Let's make the Cuil a unit of measurement.
One Cuil = One level of abstraction away from the reality of the situation.
Example: You ask me for equality.
1 Cuil: If you asked me for equality, I give you a fire ferret.
2 Cuils: If you asked me for equality, but it turns out I don't really exist. Where I was originally standing, is the statue of Avatar Aang.
3 Cuils: You awake as a teenage girl drenched in sweat. You start screaming only to have blood fly from your lips. The world is in sepia.
4 Cuils: Why does this world speak in one undoubtedly Asian language with all these land masses? A boy cries softly as his brother runs away from him in the snow. Your father stares at you as the wolves fall apart from the bloodbending. You look down only to see me blow up the boat, I am singing the wordless main theme song to our television show.
5. You ask for equality. I give you equality. You lower your lips to mine and the shippers cheer. Your eye twitches involuntarily. Across the street, Mako falls down three flights of stairs. You cannot cry. There are the cloud babies on top of the stairs. Bolin shifts uneasily in his restraints. I give you equality. You look at my face, and I am pleading with you. The cloud babies are crying now. You raise my hand to your lips, and tears stream down from behind your mask and ruin your makeup. I give you equality. You are on your knees. You plead with me to understand your cause. I hear only the laughter of protesters. I give you equality. You are screaming as your brother blows up your boat. I am your enemy. You cannot see anything. You taste equality. The water rushes up to meet you. You awake with a start at a house in the Northern Water Tribe. Your eye twitches involuntarily. I give you equality. As you take away my bending, I do not make a sound. I give you equality.