ladies, is it gay to take a mage into your service with the vow to enhance her capabilities beyond what she could ever have expected at the academy, fit her with an inhibitor collar that renders her unable to speak except to cast, take her name and keep it safe and replace it with a group callsign and serial number? stand behind her and guide her body through the physical motions of spells she doesn't know yet, all the while whispering directions and promises and hints of what is to come?

what about if you cover her in swirling runes and lines of charmed body paint to increase the energy she can handle, telling her it's temporary now, but that the more experienced mages wear their permanently fused enhancement glyphs as marks of pride and service? what if you watch her complete mission after mission, learning to use her glyph-anointed body as a weapon for you, paint tracks glowing in the dark, leaving motion trails?

how about if you watch her progress to the point where she is ready to see through more than eyes alone, and she begs you wordlessly to suppress her sight the same way you suppressed her voice, so you take her to the workshop and have her fitted with a gorgeously textured eye covering, another subtle mark of distinction among your mages, the outside glowing with your cult-army's insignia, and she develops her second sight and reflexes to the point where no threat to you can approach, no lurking foe on the battlefield can hope to hide from her lightning?

what if she becomes indispensable to your plans and your public image alike, known as the General's terrifying yet beautiful right hand, her elegant speed and force and bottomless well of elemental power a weapon you can always count on, a clever mind working for you, able to evaluate and improve your tactics with a brief, voiceless, eyeless gesture, a perfect counterpart to your strategy and domination magic? what if her devotion to you leaves her sleeping at your feet every night as a sign of gratitude? what if you wake up from dreams of conquest and control, wondering how much further you can push, wondering if you've gone too far, and see her resting untroubled on the end of your bed, and know that you can go on with her at your side?

is that gay? i mean we didn't kiss or anything