Times where somebody refuses the call in Literature.
- Alex Rider, except it's a situation of "Blackmail" Is Such an Ugly Word, rather than The Call Knows Where You Live/being The Drag-Along.
- Marco from Animorphs was at first very reluctant to fight with the others until he discovered his mother was alive and under the control of Visser One. He was literally going to quit, but Jake asked him for just one mission more. It wound up being this one. This may or may not be a coincidence.
- Brenish in Below has longed to see the underground ruins all his life, even planning out what he would do if he ever went in search of treasure. A fake treasure map lands in his lap, giving him the chance to realize his (expensive) plan by bringing investors on board. Instead he gives up his dream, and chooses to get an honest job over the winter so he can save up to marry Cirawyn. He just has One Last Job as a highwayman to do first, and that's where it goes pear-shaped.
- The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: When Thomas Covenant finds himself Trapped in Another World, he's convinced it's All Just a Dream and refuses to do anything. This changes in the second and third novels.
- Cradle Series: As revealed late in the series, Monarchs aren't supposed to remain on Cradle for long, they are supposed to ascend to higher-level Iterations. The spiritual pressure from the current Monarchs refusing to ascend is what generates the hunger aura that powers the Dreadgods.
- In The Dark Path, Jackie Laperriere is chosen to become the new incarnation of Qu'u, the Zor's quintessential hero, because the galaxy is facing an invasion by horrible monsters and the previous incarnation has already been put in a coma. She initially refuses, wanting nothing to do with the Zor's mystical bullshit, but ultimately relents.
- Mercedes Lackey had Diana Tregarde, a witch of astounding power and a Guardian, which apparently means even more power and the responsibility to use it to protect people. Her grandmother taught her, but after her grandmother's death, Di tried to stay away from all that and live without the supernatural. This didn't work out, mostly because supernatural creatures and people could still feel her potential, and trying to ignore them meant that they ran into her on their terms.
- Discworld:
- Rincewind always refuses the call, being a complete and utter coward; however, he invariably ends up being forced by the plot into following it. This is inverted in The Last Hero, where he actually volunteers for a space mission, having realized that he's bound to be chosen for it anyway.Rincewind: I do not wish to volunteer for this mission.
Vetinari: I beg your pardon?
Rincewind: I do not wish to volunteer, sir.
Vetinari: No one was asking you to.
Rincewind: [wagging a weary finger] Oh, but they will, sir. they will. Someone will say: hey, that Rincewind fella, he's the adventurous sort, he knows the Horde, Cohen seems to like him, he knows all there is to know about cruel and unusual geography, he'd be just the job for something like this. [sigh] And then I'll run away, and probably hide in a crate somewhere that'll be loaded on to the flying machine in any case.
Vetinari: Will you?
Rincewind: Probably, sir. Or there'll be a whole string of accidents that end up causing the same thing. Trust me. sir, I know how my life works. So I thought I'd better cut through the whole tedious business and come along and tell you I don't wish to volunteer.
Vetinari: I think you've left out a logical step somewhere...
Rincewind: No, sir. It's very simple. I'm volunteering. I just don't wish to. But, after all, when did that ever have anything to do with anything?
Ridcully: He's got a point... He seems to come back from all sorts of things.
Rincewind: You see? [gives Lord Vetinari a jaded smile] - Also, Susan Sto Helit in Soul Music, Hogfather, and Thief of Time. She is so sensible that she refuses to believe in the existence of anything supernatural. Unfortunately, this proves to be difficult when Death is your grandfather, and you're the substitute anthropomorphic personification of Death whenever your grandfather is unable to perform his duties (which seems to happen often). Even after being thrust into such supernatural occurrences, she immediately resets to a "I Just Want to Be Normal" frame of mind after aforementioned occurrence is resolved.
- Corporal "Nobby" Nobbs also never volunteers for anything. The following quote is from Feet of Clay."The call to duty would not find him wanting. In fact, it wouldn't find him at all."
- Rincewind always refuses the call, being a complete and utter coward; however, he invariably ends up being forced by the plot into following it. This is inverted in The Last Hero, where he actually volunteers for a space mission, having realized that he's bound to be chosen for it anyway.
- In The Divine Comedy, the protagonist's cowardice gets the better of him in the second canto at the prospect of ascending into the Underworld without the bravery of Aeneas or the divinity of Christ and he questions why he should go on the journey with Virgil at all. Thanks to Virgil's assurance that he works on behalf of our hero's long-lost love, he dismisses his concerns and steps on the path to Hell.
- In Dragon Queen, Trava is adamant that she won't be going on an adventure with the old man.
