True to Kat's prediction, there was another human-blur at the other side of the tank in a moment. He was getting more used to his new eyes, and some of the details were in fact returning. In fact, his own innate shifter capacities were modifying his senses slightly - rather than being filtered as a lobster would see it, his brain was interpreting the information gained from his eyes and antennae in a way that was more human. Everything was still blurred and washed out, but he could see reasonably well out of the tank. But that would require leaving the tank, and Dan was terrified of what that would mean.
When the tongs entered the water, he squeaked and attempted to scuttle away, realizing that this was what all the other lobsters were doing as well. And why not? His fate at the end of those tongs would be the same as theirs. Worse, in a way...
But the waiter was too deft, and he was grabbed again, unceremoniously hauled from the water and plopped in a large bowl of ice. The cold is stunning, literally, but not dangerous, Dan realizes. He's a Maine lobster, built for cold water...urgh.
The waiter takes him into the kitchen, plops the bowl down and grabs a pair of bands. Feebly Dan tries to resist, but his claws are swiftly bound up again.
"Defenseless again...much good they did me," Dan thought as he observed his once more bound claws. More than that, he realized, once he was dropped back in the tank he'd be totally indistinguishable from the other lobsters. As he thought of that he felt a strange internal heat coursing through him. Dan felt a surge of additional humiliation as he realized he was turned on by the idea of being an unrecognizable lobster.
It seemed, however, he wasn't going back to the tank yet, if the bowl of ice was anything to go by. Sure enough, a firm hand grabbed him by his midsection. Dan would have gasped if he could - it felt exactly as if someone had seized him by the dick. The hand brought him over to a scale on the counter. When he was slapped onto the scale, Dan attempted to scuttle off it again - not really expecting to escape, more as a reflex. However this seemed to irritate the waiter, who grabbed him and held him.
"Hold still, stupid thing..."
The grip was strong, and Dan felt like it was wrapped around his cock and balls. Why was his body so sensitive?! Did Kat do this, or are all lobsters like this? Dan squirmed, partly from pleasure and partly trying to get away.
"That's it you little shit..." the waiter says, holding him down firmly. Dan groaned as the waiter grabbed extra bands, and deftly bound his legs up against his tail. It was hardly best practice for lobsters, but it certainly did keep Dan from squirming. Forced to be still, Dan finally noticed that the scale had a ruler on it as well.
The waiter pressed a few buttons on the scale, and after a moment it beeped.
"Five pounds. You're a fat one, aren't you? Well, you'll be nice and juicy then, I think."
Dan would have blushed if he could. He already knew he was only five pounds now...or was that the way to say it? He seemed to be oversized for a Maine lobster, full of even more delicious meat...
"Oh God..." Dan moaned in fearful arousal.
As if further confirmation of his state was needed, the waiter began gently squeezing his body up and down, checking how much was meat and how much was shell. Dan's eyes would have rolled back if they could - it was as if he were receiving a handjob, but he knew he was instead being graded as a piece of meat. That knowledge did nothing to lessen his arousal; quite the opposite.
"Wow, yeah, it's practically all meat. How'd you avoid getting eaten when you were younger, Tubby? Well, won't be long now."
Dan felt his heart quail at that, but also leap.
The waiter grabbed his tail, stretching him out to his full length, measuring him on the scale's ruler.
"Five-inch carapace, and a five-inch tail. Perfect sized Jumbo," the waiter said idly. He grabbed a ledger book nearby and a small pencil. He scratched at it for a moment, then closed it.
"There you go, all inventoried up. Now, let's see here, this one's pretty big, so we'll make it a special..."
"A special?!" Dan thought, "Oh, no, I'll be eaten for sure!"
He had just enough time to have that thought when the waiter wrapped a rubber tag around his midsection.
[Nightly Special: $30]
Dan's mind practically boiled over with fear and arousal. He wasn't just going to be eaten, he was going to be eaten for a bargain! He was going to be sold, and cheaply!
Dan was so busy dwelling in exquisite agony of fear and arousal that he barely noticed he was put back in his bowl, then walked to the tank. He only snapped out of it when he was dumped in. Worse yet, the waiter had neglected to untie his legs. He sank down to the bottom of the tank, unable to even hide among his fellow lobsters to avoid being seen as particularly delectable...just in time for the dinner rush.