The depiction of the gang's life is couched in terms that resemble drug culture. These alternate realities are accessed through encoded feathers, which the user sticks down his throat to activate. The feathers are color coded. Blue feathers are legal, safe and, to Scribble and his friends, somewhat dull. Black feathers are bootleg, illegal, mentally dangerous and have such evocative names as Skull Shit, Head Fuck, Temple Vomit, etc.
Pink feathers are pornographic.
Cream is the color of a used up feather. Only blue, black and pink feathers go cream. Their makers want the users coming back for more. Silver feathers are for the system operators, the people who make the feathers and mix the dreams. Yellow feathers are the most dangerous.