awedbyhersplendor:

I can really see Gates as a super-serious Christmas fan. Like, not everyone on board the Walrus is a Christian, but it’s not about that anymore, it’s about family. The Walrus family. It’s Nassau, so it’s hot af, but Gates starts knitting everyone new pairs of socks at least three months in advance. You better not die between the moment Gates started knitting your socks and Christmas Eve. (Sometimes Mr DeGroot joins in but no one knows except Gates and Randal and Mr DeGroot would rather die than admit it) 

I imagine that everybody is pretty skeptical at first, but then, they have this joy on the very day when they do a little ceremony to receive their socks that it becomes a thing. 

Flint thought it was utterly ridiculous (“Hal, those are murderers and thieves, and they’d steal their grandma’s knitting needles if they could, I am not hunting down cargos of oranges and wool just so you can have your Christmas celebration by 34°C”) so Gates has to go make a pact with Eleanor and the next leads the Walrus is given are…. Cargos of oranges and wool. In exchange, Eleanor receives her own pair of socks. (Max always thought Eleanor had new socks every year because she was rich and laughs so hard she cries when she learns Eleanor lies to Flint every year for new socks) 

Scourge of the seven seas and of the British Empire Captain Flint wears his orange socks every day. 

The entire month of December is ruled by the ‘No in-fighting during Christmas’ policy, enforced by Gates himself. (Except that one time he beat someone who was trying to raise up a mutiny and, when the man protested that it was against the Christmas spirit, he answered ‘It’s December 10th!’) 

On Christmas eve, there are no prayers, just a lot of grog, an orange each, and a very formal distribution of socks. 

Once, Billy tried to give the favour back by knitting a pair of socks for Gates, but he failed so hard Flint took pity on him and taught him under the guise of ‘teaching him how to read maps’ in his cabin. Gates cried. 

Once Billy innocently asked a member of the Ranger crew what they did for Christmas and the Ranger crew laughed, resulting in one of the biggest fights in the tavern.