I first heard about Kiyomizu Dera through a short story about a child who got lost in the complex and was found trying to drink from the waterfall. It struck me immediately as a place any Time Lord, especially The Doctor would be fascinated by and I really had to set a story there.

The next question was which Doctor, at which part of his life? It would be an excellent place for Chrístõ and Julia to visit, or even Marion and Kristoph. Davie and Chris could have brought their wives to the place. In fact, that might even be a possibility at some future time. I also considered the Eleventh Doctor with Amy and Rory.

Then I thought of the Eighth Doctor and Grace. I had used the Japanese Garden in Golden Gate Park for a backdrop to their last story, but I hadn’t really done it justice. This would be a way of giving them a real Japanese experience. I had written a story for each of the eight Doctors by now and was starting them over again, and even though it was only two months ago there was no reason not to follow up their story.

Of course, The Doctor doesn’t need any of the gifts of the three waterfalls. Nor does Grace if longevity is counted the way The Doctor counts it, knowing that her name and her fame will live on after her. I named the hospital space ships SS Marie Curie. SS Elizabeth Garrett and SS Grace Holloway a long time ago as a kind of in-joke about medical women The Doctor had briefly romanced in his chequered life. This was a moment when that in-joke came to roost nicely.

I did think, at one point, of having Grace try walking blindfold between the love stones, but it seemed an empty exercise. Meanwhile, I had looked into the idea of Gaki, the Japanese version of a kind of demon that is common across most Eastern cultures from India through China, Korea and so on.

Having The Doctor and Grace possessed by Gaki who desired sex was a bold step. Of course, there is a whole range of slash fiction in which this would have been the excuse for rampant graphicness. I’m not writing those kind of stories. But there WAS always a sexual angle to the Eighth Doctor and Grace. The attraction was mutual. The Gaki play on desires that are already there but inhibited in them both. It is a sensual scene, but not an overtly erotic one. It would pass for PG, at least. It doesn’t quite fit the remit for 7pm on a Saturday, but when all is said and done, these stories aren’t really catering for the 7pm family audience. Most of my readers are grown ups. Those that aren’t, there is nothing shocking in the idea of The Doctor and Grace being lovers, really. It just isn’t done in the series.

http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/travel/kyoto_kiyomizu-dera.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiyomizu-dera
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oni_%28folklore%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaki