"Burgers are usually a safe bet in places like this." Chu-e eyes his own menu. His eyes light up. "Oh! But they have Sinnoh Fried Steak! I'm getting that." So much for not ordering too much on his end. A taste of home was just want he wanted, even if he doubted that the fried steak would be as good as what he remembered.

"So," Chu-e started, more than happy to pick up some casual conversation. "You got any hobbies? Or are you the brooding and mysterious type?" He laughed lightly to himself. Some Rocket members could be all moody like that. It was funny to him. He hoped that Mercutio Kyle wasn't one of them.

"A fan of Sinnoh cuisine?" Mercutio asked.

There was nothing wrong with that. It was something he only had a couple of times and that was parties at the Apricot household; granted they would only have the fancy stuff and it was odd how..he didn't really care for much fancy food. Fancy food dishes tended to have more complex recipies, take more time, use up more ingredients, and overall...sometimes they didn't have a appealing flavor without something minute as if you cooked it in a pan or in the oven; when the recipe either didn't state which way was the correct way or the recipe was exactly the same except for cooking time.

"I suppose one of them might count as that..." Mercutio answered, pondering if the fighting ring would count as a hobby.

He paused, pondering if it was wise to tell this person what he did do for relaxtion or cooling off. It probably would seem funny that a big guy like him prefered to bake sweets and goodies rather than something else.

"I do...bake, it's a lot more preferable than cooking meals and the like." Mercutio answered. "I'm not sure if I'd be considered that....I keep to myself but, it's more due to the job than brooding I think.."

Chu-e Choi

"I was born in Sinnoh!" So one could say that Chu-e was a fan. Even if all his time there hadn't been happy, he still had many fond memories there. Finding places that serves Sinnoh food, even if it wasn't super authentic, was always a treat. Most of the foods, especially from the region he had lived, had been hardy and perhaps a bit lackluster. They were meant to stick to your ribs, appealing for the harsh winters and hard labor of the small farming town he was reared. It was only recently that he had been trying to learn how to cook it for himself, as well as remember his mother's favored recipes. It had been a challenge.

But, at the next part, Chu-e's face lights up in absolute delight.

"Oh, I love to bake!" Excited, he tugged his phone from his pocket. The cell phone was plain with a Skitty themed phone case, a small charm of a Sylveon hanging off of it. He flicked it on, revealing a startling number of Match 3 and Gacha games, before clicking on his pictures. Most of the glimpses that Mercutio Kyle would get seemed to be pictures of Cat pokemon, but he would stop from time to time at a nice picture of some sweet treat or another. Chu-e was not a master chef at it by any means but he enjoyed the act. "I'm just a beginner but it's been super fun to learn! What's your favorite thing to make?"

"Ah I see now." Mercutio replied, giving a nod.

It was a piece of home to the other...that made sense for him wanting to order it. Not a bad reason either. He was certain that Chu-e was aware that it might not be as good as if it was made back in Sinnoh. Still, Mercutio was happy that the other was looking forward to their meal.

Their face seemed to lit up when he mentioned the baking and honestly, it made a weak chuckle leave him. It had just amused the larger man that baking was going to be a form of conversation while they were in a little dinner of sorts. Nothing wrong there, it was just amusing in his mind. It also meant that he wasn't going to have to mention the illegal fighting he did underground. Now Mercutio wasn't one to snoop at someone else's phone, so he only looked if the other showed him a picture of a treat or something specific.

"Mainly sweets and treats for the young masters, they're strong choclate and vanilla fans. But I've managed to get one of them to like orange creame in a treat." Mercutio replied, a happy smile coming to his face as he sat there. "Course they still love cookies the most."

Chu-e Choi

"Oh, cookies... I really like making macrons." Pulling up a picture, he shows to Mercutio Kyle some from the batch he sent to cait alfric for new year's. They're pink and Chu-e tried very hard to make each little cookie look like a Jigglypuff. Some look better than others, proving that while he had passion he was still a notice. "I like the things you can decorate the most, like cookies, too. But, I actually don't eat that many sweets because of my health, so I give them to people I think might like them." It didn't seem to bother him, that he couldn't eat certain things too often. Honestly, all the greasy food from this dinner might be pushing it. One couldn't survive without doing a few things bad for you, though.

Chu-e looked like he wanted to say more when the sleepy-eyed waitress came over, pen pad in hand. She gave them a bland greeting, side eying Mercutio in particular. But Chu-e pulled her attention away from the other quick, placing his menu down on the table. "I'll haaaaaave.... the Sinnoh Fried Steak, with a side of onion rings. A large ice water and a small strawberry shake. Could I also have some honey mustard? Thanks!" Then he nodded for his companion to make his order, already pulling out his wallet.

A shiny, platinum card with 'Ji-Hoon Ki' printed on the side was slid across the table for her to take when Mercutio was done.

"Decorating is fun, sometimes I let the young masters help with that part." Mercutio replied.

He looked at the photo that was shown to him, seeing the attempts of jigglypuff macrons. It was a good attempt, as macarons were hard to make already. They were very finicky and required you to do the steps just right.

"Nothing wrong with sharing the treats you make." Mercutio answered. "I don't eat them that much, I do like to. They just prove a little hard to manage due to..."

With that, he gestured to his underbite, the two pointy teeth that stuck out as well. It was hard to clean them when some things liked to get in the crevases between teeth. And since he served a household, he found himself needing to at least have a clean smile a lot of the time. So he tried to take as little risk as he could. The waitress seemed to arrive and he caught the look she gave him. Still he stayed quiet as he sat there, letting the other order first.

