Steve and Alina
Steve was convinced, utterly convinced, by this point that somehow the following had occurred:
He'd been knocked unconscious
For reasons unknown to him, Eleven was behind this. She had mind powers. Sudden pirates and desert islands could be a figment of the mind, right?
And that maybe, just maybe, the possible figments Eleven was creating were a distraction to the Spider Mind Flayer abomination.
Or, Steve had been unconscious for a really, really long time and this was an attempt to get him to wake up. Have him fight back to sanity? Sure. Why not.
Double or, he had woken up from being unconscious, Hawkins was totally fine and his dumbass kids thought the best way to celebrate Steve having brain functionality was to toss him into some very vivid Roleplay Renaissance Faire bullshit. With El's help. Maybe?
Either way, his mind was firing on all cylinders for explanations that made way more sense then some magical University and time loops and fucking pirates and nearly drowning. "LUCAS! MAX! ERICA!"
Hearing a voice nearby, saying to stop, made him whip around and he stared at someone he didn't recognize. He recognized no one thus far so what else was new? "This isn't funny. Cut it out, right now, eleven. I'm serious."