Okay, "ropey" just means skinny with muscles.

And maybe I haven't waded through enough crapfic, but poor widdle Xander running away to Africa and not talking to anybody from Sunnydale because he's too impossibly sad is pretty much a Spander thing (I'll admit that the buffing up is more general).

Well, if you ask really nicely, I may include some butt-patting.

Translation: boredboredboredbored