When I was looking for fresh imagery to use for this story I wanted something similar in vividness and detail to JKR's magical world but a little darker, a bit more bizarre: a setting that could be Snape's home as well as Harry's. That's how this shamanic circus setting came to be. The links in the footnotes served as tremendous inspiration for most of the themes in this story.
The romantic element was important: two solitary men turning exile into an adventure. I'm glad to hear that Snape's characterisation worked for you and that formidable presence came across even without visible dialogue.