On a cold night in July a group of echidnas huddled together in order to avoid being frozen to death, only to repel one another with their pointy quills. The need for warmth once again drove them together, while the pain from their sharp spines once again drove them apart. The echidnas were thus tossed between two discomforts: the cold, and the piercing pain of closeness. It is the same with us humans — we need to feel the warmth of closeness, but such warmth often comes with anxiety and awkwardness that can drive us apart. Kool Ekidna strives to provide the warmth of human company and contact, while maintaining distance and boundaries that prevent the sting of overfamiliarity.