More Priceless than Gold - Emperor x Reader

The Arrival

<Your POV>

I leaned my head against the window next to the bus seat I was sitting in. The outside surroundings were a huge blur of color as we drove by. Inkopolis is pretty far from home, I thought to myself. My bangs lightly brushed against my forehead as the bus engine vibrated. After a while it started to tickle. I really needed to get my hair trimmed anyway. Maybe even get a new hairstyle altogether. It was a whole new city and I had to make a fresh start somehow. I chuckled to myself as I realized the pun I just made.

I snapped out of my thoughts as the bus driver announced something over the PA. "We are about 10 minutes away from Inkopolis Square. If you look to your right, you can see Deca Tower in all its glory." A few jellyfish who were sitting on the left side of the bus got up out of their seats to look. This kinda startled me, but then I realized they were just jellyfish. They couldn't really get hurt, could they?

Looking out the window, I was able to catch sight of Deca Tower. My eyes shone with excitement. That was where all the fun was going to happen. I couldn't wait to see all the latest trends and try out the new weapons. As I was thinking of all this, my phone jingled. I opened it and saw a text from my mom.

>Hey sweetie, how you holding up? Are you at Inkopolis Square yet?
> Not yet, but I'm getting close! I can see Deca Tower from where I'm at!
>Ooh, is it too much to ask for a pic?
>Gimme a sec...

(yes I did sketch this...but it keeps posting sideways so uhm...I'm sorry-)

>Deary me, it's huge! Takes me back to when I saw Inkopolis Tower for the first time.
>Mom I don't think now's the time to reminisce on the past...
>You're right, lol...anyway I'll stop pestering you now. I hope you have fun honey! I love you~
>Thanks mom! Love you too!

I giggled to myself. This was gonna be fun, alright.

(timeskip brought to you by the uwus)

The bus finally came to a stop. I grabbed my bags, making sure I had everything, and stepped out into the unfamiliar area. The square was breathtaking and very lively. I was eager to explore, but I decided to get settled in first. I asked one of the jellyfish where the apartment complex was, and she told me it was about a 5 minute walk to the east. It was a fair distance, so I didn't complain. I thanked her and started to make my way over.

When I arrived at the complex, I started to look for my room. 404...408...aha! 412. I took out my room key and unlocked the door. I slipped my cream basics off and entered the room. There wasn't much to look at firsthand, just a comfy couch and a TV stand. To the right was a tiny little kitchen with a stove, an oven, a microwave and a tiny fridge.

The bedroom entrance was straight ahead. I opened the door to reveal a mattress on a bedframe and a small wooden dresser. Next to the dresser was a sliding glass door with a curtain in front of it. I dropped my bags on the floor next to the bed and pulled back the curtain. The glass door led to a relatively small balcony. I figured this room could use a little fresh air, so I opened up the glass door.

A warm breeze greeted me as I stepped out onto the balcony. I had an amazing view from up on this floor. It felt so surreal...I was finally living on my own. After a few moments of enjoying the pleasant sunshine on my face, I went back inside to unpack.

It took me about an hour to fully get settled. The closet, which was next to the bathroom, was still pretty empty since I didn't bring that many clothes from home. My bed was neatly made with a white bedsheet, a cream-colored duvet, and a pair of cloudlike pillows. I hung a bunch of framed pictures of my family and myself, as well as a Squid Sisters poster.

The room felt even more cozy. I was kinda tired, so I threw myself onto the bed and pulled out my phone. I decided to look on Squidchat to see what I could find. A few of my online friends saw my location and texted me.

>Ayyy you made it to IS, my dude! How is it so far?

>my goodness I'm so jelly rn!! I can't believe you're in IS ;A;

>Hey, you'd better keep me updated while you're in IS!

They all referred to Inkopolis Square as IS, which took me a moment to decipher. Once I found out, I facepalmed and laughed at myself. I texted them all back accordingly. It's hard keeping track of 3 people's incoming texts...

Suddenly I heard a knock on my door. I jumped slightly. I told my friends I'd be back, then got up to see who was at my door. I opened my door and another female inkling around the same height as me was standing there to greet me. She was wearing half-rimmed glasses, a gray hoodie, and black boots. Most of her hair was pulled back into a bun, while two pieces were left to dangle in front of her ears. "Hi there! Are you the newbie?" I smiled and replied "Yes I am! Is there a reason why you wanted to see me?" The other inkling giggled. "Not really, I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Ember. And yours?" "Oh, my name is (Y/N)!" "It's nice to meet you, (Y/N). I hope we can become good friends!" Ember held her hand out for me to shake. I shook it eagerly.

I invited her to come inside and she politely accepted. She took a seat on my couch and I sat next to her. We started to make small talk and told each other some things about ourselves. I found out that she was 17 years old (same age as me!), lived in room 404 and that she had a younger sister back home.

After a little while, she asked me if I was able to look around IS. I came to a realization that I had not. I didn't even need to tell her. Ember saw the look on my face and laughed. "Don't worry about it. I could be your guide if you'd like!" I looked at her, excited. "S-sure! Just let me get my shoes!"

(A/N): I was debating on whether I should start this or work on the next part of my original story...but the ship energy was too high so I started this. Emp won't appear for a little while... ;w;
but I wanted to focus more on the reader for the first chapter. you'll see him soon enough, I promise. ^^