you would be spot on with this. However, I find the topping usually stops once the session begins and the pain ramps up. I think they just want to make sure you don't "ruin" it for them by making them do submissive acts before they reach subspace. Once they are in that zone, they will do pretty much whatever you ask and are quite submissive - with no regrets later. I don't typically take advantage of this. The fact that they have surrendered their body to Me is enough.

A pure fetishist is a bit different. Personally they make Me feel like a "provider" giving them a service. That may indeed be what a ProDomme is, but for some of us it is more than that and if we can't be our true selves it's a miserable way to spend an hour or so. There are exceptions. I have a regular foot fetishist that I see. He is not submissive, but we have found our comfort zone and he does what he has to do to be allowed to worship My feet. But if someone tells Me up front that being submissive is a turn off or off limits, then they need to look elsewhere.