Well. Actually all of that is correct, but in polish you can say "Myszka" to your girlfriend because you want to call her nicely. Like, you know. Calling your GF "honey" or something like that.
That's interesting, I've never heard it used in the third definition. Maybe that is one way that it's used, but here's some context on Polish and nicknames just in case you're interested:
Polish can be a very sweet and emotional language. One of the main reasons is its extremely wide variety of prefixes and suffixes that subtly and beautifully change the meaning of the word. This is hard to explain in English, since there really isn't an equivalent. The closest thing would be calling a mouse "mousey", or a dog "doggy", but it doesn't have the same level of sweetness that happens when you go from "mysza", the word for mouse, to "myszka". But it doesn't stop there. You can also say "myszunia" and, more informally (or maybe just in my family), "myszullo". All of these words mean the same thing (mouse), but each diminutive has a different feeling associated with it. Polish is great for nicknames because of this. For example, my dad calls me "grzybku", which literally means mushroom, but it's so adorable in Polish it makes me smile. It's not a common nickname, it's just a word that my dad likes to call me, but because of the diminutive, it becomes sweet and caring. So, although the third definition is probably correct, my inclination is that Marek's intention in using the word Myszka is less as a subtle reference to genitalia and more as a unique and loving name for a woman he cares/cared for. That's my 2 cents, feel free to disagree! Love this comic, and I'm happy that Polish characters are getting some love 🙂
No seriously, that would be my response if an ex that I hadn't seen in a long time, after a life changing breakup, right after a nice friendly and fun trip down memory lane….decided to kiss me on the cheek.
Heck I'd be ok with a long hug that had a melancholic tone for the both of them but a kiss? Why would you do something that reminds Hannah of what they both once had together and led to one of the worst periods of her life. It's not cute, the conversation and reminiscing was cute, it's confusing and manipulative. I'm sure Marek didn't mean it to be, but it was a really stupid thing to do to your ex that you have no intention of getting back together with. It'd be like after not talking to your ex for a couple years and then coming back and asking them to go to dinner and a movie, just the two of you, but totally just as friends. No I'm not sending mixed signals, why do you ask?
Yeah, that was the unkindest thing I've ever seen Marek do. The whole flustered jumping in via text to save her after Marigold told him they weren't speaking and this exit suggest the trip was an ego boost for him. All Hannah was trying to do was be helpful, and she gets jerked around for it.
Its possible that hannah might change her mind. Her main reason was that she had no place in her life for kids, especially because of the smoking.. Now who knows. Not having kids is a valid choice, but she may have to confront the real reason now that she's no longer using drugs as an excuse. Its possible she was just scared and not because she didnt really want them. As someone who has the same feelings about children I know there is often a back and fourth inside that has less to do with societal expectations and more to do with a fear of regret.
He did it on purpose. Yes, it was cruel, but not in the way you intimate. If you see his expression after she asked that question, the kiss seems cruel in the same way that Hannah's question seemed cruel. Her question slapped Marek awake in that panel, his kiss slapped her awake in the next panel.
Cruel maybe. Or just honest, and accepting that both of them can handle it. Which it looks like they both can, despite the hurt. Neither of them were ever good at tip-toeing around things. This is more of the same.
Dear Marek. I know that you are a character that exists in MG's head and thus cannot read these comments, and I get that this was probably not intended to be cruel and/or awful. But it was kinda cruel and/or awful?
auuuughhhhh this is like that moment in "Maurice," when Clive tries to act like its all cool now and KISSES HIS HAND!
It's almost more painful than if he said nothing at all.
We never really got to see how their breakup affected Marek. Now I'm starting to wonder if he's even realized that they really broke up at all. Like he's spent this whole time thinking of their relationship as on hiatus, or something to that effect, and he's oblivious of how hard Hanna's been trying to move on.
His hat has a picture of a duck, wearing the same hat, except that the duck's hat does not have a picture of a duck in a hat. On the hat. That the duck is wearing.
My take on it is that Hannah's comment was meant to convey that she is doing fine without Marek, and it comes across as not-so-subtly trying to get back at him. Marek is at first surprised to see her attack him, but decides to roll with the punch rather than confront her, and points out wordlessly that he, for one, does not wish her ill.
