do it yourself

Basic Info:

full name: Nina Eklund gender & pronouns: cis woman / she/her age & date of birth: 37, August 24th 1985 where do they live: Northside time living in lockwood springs: 2 years occupation: Crisis Management for Edelman  positive traits: Focused, Self-preserving, Calm negative traits: Selfish, Aloof, Power-hungry

About:

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                                           “Ah yes, the astute Nina Eklund observations which you’ve never been able to make any sense of.” Oskar sighed, growing impatient with the conversation. Nina’s self appointed role as the referree between him and Zak was sometimes useful, but nothing she ever relayed back to him made much sense. It was what he called fluffy words. “Nina, please. So, he is doing the exact same thing that he did for years, the same kind of conversations he’s heard for years but this time, because he’s wanted to, they will work? Explain how that makes sense.” he pleaded sarcastically, both hands clasping together in mock prayer. Her words cut through him though because all Oskar ever wanted was to be a support for Zak, and knowing he might have made it worse was a painful wake up call. “I apologized.” he mumbled.

“Oh, stop deflecting Oskar. It’s tiresome.” Nina retorts quickly to her older brother, unfaltering gaze locked to him as her brows raise. “I don’t need to explain it to a man who has access to the internet.” she then says, glancing to his phone and back to him again. “So are you saying Zak’s attempts have an expiry date? Is that what this is? Because if so, I think you need to make it clear to him otherwise you’re moving goalposts as soon as he reaches them.” Nina shrugs, her tone still indifferent as if she’s speaking about a tactical sales move instead of their younger brother. “Did you? I find that hard to believe, or was it a little twist of ‘sorry that you feel that way?’”

-

“True, and I appreciate that.” Bella chuckled and nodded, giving the other woman a grateful smile. She was always curious how Nina managed to have the same Eklund atmosphere yet was far easier to get along with. It was like the sister managed to balance it perfectly. Laughing about the clear boundaries of who Octavia was, Bella nodded slowly. “Right, well. I’m still not naming my kid after a long-distance casual thing you have in Chicago.” she said playfully. It was appreciated that Nina actually wanted to help with getting prepared for the baby but Bella was still uncertain about it all, sometimes it didn’t feel real until she realized her feet were slowly disappearing from her vision whenever she looked down. “Okay, fine. I’ll get a list or something and I’ll let you be the first to read it. How does that sound? I bet you’ll cross out all the ones you don’t like with a red pen too.”

“Us women stick together, Bella.” Nina rolls the rhyming words off her tongue with a small laugh, but her mantra has always been followed. The world was like the wild west with man-babies holding onto positions of power even as they grew grey and withered. “It’s a powerful name, I beg you to reconsider and overlook the fact that she and me have a good time beyond the board room.” Nina laughs again, grabbing her cup of tea that she’s almost forgotten about due to their conversation. She gasps at the promise Bella makes before shaking her head. “I’d be honored but I think your mother and father would have something to say about it. Besides, you already know Octavia is probably in my top three.” she chuckles. “I always thought Oskar would be the first to have a child, just because of his age. It’s still hilarious to me that it’s Zak, but I have to say I’m glad it was with you. He’s made some frightful choices with women over the years.”

“Well, I never.” Nina gasps with happy surprise at the tall blonde she sees enter the sauna, smiling widely. She’s worked closely with the Lauder name many times, primarily sweeping Madisyn’s crazy antics into nothing to protect the family’s pristine image. “Call me crazy but I never thought you’d be caught dead in Colorado, Madi. I didn’t even think I would.” Nina laughs, perking up against the seat and engaging with her old friend. Her brothers were primarily to blame for her relocation. “Don’t tell me they sent you here as punishment, lovely? That seems to be a common theme.”

