[He nods, in reply. Compliment? Maybe. But he earned that, too, and he accepts it, silently, letting some assurance leak back into his posture so he doesn't look quite so bunched.]

[He tilts his head curiously, like he's listening to something only he can hear.]

I don't think your approach was the wrong one. [Kyle puts himself in Jim's shoes, and he knows it wouldn't work out the same way, because he'd only beg to buy time. Any person who threatened to kill his family fully intended to carry through with the threat, no matter what. Experience had been a hard teacher.]

You're like... a conflagration. [He rubs his chin thoughtfully and continues reasoning aloud.] Fire. Even if you can adjust to being a candle, or being a blaze, it always burns whoever touches it. You met a rock, and you couldn't melt it, but you can, if you figure out how.

[Play to your strengths.]