Yugi was almost predatory when he saw Ryou enter the classroom. He knew that if the pharaoh was present, then so was the thief king who had caused half this mess.

Which was why he waited until he could confront the thief directly after class.

Ryou was more or less oblivious.

"Look, I know about your beef with the pharaoh, and honestly I could care less," said Yugi.

"I'm sorry?" said Ryou.

"Switch with your darker half," suggested Yugi. "He'll understand what I'm talking about pretty damn quick, since unlike the pharaoh his memories were never sealed."

Seeing his hair spike up and his aura turn decidedly dark, he knew this was Ba-Ku-Ra.

"What does the little prince want with me?" he sneered.

Yugi rolled his eyes.

"In most countries I'd be a Queen, not a damn prince," said Yugi flatly. That caused a brief moment of confusion in Ba-Ku-Ra, mostly because he was used to the original term. Yugi smirked at him. "I am happy to be a devout follower of the Fairest Queen, not some long dead king."

"Fairest Queen?" said Bakura, very confused.

"You'd know her better as the 'evil queen' from Snow White," explained Yugi helpfully. "I'm sure Ryou can explain it to you better later."

"That doesn't change the fact you sought me out deliberately."

"I know his true name. I know what the Items are made out of, and while I do have some empathy for what you went through, I really would rather not have you take pot shots at me until he remembers as well," said Yugi, not bothering to beat around the bush. That made Bakura stiffen. "So I'd like to offer you a deal."

"What sort of deal?" said Bakura, smirking.

"Work out a schedule with Ryou, and I'll introduce your yandoushi to a higher class of people to rob," said Yugi. Seeing the look Bakura gave him, he smirked. "I happen to have access to the high class snobs that have more money than sense and can direct you to the best marks. I also know of two exclusive magical colleges you can apply to later, since they start at sixteen."

Bakura definitely perked up at that. Yugi had zero issues with directing the thief to the best people to rob so he could afford magical college. It would be even better if he ended up in the Royal Sword Academy, if only so he could become a thorn in Neige's side later.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" he asked.

"Give me about an hour and I'll meet you at his apartment. If you have a full size mirror, it'll be easier to prove," said Yugi calmly.

Intrigued, Bakura went to his yandoushi's apartment and waited. About forty-five minutes later after he entered the apartment and dragged out the full size mirror that he had stolen, there was a knock.

The beauty before him was not the pharaoh's reincarnation, at least that's what he assumed. Then he saw the Puzzle and his disbelief only grew.

Yugi was a short, five foot three teen that rose to about five foot five when he wasn't hunched over. He had tri-colored hair that spiked everywhere in a ridiculous manner and had a calm, almost innocent demeanor. He usually dressed in casual tees and pants with sneakers.

This creature was closer to five foot six with his heels, had impeccable taste in fashion, expertly applied make-up and mid-legnth blond hair tipped in lavender. He radiated the aura of a queen in the literal sense, and straight up looked high class at a glance. His entire ensemble was made of designer clothes that cost hundreds for a single item.

Honestly, it was hard to equate the pharaoh with this man.

The pharaoh's arrogance came from inherited royalty and power. The man before him didn't rely on inherited power...he earned it through hard work and persistence.

Bakura could admit, he somewhat preferred the beauty before him to the arrogant pharaoh.

"Oh good, you were able to get a mirror. That makes things much easier," said the beauty.

"Who are you?"

"When I'm dressed like this, address me as Vil," he said calmly.

Bakura noted how slender and well manicured his hands were. It was clear that "Vil" took great pride and care in his appearance. He walked with the sort of grace that could make him a very efficient thief with little effort...especially in those heels.

That was when Bakura noticed something in his handbag.

"So who is in your bag?"

Vil paused.

"Wait...you can sense it too?" he said.

Vil reached into his bag to pull out some sort of flat board. Bakura stared at it, because it almost felt like the people he had sealed into the figurines, except this didn't feel like shadow magic.

"Man, I'm hungry! Can we hurry this up already?" said Grim. Bakura made an odd sound, staring at the cat.

"Patience Grim," said Vil tiredly. He had to live with this cat for the past eight years after all. "And this, as far as I can tell, is ORTHO. The only reason he's not wandering around is because I don't have the gear for it and I have no idea how to install him into something that would work."

"You have a talking cat," said Bakura.

"He's a direbeast, not that it makes much difference," said Vil absently. "And if you behave I'll feed you."

Bakura watched fascinated as Vil put his hand on the mirror he had stolen, and it began to ripple. Once it settled he calmly walked into the reflective surface.

"You coming or what?" he asked.

Bakura was on his heels in an instant, mostly because he had no idea how long that trick would last.

He was beyond fascinated seeing the Shaftlands and his eyebrows only went up meeting Jack.

"Who's this?"

"I'm thinking of hiring him as a potential bodyguard during the longer gigs," said Vil. Bakura gave him a look, and Vil smirked at him.

Bakura suddenly understood what Vil was planning. What better way to gain access to the higher class parties without anyone noticing. He gained a predatory glint in return, realizing the opportunity he was being provided.

