[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] jdcrispe95:
B021, I couldn't get my hands on B038 and B021 is a little better than B018 in my opinion.

Thank you, I'll keep editing this accordingly and will eventually release the ROM once I feel it's stable enough.

on a sidenote. if anyone is able to decompile SystemUI.apk and make these changes to:

status_bar_expanded.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<FrameLayout android:id="@id/notification_panel" android:background="#00000000" android:paddingTop="@dimen/notification_panel_padding_top" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_marginLeft="@dimen/notification_panel_margin_left"
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:systemui="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/com.android.systemui">
<FrameLayout android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/tw_close_handle_underlap">
<include android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="@dimen/tw_notification_panel_header_height" layout="@layout/tw_status_bar_expanded_header" />
<TextView android:gravity="center" android:id="@id/emergency_calls_only" android:paddingBottom="4.0dip" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" />
<ScrollView android:id="@id/scroll" android:fadingEdge="none" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_marginTop="@dimen/tw_notification_panel_header_line_height" android:overScrollMode="ifContentScrolls">
<LinearLayout android:orientation="vertical" android:id="@id/scrollCart" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<HorizontalScrollView android:id="@id/quicksetting_scroller" android:scrollbars="none" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="@dimen/quick_setting_button_height">
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.quicksetting.QuickSettingPanel android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/quicksetting_container" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:divider="@drawable/tw_black_bg" android:showDividers="middle" />
</HorizontalScrollView>
<LinearLayout android:orientation="vertical" android:id="@id/brightness_controller" android:background="#ff000000" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="56.0dip">
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="55.0dip">
<ImageView android:id="@id/brightness_icon" android:clickable="true" android:layout_width="25.0dip" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_marginLeft="13.0dip" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_brightness" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_brightness_icon" />
<FrameLayout android:id="@id/brightness_group" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.ToggleSlider android:id="@id/brightness" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" systemui:text="@string/status_bar_settings_auto_brightness_label" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.ToggleSlider android:id="@id/auto_brightness" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" systemui:text="@string/status_bar_settings_auto_brightness_label" />
</FrameLayout>
</LinearLayout>
<View android:background="#ff091a24" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="1.0dip" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout android:orientation="vertical" android:id="@id/noNotificationsTitle" android:background="#ff303b43" android:focusable="true" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="28.0dip">
<TextView android:textSize="@dimen/status_bar_expanded_notification_category_text_size" android:textColor="@color/notification_category_color" android:gravity="left|center" android:id="@id/noNotificationsText" android:paddingLeft="11.0dip" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="@dimen/status_bar_expanded_notification_category_height" android:text="@string/status_bar_no_notifications_title" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout android:orientation="vertical" android:id="@id/onGoingCart" android:background="#ff303b43" android:focusable="true" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="@dimen/status_bar_expanded_notification_category_height">
<TextView android:textSize="@dimen/status_bar_expanded_notification_category_text_size" android:textColor="@color/notification_category_color" android:gravity="left|center" android:id="@id/onGoingNotificationText" android:paddingLeft="11.0dip" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:text="@string/status_bar_ongoing_events_title" />
</LinearLayout>
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.NotificationRowLayout android:id="@id/onGoingItems" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" systemui:rowHeight="@dimen/tw_notification_row_min_height" />
<LinearLayout android:orientation="vertical" android:id="@id/notificationCart" android:background="#ff303b43" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="@dimen/status_bar_expanded_notification_category_height">
<RelativeLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<TextView android:textSize="@dimen/status_bar_expanded_notification_category_text_size" android:textColor="@color/notification_category_color" android:gravity="left|center" android:id="@id/latestNotificationText" android:paddingLeft="11.0dip" android:layout_width="180.0dip" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:text="@string/status_bar_latest_events_title" android:layout_alignParentLeft="true" />
<TextView android:textSize="@dimen/status_bar_expanded_notification_clear_button_text_size" android:textColor="@color/tw_status_bar_clear_btn_text" android:gravity="center" android:id="@id/clear_all_button" android:background="@drawable/tw_btn_default_small" android:padding="0.100000024dip" android:focusable="true" android:clickable="true" android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_expanded_clear_button_width" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_marginRight="4.0dip" android:text="@string/status_bar_clear_all_button" android:layout_alignParentRight="true" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_clear_all" />
</RelativeLayout>
</LinearLayout>
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.NotificationRowLayout android:id="@id/notificationItems" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" systemui:rowHeight="@dimen/tw_notification_row_min_height" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.NotificationRowLayout android:id="@id/latestItems" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" systemui:rowHeight="@dimen/tw_notification_row_min_height" />
</LinearLayout>
</ScrollView>
</FrameLayout>
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.CloseDragHandle android:layout_gravity="bottom" android:orientation="vertical" android:id="@id/close" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="@dimen/tw_close_handle_height">
<RelativeLayout android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<ImageView android:layout_gravity="bottom" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="@dimen/tw_close_handle_height" android:src="@drawable/tw_status_bar_close" android:scaleType="fitXY" />
<TextView android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.StatusBar.Expanded.Network" android:gravity="center" android:layout_gravity="bottom" android:id="@id/carrier_label" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="@dimen/tw_close_handle_height" android:layout_marginBottom="10.0dip" />
</RelativeLayout>
</com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.CloseDragHandle>
</FrameLayout>

