“I like to inflict happiness. If that means suffering, I assist.” I said this to someone earlier today, and it snagged my thoughts for a while. The notion of happiness as inflicted, implying an unwilling victim. The choice of “assist” [unspoken "...with"], rather than inflict, indulge, provide, or any other verb that only flows one way. The phrasing, the sound of the sentences in my head, the way that voice came so naturally when the conversation turned to domination and submission, sadism and masochism. To clarify, because I’m aware I may not have mentioned it before: Once upon a time, [...]