Tyger Salazar

**Tyger Salazar** is Rowan Damisch's good friend from school.

## Biography

### Scythe

Tyger used to splat constantly. Since his frequent splatting irritated his parents, they did not visit him in the revival center during the four days he spent unconscious after flinging himself from a thirty-nine-story window, but his friend Rowan did. Upon awakening, Tyger asked how long he was unconscious and then exclaimed that four days was a new record for him. Tyger pressed Rowan for details of the damage, but Rowan quickly grew disgusted and asked why Tyger splatted. He also told him splatting was a waste of time. Tyger told him that he enjoyed the feeling on the way down and that he wanted to garner attention from his parents. Rowan urged him to find a different hobby, pointing out that the revivals must be expensive; Tyger, however, viewed the revivals as a way to make his parents notice him and spend some money on him.

Following Kohl Whitlock's gleaning, Rowan's friends shunned him. Tyger also avoided Rowan, explaining that he sympathized with Rowan but did not want to be "guilty by association".

When Scythe Faraday was out one day, Rowan visited Tyger, who had not splatted for three months. They played basketball while Tyger filled Rowan in on the rumors flying around the school claiming that Rowan accepted Faraday's apprenticeship to avenge his isolation after Kohl's gleaning. Tyger went on to say that his popularity had increased because he was Rowan's friend and people hoped to receive immunity. As they shot hoops, Rowan noticed that Tyger is throwing the game, and Tyger asked Rowan if he would grant him immunity, but Rowan refused, arguing that doing so would show favoritism. Rowan and Tyger played with other kids on the court, but they left when Rowan realized that they too were performing poorly on purpose. Unlike Rowan, who found their behavior frustrating, Tyger was entertained, stating that Rowan was now "the mean greens".

On an impulse, Rowan invites Tyger to Faraday's house. When they arrived at an empty house, Rowan decided that he was glad Citra was not there because he feared Tyger would impress Citra. The house surprised Tyger, who expected an "underground lair". Rowan showed Tyger Faraday's weapons room. Tyger enthusiastically picked up various weapons and even asked to borrow one, much to Rowan's irritation. The door opened and Rowan ordered Tyger to hide; the arrival turned out to be Citra. When Citra got in the shower, Rowan returned to the weapons room to fetch Tyger. Tyger expressed interest in Citra and made a suggestive comment about her. Annoyed, Rowan told him that Scythe Faraday had come home and that Tyger had to leave immediately.

Tyger appeared at Goddard's party at Easley's estate. He chatted with Rowan and revealed that he was now a licensed partygoer with Guests Unlimited. Rowan fretted about Tyger's wellbeing, but Tyger dismissed his worries, assuring him that he was alright with everything that professional partiers must do. Rowan questions his parents's approval, but Tyger's face fell and he divulged that his parents surrendered him and he was now a ward of the Thunderhead. Rowan offered his condolences, but Tyger said that the Thunderhead was a better parent than his own. Tyger then inquired about being a live training subject for Rowan, who refused by asking him what drugs he was on.

Tyger and Rowan rescued a drowning Xenocrates from the pool by removing his clothes and helping him to the surface. When Xenocrates noticed that his scythe ring slipped off, Tyger volunteered to fetch it. After returning the ring to the ungrateful High Blade, Tyger realized that he had missed a chance at granting himself immunity by kissing the ring before giving it back.

### Thunderhead

Tyger tracked Rowan to Pittsburgh and surprised him by breaking into his apartment and making himself a sandwich while he waited for Rowan to return. Rowan was somewhat glad to see Tyger, but this was eclipsed by his fear that Tyger was followed. When he asked if Tyger was tailed, Tyger brushed off his concern as baseless paranoia. Rowan closed the door to the closet containing his Scythe Lucifer robe, even though he knew that Tyger would not understand the robe's significance. Tyger revealed that he had secured a better-paying job in the Charter Region of Texas and that he had come to say goodbye to Rowan. Rowan questioned the safety of Texas, but Tyger reassured him that he would be fine; Rowan admonished him to be careful. The conversation turned grim when Tyger divulged the true reason he dropped in: Rowan's father had been gleaned. Panicking, Rowan peppered him with questions and asked whether the executing scythe granted his remaining family immunity. When Rowan blamed himself, Tyger told him he was being ridiculous because scythes hold no grudges. They bade their goodbyes to one another, and Tyger left.

