Is it actually any easier on Tommy when he complies/tries to comply?
Believe it or not, yes! Caius goes out of his way to be particularly vicious when Tommy does not comply. If it was earlier in his training, he'd probably be beaten unconscious, then thrown back in his room + gets his mattress taken away + shackled to the bed. Caius has conditioned Tommy to be very compliant by making the alternative so terrible that he could not bear it forever.
Unfortunately for Tommy, Caius has impossible standards, so he still often fails to live up to them simply by being human. Tommy is so sweet and he tries his best to hold position, but it's too painful to hold still for long when he's being whipped. He has a much higher pain tolerance than most through years of punishments, but he still has limits before his body instinctively tries to preserve itself. Caius wants Tommy to be able to go against his very survival instincts to please him.
The follow up to Fury is nearly done, and shows a different side of Caius... :)