- The Dresden Files: We find out, of all people, Charity refused to use her magical gifts. In the Dresdenverse, magical ability is "if you don't use it in your youth, you lose it." Molly made the call not long before the same thing would happen, but incurred the wrath of the White Council for the type of magic used — Mind Rape breaking one of the Seven Laws of Magic.
- The title character in Eden Green learns that alien needle monsters are invading her city and her best friend is infected with their horrible symbiote. Despite appeals to join the fight and help save the world, she tries several times to refuse the call.
- The Empirium Trilogy: While she wants to take down the Undying Empire, Eliana isn't exactly keen about being one of the prophesied Queens. She initially refuses to learn how to use her unleashed powers and she hates being revered. She does eventually come to terms with her situation but still dislikes being referred to as the Sun Queen.
- Fire & Blood: During the Dance of the Dragons, Qoran Martell was asked by both sides of the civil war to side with them. He responded that he'd prefer to sleep with scorpions, and Dorne stayed out of the entire mess.
- In Firefight Calamity attempts to transform David into an Epic. Thankfully, David had overcome his greatest fear just minutes before, which enabled him to remain a human.
- Green Rider: Karigan G'ladheon turns down Rider employment after her first adventure, choosing to become a merchant like her father. But the ghost of the Riders' founder keeps trying to summon her in her dreams, and Karigan ends up sleep-riding riding halfway to the capital city in her nightgown at the beginning of First Rider's Call, with humiliating consequences. At that point, she decides she'd better give up and join the service.
- The Hobbit:
- Bilbo Baggins, but Gandalf decides his hidden Tookish nature craves adventure (and he needs him for his complicated plan) so ensures he goes anyway.
- By the next generation, Frodo Baggins has heard enough about Bilbo's adventures to be intrigued, but by the time he reaches Rivendell, he's already gone through more than enough. He considers refusing the call, but finally stands forward at the Council when no one else offers to take up the Quest(except a too-elderly Bilbo).
- Interestingly enough, according to Tolkien's notes Gandalf himself didn't exactly Jump at The Call: when the Valar decided to send some emissaries to Middle-earth to help defeat Sauron, only a couple actually volunteered. The Maia later known as Gandalf was asked to go but declined, saying that he was too weak to fight Sauron. In the end Manwë, the high king of the Valar, had to order him to go. His humility in declining to accept the task citing his unworthiness was actually one of the reasons the Valar thought he was the right one for the job.
- Dave in John Dies at the End frequently tries to escape from the supernatural shenanigans that he's roped into. Perhaps best illustrated in one scene where all the Soy Sauce-related madness starts, when his Evil-Detecting Dog runs off down the street barking at something, trying to get Dave to follow her. Dave just gets in his car and drives off in the opposite direction.
- Discussed in The Last Adventure of Constance Verity. Thelma insists that if Connie really wanted to stop adventuring, all she had to do was not heed the call to adventure when it happens. She only winds up involving herself in the Ancient Conspiracy after she has her spell lifted more out of force of habit than because it was destined so, so Thelma might have a point.
- Otah Machi in The Long Price Quartet amazingly succeeds at ditching his poet masters and running off. He later becomes Emperor, of course.
- In the Malazan Book of the Fallen, the Crippled God is searching for a champion and outfits Barbarian Hero Karsa Orlong, whom he has chosen for the role, with spiritual advisors and some nifty weaponry for his role. But, while Karsa has no problem with going on adventures and raping and pillaging and whatnot, he really resents doing it on the Crippled God's orders and even actively works against him.
- The Messenger Series: Discussed. When Rose speculates about what would happen if a messenger didn't want to be found or chosen by Favour, she is told that it's impossible. Favour will find his chosen one no matter what they do to try and avoid him. Rose herself is initially afraid of the call and reluctant to heed it. By the end of her first mission, she is a changed person and ready for more.
- Sasha Privalov, the protagonist of Monday Begins on Saturday, muses on this trope in fiction and admits to disliking the behaviour of characters who, upon meeting the world of the unfamiliar and wonderful, try to run and hide away from it. He himself averts the trope - with level-headed enthusiasm and a knack for field experimentation.
- Nowhere Stars: This is a Discussed Trope. All children chosen to become Keepers are given the choice whether they want to accept or not, as it's irreversible once the choice is made. The Messengers are also required to explain in very clear details exactly what being a Keeper will entail, the good and the bad alike, to give them the chance to do this trope. Actual refusals are apparently rare, as Keepers are revered and adored by the general public, but they do happen; sometimes it's because the prospect has something in their old life they don't want to leave behind, or a goal that would be mutually exclusive with being a Keeper. Main character Liadain spends a long time thinking it over before making a choice.
- In Of Fear and Faith, Kavik refuses August and Noble's offers to join them on their mysterious and almost certainly epic in some fashion journey. Unfortunately for him, The Call knew where to find him.
