The Stow-Tail
| The Stow-Tail | |
|---|---|
| Country | Notios Sudesha |
| Type | Restaurant/Bar |
| Short Description | A place where food and drinks are served. It's not thought of as a pub, club, restaurant or even a café, but rather as something in a class all its own. |
The entrance to the Stow-Tail is situated in the recess between two certain buildings - an unambiguous alleyway - beside the busy streets of Chafuo. Much unlike the up-scale tourist resort, this alleyway is seemingly forgotten; or known to very few.
Litter scattered around (some organized into metallic dust bins - their lids cantered) barely sells The Stow-Tail entrance and The Stow-Tail itself. Slightly beyond the dimly flickering light-blue neon sign, half in a bin, half out, you will find an old archway illuminated by an old caste iron lantern. Perpetually lit with an 'unmelting' candle, this motionless lantern sets the mood for what can be expected down the 3, chipped, stone stairs and through the short (25 feet) stone tunnel - constantly damp and dotted with puddles of varying sizes, which themselves reflect a shimmering image of a second tauney lantern, disrupted from time to time by either icy breeze or icy droplet from above.
Once beyond the tunnel, a bright bloom hits your eyes both night and day. In day, the sunlight reflects off the blinding white walls in this courtyard and creates a burning magnesium aura around everything. At night, the highly infused elemental lamps create a similar effect - only with seasonal colours to suit.
The courtyard is simple. Stone in structure. There are 2 sets of inwardly bending steps, 15 in each set. A large stone block sits centrally,either side of which starts the steps, which end 7.5 feet above ground level, flush with the top of the block. A natural, hand carved, wooden hand rail is fixed to the top of the block and follows its perimeter, creating a balcony and rest for pint and shot glasses alike.
Beyond this point, newcomers and familiar faces to The Stow-Tail are met with 2 rows of 3 lamps, which line the way to the front door, and taper from wide (the courtyard end) to more narrow (narrowing by about a foot towards the door). A doormat, made from the hide of the Arctic Ursidae, has the words dyed, "Care Enough to Not", on it.
The door is made from densely layered Mayneh Tree cones, and, once opened, a warm air carrying the scent of fine beers, ales, cocktails, alcopops, specific shots designed to be consumed ONLY as shots; forms of gins, rums, whiskeys, vermouths, liqueurs, lagers and ciders meets you. For those looking for an atmosphere rather than an experience, the regal Cilibis Bar (often operated by 4 to 5 male Khellin 'Dragons) can also sell carbonated drinks at a fraction of the price of the alcohol (which itself is competitive with prices found at The Watering Hole). Seating and tables are all hand fashioned from the Cilibis tree, and have been painted and lacquered to closely resemble the Flaming Gaukh - if anyone ever figures out how to control the Gaukh enough to fashion it into furniture.
5 long (in width not depth) steps take you down into the dark brown Stow-Tail. No one likes to call it a pub, or a club, or a restaurant or even a cafe within the walls. It's referred to as "The Stow-Tail" for its reputation and class is in a world of its own.
The Stow-Tail is partitioned. The main room you see first is usually reserved for frequent visitors, and is operated strictly: customers are on first name basis with the staff, and staff are on title basis with the customers. At no point will staff ever use the name of their customer. Doing so will result in an immediate expulsion from The Stow-Tail. Although this is a fact known to everyone who works there, they operate with a relaxed, but efficient, manner. Laughing when appropriate to do so, and never chuckling more than necessary, it's clear to hear where the border-lines are drawn.
The second room is usually reserved for newcomers (or unfamiliars). Here, a similar attitude is used by the staff, but where the first room is operated by an all male staff, the second room is more relaxed, hiring traditional Anubial females - traditional Anubial because of their inherent appreciation for rules.
It's here that customers can watch the preparation of their meals and drinks through an expensive and high-tech floor to ceiling pane of bullet-proof "glass". The "glass" is actually liquid carbon - its bonds constantly being shaken by an opposing charge. If trouble is detected, reversing that charge creates a solid, opaque, sheet. In its liquid form, new customers can view menu selection digitally displayed "inside" the sheet, and can virtually order their drinks and meals from their table, limiting the amount of contact there is between customer and staff, although the staff do still briefly interact when delivering orders with exact precision every time.
All the staff are overseen by a single Aquabat - a figurehead - dressed to impress and himself will never be seen interacting with the staff and upon occasion will be seen personally greeting important (or regular) customers. Once greetings have finished, the A91 Aquabat removes himself from sight.
Security is similarly invisible. Regulars know who they are. But don't cause trouble.
