Hello, fellow BR9 CVT owner.
1) No, you can hold the car in place with the accelerator if you want to, although the owner's manual probably recommends against this somewhere. This has more to do with the torque converter than the CVT itself - note that the CVT also has a much weaker "creep" (rolling forward when idling in gear) than a car with a traditional automatic. As far as I'm aware, this is because the Subie CVT has a torque converter lockup clutch. Therefore the torque converter is only needed for starting off, after which point the fluid coupling locks and the CVT input is directly connected to the crankshaft.
2) Again, lockup clutch. Since the CVT is mechanically connected to the crankshaft it engine brakes. Particularly noticeable if you shift the CVT manually.
Disclaimer: I don't know the specifics of the BR9 CVT as I've never serviced, replaced, or dismantled one.