Ellie Perkins

Ellie Perkins is the secretary of private investigator Nick Valentine, operating out of the Valentine Detective Agency located in Diamond City in 2287.

Background
Having grown up in Goodneighbor, Ellie is used to seeing people from all walks of life, something that she occasionally misses. She left Goodneighbor at a young age, eventually moving to Diamond City and becoming secretary of private detective Nick Valentine. As such, she handles his appointments, papers, and even the consoling of distraught clients.

Because she has worked with Nick for years, Ellie has seen Valentine's partners come and go. One such partner was Marty Bullfinch, whom Ellie did not enjoy the company of. Regarding her relationships with other Diamond City residents, Ellie is also a patient of Doc Crocker, having at one point visited him for a consultation. Crocker wanted to follow up on this consultation over drinks. In a similar vein, she believes Earl Sterling may have, before his disappearance, had a crush on her. She will sardonically comment that she is not surprised he ran off. After learning that Doc Crocker was behind Earl's disappearance, she will joke that she is glad that they never followed up on said consultation. Myrna distrusts Ellie, believing her to be a synth and claiming that it is "obvious" she is not human (though Myrna's suspicions are completely unfounded).

After Nick decided to investigate the supposed kidnapping of Darla by Skinny Malone's Triggermen, he became imprisoned in Vault 114. Ellie had warned Nick that the rumors of the Triggermen occupying the Vault were most likely a trap, but Nick, in his usual fashion, just smiled and walked out of the door. Nick has since been declared missing, and Ellie is heartbroken that her employer and close friend is gone, and possibly deceased. She is frustrated with herself that she does not have the combat abilities to "charge across the Commonwealth" and rescue Nick herself without ending up dead. Upon the Sole Survivor's arrival in Diamond City, Ellie is packing up Nick's belongings from the office, assuming the worst and preparing to close the agency for good.

Once the Sole Survivor brings Nick back home safely, Ellie will express gratefulness towards the Sole Survivor and excitement that Nick has returned, as well as thankfulness that her job has been saved. From this point on, Ellie will assist the Sole Survivor and Nick into their investigation of Conrad Kellogg and Shaun's kidnapping, providing feedback during the interview with the Sole Survivor. She will also direct the two of them to Kellogg's house in the abandoned West Stands of Diamond City.

Personality
Ellie is a gentle and kind person who truly cares for Nick. Nick, similarly, cares for Ellie and appreciates her hard work, though this concern for Ellie goes to the point of withholding some details from her, so as to not worry her. Ellie's concern for Nick's well-being usually stems from his frequently non-chalant reaction to warnings of danger, usually given to him by Ellie. However, she shares Nick's unique sense of humor, leading to banter between the two of them around the office. She has thought about Nick's status as a synth before, but it has never truly bothered her, and the thought never enters her mind anymore.

Other interactions
During conversation with Ellie during Unlikely Valentine, four Charisma checks are available. For the first (asking for help), CHR 6 is sufficient. For the second (asking for 125 caps), CHR 6 is required. For the third (asking for 150 caps), CHR 7 is required. For the fourth (asking for 200 caps), CHR 7 is also needed.

Appearances
Ellie Perkins appears only in Fallout 4.

Behind the scenes

 * Jan Johns, who voiced Ellie, stated that her performance as Ellie was cathartic because it brought her back to the time that her father went missing for a two-day period. As such, performing the lines where Ellie is heartbroken over Nick's disappearance in Vault 114 was very memorable for her, as it gave her the opportunity to confront such a difficult topic. She had a similar experience when recording lines for Colette Cooke, who is looking for her own father.


 * Ellie Perkins is a reference to Effie Perrine, Sam Spade's secretary from several stories by author Dashiell Hammet.