James Henry Blackstone was a man of science and mathematics. He was a scholar and had been well on his way to being a surgeon as well back in his youth. However when his young wife had passed away the professor found himself treading a far different path then the one he initially started out on. This road he walked had led James deep into the world of magic and the supernatural. Yet through it all; even after having spent over two decades honing his craft as a sorcerer, Blackstone still tried to apply the scientific method and his background to how he handle magic. Documentation, trial and error, and constant research helped the man navigate the rocky shoals...well more often than not. When it came to distinguishing between realty and figments though, that had grown increasingly harder over the years. After all, the stronger he grew in his abilities, the harder it was for even James to separate the truth from the lie. Though his knowledge of water fowl had surprisingly increased despite the fact that the professor had never possessed any interest in the creatures before taking up the magic mantle.
Hearing Riley hypothesize that the down could be the reason behind the geese being harder to alter; there was no sudden chuckle or sneer. If anything the professor listened intently to the possibility before finally offering the faintest shake of his head. "I had thought the same yet swan possess even more down and feathers, yet are easier to enspell. Plus I've tried working with plucked geese as well, to no avail. It's the same with cheese. Most types of cheese seem resistant to transmogrification; however Brie and Camembert are the exception to the...well I'm loathe to call it 'the rule' yet such seems to be the case. Presently, at least."
It was a simple trick to be sure. At least for a sorcerer of his skill. Still when Riley posed the question the professor merely closed his fist again. This time uttering the words anew, before opening his hand to reveal a tiny elephant sitting on his palm in place of the marble. "This was one of the first spells I ever learned; altering perception in relation to a single tiny object. The 'what' of it all honestly doesn't matter. Be it marble, elephant, or a pixie. The human senses can be fooled into perceiving just about anything. Though, I do find that folks are far more easily beguiled when their senses are tricked into seeing something that they can easily rationalize away. In this case; your brain can readily conceive that I was holding a marble, because the possibility was still present that I merely switched the coin for it with a bit of sleight of hand. However, this...well the mind sometimes cannot fathom the seemingly impossible." It was exactly why James took great care with his tent/show, to never overwhelm his paying customers with things 'too' fantastical.