Hiveswap Friendship Simulator: Volume Five



Hiveswap Friendship Simulator: Volume Five, entitled "Of Affection, Unwanted or Untrue", is the fifth installment of Hiveswap Friendship Simulator, a series of "loosely-canonical" Hiveswap spinoff visual novels in the style of dating sim games, but termed "friendship simulators" instead due to their focus on platonic friendships instead of romance. The befriendable characters in this installment (first introduced in the Troll Call) are Zebruh Codakk and ??????, otherwise known as Polypa Goezee. Zebruh's route was written by Cee L. Kyle, Polypa's was written by Aysha  U. Farah. As with all Friendsim installments, Volume five was developed and programmed by David Turnbull using the Ren'Py game engine.

As with all other volumes, it is sold as $0.99 DLC for Volume One. It was also made available on the Google Play Store for the same amount.

Polypa
The streets are hopping, and up ahead there is a night market. Despite having no money, you decide to go window shopping. You are so distracted by the thoughts of finding friends, you do not notice that many trolls are running and screaming away from it. You step away to avoid the crowd but are grabbed by a mysterious troll in a black hoodie. She tells you that she and you are on a date, it doesnt matter what quadrant, and you should act natural.


 * If you Freak out and let the purrbeast out of the bag, you are knocked down into the street by a passerby and the girl is disgusted. She states that she'll deal with it herself and scampers up the alley wall, leaving a smudge of violet blood on you hand. GAMEOVER, >leap of unfaith


 * If you play along and hold hands, she thanks you with a squeeze of your hand and you walk together. Despite being short, it is hard for you to keep up with her. She states that someone died, a violetblood. She doesnt give a shit about the hemospectrum, and states no matter the job, she'll take it. You are filled with joy at being her acomplice, You ask what you should call her. She reveals herself to be Polypa, but tells you not to speak. You sneak past drones searching for her, and she pulls you into a smaller alley. She takes off her disguise, throwing away the sweatshirt, pulling her hair down, and taking off her fake horns. Large billboards show images of a goldblood in a ponytail killing the violetblood. You are impressed. She mentions something about a contact who she can't locate. Polpya asks where a good place to hide would be.
 * If you choose to hide in an apartment building, she decides on a cheap lowblood rental building. You choose a tall purple building to hide in. You go inside and she chooses a rust's room. She kicks the door's lock instead of using a pick, like you expected. You go inside and Polpya sits down on the couch and takes out her palmhusk. You poke around a bit as she ignores you. You discover the place is filthy and the rustblood who lives here is sloppy. Polypa is visibly upset from her seat on the couch. She types with her knuckles to prevent scratching the screen with the phone held close to her face. She sinks down and states that her contact has been culled. She sits in dispair for a moment, and you stand there, feeling like an ass. Polypa tells you not to pity her, that she barely knew her contact, they weren't in a quadrant, or anything, that it was just buisness. You sit on the couch, ready to listen and commiserate. Polypa begins to speak about having a partner to work with, how most trolls work with their quadrantmates. She drops a reference to Azdaja and Konnyl, calling them a particularly famous olive and goldblood duo, who she lost plenty of jobs to. But she has never found anyone she strusts enough to be her partner, except for a one off. She states that she killed the sea-dweller with and expensive knife and poison, and that they are definitley dead. Highblood jobs are her specialties, and she never leavesa job half-done. She admits that it would be easier to have a partner, and you cough into your fist, ready to become her assassin friend.. Polypa snorts, and declines semi-politely. She couldn't be your partner because you don't exactly fit in with the rest of the crowd, but you think that's fine. She begins to consider you a bit more thoughtfully. She is about to say something when there is the sound of jingling keys outside the door. Polypa grabs a knife and prepares to attack the lowblood who enters. As the door is knocked down, she launches herself and the trolls who have entered. A short rust boy comes through, but behind him is a purple boy who is too tall to fit through the door without ducking. Polypa realizes her mistake, and the purpleblood grabs her with a single hand. He is described as having "ram;-like horns" "a curly purple symbol" and "black and white makeup designed to make his face ook like a skull. He taunts you both, and shakes Polya while she claws at his arm. You stand, useless. The highblood throws her and she runs for the window, and the highblood sticks his tounge out at you, and you run behind Polypa. You fall one floor and land on Polypa. She is angry, and tells you that the drones will definitely be called. You both get up, but you soon notice there is a piece of glass in her calf muscle. You go down to inspect it, but she tells you to stop, you'll cause a blood trail. She tells you that you and her need to split up. She begins to speak about how she can't believe she ever trusted someone to have her back. She leaves you, and you curl up on the road. GAMEOVER. >at least your ass didn't kill her
 * If you choose to go to a movie and get some grubcream, she does a bit of a smirk and agrees semi-playfully. She states she hasn't seen a movie in forever, and you walk together. You notice her hand is very cold, but it's still nice. You walk into a mall, and the top floor is reserved for highbloods. Luckily, there is a movie theater inside, and she pays for both of you. They don't have any grubcream, but you're glad because you dont think you could handle something called 'grubcream' in your current state. You do stop for buttery exploded kernels, though. You walk into the showing area and you feel everyone's eyes on you, and Polypa sits close to the only other group in the theater. Awkward. The movie plays without any previews, and it turns out to be a romantic comedy, which you hadn't expected from Polypa. The movie is about a jadeblood getting involved with a visiting blueblood and their servant--a big bumbling bronze. The bronze in the movie grunts and falls down a lot, which you seem to think is vaguely offensive. You also notice the caverns have been glamourized, much bigger and glittery than the one you were in with Bronya. You don't really understand the movie, and Polypa keeps a running comentary, including her thoughts on the mistaken identity storyline, blackrom in comedies, and how the book wasn't this garbage. She admits she used to have a blog for relationship advice when she was younger, but it didn't last. A couple of kids broke into her hive, high, maybe on sopor. They stole a bunch of shit, killed her lusus and a psionic boy broke both of her legs with his brain because he though it'd be funny. She was trapped in her hive, and if not for a tealblood who lived in her neighborhood, she would've died. She calls him a little idiot fondly, and states he dueled purrbeasts and ran around with an eastern alternian replica sword. The tealblood is probably Tegiri Kalbur. A kid turns around and tells you to get a room if you're going to get all nasty and pale. Polpya kicks the back of the kid's chair. She is about to fight Polypa, but a boy sitting nect to her paps her on the cheek, and calms her down. You are nervous about how Polypa is talking about her past in public, but you are glad she trusts you. She states it's safer to be a bit extra than to skulk around suspiciously. She finds out her contact is dead, and her sadness turns to rage, and she begins to shout. People start to look and you take action.
 * Deploy Shooshpap. You press your palm to her cheek and she blushes deeply and closes her eyes. She leans in, but realizes what she'd doing and pulls back. She asks you sternly to keep it professional, but then she bites her lip and considers you. She calls you all right and offers a partnership if you ever need extra cash. You begin to tear up. She reassures you that you'll only be bait. Because you're a pushover, you state you wouldn't want it any other way. VICTORY!