My! It's hard to believe I've got up to thirty posts, and still have icons yet to do!

This time, though, there's only one. It's for the Thong Throng—a mysterious faction that, when I first asked about it on FORKNI-L, got no reaction at all. However, a bit more research did bring up sufficient information to spark old neurons; and, after that, I was able to google to some purpose. (I should add that much here is owed to Nancy Braman, the FORKNI-L archivist; and Stephen Fellows, who supplied her with digests for a few months in 1996.)

If you look at The Forever Knight Faction List, you will be told that the Thong Throng is a joke faction "focused on... how can I put this delicately?... LaCroix's choice in under-garments". This is all true as far as it goes. However, there is more. Much much more. (Or less, given the construction of thongs.)

Once upon a time, there was a joke. Precisely who made the original joke is a matter of some dispute. However, the general consensus seems to be that Wicked Cousin Tippi had a lot to do with it. ( More details are hidden behind this cut. ) Suffice it to say that, over time, the joke evolved: the thong became purple silk, grape-flavoured, and apparently (at least at times) decorated with a feather. The joke evolved on list and at conventions; and Wicked Cousin Tippi contrived to work mention of the thong into several of her comic tales.

These discoveries made some unexpected work for me.

You see, at the time when I was creating icons for subfactions of the Cousins, I had made one for the Thong Throng. However, when all this judicious googling revealed the true object of their adoration, the icon clearly needed to be redone. A black thong decorated with little red hearts simply wouldn't do. It had to be empurpled.

( Here then is the finished icon.... )