#Carl Stargher x reader

[floral-and-fine]

hiiiii, gurl! it s me (again). I'm diving into a new obsession and I think you're the only person on the internet who knows about the existence of this man. may i request ANOTHER set of random headcanons about Carl Stargher from The Cell? and maybe the SO is also a psychologist like Catherine that gets close to him, in his mind, by approaching the mad side of Carl, rather than the innocent one, potentially avoiding his death? thank youuuuu!!!!😭😭😭

Hey Friend! I’m so grateful that I’m not the only one who loves this guy 😭❤️ so thank you for the ask!

Also sorry it took me awhile, I wrote these headcanons a little differently, kinda going through the plot of the movie (at least what I could remember of it) hopefully they’re worth the wait 😅

Carl definitely piqued your interest before entering his mind, both from a psychological aspect and a personal level

At one point, while still in college, you had considered joining the FBI and using your education to help better understand the behavior of serial killers

But you were concerned over how much you empathized with each killer you studied. So many of them had such terrible, abusive childhoods that you couldn’t help but feel for them

So instead you focused on helping children, in hopes to prevent future serial killers

After graduating and working as a child psychologist, you were presented with an opportunity that definitely was too interesting to pass up, a project involving an experimental virtual reality treatment

When the FBI contacted you and the other doctors working on this project with a proposal of using it to acquire information about a serial killer, you felt a mix of excitement and anxiousness

As you prepared to enter his mind, you stood beside Carl, your fingers gently touching the side of his face, committing his facial features to memory

You had no idea what to expect once you entered his mind but you wanted to be able recognize him

Waking in Carl’s mind was different, it was jarring, fractured, and cold… so many different areas and facets to explore

You feel like you could spend weeks analyzing it all, digging deep into what each scene and piece of imagery meant

It was clear that he was a complicated being, proud of his ‘accomplishments’, by how each of his victims were displayed, but there was also this darkness like he knew that it was wrong/twisted

When the strong woman dropped you unceremoniously on the ground, it took you a moment to regain your bearings… the man who had been seated upon a throne, stood up

“Where did you come from?” He demanded, his voice sounded distorted and monstrous.

You froze, thumb hovering over the button on your hand, part of you wanted to scream, but the other part wanted to see where this would go

His stare was unnerving, dark eyes watching your every move, you could hear shrieking in the background, you recognized the being as Carl, or at least a part of him, a terrifying part of him

You’re not sure what compelled you, but instead of escaping, you reached out towards him, fingers brushing against his hand

There was a moment where the two of you simply watched the other, your fingers still touching his skin when suddenly without warning he moved, faster than you expected

He tried to grab your wrist

Falling back, panic finally set in, and you scrambled backwards, your hands coming together and then you woke up

Afterward, you couldn’t stop thinking about the whole experience. Sitting on your bed, in the safety of your home, staring at your television while hands rubbed the very real fabric of your comforter, you were hoping to anchor yourself in reality but every time you closed your eyes, you felt like you were back there with him

The whole experience was… fascinating… terrifying… erotic, leaving you eager to return

It was strange how after that first encounter he could sense your presence/arrival, instead of waking alone on the ground, you’d wake on a bed of dead flowers or in shallow waters or in an empty tub and Carl/king Stargher was always close by, waiting for you

With each visit the length in which you stayed became longer, you’d greet him with the same feathery light touch that soon lingered longer and longer

It left you questioning your sanity, wondering why you weren’t more afraid, wondering why you attracted to this sort of darkness

When you encountered the part of Carl that most resembled the actual man, it was the first time the two of had an actual conversation

You told him your name, which he quietly repeated to himself several times

The conversation was brief, he was curious about you, you learned about his the abuse he endured but when you started to press him for information about his latest victim he became volatile

When he changed, becoming the evil/darker version of himself, you simply gave in

You didn’t fight him as he grabbed you from behind then pushed you to the ground

When he produced the collar, you simply allowed him to put the collar on your neck, even going as far as stretching your head up and moving your hair out of the way

The hungry look he gave you, filled with desire, spurred you on

You pressed your hands against his pale chest, leaning towards him for a kiss

He immediately reciprocated

His touch was rough, desperate

You hands grazed over the rings on his back and arms, causing him to buck his hips against you

You lost yourself to the dream, your mind drowsy, you had no clue how long you had been here this time around, but you didn’t care

All you wanted was to stay with him

During your stay, your surroundings would change, but you were constantly by Carl/King Stargher’s side

Sometimes you found yourself sitting on his lap in the gold colored throne room, his hand on your lower back, your head resting on his chest, while he sat perfectly straight and still

Other times you were on the floor with him crawling over you and his hands roaming all over your body

Or you’d find yourself sitting on a lavish bed, wearing an ornate dress and mask, while he admired you

His changing appearance would make you question if they were all different separate pieces of Carl or the same evil side

Either way you cared for him all the same

His own feelings for your were a combination of ownership and worship, similar to being a prized possession

At some point the other doctors and FBI would have to intervene, because you had gone too deep, giving into your feelings and allowing yourself to believe that Carl’s world was real

All parts of Carl were here in your mind, each aware that you accepted all of him, the innocent and the evil

This was enough to keep himself from fighting you and from hurting himself

It was unfamiliar, being welcomed in by someone, in way he wanted to stay here in this beautiful and peaceful world that was your mind

His whole world/mind was warped, his father had twisted his perception of strength, right and wrong, and of women

He idolized the the perverse part of himself and stifled the innocent part

Carl never quite understood how he had both this disdain for women but also this wish to understand them, to have one care for him

Perhaps you were the answer to that wish

Having shown him the sort of empathy and compassion and protection he had wished for as a child

Unfortunately whether Carl stays in the coma or wakes up, there isn’t a possibility for a traditional happy ending

If he remains in the coma, you visit him regularly, when you enter his mind for a visit he’s always pleased to see you, but when you can’t you sit by his bed, holding his hand and talk to him

If he wakes from his coma, you do your best to support him but he’ll have to face the consequences for his actions… depending on the sentencing you visit him whenever possible… but for both of you it’s never enough. He’ll write to you, long letters, and always looks forward to your replies

He’ll miss getting to hold and touch you, but absolutely appreciates how you’ve stuck by him

Similar to the actual ending, you adopt Carl’s dog, giving him updates on how the dog is doing, showing him pictures