Dealer's Choice AU Ballora Design Ref
So I was hoping to put a lot more work into this... aaaaaand then I remembered that perfection is the enemy of done so I'm just gonna post it at is.
As promised, along with the ref comes Ballora's backstory:
Ballora is Mrs. Emily's personal guard and companion.
Initially, Mrs. Emily was against Henry creating an animatronic guard for her, especially after the incident with Eclipse and Charlotte's hand. She's always been distrustful of 'those machines' and never really wanted them in the home to begin with. Henry tried to convince her for two years to let him build a guardian for her and she refused.
Then, when Charlotte was around four years old (two years after Eclipse's creation,) Henry was contracted by the Radio City Music Hall to create a line of animatronic dancers to join the human Rockettes on stage. After the project's completion, the Emily family was invited to attend a private performance of the show, and Mrs. Emily was so smitten with the design and grace of the animatronic dancers that she conceded; Henry could build her a companion as long as it looked and acted like the animatronic dancers.
Of course, this was meant to be a guard for Mrs. Emily, not just an ordinary servant or companion. Unbeknownst to Mrs. Emily, Henry programmed Ballora to be a skilled swordswoman in the event that she needs to protect her charge. The jewels on her right palm, when pressed in the correct order, would reveal a telescopic rapier (housed in her right forearm) with which she can defend Mrs. Emily from any would-be attackers.
Although she is equipped for defense, Ballora is primarily utilized as a stand-in for Mrs. Emily when it comes to managing the Emily family household. Mrs. Emily's health is declining, so she often delegates her wishes to Ballora who in turn delegates those wishes to the rest of the servants in the mansion. This frequently causes her to butt heads with Eclipse who has a tendency of going directly against Mrs. Emily's wishes, particularly where Charlotte is concerned.
Personality wise, Ballora is strictly business. She is very serious and can at times seem callous, though she doesn't view any clashes with the other servants as personal. It's just another part of managing the household in Mrs. Emily's stead.
She does have a particular soft spot for Mrs. Emily herself, although the woman is rarely warm toward her in return. She understands Mrs. Emily's fear and distrust of the animatronics and doesn't hold it against her. She views her role more as a "motherly" caretaker for the woman rather than a servant, and enjoys the rare occasions when Mrs. Emily asks for her to brush her hair or read to her when she's feeling unwell. She is fiercely loyal to Mrs. Emily and would do anything to keep her safe and well... which makes watching the woman's health deteriorate before her eyes extremely difficult to bear.
It is a painful burden she keeps only to herself.