You met Ehvay Acacia at a foraging activity when you were a kid. You had begged your parents to let you go and, eventually, they relented. You travelled across the city on the tram and stayed at your cousins’ house and every day you went into the overgrown university to learn things about plants your parents could have definitely taught you at home, but why not learn from the experts and people who knew how to talk so kids would listen?
Ehvay loved lizards. “False lizards” they precociously specified when you pointed out the one on their knitted jumper. “they actually have no relation to the ones that were originally on earth. There are two different types of the same animal that convergently evolved on different planets. Isn’t that so cool? It just goes to show how beneficial the traits are. When I grow up I’m going to get surgery to give me those features so I can be optimally adapted to my environment.”
They did not get that surgery, and they deny ever wanting it.
They did, however, become the youngest ever apprentice in biology at that same university, having their first paper on lizard DNA approved by the department before the planet even went around the suns twice in their lifetime.
And also became your closest friend even quicker.
They disappeared quicker again yesterday. You were hanging out with them at a bar that was near-empty, on account of it being early, flicking balls of paper at each other while discussing... important things. And unimportant things too, ignoring the juxtaposition. You were just complaining to them about how bad the tram service had gotten and then they got on the tram and then... nothing.
Their family said they never got home. They never showed up to the laboratory the next day..
This was very, very unlike them. You’re scared.
A lizard scutters across the ground in front of you. The tram stop where you left them is empty. The suns are harsh this late afternoon.
It was ridiculous to say you missed Ehvay after just 24 hours, but they were usually the person you turned to about this sort of strange occurrence.
You should probably set about finding them.