This is the most incredibly accurate depiction of the anxiety of hearing from someone you thought was out of your life that I've ever seen. Good God Meredith you are an artisan of the very specific
Yes. When I don't remember to lock my screen before I put it in my pocket, I call random people on accident. My skin through my jeans is enough to navigate my screens and select people.
Okay, I'm confused. I knew the comic was nearing an end, but you guys seem to think this is it? Perhaps you follow her on other media that I do not, but the comment for this comic only seems to suggest the end of a story arc. Not the entire story. It is more than possible that I have missed something…
Jesus Christ, Meredith… I thought I'd find some form of closure on the current troubles of ANY character in this page (strip, arc? im not sure) but instead you give me a cliff-hanger! A friggin' cliff-hanger! AND A DAMN MIND-BLOWING ONE TOO..!
Also, Eve, seriously — WHY THE HELL DID YOU PICK UP?! I've only been on Earth for fifteen years, but even I know contacts you yourself name NOPE are numbers you shouldn't pick up..!
Still a pretty good arc though… Just needed to vent out a little :3
I've had those shakes, that heart-explodey graphic (the exact same color, too). I've had that bomb-fuse go off when my phone rang. I didn't name the person "NOPE" but it was the first thought I had when I deleted the number…
Only to realize that I couldn't forget her number. I remember it still. In the cell phone era, I remembered a number. The real hurt now is that the emotions wash over you and it ultimately means nothing at all. So I at least felt like a moron for having emotional reactions I simply couldn't control for someone who… it's hard to even write the words, honestly… is as inconsequential to me as I am to her.
I hope this isn't the end of the comic or arc. I'm interested to see where this arc goes from right here, because that's a question I would like to see an answer to. Even an answer from an author and artist in a comic-strip. I know how I've dealt with it. I'm always going to be interested to see how someone else might. Especially someone with a delete/backspace key and an erase function.
it's not that things got bad so much as it seems park was the last real relationship Eve has really had. Since then she's been going through a series of one-night stands, and a diversion with Will – who was seeing someone else at the time.
Despite their relationship not being that great, Eve still occasionally wonders if she made a mistake by not going to Chicago with Park as shown during the Spa storyline here: http://www.octopuspie.com/2015-02-24/755-its-hard…
It's yet another amazingly realistic depiction of life in your 20s/30s – where you're single and nothing is really working out on the relationship scene, and the one night stands and diversions start to feel pretty meaningless. Eve makes no bones that she's a romantic and still very much believes in love despite not being able to find anyone so it makes sense that she would look at her relationship with Park through rose-tinted glasses the longer they've been apart.
Now they've likely drifted apart in the last while or maybe it's gotten to the point where the long distance friendship was becoming too one-sided so she maybe cut off contact (hence the "nope") so when he does call, it's going to be a pretty intense moment.
Of course I may just be projecting my own experiences on the comic, but I think that's what makes Meredith's writing so brilliant. It very much captures very real and very universal feelings and experiences in some of the most poignant ways.
Thanks for updating your comic-bros links! I am also from that time when links between cartoonists webpages was the main way to shine light on other cartoonists, and I've been using that old nest of links to visit my regular reading ever since.
I think Eve named Park NOPE only because she WANTS to be able to cut him off and WANTS to be able to avoid dealing with the feels, but if she really did cut him off then why not block his number and delete him?
There's always going to be that EX who became your ex for reasons that feel silly and unrelated to how compatible you are for each other or whether you care about each other. And when you know those circumstantial reasons are silly you tell yourself that maybe, if only those details were fixed – like they were able to just live closer to you – then the relationship could work.
So maybe Eve secretly hopes things will change and Park will get back with her.
Although honestly Park's kind of a dick for cheating on her and dumping her first, in that order.
51 thoughts on “#892 – nope”
grimmorrigan
Oh goddamnit…
Edamessiah
This is the most incredibly accurate depiction of the anxiety of hearing from someone you thought was out of your life that I've ever seen. Good God Meredith you are an artisan of the very specific
yes
the goddess of small things
Commodore Biggles
I saw panel 5 and I'd swear I could feel the adrenaline shock to the chest. Masterful.
wykstrad
Dammit, Eve, you named that contact NOPE for a reason!
REPORTT
This is why I just delete the number. Because otherwise I get shit on like this.
Copycat
YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
slightlyempty
Damn, that's an unexpected ending! But then, I never do know what to expect from Octopus Pie.
manlyshimapan
oh no, eve… ugh that's an incredibly good depiction.
Waffles
you know it's a bad idea when the contact name is "Nope".
Mikey Blighe
I have so many NOPEs I've lost count. But then again, I've also changed numbers a lot, so that helps.
jen
oh… oh my god be still my beating heart
astrothestickman
AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
John Carter
What the fuck! You're cutting all loose ends aren't you, Meredith?
Copycat
I did not hit her. I did naahht.
Oh, hi Park.
dorky
u cant do dis
Eucalyptus
HURRY, HANNA! Hurry home and rescue your roommate from bad life decisions! You can still do it!
peakpointmatrix
Goddamn you Merideth.
!!…Goddamn you…!!!
Time to embrace the hell that will be waiting for the next comic.
Amy
No… please, no… but, I trust you, Meredith Gran.
Aninnymouse
Plot twist : it was just a butt dial.
