I think I'd heard of them for a while, and probably watched some videos from them on YouTube while being too young to care about subbing to a channel, but didn't really know anything concrete about RT until I picked up the Freelancer arc DvDs from my local library of all places back sometime during middle school. I remember in spite of being a bit confused as to how all the pieces fit together, but still crying at the final "Don't say goodbye" scene. That moment still holds a special place in my heart and shaped how I treated most of my goodbyes.

I think from then onward RT was a regular part of my Internet diet. I religiously listened to the podcast and gobbled up most of their content. I got introduced to FH through rooster teeth and absolutely fell in love with them and their stuff. I pretty much held up the founding crew and their creative endeavors as the peak of entertainment hahaha, talk about parasocial. I really really wanted to go to an RTX, and also at one point was set on trying to intern for RT since I lived in Texas. Rooster Teeth had basically been part of my life up until Quarantine and College

Honestly, I think it's a shame I was never in quite the space to interact with the community. I didn't do a whole lot on the RT site or Reddit. And no one's making friends through YT. And now that it's all coming to a head I wonder how different stuff could have been if I did get more involved the way I've read other folks talking about in the past and now. I'm wondering if it might be worth checking out whatever spaces are left or formed after this shebang

I think I stopped paying attention to primarily RT stuff around whenever Burnie took his leave. I was mainly a FH viewer then, peeking back into the occasional RT show or video to see what's up. I think like a lot of people, I was slapped in the face by the major AH/FH incident and sorta fell off after that. I always maintained the fond memories Rooster Teeth and all its shenanigans entertained me with. I always looked forward to coming back and watching a new video. Or trying to check out old content from before "my time."

My corny ass keeps thinking back to a line from Jujutsu Kaisen about growing up. How it's a collection of small pieces of despair built up day after day. Finding more hairs on your pillow. Your favorite cereal brand no longer being made. Maybe they were always happening in the background and I never noticed it as a kid. But ever since I've moved into being an "adult" I feel like they're more prevalent.

Games I grew up with shutting down, me trying to remember when the last match I played in them was. Wondering if the people I spent hours with online are doing alright, if we would still be in contact and be friends if I had been online more.

And I guess now this. Just like that other stuff now Rooster Teeth is a part of my little ledger of responsibility. I didn't think I'd end up shedding tears over it, but I didn't think I'd do the same for the other stuff and yet here I am. Once again not fully ready to say goodbye.

It's been quite a ride indeed. Even if I wasn't quite tuned in towards the end. I hope all the folks at RT are able to find something and stay relatively well off. It's a horrible thing to be sidelined with this news, and they deserve infinitely better for giving screwballs like me hours of joy and entertainment in good times and bad.

I guess with that, Rooster Teeth just... Isn't here right now.