Peeking at Sheol
Jun. 12th, 2006 08:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kerravonsenAn odd little Mary-Sue-ish thing which was niggling at me this morning, partly inspired by some things that niggled at me about "The Satan Pit". One mild spoiler, for those who want to avoid such things.
"And then when it predicted that Rose would die --"
"No, that wasn't a prediction, that was a prophecy," Kate interrupted.
The Doctor tilted his head to one side and narrowed his eyes. "They're the same thing, surely?"
"Not at all." Kate paused and looked around the kitchen, the sunlight streaming through the windows. "Let me illustrate."
The Doctor waved a hand at her. "By all means, go ahead."
Kate went to the cupboard and took out a glass. She half-filled it with water from the tap, and placed it on the bench. She caught the Doctor's eye. "Predict what is going to happen to that glass."
He felt for the possibilities swirling around the glass. Some things were more likely than others, true, but the most probable... "You're --" he broke off, and glared at her mildly. "You're going to change your mind depending on what I say!"
Kate laughed. "Got me!" she said. "But that still doesn't predict what is going to happen to the glass."
"I could guess."
"Yep, that's prediction." Kate moved her hand, as if wiping something away. "Now, for the second half of the illustration."
The Doctor raised his eyebrows at her.
"Repeat after me: Kate will take a sip from the glass," Kate said.
The Doctor shrugged, and said, "Kate will take a sip from the glass."
Kate picked up the glass and took a sip from it. She gave the Doctor a half-smile and said, "That's prophecy."
"But you just told me what you were going to do," the Doctor said. "What you were intending to do."
"Exactly." Kate smiled. "When you said what I was going to do, then, that was prophecy, because I'd told you what I was going to do. You were reporting my intent, not making a prediction."
"But prophets predict the future," the Doctor protested.
"No, true prophets report the intent of God. Isaiah was a prophet, Nostradamus was a predictor."
"So are you saying that the Beast was reporting the intent of God? Assuming that God exists at all."
"No, it was reporting its own intent."
"Ah." The Doctor nodded. "Not so much lying, as wishful thinking."
"Exactly."
"And then when it predicted that Rose would die --"
"No, that wasn't a prediction, that was a prophecy," Kate interrupted.
The Doctor tilted his head to one side and narrowed his eyes. "They're the same thing, surely?"
"Not at all." Kate paused and looked around the kitchen, the sunlight streaming through the windows. "Let me illustrate."
The Doctor waved a hand at her. "By all means, go ahead."
Kate went to the cupboard and took out a glass. She half-filled it with water from the tap, and placed it on the bench. She caught the Doctor's eye. "Predict what is going to happen to that glass."
He felt for the possibilities swirling around the glass. Some things were more likely than others, true, but the most probable... "You're --" he broke off, and glared at her mildly. "You're going to change your mind depending on what I say!"
Kate laughed. "Got me!" she said. "But that still doesn't predict what is going to happen to the glass."
"I could guess."
"Yep, that's prediction." Kate moved her hand, as if wiping something away. "Now, for the second half of the illustration."
The Doctor raised his eyebrows at her.
"Repeat after me: Kate will take a sip from the glass," Kate said.
The Doctor shrugged, and said, "Kate will take a sip from the glass."
Kate picked up the glass and took a sip from it. She gave the Doctor a half-smile and said, "That's prophecy."
"But you just told me what you were going to do," the Doctor said. "What you were intending to do."
"Exactly." Kate smiled. "When you said what I was going to do, then, that was prophecy, because I'd told you what I was going to do. You were reporting my intent, not making a prediction."
"But prophets predict the future," the Doctor protested.
"No, true prophets report the intent of God. Isaiah was a prophet, Nostradamus was a predictor."
"So are you saying that the Beast was reporting the intent of God? Assuming that God exists at all."
"No, it was reporting its own intent."
"Ah." The Doctor nodded. "Not so much lying, as wishful thinking."
"Exactly."
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Date: 2006-06-12 02:37 am (UTC)*applauds*
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Date: 2006-06-12 08:30 am (UTC)Thanks!
or is she an alter-ego of Kat?
Yes. That's why it's a Mary-Sue-ish thing. I wanted to write this thing while it was still niggling at me, and since I couldn't think of any canonical characters who would be interested in talking about this issue, I figured it was easier just to toss in my Mary-Sue stand-in, Kate. Well, strictly speaking, self-insertion stand-in.