- Old Kingdom: In Lirael, Prince Sameth is supposed to be the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, as the only other potential heir and blood relative is his older sister, who is obviously going to be the Queen someday. However, after a traumatic experience fighting a necromancer in Death, he realizes that he can't do it anymore, but his parents are too busy and his sister too self-assured to notice, and he's too scared to admit this to anyone. As Sam discovers, the Call wasn't actually for him at all, he just happened to be standing closest to the phone. When he discovers his actual Call as a Wallmaker, he gladly accepts it.
- In The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, Rose's father avoids hospitals because he fears a power like his own father's will manifest there.
- Elli Winter was supposed to be the Traveler from Quillan in The Pendragon Adventure. Press offered her the position, knowing she had what it took. Elli refused, though, because she felt she wasn't up to it, and asked that the Traveler position be given to her daughter Nevva. That didn't work out so well.
- Bobby himself also refused the call at first. Luckily for everything that has, does, and ever will exist, the abduction of his Uncle Press made it personal.
- Matt from The Power of Five tries this in every book; unfortunately, the call either finds him or he's coerced into it.
- In President's Vampire Zach is, at first, less than thrilled at the prospect of abandoning his career path and becoming a liaison to a vampire. However, he's sternly told that it's a job for life and he can either comply or die by knowing too much. By the end of the story, though, he flat-out refuses to abandon Cade.
- Miras Vara in the Terok Nor books from the Star Trek Novel 'Verse. When Vara is exposed to an Orb artifact, the spirit lifeform Oralius, leader of the old gods, makes Herself known and insists Vara is the next Astraea (leader of the church and vessel for Oralius). Vara doesn't want to give up her career and her home to live on the run as leader of an outlawed faith. Knowing that Oralius will send her psychic dreams, Vara tries to avoid sleep. This is of course futile. Eventually she gives in and accepts her new destiny. She certainly makes a good effort at refusing the call, though.
- Star Wars Expanded Universe: Unlike her Legends counterpart, Princess Leia refuses the prospect of becoming a Jedi, as clarified in Bloodline, in order to focus her energy in the political state of the world.
- In Sunshine, Rae really does not want to be a vampire-slaying magic-wielder. But she's really good at it, and the humans and Con need all the help they can get.
- Played for Laughs in There Is No Epic Loot Here, Only Puns when Quist reminds everyone that entering the Dungeon requires that, "you must either be over the age of 16, have a demon bound inside your soul, wield a sword that no one else can use, be mute and heralded as the hero of this timeline, have a magical birthmark tied to some prophecy or have parental permission".The two blonde kids that were mute and had been hailed as heroes in some fashion in the crowd shrugged. Quiss knew one wanted to be a vet and the other was too lazy to go anywhere. Smart boys in his opinion.
- Tortall Universe: In the Trickster's Duet, Sarai and Dove (but mostly Sarai) are the Chosen Ones of the Copper Isles. Sarai eventually decides that nothing will ever change, so she elopes to Carthak, resulting in panic until Dove reminds the rebels that she has the same credentials. This actually winds up working out for the best for everyone, since Sarai would have been a disaster as queen.
- Johnny in The Truth of Rock And Roll has a chance to join Jenny in Rock and Roll Heaven and become the Anthropomorphic Personification of the Rich Boy in love with the Rebel Girl. He passes on his chance and becomes the Gray Man.
- In Updraft, Kirit isn't interested in using her gift by joining the Singers; she'd much rather be a trader like her mother, which would have averted the whole plot. However, the Singers are quite prepared to ruin her chances of having that life.
- Bahzell of The War Gods receives the call in the first book, with instructions to head west. By the time he accepts the call, he is fairly close to the eastern edge of inhabited lands.
- Peter Waylock of the War of the Dreaming doesn't want to guard the family legacy, doesn't believe in magic, and could care less about the Ancient Tradition. Until his son wakes up from a coma and something's wrong.
- All of the major characters in the Wheel of Time series have "refused the call" at least once.
- Except Moraine, who Jumped at the Call to find the prophesied Dragon Reborn... in part to escape another duty, that of succeding her uncle to the Sun Throne on behalf of the White Tower.
- Worlds of Shadow: Played with. Pel's at first very reluctant to join Raven's war against Shadow. He agrees to visit the other world temporarily, but then they get stuck there. His family get killed, and thus he goes into it for revenge.
- Yumi and the Nightmare Painter: When the spirits offer Yumi a gift, she knows it will lead to adventure; she politely declines. Hoid mentions that while in many cultures stories with spirits offering gifts are parables about danger, in Yumi's a spirit's gift is always positive; she declined because she genuinely thinks she doesn't deserve it and needs to do her duty. Instead, she offers the spirit her help, and gets drawn into (presumably) a different adventure.