Menachem
is that even a thing anymore
Laura
Yes. When I don't remember to lock my screen before I put it in my pocket, I call random people on accident. My skin through my jeans is enough to navigate my screens and select people.
andrechurros
My dad just butt called me a couple of weeks ago so yeah
oceans
there should be a dad-wide championship of butt dialing
Bruno Guedes
Dammit, Eve, when you set a contact as NOPE it's NOPE territory. You should never venture into NOPE territory without a tether!
channamasala
oh god I know that heart thing
Gavalanche
This is turning into the EX arch.
NemoProprius
😮 hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!
Dana
Nope.
Booga
Hurry Hanna! Eve is in trouble! No matter what he has to say to her, Eve is going to need Hanna when she hangs up!
phatnes
Nope. Did not see that coming.
andrechurros
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooope!
Hedgewolf
Why would you even keep a number titled: "NOPE"? It's clearly a sign of mazochism… LOVIN DA PAIN! 😀
Phasma Felis
Usually so that, if they call you, you get a stern reminder not to pick up even if you don't recognize the number.
Just Me
Okay, I'm confused. I knew the comic was nearing an end, but you guys seem to think this is it? Perhaps you follow her on other media that I do not, but the comment for this comic only seems to suggest the end of a story arc. Not the entire story. It is more than possible that I have missed something…
peakpointmatrix
Not at all. We all know this is simply the end of an arc. It's just *how* it's ended that has everyone in a tizzy.
Shane_Manago
Jesus Christ, Meredith… I thought I'd find some form of closure on the current troubles of ANY character in this page (strip, arc? im not sure) but instead you give me a cliff-hanger! A friggin' cliff-hanger! AND A DAMN MIND-BLOWING ONE TOO..!
Also, Eve, seriously — WHY THE HELL DID YOU PICK UP?! I've only been on Earth for fifteen years, but even I know contacts you yourself name NOPE are numbers you shouldn't pick up..!
Still a pretty good arc though… Just needed to vent out a little :3
JackPoint
I've had those shakes, that heart-explodey graphic (the exact same color, too). I've had that bomb-fuse go off when my phone rang. I didn't name the person "NOPE" but it was the first thought I had when I deleted the number…
Only to realize that I couldn't forget her number. I remember it still. In the cell phone era, I remembered a number. The real hurt now is that the emotions wash over you and it ultimately means nothing at all. So I at least felt like a moron for having emotional reactions I simply couldn't control for someone who… it's hard to even write the words, honestly… is as inconsequential to me as I am to her.
I hope this isn't the end of the comic or arc. I'm interested to see where this arc goes from right here, because that's a question I would like to see an answer to. Even an answer from an author and artist in a comic-strip. I know how I've dealt with it. I'm always going to be interested to see how someone else might. Especially someone with a delete/backspace key and an erase function.
Phasma Felis
Did things get bad between Eve and Park? Last I recall they had parted amiably, and still chatted sometimes.
Or perhaps this means that Eve realized she couldn't deal with The Feels from staying in touch and decided to cut him off.
soo
it's not that things got bad so much as it seems park was the last real relationship Eve has really had. Since then she's been going through a series of one-night stands, and a diversion with Will – who was seeing someone else at the time.
Despite their relationship not being that great, Eve still occasionally wonders if she made a mistake by not going to Chicago with Park as shown during the Spa storyline here: http://www.octopuspie.com/2015-02-24/755-its-hard…
It's yet another amazingly realistic depiction of life in your 20s/30s – where you're single and nothing is really working out on the relationship scene, and the one night stands and diversions start to feel pretty meaningless. Eve makes no bones that she's a romantic and still very much believes in love despite not being able to find anyone so it makes sense that she would look at her relationship with Park through rose-tinted glasses the longer they've been apart.
Now they've likely drifted apart in the last while or maybe it's gotten to the point where the long distance friendship was becoming too one-sided so she maybe cut off contact (hence the "nope") so when he does call, it's going to be a pretty intense moment.
Of course I may just be projecting my own experiences on the comic, but I think that's what makes Meredith's writing so brilliant. It very much captures very real and very universal feelings and experiences in some of the most poignant ways.
Ellie
NOOOOO EVVVVVVVVVE!!!!!
robin
aw shit son
GreenwolfeESL
I love, love, love this art and layout. The color enhances it beautifully. I keep coming back to look at it.
DanZynski
Thanks for updating your comic-bros links! I am also from that time when links between cartoonists webpages was the main way to shine light on other cartoonists, and I've been using that old nest of links to visit my regular reading ever since.
metroidlunch
I think Eve named Park NOPE only because she WANTS to be able to cut him off and WANTS to be able to avoid dealing with the feels, but if she really did cut him off then why not block his number and delete him?
There's always going to be that EX who became your ex for reasons that feel silly and unrelated to how compatible you are for each other or whether you care about each other. And when you know those circumstantial reasons are silly you tell yourself that maybe, if only those details were fixed – like they were able to just live closer to you – then the relationship could work.
So maybe Eve secretly hopes things will change and Park will get back with her.
Although honestly Park's kind of a dick for cheating on her and dumping her first, in that order.
Ceceoh
What did you do Eve? Misspell "hope"?
Old Lady
Do you ever just feel a big pang of affection for the fact that this character's name is Everest?
Marvin Choi
nooooo
Steelbright
Park, Park, go away.
Call again NEVER
KitKats
Oh, no… OH, NOOO…
cubby
brb, changing my ex's contact name to NOPE