I don't know if that was a dick move or not. Honestly I've stopped believing that there are "right" and "wrong" ways to deal with relationship problems; there's only the willingness (or lack thereof) of both parties to make things better.
I know this isn't going to be a widely-held opinion, but I don't think kissing Hanna was so bad. Maybe not the best idea. Definitely not a step past the moral event horizon. What she had just said slightly mocked the idea that he needed to be worried about her – it suggested it was arrogant of him and demeaning to her to think that she couldn't cope without him. Which implies pretty much the opposite of "you must walk on eggshells around me because I will fall back in love with you at the slightest provocation". His "right as always" reaction might mean he knows that she's blustering just a little, but it's true – she IS her own person, she HAS coped, even she's brushing over the hell she's been through. And on his part… he cares for her. Still. Always. Hence a chaste, well-meant, probably-too-soon kiss on the cheek.
Thank you for saying this, and much agreed. Marek couldn't explain why he'd come, Hanna got a little egotistical (because she's Hanna, and we love her), Marek knows her better than anyone (that change in his face between panels 7 and 8 though). It's a farewell, mixed feelings on both sides, no one did anything more wrong than they did on the first go-round. Just… grown-ups.
marek, NO. BAD. you don't do that to someone YOU broke up with. this is seriously awful, i'm feeling so sorry for hanna. i mean i get that when you break up with someone you may miss them… lots, even… but this is seriously not a nice thing to do.
Folks, he showed up here after hearing that Mar and Hanna had stopped hanging out. He was worried about her losing her friendship with a long term friend right after they broke up. I doubt this is an ego boost. Rather it seems he let Hanna think that "He" was concerned about her fading away without him rather than worried about her pushing away a good friend.
People need to take a second and think. We've mostly only seen Hanna's life after the break up and not Marek's so we're more emotionally invested in her thus finding what Marek did bad. Look at the first panel, both of them have a chair's back in front of them. I would like to believe that Marek just lost himself for a moment and thought of the times they were still together and acted on impulse. If the next comic we still won't see Marek's point of view but Hanna's instead more of you will hate on him.
No…. I don't think Marek is being a dick. I think he's dealing with sour by adding sweet. Hannah was being a bit bitter and snarky there. My guy and a few of my friends use the same tactic with me (I can be a grouch), and it diffuses my temper. I think he also misses her. It's possible this is an invitation for her to come and talk to him later (but leave the sarcasm home). If he simply tried to open up the conversation at this point, she'd probably respond with needles, but the kiss is unexpected and gives her something to think about and she can make the choice to open up that conversation about their relationship later on her own versus feeling threatened by Marek bringing it up.
Can't blame him either. She was high most of the time they were together. He got a glimpse of her and loved who she was (minus being high), but her personality and goals are definitely changing now she's sober. Doesn't mean she will want kids (or *should*—I think a child-free person can be as happy/whole as parents any day), but you can't blame him for wanting to see who she's become and having a little hope.
Probably a lot of the reasoning behind not liking what Marek did is that most people reading this don't want to be in Hannah's shoes, so Marek looks like the asshole.
Personally, I wouldn't want to be in Marek's shoes very much either. Love of his life didn't want kids, so they broke up. He moved on, did well for himself only to realize that the people he left behind with good intentions are still hurting, so he goes back and has a chat… only to hear a sarcastic "What, like all of that stuff was like the most important thing to me?" remark…
Which not only hurts to hear at first, but hammers home that his ex really did hurt through all of that. So a kiss on the cheek and a "take care of yourself" kind of cutesy one liner and off he goes… he let her know in one fell swoop that he knew the emotional truth, but that he thinks she's going to be fine. Completely honest, and brutal, but also respecting Hannah's strength of character. That's how I saw it anyway.
…which, I think, is also what Hannah and Marek are probably thinking right now. I think they both just surprised each other and themselves a little.
I can't say that I would have done that, in Marek's shoes, but I also don't think it was necessarily the wrong thing to do. Think I'm going to have to digest this for a while, maybe come back in a month or two with something more intelligent to say.
