

Levi took the liberty of breaking the awkward silence that followed.

“Right then. Get rested, and we go back to training as usual. The preliminaries are far from over.”

And he was gone, ducking away into the crowd that still lingered in the arena.

“Did he just congratulate me?”, she asked, still a bit in shock.

“It’s not such a novelty anymore.”, Eren noted, “He’s growing soft in his old age.”

“Still feels nice to hear it.”

“Well, you deserve it for sure.”

Returning to the matter at hand, which was taking care of his exhausted warrior girlfriend, Eren went on.

“You want to go to eat somewhere or….”

There was a tiny scrunch of her nose, an easily missable thing, but Eren had a PhD.  in the art of knowing the subtle Ackerman ticks.

“Or we could just order take-out…”

The scrunch was still there.

“Or I could cook something up when we get home?”

The scrunch was gone, replaced by a tiny smile.

“I’d like that.”

It became apparent just how exhaust she is when while walking to a car, Mikasa stumbled and Eren had to catch her, a thing that was incredibly rare for a person that could control her body in a way she did.

“Are you sure that you’re okay?”, he asked again, but she nodded vehemently.

“Yes, I’m fine. I just had to utilize literally every muscle of my body, so I’m getting some negative feedback there.”

Just to be sure, Eren kept a hand around her shoulders before they reached the car. Once they were seated, he turned the ignition on, heading home.

“That guy was a monster.”, he commented once they joined the highway.

“Can’t agree more.”, she nodded, slumping bonelessly in the shotgun seat, “I might have won, but I feel like a train had run over me.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you home. Safe and sound.”

She made a satisfied noise at that, too tired to speak. But there was still one thing that kept bouncing around in Eren’s skull, so clearing his throat, he continued the conversation.

“What did he say to you?”

She looked up, eyebrow arched.

“Huh?”

“After the match, he said something to you. What was it?”

“Oh right.”, she smiled, leaning her head back into the soft hug of the passenger’s seat. “He congratulated me and wished me luck in the tournament. He was actually a really nice guy, I did not see it coming. Oh, and he also asked me out.”

Now it was Eren’s eyes that widened.

“He did what?”

“Asked me out on a date. He said that when he first heard around me, he had certain doubts, but now that we fought he regrets ever not believing the rumors. And would like to get to know me better.”

“And uuh..”, Eren had a bit of a hard time focusing on the road now, throwing a quick look sideways at her, “What did you say?”

Her smile was one of a satisfied cat.

“Is that jealousy I hear?”

“N-No…”

She laughed, filling the car with that pretty sound.

“Aw Eren, you don’t have to worry. I told him that I’m sort of engaged. Unfortunately.”

“Unfortunately?”

Mikasa grinned even wider, not continuing in that train of thought, her goal accomplished. It felt good to win a difficult fight. It felt good to poke fun at her fiancé. Damn, today was one fine day.

All this training. All those days and nights spent at the gym, pushing herself past her limits. All the things she lost just so she could pursue this dream of victory. And this is what she gets to fight. A damn roleplayer. She was glad that the tournament finally started, because hell, it was about time, but at least It could provide her with a challenge. Wasn’t it supposed to be the best of the best? Oh well, it was time to thin out the weeds first.

“Look,”, the man whispered under his breath, most likely trying to avoid the referee hearing, “you can give up if you want, they won’t hold it against ya.”

Annie didn’t respond, this guy wasn’t worth her breath. Her first round of preliminaries matched her up against an amateur wrestler, which meant that the guy was cocky as shit. That was just her luck, getting set with someone who will underestimate her because of what she was. Reiner got a good match, trading blows with a heavy-weight boxer until he got too tired and her gym buddy knocked him on his ass. Bert also had fun, going head to head with a judo grappler. But her? She got a stupid wrestler, all flashy with a short cape and a mask on his face. Costumes were allowed in the Colosseum, even encouraged, as long as they did not hide any weapons in them. They added to the hype of the matches, and that was what the whole tournament was about. But Annie wasn’t here to wear a costume, she was here to do one thing. Win.

Seeing that he was ignored, the wrestler shrugged and stepped back to his original position. Apparently, he was done showing mercy and Annie could not be more grateful. His voice was giving her headaches. Now that they were both ready, all that remained was the bell, which rung in.

3..2…1….

As soon as it rang, the guy moved in for a kill, his pride still hurting from that rude ignore Annie gave him. Reaching out, he tried to grab her and in a classic wrestling move and… She planted him into the ground in about two seconds, turning and walking away even before the referee called the match. This was boringly easy.

“Damn, you had it for him, huh?”, Reiner said as he joined her from the right, “Poor guy.”

“The training is paying off.”, Berthold added, closing in from the left, “I do hope that we won't meet in the next round.”

“If we do, you will at least be a challenge.”, Annie pointed out, getting a chuckle from both her sides.

“You don’t lack confidence, do you An?”

“Nope. I will win this thing and nobody will stop me. Not even you guys.”

Reiner exchanged a look with Bert. They both trained hard for this, but Annie was practically a religious zealot right now, all of her being was aimed at the single goal.

“Guess we’ll see about that.”

Annie nodded to that, once. In her mind, she was already preparing for the next fight, because there will be no rest until she is standing at the very top.