•

“I am but not for friends,” Evie says with a winsome grin. They’ve known each other for years now and Evie can say with utmost certainty now that Nina is her favorite Eklund. She takes the seat beside the taller woman and is glad to see she doesn’t even have to ask for her drink before the bartender is presenting her with a martini. “I think I can be persuaded. There’s usually no one worth playing with,” Evie compliments with a wink, taking a sip of her drink before scoffing slightly. “No offense taken, it’s the truth. Though don’t let him hear you say that, he’ll get more of a complex than he already has,” she rolls her eyes, nodding at Nina. “Or maybe do. He’s been a real pain in the ass this week.” She supposes going into business with her brother was a risk but there are some weeks where it’s more evident than others. “The price of business with family I guess.” 

Nina delivers back a wide grin and she believes there should be an award for anybody who gets romantically involved with any Eklund, but especially with her brothers. Zak’s chaos and Oskar’s work-obsession are hardly admirable traits. For a while, Nina thought Evelyn might have what it takes but once again the Eklund difficulties proved too difficult. “I’m not much of a gambler, recreational perhaps if that’s an official label. I’ve never been on a ghastly machine, though. I tend to stick to the tables. How about you?” Nina asks, wondering if they have ever shared a few games together before but both of their busy schedules are impossible to remember. “I’m lucky enough to have learned that lesson a long time ago, but I will be happy to remind Roman of his short-comings the next time I see him. Even if it’s worth just seeing the look on his face. Shall I try and photograph it?” 

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                                         “I never said they were responsible.” Oskar wagged a finger to Nina, to make his argument clear and also try to stop any potential disagreement lingering between them. “I understand you’ve always been Team Zak far more than on my side, but you’re delusional if you think Quinlan and his friends have anything but dollar bills in their eyes when they look at him.” Oskar sighed, getting agitated just thinking about how Zak preferred the other man. He nodded about the therapy and had to think about his responses, wondering if he had discouraged their brother without meaning to. “I wasn’t discouraging, I just…I was shocked and said…it felt a bit similar to all the other times.”

Nina expressively disagrees with Oskar as her eyebrows raise and she tilts her chin downwards, visibly displeased with the point of his finger towards her. She swipes it away delicately but quickly. “I’ve been on neither team, Oskar. From where I’ve been sitting all these years, I can see the rights and wrongs on both sides and wanted nothing to do with it.” she states and frowns to her older brother who seems to be clueless at how his support or disapproval can impact Zak. “Yes it does feel similar but this time he did it without anybody forcing him, which is different.” Nina adds, staring at Oskar in disbelief before she blinks it away and sighs. “Well done, Oskar. I’m sure Zak is feeling very capable after he spoke to you.”

.

“Of course you do,” as if he wasn’t already used to being the butt of the joke, it came with being the family disappointment. “How about I take it at her pace and just do that boundary respecting thing this doctor keeps mentioning?” At least Nina seemed to have joined their parents in the whole giving up on trying thing. If only Oskar would catch the hint. Then again, Zak was at least attempting to make an effort now. He just wasn’t good with where to start and figuring out all the things that needed to be fixed. It all jumbled together into one lump and seemed way too difficult and hopeless. Which is why he gave up so easily many times before when there was even a small amount of him that wanted to improve. He was much better as the vilified black sheep. “I have so far, you know I could have had my sentence suspended altogether if I would have told them about my involvement.” Zak shrugged. He just said he didn’t know what they were talking about, which is what he would tell all people of authority unless he got a benefit out of it. Being on the Kelly family’s good side was more beneficial. Plus he liked them more than his own family most of the time. “What the hell good am I going to do? She told me to stay away from her so I’ve been staying away. I tried asking about the baby she basically told me to fuck off and when I call or text I get no answer. How do you propose I help or give input, Nina? Seriously,” he grunted and cleared his throat from the mini-rant. The angsty giant adjusted his tie and flashed her a sardonic smile instead of retorting back with a shitty comment. That was him being nice. “I’ll go with he will hate it, if he notices it.” A genuine, albeit mischievous smile formed at her demand. “Nina, it’s like you do not even know me. Distractions are my specialty.” It’s something Nina did well, too. Take attention and direct it where you want it to go so they don’t notice what you’re actually doing. Tell them you’re going to steal their watch when you plan to take their wallet.

