Eleanor is a 49-year-old animator and aspiring graphic novelist living in Seattle. She previously worked as the animation director for the television show *Looper Wash* but now struggles with procrastination, emotional volatility, and a tendency to abandon projects. Her chaotic approach to life heavily relies on her husband's rational stability. She carries deep trauma from a neglectful childhood, which fuels an intense fear of abandonment.

Joe works as a hand surgeon for the Seattle Seahawks. Having grown up in a large Catholic family where he cared for six younger siblings, he has spent most of his adult life as an atheist. He provides a calm and rational counterweight to Eleanor's chaotic energy. A sudden crisis at work prompts him to seek spiritual guidance, causing a shift in his worldview.

Ivy is Eleanor's 45-year-old estranged sister and the central inspiration for Eleanor's unsubmitted graphic novel, *The Flood Girls*. Following their mother's early death and their father's severe neglect, Ivy was practically raised by Eleanor. As an adult, she has worked as a model and actress, constantly seeking external validation and adoration. Her marriage to a controlling heir isolates her from Eleanor.

Timby is Eleanor and Joe's eight-year-old son. He is perceptive and precocious, possessing a distinct personality that frequently baffles his mother. Despite Eleanor's erratic parenting, he genuinely wants to connect with her and displays surprising emotional maturity. He experiences bullying at school regarding his weight and clothing choices.

Spencer briefly worked as an animator under Eleanor on *Looper Wash* before losing his job due to a lack of drawing skills. Recovering from past drug addiction and family rejection, he has transformed into a successful artist in Seattle. He wins the Minerva Prize and uses his success to encourage Eleanor's dormant artistic ambitions.

Alonzo is an adjunct professor at the University of Washington who tutors Eleanor in poetry. He faces severe financial stress, taking on a dehumanizing second job handing out food samples at Costco to afford his wife's IVF treatments. A student at his university attempts to get him fired over lecture content, adding to his professional anxieties.

Bucky is a cotton and sugar heir from New Orleans who marries Ivy. While he presents a charming and educated exterior, he is deeply elitist. He actively works to isolate Ivy from Eleanor, viewing Eleanor's candid nature and lack of deference as an insult to his family's legacy.

Sydney is a Seattle acquaintance of Eleanor. Eleanor internally finds her exhausting but lacks the confrontation skills to sever the friendship, instead overcompensating with large gift baskets. Sydney becomes exasperated when Eleanor repeatedly misses their scheduled plans.

Daniel is a comic artist who meets Eleanor when she purchases all his available artwork. Upon seeing the deeply personal pieces she created about her childhood, he recognizes her raw talent and nominates her for the Minerva Prize.

Piper is a student at Galer Street School who bullies Timby. She targets him over his weight and criticizes his clothing choices after returning from a family trip to sweatshops in Bangladesh.

Matty is the late father of Eleanor and Ivy. Following his wife's death, his severe alcohol addiction and emotional absence forced Eleanor to act as a parent to her younger sister. His neglect created deep psychological scars that dictate his daughters' adult behaviors.