Hello! Thank you all again for the positive reviews. It really means a lot to me, because for a while I was nervous—"will people like my writing?" and the likes. But now, I feel confident. Thank you! And now, before we begin, it's time to reply to reviews….

Notthegovernment: I see…. The error is noted and I will try to fix it… eventually. And I'm glad to see that you're willing to overlook a cliché.

Mindnight Ink and angelofmusic4ever: I'm delighted to hear that you both enjoy my writing. And as for the originality? I can't take credit for that, as much as I'd love to. The creators of the Tributes are the ones to credit for that.

And now, onto the show. Today's feature will be a glimpse into the Capitol. Our broadcast today is sponsored by Aperture Laboratories*: We Do What We Must Because We Can.

As Cas Mason was volunteering for District Two, faraway in the Capitol, a man walked down a corridor. He was nervous, to say the least. It wasn't often that President Snow called for you in the middle of the workday. And he was practically nobody, just a Capitol talk show host. New in the world of TV broadcasting, it had taken a while to get to his position as it was. Years of lowly reporting for the news had finally led to his dream goal: having his own talk show. Still, his show wasn't really that popular, and was doing okay in bringing in celebrities. The most famous person he'd been able to get on his show was a singer, following allegations of domestic abuse. Several weeks later, the singer had been found guilty and was sentenced to being an Avox.

Coming to a door at the end of a hallway, he knocked.

"Come in," replied the voice of the man who ruled Panem. The young man swallowed, and entered the room, closing the door quickly and quietly. "Please, sit," instructed the president. The guest complied.

"Thank you for having me, sir. Um, may I ask why you called for me?" he asked. A million things whizzed through his mind, but he couldn't think of any reason why the President of Panem would want to speak with him.

"Ah, yes. As you are aware, the host for a certain bug event is… preoccupied, you might say. With some, ah, rather long-term tasks." Snow did not need to mention which host for which event; even the Districts knew. The host for the Hunger Games last year had been rather rash in his job. He wasn't really that good, and ended up wasting a lot of the Tributes' time for the past few years. That, and the fact that he made public his dislike for Snow, had been the gentle push to give a reason to give him the old "heave-ho."

"Yes, sir. I recall."

"Now, if I remember correctly, you are a talk show host, are you not?"

"Well, yes I am sir. I'm surprised you know who I am, sir. It's an honor." The young man in Snow's office was suddenly struck with a though. No way. He can't possibly… he doesn't want ME to host the Hunger Games, does he? No, he doesn't. he probably just wants to ask if there's somebody that I know in the business. During this moment, he took a quick glance at the president's office. It was very simple, really. There was a flag of Panem of the wall behind him, a few ornate chairs, and his desk, but other than that—nothing fancy. He assumed that there were some buttons, or a control panel hidden, maybe some TVs that came out of the wall. He was surprised by this; one would assume that the president would have a lavish office. Maybe he keeps all his nice stuff at home.

"My young friend, would you like the honor of hosting the Hunger Games?" Snow had simply asked the question. It was as casual as inviting a friend over for some tea and a chat, or maybe asking what number two was on the homework last night. Snow let the words hang in the air. After several moments, his guest answered.

"It would be an honor, sir."

"Good. I expect great things from you, Mr. Flickerman."

And there's that! Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but it will have to do until I write up the District Three Reapings. I might be able to get them up later today, even… Wouldn't that be nice!

*Aperture is from the Portal series, by Valve. I do not own the rights to it, but I do own both Portal games as physical copies. I find them highly amusing and entertaining, and they are a definite must for anyone who loves to think!