And

status_bar.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.PhoneStatusBarView android:orientation="vertical" android:id="@id/status_bar" android:background="@drawable/status_bar_background" android:focusable="true" android:fitsSystemWindows="true" android:descendantFocusability="afterDescendants"
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:systemui="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/com.android.systemui">
<ImageView android:id="@id/notification_lights_out" android:paddingLeft="6.0dip" android:paddingBottom="2.0dip" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_lights_out_dot_small" android:scaleType="center" />
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/icons" android:paddingLeft="6.0dip" android:paddingRight="6.0dip" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/left_icons" android:layout_width="0.0dip" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0">
<TextView android:textSize="15.0dip" android:gravity="center_vertical" android:id="@id/carrierLabel" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:singleLine="true" />
<ImageView android:id="@id/doNotDisturbIcon" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:src="@drawable/tw_dnd" android:alpha="0.7" android:scaleX="0.85" android:scaleY="0.85" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.StatusBarIconView android:id="@id/moreIcon" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/stat_notify_more" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.IconMerger android:gravity="center_vertical" android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/notificationIcons" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_alignParentLeft="true" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout android:gravity="center" android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/clock" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.Clock android:textSize="@dimen/status_bar_clock_text_size" android:textColor="#ff99FF00" android:gravity="center" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:singleLine="true" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout android:gravity="right|center" android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/right_icons" android:layout_width="0.0dip" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0" android:layout_alignParentRight="true">
<LinearLayout android:gravity="right|center" android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/statusIcons" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" />
<LinearLayout android:gravity="right|center" android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/signal_battery_cluster" android:paddingLeft="0.0dip" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<include android:id="@id/signal_cluster" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" layout="@layout/tw_signal_cluster_view" />
<TextView android:textSize="9.0dip" android:textColor="#ff99FF00" android:layout_gravity="center" android:id="@id/battery_text" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="@string/status_bar_network_name_separator" />
<ImageView android:gravity="center" android:id="@id/battery" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" />
</LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/ticker" android:paddingLeft="6.0dip" android:animationCache="false" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<ImageSwitcher android:id="@id/tickerIcon" android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_marginRight="4.0dip">
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.AnimatedImageView android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:scaleType="centerInside" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.AnimatedImageView android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:scaleType="centerInside" />
</ImageSwitcher>
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.TickerView android:id="@id/tickerText" android:paddingTop="2.0dip" android:paddingRight="10.0dip" android:layout_width="0.0dip" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_weight="1.0">
<TextView android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.StatusBar.PhoneTicker" android:id="@id/ticker_text_view_old" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:singleLine="true" />
<TextView android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.StatusBar.PhoneTicker" android:id="@id/ticker_text_view_new" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:singleLine="true" />
</com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.TickerView>
</LinearLayout>
</com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.PhoneStatusBarView>

I would really appreciate it as I'm having issues decompiling SystemUI.apk