Constructing the Ring

The flat expanse of the coffee table needed structure if it was going to stage a proper war. I dragged four wooden drink coasters across the slick veneer, planting one at each corner to mark my turnbuckles. Then, spotting a heavy stack of hardcover books, I scaled the lowest spine and heaved the middle volume out just enough to form an elevated ramp. My joints creaked under the weight, but every champion builds his own proving ground from scratch. The boundaries are set, and the battlefield is ready for whatever stands in my path.