It took a moment before Rick caught himself, not immediately registering the way his attention had shifted at Daryl's answer. Looking at him now, it was harder to ignore just how little he knew about his life before the turn, and more, how before this point, he'd never thought to ask. A large part of that had been respect for the other's privacy; between the glimpse of his scarred torso and spending more than five minutes in Merle Dixon's presence, he'd managed to piece together a few things. But really, when it came down to it, the same could be said for the majority of his group. He hadn't questioned how the Dixon's had come to throw their lot in with Shane anymore than he had Carol and Ed, or Jim.
Maybe, because in the end, the past didn't matter anymore. The people they'd been before, the lives they'd led - That wasn't who they were now. Were it up north, in the mountains, Rick and Daryl would likely have ended up on opposing sides, victims of their own prejudice; with his brother's influence still strong and Rick's career choice, the odds were stacked against them. In some bizarre way, the end of the world had paved the way for their friendship, to the point now where Rick couldn't imagine his life without the archer at his side. Christ, even here, universes away, Daryl still had a knack for showing up precisely when he needed him most.
And yet, even with that in mind, curiosity had somehow crept up on him, taking up residence in the back of his mind. He wanted to know more about the other man, past and present.
But not right now.
He let the question fall to Daryl, having never encountered Nick personally; he'd heard about the encounter after the fact. At the time, he hadn't thought much of it, as their particular brand of survivor was becoming more common in Panem - But hearing Ellis' story, he couldn't help but sympathize. Rick understood better than most; having his people there was both a blessing and a curse. Sure, it helped to have another set of eyes to watch your back, but the inevitable end of the arena was always looming on the horizon. There was only ever going to be one winner, which meant one way or another, they were all going to lose.
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Maybe, because in the end, the past didn't matter anymore. The people they'd been before, the lives they'd led - That wasn't who they were now. Were it up north, in the mountains, Rick and Daryl would likely have ended up on opposing sides, victims of their own prejudice; with his brother's influence still strong and Rick's career choice, the odds were stacked against them. In some bizarre way, the end of the world had paved the way for their friendship, to the point now where Rick couldn't imagine his life without the archer at his side. Christ, even here, universes away, Daryl still had a knack for showing up precisely when he needed him most.
And yet, even with that in mind, curiosity had somehow crept up on him, taking up residence in the back of his mind. He wanted to know more about the other man, past and present.
But not right now.
He let the question fall to Daryl, having never encountered Nick personally; he'd heard about the encounter after the fact. At the time, he hadn't thought much of it, as their particular brand of survivor was becoming more common in Panem - But hearing Ellis' story, he couldn't help but sympathize. Rick understood better than most; having his people there was both a blessing and a curse. Sure, it helped to have another set of eyes to watch your back, but the inevitable end of the arena was always looming on the horizon. There was only ever going to be one winner, which meant one way or another, they were all going to lose.