Page 14 of Zodiac Beasts

“Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.” Marcus winked at me with a half smirk.

“Please tell me that’s not an innuendo.”

“It is.” He confirmed, and I died a little inside.

“So what themes are associated with the Taurus?” I asked aloud, because apparently I was in a mood to participate today. Or I just didn’t want to keep thinking about sexual cow milking. It could go either way.

“Excellent segue.” Adrian replied with that charming and enthusiastic smile he so often had in class. I always wondered how he managed to keep such a strong front in the classes I had with him. This sunshiny disposition never seemed to exist when it was just him and me. His teacherly enthusiasm was more like listening to Linda teach the class than it was like the Adrian I knew. “It’ll be much easier to come up with fresh ideas once you all have a better idea of who and what a Taurus is. Does anyone want to guess what element and modality characterizes the Taurus?”

I thought back for a second. The Taurus covered most of the month of May, which would put it in the middle of Spring, and thusly, it wouldn’t be a Cardinal sign that started the season, or a Mutable sign that ended the season. And we’d just done a full rotation of elements, with the Earth Capricorn, the Air Aquarius, the Water Pisces, and the Fire Aries. So logically…

“It’s a Fixed Earth sign, right?” I probably should have raised my hand, but this was a club, not a class. We were allowed to participate freely.

That was what I told myself to excuse this slightly concerning comfort I was developing around speaking to these people. I was going to be a functional part of society yet.

“Perfect deduction, Miss Denton. I’m glad to see you’ve been paying attention.” Again, that disarming smile. Why was Adrian acting so light and upbeat? It was almost creepy. “As we’ve established, an earth sign is grounded, firm in their beliefs, loyal to a fault, and sensual in their love. Pairing Earth with the sturdiness of a fixed modality gives you a sign that builds strong foundations for its life and relationships. They can be stubborn and contentious, but with great resolve.”

Linda tapped her fingernail on her desk, her gaze looking up to the ceiling in thought. “That’s not much to go on if we want to stand out enough to win. I’ve seen the kind of things the cooking club and the mechanics club comes up with. How does a Taurus appeal to someone’s emotions?”

Say what you will about Linda, but it was obvious that she knew very well how to appeal to people. From the way Ceto talked, it sounded like Omegas naturally attracted a lot of attention, but she was charismatic beyond her species. He was an antithesis to his. I wondered how different my life would have turned out if I had also been an Omega, too.

Look at me—I just barely learned these things existed, and already I was discovering new reasons to feel inadequate. What a ride...

“This is where a Taurus shines the most. As noted, stability is the name of the game for the Zodiac bull. They’re particularly open in their friendships, and have a tendency to welcome anyone and everyone to their table. They may be fixed in their ways, and not particularly open to influence, but they’re still a warm and friendly sign. Even incompatible elements like Fire or Air signs should be able to get along with a Taurus, who is, if nothing else, empathetic and respectful.”

“That wasn’t really my experience the last time I dated a Taurus.” Linda’s friend, Evelyn, said, eliciting a chorus of chuckles.

The professor nodded along, “Well, despite these good qualities, the Taurus’ infamous reputation for being stubborn can sometimes supersede their kindness. Taurus’ are so extremely set in their ways, that they aren’t the types to be persuaded. They’re the kind of sign who will never admit they’re wrong, and would rather burn bridges than apologize. They’ll be the most loyal friend in the world, only so long as you agree with them. They’re hopeless romantics, but they want a partner that loves them as they are and doesn’t expect them to change or compromise.”

“That sounds like Spencer.” Linda nudged Evelyn from the next desk over, and both girls laughed. Their relationship looked so easy and fun. I wanted something like that. It seemed way more enjoyable than the constant drama that was men.

“Every Taurus is different, and some people embody certain traits more strongly than others.” Adrian winked, because he was playful like that all of a sudden? Then he turned back to the board and started writing out the names of the planets. “Which brings me to a new element of Astrology that we haven’t discussed yet: The planets.”

His complete lack of seriousness during Astrology Club was increasingly fascinating. There were moments where his mask would slip, but they were a minority compared to the upbeat, borderline bubbly demeanor for the rest of the hour. During physics, he was typically much more muted, sometimes even anxious or bored, but other days—like right now—he was acting like he ate sunshine for breakfast. Actually, ever since I’d confronted him last week, he’d been off like this in all of my classes. He played up his enthusiasm with the same energy as the teacher’s pets, rather than the crotchety and stuffy guy who I always got stuck with when the room cleared out. For a Capricorn, he wasn’t very honest.

Good god, did I really just say that? Am I now analyzing how people act based on their star sign? Have I been indoctrinated into a cult?

“Venus is the ruling planet of the Taurus, which symbolizes sensuality, love, and beauty, instilling an appreciation for the finer things. It’s just one of so many elements that make up the intricate details in a Taurus’ personality, and helps to differentiate one elemental sign from another. Conversely, the Earth Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, which symbolizes discipline and responsibility,” okay, that tracked, “and the Earth Virgo is ruled by Mercury, feeding into a tendency to be detail oriented, analytical,” over-analytical, you mean, “and communicative.” Well, they got the first two right. I should start working on the last one.

“Astrology has so many layers.” Linda followed along, her eyes wide in fascination.

“Too many.” I thought to myself. “Now how about we talk about how being an incubus plays into the star signs? Does the combination of discipline, goal oriented focus, and a need to fuck things to stay alive make you so closed off and mean? Or is that just you?”

“Goddammit, Lila.” Marcus full on laughed, drawing everyone’s attention to the two of us.

“Is something funny, Mr. Emery?” Adrian raised a brow, and Marcus collected himself by clearing his throat. Though I could still see the amusement in his entire face.

“I was just thinking it would be great if we had the mechanical bull again. That was a hit at the last Picnic. Maybe even more so than the milking.” Marcus forced me to laugh in public purely on the way he said milking to Adrian. I didn’t know how the hell I was going to survive this month, where we were all going to be stuck outside together on the full moon surrounded by cow props.

“Put me in the kissing booth, and we’re guaranteed to win.” Linda added, looking rather proud of that fact.

“What if we had a garden, and planted whatever flower is associated with each student’s star sign? It could be fun to let people take home a pot that will bloom into a plant that will give them good luck.” I may have just been thinking aloud, so I wouldn’t be called on for laughing.

The professor actually looked genuinely surprised by my good faith suggestion. “That’s a great idea, Miss Denton. The Taurus is associated with the Poppy flower, and I can easily acquire seeds for the rest of the signs. Excellent thinking outside the box.”

I flushed, not expecting such sincere praise from Adrian. Certainly not while in class in front of everyone. Obviously he wasn’t going to treat me badly in front of an audience, but he usually just casually ignored me unless he absolutely had to interact with me. Especially after last week’s incidents.

Professor Karras made a list of possibilities on the board, then he addressed the class one more time. “We have some great ideas here so far. We’ll start preparing our booth this weekend, so if anyone thinks of any other ideas, feel free to shoot them to my email or stop by my office hours during the week. I look forward to seeing you all come together to make the Annual Picnic a success for this year’s Astrology Club.”