Nina thinks while she watches Zak, unsure whether Bella’s attempt at cutting him off has been a good thing or a bad thing for her brother. She hopes good, and ends up taking a breath to respond. “I think that you need to worry more about doing this for the right reasons than simply for Isabella.” she shrugs, but what those right reasons are she doesn’t know. “Find a reason to do it for yourself, I suppose.” she speaks slightly quieter, not wanting to cancel out any good therapy with her own biases. Zak’s internal struggle is written all over his face and is embedded clearly enough in his tone too, making Nina sigh softly. “I think Bella is hoping for input from somebody who’s clear about what they want, and stable with who they are. I think she expects a certain level of maturity. Something heartfelt.” she suggests, removing all you statements to make it less personal. Sometimes managing her brothers reminds her of being sat in boardrooms with spoiled Politicians wondering why they can’t say certain words or why certain statements are offensive. Coyly, she pretends to spit on her palm as they place their predictions and offers her hand for Zak to shake as she laughs. “I’m sticking with he loves it, since we know how awful his taste is.” she sticks to her guns, pulling the strap of her purse further up her arm. “I’ll be curious to know how to manage to get it there, so do tell me your secret because it will be hilarious imagining. I wonder if you’d be able to do it while Oskar is sat at his desk? Really test his obliviousness.” 

-

“You do a lot better than your brothers do.” Bella said as she laughed, and she was always curious how Nina managed to be so self aware in comparison to Oskar and Zak. She chuckled about the lawyers and shrugged innocently. “Luckily I don’t know any, and I kind of hope I won’t have to.” she didn’t mean for her thoughts to turn into words, but she had a small fear about sharing a child with Zakarias and the potential it had for messy court appearances. She ignored the worry as Nina touched the bump, smiling to the other woman. “Sometimes they’re doing flips and God knows what else in there. It’s kind of weird. Makes me feel like that Alien scene.” she explained, glancing down to her tummy before she burst out laughing. “Nina, I’m not going to name a kid after one of your business-break flings.” But it was a good point, there were absolutely no names floating around in Bella’s brain. “Uhh…well, I’ve done everything else apart from a names list so…guess I’m doing the super cringy thing where I wait until I meet them and see what feels right.”

“That’s not exactly difficult.” Nina grins as her head bows in a supportive motion. “And you won’t have to, I know the best of the best. It won’t come to that, though.” she insists softly. Zak is many things but intentionally dragging Bella through a court system is not one of them. Her eyes move to her friend’s stomach, wishing she could harness the abilities of x-ray vision and see the little mini-Eklund-Westwood wriggling around. Motherhood has never called for Nina, but there is still a softness in her heart for children. Especially ones she is related to. “She isn’t a business-fling, I’ll have you know. Every time I am in Chicago we make a point to meet up. We see shows and have meals together. It’s more like a...” Nina stops to think, laughing. “A long distance casual relationship, all the perks with none of the mushy heartfelt nonsense.” Just the way she likes it. “Isabella, I am far from a mother but I think you should at least have a few you like...will their surname be Eklund or Westwood?”

-

“You do a lot better than your brothers do.” Bella said as she laughed, and she was always curious how Nina managed to be so self aware in comparison to Oskar and Zak. She chuckled about the lawyers and shrugged innocently. “Luckily I don’t know any, and I kind of hope I won’t have to.” she didn’t mean for her thoughts to turn into words, but she had a small fear about sharing a child with Zakarias and the potential it had for messy court appearances. She ignored the worry as Nina touched the bump, smiling to the other woman. “Sometimes they’re doing flips and God knows what else in there. It’s kind of weird. Makes me feel like that Alien scene.” she explained, glancing down to her tummy before she burst out laughing. “Nina, I’m not going to name a kid after one of your business-break flings.” But it was a good point, there were absolutely no names floating around in Bella’s brain. “Uhh…well, I’ve done everything else apart from a names list so…guess I’m doing the super cringy thing where I wait until I meet them and see what feels right.”

