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Keres flickered her eyes from Chris to the girl (who's name she still didn't know) who was now crying next to her. She stared at her with a sharp, questionable look before she lightly tapped her shoulder.

"Friendship can't be ruined by one tiny slip-up. You're trying to put something together for him, so isn't that thinking of him?" she asked, her voice a little dry and unsympathetic. She wasn't one to normally say such things to others, as she preferred sarcasm and insults, but Anya's morning talk -- and the current events -- gave her some wiggle room.

"Would you rather we celebrate?" Antony asked coldly as he stood up in his pew. "Would you rather we rejoice because he's gone? I'm perfectly capable of such a thing, Manuela," he said. He had never spoken like this to people outside of his family, and had he been in complete control he would never have.

"I knew Harper well enough," he went on. "And I figure he would say that if she wanted to sing, then there was no reason to stop her. The idiot practically lived for music to begin with, after all."

While Melchy had been sitting quietly, waiting for whatever was going to happen to happen, Chris’s words had profoundly affected him. Producing his handkerchief again, he watched the exchange unfold. When Manuela lashed out, he gave her his full sympathy, but......whether or not Antony (who he had only met once, fleetingly) had cared about Harper, there was nothing wrong with saying goodbye. After all, he was best friends with Keres, even though he was pretty sure he hated her guts most of the time.

“Hey,” he said gently, then called out again, a bit louder. “Hey, c’mon! If Harper’d’a bin here, it wouldn’ matter, cuz we wouldn’ be here!” He flinched, realizing the volume of his voice was a bit strong, but boldly continued anyway. “But Iun think Harper’d’a wan’ed us t’be brawlin’ like dogs, either,” he said, looking at Manuela and putting his ears back in mingled sympathy and fear. She was bigger than him, and she’d known Harper better. And he understood that she was lashing out because she was hurting, but...

“Ever’un mourns in ‘is own way,” he said, repeating something Katrina had told him when he had found out about the entire horrible situation. “An’ we can’ stop it er make ‘em change it...we jus’ gotta let ‘em go.”

Speech done, he sank down, slipping behind Keres and trying to make himself invisible.

Melchy watched Antony’s outburst, pinned his ears, sighed, and buried his face in his handkerchief. “Sorry, mate,” he murmured, apparently to Harper, though the voice was indistinct anyways...and it wouldn’t matter. At this point, the service had lost meaning for him. It wouldn’t matter.

Katrina frowned as Antony left and sighed, shaking her head. Emotions were running high enough as was without any sort of temper tantrum...and this was bound to turn everything into an utter fiasco if it was left to its own devices. She shook her head again and watched. This was a pity, indeed.

As the children argued and bickered, Casia fiddled with her necklace nervously. This was meant to be a quiet occasion, and look what it'd become! She watched Manuela, mostly, curious as to who she was and why her tail flamed. Whoever she was, she had more feelings for Harper than anyone in the church at the moment. Perhaps that's why she was so angered?

Casia nearly jumped in surprise as she heard the church door slam, causing her to look at it as though she was a puppy and her owner had locked her in. She then glanced back at Manuela, unsure of what to say to her. She didn't feel like arguing that morning. What could she do, though? I'm the one that started this, she thought to herself in shame. She glanced around at the church, looking for some kind of guidance.

Everything seemed to be silent, until a small voice began singing, quietly at first. It's sound was ragged from choking out words of apology and shame, but as it went on, the sound became more rounded and bright.
"When I find myself in times of trouble,
Mother Mary comes to me,
Speaking words of wisdom,
Let it be," the siren sang, hands clutching the necklace in anguish. She stepped towards Manuela, tears threatening to roll down her cheeks. Yet she pressed on, still singing. Even if there was no accompanying music, she managed to fill the church up with bright, uplifting sound near the refrain of the song.
"And in my hour of darkness,
She is standing right in front of me,
Speaking words of wisdom,
Let it be." As her voice grew louder, she continued to walk towards Manuela, hands slowly letting go of the necklace, and daring to hold themselves out of this girl she'd never met.

Kisala had just been starting to feel rather distressed when Antony left and things began to calm down again. She sighed softly as her mother slipped out the door-- Shiori didn't feel right being here anymore, but Kisala wanted to see...wanted to do something. Maybe if she stayed here long enough, she'd get a better idea of who Harper had been? She'd only met him twice, and then she hadn't talked to him much.

But he'd seemed nice. He had said hello and asked her to dance and stuff, until Carlisle'd taken a fancy to her and they'd played ring-around-the-rosies and had cookies and stuff. That had been fun.

She looked at the group around her and sighed softly, she hoped this would be the last time something like this might happen. She didn't like seeing everyone so upset.

((This is to yank Keres out so that this ORP can be like... done on my end and count for her child growth etc.))

Keres had been looking from person to person as they yelled, cried and tried to justify themselves of something. When Peter cleared his throat, Keres jumped a little and then closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them once more, she looked all around the church for some side-exit.

she shouldn't have come; Anya had been right, funerals and death and mourning wasn't something one ever wanted to voluntarily be around. She should have stayed home. ...These people whine more than she did.

A minute after searching, Keres found a small exit door that was right near the piano. She looked behind her at Melchy, and then to the girl she was supposed to play the piano for. She shook her head and just turned away, placing the sheet music on the piano bench before slipping out the little door without a word.

Stupid funerals....