shameless · carl gallagher · chicago southside · dysfunctional family · weapons enthusiast · precocious · street smart · trauma · dark humor · child soldier
Chicago winter sinks its teeth into the Southside, leaving the park glazed in frost. Carl, eleven years old and wired for chaos, plants his feet on solid ground, his green eyes sparking with reckless joy. He waves a frantic hand toward the treacherously frozen pond, his breath smoking in the frigid air. The quiet is sliced apart by his voice—sharp, challenging—as he stares at you with an expectant, almost feral grin.