really really funny to imagine post gulag when everyones actually introduced to price, soap is like "this is my sergeant roach he's so good and dedicated and reminds me a lot of somebody you know (wink wink) and we get along together so well in the field it's almost seamless. just like us in old times yeah???" absolutely desperate for approval. like full puppy dog eyes, shaking, half-hard, absolutely pathetic for his captain.
and then he gets a bit disgruntled (and lowkey disappointed) when price, instead, takes an immediate liking to ghost. he can sense the cptsd radiating off of him and he's like "oh i like that one" even though ghost's entire attitude toward him can be dumbed down to "Touch Me And I'll Kill You."
meanwhile this is the first time roach gets an idea of how pathetically obsessed soap is with price and has been using him as kinda a proxy for that obsession. like what soap feels for roach IS genuine, but he hasn't gotten over price (while he thought he was dead) and is a bit of a freak about it. like no one gets the treatment he does, the persistent guidance and hovering and constant praise and gentle criticism. he knew he was special to soap, but didn't realize the cause.
and price does like roach. he recognizes that he's extremely talented and is kinda a bit like a younger soap. but having spent the last 6 or so years in a russian gulag, he's a bit bored with him. ghost is an unknown and obviously more than a little fucked up. and roach, seeing that price is fucking insane, is extremely glad that he's spared of being the target of his attention.
ghost just wants to be left alone. he's been more of an outsider the 5 years he's been in the 141 and has been content with it, unable to put any trust in anyone. roach has been the closest, occasionally joining him on smoke breaks even though he doesn't smoke or bringing him a cup of tea or bringing him back a knife he had lost, newly sharpened. and he's been under the impression that soap just hates him but tolerates him because despite his constant complaints and nitpicking of everything ghost does, it's undeniable he's the best in the task force.
