Useless Talent No. 7

Anon requested: Each of the Seven teaching the reader one of their skills? What would that skill be, how would they go about it, and why this skill in particular? (I listed more than one skill for some of The Seven, because some of those skills were no-brainers, and I didn’t want this to feel like I was reaching for the low-hanging fruit. The title is a tip of the hat to 2007′s Planet Terror.)

Goodnight Robicheaux: Goody is well aware that he can be a hot-headed instructor where firearms are concerned, but all the same, it’s his legacy, and he’ll proudly teach you. He relays to you all the things that have become second nature to him: holding the butt of the rifle tight against your shoulder, the aiming, the breathing, the squeeze of the trigger -for Christ’s sake don’t pull it! He grins proudly, and praises you loudly when you hit targets from progressively longer distances. Goodnight also genuinely enjoys teaching you what he calls “a practical knowledge of the fraudulent.” The rate at which you fire a weapon is not the only area in which Goodnight stresses quality over quantity. The Cajun pulls you close as he shows you (in an almost conspiratorial fashion) how to distinguish real gems from fake ones. He draws your attention to the types of metal watches are made from, as well as the makers’ marks.

Joshua Faraday: Faraday pretends to pout when you ask him to teach you magic. “Can’t be taught,” he tells you, even as he takes a deck out of one of his vest pockets. Though Faraday makes the tricks look easy, you’re not surprised when the process takes practice, and a fair amount of showmanship. He shows you how to palm cards and direct your audience’s attention to where you want it. He’s not afraid to nitpick your technique as he teaches you his little gambits. Though you suspect that there are some he will always keep to himself, this skill is his way of both showing off and spending time with you. Faraday is in his glory when he teaches you the finer points of fishing. He shows you how to tie flies and how to find promising waterways. He teaches you how to feel for when you’ve hooked a fish, as well as how to reel it in. While Faraday is usually possessed of a manic energy, you notice that he is calmer when he fishes. However, when you hook a fish before he does, he splashes you with water, and calls it beginner’s luck.

Jack Horne: Jack is a world-class tracker, and an exceedingly patient teacher. He explains himself when he needs to, but he mostly leads by example. Blood, scat and tracks are relatively easy to find. Jack crouches and points, and then moves forward to the next sign with energy common in much younger men. He shows you fur that got caught in the brush, overturned rocks, and broken twigs, and he teaches you to take note of previous, current and upcoming weather, and their implications. It’s a new way of seeing the world. Jack is also an amazing cook. “Nothing fancy,” he tells you as he shows you his secrets. Jack shows you how to preserve, and extract flavor from both meat and vegetables. While it may not be fancy, he shows you how to create dishes that are as flavorful as they are hardy. You wonder how many of these skills he had the chance to teach his children. 

Vasquez: Time spent as a cattle rustler let Vasquez hone his skill with a rope. He sees no practical reason for you to learn to lasso, but he’s more than happy to be your teacher if it means spending time with you. He doesn’t hesitate to show off when he demonstrates, but then lets you try it your own way.He then suggests changes accordingly, though there’s not a trace of severity in his voice when he does so. He’s good-natured, but simultaneously impatient. “Here, like this,” he says eventually. He discards the rope and takes you by the shoulder and the arm, and moves your arm in an imitation of his own motion. “Release here,” he instructs; “Follow through like this. Take up the slack now.” Your form improves immediately, and it isn’t long before you move onto lassoing fence posts, animals, and even Vasquez himself. 

Red Harvest: Red Harvest is far from being an amateur where botany is concerned, and he is all too happy to impart this knowledge. It’s his way of showing you that he values you as well as sharing something of himself. You spend hours learning from him: what plants grow where, how they thrive, their seeds, the shape and feel of their leaves. What’s medicinal, what’s edible, and what you should never -under any circumstance -touch. Red also shows you how to calm a spooked horse. It’s been ingrained in him since early childhood, and so he demonstrates, as words might fail him where experience will likely guarantee success. He tells you that horses are really just looking for their place in the herd, and sometimes they need to be reassured. It might be magic, as far as you know. Red shows you how to approach with calmness, and confidence; finding middle ground with the animal, and assuaging it, no matter how long it takes. 

Sam Chisolm:  Sam is a subtle, but constant teacher.  He handles people, and he doesn’t presume to instruct you in that craft; he knows that if you pay attention you’ll learn. His tendency to relinquish his weapons is a loud statement, but watching Sam’s posture, and listening to his word choice go a long way toward showing you how to dissuade or provoke; intimidate or reassure. Sam’s stealthy diplomacy is a useful skill, but it’s not necessarily what he takes the most pride in teaching you. There was a time in Sam’s life where he might have been a farmer; and in the rare times when he has occasion, he passes along knowledge that he learned from his mother about growing seasons, and tilling the earth and harvesting. There’s a wistful smile on his face as he visits the past and what might have been. 

Billy Rocks: Despite Billy’s assertion that “there’s nothing to” knife wielding, you quickly find that that is not exactly true. When given time, he’s a slow, methodical teacher who emphasizes the importance of practice. Before you even pick up the blades, you learn how to care for them. He also gives you a handy repertoire of effective places to strike your enemy. He hopes you’ll never have to use what he teaches you, but he appreciates your willingness to learn, and he figures it’s one more way for you to protect yourself. Billy’s talents with knives are not limited to killing, however. In an attempt to keep himself busy during downtime, he taught himself to whittle. He teaches you, too, hoping you’ll enjoy creating with a blade. With a small knife, he  shows you to cut out the basic design, and how to carve with and across the grain, lest the wood splinter. He shows you how to maneuver the blade and your thumb until your design takes shape.