Tyger's new job was a scythe "apprenticeship" under Scythe Rand, on whom he developed a huge crush. The training mainly consisted of sparring and strength-building activities, during which Tyger flirted with Rand.

After Rowan was captured by Scythe Brahms and his henchmen and delivered to Houston, he was stunned to awaken to Tyger sitting at his bedside and offering him some milk. Rand entered Rowan's room, and Tyger explained that he is a scythe's apprentice now. Rand complimented him for his studiousness. Rowan was not fooled and tried to warn Tyger that something was very wrong, but Tyger again viewed Rowan's dire warnings as paranoia. Rand then sent him to prepare a sandwich for his friend.

Rowan involuntarily served as Tyger's sparring partner in a Bokator match. Tyger cockily declared that he would win and taunted Rowan, but Rowan outsmarted Tyger and won the match. Tyger objected to Rowan's victory, saying that he cheated, but Rand cut him off and stated that Rowan was more skilled than Tyger. He obeyed her when she told him to shut up. Afterward, Tyger confessed to his friend that he believed he was in love with Rand, much to Rowan's disgust. Rowan tried to argue that Rand was older than Tyger, but Tyger thought the age gap would not matter once he would become a scythe.

Scythe Rand told Tyger that it was time for him to receive his ring. When Tyger protested that he had not yet defeated Rowan in a sparring match, Scythe Rand told him that that fact could not be helped. Tyger told her that he hoped she would see him differently once he received his ring; Rand's expression softened and she kissed him briefly on the lips.

Later on, Rand wheeled a chair into Rowan's room. Because it was dark, Rowan initially believed the person in the chair was Tyger; instead, the newcomer was Scythe Goddard, whose head had been transplanted onto Tyger's body. Rowan realized that Tyger was selected as the body donor because Rowan cared about him. Desperate with grief and anger, Rowan said that he could take what was left of Tyger to a revival center, but Rand told him that she had already disposed of Tyger's head.

Rowan noticed that Rand seemed to harbor regret about killing Tyger. After Goddard rendered him deadish in a sparring match, Rowan taunted Rand. He told her that he originally blamed Goddard for Tyger's death, but he knew that Rand was the one who chose to kill his friend. He went on to say that it must be difficult to look at Goddard and realize that he was no longer the person she loved, which caused her to threaten him and storm out of the room.

Goddard noticed Rand staring at his bare torso and pointed it out to her. She argued that Goddard knew she had never been one to fail to appreciate a fine male form, and Goddard asked her if she slept with Tyger. When she told him no, he noted that the body expresses a strong attraction to her.

Rand reflected on her decisions and tried to convince herself that she did not love Tyger or regretted killing him. She admitted that she loved his enthusiasm and innocence.

### The Toll

Tyger's memory construct still existed within the backbrain of the Thunderhead, Scythe Rand went multiple times to talk to it since she appeared to miss him and felt guilt, unfortunately, memory constructs are not technically alive since they are the stored memories of the person when it was alive, since Scythe Rand and Tyger met at the Charter Region of Texas (where memory constructs are not stored) Tyger's memory construct did not remember Scythe Rand.

Scythe Rand revived Tyger at a revival center after killing Scythe Goddard. For the revival, she used the body she had constructed for Scythe Goddard: Tyger's body, and Scythe Goddard's head and face. He was given the memories of his memory construct, so he had all the memories of Tyger before he arrived at the Charter Region of Texas.

## Physical description

Tyger was a handsome young man. As a result of training with Scythe Rand, his physique became more muscular. Upon revival at the end of The Toll, he presumably has Goddard's dark hair.

## Personality

An affable boy, Tyger has a laid-back, carefree attitude and a dull mind. He enjoyed pleasurable pursuits, the taste for which made him an excellent professional partier; he was also licentious. Tyger and Rowan bonded over being "lettuce", the forgotten middle children of their large families. Because he was often ignored by his parents, Tyger began splatting to force his parents to spend money on him.

## Appearances

* *Scythe*
* *Thunderhead*
* *The Toll*