Meredith, you continue to delight with every panel. <3
Pretty confident the kiss was there to symbolize how much he actually missed her.
He didn't come there thinking she missed him. He was worried she DIDN'T miss him at all- but he missed her. Letting her know he felt like he needed her more than she needed him-
Maybe some people found that to be stepping over he bounds but they didn't break up because they didn't love each other. They broke up because of different expectations. That doesn't mean they don't feel lovey for each other anymore.
Whoo, boy, I'm glad I read the comments before commenting, myself, because I was gonna go OFF on this genuinely caring fictional character for pulling a (probably not purposely) dick move.
49 thoughts on “#877 – we were both there”
Edamessiah
Someone get a mop because I am going to melt
two_ogres
nooooooooooooooo agh
angfdz
i'd say that's more marek's problem, isn't it? 🙁
MilkMan
Myszka
Noun
1. mouse (computing: input device)
2. Diminutive of mysz (mouse: either rodent or computing device)
3. (slang, affectionate) female genitalia; pussy
Cubic
Well. Actually all of that is correct, but in polish you can say "Myszka" to your girlfriend because you want to call her nicely. Like, you know. Calling your GF "honey" or something like that.
leiamorgana
That's interesting, I've never heard it used in the third definition. Maybe that is one way that it's used, but here's some context on Polish and nicknames just in case you're interested:
Polish can be a very sweet and emotional language. One of the main reasons is its extremely wide variety of prefixes and suffixes that subtly and beautifully change the meaning of the word. This is hard to explain in English, since there really isn't an equivalent. The closest thing would be calling a mouse "mousey", or a dog "doggy", but it doesn't have the same level of sweetness that happens when you go from "mysza", the word for mouse, to "myszka". But it doesn't stop there. You can also say "myszunia" and, more informally (or maybe just in my family), "myszullo". All of these words mean the same thing (mouse), but each diminutive has a different feeling associated with it. Polish is great for nicknames because of this. For example, my dad calls me "grzybku", which literally means mushroom, but it's so adorable in Polish it makes me smile. It's not a common nickname, it's just a word that my dad likes to call me, but because of the diminutive, it becomes sweet and caring. So, although the third definition is probably correct, my inclination is that Marek's intention in using the word Myszka is less as a subtle reference to genitalia and more as a unique and loving name for a woman he cares/cared for. That's my 2 cents, feel free to disagree! Love this comic, and I'm happy that Polish characters are getting some love 🙂
Booga
Ok, well that killed me. I'm dead now.
mantis girl
see everyone was like oh marek is nice and will is a bad boy but will wouldnt pull this shit because hes a fuckup
Karinpa
Myszka… 🙁
Jude
omg this is so intense
Arianod
It's 2016 and I'm still SO not over Hannah and Marek breaking apart >_<
(PS: Please let Jane and Marigold make it work) TwT
bryanew710
…And she's disappearing in the last panel.
NemoProprius
Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn…
cha
ouch. god. this is so relevant to my life right now. just. ouch.
JJK
How? How does this comic give me so many feelings? HOW?!
Morgan
Eyes!
Kyle
Okay, the comic can end now, I'm cool with that being the end.
THE END, EVERYBODY
*sweeping up mostly tears*
Wetmang
Dah hell was that supposed to mean….
No seriously, that would be my response if an ex that I hadn't seen in a long time, after a life changing breakup, right after a nice friendly and fun trip down memory lane….decided to kiss me on the cheek.
Heck I'd be ok with a long hug that had a melancholic tone for the both of them but a kiss? Why would you do something that reminds Hannah of what they both once had together and led to one of the worst periods of her life. It's not cute, the conversation and reminiscing was cute, it's confusing and manipulative. I'm sure Marek didn't mean it to be, but it was a really stupid thing to do to your ex that you have no intention of getting back together with. It'd be like after not talking to your ex for a couple years and then coming back and asking them to go to dinner and a movie, just the two of you, but totally just as friends. No I'm not sending mixed signals, why do you ask?
