[Universe]

Adverse - And you doubted yourself lol. What did I tell you about bouncing back? Cuz you just did. This was everything I wanted and expected from you. A great story with multiple layers unfolding - you stayed with the God-like narrator voice (your strength) - and it paid off in terms of moving the plot forward in interesting ways. I loved the dream aspect, although cliched, it actually drew me in as I wanted to see where you were going with this. The jumper concept is so cool but it can be pretty easy to write about, so I like how you added a layer there... it was much needed with this topic.

This part really made me lock in:

"So I chase my breath to the balcony, where the cemented ocean stretched out below us
On most nights we'd catch a high, cast a line and fish for locomotives
Picking each other's brains, inventing new ways to shift the focus..
It's all so crystal clear but just out of reach, so i can't quite grip the moments"

I knew after reading that I was in good hands for the last half of the verse. It was just such a powerful few bars. So well done man.

Only negative I can really see is the flow was kind of a stretch - lots of long winded lines. But it was consistent throughout, so no line really seemed too jarring. I just got used to it.

I think this piece ended on a great, albeit predictable, emotional note. Adverse, you are at your best when you allow yourself to "go there". I think you know what I mean... When you take your story to such a level of depth that it exposes you and leaves you vulnerable. THIS is what we tune in for. ThIS is where you have to go to succeed. You did here, and it paid off.

Now, let's see if it's enough to get passed dead man...


dead man - I think this may be the most story-driven piece you've done yet. Your usual style still flourished through but this one felt like more of a focused effort, rather than the, I guess you can say, metaphorical approach I'm used to seeing from you. Still don't know how I feel about that so I'm going to have to dive in deeper... Okay. Let's break it down. It started off kind of like a news report - here's what happened, then let's hit rewind and tell you HOW it happened, which was a cool approach. From what I gathered, this story was about a "couple" - the woman cheating, and the man hopelessly in love - and the struggles he faces with that predicament. One day the jumper wakes up the man to the possibility that his obsession is not healthy, and the cause of this obsession - the woman he loves - is the "monster" causing these feelings to simmer to the surface. Yet, ultimately, it won't matter as his love will always win out. I got the feeling the man may be looking for a way out though, like his guilty conscience may be starting to get the better of hin, because he linked the reasons the man jumped with a woman.(Most issues are caused by women let's be honest lol jk) She called him crying- and he finally realizes the monster is her, consuming him and his life, and therefore everything around him. I mean, he barely stopped to gawk at the scene before him... just continued to the store. She means more to him than even a public suicide. That's a powerful statement. It's an interesting take... one that I may not have fully grasped lol... but it sure is fascinating.

Loved this part:

"forever, i had tried to be the person she chose
over whoever was the first to propose, at however-years-old
to distant versions of herself. i hope he already knows
how you used to get stoned and text me off of his phone
undercover our post. under covers every second we had
color us bad. what fucking difference does it make if we're happy
tell me that"

Classic dead man there.

I did enjoy this, but it seemed I had to really focus in on this piece to make the pieces connect. The flow was great as always, but some wordplay in here was a little beneath you I thought (coroner/corner) but overall another solid drop from the best around.

GREAT battle here fellas. Most likely BOTW. I'll go with the piece that connected with me the most this week.

Vote - Adverse

Thanks for the amazing reads guys. Great way to kick off my morning :).