Phoenix Maplewood Once in a while

"A regular? I do not believe you for one second," Apple teased Steele and shook her head to emphasize her disbelief. She pushed herself up to a sitting position and stretched her back from head down to the sacral region. Here and there vertebrae popped, while the sound was disconcerning to most people, Apple seemed to be under impression that the more your bones and joints talked, the better. 

"Apple - Matron of the Blackthorn clan," she introduced herself with an air and confidence of a queen. "So, Regular Steele - you seem just like a tree to be felled, as they say. Anyone to prevent that?" she asked, giving him another all-over scrutinizing look and coming to a conclusion that - perhaps - she would not be against having "another tree" in her time of life. As they say.