SPRINGDALE, Memphis Tatum

[Memphis Tatum Springdale]

MEMPHIS TATUM SPRINGDALE

FULL NAME: Memphis Tatum Springdale
NICKNAMES: None
AGE: Twenty Four
GENDER: male
SEXUALITY: Straight
STATUS: married to Delaney Springdale.
GROUP: Student.
GRADE: N/A.
MAJOR: N/A.
JOB OCCUPATION: Child Welfare Social Worker!

HAIR: Naturally blonde, he's kept it that way though he has experimented with styles. Currently he has both sides shaved and a long, thick mohawk style down the center that hangs to one side or the other. He's only ever spiked it up once and immediately decided he didn't care for it and washed it out again.
EYES: Blue.
SCARS/BIRTHMARKS: Plenty from the farm. There all mostly covered by tattoos and he's got not stories for them.
TATTOOS: A mandala designed as his own twist on the Eye of Providence on the back of one hand and a panther on the other that connect to the full sleeves which include flowers two Native women, one wearing an animal headpiece and the other wearing a traditional feather headpiece and waves, a skeleton in an old school army uniform, music notes among plenty that each hold a story from his life. He also has an eagle across his chest and a tiger beneath that with a snake wrapped around it. An anchor on each of his sides, with hearts throughout his sleeves and underneath one anchor. There's various portraits as well and his back piece is of a snake with a woman's face wrapped around two roses as well as a skull breathing fire and a doll head with a sword appearing to go through one shoulder and out the other. He's also sporting "Live" and "Love" across his knuckles and an LA on his index finger. His legs has one knee sporting swords across his knee, another couple portraits and a wolf. All of Memphis' tattoos are done in the Sailor Jerry style.
PIERCINGS: His ears one but he doesn't always wear earrings.
PLAY-BY: Josh Mario John!

LIKES: Working with children, his hair, working out, tattoos, a cold beer, his wife, huge headphones, a good cup of coffee, seeing his hard work pay off, reuniting kids with family members, music, playing guitar, a night out, motorcycles, cats, leather jackets, plaid shirts, beard care products.
DISLIKES: cold tea, vanilla biscotti, rare steak, tearing good families apart, the bad parts of his job, sandals, cleaning, porcelain dolls, missing a meeting/important call, being late, shaving, messy beards, seeing children in dingy run down houses, celebrity gossip/drama.
FEARS: Delaney leaving him, never having children, being unable to care for his family.
SECRETS: Memphis is scared of snakes. His brother threw one at him once in a fit of anger when Memphis had been about four and he's been terrified of them ever since.
PERSONALITY: Memphis was as alternative as his name suggested and he never apologised for that. He was a wild child with a heart of gold. He was a born and raised country boy with a rock n' roll soul and he's quite proud of where he grew up and how he was raised. Memphis was raised to be a good man but not necessarily a gentleman. He's a bit too rough and tumble to be a gentleman. He tries being romantic but he really doesn't know how in the obvious ways. He's more about the little things, making sure the house is stocked up with all the favourites, sending flowers and opening doors. For Memphis those are the things that really matter. Aside from that, this boy is very driven. He wanted to be the first in his family to go away to school and he succeeded. He knows his brother wasn't impressed when he decided to go to school so far away but he his parents understood. He's a family man and they all knew if he thought they needed help and he was close enough, he would go home, help out and forget all about finishing school. He can be a bit of a goofball with his friends, always good for a laugh but he is quite serious about work. He has a good work ethic, a strong and intelligent head on his shoulders but even he knows when to let loose and be more laidback. He's usually that funny and carefree guy that when he is serious, it's often difficult to picture he's the same person throwing darts or playing a round of pool whilst knocking back beers and cracking jokes the night before but they definitely are. He's more a lover than a fighter but that doesn't mean he hasn't thrown his fair share of punches. He fights for the little guy, the underdog and most definitely will not apologise for it.

MOTHER: Justine Springdale & fifty five.
FATHER: Martin Springdale & fifty seven.
SIBLINGS: Austin Springdale & thirty.
OTHERS: Delaney Springdale, twenty three & wife.
PETS: Monty & Tabby cat!
HOMETOWN: Gainesville, Georgia.
HISTORY: Born and raised on the "wrong side of the tracks, Memphis was always the kid to be around even if he was a little more rougher around the edges than his city slicker counterparts. He grew up on the family farm, helping out before and after school because it was required, even though the farm had well paid farmhands and was a legitimate business. Because it was a dairy farm, he was treated a little awkwardly but it never really bothered Memphis. He couldn't have cared less, even when he was a small child, what the other kids thought of him. He had his friends, a couple from the city but mostly the other farm kids in the area. There were cliques in school of course, but the country boys didn't give a damn, they let it all slide off them. They were able to reach each other with their own ATVs and once they were older, their own trucks.