“That would be a compliment, Isabella. If we both didn’t know a chimp trained in weaponry would have better morals than those two boys.” Nina laughs, noticing the edge to Bella’s words. Poor thing must be exhausted after spending years trapped in the tornado of Zak’s moodswings, downfalls, uprisings and everything in between. Some may call Bella’s loyalty stupid, but nobody could ever accuse her of being weak. “It’s truly amazing when you think what the human body can do.” she muses as she feels around the area, hoping for some sort of sensation against her palm. “She wasn’t just a fling, Bella. She owned several of her own companies, it’s a powerful name. Think on it.” she insists softly with a coy smile. “Still a good idea to have some as a starting point, no?” Nina quizzes, immediately wondering if Bella is hoping for Zak’s input on the task. She wants to tell her to give up on that dream, but decides against it. 

+ NINA KINGS & QUEENS

“Sorry no one told me you were here,” Evie says, giving a passing server a pointed glance as she walks into the room Nina’s currently occupying. “I’d have stopped in sooner. Did you get a drink yet?” Asked as she gives her friend a congenial but brief hug (though the Mendez family was warmer, she dated Oskar long enough to know the Eklunds were not). “Are you playing tonight or just dropping by?” @ninaeklund​

“Oh, it’s no bother. I just thought you were busy.” Nina smiles back, amused by the small glance to the server who looks ready to hand their immediate notice in during the exchange. “Yes, yes, you can stop being hostess with the mostess.” she teases during the small embrace, turning back to the bar and lifting her glass elegantly. “I might try my luck tonight, do you have the time to join me?” Nina asks before taking a sip and then sighing. “Please don’t tell me Roman is lingering. He takes the fun out of everything, he’s basically a smaller Oskar. No offence.”

.

“I’m not a himbo,” he grumbled and his face scrunched further into that of the angsty teenager phase he was still growing out of. A look that only deepened as she continued talking. “If you think so highly of her, blah, blah, blah,” he mocked as his head moved back and forth. It didn’t matter if she was right or not, he didn’t want to hear it. Criticism should be easy to take after so many years of it, but he still didn’t take it gracefully. “Friends? We cannot be friends and fine. I have more work coming in anyways and I have been exploring the idea of getting more involved in the Kelly operation.” Becoming a made man wouldn’t be the worst thing and it would at least secure a steady form of income for him which meant standing on his own versus under Oskar or their family. The legality of it all was a gray area. “I did not leave her to do it on her own, I simply said I did not know that I would make a suitable parent nor was I in the state of mind to be a decent partner.” Not that much had changed, he was ready for his world to end and now he wanted more. Blame it on all the time he had spent around both Kelly brothers and Roman. All of who were much better than guides than anyone else in his life, in his opinion. “Oh, certainly,” he broke from his thoughts with a quick nod. “Then we must make bets on how long it will take and take photo evidence of when we put it in his office.” He would be happy to distract Oskar while Nina did the deed. Zak was great at causing a distraction when he wanted to. Especially with how easy it was for him to get under his brother’s skin.

“I beg to differ.” she snorts back at him, watching Zakarias deflect her words of wisdom. If only he listened to her when they were children, she’d be standing before a completely different man. Alas, hindsight is always looked at with rose tinted glasses. “Well, you’re not fine when you’re together and you’re also not fine when you’re apart. Friends seems the perfect starting place after this mess.” she sighs and shrugs vaguely, because you can lead a horse to water but can’t make it drink. Nina nods at Zak’s plan, her own skewed moral compass not alarming her to any dangers. She’s been called in many-a-time for damage control. “As long as you remain loyal to them, there won’t be any problems.” she muses but a light scoff then fills the air from her. “Zak, please. What have you actually done to help her? She’s about the size of a balloon and the poor girl hasn’t even thought of any names. I suspect she’s hoping you’ll show up to have some input. I was going to tell her that she had better luck betting on pigs flying but I held back. Because I’m nice.” her finger rises up and gently taps her brother on the tip of his nose as she wears a smug grin. It only grows when their plan for Oskar cements and she flags down the nearest member of staff. After a polite discussion with them, pretending the art seems perfect for her tastes, Nina turns back to her brother. “I think I’m going to bet that he likes it.” she laughs. “You better distract him well and if you throw me under the bus, I’ll tell him it was your idea all along.”

