diff --git a/client/tests/test_anti_tedium.gd b/client/tests/test_anti_tedium.gd
index b16d5ae48..43fc93ec9 100644
--- a/client/tests/test_anti_tedium.gd
+++ b/client/tests/test_anti_tedium.gd
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ func before_test() -> void:
 	GameState.pending_recognitions = []
 	GameState.room_id = null
 	GameState.gauntlet_mode = false
+	MetaStack._stack.clear()
 
 
 func after_test() -> void:
@@ -501,7 +502,7 @@ func test_bug_report_sends_unpause_on_close() -> void:
 	var dialog := _make_bug_report_dialog()
 	dialog.start_capture()
 	SimBridge._test_input_queue.clear()
-	dialog._close()
+	dialog.close()
 	assert_that(dialog.is_active()).is_false()
 	assert_that(SimBridge._test_input_queue.has("Unpause")).override_failure_message(
 		"Closing bug report should send Unpause to server"
diff --git a/client/tests/test_merge_path_flows_sprint37.gd b/client/tests/test_merge_path_flows_sprint37.gd
index 2038e0e0c..1d4b8eebf 100644
--- a/client/tests/test_merge_path_flows_sprint37.gd
+++ b/client/tests/test_merge_path_flows_sprint37.gd
@@ -63,12 +63,14 @@ func _load_char_create() -> void:
 		return
 	_scene = packed.instantiate()
 	# Seed required state so Start is not disabled (guard added in PR #134 / R2-Hoshe-1).
-	# Individual tests override these as needed.
+	# Individual tests override these as needed. add_child() must run first so
+	# _ready() populates @onready vars (_footer_start, etc.) that
+	# _update_start_btn_state() dereferences.
+	add_child(_scene)
 	_scene._selected_bookmark_id = "test-bookmark"
 	_scene._selected_location_id = "test-location"
 	if _scene.has_method("_update_start_btn_state"):
 		_scene._update_start_btn_state()
-	add_child(_scene)
 
 
 func _make_catalog_snapshot() -> Dictionary:
diff --git a/client/ui/meta/screens/character_creation/character_creation.gd b/client/ui/meta/screens/character_creation/character_creation.gd
index d3d13ecbf..ff27f3d75 100644
--- a/client/ui/meta/screens/character_creation/character_creation.gd
+++ b/client/ui/meta/screens/character_creation/character_creation.gd
@@ -1611,7 +1611,7 @@ func _take_screenshot(suffix: String = "") -> void:
 		# Take screenshot for current cardinal, then advance. Single array for
 		# both facing and filename label — previously two arrays with different
 		# orderings produced swapped labels at indices 1 and 3.
-		var dir_name := CARDINAL_DIRS[_screenshot_cardinal_idx]
+		var dir_name: String = CARDINAL_DIRS[_screenshot_cardinal_idx]
 		_char_visual.set_facing(dir_name)
 		suffix = dir_name