[Hey, Ian never expected this sort of behaviour from Souji either. Some of his girlfriends were the type to respond like this during dates, but somehow he hadn't thought Souji would be along the same lines. Not that he actually expected anything, when he thinks about it - except, maybe, a few more reprimands for being too forward. (Though that having been said, he was on his best behaviour... So he probably just hadn't crossed the line yet.)
He hums in agreement with Souji's sentiment, nuzzling against his neck a little. It could definitely be a lot worse.
And as for giving a lesson... Ian's sure that his smile can practically be heard. Is that how Souji likes things, then? Well, it's something Ian can oblige easily.]
Alright, alright~ [His teasing lilt is ever-present, even as he slides into a smoother 'professional lecturer' tone. This close to Souji's ear, there's no reason for him to speak terribly loudly. Enjoy your private lesson, Souji.] Halloween has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The days preceding Samhain were said to lead to the closing of the gap between this world and the next; it was believed - and is still believed now, to an extent - that the thinning of the barrier between worlds allowed the fae and the spirits of the deceased to pass through from one world to another. Offerings would be made to any visitors from the other world, to both appease and welcome them, and bonfires would be lit to aid the spirits in returning to their journeys through the afterlife.
[Ian could go on for a while about this, but--] To keep a long story short, Samhain became recognisable as the Halloween celebrated today when Christianity began to exercise its influence on the Celtic lands. The Christian festival of All Hallows was determined to occur on the day following Samhain, leading to a merging of the two. The tradition of costumes draws directly from the practices of Samhain, while the fear of the spirits that cross between worlds is a result of the Christian influence.
Carvings [Ian nods to the untouched pumpkin before them] have had their origins contested for as long as the conversation of Samhain and All Hallow's has existed. The most common belief is that farmers left alone to tend their herds during Samhain would carve grotesque, goblin-like faces into turnips in a bid to scare away ill-intentioned fae. There are also countless folk tales about the miscreant Jack, whose tricks led to his eternal soul being held within a pumpkin bearing a grimace to scare away any who would help him. In the end, it seems like it's been such a long-running tradition that every interpretation spawns even more variations.
[Which would be frustrating, if this were at all Ian's area of research. His expertise lies much, much further in the past than this.]