This time I'm analysing episode 12 for all of the visual instances of Orthax and his control over Percy - or more specifically the Orthax fight. And episode 12 is where it gets really interesting.
For the first time since the start of episode 10, Percy puts his mask on. But, what's really striking is his face just before the mask goes on.
He's smiling. But it's not a Percy smile.
Throughout the series, Percy's genuine smiles have been small, and usually don't show teeth.
But this? This smile is entirely teeth. It's unnatural to the point it looks almost inhuman.
And from the moment he cocks his gun, we don't ever get a clear shot of his eyes. This is Orthax in control. He's the one pulling the strings, and he's got a very tight leash on Percy. The mask is on now, he doesn't need to conjure on up to force on Percy's face.
And this is the most brutal and violent we've heard Percy be. Before his threats had been either Percy's snide or snappy commands or Orthax's short warnings of pain - but now we get Percy fully monologuing about how he'll fucking take Delilah apart piece by piece.
He is fucking terrifying, getting up close to Delilah, threatening to flay her skin.
But then, in the first of many instances, someone calls out to him, past the smoke. Vex, walks up to him, unafraid and unwavering. And tells him:
I know you're in there. Darling, take of the mask
And she reaches up and takes off his mask. And this is what we see:
Percy is fucking terrified, and very clearly not in control. But, he's also able to fight back, the mask is off, Orthax's grip on him is weaker.
But, Fighting Orthax off is now a physical effort, with Percy darting about, pulling away desperately. Even when his eyes are clear he is not in control, shaking with effort or grabbing at his face.
Throughout the first half of the fight, Percy's movements are wild and crazed, unnatural, a far cry from as usual finesse.
But slowly, Orthax's movement becomes more refined, more fluid. He can move with shadow, twisting Percy's body to teleport about. Until finally, when Percy can barely fight back - with only one eye clearing - this all climaxes with Orthax taking true control.
Percy is pushed inside of himself, kept at bay with illusions and hallucinations. And this is when his body moves with it's normal finesse. Because, technically, Percy is once again controlling himself.
Orthax has changed tactics. He's tried working with Percy and he's tried brute-forcing him into doing what he wants. And now? He's gone back to using Percy's rage. Only this time, it's a bit different.
Orthax has learnt his lesson. He's realised that Percy is loyal, he would never fight those he loves, and Orthax can't willingly convince him to do so. So instead, he doesn't make him fight his family. He makes him fight his list.
He uses hallucinations, making Percy thinks he's fighting those who betrayed him, instead of those he swore to protect. He builds up his anger, his rage, so it can reach the point it had before, so it can overflow into Orthax. Throughout the season, every time Percy has gotten angry, truly fucking pissed, he'd given himself to Orthax a little more. Getting a little more violent, summoning a little more smoke.
And this is what it was all building up to. Orthax is just about to take control, fully consume the soul of Percival Frederickstein Von Musel Klowoski de Rolo The Third, Vex calls out to him.
Once again, he is broken away from Orthax by his family, by those he has come to care deeply for as he did for his brothers and sisters.
And this gives him the strength to turn around, to quite literally stare his demon in the face.
And finally, we find out who the fuck this abyssal guest is. We find out about the deal, about why Orthax is there, about what he wants.
Now, during his monologue one thing that truck out to me was this:
'Forged in iron and smoke. We struck a bargain. I gave you the means for revenge. And you... gave me souls to feast upon.'
And while this happens this is what can be seen on screen:
As Orthax is talking about feasting upon souls, Percy, after shooting and killing several others, aims his gun upon... himself.
But, this isn't just himself alone. It's Orthax too.
This Percy's glasses are glowing. And this Percy transforms into Orthax, consuming the other. This is a Percy who gave himself up to Orthax, and thus, lost himself to it. This is what Percy is on the verge of becoming.
But then something happens:
His family call out to him. Both his old family and his new family he found along the way. They break through to him, and briefly Percy wavers.
And this moment of hesitation is very important.
Orthax tries to control the situation, tries to get Percy back under his thumb. He puts the names on the gun, gives Percy new targets - the people who hard perhaps the most dangerous in this current situation.
And he tries to use illusions, to call on Percy's grief and hurt again - showing him the people who have hurt him most.
He's back to being with Orthax, following his desires. And is just about to fire upon Delilah, completing his original List, likely losing himself in the process.
Vex and Cassandra call out to him (The person he is probably closest to in his new family, and the only remnant of his old family). And it's clear the damage is already done. The seed of doubt has been sown and continues to grow, even as Orthax once again takes back control.
And once again, it almost works. Percy's glasses shine, glowing in unison with Orthax. But, in the same moment Percy is about to lose himself entirely to his shadow, he breaks free:
He's not wholly free, only one of his eyes clear, but it's all he needs. He fights back, once again physically wrenching himself away, even as he fires the gun, he's able to change his target, firing on himself - or more specifically his hand.
And it's this burst of pain, this broken concentration mixed with the ultimate rejection of the deal that is able to finally beat Orthax back for good.
But it's not without a cost.
Percy's hand is royally fucked up - there's a hole in it. And at the end of the episode, it's not healed up. The mark of his deal is still visible - as it was on stream with the remnants of Orthax's magic staying - but, like on stream, it is turned into something useful:
He turns it into (what i can only assume is), the ironically named, Diplomacy.
The mark left by acts of violence and death turned into a weapon named after negotiation and words. And it even has what appears to be residuum - a piece of his home, acting as its battery. His home is now fuelling him and driving him forward
