The porcupine is the embrace-proof self — soft underneath, quilled everywhere reachable. It names defensiveness that succeeds too well: protected from harm and from holding in the same coat.
Positive Resonance
Protection thorough, the soft center preserved
Shadow Aspect
Unholdable by design, closeness paying in quills
Nuances
Quills raised: defense at full display
The soft underside: what the quills protect
Loving a porcupine: closeness negotiated carefully