Tess had seldom known self-consciousness before the Barge, but no matter how much confidence she projects, it does bother her, deep down, to be around so many woman who have had the luxury of making choices about their personal appearance. She thought it'd be enough to be be happy to be clean; instead she's mildly aware of how plain she is by comparison.

Seeing Allison fuss with her lotions and whatnot tweaks her in some petty way, but she doesn't let it show.

"None taken," she replies. A dirty job is just fine for someone with dirty hands. "It gets me all over the ship, and I'd rather keep the number of wardens I answer to down to one."