[Universe]

Adverse:

I'm just going to use my Men In Black gizmo here and try to forget about the fact that I already know this is about Casey Anthony.... Fuck. Didn't work. Oh, because it's plastic, nvm. Who knows, maybe it will work out for the better that I know from the beginning... Let's find out.

So you set this up so masterfully that, again I HATE that you spoiled it. I'm at the Mommy Why? part and the 'partying slut' which would've tipped me off but also would've been quite the revelation I think. I did appreciate the set ups while reading but if I didn't know, I would've went back and read it again and that always gets a writer major points... Still, this is a more focused effort than I'm used to seeing from you; the flow was mostly on point, few long bars aside, and it was technically solid enough, plus you had control over your narrative the entire way, which was great to see and experience.

Just a really eerie, spooky vibe throughout and the end was nicely handled - Caylee's soul waiting for her mom alone in the woods and finally baiting her in under the guise of 'atonement' only to escort her to Hell was a great ending and tied up all the loose ends. I think this sort of real life incident when given a fictional ending really works well... I wonder who thought of THAT... :p

This is vintage Adverse through and through but when you add in a focused narrative from start to finish and with the usual technical blips mostly ironed out you get yourself a top tier topical piece from one of the most creative writers here.

Great work bud. Just don't short change yourself next time and turn your emotionally charged, thoughtful piece into a joke through a meme...

I'll never get over it.


Nigma:

So I haven't really read anything from you before but based on your record and Champ status I'm expecting a lot... and man, this was a LOT to untangle. First of all this was technically superb, amazing flow and wording throughout, some cool wordplay here and there as well. Always appreciated. This is the kind of writing that I have to go back every 4 bars or so and re-read just to make sure I'm grasping everything. This is both good and bad. Obviously it's impressive for the aforementioned reasons, but sometimes it can get in the way of a readers overall enjoyment if they're constantly scratching their head and trying to decode the riddle.

You're clearly intelligent, but in terms of writing, sometimes you have to come down a level or so in order to truly connect with your audience. Nobody likes feeling lost or feeling as if they're missing something they are incapable of comprehending. It's the job of the writer to make sure this doesn't occur. Remember, we are not in your head, nor do we want to be. But we DO want to be in your world... so create one for us.

For me personally, I enjoy strong narratives with consistent story beats and character development. This verse was more dead man-esque, which is great, but it's dead man-esque but even MORE vague and... obscure? My advice would be the same thing I told him: Focus a little more on plot and your style will naturally thank you for it. The imagery here was fantastic, but that imagery only ever amounted to a glimpse of something within a thick fog - It was a fleeting glimpse and then back to feeling my way through the dark labyrinth lit with torches. It was a brilliant, beautiful cave for sure in this sense... I'm just not sure that it's my cup of tea... or what I'm looking for.

The entire ending section was a phenomenal display, it really read well and asked some real questions of the reader. But it was also one big narrative "maybe"... It didn't really tie up any loose ends it just... created new ones. For me anyway.

"i know there's many answers of why life exists, like who's the genie?
but perhaps the human species is the universes kundalini.... hmm
misery loves company, i'm happy there's this view to greet me"

This sums up the verse nicely as, if you like this, you will love the rest that came before it. If you don't like this kind of topical writing, then you will be on the fence like me. The entire piece had Snake references throughout, alluding to human beings as more of a serpent, and the Kundalini line, which I believe is about femininity being located in the human spine, or something to that effect, is a nice touch. I do appreciate the subtleties of this verse, believe me... AND the complexities, and the way they intertwined... But this is a narrative maze where there is just no exit.

Look, there's no denying this is an amazing piece of writing Nigma, it just comes down, as it always does, to narrative for me and this misses that mark. I think in every other category though you pretty much nail Adverse to the wall and bludgeon him so the question becomes... What matters more? A strong story-driven narrative with good enough technical skills on display, or a technical marvel with no real cohesive story?

It's a tough one. And I know this battle will be vote for vote all the way through but for me...

I CAN'T GET OVER THE FACT ADVERSE SPOILED HIS OWN ENDING. I just can't. I loved it, Addy... but you literally removed an entire chunk of the emotion masterfully constructed behind your narrative with a meme and to me, it cost you here. In a battle like this, that's so close, that revelation would've put it over the top. But in diluting your own narrative you left the door open here... and Nigma is a beast you do NOT want to let in...

Great battle guys. But with a heavy heart, and much hesitancy...

Vote: Nigma