Bas
Yeah, that was the unkindest thing I've ever seen Marek do. The whole flustered jumping in via text to save her after Marigold told him they weren't speaking and this exit suggest the trip was an ego boost for him. All Hannah was trying to do was be helpful, and she gets jerked around for it.
Laura
Its possible that hannah might change her mind. Her main reason was that she had no place in her life for kids, especially because of the smoking.. Now who knows. Not having kids is a valid choice, but she may have to confront the real reason now that she's no longer using drugs as an excuse. Its possible she was just scared and not because she didnt really want them. As someone who has the same feelings about children I know there is often a back and fourth inside that has less to do with societal expectations and more to do with a fear of regret.
Alexis
You know in some countries a kiss on the cheek is as casual as a hug is.
Like you'd kiss a stranger on the cheek.
I don't know much about where Marek's from but I imagine it's the same for him.
"Confusing and manipulative" like geez it's literally a kiss on the cheek, who overthinks that?
JackPoint
It was Marek's reply to her context question.
He did it on purpose. Yes, it was cruel, but not in the way you intimate. If you see his expression after she asked that question, the kiss seems cruel in the same way that Hannah's question seemed cruel. Her question slapped Marek awake in that panel, his kiss slapped her awake in the next panel.
Cruel maybe. Or just honest, and accepting that both of them can handle it. Which it looks like they both can, despite the hurt. Neither of them were ever good at tip-toeing around things. This is more of the same.
GoatseFanfic
life must be really hard as an insanely judgemental internet person
joewbank
Wait. Was the shirt a different color, or was the stain a different color? The world needs to know!
kat
just gonna point out the pop of saturation in the panel where Marek kisses Hanna's cheek. Really captures the surprise + intimacy.
Copycat
Yo..
DrBucephalus
Fiction's its own best of all possible worlds.
Ellephant
It is like looking into my future
Solifuge
Dear Marek. I know that you are a character that exists in MG's head and thus cannot read these comments, and I get that this was probably not intended to be cruel and/or awful. But it was kinda cruel and/or awful?
Plaid-ypus
Yeah, Marek didn't think that through very well. It came off as patronizing, almost belittling.
Abed
auuuughhhhh this is like that moment in "Maurice," when Clive tries to act like its all cool now and KISSES HIS HAND!
It's almost more painful than if he said nothing at all.
Commodore Biggles
Oh gawwd, that empty doorframe…
Cora
We never really got to see how their breakup affected Marek. Now I'm starting to wonder if he's even realized that they really broke up at all. Like he's spent this whole time thinking of their relationship as on hiatus, or something to that effect, and he's oblivious of how hard Hanna's been trying to move on.
…My poor babies ;-;
Jojo
OK but no one said the end of Hanna and Marek was mutual. I would probably give the love of my life a quick peck if they'd let me.
Phasma Felis
His hat has a picture of a duck, wearing the same hat, except that the duck's hat does not have a picture of a duck in a hat. On the hat. That the duck is wearing.
Random Spanish Guy
My take on it is that Hannah's comment was meant to convey that she is doing fine without Marek, and it comes across as not-so-subtly trying to get back at him. Marek is at first surprised to see her attack him, but decides to roll with the punch rather than confront her, and points out wordlessly that he, for one, does not wish her ill.
I don't know if that was a dick move or not. Honestly I've stopped believing that there are "right" and "wrong" ways to deal with relationship problems; there's only the willingness (or lack thereof) of both parties to make things better.
maya
damn, poor marek couldn´t resist to touch again the skin of his former love. Too bad this messed up hannah and left both even more sad.
Kay
I know this isn't going to be a widely-held opinion, but I don't think kissing Hanna was so bad. Maybe not the best idea. Definitely not a step past the moral event horizon. What she had just said slightly mocked the idea that he needed to be worried about her – it suggested it was arrogant of him and demeaning to her to think that she couldn't cope without him. Which implies pretty much the opposite of "you must walk on eggshells around me because I will fall back in love with you at the slightest provocation". His "right as always" reaction might mean he knows that she's blustering just a little, but it's true – she IS her own person, she HAS coped, even she's brushing over the hell she's been through. And on his part… he cares for her. Still. Always. Hence a chaste, well-meant, probably-too-soon kiss on the cheek.
