Week 1: Roderich/Natalya

Sitting in the back of the luxurious car he'd hired for the evening, Roderich adjusted his cufflinks, checked his hair and mentally ran through just how much he'd spent already- and he hadn't even picked her up yet. The night's total would be painful to contemplate, but on the other hand, it would (or should) be quite the event. At the very least, he hoped Natalya would be entertained.

The car pulled to a stop, and his driver opened his door; with a courteous thank you, Roderich gave his (extremely elegant, if very formal) attire another once-over, before retrieving an extravagant bouquet of white flowers from the car. He walked calmly up to Natalya's door, and knocked, three times.

Roderich gave the young woman a small smile, and bowed to her; deciding he may as well do the thing properly, he took her hand and briefly brushed his lips against it. Straightening, he took in her appearance; she looked quite amazing, strikingly pale against her dress. He offered her his arm.

'You look lovely, Natalya,' he said, voice soft and polite. 'We'll be seeing Scheherazade; I wonder if you know it, it's Russian. It's an interesting suite, I thought you might like it.' He had indeed chosen it with her in mind. This entire date doubtlessly appeared odd to anyone who knew the two, and probably to Natalya herself, but Roderich had a simple reason. Curiosity. He'd had nothing in particular to do that night, and anyone he might have spent it with was busy or out of town. He knew Natalya- certainly, he'd seen (from a safe distance) certain aspects of her personality. But there was something quite intriguing about her; she was distant, and yet she seemed to take a peculiar interest in small things. Roderich had thought taking her out might get her to open up a little. And the benefit to himself, outside of satisfying his curiosity, would be company for the evening. Besides, he relished the opportunity to explain an opera or ballet to someone new. Unless Ivan unexpectedly turned up, or Russia was somehow insulted in front of her, Roderich thought it would go smoothly.

He gestured to the car, where his driver was patiently holding the door open for them. 'If you're ready, shall we?'