[Leon + Jill] because my scars are your scars
She still couldn't get used to the noise.
Jill had grown up a city girl, still called herself one, but what was once the familiar hustle and bustle of street crowds, the previous background noise of cars and distant trains and machinery and voices -- it had been almost overwhelming the first time she stepped back into it. Then again, she'd been so tired for about two weeks straight since coming back that even little things ground her nerves and gave her headaches; the spell had passed for the most part, though, either the psychological effects finally calming down or the last traces of the virus emptying itself from her system. Maybe both.
Either way, the rumble of traffic and whine of car horns fell particularly sharp on her ears as she stepped out of the safety of the taxi and into the busy night, but she disregarded the pressure and quickly paid the driver with a smile before turning to find the establishment she was looking for. Just a few buildings down, sandwiched between a bakery and an antique store, stood the Burke Street Pub: a decent-looking little place, but one she only recognized by the sign out front. Still, she'd trusted Leon's opinion enough prior to now, so she made her way over and inside. It wasn't too busy; a couple tables on the outskirts of the room were filled, one guy at the closer edge of the bar, but aside from them it was just the bartender and herself. It was significantly quieter than outside, as well, which made some part of her relax without her even realizing. She ignored the couple looks sent her way and headed to the opposite end of the bar, doing one more sweep to assert that Leon wasn't yet present before seating herself on a stool.
She was sure she'd recognize him; she was good with names and even better with faces, and Claire's casual but almost puzzled mention ("Hey--do you remember Leon Kennedy? He says you two worked together a while back...") had been enough to bring back memories of a man she hadn't seen in a hell of a long time. Jill had liked Leon from the moment she met him, likely helped by the fact that they were all grateful for any sort of loyalty in their cause back then. She'd learned that he was presently in D.C., conveniently just a brief drive away from the hotel she was staying at between session meetings with some of the North American B.S.A.A. representatives (something Chris had tried his best to get her out of, but Jill had never been one to sit and sulk for very long, if at all, and several weeks of sleeping -- or trying to sleep -- had taken its toll to the point where she was eager to get out of the apartment and just do something; being a bit of a workaholic didn't help the matter). As outward as she was, she hadn't hesitated before giving him a neutral-to-friendly call, offering to catch up over drinks once she was positive he still remembered her. The invite accepted, she'd finished her last bit of late paperwork (in secret from Chris, who she was sure would have taken it from her and told her to try and rest) and headed over to the place Leon had mentioned.
She was sure she'd recognize him, but she couldn't be sure of the same going the other way. She'd cut her hair back to its original above-shoulder length shortly after arriving in the States -- more of a necessary gesture than preference, that feeling that she needed to scrub the memories and Wesker from every inch of her body and that included shedding anything she didn't need. Jill had colored it back to brown while she was at it, so at first sight she figured she looked the same as she used to; that aside, her shirt concealed her scars, but she was still noticeably pale. Claire mentioned more than once that Jill looked tired even when she wasn't, and Jill herself was aware that she'd lost weight over the last couple years. With her large lack of appetite recently, she had yet to gain it back, but she didn't think it was that noticeable. Not to the point of looking unhealthy, anyway.
Idly, she checked the time on her phone: 7:50. She was early, so she just crossed her legs as she waited, nodding to the bartender when he gave her a sign that he'd be with her in a moment.