gabbiana
Thank you for saying this, and much agreed. Marek couldn't explain why he'd come, Hanna got a little egotistical (because she's Hanna, and we love her), Marek knows her better than anyone (that change in his face between panels 7 and 8 though). It's a farewell, mixed feelings on both sides, no one did anything more wrong than they did on the first go-round. Just… grown-ups.
manlyshimapan
marek, NO. BAD. you don't do that to someone YOU broke up with. this is seriously awful, i'm feeling so sorry for hanna. i mean i get that when you break up with someone you may miss them… lots, even… but this is seriously not a nice thing to do.
marek, we thought you were better than this.
rslnk
i don't think it was ever explicitly stated who broke up with who
grimmorrigan
Folks, he showed up here after hearing that Mar and Hanna had stopped hanging out. He was worried about her losing her friendship with a long term friend right after they broke up. I doubt this is an ego boost. Rather it seems he let Hanna think that "He" was concerned about her fading away without him rather than worried about her pushing away a good friend.
Rin007
People need to take a second and think. We've mostly only seen Hanna's life after the break up and not Marek's so we're more emotionally invested in her thus finding what Marek did bad. Look at the first panel, both of them have a chair's back in front of them. I would like to believe that Marek just lost himself for a moment and thought of the times they were still together and acted on impulse. If the next comic we still won't see Marek's point of view but Hanna's instead more of you will hate on him.
Dotcom
No…. I don't think Marek is being a dick. I think he's dealing with sour by adding sweet. Hannah was being a bit bitter and snarky there. My guy and a few of my friends use the same tactic with me (I can be a grouch), and it diffuses my temper. I think he also misses her. It's possible this is an invitation for her to come and talk to him later (but leave the sarcasm home). If he simply tried to open up the conversation at this point, she'd probably respond with needles, but the kiss is unexpected and gives her something to think about and she can make the choice to open up that conversation about their relationship later on her own versus feeling threatened by Marek bringing it up.
Can't blame him either. She was high most of the time they were together. He got a glimpse of her and loved who she was (minus being high), but her personality and goals are definitely changing now she's sober. Doesn't mean she will want kids (or *should*—I think a child-free person can be as happy/whole as parents any day), but you can't blame him for wanting to see who she's become and having a little hope.
JackPoint
Probably a lot of the reasoning behind not liking what Marek did is that most people reading this don't want to be in Hannah's shoes, so Marek looks like the asshole.
Personally, I wouldn't want to be in Marek's shoes very much either. Love of his life didn't want kids, so they broke up. He moved on, did well for himself only to realize that the people he left behind with good intentions are still hurting, so he goes back and has a chat… only to hear a sarcastic "What, like all of that stuff was like the most important thing to me?" remark…
Which not only hurts to hear at first, but hammers home that his ex really did hurt through all of that. So a kiss on the cheek and a "take care of yourself" kind of cutesy one liner and off he goes… he let her know in one fell swoop that he knew the emotional truth, but that he thinks she's going to be fine. Completely honest, and brutal, but also respecting Hannah's strength of character. That's how I saw it anyway.
Dotcom
Marek uses "disarm" on Hanna. It is super effective.
Narf
That was somewhat unexpected!
…which, I think, is also what Hannah and Marek are probably thinking right now. I think they both just surprised each other and themselves a little.
I can't say that I would have done that, in Marek's shoes, but I also don't think it was necessarily the wrong thing to do. Think I'm going to have to digest this for a while, maybe come back in a month or two with something more intelligent to say.
Meredith, you continue to delight with every panel. <3
Noodle
Pretty confident the kiss was there to symbolize how much he actually missed her.
He didn't come there thinking she missed him. He was worried she DIDN'T miss him at all- but he missed her. Letting her know he felt like he needed her more than she needed him-
Maybe some people found that to be stepping over he bounds but they didn't break up because they didn't love each other. They broke up because of different expectations. That doesn't mean they don't feel lovey for each other anymore.
KitKats
Whoo, boy, I'm glad I read the comments before commenting, myself, because I was gonna go OFF on this genuinely caring fictional character for pulling a (probably not purposely) dick move.