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                                          “I’m not trying to control him, Nina. I’m simply saying what I think is happening. And there’s a correlation.” Oskar said, irritated already as he lifted his drink. The glass didn’t even make it to his lips before it was placed down again as Oskar listened to his sister, but readjusted his seat so he could lean in closer. “Of course I didn’t grunt like an animal and call it a conversation. Nina, I’m trying to tell you that I think Zak is completely off the deep end but this time, further than he has been. There’s no pulling him back.” Oskar sighed, flustered from the stress of being Zak’s keeper. Even if that wasn’t the arrangement, he was always going to want the best for his brother. It naturally happened. “He thinks going to therapy is going to solve everything, as if he hasn’t been a million times before…at our expense, may I add.” 

Nina scoffs softly at the dramatics, her bright eyes rolling as her head tilts. “Oskar, for goodness sake.” she chirps indifferently. “I can understand believing people can encourage him, but to think they’re responsible entirely is nonsense. We could drop Zak in the middle of nowhere and he’d find a way to get high. Probably produce his own cocaine and become the Swedish Pablo Escobar.” Nina crosses her arms as she sits back while Oskar leans towards her, and she grins because she has always seen why Oskar decides to take things to new extremes. Meanwhile, Zak continues a path of destruction and the two of them never can meet in the middle. “It’s...not our job to pull him back.” she states, as if she’s citing something obvious. “Therapy is better than no therapy. If you didn’t make that abundantly clear to him when he told you, you understand he’s going to feel rejected yes?”

-

Nina was the only Eklund that Bella could tolerate these days. She had always been a direct tone of voice, speaking facts with an air of elegance. Laughing, Bella finally stopped rearranging the kitchen for what felt like the millionth time. Her latest thing was wondering how people could baby proof an apartment, even though there was some time to go before it was an actual problem. “Do you ever wish you didn’t have to help them?” she asked with a curiousness, grabbing a cushion to hug as she got comfortable. “I’ve always wondered that about lawyers too, how they defend someone who’s guilty and be okay with it. I guess that’s why they all seem so miserable, maybe?” Bella thought out loud and then laughed again. “What if you end up with a really homophobic niece? Or, a bigoted enby.” she cackled.

She laughs softly at the common question, at first offering a shrug in response while she thinks. “I wish I could say that I have a moral compass, Bella but the only compass I was taught to follow is one that follows money.” she laughs again despite the truth falling so freely. “Maybe. But, smart lawyers know the burden of proof is on the prosecutor so if you know any miserable lawyers, they’re probably not doing their job right.” Nina states and takes it upon herself to remove the cushion that hides away Bella’s stomach so she can place a hand there softly. “I am more than happy with anything they want to be, as long as it’s not a politician.” she grins and pulls her hand away as she speaks. “Have you thought of any names? The other week in Chicago I met somebody called Octavia. It stuck with me.”

.

Green eyes rolled again and he gave a quick shake of his head. “I don’t want to talk to anyone so that is a horrible example.” Not entirely true but it was valid enough. He actually enjoyed conversations with his siblings, Bella, and a few select acquaintances that could possibly be considered friends. Fighting with Simone was fun sometimes. “People like talking to me.” He added immediately. She was not saying anything he didn’t already know, but he scowled at her regardless. “I am well aware of how intelligent and beautiful Isabella is, thank you. That is not helpful to my issue of getting her back, Nina.” He needed to, despite his insistence that he was no good for her and she needed to move on not even a couple months before. She was the one beacon of light in his life but he hadn’t the first clue how to ‘improve’ his character. “Oskar wouldn’t notice it unless it was on his computer screen, phone, or offering him money to invest. It would be a fun experiment to see how long it would take, though, if he noticed at all.” A small amused smile graced his lips at the idea.

