Not a Graphic Novel

Chapter 1: My Life in the Can: Astrakane

In all the colors, I see one that stands out. Long sea blue hair that almost blends in with the water, but not quite. There's a slight foam forms around the tips of her hair, calm ocean blue waves literally ripple through her hair. Now they are subtle but when she's angry, the calm ocean can change to a rocky, vengeful storm. Small ships gently sail through her hair, happy for the calm seas. Her pale blue dress frills up at the ends of her knees, the multiple layers falling atop one another. Each layer going to a slightly darker shade. Her black necklace shines around her neck.

Meet Viol the sweetest, most stone-cold cartoon you'll ever meet. And also one of my best friends.

Viol has her eyes closed and is lying on one of the gigantic lily pads. But I can sense the tension. Her guard isn't down, it's far from it. She's waiting for someone, someone other than me.

A flash of yellow light crosses my vision. So fast I can barely comprehend. It comes down from one of the many flowers looming over us. The flash lands right on Viol's lily pad, causing it to buck in the water. Viol takes no time and jumps straight up in the air, facing the flash head on.

Jolton points a finger gun at the ground below them, firing and sending a strike of electricity into the water. He knows this will limit Viol, but she's already thinking two steps ahead. She makes a cloud form out of thin air, helping her stay above the water. Jolton falls to the on to the lily pad, but making sure not to fall into the water.

Viol creates a gust of wind trying to push Jolton off the edge, but Jolton points a finger gun at Viol's cloud, sending a lighting bolt her way.

It's a direct hit.

The cloud fizzles up and Viol falls from the sky, landing on the lilypad; but not before she sends a strong gust of wind knocking Jolton down as well.

"Ladies, ladies, didn't anyone miss me?" I holler at my friends, both their heads spinning around to meet me.

"Eim!" Viol says, Jolton giving me a wave.

"Guys, we have places to be!" I say.

"That's great coming from the most late person I've known." Jolton says, standing up and taking a running start. He dives into the deadly electric water, and disappears into a flash. Within seconds he reaches land. Landing with a thump on the ground, he straightens up. Jolton is considerably taller than me, about a head taller to be exact.

"Shall we get going then?" I ask, raising my eyebrow. But they're covered under my bangs so it's hard to tell.

"We got stuff to do, let's get moving!" Viol ushers.

The enthusiasm slowly turns into a leisurely walk through Flower Woods.

"So, my friends, what's on the itinerary?" I ask, my attention being grabbed quickly by a monstrous bluebell hanging over my head. I fly up fast to sniff it. Honey, with the hint of a flowery smell, like a natural perfume.

"I want to head to the art store, running low on supplies." Jolton mumbles.

He gets twitchy around the subject. But he can act loud and utterly pretentious about anything else. He's the greatest saxophone player you will ever meet, the ladies swoon and fall, they call him "The Sax Magnet". And he brags about it all the time. What can I say, the man has a talent. But what very few cartoons know is that he also loves to draw. But besides the fact that he thinks he's utterly terrible, it's not what he was supposedly born to do.

He comes from a large family, seven siblings including himself. Three boys, four girls. And his entire family are mechanics, they own a family shop called "Electric Hotline". And that's all the family has ever been or ever known, no one has ever branched out to find a new idea. But in the world that never changes, who needs it? There's safety in stability.