Written for LiveJournal's 100_roadtrips Saiyuki drabble community's challenge #186, habit. Not beta reviewed; all mistakes are mine.
Birds of a Feather
His Sanzo priest's clothing and accessories, other than the sutra, are nothing special. They're just a uniform, like a nun's habit. He slides them on and shrugs them off like he would any other piece of apparel.
The metal bands dig into his arms and the bamboo breastplate clacks against his chest. The crown is cumbersome and the veil underneath it is scratchy. It all makes him itch.
He thought that looking the part would make him feel less of an imposter, but it doesn't. Nothing makes up for what he lacks.
In his case, clothes don't make the man.