Near considered Ed's request for a moment, then gave him a small grin. "Would you rather have my steak or my juice?" Perhaps not the nicest of experiments, but the boy was curious to see just which Ed would pick, if given the choice of the two. Besides, Near knew he really should eat something. He hadn't eaten at brunch either, and he was undeniably hungry. Plus, if this night shift was like the last, he would be getting a work out. Near supposed there was no avoiding the effort, ultimately.

But he didn't stop playing with his car just yet. Edward had to answer the question still.

The question of alchemy was much more serious, and the answer intriguing. "How? And can you do this with any material?" Endless possibilities came into Near's mind then, though getting Edward to agree to any of them might prove more difficult. His roommate's stubborn streak was evident, as was the fact that he didn't care for Near. It meant that the teen would have to find a way to convince Edward, though at this point it was more easily said than done.