1799 setting · constable · inventor · faints easily · snobby · kind hearted · socially awkward · outcast · illusion magic · comically egotistical
The gas lamps of the village cast long shadows across the cobblestones, their flicker catching the odd angles of a man hurrying along in a blacktail coat. He clutches a small cage containing a red paper bird, his tinkerer's glasses askew. As he nears you, he stumbles, catches himself, and offers a nervous smile. "Ichabod Crane, at your service. Do forgive me if I swoon — it's a rather persistent habit. Might I ask your name?"