apollo ☆

In an attempt to materialize this version of the Green Goober, I wanted to design a creature that could thrive in dry, mountainous ecosystems similar to the arid locations around California / the west coast. Its design would draw physical attributes from mountain lions, cheetahs and bighorn sheep, with some fantastical elements thrown in the mixture (for funsies).

The Green Goober is a wingless sphinx, which not only fits aesthetically for the Goob but fits its personality. This version of the Green Goober is a guardian that can walk both the dream realm and on Earth, able to freely shift between realms. My original idea was that this form was manifested from Pierre’s mind after a near-death experience, he unknowingly making contact with another higher power that grants him a guardian Goob (in death, the universe grants him another one). On Earth, the Goober is a symbol of prosperity, healthy crops, and good weather.

The Goob has above average human intelligence, and is able to understand human languages. The Goob does not have the physical capabilities to talk. Instead the Goob is able to communicate through dreams (if not on Earth) and via telepathy. This also means the Goob is able to detect fluctuations in cortisol levels in humans. The Goober is essentially ageless, sexless and genderless. Its behaviors are a mixture of equine and feline. The Goob vocalizes in a variety of hisses, growls, chirps and roars.

The Goob is a fairly large animal, about 190cm (6’3”) and weighing in at 320 pounds / 145 kg. Its short, coarse fur has a prominent green pigment throughout most of its body, varying in intensity. The green color comes from the chlorophyll in its skin, allowing the Goober the absorb its main source of energy from the sun. Because of this, the Goob is primarily diurnal. However, it is equipped with features that allow it to also obtain energy from other living creatures.

The Goober is able to turn into a lethal predator. It prefers larger prey such as the wild burro, stalking its prey and using its strength to overpower the animal. Retractable claws not only allow it to latch onto prey, but to climb treacherous mountain surfaces. Its powerful hind legs allow the Goob to jump great distances.

The Goob’s horn has multiple uses. Reaching over a foot long, the Goob horn is used in combat, effective in spearing through flesh (thought this is used alongside its claws and teeth). The horn is also used as a lighting rod (backstory behind this currently a WIP teehee)

I hope you can tell how much fun I had drawing this 🤭 took me a couple days but it’s all done! I have bonuses I’ll post later.

Mistletoe bonus here

Can you name them all?

Christmas Party Costumes (in order of appearance):

Noelle: Cindy Lou Who

Susie: a Christmas present/box

Ralsei: Christmas Charlie Brown

Tenna: Heat Miser

Spamton: Snow Miser

Kris: Jesus Christ, or “Krist” if you will

King: cheap inflatable Christmas turkey

Queen: cheap inflatable fruitcake

Lancer: cheap inflatable Christmas light

Jevil: Charlie-in-the-Box (from Rankin/Bass’s Rudolph)

Seam: Sam the Snowman (from Rankin/Bass’s Rudolph)

Swatch: Christmas vest

Tasque Manager: sexy Santa

Tasque: elf hat

Berdly: Know-it-All (from Polar Express) ((genius idea from @cheeskeke))

Old Man: Ebeneezer Scrooge nightgown

Jackenstein: Jack Skellington

Jongler: the Nutcracker

Battat: Clara (from Nutcracker)

Pluey: the Rat King (from Nutcracker) on top of his kitty fursuit lmao

Elnina: Jovie the Elf

Lanino: Buddy the Elf

Every day here in Gaza feels like a year carved into our chests. The war isn’t like it was in the early days—the sky is quieter, the air carries less smoke, and the nights hold fewer explosions. But the pain… it still lives under the rubble, inside our memories, and in the empty spaces where our loved ones once stood.

I’m writing this today not because the war has completely ended, but because for the first time in a long while, it feels like the horizon is opening a little. A small space where we can breathe, gather ourselves, and try to rebuild what’s left of our lives. Yet every step forward feels like walking on wounded memories, and every stone from our destroyed home whispers stories we never got to finish.

We lived through nights so heavy we thought morning would never come. We lost things that can never be replaced—homes, dreams, pieces of our hearts. But we are still here… holding on, trying, fighting to stay standing despite everything.

And in the middle of this long road… there is a house. A house that once carried laughter, warmth, noise, and life. Today, all that remains is an image holding a memory—and rubble longing for the people who once lived inside.

Today, we are trying to rebuild—not just the walls of a house, but an entire life that was shattered. We are trying to create a new beginning, to live with dignity again, to give our family a sense of safety that we’ve been missing for so long.

We’re not writing this to mourn what was lost, but to ask for a chance to start again. We ask for your support because rebuilding after a war is not something one person can do alone—it is a human effort, a shared act of compassion. We need you. We need your hearts. We need your help to stand again.

Because Gaza has no working banking system, we use my brother U.S. Stripe account to safely process donations for our family. Nothing is hidden — every dollar goes where it should. We are ready to show proof of anything, at any time.

Every contribution—no matter how small—makes a difference. It becomes part of our story, part of rebuilding a home, part of reviving a life that nearly faded.

The war may be almost over… but our journey back to life begins now.