The sudden sound of a voice speaking up drew the professor's focus away from his scribbling, and with a slightly raised eyebrow Blackstone turned his gaze over to where Riley stood. For a long silent moment the illusionist said nothing at all; not out of rudeness but because he honestly had a hard time placing names with faces...and telling if he was talking to a real person, or conversing with one of his illusions. When one's personal reality was mercurial at best thanks to being able to literally shape it with illusions that could fool all the senses, well it was a challenge to truly hold on to one's sanity. And their semblance of coherency too. At last though some spark of recognition finally flickered within James' eyes, and as Riley began to walk away the professor finally chimed in at last.
"Roger, right? No...not Roger. Raymond. Roderick...those don't sound right either." With his pipe dangling between his lips the man frowned ever so slightly as he tried to earnestly recall the young lad's name. Had he been a bit more social, and a bit better with interacting with real people, Blackstone knew he would've likely known the name right off the top of his head. After all he recalled briefly conversing with the younger man in the mess tent from time to time. At last, after batting away a tiny smoke formed unicorn from his line of sight, the sorcerer finally smiled as the name sprang forth. "Riley! That was it. Right?"
It always took the illusionist a bit of time to drew his full attention away from his research, yet it was the remark about the pipe that finally seemed to draw out a soft chuckle from James. "Oh there's no real trick to it, lad. It's merely a simple enchantment woven onto the pipe itself. I could make you a pipe that does the same thing if you wished. Or perhaps one that produces smoke that tastes or smells like...well like anything at all." Even as he took a puff on that pipe of his, Blackstone muttered a barely audible incantation beneath his breath. A second later, as the dancing smoke wafted through the air looking like a little pirate ship sailing across the breeze, the scent of fresh cinnamon suddenly filled the area as well.