[L relies on his hands for most of his magic, whether in the drawing or tracing of delicate runes or the generation of frost or lighting, the touch at a temple to subtly enter and take stock of a mind. Binding them actually does keep the slight man's most dangerous assets restrained, much as removing his fingers had been a very effective countermeasure toward his preferred casting method.

He'd found workarounds then, and as long as he retains his cleverness in this state, he can find workarounds, now. For the moment, he also retains his desire to keep Near safe, and though a certain temptation is powerful--

Burn it to the ground, and leave

--they'd agreed to try to learn something from this.]

Stress?

[His brief laughter is harsh and disbelieving. They've been well past the point where that would have mattered, or helped, for quite some time.]

No, this... it's a salvage mission, OK? It's time to focus on what's important. Should we ever be in this situation in the waking world... if it's possible to slow the Cwyld's effects on the mind through hypnotism, this is an unreplicatable practice opportunity. Regardless of what's "likely..."

[He nods, grim, exhausted.]

We need to know if it's possible. Linden... Tailor, Eli Dagwood...