For the longest time, when Memphis was small, he called the small forest at the back of the family land his secret forest and would explore with his friends at every chance. They were so small and so young that their parents are hated it but they couldn't always keep eyes on them. It was difficult, especially since there were so many rugrats running around. When they got older, about ten years old Memphis' uncle Seth and his father Martin helped the young boy to build a tree fort in the forest. It was all on the family land so they made it grand and once they were done, it was any boy's dream tree fort! It was two stories with the top floor earmarked for the sleepovers the boy's would have. Memphis' brother, Austin was older and had never really be as interested in the same fanciful things as his younger brother. He'd never really cared for playing pretend or building tree forts or riding around on the horses or ATVs for the fun of it. For him it has always been about the farm, even when he'd been small, he'd been about helping around the grounds. He was a farmer through and through and Memphis was made for more. So the fort had always belonged to Memphis and Memphis alone. The main floor was just as decked out with all sorts of little cubby holes and a secret staircase that led to the second floor. It was their center of operations and the boys had been thrilled. They spent all their waking moments when they were helping on their farms, or each others, in school or doing their homework in that fort, eventually even moving their homework to the fort to keep it active still. None of the boy's who held fond memories wanted to see it fall to ruin.

Eventually, when they all got a little older, it became the place to party. Martin and Justine were okay with it, as long as some ground rules were followed. They didn't want their crops, which helped to feed not only them but their cows to catch fire and burn, nor did they want to see that forest become scorched earth. And no one was allowed to drive home if they'd had even a drop to drink. They were naïve nor were they stupid, they knew alcohol would be involved and they wanted the kids to be responsible. Memphis didn't drink more than two beers through any of his parties because he knew someone needed to have a clear enough head to remind people to ditch their keys and walk it if they wanted to go home. It was during one of these parties that Memphis spotted a new face. He'd grow up around the same faces for years with hardly any change. And when there was change, it was a cousin visiting from somewhere else. This girl caught his eye and he wanted to learn more about her. She looked pissed, though Memphis would never try to guess why. There were too many things for a city girl like her to be pissed off and annoyed about in a fairly small place like Gainesville.

He lost sight of her for a while at the party but that was really nothing new when the group got together. It was always a wild time. After a while though, Memphis climbed up into the fort he'd spent more nights in since he was ten than he could boast he spent in his own bed and slipped up the stairs and to the second floor to look out over the party. He was sitting there, hidden in one of the windows when he'd heard someone coming up the stairs. Everyone knew the bedroom was off limits to people trying to find a quiet place to make out or finally take things that much further; they had trucks for that now. When he knew for certain it was her and not some other person trying to hide away, he spoke up, told her she wasn't supposed to be up there, away from the party, added that her friend might be worried about her. Memphis knew better. These parties were pretty safe all things considered and if someone ever ventured off on their own, they wouldn't get very far without running into someone else. Memphis had never heard anyone come back with a response like hers and instead of telling her to get out, he showed her where he kept the extra blankets and pillows his mother still made sure were stockpiled should the boys decide they want to relive their childhood. He set her up for the only real bed in the room, one he'd put in there only the year before when he couldn't take sleeping on the single mattresses they'd previously had in there. After he tossed them out and provided those for a couple bonfires, he moved in another bed and kept air mattresses hidden away in the room for when the boys did spend a night out in the woods. When Memphis crashed an couple hours later, the girl next to him was out like a light, not even the noise of the party had woken her up. She woke him up the following morning, stumbling and tumbling around. Before he had the chance to get up and ask if she needed up she was already rushing down the stairs. Memphis wondered why she fled so quickly without waking him but he knew without looking at his phone that he was already late for his part of the farm work.

Memphis didn't see the stunning, smart mouthed girl again until he went back to school and realised she was in his history class. They didn't speak that first class, just got through it and left again. It was the next class when the teacher finally assigned partners for the project he'd spent the entire previous class and when Memphis finally learned Delaney's name. Memphis wasn't the least bit interested in the project they'd been assigned, some detailed research paper with a presentation with visuals. But it meant they had to spend a lot of time together, which meant Delaney was spending a lot of time out on the farm with him. When he had to get his chores done, she was there reading the work and the books to him while he tossed back ideas to her, occasionally, she put the homework down and pulled on a pair of clothes to help him. There were a lot of laughs and eventually Memphis gave in and kissed her. She didn't pull away but she didn't kiss him back at first and it was a blow to his ego, he would admit that, thinking he'd read the signs wrong. When she teasingly told him it was about time, he laughed and kissed her again before asking her to go out with him. They'd been spending so much time together but they were mostly doing homework, he wanted some time with her away from it all; a real and proper date.

It was when he was picking her up for it that he finally met her parents. They did not like him, which was almost painfully obvious from that first time he'd shown up at her place to take her out on a date. He was a good Southern boy and went to the door in his best button down, Wrangler's and boots, just a little scuffed up from hard work. He'd knocked on their door, clean shaven and hair combed and styled with his mother's help. They took one look at him and immediately decided he was bad news because he wore jeans, had more muscle than a kid his age probably should have, at least a city kid like they were used to, and he already had a fair collection of artwork covering his skin. Automatically to her parents, he was bad news and his parents were no better for letting him ink his skin and pierce his ears. Justine and Martin had always known their son was a little more rebel than good ol' fashioned boy but he'd had those manners ingrained and knew how to behave. They were proud of him and that was all that mattered to Memphis, even if it did hurt that GIRL's parents wouldn't give him the chance to prove himself.

