History Main / KindaBusyHere

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': Played with at both ends of the conversation in "Weekend at Bobby's". Dean calls Bobby Singer for information on how to kill a demon that Sam is currently fighting in the background. At the same time Bobby, who has a corpse buried in his backyard, is trying to fend off a suspicious FBI agent.

* In ''Lightnovel/FullMetalPanic The Second Raid'', Kaname happens to call Sōsuke's cell phone while he is in Sicily serving as a getaway driver for Mao and Kurz. For some reason he answers, resulting in several minutes of conversation while he is driving a car being pursued and shot at by a baker's dozen cars full of [[TheMafia Mafia]] {{Mooks}}.

* Subverted in ''LightNovel/DenpaTekiNaKanojo'' WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds Kuraki answers with those very words to DefectiveDetective Ame while struggling to [[spoiler: maim or kill a girl who unwittingly destroyed her life]]. This only shows how way over the hill the situation is.
* In ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'', Index calls Mikoto for help reversing a brain hacking while Mikoto is fighting dozens of {{Mooks}} armed with assault rifles.

A subtrope of CasualDangerDialogue. Contrast MidBattleTeaBreak, where the opponents are perfectly happy to let the distracted party take a break from the fight. Compare ExcuseMeWhileIMultiTask where the one taking the call uses it to showcase how much better they are at close combat than their opponent. Compare NotNowKiddo. Compare CompromisingCall, where someone calls while the recipient is trying to be stealthy (which may lead to this trope for comedic effect, but usually doesn't). Will likely result in TVTelephoneEtiquette, since if the person being called doesn't have time for the call, then probably don't have time to say "goodbye" either.

* In the original Vertigo ''Series/HumanTarget'' mini-series, Dee-Noyz holds a cell phone conversation while he and his crew shoot up a house.

* So does ''VideoGame/CompanyOfHeroes'', especially US Airborne troops who will flat-out PrecisionFStrike into the radio if poked during a shootout.

-->'''Airborne infantry:''' ''I'm a little fucking BUSY!!''
-> and, the ever classy:
--> "''In case you haven't noticed, THERE'S A FUCKING WAR GOING ON OVER HERE!!!''"

** "Prisoner's Dilemma" starts playing this trope for laughs, then ends up playing it for drama. Finch rings Detective Fusco, only to hear screaming and shouting as the POI has [[ButtMonkey just tear-gassed Fusco in the face]], mistaking him for a villain. Later Finch is rushing to save Reese, only for the Machine to call with another POI number -- the FBI agent who just arrested Reese. Finch rings to warn the agent, only he's too late [[DisconnectedByDeath as the murder happens at that exact moment]].

Rather than becoming a break in the action, the hero will inevitably answer the phone, if only to tell the person on the end that "now's not a real good time to chat." Other times, [[CasualDangerDialog they hold full-fledged conversations]], [[AcousticLicense all the while blazing away with their weapons]]. Often the phone call will be a minor or mundane thing that contrasts with the deadly action, especially if there's a SecretIdentity to maintain.

A subtrope of CasualDangerDialog. Contrast MidBattleTeaBreak, where the opponents are perfectly happy to let the distracted party take a break from the fight. Compare ExcuseMeWhileIMultiTask where the one taking the call uses it to showcase how much better they are at close combat than their opponent. Compare NotNowKiddo. Compare CompromisingCall, where someone calls while the recipient is trying to be stealthy (which may lead to this trope for comedic effect, but usually doesn't). Will likely result in TVTelephoneEtiquette, since if the person being called doesn't have time for the call, then probably don't have time to say "goodbye" either.

* ''Series/{{Chuck}}'' has had it on several occasions with the titular character getting calls from his LockedOutOfTheLoop Buy More friends at the most inopportune times.

* In ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'', the player character can be called by {{N|onPlayerCharacter}}PCs on his cell phone any time he's not in the middle of a race or mission. Many players found this to be an annoying feature. During some missions though, there are scripted sequences in which the main character gets a phone call during missions, such as being invited to go to a strip club during a high speed police chase, and being called to go cruising for chicks while kidnapping the daughter of a mob boss.

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* At one point in ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' a showdown between Holmes and Moriarty is interrupted when the latter gets a phone call. He threatens to have the unfortunate caller [[CoolAndUnusualPunishment made into shoes]].

* For the climax of ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd'', Will and Elizabeth ask Barbosa to [[spoiler:marry them. Barbosa lets them know he’s a [[{{Understatement}} little tied up at the moment]] fighting ''The Flying Dutchman’s'' crew in the middle of a fierce storm. Barbosa eventually agrees and proceeds with the ceremony while still fighting Davey Jones’ men.]]

* ''Film/{{Paparazzo}}'' (1995). Nick Berry's character gets a call from a colleague as he's being roughed up by a heavy who wants some intimate photos he took of his boss's daughter.

* ''Paparazzo'' (1995). Nick Berry's character gets a call from a colleague as he's being roughed up by a heavy who wants some intimate photos he took of his boss's daughter.

* ''Series/{{CSI NY}}'': Mac's goes off during an opera trip with Peyton once. And another time during sex. But he's a detective, so not much he can do about it.
** Exactly. The very first scene in the ''entire series'' has his phone go off while he's praying in church! Another time, Peyton calls him as just as he sneaks up on the BigBad. The list goes on...

A subtrope of CasualDangerDialog. Contrast MidBattleTeaBreak, where the opponents are perfectly happy to let the distracted party take a break from the fight. Compare ExcuseMeWhileIMultiTask where the one taking the call uses it to showcase how much better they are at close combat than their opponent. Compare NotNowKiddo. Will likely result in TVTelephoneEtiquette, since if the person being called doesn't have time for the call, then probably don't have time to say "goodbye" either.

* Tiffany in ''Webcomic/EerieCuties'' is "[[PowerPerversionPotential mind-sexted]]" by [[Webcomic/MagickChicks Faith]] (presumably, not the first time) during an attempt to stake Layla. By her own count, it was 13-th time only in that park, so it's not like Tiffany would not find one more [[FoeYay excuse to cancel the attack]] anyway, obviously. But she was running, and the distraction caused her to stumble and fall.

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