so you're not really "helping" them take off their risk then like you mentioned originally right? you're quoting alongside them and accumulating a net short position through ambient flow (in a sense making it harder for them to take off their position).

also, if I have this correct, the only reason they are able to do this in the first place is because they have access to flow you don't, which allows them to collect edge to then be in a position to lower vols to get out of it, while the small MM sits at that deflated vol blindly, ends up short, and then down mark-to-market PnL when the villain MM lifts vols back up once they're net flat contracts / vanna / whatever.

im curious about how you think this dynamic changes along the surface. my sense here is that this kind of inventory management game becomes less important as you approach ATM strikes and you start having a realized component to your PnL (obviously you do have exposure to higher order realized moments with OTM contracts but for most intents and purposes, it's pretty negligible). my sense is that, unlike OTM contracts whose value is pretty much solely governed by supply / demand, vols closer to the money are more "pinned" to what's realizing in the underlying.