"I'll take a plain double cheeseburger with fries and a glass of water." Mercutio added.

Chu-e Choi

When the waitress was gone, Chu-e nodded to Mercutio Kyle as he spoke. "Those hard to take care of, I guess?" That's what he had seemed to imply. "They're kind of badass." Lowering his voice, he leaned in a bit where only Mercutio could hear him. "When I was in Kanto, I could have used a guy like you to help me with the Grunts. You didn't have to be mean, just look mean, ya know?"

Chuckling, he leaned back as the waitress came back. Few people meant quick service. While the food wasn't quite done yet, their drinks were placed next to them. Chu-e picked up his straw and focused more on chewing on the end as he studied the other.

"Say, what are you hoping to get out of being a club member anyway?" Everyone had their own reasons to join Rocket and Chu-e made it a point to learn all of them. It's what kept people close. Made them a family.

"Yes..." Mercutio answered plainly but in a low voice, his brows twitched slightly. "Everyone in the fighting ring thinks so enough to just call me The Underbiter..."

Damn it!!! He let that slip. Mercutio gave a sigh as he pulled his glasses off, rubbing his eyes. Well it wasn't every day he let that slip. Perhaps it was due to it already being on his mind and the fact that they were talking about less....positive things in terms of the public eye? Possibly. Putting his glasses back on, he pushed them up as he listened to the question.

"Didn't know why I said yes at first..." Mercutio admitted, his voice still low. "but....a place to actually belong would be nice....I can't get that in any other place. Maybe I can get it there.."

Chu-e Choi

"Huh, well, do you like being called that?" For his part, Chu-e was more concerned with the perhaps-rude nickname that had been given to Mercutio Kyle than his choice of pastimes. Hell, considering some of the shit he had gotten up to over the years, beating the fuck out of someone else recreationally was probably tame.

But, Chu-e did perk up again at the mention of the other wanting a 'place to belong'. He smiled again, sweet and eager, before whispering between them. "That's what I want, too! I want the club to feel less like a job and more like we're all family... like we can rely on one another, have each other's backs! Is used to be real different before, ya know? But I want better."

Mercutio stayed still as he sat there. His brows narrowed somewhat was he sat there; his gaze directed at the table. No...no he didn't like it. But since he already took multiple fights in the ring, the name was cemented in stone. Besides...it's not like he could hide it and getting it fixed probably wouldn't be worth it in the end. After all, no one else seemed to think about fixing the issue all those years ago...so what difference would it make now?

"Just how the world goes I've found...." Mercutio replied, picking up the spoon that was wrapped in a napkin with the butter knife and fork.

His attention went to Choi as they spoke in agreement about wanting to belong somewhere. It helped still some of his displeasure toward the world...if only a little.

"Well at least I'm not the only one who wanted something simple..." Mercutio answered. "I believe I get what you mean."

Chu-e Choi

Chu-e is about to speak up again when their actual food is brought out. It's the standard fair for a place like this: a little too much grease but still good for what it is. Chu-e picks up a still-hot onion ring and drizzles a bit of ketchup on it, his teeth sinking into it with a satisfying 'crunch'.

When the waitress is gone again, only then does he continue, using the half eaten onion ring to point at Mercutio Kyle.

"I'm glad you think that way." And Chu-e gets another bite, a smaller one this time, humming lightly. "I was worried when I assessed you that I would need to, like, kill you if you were violent." He says this like it's nothing, with that smile on his face, and for Chu-e taking a life is nothing. His heart was hardened long before he knew Mercutio. It wasn't anything personal.

"But you did so well in the performance review! And then here, I can't get a whiff of the typical 'maniac crazy' on you... I don't think you can be a good enforcer, but I know some jobs you'd be a huge help on. I'll send you word, then you can get back to me and we'll check them over together. I don't want to push you out of your comfort zone too hard or fast!" And at that he laughed. Because Mercutio wasn't just talking to any Rocket Grunt... he was chatting with one of the two Underbosses.

When the waitress was gone and the food was before them, Mercutio looked to his meal. It looked normal for a place like this, so he merely picked up a frenchfry and ate it. Yep, cooked all the way through and was the standard for any normal frenchfry. He wouldn't moved on to try the burger if not for...the other's words.

"You.....would've...?" Mercutio questioned in a very low voice, there was a tone to his voice that he hadn't suspected such a thing would even be something he had to worry about.

So...his life was literally on the line here. While the other was frail and sickly, he didn't dare underestimate what they could do. After all, one doesn't just say that kind of thing if they haven't done it before. Sure, they could've ordered others to do it. But Mercutio wasn't going to rule out that somehow, Chu-e had done what they said themself. Sure he knew this wasn't going to be a clean road but...was his life really that heavily on the line?

"I may be displeased with how the world is and how certain things factor into where others will place you in the scheme of things, but I'm far from being crazy. Displeased and satisfied, sure. That I can say about myself. Crazy, no..." Mercutio replied. "And what exactly was this performance review? Surely not the pikachu swarm?"

An Enforcer? Truthfully, Mercutio would work fine as physical muscle, but there was things he would doubt that could get in the way of that. His strength was honestly a outlet for himself, those fights in the underground ring where he was the one fighting...that was him letting loose steam.

"And what jobs are you talking about?" mercutio added.

Chu-e Choi