Jack gave him a side eye, which was perfectly understandable.

~*~~*~*

Vil felt happy that he was cultivating a much healthier relationship with Ryou and his darker half. He could honestly care less about Bakura's justified hatred of the pharaoh. Considering the circumstances, he understood perfectly why it they were not going to get along.

Not without far too much therapy anyway.

He was going to meet Ryou later that week for a much needed shopping session. He had seen what Bakura considered 'acceptable' wear, and if he was going to act as bodyguard while robbing people blind, then his closet was in desperate need of an upgrade.

Bakura looked entirely too bemused, and was glad that Vil was at least listening to his input.

He would have stolen the clothes if he had felt the need, but Vil was paying for it all and he was perfectly fine spending someone else's money.

"Explain to me why this is necessary?" he asked. Grim was resting on his shoulder like some sort of demented parrot.

"The sort of parties I get invited to have a dress code. Your usual outfit is fine for casual wear, but not to high class events. If you went in with your usual leathers and shirts, none of the snobbier folk would go near you and would actively avoid your presence," said Vil flatly. "Your pendant is unusual, but would get a pass due to it being so old and clearly made of actual gold. The fact you know the history behind it helps too."

Bakura scowled at that, just a bit.

"Hold still," said Vil. He wouldn't bother teaching Bakura how to use make-up, and there was little point in getting him any accessories since he could steal them just fine.

Bakura grumbled, but let Vil do his thing. He had to admit, the other male had excellent taste, and the clothing suited him perfectly.

"We really need to do something about those shoes of yours," said Vil.

He already had this 'talk' with Jounouchi, Honda and Anzu. By this point Jou kept all his good clothes at Yugi's house, since his father would just resell them otherwise for booze money. Solomon had already cleared out one of the rooms for him to crash whenever his father was on a bender, which he appreciated. Since Yugi was often busy with modeling work, this mean Jou could earn some extra cash and workplace experience for himself.

His friends pretty much knew and accepted the fact he was bisexual at this point and Anzu made it a point to run her outfits past her best friend before she even dared to do any interviews. It didn't hurt that Yugi had given her and most of the other girls in class an extensive lesson on how to do it properly.

"There," said Vil, looking over his ensemble. "Turn around and look at the mirror."

Bakura did so...and was stunned at the change. Vil hadn't done much with his hair, besides clean up some split ends and put it into a loose ponytail. He had gone over his nails, cleaning those up and giving him a clear coat, and had gone over his clothes with a fine-tooth comb.

He looked...professional. Sophisticated. He wore a simple white cashmere shirt with a dark scarf with the ends hidden under the shirt. The ring lay across his chest, and actually looked good with the outfit.

"Not bad," said Bakura.

"I made it so that it would suit both you and your other half, so no one would suspect anything," said Vil absently. "Ryou favors the softer colors more than the fall ones like you."

"So what exactly are you expecting of me anyway?" asked Bakura.

"Mostly I want you to act as intimidation, and possibly a little theft of people who annoy me."

Bakura smirked at that.

"For the most part you'll be observing for threats, and in the event someone is stupid enough to attack you have full permission to be as stab happy as you damn well please. Sadly this doesn't include Kaiba, but I have other ways to deal with that obsessive prick," said Vil.

"Kaiba, as in Seto Kaiba?"

"He's the reincarnation of the pharaoh's cousin, who happens to be the son of the bastard who suggested making the items in the first place. If I recall correctly, the original holder of the Millennium Eye was the one who bewitched the guards who attacked your village," said Vil.

Bakura's expression darkened at that.

"If we ever run into that bastard again, I'll hold him down while you stab him repeatedly in the balls," said Vil. Bakura perked up at that. "Especially if he reincarnated like everyone else."

Bakura had to admit, the bodyguarding gig wasn't too bad. A tad boring since he had to be observant all the time, but overall easy money for someone who had grown up to become the King of Thieves.

He did, however note something that provided him immense entertainment.

Vil's reaction to this "Neige leBlanche" was hilarious, especially when Vil confirmed Neige was high on the "rob if bored" list he had been given.

The amount of damage he could do if he ever got his hands on Neige's personal cell phone was too tempting for Vil's petty hatred of the other male to resist.

Besides, Vil suspected the 'sweet, innocent' Neige was really a Yandere. It would explain too much.

"Vi-kun! Where did you find such a capable bodyguard?" asked Neige.

"He tried to rob me, so I offered him a job," said Vil flippantly. "Anyone who's lived on the streets as long as he has would have better instincts than some pampered ex-military men."

Bakura had strong survival instincts, ones that meant he was far more self-aware than most bodyguards. Plus he was recently awakened, which meant that those instincts were still as strong as ever, rather than dulled by the 'safety' of the modern world. Not to mention he was far more likely to deal with any real threats permanently, rather than be 'nice'.

Vil was darkly pleased when Bakura handed him Neige's phone an hour later.

Oh the fun he would have with this until Neige figured out what was going on.