You're made of sterner stuff than my protagonist, I admit. My thoughts behind it are that Alliance Kids aren't used to obsessive people being angry about situations in their aura. Plus the first words being a furious/exasperated, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" on the instant of arrival.

Sort of thing that would lead to a person hiding from interpreted rebukes.

FTR the Nae'hyn mechanic-priests will apologise for their behaviour and then make amends. A step or fifteen ahead of your old abusers, methinks.