On Thursday, July 7, 2016 at 12:56:16 AM UTC-5, The Crypto Fairy wrote:
Given that you managed to figure out both the key and plaintext, your
answer, while technically-correct, is unacceptable.

Had you followed the instructions in the plaintext and responded to the
thread with only the word 'imperiousness', it would have been possible to
grant you first place. Unfortunately, your failure to do so disqualifies
you from any award.

However, I trust that the significance of the key being 'octopus' will not
be lost on you when I invite you to chow down on eight, sixteen,
sixty-four, or as many boners as you can keep down at the boner buffet in
consolation like the cock-hungry octopus that you are.

Yours, etc.,

The Crypto Fairy.

On Sat, 2 Jul 2016, fred k. engels wrote:

octopus
if you decipher this reply with only the word imperiousness in the message
body
German public people say 'Auf Wiedersehen' to immigrants. www.freerepublic.com