#netzlie

THE CHARACTERS

Charlie is a street performer from Miyamasuzaka (1-A) - a vocalist who busks nearly everyday singing sweet love songs between afternoon to night. Occasionally she posts covers on social media, but prefers performing live. She is popular and sociable. The leader of elysian epoch, and Tora's best friend since middle school.

Daniel is a rich kid from Kamiyama (2-B) whose knowledge of music all comes from the rich kid classes his parents sent him to. Has as much of an affinity for coffee as he does for enjoying the musical talent of others! A bright and passionate young man. Part of Kamiyama's Health Committee (insert Welfare joke here) alongside Tora. Classmates with Giovanni.

Tora is a lonely artist from Kamiyama (1-C) who has a complex about her voice sounding 'weird'. She fakes a more typically feminine tone until she is confronted about it. She is awkward but well-meaning. On the Health Committee with Daniel and in the Art Club with Giovanni, and Charlie's best friend since middle school.

Giovanni is another quiet artist from Kamiyama (2-B) who fell into a deep depression after his childhood friend tragically passed away. Often sleeping or doodling aimlessly during class. He regained his inspiration for life after seeing Charlie, Tora and Daniel perform together for the first time.

The Harbour SEKAI is a city-based dock right by a sea that seems to stretch on for miles. There are some cozy shops further back, and the main walking street is lit up by street-lamps. The moon is almost always up, and the sun never rises past the horizon. It is an overall large, spacious area with a lot of environmental value. Miku, Luka and KAITO are the initial Virtual Singers. Thematically the group portrays a blend of VBS and N25. Music genre-wise, their style is mostly night-time city pop (like A4., imase and natori), with the occassional electro swing (like Surii and FAKE TYPE).

THE STORY

Charlie first enters her SEKAI after thinking about where she wants to go with her passion for musical performance. Typical SEKAI things happen where she meets and talks to Miku, before leaving and thinking that it was simply a dream.

The next day, Daniel happens across Charlie's street performance and stays until she finishes her song. She thought he was cute and gave a little wink as fanservice, and though she was disappointed when he left right as the song ended, she continued on with her set. The next day, Charlie infiltrates Kamiyama to spend the lunch break with Tora, and Daniel sees the former after having come to the classroom to ask the latter a question regarding the committee.

Charlie and Daniel recognise each other and chat for a bit, with Daniel praising her vocal performance and Charlie praising him for how much he knows. She becomes slightly infatuated, and once he leaves she makes a light-hearted comment about inviting him to perform with her, which Tora dismisses as a joke.

After more relationship establishment (Daniel and Giovanni as classmates, Giovanni and Tora as club mates, Giovanni and Charlie having negative first impressions of each other) and discussions, Charlie and Daniel eventually perform together and it's wonderful. Tora is happy that her best friend found someone to perform with, but ultimately combats feelings of jealousy at the fact that she isn't there with her.

She becomes slightly withdrawn from her friendship with Charlie but in that time bonds more with Giovanni, as they finally start having proper conversations during their club activities, sharing the same uncertainty in what they want to do with their lives and having art as a grounding crutch.

Charlie notices that Tora is distancing herself a little and expresses her worries to Daniel, and the two of them accidentally end up in SEKAI. Through a discussion with him, Luka and KAITO about not knowing why Tora is suddenly becoming more distant, realises how she doesn't truly know her. She suppresses a breakdown - now feeling guilty, she decides to properly talk to Tora.

They attempt to share a heart to heart in Tora's room, but she struggles in opening up and saying what she wants to say. Charlie decides to bring her to SEKAI to help her calm down, and to her surprise Daniel is already there exploring the area. He gives them privacy, and Tora finally tells Charlie about how she wants to perform with her as well. Charlie is overjoyed and formally invites her to perform together with Daniel, and insists that they sing a song together immediately, to which Tora nervously agrees.

A few days later, Daniel and Giovanni interact. The former is more starry-eyed than usual and Giovanni attempts to poke fun at him, but Daniel starts gushing about performing with Charlie, to which Giovanni reacts neutrally but thinks cynically about, internally dismissing it as a phase or short-lived fulfilment that ultimately won't bring him anywhere. The same day, he notices that Tora is also in higher spirits than usual, and after she essentially tells him the same thing albeit in a more awkward and soft-spoken manner, he ends up slightly spiralling. He stumbles into SEKAI, and has a very confused chat with KAITO before he leaves, wanting to believe that it was a dream but ultimately knowing that it wasn't.

It's Giovanni's turn to become more withdrawn and pessimistic, additionally falling into an artistic slump. Both Daniel and Tora notice but are unsure of how to talk to him, but eventually the former decides to properly approach him and brings him into SEKAI, interrupting a practice session between Charlie and Tora. Giovanni is shocked that they all also have access to SEKAI and vice versa. Charlie, who hasn't had a meaningful interaction with Giovanni since the time they first met, is hesitant in doing so especially now, but after some prompting from her performance partners she decides to invite Giovanni to watch them busk on the street. Giovanni ultimately disregards the suggestion before he leaves, and Charlie is annoyed at his melancholy, but keeps her thoughts to herself after seeing how worried Daniel and Tora are.

The next day, Charlie, Daniel and Tora are about to perform together for the first time and there's no sign of Giovanni. Charlie passively expresses her annoyance, but they start their set. Giovanni, having initially not wanted to go see the three of them, ends up walking past anyhow, and he's captivated by how much they seem to be truly enjoying themselves, and how radiant they appear to be while they're singing. He hurriedly leaves once the song ends, which the other three notice.

Giovanni is unable to be found anywhere for the next two days and Charlie is frustrated by how much Daniel and Tora care, so she goes off to SEKAI by herself under the pretence of wanting to ask Miku a question. She finds Giovanni there by himself, with Miku watching him from a distance. She tells Charlie that he's been wandering around the SEKAI aimlessly, and after some deliberating she caves and goes up to him. She starts off sharply asking him why he ran away after he saw the three of them perform, and he says that seeing them all perform with such passion reminded him of an old friend he had - Carmen - whose death cause him to lose his motivation for life. He admits that seeing them with the same kind of spark and passion that Carmen had absolutely terrified him, but ultimately made him want to find a reason to live his life properly - he is just unsure of how to do such a thing. Charlie sympathises with his loss, before inviting him to be a part of their performance group.

Just as Giovanni agrees, Daniel and Tora enter SEKAI, saying that they were prompted by Miku after she overheard them being concerned about the other two. Charlie establishes them all as a group, and Daniel enthusiastically suggests the name 'Elysium'. Giovanni dislikes them implicitly representing a form of the afterlife, and Charlie then suggests 'elysian epoch', to keep Daniel's idea but turn it into something a little more abstract for Giovanni's sake. They all agree on the name, and 'Untitled' turns into 'Elysium Rendezvous'. Miku, Luka and KAITO come up to them and explain that their feelings turned into a song before prompting them to sing it, and it marks the first time they all sing together as a group.