Locus's status as a conversational brick wall is hardly an obstacle--everyone's met her partner. Even in her meditative state, Cortana's chatty enough for two.

It's distinctly odd, having to look at someone to identify them, her self-imposed hiatus from the network meaning Locus isn't both preceded and surrounded by clouds of data announcing his presence and a thousand things about him to which her current human senses make her deaf and blind.

Also, he has a cat.

All right, then.

"Hi, Locus." Cortana's voice is the same as ever.