It became obvious to Memphis rather quickly that he was falling head over heels for the brilliant but smart mouthed beauty that climbed into his tree fort all those months before. And he told her as much, having shown her his softer side. They seemed to be inseparable and Memphis was very protective of Delaney. There had been girls before her of course, but none of them had taken hold like she had. They spent hours talking about everything, day dreaming about the future. And then the end of her senior year and his additional year was quickly approaching it's end and they would be heading off to different schools. Eventually after a long night out in the fort, Delaney whispered her concerns about being so far away from him. He understood of course, it would be difficult being unable to see her all the time. He loved her incredibly. But they made plans and dreamed up a wedding day when they would be reunited after college, once their academic dreams came true. It was a good idea and Memphis said as much. Soon the conversation moved on to other topics and eventually they fell asleep in the fort. The conversation was still in Memphis' head a couple days later and decides to do something insane and wonderful; he decides to propose to Delaney before they leave to school. It seemed like a great idea, to prove to one another that they'd wait until after college, that their love could withstand the separation. It made sense to Memphis so he got to work planning the perfect evening. He'd told his mother he wanted to plan a special date night for them because they wouldn't have many more before they're both off on opposite sides of the country and she cooks up her favourites dishes for him. He brings up dozens and dozens of candles, and flowers of all kinds and he sets the meal up, working faster than he had intended getting a message that said she was on her way over because she'd had yet another fight with her parents. He wished more than anything that he could fix that but he also knew he was the reason they were fighting. Her parents still didn't like him, even after all that time. And there was nothing he could do about that.

Still, he managed to have the fort ready when she started to climb the stairs to the second floor and he was waiting for her by that same window as always. She was shocked of course, and before he started in on his plan which included dinner first, he got down on one knee and delivered a speech he hadn't quite thought up before his knee hit the floor. It was a mess, Memphis was nervous but he professed his love for her, told her what he'd been thinking when he went out and bought the necklace, explained why he hadn't gotten a ring and then finally asked the simplest and hardest question of his life, would she marry him? It felt like an eternity before she'd said yes but it also couldn't have been more than a couple of seconds. From one minute to the next it was realised that neither of them could actually wait the four years to get married and they decided to head down to Atlanta the next day. They were married at the courthouse with just them and the judge and spent the weekend at a nice hotel there in Atlanta to celebrate their nuptials. Too soon though they had to go back to Gainesville and say goodbye to each other.

Memphis had stayed back a year to bring his grades up so his spot at UC Berkeley was waiting for him when he finally left the school, despite having technically graduated the year before. It was hard to be away from Delaney but he'd already agreed to go to California and he wasn't a man who turned back on his word. His word meant something to him. Daily phone calls and text messages made it a little easier and that much harder. The only way they really saw each other were pictures posted to social media. It was a nightmare to see Delaney surrounded by Frat guys in pictures but he tried hard not to be jealous and to believe that Delaney loved him just as much as he loved her. He surprised Delaney a couple of times in New York, hoping to be with her soon but those trips were never long enough. Before long he had to return to California because he left behind a job that kept him in clothes and real food. Plus, he had joined a fraternity and there were always things that the brothers needed to do that he couldn't miss. Four years seemed to fly by as slowly as it had moved quickly. Sometimes it felt like it would never end and other times he was shocked to know that four years were almost up. From there, he'd decided he needed to stay in California to at least get a jumpstart on his Masters. His professors were all there and he was getting exceptional first hand experience working that he wasn't quite ready to give up, even if it meant being apart from his wife for a little while longer. After nearly a year, Memphis decided he just couldn't be away from her any longer and started to make plans with her to move across the country to New York to be with her. He lined up an interview over Skype and was offered the job immediately with a starting date that gave him plenty of time to move to the other side of the country and settle in before he dove right in to helping New York's youth. He also spoke with his professors who helped him transfer to a school there and helped him get in touch with the professors that would help him see his academic dreams finally come true.

Once in New York, Memphis was quickly able to move seamlessly into the job he'd acquired as a social worker in the child welfare department and it was as if he'd been there all along. The cases that found themselves on his desk were some of the hardest out there to witness but he loved kids so much and wanted to see them have a better chance at a better life. He'd been doing the same thing back in California while he'd been in school, getting first had experience doing what he was learning in class. In goal was to get his Masters so he could be in schools, guiding those kids towards happier and healthier lives but that took time and he didn't quite have the experience, or degrees under his belt. The few kids he helped back in California still kept it touch which proved that the tattooed man had good instincts and was damn good at his job. After a year in New York, studying and working his ass off, Memphis is so close to that Masters he can smell it. It was the icing on the cake. He was finally back with his gorgeous and brilliant wife, he was doing a job he actually liked and he was working towards the next phase and potentially final phase of his education. The only thing that could make it all better would be little rugrats with his light hair and her bright eyes running them ragged!

YOUR ALIAS: Cali
RULE WORDS: Calihasthese!
WHERE YOU FOUND US: Floating in the river.
SAMPLE:

I'd really rather not, thanks!

 

[Cali]