Lucidity via a crutch? - First Lucid Dream

So I feel like this should be put here, in the Newbie zone, given it's my first Lucid Dream.

I was standing on what felt like some dodgy piece of set. It was green and sloped up at one side to gain access to a second level. The whole thing was vaguely rectangular and at all four corners there were brown poles that held it all together.

So I'm on this weird set and there's a female dream character there who randomly says to me 'I think it's working.' She was trying to tell me that this was a dream.
'Whatever.' I reply.
'No really I can breathe through my nose if I pinch it shut.' She insists.

I still didn't believe her, and told her as much, and went off a little way to explore this random set that we were standing on. But then I thought to myself 'Why don't I do a reality check and make sure this is bullshit.' I pinch my nose and find I can still breathe through it.
'HOLY SH- I'M DREAMING!' I yell as I spin around to look at the dream character that was attempting to tell me as much. But when I turn around, she's facing away from me and immediately disappears. That was so surreal. It was as if she'd served her purpose and was no longer necessary.

I won't bother you with the details of what happened next, but to explain, briefly, I didn't have much control over the dream and expecting things to happen wasn't changing that for me. That's just going to take time.

I'm more interested however in how I came to do a reality check. Has anyone else been told by a Dream Character that they're dreaming? I kind of feel as if this was cheating (lol) or cheapened the experience a little. I understand she — the Dream Character — is a part of my subconscious but I almost feel as if I've attained lucidity here by means of some form of crutch.

I'm sure you were already fairly aware from the beginning, and the DC just triggered more awareness. After all, you could've just completely ignored what she said, instead of being skeptical or unsure, which would've meant you weren't conscious at all within the dream.

Yeah. Hence my saying I recognise she was simply a part of my subconscious. Nice to have someone confirm they feel the same way though.

I just haven't read about anyone being told by a DC that they're dreaming. More often than not, the accounts I've read have detailed people realising they're dreaming all on their own and simply using an RC to confirm that. I was told by a DC and then attempted to use an RC to prove them wrong.

Congrats on the lucid. It's not cheating if a DCs tells you it's a dream. In fact, it's an effective use of your unconscious mind. Remember that everything in the dream comes from your own mind. In waking life, you remind yourself to be aware. In a dream, your unconscious might manifest this reminder as another person.

I've had a DC tell me it was a dream and I did an RC to prove them wrong. xD Last night I became lucid because I saw something written on a white board that said to try to do something while lucid, then I went up to a DC, the owner of a certain place, and told him, I've been here before, but not lucid. After that I did a RC. I also tried to spin to change my dream, but it was a pretty fast spin. A DC told me I was spinning way too fast and just do a really slow one. Specifically, "Just roll it," was what she said, this caused me to wake up though. =/

Thanks for the congrats, sisyphus, and thanks for the kind words.

KushyBear, I'm so glad someone else has come across the same thing. I mean, I knew someone out there must have, It was just that I'd not read any accounts like that.