IVAN EKLUND --
Birthdate: September 25th, 1982 ( 36 ) Gender and Pronouns: Male, he/him Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden Neighborhood: Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn Occupation: Security Guard Faceclaim: Josh Dallas Trigger Warnings: Death.
BIOGRAPHY --
Luck seemed to be a staple within the Eklund name. For centuries, they were entrusted, privileged to have steady jobs within the staple Sweden palace, finding prominence in providing generously for their families for their daily lives, their children’s schooling. It was no different for Samuel Eklund, who took on the role of kingdom groundskeeper, eventually happily marrying Hanna, a nurse at the local hospital. Yet, there always seem to be times when luck takes a turn for the worst in some cases and upon what was supposed to be a joyful birth of their first son, Ivan, it turned into that very nightmare. Hanna passed in childbirth, Samuel promising her that he would take the utmost care of their baby boy and never forget her memory. In his heartbreaking grief, he did just that, throwing himself into work at the palace and taking care of Ivan. When he came old enough to understand, his father explained as to why there hadn’t been a steady mother around for this entire life, and unable to feel as if part of it was his own fault, no matter how much his father protested the notion, Ivan had fallen into his own state of dealing with the grief. Albeit as more time passed and Ivan could start taking care of himself, Samuel began working later and later hours at the palace, causing Ivan to do the same, although in a different sort of rebelling way in his teen years, feeling the distance that had started to come between him and his father. Whether voluntarily or un-voluntarily.
By the time Ivan had begun to have to start thinking about later education, he wanted none of it. His life it seemed had only hit a block in the road with only hanging out with the wrong, constantly partying crowds. His father felt hopeless at the same time, unsure how else to convince him, and only seemingly giving up further. That was until, Ivan had attended an event at the palace with him during that time. During so, he couldn’t help but feel that something had been off, and his inkling had turned out to be right, correctly having pointed out an intruder who had made their way into the event to the guards, thwarting what would have been a disastrous plan. The guards afterwards couldn’t help but be thankful for his watchful eye and it eventually gave Ivan the idea that maybe from the way they were speaking, something could stem from this situation. Maybe he had found something that he could be potentially good at, some path to finally go down. After all, the whole security detail had fascinated him and that keen interest only continued as he eventually made the decision to apply for a training program, as much as he would have preferred and constantly told himself growing that not to follow in his family’s footsteps and work at the palace. It would be a significant something and not be nothing.
Ivan proceeded to go through training and eventually became appointed into the security detail, shadowing many as time went on until he was given a permanent position in becoming the bodyguard of the princess. Once again, Ivan felt distaste for it, surely thinking it would be but a drag, only to find himself surprised. He and Princess Louisa had struck up a fast friendship, finding that he became the first person she’d go to when things would go awry in dealing with her personal and royal life and in turn, he’d tell her things that he hadn’t ever told anyone else. For nearly the first time, he felt safe to open up, honored to be trusted by someone of such a title. It didn’t take long for him to take his job seriously in entirety, finding the princess was nothing as he expected, and even though he pushed the notions away that there feelings beginning to develop for her, he couldn’t help but think that maybe in some way, she did feel the same for him. Or if it was just wishful thinking. The time to express anything to her had run out before he knew it, finding she would be moving away to the States and he wouldn’t be on her protective team for security reasons. Ivan didn’t know exactly how to even say goodbye, and so he left it simple, although, confused and frustrated as to why this was happening. He never received an overt explanation even in the messages he did receive after Princess Louisa’s move. Ivan returned to general security at the palace nonetheless, not knowing anything else, until his father had suddenly fallen ill, and gravely. Given devastating news that he wouldn’t make it very long, Ivan quit his job at the palace completely to take care of him. And when Mr. Eklund did pass before long of an encompassing stroke, Ivan felt as if he had nothing yet again, as if time turned back to when he was a teenager. Entirely lost.
Knowing what Samuel Eklund had done in his grief, Ivan began to research work and eventually find something perfect that he could still keep in the same security field. And in the states, where Louisa said she was. Although unsure of how a reunion would even occur between the two, Ivan packed his bags, everything, his entire life, and made the move across the pond to New York City. A place only those where he was from dreamed about making a living. Impressed by the resume that he had worked in royalty detail for a good amount of time, Ivan had taken the job in the security department at the world-renowned Freedom Tower in the city. And in a way, after leaving as if he lost everything once again, no matter what would happen, he felt like there was some sense of a purpose again upon working there. After all, it was a new start that maybe he didn’t even know he needed until now.
PERSONALITY --
( + ) integral, reliable, self disciplined. ( - ) headstrong, resentful, subjective.