Nina sighs as she watches her brother, not surprised by his petulant attitude. All three of them were spoiled brats in different ways. “You know exactly what I was saying, you’re not blonde enough to do the himbo act.” she waves a finger and grins. “If you think so highly of her, you wouldn’t have lost her in the first place.” Nina then says speaking with a just so tone. Stating a simple fact. “Personally, I think you have a lot more growing to do before you should even think about being friends with her. Let’s face it, you’ve already left her to do most of it alone. You may as well leave it a little more until you’re going to take it seriously.” Nina offers the advise, whether or not Zak wants to hear it. The painfully true statements about their eldest brother make her laugh again, and Nina begins to consider claiming the awful artwork so they can execute their plan. “Shall we?” she checks with Zak, with a small devious smile. “Then we’d have proof that he ignores things that are right under his nose. It’s about time he finally realizes it for himself.”

“This is the fifth politician that advocates for anti-LGBTQ+ laws that’s been caught on Grindr.” Nina muses with a hint of amusement, clicking her tongue as she scans her emails. Since neither of her brothers know how to handle any matter delicately, it’s fallen to Nina to offer support to Bella. Not that she minds, she has fond memories of New York with the other woman. “You’d think people would take digital footprints seriously but then again, they’re always old, bloating men with an IQ lower than their belt size.” she adds, not looking up from her phone until she finishes reading the information. “If by any chance you’re carrying my nephew, please don’t let him get into politics.” 

where: neue  with: @ninaeklund​

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                                           Oskar was always thankful that Nina was equipped in crisis management. One of them ought to be, considering their lives at the precise moment were one big crisis. Most of the time, their schedules barely had much space for one another and already their planned lunch had been dominated by Zak-Gate. “I feel as if he’s slipping closer to that God awful Quinlan, and that drab Roman lawyer.” Oskar sighed, finding it much easier to vent to Nina than he did to Zak. Him and his brother were more prone to long bouts of silent treatment after an eruption of tempers. Nina was the middle ground and she always had been. “He tried to do the whole, here’s dinner and a talk thing and well, you can imagine. Not much talking. It’s like he’s…a ghost.”

Nina wonders daily if there was much fortune in being a family therapist. Perhaps with the right clients there is. She glazes over during the conversation, having heard it a million times from Oskar who’s trapped in his own cycle much like Zak is. Leave it to the only sister of the family to break out of hers. “So let him.” Nina replies with a shrug. “He’s a grown man, and can make his own choices. The tighter you pull on the rope, the more he’ll pull his. A constant tug of war.” she says, lifting her glass of wine for a sip. “Mm, yes. And you’re an open book, Oskar.” Nina then states with a light laugh, putting down the glass before she sighs. “Did you just grunt a few times and consider the conversation done? Because, that sounds like you.”

where: gallery 115

who: @ninaeklund​

“I don’t know why I’m going to see this doctor if it’s not going to improve anything, she doesn’t want to talk to me.” Zak rolled his eyes while they slowly walked through the gallery, looking at new art. He wasn’t paying too close attention. Instead he was set on complaining about having to make an effort at being a decent human being if he even wanted a small chance of making things right with Bella. Along with the whole fatherhood thing which still nauseated him anytime it was said out loud. How the hell was he the first to produce offspring out of the three of them? “That’s absolutely hideous,” he deadpanned jutting his chin toward the painting in front of them. “You should put it in your office.” Zak thought for a moment. “Better yet, you should buy it and put it in Oskar’s office.” 

A stroll through the gallery should be a calming experience, but that’s not always possible when one has a Zakarias Eklund moping in their ear about consequences to his own actions. Nina hums, half listening and half reading information about an artist. “Would you want to talk to you?” she quizzes casually, eyeing the piece of art with a small tilt of her head. “I’ve always liked Isabella. Pretty, smart. Fun, when you’re not sucking the life out of her.” she adds, and before she can comment on the awful craft of art, her brother takes the words right from her mouth. She laughs in agreement quickly. “Oskar is so tasteless he wouldn’t even notice. We’d be waiting months before he said anything, if he did at all. Or he’d just say two words about it.”