But my katana are made out of steel…

I honestly don’t have enough knowledge of different musical genres to tell you, but even so, I feel safe in saying that all musical genres have their merits, or else they wouldn’t be around.

…

However, sometimes when Donnie is working at his desk, he’ll start playing some of his “music” and I can truly say that nothing has made me hate myself more than that noise (except for maybe reading the instructions to Strangeness).

Heh, it’s okay.

I’ve been trying to get Usagi to stop calling me Leonardo-san for ages now and he just recently stopped.

Everything is fine.

We have been preparing our lair for the holidays when we invite all of our friends and family over.  It’s an exciting time and one of the few times of the years where my brother’s antics are a bit more toned down.  In other words, it’s peaceful.

Ah hah, thank you Anon, but I do not believe I am wise at all!

Heights, you say?

Heh, I know that fear well.  It took so long for me to get over my fear of heights, that Master Splinter almost gave up on me! 

However, I think flying in a plane will not be too bad.  It’s a slightly different experience when you are inside of a vehicle, though I’m guessing that looking out of the window would not be advisable!

I do wish you the best of luck!  You must be excited to see your father!

Nothing really.  Just got done with my evening training.

I just found a Baxter Stockman of a different universe here on Tumblr.

I must say, while he looks quite different, he seems to be just as maniacal as the one in my universe. 

Hopefully, he doesn’t suffer the same fate as ours…

Hmm…

If I had to choose an animal to take the form of, I think I would choose the crow.  Crows are intelligent, observant, cunning and fearless.  They watch the world around them and are constantly learning and adapting to their surroundings.  Because of this constant learning, their actions are very calculated.

They are very ninja-esque animals, heh.

I’m sorry to hear that it is having such a huge effect on you.  Fear is one of the most powerful emotions out there.

I’m not sure if I can cure you of this, but let me share some words with you.

All people fear the unknown.  When we do not truly understand something, we fear it.

There is a famous quote that goes “To accept defeat-to learn to die-is to be liberated from it.”

This quote refers to a warrior’s fear of death and it fear can cripple one’s full potential.  But if you learn to accept it as a part of life, then you are free from it; the idea of death is no longer an unknown fear, but a known inevitability.

This doesn’t just apply to death, perhaps the ultimate unknown, but to anything that causes you immense fear.

Perhaps learning to completely be free of the fear of the unknown is impossible, but what is important is controlling that fear.

Take things in small steps.  When you find something that is unknown to you, try to take the time to understand it.

Understand, first, that fear is not always a negative emotion.  It can protect you from dangerous situations.  But also understand that needlessly fearing something that has no form will trap you in a constant cycle. 

I hope that this humble advice helps in some way.

“The ultimate aim of martial arts is not having to use them.” -Miyamoto Musashi

This is  the most important lesson you can learn as a martial artist, but it is also the hardest.

Your situation is a difficult one.  On one hand, it is not your battle and getting involved could not only put yourself in danger, but could also escalate the situation.

However, just standing by is no good either.  A martial artist should defend peace when they can; it is their duty.

Diplomacy is the best course of action.  I would suggest trying to deflate the situation; act as a mediator.  Try to calm the minds on both sides.  Try to make them see the futility of physical violence; how it can only lead to worse outcomes.

If in the worst case, this does not work and the situation escalates to physical violence, I cannot tell you what to do.  I do not know all the details and I am not involved.  This is a personal choice that you, as an operator, must make using your own judgement.

I wish you the best of luck and implore that you stay safe.

Limited time topside and lots of layers.